As-salamu alaykum all, and as-salamu alayki sister Nausheen,

I think you have indirectly requested me to do this. Please delete the other thread when I finish posting it here in a more readable fashion! 

POST 1: By Nausheen:

Assalamualaikum wa rahmatullah wa barkatuhu,

There is always a treasure of information and knowledge of religion in the writings of Gousul Azam shaikh Abdal Qadir Jilani RAA.

Unfortunately only a very small portion of his writings are available online, but on reading those one can see there is so much of change that needs to be brought in his/ her personality in order to be "purify the souls to become successful" as pointed out in Ash Shams and elsewhere in the Holy Quran.

May all of you who reads thru the chapter below be benefited with the good contained in it, insha allah, ameen.

Ma salama,
Nausheen

THE SHARIAH AND THE AWLIYA

By Abdul Qadir Gilani r.a.

An excerpt from an address by Gousul-Asam Muhyuddin Abdul Qadir Gilani, r.a.
from the book The Endowment of Divine Grace and Spread of Divine Mercy [Al-Fathu Rabbani]
translated by Muhammad M. Al-Akili

Child, your yearning for God Almighty is not true, nor do you truly seek Him. One who professes to follow God's will while he is calling for someone else's help has refuted his own claim. Amongst the so-called seekers of God, the majority love the world, few love the hereafter, and even fewer consent to God's will and seek Him.

They are as rare as red sulfur. These are unique individuals who are the rarest of the rare. It is even very rare to meet one of them. They are the select few, the beacons of faith, the pride of the lands, the gems of the earth and the true kings on it. They are God's providence to the land and its people. They are the pillars of the earth and its protection. They are the leaders of the people and their chancellors. Because of them, people are saved from calamities and because of them, God Almighty makes the skies rain and plants thrive.

At the beginning of their spiritual quest, they ran from one mountain peak to a higher one, seeking seclusion and privacy. They fled from one country to another, from the outskirts of one ruin to another. Once they were discovered to dwell in one place, they moved to another. They left everything behind and surrendered the keys of this world into the hands of its people. They remained resolute until the castle walls of protection were built around them, and rivers flowed towards their hearts until such time that God Almighty assigned guards to protect them.

Each of the heavenly soldiers who surround them have a unique duty to guard. Thus, these elect servants of God Almighty will be honoured, protected, and raised to the station of deputy over the people (wilayah). All these blessings take place beyond their mental fathoming. In that state of being, their return to mingling with people and serving them becomes obligatory (faridha). They become like physicians, and the people become their patients.

O man, you claim to be one of them. Tell me then, how do you recognize their signs? What is the mark of proximity to and kindness of God Almighty? What is your position and station in God's kingdom? What is your name and title in the upper circle? Tell me, why does the door of your fate close every night? Do you think that whatever food and water you take is unconditionally permissible? Where do you sleep, in the world, the hereafter, or in proximity of your Lord? Who comforts you in your loneliness? Who sits with you in your solitude?

O liar. What comforts you in your privacy are your mind and desire (nafs), satan, passions and contemplation of your world. In public you comfort yourself with the company of the human satans who are the evildoers and the fellows of hearsay. The success illustrated earlier does not come through raving, craziness, or mere chance, nor would your speaking on the subject benefit you. Be in a state of dead-calm and be languorous [lethargic] in the hands of your Lord and thus correct your behaviour.

Beware! Beware! Never look passionately at anything, for such lustful desires will plant the seed of sin in your heart, the results of which are not praiseworthy either in this world or the hereafter.

O ye people! Behave yourselves before God Almighty, and may He have mercy upon you all. If one does not conduct oneself in compliance with the divine laws of shariah, soon the fire of hell will reach him on the day of reckoning.

Whoever enters a place where there is admonition and does not accept these warnings is the most evil of all people. Child, your scorning and belittling of God's deputies (awliya) are a result of the little knowledge you have of God Almighty Himself. You belligerently accuse them: "Why do they not work like us to earn their livelihood? Why do they not mix with us?" You say it out of the ignorance of who you are. In fact, when you have so little knowledge of yourself, your understanding of people's worth is less than that. To the limited extent you know about this world and its consequences, you know even less of the hereafter and its worth; and to the limited extent you know about the hereafter, even less do you know God Almighty. O you who are toiling in this world, soon you will discover your losses, and soon you will suffer the agony of regret. These are your manifest signs for both this world and the hereafter. Greater will be your remorse on the day of reckoning, the day of mutual loss and gain, the day of defamation and exposure, the day of disappointment and loss. Judge yourself today, before the hereafter comes.

O ye people! Despair not of God's endowments and His giving you relief, for He is near to you. Despair not, for the Maker is God. "You never know, perhaps God will soon create a new circumstance."

Do not try to escape from adversity. Facing one's trials with patience is the basis of every benefit and the way to triumph. Adversities are the fountainhead of prophethood, the root of the message, the pillar of deputyship (wilaya), gnosis and love. If you do not exercise patience in the face of adversities you have nothing to stand on. No structure can stand upright without a good foundation. Have you ever seen a house standing erect on a trash pile? You are running away from trial and tribulation because you feel no need to receive the trust of deputyship, inner knowledge or to be near to God Almighty. Exercise patience and persevere with good deeds in order to soar with your heart, inner being, and soul to the door of God's proximity. Those endowed and knowledge (ulama), the gnostics, the representatives and trustees (awliya') and the deputies (abdal) are the heirs of the prophets. The prophets are the brokers and the heirs are the pitchmen.

A true gnostic who practices what he knows solely for God's pleasure can be likened to the anvil of a blacksmith. You hammer [away] on it, but it does not say a word. He is like the ground on which you walk, a farm which turns upside down and rotates its crop, yet it remains silent. Such true believers see no-one besides God Almighty. They hearken to no-one other than Him. They have souls but no tongues with which to speak. They are concealed from themselves as well as from others. They thrive in secret. Only if God wills does he unfold them, like the pages of a book, and reveals them to others and make their souls tongues that speak. As though they were intoxicated or numbed, the King carries them unto His divine presence with the hand of His mercy and compassion, reclaims them, restores them, and recreates them for Himself, and no-one else. He reshapes them again to be His servants, just [as] He refashioned Moses, upon whom be peace, when he said unto him: "I made thee for myself (to serve). There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing Lord."

He will be reborn into tranquility without effort, peace without hindrance, blessings without wrath, joy without hate, sweetness without bitterness, a king without destruction. "And thereat, the sovereignty belongs to God Almighty alone, the Rightful Lord."

To one who reaches that state, comfort will hasten towards him.

However, in your current condition you cannot experience such tranquility because this world is the abode of distress and plague. Therefore, it is imperative that you walk away and let your heart be free from it. Should your hand not be able to let go of it, then keep holding it, but get it out of your heart. Once you become stronger, then release it from your hand and give to the poor, the needy, and the indigent ones. Make it a gift to all the dependents of God Almighty. Despite that, your share will still come to you. It has to come by divine decree, whether you be rich or poor, renunciative [ascetic self-denial] or desirous. What matters is the correct attitude of your heart and innermost being and their charity. They become pure and clear as you become more knowledgeable, practice what you learn, become sincere in what you do, and become a truthful seeker of God Almighty.

Child, have you not heard the saying: "Learn first then retreat."

First learn the outer jurisprudence, then retire to contemplate it's inner meaning. Practice the prescribed law so that your deeds may bring you to comprehend a knowledge of that you were unaware and have not practiced. This outer knowledge is the light of that which is manifest, and inner knowledge is the effulgent light of the innermost reality. It is a light linking you and your Lord and Cherisher. The more you put your knowledge into practice, the shorter your path to your Lord, and the gate becomes more open between you and Him. Your personal door will become wide open and the bar will be removed for you.

"Our Lord, grant us the benefits of a good deed in this world, the reward of a good deed in the hereafter, and protect us externally from the sufferings of hell- fire."

POST 2: By an anonymous user:

�One who professes to follow God's will while he is calling for someone else's help has refuted his own claim.�

�Because of them, people are saved from calamities..�

We should not call for someone's help, yet we are saved from calamities because of other than Allah?


�They fled from one country to another, from the outskirts of one ruin to another. Once they were discovered to dwell in one place, they moved to another.�

The Prophet (pbuh) never practiced seclusion after receiving the Divine appointment of Prophethood, nor did his companions. On the contrary, the Messenger of Allah encouraged socializing among Muslims and regarded it as praiseworthy, as reported in the hadeeth narrated by Ibn Umar:

�The believer who intermingles with people and endures patiently their mischief will have greater reward than the one who does not intermingle with people and does not endure patiently their mischief.� {Ahmad, At-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah}


�Each of the heavenly soldiers who surround them have a unique duty to guard. Thus, these elect servants of God Almighty will be honoured, protected, and raised to the station of deputy over the people (wilayah). All these blessings take place beyond their mental fathoming.�

I wonder what the author bases this belief upon? Sounds almost like Catholicism.

Like the author, another famous sufi said: �The Sufi should shut his door against the world for forty days and occupy himself with remembrance of Allah, that is to keep repeating, �Allah, Allah�� Then, �Almighty God will spread before him the degrees of the kingdom as a test. First, He will discover the secrets of the mineral world, if he occupies himself with dhikr. He (God) will unveil the secrets of the vegetable world, then the secrets of the animal world, then of the world of life-force into lives, then the �surface sign� then the degrees of speculative sciences, then the world of formation and adornment and beauty, then he will be given the divine wisdom and the power of symbols and authority over the veil and the unveiling. The degree of the Divine Presence is make clear to him, the garden (of Eden) and Hell are revealed to him, then the original forms of the sons of Adam, the Thorne of Mercy. If it is appropriate, he will know his destination. Then he will reveal to him the Pen, the First Intellect then the Mover of the Pen, the right had of the Truth.�

Suffice it to say that our Prophet who Allah, Most High, blessed to ascend the heaven, never spoke of such nonsense. May Allah, Most High, keep us on his straight path.

POST 3: By Pathseeker111:

On 8/6/2003 1:59:00 PM, Anonymous wrote:
>�One who professes to follow
>God's will while he is calling
>for someone else's help has
>refuted his own claim.�

This is a clear indication of what this learned person thinks of such a thing.
>
>�Because of them, people are
>saved from calamities..�

So surely he does not mean what you think he means. Perhaps in GOD's own Wisdom there is a threshold of collective sin, after crossing of which by a community, Allah's Wrath becomes an obligation and an unstoppable surety---e.g the destruction of 'Ad' and 'Thamud'. Perhaps a certain cohort of 'unknown' or 'known' men(women) who also belong to that community keep the threshold low enough for life to continue in that community. Perhaps others are, by Divine Law, enjoying the respite only because amongst them dwell some pious and holy ones. Can you now think of Why the towns of Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed but the city of Sanfrancisco (just an example ok) still lives on?
>
>
>�They fled from one country to
>another, from the outskirts of
>one ruin to another. Once they
>were discovered to dwell in
>one place, they moved to
>another.�

Again a complete read on the author tells us that one should not flee trials and tribulations, and therefore should stay in such places. And trials and tribulations come in places that are not desolate and deserted. But here he talks of retreating to lonely places.........Mohammed (pbuh) did that too, and so did Isa (pbuh). This is a very common way men nearest to GOD become near to him........they need to contemplate and pray undisturbed. Christian and Buddhist monks do that too. However this is for the purpose of enlightenment and not for good (for the rest of one's life)-------for then one would have neglected the responsibility of Dawah and enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong.


>�Each of the heavenly soldiers
>who surround them have a
>unique duty to guard. Thus,
>these elect servants of God
>Almighty will be honoured,
>protected, and raised to the
>station of deputy over the
>people (wilayah). All these
>blessings take place beyond
>their mental fathoming.�
>
>I wonder what the author bases
>this belief upon? Sounds
>almost like Catholicism.

Its from Quran I believe, the latter portion of the Quran. I donot remember the exact references, but its like 'every soul but has a protector over it'--a guard, (perhaps in form of a star?)........I am a bit confused here cause I do remember reading and having had such an understanding, but since this is one of the Mutashabihaat I did not indulge in it deeply at that time and wanted to grow more in spirituality before I came back to those verses for personal understanding).

I keep saying this...the differences in the Ummah that divide us are really of our own creation! Its all perception and illusion that is played upon by Satan.

>

POST 4: Again by Pathseeker111:

Salam Anonymous,
Although I haven't tried this myself, but I think if you really want to understand this surah you would need to have the spiritual insight (if you don't have it already), and the only way to do that is lots of prayers to GOD, fasting, and then the last third of the night.......InshaAllah you will understand the Wisdom here.


Here is Surah At-Tariq:

In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful.

086.001
YUSUFALI: By the Sky and the Night-Visitant (therein);-
PICKTHAL: By the heaven and the Morning Star
SHAKIR: I swear by the heaven and the comer by night;

086.002
YUSUFALI: And what will explain to thee what the Night-Visitant is?-
PICKTHAL: - Ah, what will tell thee what the Morning Star is!
SHAKIR: And what will make you know what the comer by night is?

086.003
YUSUFALI: (It is) the Star of piercing brightness;-
PICKTHAL: - The piercing Star!
SHAKIR: The star of piercing brightness;

086.004
YUSUFALI: There is no soul but has a protector over it.
PICKTHAL: No human soul but hath a guardian over it.
SHAKIR: There is not a soul but over it is a keeper.

086.005
YUSUFALI: Now let man but think from what he is created!
PICKTHAL: So let man consider from what he is created.
SHAKIR: So let man consider of what he is created:

086.006
YUSUFALI: He is created from a drop emitted-
PICKTHAL: He is created from a gushing fluid
SHAKIR: He is created of water pouring forth,

086.007
YUSUFALI: Proceeding from between the backbone and the ribs:
PICKTHAL: That issued from between the loins and ribs.
SHAKIR: Coming from between the back and the ribs.

086.008
YUSUFALI: Surely (Allah) is able to bring him back (to life)!
PICKTHAL: Lo! He verily is Able to return him (unto life)
SHAKIR: Most surely He is able to return him (to life).

086.009
YUSUFALI: The Day that (all) things secret will be tested,
PICKTHAL: On the day when hidden thoughts shall be searched out.
SHAKIR: On the day when hidden things shall be made manifest,

086.010
YUSUFALI: (Man) will have no power, and no helper.
PICKTHAL: Then will he have no might nor any helper.
SHAKIR: He shall have neither strength nor helper.

086.011
YUSUFALI: By the Firmament which returns (in its round),
PICKTHAL: By the heaven which giveth the returning rain,
SHAKIR: I swear by the raingiving heavens,

086.012
YUSUFALI: And by the Earth which opens out (for the gushing of springs or the sprouting of vegetation),-
PICKTHAL: And the earth which splitteth (with the growth of trees and plants)
SHAKIR: And the earth splitting (with plants);

086.013
YUSUFALI: Behold this is the Word that distinguishes (Good from Evil):
PICKTHAL: Lo! this (Qur'an) is a conclusive word,
SHAKIR: Most surely it is a decisive word,

086.014
YUSUFALI: It is not a thing for amusement.
PICKTHAL: It is no pleasantry.
SHAKIR: And it is no joke.

086.015
YUSUFALI: As for them, they are but plotting a scheme,
PICKTHAL: Lo! they plot a plot (against thee, O Muhammad)
SHAKIR: Surely they will make a scheme,

086.016
YUSUFALI: And I am planning a scheme.
PICKTHAL: And I plot a plot (against them).
SHAKIR: And I (too) will make a scheme.

086.017
YUSUFALI: Therefore grant a delay to the Unbelievers: Give respite to them gently (for awhile).
PICKTHAL: So give a respite to the disbelievers. Deal thou gently with them for a while.
SHAKIR: So grant the unbelievers a respite: let them alone for a while

POST 5: By Nausheen:

Assalamualaikum Pathseeker,

you would need to have the spiritual insight (if you don't have it already), and the only way to do that is lots of prayers to GOD, fasting, and then the last third of the night

I think I shall never be able to explain spirituality by use of any logic. Probably because it is a very tight and intricately knitted relationship between a salik and allah.

I am beginning to appreciate your views on the subject and your approach in explaining many things on this board, alhamdulillah. May allah increase you in insight and wisdom.

Brother, if you have interest and time permits you, take a look at the commentary of Ibn Ajiba on the Wisdom of ibn ata'llah.
It is a very beautiful course, a heart opener I would call - of course for those who have attained some spiritual insight.

Ma salama,
Nausheen

POST 6: By Pathseeker111:

On 8/6/2003 9:12:00 PM, NAUSHEEN wrote:

>Assalamualaikum Pathseeker,
Walikumassalm,

>I think I shall never be
>able to
>explain spirituality by use of
>any logic.

Neither can I. But I think these are the ways to seek as outlined in the Quran Itself..I think you do not disagree on this.

>Brother, if you have interest
>and time
>permits you, take a look at
>the commentary
>of Ibn Ajiba on the Wisdom of
>ibn ata'llah.

InshaAllah. Is it available on line?

POST 7: By Saif Al-Deen

Asalamu Alaikum,
I believe this is what you are looking for.

http://www.wponline.org/vil/Books/IA_Hikmah/Default.html

Wasalam,
Liam


May Allah steal from you all that steals you from Him..

POST 8: By Nausheen:

Assalamualaikum wa rahmatullah

On 8/6/2003 10:18:00 PM, pathseeker111 wrote: >Neither can I. But I think these are the >ways to seek as outlined in the Quran >Itself..I think you do not disagree on >this.

not at all. My statement was no disagreement to what you said :-) Indeed Salat, sawm and dhikr are a way to understanding and growing nearer to allah, as recommended by our prophet(SAW). Because it is said that sleep overtakes us more easily on a full stomach, plus there are many desires of the nafs that can be curbed, if one does not overeat.

Dhikr is usually misunderstood as careless utterances of names of allah....but what is meant by it is to make a conscious effort to remember allah in the heart. Further, any time spent in reciting the Quran or understanding its meanings is dhikr. After all Quran in itself is referred to as 'the dhikr'.

InshaAllah. Is it available on line?

Yes alhamdulillah, you have already been assited with a link ... it is also available on Aisha Bewley's Homepage http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/ABewley/hikam.html - The Hikam of Ibn 'Ata'llah and http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/ABewley/hikamcont.html - The commentary is here. If you wish to buy your personal copy, try http://www.almirajsufibooks.com.au/masters.html - this link.
Ma salama,
Nausheen

Be not heedless of thy Lord for even the blink of an eye, Lest He directs His attention towards you, and finds you unawares.

POST 9: By Pathseeker111

Thank you bro and sis.......

May Allah(swt) guide us all.

POST 10: By Ibn Hanbal

On 8/6/2003 1:59:00 PM, Anonymous wrote:
>�One who professes to follow
>God's will while he is calling
>for someone else's help has
>refuted his own claim.�
.....
>
>The Prophet (pbuh) never
>practiced seclusion after
>receiving the Divine
>appointment of Prophethood,
>nor did his companions. On
>the contrary, the Messenger of
>Allah encouraged socializing
>among Muslims and regarded it
>as praiseworthy, as reported
>in the hadeeth narrated by Ibn
>Umar:
>
>�The believer who intermingles
>with people and endures
>patiently their mischief will
>have greater reward than the
>one who does not intermingle
>with people and does not
>endure patiently their
>mischief.� {Ahmad, At-Tirmidhi
>and Ibn Majah}
>
.....
>I wonder what the author bases
>this belief upon? Sounds
>almost like Catholicism.
...
>Like the author.....

>Suffice it to say that our
>Prophet who Allah, Most High,
>blessed to ascend the heaven,
>never spoke of such nonsense.
>May Allah, Most High, keep us
>on his straight path.
>

Subhan Allah! May Allah forgive us!

I had not come across this post before, but I feel that it is necessary to add some advice and comments. I don't intend staying long here in this section, going in circles scrutinizing everything that is pulled out of a hat, copy and pasted for us to read.

All of the scholars are agreed that our Imam, our Master, the light of his time, Sayyidina al-Shaykh 'Abdul Qadir Jailani [May Allah be pleased with him, shower Mercy upon him, and allow us to benefit from him!] was among the friends of Allah [Awliya], one of the Ahl Allah [people of Allah], a true scholar and unparalleled in his age! Our nation has not been able to produce the likes of him again. With him, has gone a tremendous source of living knowledge, guidance, and the inheritance of the Prophet. He was a direct descendent of our Beloved, and it is our duty to have love and the utmost respect for the household of the Prophet [May Allah bless him and grant him peace, and upon his family as well]. All of the scholars, including Ibn Taymiyya and all of the Hanabila, regard Sayyidina Shaykh 'Abdul Qadir as their Shaykh and Imam. More so, he is someone respected and loved by all of the Imams, of all of the Madhahib. It is authentically recorded about him, that many amazing instances and extraordinary events happened around him [karamaat]. Some of the scholars say, there is no one else about whom it is recorded authentically so many karamaat. It is also obligatory on us, to believe in the authentic recordings and the possibility of such extraordinary occurences, as pointed out by Imam al-Tahawi in his text of Aqeeda [as well as by Ibn Taymiyya].

Before opening your mouth against him, based on misunderstandings, realize that he is more beloved to Allah than you, and know that he is among the friends of Allah. It hurts me to see people regarding my master Shaykh 'Abdul Qadir, in such a manner [to regard his speech with mockery, or to address him as an "author"], and it is a duty upon us to defend the honour of the people who have devoted their lives to the cause of Allah in knowledge and in practice. It is in the Sahih of Imam al-Bukhari, that the Messenger of Allah [May Allah bless him and grant him peace] related to us, that Allah, our Lord, states:

"Whoever harms a friend (Wali) of Mine, I declare war on him..."

It is not our Shaykh, 'Abdul Qadir, who speaks of nonsense, but it is your post filled with personal conclusions and misjudgements. You are a layperson [this is not meant as an insult, but simply the reality for all of us] who is no where near the level, in knowledge or in piety or in any other matter, of our Shaykh. As for the topic of seeking the help and assistance of other than Allah, the Shaykh means that one should not think that ultimately someone other than Allah is granting us help. For example, when we go to seek a means for cure, such as taking medicine or seeking a Doctor, we should realize that Allah Alone ultimately is the provide of Cure. Our Lord has placed means of assitance to us in this world, the people of Allah have the realization of Allah in their minds at all times. Thus, they do not look at the means or the medicine, or the Doctor, but they see that it is Allah Who is giving them the cure and assitance! Often, the scholars will speak at a level which we may not fully comprehend, this is because we ourselves are lacking in knowledge and in practice.

Firstly, there is no doubt over the fact that our Prophet was a source of Mercy for all of the Worlds, and for all of the people. And in fact, it was because of our Beloved, that even the unbelievers and the general people did not recieve the greatest of calamities and were saved from punishment! It was because of the status that our Beloved had with our Lord.

"But God would never chastise them while you were among them; God would never chastise them as they begged forgiveness" [al-Anfal, 8:33]

Our Prophet was even a source of Mercy and even benefitted the animals! This is something pointed out by our Imam Jalal ul-Din al-Suyuti [Allah's Mercy be upon him] in his masterpiece Khasais al-Nabawiyya al-Kubriyya:

The advice for us, from the saying of the Prophet of Allah is:

"Whosoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, then let him speak good or remain silent."
[Sahih al-Bukhari]

Peace and blessings of Allah be bestowed upon the Prophet, his family, companions, followers, and upon the righteous scholars and the Awliya. Praise and gratitude to Allah, Who Knows Best.

POST 11: By an anonymous user:

"All of the scholars are agreed that our Imam, our Master, the light of his
time, Sayyidina al-Shaykh 'Abdul Qadir Jailani [May Allah be pleased with him,
shower Mercy upon him, and allow us to benefit from him!] was among the
friends of Allah [Awliya], one of the Ahl Allah�"

When speaking about people, what we say must be based on
knowledge and fairness. In the case of a man who has achieved a great
deal in the way of religion, we must acknowledge his achievements,
but that does not prevent us from pointing out his mistakes. This
general principle is to be applied when speaking of Shaykh 'Abd
al-Qaadir al-Jilaani and other Muslim scholars.

Shaykh 'Abd al-Qaadir (may Allaah have mercy on him) is one of the
imaams of Islam. He attained a position of leadership over the
Muslims of his time, in knowledge, good deeds, issuing fatwas and
other aspects of religion. He was one of the greatest shaykhs of his
time, enjoining adherence to the sharee'ah, enjoining what is good,
forbidding what is evil, and giving that precedence over all else. He
was an ascetic (zaahid) and a preacher, in whose gatherings many
people repented. Allaah caused him to be well-liked by people and
his virtue became widely-known - may Allaah bestow abundant
mercy upon him.

Shaykh 'Abd al-Qaadir was a follower, not an innovator. He followed
the way of the righteous salaf and in his books he encouraged people
to follow the salaf; he also enjoined that upon his followers. He used
to tell people not to follow innovations in religion, and he stated
clearly that he was opposed to the ahl al-kalaam ("Islamic
philosophers") such as the Ash'aris and their ilk.

Shaykh 'Abd al-Qaadir agreed with Ahl al-Sunnah wa'l-Jamaa'ah - the
followers of truth - concerning all issues of 'aqeedah (belief),
namely Tawheed, faith, Prophethood, and the Last Day.

There are some minor mistakes and errors in his books, and some
innovations which are relatively insignificant when compared with
his achievements. To find out more about them, along with an
explanation of where he went wrong, please see Shaykh 'Abd
al-Qaadir al-Jilaani wa Araa'uhu al-I'tidaaqiyyah
wa'l-Soofiyyah, by Shaykh Dr. Sa'eed ibn Musfir al-Qahtaani,
440-476.

Moreover, it is not right to make one Muslim scholar, let alone
anyone else, the sole source of what is true and correct, in the sense
that one takes what he says as being true and what goes against that as
being false - not Shaykh 'Abd al-Qaadir and not anyone else. Rather
the truth is that which is in accordance with the Qur'aan and Sunnah,
no matter who says it, and what goes against the Qur'aan and Sunnah
should be ignored and avoided, even if it is said by 'Abd al-Qaadir
al-Jilaani, Maalik, al-Shaafa'i, Ahmad or anyone else.

There is a point which we must make here, which is that praising
Shaykh 'Abd al-Qaadir does not mean praising everyone who claims
to follow him. Not everyone who claims to follow a shaykh or a
tareeqah or anything else is to be believed. How often has it
happened that a person who is thought to be a true follower turned
out to be the farthest removed from what was thought to be the case?
How many misleading people don the cloak of asceticism and piety
when they have nothing to do with either of them? Hence the Sufi
tareeqah which is known nowadays as the Qaadiriyyah is not
following the straight path which the Shaykh (may Allaah have mercy
on him) followed, rather it is a deviant Sufi tareeqah which has
deviated from the guidance of the Qur'aan and Sunnah; it exaggerates
a great deal about Shaykh 'Abd al-Qaadir and even attributes to him
things that can only rightfully be attributed to Allaah. Some of them
exaggerate concerning his grave, seeking help from it, and some of
them exaggerate about his attributes and miracles (karaamah).

By comparing the actions of those who claim to follow the shaykh
with what is narrated in the Qur'aan and Sunnah, what was narrated
from the righteous salaf and even what was narrated from the Shaykh
himself (may Allaah have mercy on him), we will clearly see that
there is a huge gap between the two, and that the Qaadiri group has
deviated from the path of its shaykh whom they claim to be
following. That is because they have introduced so many innovations
(bid'ahs) into the religion of Allaah, that the Shaykh would never have
approved of. It has been narrated from the respectable scholars that
they regarded this group as extreme, for example what was said by
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) in his
refutation of al-Bakri concerning the issue of ziyaarah or visiting
graves (1/228), and in the fatwas of Shaykh Muhammad ibn
Ibraaheem Aal al-Shaykh, indicates that they have committed some
actions of shirk.

See: Fataawa Ibn Ibraaheem, 1/276, 109

"Often, the scholars will speak at a level which we may not fully comprehend, this is because we ourselves are lacking in knowledge and in practice."

Imam Ahmad reports in Az-Zuhd (p.48), and ad-Daarimee in his Sunan (1/91), from Umar Ibn Abdul-Aziz that he said: "If you see a people discussing anything of their Deen secretly, to the exclusion of people in general then know that they are upon the foundation of misguidance. Ibn al-Jawzee quotes this report in Talbees-Iblees saying, "So our Deen, all Praise being for Allah, is clear and manifest containing nothing hidden, nor anything concealed, suppressed or secret. Thus, whatever the people of partisanship employ from that then it is the door to misguidance, and Allah's refuge is sought."



"Concerning seclusion, what our Shaykh is generally mentioning on it, is
based on the authentic practice of our Beloved Prophet, who would seclude
himself in the month of Ramadan, to devote one self to worship. One is not
restricted to doing acts of worship at one time only, one can practice i'tikaf at
any time as well. What exactly are you objecting to?"

Sufi concepts with regards to worship suffer from both innovation and extremism.

"The Khalwat Khana (the place of solitude) should be such a small cubicle wherein one may sit cross-legged at the time of Dhikr and stand erect for Salaat. It should be dark inside, not allowing penetration sunlight and light of day."

This "Khalwat Khana" is similar to the extreme punishment reserved only for hardened criminals at prisons whereby they are put in a dungeon secluded from the other prisoners without sunlight or fresh air. Such self-imposed punishments have not been prescribed by Allah and His Messenger (pbuh). "Allah intends for you ease and He does not want to make things difficult for you." 2:185

It should be noted here that the Khilwah is a Sufi practice on its own and is in no way related to the Itifaf in the Masjid. Itikaf involves seclusion from worldly desires, avoiding vain talk and devoting one's time purely to worshiping Allah. It has no likeness to the Sufi's practice of seclusion in a claustrophobic room with no sunlight or fresh air. Itikaf in the Masjids is not done with the extremist belief of abandoning the society because unlike Sufism, Islam teaches the middle course between associating with people in order to benefit them and avoiding the wastage of time in vain talk and frivolities. As Ibn Aun, said: "There are three things that I love for myself and for my brothers (in Islam and one of them is)..That they should leave the people except when intending to do good (for them)."

The Messenger of Allah said: "The believer who mixes with people and remains patient on their harms is better than the believer who does not mix with people nor does he remain patient on their harms." (Saheeh)

"Haatim Asam Balkhy was an ascetic Sufi, who secluded himself in a vault for thirty years. He did not speak to anyone except when it was of dire necessity. When he visited the grave of the Prophet, he merely said, 'O Allah! We have come to the grave of your beloved. Do not send us away with desires unfulfilled.' A voice was heard from heaven saying, 'Indeed, have We granted you the favor of visiting the grave of My beloved so that your greatest wish may be granted. Go forth now. We have forgiven you and companions and all those who are present here."

Not only does this story support the Sufis practice of, "Khilwah" , but also assigns a great position for those who indulge in it. Therefore, deeds become insignificant and yield no gain if they are not performed with the Ittiba (guidance or following) of Allah's Messenger (pbuh) The three men wanted to perform more prayers and fast, which are great worships, and encouraged by Allah's Messenger, but this worship did not benefit them because it lacked the Ittiba of Allah's Messenger, even though their intentions was solely to worship Allah and achieve His pleasure. May Allah, Most High, save us from misguidance.

POST 12: By Ibn Hanbal:

All praise is for Allah who has made the scholars the inheritors of the Prophets, and the Peace and blessings of Allah be upon the Beloved Prophet, our master Muhammad.

It is still strange to find people who claim to follow the Qur'an and Sunnah, yet they do not accept the evidences others show to them. Even stranger is the one who claims to be free of taqleed, but insists on blindly following the writings of some authors and a minority of scholars. Your lack of etiquette towards our master, our Shaykh, Shaykh 'Abdul Qadir [Allah's Mercy be upon him and may Allah be pleased with him!], in an earlier post was what led me to post a reply before, and it is interesting to note that Muhammad Salih al-Munajjid [the author of the piece you have posted] differs with you in his attitude towards our Shaykh.

The aggressive attitude against Ahl ul-Sunnah, the accusations of innovation and shirk [associating partners with Allah], these are all the qualities of the extremists and the Khawarij. People should be advised to avoid websites with such persuasions, one of them being under the supervision of Muhammad al-Munajjid and others. I would advise people to read the advice Shaykh Gibril Haddad has given concerning them [http://mac.abc.se/home/onesr/f/Islamqa.com%20typifies%20Wahhabism.htm]. Many of such people accuse the people of Tasawwuf, speak ill of others, and abuse the righteous scholars, our predecessors. The foremost scholar of Ahl ul-Sunna in Makkah today, the direct descendent of the Beloved Prophet, the Muhaddith, al-Shaykh Muhammad ibn 'Alawi al-Maliki al-Makki has advised students to hold back their tongues against the scholars, the majority of whom have accepted the correct Islamic belief as understood by the Imam Abul Hasan al-Ash'ari and the majority of the scholars. Some people justify their attacks by quotin from the corrupted text of al-Ibana, which has not reached us in its original form [as pointed out by the scholars, including the verifying Hadith master, Hafidh Ibn Asakir in his Tabyin Kadhib al-Muftari], in order to put emphasis on their literal and almost anthropomorphic understanding of the attributes of Allah, our Lord, Nothing is like Him whatsoever. This is an issue which some speak about among the common people, trying to confuse them and those who have not learnt much about the subject. For anyone interested, who has an open mind, they can read the following advice from the Makkan Hadith scholar [Shaykh Muhammad ibn 'Alawi], may Allah bless him and preserve him!

The Ashaira by Shaykh Muhammad ibn 'Alawi:
http://65.39.144.73/ISLAM/misc/ashari.htm

A separate biography and important points on the righteous Imam Abu al-Hasan:

Imam Abu al-Hasan al-Ash'ari
http://65.39.144.73/ISLAM/misc/al_ashari.htm

Firstly, ahl al-kalam does not mean "philosophers", whoever translated that does not know either Arabic or English. Kalam can be translated simply as Theology, or dialectic theology. The science and name originally started out being used as a tool by the misguided sects, such as the Mu'tazilah, the Murjia the Jahmiyya, and others. The nature of it was to speculate and develop arguments concerning faith and matters of belief, also to go into details concerning these issues. Its specialization was in developing arguments in matters of belief and theology. The position of the righteous salaf was to simply accept the correct belief and tenents, without going into the exact nature of details. This is why the early salaf spoke ill of kalam itself [due to those who used it], they considered it an unnecessary and reprehensible innovation. The early sects led themselves into innovation and misguidance through excessive argumentation and speculation, this was the danger of kalam. When the sects who misused kalam and those who spread arguments concerning matters of belief grew in numbers, the scholars in fact enjoined the need of using authentic arguments [dialectic theology] to refute the false sects. From this developed the authentic scholars of kalam, who based themselves on the primary sources and principles of Ahl al-Sunna. However, the scholars always point out that it is not necessary for the common people to learn kalam or to debate on the nature of certain issues in belief, this is why the Hujjat ul-Islam Imam al-Ghazali [May Allah be pleased with him] wrote a work detailing such issues [such as the right and wrong in the science of kalam], titled Iljam al-'awwam 'an 'ilm al-Kalam [Restraining the laypersons from the science of Theology].

Concerning the narration you have mentioned from Sayyidina 'Umar ibn 'Abdul 'Aziz [May Allah be pleased with him], what relevance does this have to the discussion and my post?

1) This report is dealing with the misguided sects and groups who keep to themselves, following a methodology other than that of the majority.

2) This report is not related to the role of scholars and their understanding. In fact, Sayyidina 'Umar ibn 'Abdul 'Aziz states that a certain people will seclude themselves, it has no relation to the authority of the righteous scholars over the common people. Nor does this report mention scholars.

3) I stated that scholars may speak at a level that we may not comprehend. I did not say that the scholars hide knowledge and have a hidden methodology. What relation does the narration have with this? What Ibn al-Jawzi mentions is speaking of religion in general. For everyone with a mind knows that not every can person can comprehend the details of rulings. For example, not everyone is at a level of knowledge to understand Usul al-Fiqh. That does not mean that they cannot make an effort to learn, study, and eventually reach that level of knowledge. Authority is not given to those who lack knowledge, nor do we have to accept the understanding of a layperson. Understanding the procedure for heart surgery is not exclusively meant for one group of people to be discussed in secret, but it still requires years of study.

4) Anyone who wants to understand the topic of the authority of the scholars, can read the previous discussions on the subject, see the post titled "A Reminder" in the Islam: Basic Understanding section.

We are accustomed to hearing slogans of those who claim to only follow the Qur'an and Sunnah, even though such people know little of what they are saying. The reality is that no person can claim to directly deduce rulings from the sources, without recourse to scholars and Imams, unless they are at the level of being Mujtahids, of which no one exists in our time. Imam Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali [Allah's Mercy be upon him] wrote a known work on the refutation of those who claim to follow other than the Four Madhhabs [al-Radd `Ala Man Ittab`a Ghayr Al-Madhahib Al-Arba`], in which he states that it is from the Mercy and kindness of Allah, our Lord, that rulings and Jurisprudence is preserved through the Four Madhhabs. In it he also states that it is absolutely prohibited for a person to claim ijtihad in matters of Fiqh, when he does not possess the well known requirements to be considered a Mujtahid. It is recorded from Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal [May Allah be pleased with him, shower Mercy upon him!] that a man asked him, "When a man has memorized 100,000 hadiths, is he a scholar of Sacred Law, a faqih?" He was told, "No." The man asked, "200,000 then?" And he said, "No." The man asked, "Then 300,000?" And he said, "No." The man then asked, "400,000?" And Imam Ahmad gestured with his hand to signify "about that many" [Related by Ibn al-Qayyim in I'laam al-Muwaqqi'een, 4:205].

Those who call themselves "salafi" in our age do not follow the Qur'an and Sunnah directly, but they are in fact followers of their Shaykhs, and the interpretations of their scholars. They feel perfectly able to go around "correcting" the Imams, based on what they are taught from their scholars and what they read from their books. And when they are presented with anything which goes against their Shuyukh from the Najd, or with anything that contradicts the positions of Ibn Taymiyya [Allah's Mercy be upon him], they will not accept it. I have seen this with my own eyes and experienced it. One of them insisted that it is the authentic practice to stand up from sujud with your knuckles on the ground [like one kneeds dough], and even when he was presented with the authentic evidence and the explanations from the Imams, he simply did not accept it. Many of them simply do not accept the narrations that indicate that the deceased can hear the living. Others of them blindly follow and accept the positions of Ibn Taymiyya, even when they are in contradiction with what the majority of the scholars have concluded upon. They accept the ruling of Ibn Taymiyya that states that it is prohibited to travel with the intention to visit the Prophet, even though virtually all of the scholars [including all Four Madhhabs] rejected this ruling and established the desirability of visiting the Prophets grave [including Shaykh ul-Islam Imam al-Nawawi preceding Ibn Taymiyya, Hafidh Ibn Hajar al-'Asqalani, Hafidh Zayn al-Din al-'Iraqi, Imam al-Subki, Mulla Ali al-Qari, and others]. In other cases they blindly quote from Shaykh Ibn Taymiyya, even in cases where he is incorrect and made mistakes.

A prime example, pointed out by Shaykh Gibril Haddad, is in the book Kitab al-Tawhid of their Shaykh Muhammad ibn 'Abdul Wahhab. In it, he cites a weak narration that, one of the companions [May Allah be pleased with them all!] said to others:

�Let us all go seek the help of the Messenger of Allah [q�m� bin� nastagh�thu biras�lillah] against this hypocrite [�Abd All�h ibn Ubay ibn Sal�l who challenged Ab� Bakr to ask the Prophet for a major miracle],� where­upon the Pro­phet [Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him] is reported to have said: Innahu l� yustagh�thu b� innam� yustagh�thu bill�h � �Help is not sought with me, it is sought only with All�h.� Ibn �Abd al-Wahh�b references it to al-Tabar�n�.

Shaykh Gibril Haddad notes:

First, neither the wording nastagh�thu biras�lillah nor innahu l� yustagh�thu b� innam� yustagh�thu bill�h is found in any book of had�th and there is no chain for them! The reference to �al-Tabar�n� shows blind imitation of Ibn Taymiyya�s incorrect referencing of these wordings to al-Tabar�n�s al-Mu�jam al-Kab�r in al-Radd �al� al-Bakr� and Majm�� al-Fat�w�. Second, the cor­rect wording in Ibn Sa�d's Tabaq�t, the Musnad, and al-J�mi� al-Sagh�r states that Ab� Bakr said: �Let us rise to the Mes­senger of All�h (saws) to seek help (q�m� nastagh�thu il� ras�lillah) against this hypo­crite� where­upon the Prophet (saws) replied: �L� yuq�mu l� innam� yuq�mu lill�h � Not for me is redress sought but only for All�h.� So the reply of the Prophet (saws) does not address the means but the moti­vation and purpose of the Companions against the hypo­crite. This is con­firmed by an­other report in which �Umar asks permis­sion to kill �Abd All�h ibn Ubay ibn Sal�l, whereupon the Prophet (saws) said: �Leave him lest people say that Muhammad kills his companions!� Third, the chain of the report L� yuq�mu l� innam� yuq�mu lill�h con­tains an unnamed narrator in addition to �Abd All�h ibn Lah�a who is weak as indi­cated by al-Haytham� in Majma� al-Zaw�id (8:40), so the report is weak and wholly unfit to be adduced in matters of belief! Fourth, the report is not found other than in very few of the had�th compilations and is long-winded and quite improbable in its com­plete wording, hence Ibn Kath�r declared it �extremely strange� (ghar�b jiddan) in his Tafs�r (3:174). Fifth, the Com­pan­ion in question is Ab� Bakr (May Allah be pleased with him), which would be a proof in itself � if the report were au­thentic � that istigh�tha from the Prophet (saws) can­not be shirk, since Ab� Bakr was of the most knowledge­able and strictest of Com­pan­ions in Tawh�d! Sixth, the meaning of personal redress meant in Ab� Bakr�s phrase and the reply of the Prophet (saws) is confirmed by the extraordinary words Ab� Bakr spoke to Rab�a al-Aslam� [Narrated from Rab�a ibn Ka�b ibn M�lik by Ah.mad with a fair chain]� the Prophet�s (saws) servant � whom he regretted having insulted: �You will insult me back [in fair requital] or else I will seek the help of the Messenger of All�h (saws) against you! (aw la�asta�diyanna �alayka Ras�lall�h).�

POST 13: By an anonymous user:

Deleted post!

POST 14: By Ibn Hanbal:

I don't know what relation this latest post has to do with the discussion at hand. What anonymous has posted here is an article titled "The Other Side of Sufism", filled with quotes from orientalists, the understandings of the orientalists and non-Muslims. They do not hesitate to quote and rely on non-Muslims to determine who is actually a Muslim! I don't think there is a need to reply to this latest article. If you want to know what the authentic science of Tasawwuf is, don't rely on those who are willing to propagate lies and falsehoods in order to achieve their designs. Nor does one, logically, go to the accuser to understand the beliefs of the accused. I have seen one reply to this article written online, people can take a look at it for a response:

http://www.sunnah.org/publication/salafi/tosos.htm

This discussion was not on Tasawwuf itself, there have many posts on that topic previously. I don't understand why the moderators will allow someone to post something here which in its entirety has nothing to do with the main post or topic.

One last note about the posts above: They were all posted on the old IslamiCity discussion board between the dates 5th August 2003 and 27th August 2003.

Al-hamdu lillah, the re-posting of all the thread in a proper manner is finished now.

As you, sister Nausheen, stated before elsewhere at this forum, it's been a long task to quote all the posts one by one. But it was necessary, it seems. And reading all of them is surely a much more tedious task!

Please delete the other thread which cannot be viewed properly and neatly, at least in the computers I use.

Auzubillahi minash shaitan ir rejeem,

Bismillah ir rehman ir rahim,

Mustafaa wrote: [colro=green]One last note about the posts above: They were all posted on the old IslamiCity discussion board between the dates 5th August 2003 and 27th August 2003. Al-hamdu lillah, the re-posting of all the thread in a proper manner is finished now. As you, sister Nausheen, stated before elsewhere at this forum, it's been a long task to quote all the posts one by one. But it was necessary, it seems. And reading all of them is surely a much more tedious task! Please delete the other thread which cannot be viewed properly and neatly, at least in the computers I use.

Jazak allah khair. You have done a great job.

Assalamualaikum wa rahmatullah.

Nausheen

Assalamu laikum Mustafa,
I think that you can do, please repost (create a new topic) the the things that not shown properly when you done, email-me at mailto:[email protected] - [email protected] I'll remove the duplicate (I mean the bad one).

Thanks, Adji