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Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Sufi claim of worship through love alone

DARUL IFTA

Pillars of Islam

Content > `Aqidah > Sufi claim of worship through love alone

Q: What is the ruling on some people who say: "O Allah, I worship You out of my love for You. If I worship You fearing Your Hell, let me enter it and if I worship You seeking to enter Your Paradise, let me enter Your Hell"?

A: Worshiping Allah just by loving Him is the Manhaj (methodology) of misguided Sufis, which is of their own invention.Loving Allah is the highest degree of `Ibadah (worship), but not the sole act of `Ibadah. The Manhaj of Ahl-ul-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah (adherents to the Sunnah and the Muslim mainstream) is to worship Allah through love, fear, hope and other expressive forms of `Ibadah. Allah (Exalted be He) says:

Invoke your Lord with humility and in secret.

Allah says about His Prophets:

Verily, they used to hasten on to do good deeds, and they used to call on Us with hope and fear, and used to humble themselves before Us.

Allah also says about the angels:

And they stand in awe for fear of Him.

And:

They fear their Lord above them, and they do what they are commanded.

There are many Ayahs (Qur'anic verses) elaborating on this meaning.

May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family and Companions.

Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta'
Fatwas of the Permanent Committee - Group 2 - Part 2 - Page 73

Pillars of Islam

Content > `Aqidah > Qutb and Ghawth titles

Q: What is the ruling on giving the title of Qutb (Sufi title denoting a "Perfect Master") or Ghawth (Source of Succor) to some Awliya' (pious people)?Is this permissible?

A: The two titles Qutb and Ghawth do not have any basis in Allah's Purified Shar` (Law). These terms are invented by some extremist Sufis. Accordingly, giving these titles to some Awliya' (pious people) is not permissible. Some misguided people understand such terms to mean that such a Qutb or Ghawth can run the affairs of the universe and fulfill people's needs. This is Kufr (disbelief) that contradicts Tawhid (belief in the Oneness of Allah/ monotheism) because Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) revealed the Scriptures, and sent the Messengers to worship Him Alone without partners or associates. He (Exalted be He) commanded all creatures to resort and supplicate to Him Alone to bestow upon them all good and ward off harm. Allah (Exalted be He) says:

Is not He (better than your gods) Who responds to the distressed one, when he calls on Him, and Who removes the evil, and makes you inheritors of the earth, generations after generations? Is there any ilâh (god) with Allâh? Little is that you remember!

He (Exalted be He) says:

And if Allâh touches you with harm, there is none who can remove it but He, and if He intends any good for you, there is none who can repel His Favour which He causes it to reach whomsoever of His slaves He wills. And He is the Oft-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.

He (Glorified be He) also says:

Say: “None in the heavens and the earth knows the Ghaib (Unseen) except Allâh”

May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family and Companions.

Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta'
Fatwas of the Permanent Committee - Group 2 - Part 2 - Page 84

DARUL IFTA

Pillars of Islam

Content > `Aqidah > Ahl-ul-Khutwah

Q 3: Some Sufis claim that there are men who are called "Ahl-ul-Khutwah" (literally: People of Transcendent Step), what is the meaning of this term and to what extent is it correct according to Shari`ah (Islamic law)? They argue that the following Hadith supports their belief: "O My Servant, obey me and you will be a godly servant."

A: The term "Ahl-ul-Khutwah" refers to those who can cover long distances in a short time defying human nature and the Universal Laws of Allah. Their allegation is not true because there is no proof of this and the evidence they raise is baseless

May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.

Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta'
Fatwas of the Permanent Committee - Group 2 - Part 2 - Page 80

DARUL IFTA

Pillars of Islam

Content > `Aqidah > Pledge made to a Sufi shaykh

Q 2: What is the ruling of Islam on the pledge that we make to the shaykhof a Tariqah (Sufi order)? Will we be considered disobeying the Qur'an and the Sunnah (whatever is reported from the Prophet) if we break it?

A: It is not permissible to make a pledge of allegiance to anyone except to a Muslim ruler. It is not permissible to make it to the shaykh of a Sufi order or any other person, for this has not been authentically reported from the Prophet (peace be upon him). Every Muslim should worship Allah according to the way He prescribed without committing oneself to a certain person, for this is the attitude of the Christians toward their priests and bishops, a thing that does not exist in Islam.

May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family and Companions.

Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta'
Fatwas of the Permanent Committee - Group 2 - Part 2 - Page 74

DARUL IFTA

Pillars of Islam

Content > `Aqidah > Sufism

Q 2: What is Sufism? Does it pose a danger to one's Islam? What is the ruling on keeping company with Sufis?

A: In general, Sufism as it exists at the present time refers to a misguided group, which adopts a Manhaj (methodology) in `Ibadah (worship) that opposes the Sunnah. The followers of Sufism receive their teachings from their leaders and shaykhs of Tariqah (Sufi order) whom they believe can bring benefit and cause harm besides Allah. Therefore, it is not permissible to keep company with or befriend them except to call them to Allah and help them to correctly understand the Sunnah.

May Allah grant us success.May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.

Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta'

Fatwas of the Permanent Committee - Group 2 - Part 2 - Page 86

DARUL IFTA

Pillars of Islam

Content > `Aqidah > Final destination: Paradise or Hellfire?

Q 5: One of the principles of Ahl-ul-Sunnah (adherents to the Sunnah) is not to declare whether a person from Ahl-ul-Qiblah (literally: People who face Ka`bah-direction in Prayer) will enter Paradise or Hell. They should merely hope that the righteous will be rewarded and fear thatthe guilty be punished.Who are Ahl-ul-Qiblah?

A: Ahl-ul-Qiblah are the Muslims.

May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.

Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta'
Fatwas of the Permanent Committee - Group 2 - Part 2 - Page 39

DARUL IFTA

Pillars of Islam

Content > `Aqidah > The biological clock

Q: I would like to inform Your Eminence that a new product called the "Biological Clock" was advertised in a magazine. The advertisement states:

The biological clock is the indicator of fertility. It helps you control birth and plan to get the desired gender of the child in accordance with the Hadith that reads: If the male fluid prevails upon the female fluid, the baby will be male, and if the female fluid prevails upon the male fluid, the baby will be female. Kindly, find it attached.

Your Eminence Mufty, my question is: Do these claims contradict Shari`ah? Is it permissible to make use of such a clock? Does it really help in selecting the desired gender of the child? I hope that you will answer me. May Allah guide you to what is good and right.

A: It is not permissible to use such a clock for the purpose mentioned above or to believe in it. Actually, all fetus-related affairs such as conception and gender of the fetus belong to the Ghayb which is known only by Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He). Even the angel entrusted with embryos asks his Lord on breathing the soul therein whether it is male or female as stated in the Hadith. Allah (Exalted be He) says:

He creates what He wills. He bestows female (offspring) upon whom He wills, and bestows male (offspring) upon whom He wills.

Or He bestows both males and females, and He renders barren whom He wills. Verily, He is the All-Knower and is Able to do all things.

May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family and Companions.

Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta'
Fatwas of the Permanent Committee - Group 2 - Part 2 - Page 15

DARUL IFTA

Pillars of Islam

Content > `Aqidah > Knowing what the inner-self conceals

Q: Is Allah the only One Who knows my inner self?

A: Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) Alone knows what lies in the recesses of the inner self and all thoughts, secrets and obsessions that preoccupy one's mind. Allah (Glorified be He) says:

And if you (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) speak (the invocation) aloud, then verily, He knows the secret and that which is yet more hidden.

Allah (Exalted be He) also says:

Is not Allâh Best Aware of what is in the breasts of the ‘Alamîn (mankind and jinn).

And:

And Allâh knows what you conceal and what you reveal.

And:

He knows what is in the heavens and on earth, and He knows what you conceal and what you reveal. And Allâh is the All-Knower of what is in the breasts (of men).

Allah also says:

And your Lord knows what their breasts conceal, and what they reveal.

Thus, anyone who claims knowledge of people's inner selves and what they conceal has contended with Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) in His Lordship and this is Kufr (disbelief) which Muslims should beware of.

May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.

Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta'
Fatwas of the Permanent Committee - Group 2 - Part 2 - Page 10

DARUL IFTA

Pillars of Islam

Content > `Aqidah > Love for the Sake of Allah exceeding the proper bounds

Q 2: There is a practice that has spread among committed Muslim women and we would like to knowthe ruling on it, namely, women's excessive love for one another. A woman may exceed the proper limits in loving her Muslim sister. For example, she imitates her style of clothing, sacrifices her life for her, engraves her name on jewelry, visits her frequently, talks with her daily on the phone for hours, and may feel deeply upset if she does not see her. Women claim that this is love for the Sake of Allah (Exalted be He). We hope Your Eminence will explain the ruling on this and the meaning of loving for the Sake of Allah. It is worth mentioning that this practice is common among women. Allah is the One sought for help.

A: Love for the Sake of Allah is one of the strongest expressions of Iman (faith). Those who love each other for the Sake of Allah will be shaded with His Shade on the Day of Resurrection - as authentically reported from the Prophet (peace be upon him). It is a good deed to love someone for the Sake of Allah because it means loving those whom Allah loves, namely, the pious people. A person is loved for the Sake of Allah when they fulfill the Rights of Allah and His Servants, and hold fast to Shari`ah (Islamic law). They are not loved because of their family status, lineage, beauty, wealth or any other worldly privilege. An indication of the sincerity of this love is that when the person being loved for the Sake of Allah disobeys Allah, this love diminishes according to the gravity of the sin and is replaced with anger for the Sake of Allah and respect for His Sanctities. On the other hand, it is not love for the Sake of Allah to exceed the proper limits in loving someone, be attached to them to the extent of not being able to part with them, or admire them so much. In fact, it indicates a defect in Tawhid (belief in the Oneness of Allah), and attachment of one's heartto other than Allah, which may lead to committing acts forbidden by Allah. Accordingly, it is unacceptable and should be avoided.

May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family and Companions.

Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta'
Fatwas of the Permanent Committee - Group 2 - Part 1 - Page 472

DARUL IFTA

Pillars of Islam

Content > `Aqidah > Do Jinn know the Ghayb?

Q 3: Do the Jinn (creatures created from fire) know the Ghayb (the Unseen)? Please clarify this as soon as possible.

A: Knowledge of Ghayb is one of the exclusive attributes of Rububiyyah (Lordship); no one knows the Ghayb of the heavens and the earth except Allah. Allah (Exalted be He) says:

And with Him are the keys of the Ghaib (all that is hidden), none knows them but He.

He (Exalted is His Majesty) also says:

Say: “None in the heavens and the earth knows the Ghaib (Unseen) except Allâh”

The Jinn do not know the Ghayb, which is proven by His Saying (Exalted be He):

Then when We decreed death for him [Sulaimân (Solomon)], nothing informed them (jinn) of his death except a little worm of the earth, which kept (slowly) gnawing away at his stick. So when he fell down, the jinn saw clearly that if they had known the Unseen, they would not have stayed in the humiliating torment.

Therefore, anyone who claims to know the Ghayb is a Kafir (disbeliever) and anyone who believes in this claim is a Kafir as well, for they are denying the Qur'an.

May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family and Companions.

Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta' Fatwas of the Permanent Committee - Group 2 - Part 2 - Page 6