জানাজা’র নামাজের পর দোয়া করা

আলহাজ্ব মুফতী এস, এম, সাকীউল কাউছার


প্রসঙ্গ কথা

একজন মুসলমানের এ দুনিয়াতে শেষ অনুষ্ঠান নামাজে জানাজা। ইন্তেকালপ্রাপ্ত ব্যক্তির জানাজার নামাজ পড়া জীবিতদের জন্যে ফরজে কেফায়া। জানাজাতে আত্মীয়-স্বজন, পাড়া-প্রতিবেশীসহ মোটামুটি অনেক মানুষের সমাগম হয়ে থাকে। জানাজার নামাজের পর অনেক মানুষ চলে যান, দাফন পর্যন্ত থাকেন না। দাফনের পর মুনাজাতে মানুষ কম হয়; তাই জানাজার পরপর-ই দোয়া করা হলে অধিক লোকের হাত আল্লাহ’র দারবারে তোলার কারণে ইন্তেকালপ্রাপ্ত ব্যক্তির ওপর আল্লাহ’র দয়া, মাগফিরাত, তাঁর কবর ও আখিরাতের জীবন আরও উন্নত হওয়ার সম্ভাবনা বেশি থাকে । এই দোয়ার ব্যাপারে শরীয়তের কোনো নিষেধাজ্ঞা নেই, বরং এটি মুস্তাহাব। অথচ এ পুণ্যময় কাজটিকে অনেকে ’বিদআত’ (শরীয়তগর্হিত নতুন প্রবর্তিত প্রথা) বলে আখ্যা দেয় এবং জানাজা’র নামাজে দোয়া আর মুনাজাতের দরকার নেই বলে সাধারণ মুসলমানকে বিভ্রান্ত করে থাকে। জানাজার পর এবং দাফনের পরেও দোয়া করা হাদীস শরীফ দ্বারা প্রমাণিত। অতএব, এ বিষয়ে শরীয়তের দৃষ্টিকোণ থেকে আলোকপাত করছি। 

জানাজা-নামাজ দোয়া নয়

ফরজ নামাজ দুই প্রকার - ফরজে আইন (৫ ওয়াক্তের নামাজ) ও ফরজে কেফায়া (জানাজার নামাজ)। নামাজের জন্যে অনেক শর্ত রয়েছে, যেমন পবিত্রতা, কেবলামুখি হওয়া, নিয়্যত করা, তাকবীরে তাহরিমা, সালাম ফিরিয়ে নামাজ শেষ করা ইত্যাদি। ৫ ওয়াক্ত নামাজ ও জানাজার নামাজসহ সকল নামাজ তাকবীরে তাহরীমা দ্বারা শুরু হয় এবং ডানে-বামে সালাম দ্বারা শেষ হয়। কিন্ত দোয়া-মুনাজাতের মধ্যে এগুলো শর্ত নয়। অতএব, নামাজ ও দোয়ার মধ্যে অনেক পার্থক্য বিদ্যমান। জানাজার নামাজে নিয়্যতের মধ্যে “সালাসাতিল জানাজা”, অর্থাৎ, জানাজার সালাত বা নামাজ উল্লেখ আছে। তাই তা নামাজ যা ইমামের পেছনে মরদেহকে সামনে রেখে কেবলামুখি হয়ে কাতার-বন্দী অবস্থায় আদায় করতে হয়। অনেকে বলে জানাজার মধ্যে দোয়া আছে, তাই এটাই দোয়া (?)। আমরা বলবো, ৫ ওয়াক্ত নামাজের ভেতরও দোয়া (দোয়া মাসুরা,সানা ইত্যাদি), জিকির (রুকু-সিজদার তাসবীহ ইত্যাদি) ও দারূদ আছে। তাই বলে কি নামাজকে দোয়া, জিকির ও দরূদ বলা হয়? আল্লাহ্‌ পাক বলেন - اقيموا الصلوة لذكرى (আকিমুস্ সালাতা লে জিকরি); অর্থাৎ, আমার জিকির বা স্মরণের উদ্দেশ্যে তোমরা সালাত বা নামাজ কায়েম করো। এখন কি কেউ বলতে পারবে যে নামাজ-ই জিকির, আর তাই জিকির করতে হবে না ?

বস্তুতঃ জানাজার নামাজের ভেতরে দোয়া থাকলেও তাকে শুধু দোয়া বলা যাবে না; বরঞ্চ তা নামাজ। তাছাড়া দোয়া বার বার করা যায়, এতে উপকার ছাড়া ক্ষতি নাই। জানাজার নামাজ ‘ফরজে কেফায়া’, আর দোয়া হলো ‘সুন্নাত’। হাদীসে বর্ণিত আছে - اكثرو الذعاء অর্থাৎ, বেশি করে দোয়া প্রার্থনা করো। জানাজাও অনেক সময় ২/৩/৪ বার হয়। তাহলে জানাজার পর হাত তুলে আবার আল্লাহ’র দরবারে দোয়া করাতে অসুবিধা কী? আর দোয়াও এক প্রকার ইবাদত। মিশকাত শরীফের কিতাবুদ দাওয়া’তে একখানি হাদীস বর্ণিত আছে - الدعاء هو العبادة অর্থাৎ, দোয়া এক ধরনের ইবাদত। একই জায়গায় এই হাদীস খানাও আছে - الدعاء مخ العبادة অর্থাৎ, দোয়া ইবাদতের মূল বা সারবস্তু। আর জানাজার নামাজ ফরজ ইবাদত।

জানাজা নামাজের পর দোয়ার প্রমাণ
 
আবু দাউদ শরীফ হতে মেশকাত শরীফের ‘সালাতুজ জানাজা’ অধ্যায়ের দ্বিতীয় পরিচ্ছেদে বর্ণিত একটি হাদিসে ঘোষিত হয়েছে - اذا صليتم على الميت فاخلصوا له الدعاء (ইজা সাল্লাইতুমু আ’লাল মাইয়্যেতে ফাখলিসু লাহুদ দোয়া); অর্থাৎ, যখন তোমরা ইন্তেকালপ্রাপ্ত ব্যক্তির জানাজার নামাজ আদায় করে নাও, তখন আন্তরিকভাবে তার জন্যে দোয়া করো।

ওপরে উদ্ধৃত হাদীসে ‘ফা’ হরফ বা অক্ষর দ্বারা জানাজার নামাজ ও দোয়াকে আলাদা করা হয়েছে। অর্থাৎ, নামাজের পরপর-ইেইন্তেকালপ্রাপ্ত ব্যক্তির জন্যে দোয়া করার নির্দেশ দেয়া হয়েছে। যারা এ হাদীসের অর্থ ‘জানাজার মধ্যে দোয়া করো’ বলে, তারা ‘ফা’-এর অর্থ সম্পর্কে অজ্ঞ। কারণ আরবী ব্যাকরণ অনুযায়ী ‘সাল্লাইতুম’ হচ্ছে শর্ত এবং ‘ফাখলিসূ’ এর জাযা। শর্ত ও জাযার মধ্যে পার্থক্য থাকা বাঞ্ছণীয়, একটা অন্যটার অন্তর্ভুক্ত নয়। আর ‘সাল্লাইতুম’ হলো অতীতকালজ্ঞাপক ক্রিয়া এবং ‘ফাখলিসূ’ হলো আদেশ বা নির্দেশাত্মক ক্রিয়া। তাই বোঝা গেল, নামাজ পড়ার পরই দোয়ার নির্দেশ রয়েছে। যেমন কোরআনে আছে - فااذا طعمتم فانتشروا অর্থাৎ, যখন খাওয়া শেষ হবে, তখন ছড়িয়ে পড়ো। এখানেও ‘ফা’ শব্দ দ্বারা খাওয়ার পর ছড়িয়ে পড়তে বলা হয়েছে, খাওয়ার মাঝখানে নয়।

মেশকাত শরীফের একই জায়গায় আরও উল্লেখ আছে - قرء على الجنازة بفاتحة الكتاب (ক্বারা’আ আ’লাল জানাজাতে বে ফাতিহাতিল কিতাব); অর্থাৎ, হুজুর সাল্লাল্লাহু আলাইহি ওয়াসাল্লাম জানাজায় সূরা ফাতিহা পাঠ করেছেন।
এ হাদীসের ব্যাখ্যা প্রসঙ্গে মেশকাত শরীফের ব্যাখ্যা ‘আশ’আতুল লুময়াত’ কিতাবে উল্লেখ আছে, “সম্ভবত হুজুর সাল্লল্লাহু আলাইহি ওয়াসাল্লাম জানাজার নামাজের পরে বা আগে বরকতের জনন্যে সূরা ফাতিহা পাঠ করেছেন, যেমন আজকাল এর প্রচলন দেখা যায়।” এর থেকে বোঝা গেল, মুহাদ্দিসকুল শিরোমণি হযরত আব্দুল হক মুহাদ্দিসে দেহেলবী (র:)-এর যুগেও জানাজার নামাজের আগে বা পরে বরকতের জন্যে সূরা ফাতিহা পাঠের প্রচলন ছিল। তিনি এটিকে নিষেধ করেননি, বরং তা হাদীসের অনুসরণ-ই বলতে চেয়েছেন। আর সুরা ফাতিহা পাঠও এক প্রকার দোয়া।

বিখ্যাত ‘ফতহুল কাদির’ কিতাবের ‘জানাজার নামায’ পরিচ্ছেদে বর্ণিত আছে, হজুর আলাইহিস সালাম মিম্বরের ওপর দাঁড়িয়ে মুতা যুদ্ধের খবর দিলেন। এর মধ্যে হযরত জাফর ইবনে আবি তালিব (রা:)-এর শাহাদাতের খবর দিলেন। فصلى عليه رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم و دعاله و قال استغفروا له অর্থাৎ, অতঃপর তাঁর নামাজে জানাজা পড়লেন, এবং তাঁর জন্যে দোয়া করলেন; আর মানুষজনকে বললেন, তোমরাও তার মাগফিরাতের জন্যে দোয়া করো। উল্লেখিত ইবারতে ‘দোয়া’ শব্দের আগে ‘ওয়াও’ অব্যয় দ্বারা বোঝা যায়, এ দোয়া নামাজের পর-ই করা হয়েছিল।

মাওয়াহিবে লাদুনিয়া কিতাবের দ্বিতীয় খণ্ডের দ্বিতীয় পরিচ্ছেদে আরবী  فيما اخبر من الغيوب -এর ব্যাখ্যা প্রসঙ্গে উপরোক্ত ঘটনা হুবহু বর্ণনা করার পর বলেছেন - ثم قال استغفروا استغفرو له (সুম্মা ক্বালা এস্তাগফেরু এস্তাগফেরুলাহু); অর্থাৎ, মাগফিরাত কামনা করো, তার জন্যে মাগফিরাত কামনা করো। এ রকম হযরত আব্দুল্লাহ ইবনে রাওয়াহা (রা:) জানাজার পর দোয়া করেছেন। অতএব, প্রমাণিত হলো যে জানাজার পর মাগফিরাতের জন্যে দোয়া করা জায়েয ও সুন্নাত।

সামশুল আয়িম্মা সরখসি (র:)-এর রচিত “মাবসুত” শীর্ষক কিতাবের দ্বিতীয় খণ্ডের ৬০ পৃষ্ঠায় ‘গোসলিল মাইয়্যেত’ অধ্যায়ে বর্ণিত আছে, হযরত আব্দুল্লাহ ইবনে উমর (রা:) একবার জানাজার নামাজের পর উপস্থিত হন এবং বলেন - ان سبقتمونى بالصلوة عليه فلا تسبقونى بالدعاء অর্থাৎ, যদিও তোমরা আমার আগে নামাজ পড়ে ফেলেছো, কিন্তু দোয়ার সময় আমার আগে যেয়ো না। অর্থাৎ, আমার সাথে দোয়ায় শরীক হও। ‘মাসবুত’ কিতাবের একই জায়গায় সর্ব-হযরত ইবনে উমর (রা:), আব্দুল্লাহ ইবনে আব্বাস (রা:) এবং আব্দুল্লাহ ইবনে সালাম (রা:) থেকে প্রমাণ করেছেন যে তাঁরা জানাজার নামাজের পর দোয়া করেছেন; এবং উপরোক্ত হাদীসের ‘ফালা তাশবেকু’ বাক্য দ্বারা প্রতীয়মান হয় যে জানাজার পর দোয়া করার আমল সাহাবায়ে কিরাম (রা:) পালন করতেন। অতএব, জানাজার পর দোয়া করা বেদআত-নাজায়েয বলা স্রেফ গোমরাহি।

প্রত্যেক ফরজ নামাজের পর দোয়া করা সুন্নাত এবং তাতে দোয়া কবুল হওয়ার সম্ভাবনা বেশি থাকে। যেমন - মিশকাত শরীফে ‘আজ জিকরু বা’দাস্ সালাত’ অধ্যায়ে বর্ণিত আছে - قيل يا رسول الله اى الدعاء اسمع قال جوف الليل الاخر و دبر الصلوة المكتوبات অর্থাৎ, হুজুর পাক সাল্লাল্লাহু আলাইহি ওয়াসাল্লামের কাছে আরজ করা হলো, কোন্ সময়ের দোয়া বেশি কবুল হয়। তিনি এরশাদ করেন, শেষ রাত্রির মধ্যবর্তী সময় ও ফরজ নামাজের পরে। জানাজার নামাজও ফরজ (ফরজে কেফায়া)। তাই জানাজার পরেও দোয়া করলে কবুল হওয়ার আশা বেশি। ইন্তেকালপ্রাপ্ত ব্যক্তির জন্যে যা নাজাতের অসীলা হতে পারে।

ইমাম আবূ দাউদ (রহ:) ও ইমাম বায়হাকী (রহ:) ‘হাসান’ এসনাদে হযরত উসমান (রা:) থেকে বর্ণনা করেন; তিনি বলেন: মহানবী (দ:) ইন্তেকালপ্রাপ্ত কারো দাফনের পরে তাঁর (কবরের) পাশে দাঁড়াতেন এবং বলতেন, ‘এই ইন্তেকাল প্রাপ্তের গুনাহ মাফের জন্যে দোয়া করো, যাতে সে দৃঢ় থাকে; কেননা তাকে (কবরে) প্রশ্ন করা হচ্ছে।‘

অতএব, প্রমাণিত হলো যে শরীয়তের দৃষ্টিতে জানাজার পর ও দাফনের পর দোয়া করা সুন্নাত-মোস্তাহাব; বেদআত বা নাজায়েয নয়। 

                                                               সমাপ্ত

হাদীসের দৃষ্টিতে রাসূল (দ:)-এর কৃপা/অসীলা

-- ওয়াহিদ মনজু 

★ হাদিস নং - ১

হযরত আবু হুরায়রা (রা:) একবার আরয করেন, "ইয়া রাসূলাল্লাহ (দরুদ), আমি আপনার কাছ থেকে অসংখ্য হাদীস শুনি, কিন্তু তা ভুলে যাই; মনে রাখতে পারিনা। আমি কামনা করি আপনার পবিত্র মুখনিঃসৃত বাণী যেন আর কখনোই না ভুলি।” তখন হুজূর (দ:) বললেন, "তোমার চাদর বিছিয়ে দাও।” অতঃপর হযরত আবু হুরায়রা (রা:) তা বিছিয়ে দিলেন। তখন আকা (দ:) তাঁর হাত মুবারকে শূন্য থেকে কী যেন ওই চাদরের মধ্যে রাখেন, অতঃপর বলেন, "চাদর ভাঁজ করে ফেলো।” তিনি তা ভাঁজ করে নিলেন। হযরত আবু হুরায়রা (রা:) বলেন, ”এরপর আর কোনো দিন কিছু ভুলিনি।” [অধ্যায়: কিতাবুল ইলম, বোখারী শরীফ]

সূক্ষ্ম বিশ্লেষণ

এখানে হযরত আবু হুরায়রা (রা:)-এর মতো প্রসিদ্ধ সাহাবী, যিনি অধিক হাদিস রেওয়ায়েতকারী এবং আহলে সুফফার একজন আল্লাহ-পাগল রাসূল-প্রেমিক, তিনিও হুজুর নবী করীম (দ:) থেকে ভুলে যাওয়ার ব্যাপারে পরিত্রাণ চাচ্ছেন। তাঁর চাওয়াতে হুজুর পাক (ধ:)-এর কোনো অভিযোগ ছিলনা, মুশরিক-ও আখ্যা দেননি।

★হাদিস নং - ২

হযরত উসমান ইবনে হানীফ (রা:) থেকে বর্ণিত আছে, এক অন্ধ ব্যক্তি হুযুর (আলাইহিস সালাম)-এর মহান দরবারে উপস্থিত হয়ে অন্ধত্ব দূর হবার জন্যে তাঁর দোয়াপ্রার্থী হয়েছিলেন। হুযুর (আলাইহিস সালাম) তাঁকে শিখিয়ে দিলেন এ দু’আটি: 

اَلَّهُمَّاِنِّىْ اَسْئَلُك
َ وَاَتَوَ جَّهُ اِلَيْكَ بِمُحَمَّدٍ نَّبِىِّ الرَّحْمَةِ يَا مُحَمَّدُ اِنِّىْ قَدْتَوَجَّهْتُ بِكَ اِلَى رَبِّىْ فِيْ حَاجَتِىْ هذِه لِتَقْضِىَ اَللَّهُمَّ فَشَفِّعْهُ فِىَّ قَالُ اَبُوْا اِسْحقَ هذَا حَدِيْثٌ صَحِيْحٌ

[হে আল্লাহ, আমি অাপনার কাছে সাহায্য প্রার্থনা করছি রহমতের নবী মুহাম্মদ (সাল্লাল্লাহু আলাইহে ওয়াসাল্লাম) মারফত; আপনার দিকে মনোনিবেশ করছি। হে মুহাম্মদ (সাল্লাল্লাহু আলাইহে ওয়ামাল্লাম), আমি আপনার মাধ্যমে আপন প্রতিপালকের দিকে আমার এ উদ্দেশ্য (অন্ধত্ব মোচন) পূরণ করার উদ্দেশ্যে মনোনিবেশ করলাম, যাতে আপনি আমার এ উদ্দেশ্য পূরণ করে দেন। হে আল্লাহ, আমার অনুকূলে হুযুর (আলাইহিস সালাম)-এর সুপারিশ কবুল করুন।]

[রেফারেন্স: ইবনে মাজা শরীফের সালাতুল ‘হাজত’ শীর্ষক অধ্যায়]

এ হাদীসটির বিশুদ্ধতা প্রসঙ্গে হযরত আবু ইসহাক (রহ:) বলেন, এ হাদীসটি বিশুদ্ধ (সহীহ)।

লক্ষ করুন,  দু’আটি কিয়ামত পর্যন্ত ধরাপৃষ্ঠে আগমনকারী মুসলমানদের জন্যে শিক্ষার বিষয়বস্তুতে পরিণত হয়। এখানে হুযুর (আলাইহিস সালাম)-কে আহবান করা হয়েছে এবং তাঁর সাহায্য ও প্রার্থনা করা হয়েছে। এখানে দুটো শব্দ সুষ্পষ্টভাবে উল্লেখ আছে, "বি মুহাম্মাদিন" ও "বিকা"; এই শব্দ দুটো সুষ্পষ্টভাবেই রাসূল (দ:)-এর অসীলা উল্লেখ করে। তাতে কন্টেক্সট্ ও কনটেক্সট্ দিয়ে ভুল ব্যাখ্যার সুযোগ নেই।

শিক্ষা 

আল্লাহর কাছে অনুগ্রহপ্রাপ্ত ও সম্মানিত কোনো পুণ্যাত্মার অসীলায় কোনো কিছু চাওয়ার ক্ষেত্রে অন্তর্নিহিত আকীদা থাকে, "তিনি যেহেতু আল্লাহর দরবারে সম্মানিত ও অনুগ্রহপ্রাপ্ত, তাই আল্লাহ-প্রদত্ত ক্ষমতাবলে তিনি সাহায্য-সহযোগিতা করতে সক্ষম, বিপদ থেকে উদ্ধার করতেও সমর্থ।" এতে শিরকের গন্ধ যারা খুঁজে, তাদের জ্ঞানের ব্যাপারে আমি সন্দিহান। অস্পষ্ট আয়াত ও যে আয়াত মূর্তিদের ব্যাপারে নাজিল হয়েছে, তার হুকুম নবী (আ:) ও ওলী (রহ:)-দের প্রতি আরোপ করে আমাদের মুসলিম ভাইদের বিভ্রান্ত করা হচ্ছে। মনে খুব-ই কষ্ট হয়।
 
আমার কিছু ভাইয়ের আপত্তি থাকতে পারে: হুজূর (দ:)-এর বেসালের পর চাওয়া শিরক। তাদের বলছি, প্রতি খলিফার আমলে অনেক রেওয়ায়াতে এই আচার প্রমাণিত, যা অতি বিশুদ্ধ। অনেক হাদীস থেকে মাত্র একখানি এখানে পেশ করা হলো:

اصاب الناس قحط في زمان عمرفجاء رجل الئ قبرالنبئ صلي الله عليه وسلم فقال يا رسول الله استسف لامتك فانهم قد هلكوا فاتي الرجل فى المنام فقيل له اءت عمر فاقرأه السلام واخبره انكم مستقيمون

আল মুসান্নাফ, খণ্ড - ১২, নং ১২০৫১
ফাতহুল বারী, শরহে বোখারী, খণ্ড - ২, পৃষ্ঠা - ৪১২, ৪৯৫

উমার (রা:)-এর জমানায় অনাবৃষ্টিতে মুসলমানবৃন্দ আক্রান্ত হলে এক ব্যক্তি (বিলাল বিন হারিস) নবী (দ:)-এর রওযা শরীফে এসে বললেন, ইয়া রাসূলাল্লাহ (দ:)! আপনি বৃষ্টির জন্যে দোয়া করুন, আপনার উম্মত ধ্বংসপ্রায়। অতঃপর ওই সাহাবী (রা:)-কে স্বপ্নে মহানবী (দ:) জানান, উমর (রা:)-এর কাছে যাও, সালাম জানাও, অতঃপর তাঁকে এই খবর দাও যে নিশ্চয় তোমাদের বৃষ্টি দেয়া হবে।

এই হাদিসটির শুদ্ধতা সম্পর্কে ইমাম ইবনে আবি শাইবা ও আল্লামা ইবনে হাজার আস্কালানি (রা:) বলেন, হাদীসটি সনদে বিশুদ্ধ।

নুক্তা: দেখুন, এখানে কয়েকটি বৈধ বিষয় উল্লেখ্য।

→হুজুর (দ:)-এর বেসালের পর হযরত বিলাল বিন হারিস (রা:)-এর দ্বারা তাঁর রওযায় যাওয়া।
→ইয়া রাসূলাল্লাহ বলে ডাকা।
→সমস্যা সমাধানের ইঙ্গিত পাওয়া হুজুরে পাক (দ:) থেকে।

উপরেল্লেখিত হাদীসসমূহ সুরা আল মায়িদার ৩৫ নং আয়াতের সুষ্পষ্ট ব্যাখ্যা, যাতে ইরশাদ হয়েছে: 

يا ايها الذين امنوا اتقواالله وابتغوا اليه الوسيلة

হে মুমিনগণ, তোমরা খোদা-ভীরুতা অবলম্বন করো এবং আল্লাহর প্রতি (নৈকট্যের জন্যে) অসীলা তালাশ করো (গহণ করো)।

বি:দ্র: এই বিষয়ে এতো সুষ্পষ্ট দলীলসমূহ আছে যে তা কল্পনাতীত। এটি অনেক আলোচনা সাপেক্ষ। আগামীতে ওয়াসীলা ও ইস্তিগাসা নিয়ে কোরান ও সহীহ হাদীসের আলোকে লেখার আশা রইলো, যা’তে ইমাম বোখারী (রহ:)-এর কিতাবের একটি অধ্যায়, বাবু মান ইস্তায়ানা বিদুয়াফায়ে ও সালিহীন (দুর্বল ও ওলী থেকে সাহায্য প্রার্থনা অধ্যায়) অন্তর্ভুক্ত থাকবে, ইনশাআল্লাহ।

পরিশেষে আবেদন করছি, জিয়ারাত ও অসীলা কেউ মানতে না চাইলে মানবেন না। এটাকে ফিকহি মতানৈক্যের মাসয়ালা হিসেবে নিয়ে আপন পথ অনুসরণ যে কেউ করতে পানে। কিন্তু ফাতোয়াবাজী করে মুসলিম মিল্লাতকে বিভাজন করার অধিকার কারো নেই। একটি আশা জাগানো কথা বলে শেষ করছি, সম্প্রতি হেফাজাত নেতৃবৃন্দের পক্ষ থেকে হুজূর পাক (দ:)-এর রওযা মোবারক অন্যত্র সরানোর প্রতিবাদে পত্রিকায় প্রদত্ত এক ঘোষণায় বলা হয়, ”আমাদের নবী (দ:) হায়াতুন্নবী, জিন্দা নবী (দরুদ)।” এটি প্রমাণের জন্যে আলেমবৃন্দ সারা জীবন কোরআন-হাদীস দিয়ে বুঝিয়েছেন আমাদের। এখন সবাই ঐকমত্য পোষণ করছেন। আল-হামদু লিল্লাহ! ইনশাআল্লাহ অদূর ভবিষ্যতে আরো অনেক বিষয়ে ঐকমত্য প্রতিষ্ঠিত হয়ে এক উম্মায় আমরা পরিণত হবো এবং এই বাণীর اعتصموا بحبل الله جميعا প্রতিফলন ঘটবে।

ইনশাআল্লাহ, জাযাকাল্লাহ, সাল্লু আলাল হাবিব।

Allaying of Doubt in Wahhabi Minds (Blog 2)

Islamic Evidence - 3

Allah in the Surah Tawba, ayah 74 of the Koran, says, Wa maa naqamuu illa a'n aghnaahumullaahu wa rasuuluhu min fadlihii, meaning "The Bounty with which Allah and his Apostle had enriched them (the believers)." (Yusuf Ali's translation)

Mufti Ahmad Yaar Khan Nayimiyy Ashrafiyy (may Allah's mercy be upon him), in his book Sultanat-i Mustafa, page 27, wrote, "The (above) ayah proves that the Prophet (peace be upon him) enriches people. This can only be done by a person who is himself the owner of riches and wealth. The pronoun hu in the Arabic word fadlihii quoted in the said ayah has been used in place of the Prophet (peace be upon him). This is because the pronoun is generally used in place of the nearest noun in a sentence (of the Arabic language). Allah is all-knowing." (Translated by late Hafez Mawlana Mu'inul Islam, the former Khatib of Shah Sufi Sharaf al-Deen Chishtiyy mazaar shareef mosque, High Court, Dhaka; he was also a high official of the Islamic Foundation Bangladesh)

Allah in the Surah Tawba, ayah 59, says, Wa lao annahum raduu maa aataahumullaahu wa rasuuluhuu wa qaaluu hasbunaAllaahu sayu'teenaAllaahu min fadlihee wa rasuuluhuu innaa ilallaahi raaghibuun, meaning "If only they had been content with what Allah and His Apostle gave them, and had said, 'Sufficient unto us is Allah! Allah and His Apostle will soon give us of His bounty; to Allah do we turn our hopes! - (That would have been the right course)." (Yusuf Ali's translation)

Mufti Ahmad Yaar Khan Nayimiyy Ashrafiyy, in his book Sultanat-i Mustafa, pages 27-8, wrote, "It is understood from the ayah that the Prophet (peace be upon him) has bestowed/granted favors (in the past) and will do the same in the future. Only the person who possesses the things for bestowing can grant those. The Prophet (peace be upon him) only bestows the things that are given to him by Allah, because the sole verb of 'giving' quoted in the ayah has been used for both Allah and His Apostle (peace be upon him). Allah grants all the favors, so does His Apostle (peace be upon him) bestow all the favors." The great mufti, in his book Shaan-i Habeeb al-Rahmaan, page 88, also wrote, "...The Prophet (peace be upon him) distributes the bounties of Allah, as the ayah declares - Aataahumullaahu wa rasuuluhuu - meaning Allah and His Apostle have bestowed favors. Henceforth, it won't be shirk (polytheism) if at present any person says that Allah and His Apostle (peace be upon him) have bestowed upon him honor and (firm) faith, money and property; because it is ja'iz (permissible) to ask favors from the benevolent."

The above-mentioned ayah elucidates that the Prophet (peace be upon him) is able to bestow favors, worldly and beyond, on the believers, and the Almighty too likes to see us longing for His Apostle's grants.

In a Hadith the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, Allaahul mu'tiyy wa anaa al-qaasimu, meaning 'Allah grants bounties, and I distribute those'. He declared elsewhere, Innamaa anaa qaasimun wallaahu yu'tiyy, meaning 'I am the distributor, and Allah the Giver'. The former Hadith expounds that all of Allah's grants for His Creatures are being distributed by His Apostle (peace be upon him). While explaining the latter Hadith, Mufti Ahmad Yaar Khan Nayimiyy Ashrafiyy, in his book Sultaanat-i Mustafa, page 37, wrote, "It is understood from the Hadith that whenever Allah wishes to bestow any grants to someone, it is through the distribution of the Prophet (peace be upon him). The grants of Allah and the distribution of the Prophet (peace be upon him) as quoted in the Hadith are not stipulated with any preconditions. There is no mention about the time-limit, the particulars of the grants and the qualities of the recipients. In a nutshell, whatever Allah grants, the Prophet (peace be upon him) distributes. Only the person who has been made the owner of everything can distribute everything. This is the Ownership and Right of the Prophet (peace be upon him). 

Islamic Evidence - 4

Once the Apostle of Allah, after being pleased with Hadrat Rabiya' bin abi Ka'ab Aslaamiyy, one of his blessed companions, said to him, "Seek something from me." Rabiya' replied, "I ask for your companionship in Heaven." The Prophet (peace be upon him) then asked, "Is there anything else that you desire?" Rabiya' said in response, "I seek only this." (Mishkat, As-Sujuud wa fadlihii chapter)

Mufti Ahmad Yaar Nayimiyy Ashrafiyy, while explaining the above-quoted Hadith in his book Sultanat-i Mustafa, pages 32-3, wrote, "The empire (i.e. ownership) of the Prophet (peace be upon him) is illustrated in three ways by this Hadith. Firstly, the Prophet (peace be upon him) told his companion to ask for something from him; he didn't tell him to ask for anything specific. This can only be uttered by someone who owns everything. Hadrat Rabiya', seeing the opportunity, asked for such a thing that is matchless - the Jannah (Heaven). Not only that, he asked for the highest station in Heaven where the Apostle of Allah would reside. Secondly, Hadrat Rabiya' is quoted as saying 'I ask (of you)'. At this point, the Prophet (peace be upon him) didn't say to him 'You have turned into a polytheist (for uttering such words)'. This is because, requests are made only to the owner. Hence, it elucidates that Allah's Apostle (peace be upon him) has ownership of everything that belongs to Allah. Thirdly, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said in response, 'Is there anything else that you desire'? It is understood here that he is able to give many more things other than Jannah. Rabiya' thought he had attained the flower of the Universe, why bother about leaves then?" The blessed companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to ask from him directly and fulfilled their wishes accordingly.

Islamic Evidence - 5

Khwaja Hasan Jan Faruqee Sirhindi, one of the grandsons of Imam-i Rabbaniyy Ahmad Faruqi Sirhindi, in his Persian  book Al-Usuul al-Arba'a fii Tardid al-Wahhabiyya, 2nd part, wrote, "The Wahhabi and other La-Madhhabi (i.e. Salafi) people cannot comprehend the meanings of Majaz (it is the use of a word not in its usual or obvious literal meaning but in a sense connected to its meaning; it is figurative or symbolic) and Isti'ara (metaphor). Whenever someone says that he did something, they call him a polytheist or disbeliever though his expression is a majaz. However, Allah declares in many ayats of the Koran that He is the Real Maker of every act and that man is the majazi maker. In the 57th ayah of Surah al-An'am and in Surah Yusuf, He says, 'The decision (hukm) is Allah's alone', that is, Allah is the only Decider (Hakim). In the 64th ayah of Surah Nisaa, He says, 'They will not be Believers unless they make thee (the Prophet swallallaahu alaiyhi wa sallam) judge (yuhakkimu'naka) of what is in dispute between them'. The former ayah states that Allah is the only Real Hakim, and the latter states that man can be metaphorically referred to as a hakim.

"Every Muslim knows that Allah alone is the One who gives life and takes it away, for He declares: 'He alone gives life and takes life', in the 56th ayah of Surah Yunus, and, 'Allah is the One who makes man dead at the time of his death', in the 42nd ayah of Surah Zumar. In the 11th ayah of Surah Sajda, He says as a majaz: 'The angel who is appointed as the deputy to take life takes your life'. 

"Allah alone is the One who gives health to the sick, for the 80th ayah of Surah Shu'ara states: 'When I become sick, only He gives me recovery'. He quotes 'Isaa (alaiyhis-salaam) in the 49th ayah of Surah Al-i Imraan as saying: 'I heal the blind and the leper, and I bring the dead back to life by Allah's permission'. The One who gives a child to man is actually He; the 18th ayah of Surah Maryam states (the archangel) Jibril's majaziyy words, 'I will give you a pure son.'

"The real owner of man is Allah. The 257th ayah of Surah al-Baqara states this openly: 'Allah is the Wali (Protector/Guardian) of those who believe.' And by saying, 'Allah and His Prophet (peace be upon him) are your Protector/Guardians,' and 'The Prophet protects the believers more than they protect themselves,' in the 56th and 6th ayahs of Surah al-Ma'ida and Surah al-Ahzab, respectively, He means that persons, too, though symbolically, are protector/guardians. Similarly, the real helper is Allah, and He also calls human beings Mu'in (helper) metaphorically. He says in the 3rd ayah of Surah al-Ma'ida: 'Help one another in goodness and piety (taqwa).' Wahhabi people use the word 'mushrik' (polytheist) for those Muslims who call somebody an 'abd (servant) of someone other than Allah, for example, 'Abd an-Nabi' or 'Abd ar-Rasuul'; however, in the 32nd ayah of Surah Nur, it is declared: 'Give in marriage your unmarried women and those pious ones among your male and female servants.' The real Rabb (Trainer) of men is Allah, but someone else can also be called 'rabb' metaphorically; in the 42nd ayah of Surah Yusuf, the said prophet is quoted as saying, 'Mention me in the presence of your rabb.'

"Istighatha is what the Wahhabi sect oppose most: 'to ask for help or protection of someone other than Allah,' which they call polytheism. In fact, as all Muslims know, true (in haqiqiyy sense) istighatha is only for Allah. However, it is permissible to say metaphorically that one can make istighatha for someone (other than Allah), since it is declared in the 15th ayah of Surah Qassass: 'People of his (prophet Musa/Moses') tribe made istighatha for him against the enemy.' A Hadith states, 'They will make istighatha for Adam (alaiyhis-salaam) at the place of Mahshar (Judgement).' Another Hadith written in the book al-Hisn al-Hasin says, 'He who needs help should call out loudly, Yaa 'ibaadallaahi a'iyynuuniiyy meaning - O Allah's votaries! Help me!' This Hadith commands everyone to call for help from someone not near him/her." (English translation from the online book Sunni Path at http://www.hakikatkitabevi.net/book.php?bookCode=032)

Islamic Evidence - 6

Allah has granted His Apostle the Knowledge of the Unseen ('Ilm-i Ghaiyb). He is Haadir and Naazir (omnipresent) and Shahid (Witness to the Truth) for having this Knowledge. Allah, in the Surah Al-i Imraan, ayah 179 of the Koran, says, "Nor will He (Allah) disclose to you the secrets of the Unseen, but He chooses of His Apostles (for the purpose) whom He pleases." He says elsewhere, "Allah knows the Unseen, nor does He make any one acquainted with His Mysteries; except an Apostle whom He has chosen" (Surah Jinn, ayah 26, Yusuf Ali's translation). In Surah Takweer, ayah 24 of the Koran, Allah says, Wa maa hua 'alal ghaiybi bi-dwaneen, meaning "Neither doth he withhold grudgingly a knowledge of the Unseen" (Yusuf Ali's translation).

The grand Mufti of the Sub-continent, Hadrat Ahmad Yaar Khan Nayimiyy Ashrafiyy (Allah's mercy be upon him), while explaining the Koranic verse, wrote, "This is possible only when the Prophet (peace be upon him) is himself aware of the Unseen knowledge ('Ilm-i Ghaiyb) and is able to disclose it to the people. The ayah has been explained in the Tafseer book (commentary) 'Ma'alimut-tanzil' as follows: 'The Prophet (peace be upon him) is not inclined to withhold grudgingly any unseen matters, revelations and other information and narrations from Allah Almighty. In other words, he is not holding back anything while relating the Divine Revelations to the people, whenever these are made available to him. He doesn't keep secrets or hold back information like the fortunetellers and astrologers' (Ma'alimut-tanzil). It is stated in Tafseer-i Khazayin, a commentary on the Koran, 'The ayah expresses that unseen matters are revealed to the Prophet (peace be upon him). He does not grudgingly withhold those from us, but rather, discloses to us' (Tafseer-i Khazayin). This ayah elucidates that the Prophet (peace be upon him) imparts knowledge of the Unseen to the people. Needless to say, only the one who knows can teach or impart knowledge." (Mufti Ahmad Yaar Khan: Ja'al Haqq, 'Ilm-i Ghaiyb chapter. To know more kindly see Dr G. F. Haddad's Online article "80 Hadiths on the Prophet's Knowledge of the Unseen" at http://www.livingislam.org/n/pku_e.html)

Islamic Evidence - 7

The Prophet (peace be upon him) is the Witness to the Truth. Allah, in Surah Ahzab, ayahs 45-6 of the Koran, says, Yaa ayyuhaan-Nabiyyu innaa arsalnaaka shaahidaao-wa mubasshhiraao-wa nadheeraao-wa daa'iyaan ilallaahi bi-idhnihee wa siraajaam-muneeraa, meaning "O Prophet! Truly We have sent thee as a Witness, a Bearer of Glad Tidings, and a Warner; and as one who invites to Allah's (Grace) by His leave; and as a Lamp Spreading Light."

Mufti Ahmad Yaar Khan Nayimiyy Ashrafiyy (Allah's mercy be upon him), while explaining the above ayah in the Haadir-Naazir chapter, pages 259-61 of his book Ja'al Haqq, wrote, "The word Shaahid referred to in the Koran could mean both 'Witness' and Haadir-Naazir (Omnipresent). The word is used as witness, because the Witness was present at the place of incident. Our Prophet (peace be upon him) may be referred to as the 'Witness' because he is bearing firsthand testimony to the 'World of the Unseen' upon his advent to this world (of matter). If he is not the (firsthand or eye) Witness, then his sending by Allah as a 'Witness' means nothing whatsoever! This is because all the Prophets (peace be upon them) were witnesses, too. Or, he might have been mentioned as the Shaahid, since he would bear firsthand testimony in favor of the other prophets. This testimony cannot be borne without witnessing all events. Same is the case with his being a 'Bearer of Glad Tidings', a 'Warner' and the 'one who invites to Allah's Grace by His Leave'. The other prophets also carried out the same duties, the only exception being the fact that they did so by hearing. On the other hand, our Prophet is bearing firsthand testimony, that is, he is an eyewitness . This is why the Mi'raj (Ascension to Allah's presence in the Heavens) took place solely in his case. In the above ayah, he is also mentioned as the Siraajam-muneer. This term is referred to the sun only. As the sun (ray) is present everywhere on earth, in every dwelling, so is the Prophet (peace be upon him) omnipresent (everywhere). Each and every word of this Koranic verse proves the Haadir-Naazir issue of the Prophet (peace be upon him).

"Allah declares in the Koran, 'Thus have We made of you an Ummat (nation) justly balanced, that ye might be witnesses over nations, and the Apostle a witness over yourselves' (Surah Baqara, ayah 143, Yusuf Ali's translation). He declares elsewhere, Fa kayifa idha ji'naa min kulli ummatin bi-shaheedioo-wa ji'naa bi ka 'alaa haawoolaa-i shaheeda, meaning 'What would be the situation when We produce a witness from each nation and grant you, O Prophet, the opportunity to testify as an eyewitness for each of those witnesses?' (The translation is mine)

"The above-mentioned ayahs allude to the incident described as follows: On the Day of Judgement the Ummats or followers of other prophets (peace be upon them) will remonstrate with them (the prophets) by saying, 'You didn't convey to us the Message (of Allah).' On the other hand, the prophets will say, 'We have conveyed the Divine Commandment.' They (the prophets) will put forward the testimony of the Ummat-i Muhammadiyya (Muslim community) in favor of their plea. At this point, the Ummats of the other prophets (peace be upon them) will object by saying, 'You were not present at the times of the preceding prophets. How can you testify in their favor without witnessing the events?' The Ummat-i Muhammadiyya will reply, 'Our Prophet (peace be upon him) has informed us in this regard.' Hence, he will testify on this matter and his testimony will cover two aspects: 1. The preceding prophets conveyed Divine Revelations or Laws; and 2. The Ummat-i Muhammadiyya are trustworthy as witnesses. That would put the case to rest and the judgement would be given in favor of the preceding prophets (peace be upon them). It may be noted here that if our Prophet (peace be upon him) had not been an eyewitness to the Divine missions of the preceding prophets (peace be upon them) and had not foreseen the future state of his Ummat, then objections to his testimony would have been raised; but none were raised. Thus it is understood that his testimony is firsthand, and the former testimonies were upon hearing. The issue of Haadir-Naazir is hereby illustrated." [Mufti Ahmad Yaar Khan: Ja'al Haqq]

Allah declares in Surah Zukhruf, ayah 86 of the Koran, Wa laa yamlikul-ladheena yad'uuna min duunihiish-shafa'ata illaa man shahida bil-haqqi wa hum ya'lamuun, meaning "And those whom they (pagan Arabs of Mecca) worship beside Allah have no power of intercession, except the one (Prophet Muhammad swallallaahu alaiyhi wa sallam) who bears witness to the Truth; and they know (him)." (Imam Ahmad Reza Khan's and Yusuf Ali's translations)

The above ayah is the most sound Islamic evidence as regards the issue of our Prophet's (peace be upon him) being the Witness and the Intercessor on the Day of Judgement. [For further studying kindly refer to Dr G.F. Haddad's Online article "The Omnipresence of the Prophet" at http://www.masud.co.uk/ISLAM/misc/hazarnazar.htm

                                                      (End of Blog 2)











 
 











       





  

Allaying of Doubt in Wahhabi Minds (Blog 1)

(A refutation of Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab's book Kashfush Shubuhat)

Dedicated to the fond memories of our Shaykh Hadratul Allama Shah Sufi Sayyid Abu Ja'far Muhammad Shehabuddin Khaled al-Qadiri al-Chishti (Rahmatullaahi alaiyh)

Part 1

Bismillaahir Rahmaanir Raheem
Nahmaduhu wa nusalli a'laa Rasuulihil Kareem
Amma ba'ad

In this tract we will discuss the aberrant ideologies of Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab who instigated the Wahhabi movement with the help of the British in the Arabian peninsula. He hailed from the Najd region, about which our Prophet (peace be upon him) foretold,"Allaahumma baarik lanaa fii Shaaminaa; Allaahumma baarik lanaa fii Yamaninaa"; meaning "O Allah, bestow (your) blessings on Syria and on Yemen"; the blessed companions present there implored, "Qaluu wa fii Najdinaa?" meaning, "O Apostle of Allah, pray for our Najd region, too!" The Prophet of Islam again prayed for Syria and Yemen, while his companions requested for the second time. He then made the same prayer for the third time and finally said, "Hunaakaz-zalaazilu wal-fitanu wa bihaa yatlu'u qarnush-shaiytaan"; meaning "Therein exist many earthquakes and mischief/sedition/disorder/harm, and from there will rise the horn of Satan/devil."

The above-quoted words of our Prophet (peace be upon him) have come true. Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab's so-called reforms in the Islamic religion have precipitated great divide among Muslims and have put them on the path to eternal perdition. His followers, however, try to deceive people by misinterpreting the above-quoted Hadith (saying of the Prophet). They say that Najd is in Iraq and the Apostle of Allah was referring to Iraqis. Islamic savants have refuted this claim. Kindly see the article 'Puncturing the Devil's Dream about the Hadiths of Najd and Tamim' at http//www.masud.co.uk/ISLAM/misc/najd.htm; the Wahhabi claim is, in fact, yet another devilish deception in order to distort the Hadith mentioned above.

Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab wrote a book titled 'Kashfush Shubuhat' (Allaying of Doubt). One Abdul Matin Salafi translated it from Arabic into Bengali, giving it the title 'Shongshoy Niroshon', and it was published by Al-Hadith Printing and Publishing House in 1980. We obtained a copy of the book in 1983 and wrote a refutation in Bengali, styling it 'Wahhabider Shongshoy Niroshon' (Allaying of Doubt in Wahhabi Minds), which was published the same year. The second print came out in the year 1996. Kashfush Shubuhat is full of heretical beliefs and it castigates the Awliya (saints in Islam) and the pious Islamic dervishes and savants. We will take each of Ibn Abd al-Wahhab's heretical statements separately and refute it with Islamic evidences, Insha'Allah (Allah willing)!

Heretical statement -1

Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab says on pages 1-2 of his book Kashfush Shubuhat, "And the last Prophet is Hadrat Muhammad (Sallallaahu alaiyhi wa sallam/peace be upon him) who brought down the statues of those people (Uddu, Suwa, Yaghus, Ya'uk and Nasr) in pieces. Allah sent his Apostle among such a people who worshiped their Lord (i.e. Allah), gave in charity, and performed dhikr (remembrance) of Allah in abundance. But they took some bad people and things as intermediaries between themselves and their Lord, Allahu ta'ala. They used to say, 'We seek Allah's closeness with their mediation and intercession'. The intermediaries they chose were Malaik (angels), I'sa (i.e. Jesus alaiyhis-salaam/peace be upon him) and his mother Maryam (Mary), and also the pious votaries of Allah."

Rebuttal

The above statement is a distortion of the truth, because Arabia was engulfed in the darkness of 'Dark Era' when our Prophet was sent there. Anyone, who has studied the Islamic history well, will testify to this fact. The statue-worshiping disbelievers of Mecca neither worshiped Allah, nor did they perform Hajj (pilgrimage in Islam), and gave in charity, and remembered Allah in their prayers at all times. It was absolute anarchy reigning supreme in Arabia. People committed murders and looted others' properties, committed adulteries and fornication, and buried their daughters alive! Their acts were deemed sinful not only in our Prophet's Sharia (Divine Commandment), but also in the Commandments of preceding prophets. Can a votary of Allah, who prays and performs pilgrimage and remembrance of Allah, commit such act/deeds? Certainly not! The Meccan disbelievers had actually forgotten Allah. Their affirmative statements regarding the unity/oneness of Allah as quoted in the Koran is in fact an expression of sarcasm or ridicule or mockery. We shall prove this point in due time or course. But before that we need to shed some light on the misinterpretation of some Koranic verses (ayah) by Ibn Abd al-Wahhab. In order to draw a similitude between Sunni Muslims, the true followers of the Prophet (peace be upon him), and the pagan Arabs of Mecca, he has tried to prove that the pagan Arabs believed in Tawhid-i Rabubiyyah (The Creator's oneness). Let's analyze the Koranic verses he has put forth to prove his point:

Koranic verses 1 & 2

Allah says in Surah (Chapter) Yunus, ayah (verse) 31, "(O Prophet), Say: Who is it that sustains you (in life) from the sky and from the earth? Or who is it that has power over hearing and sight? And who is it that brings out the living from the dead and the dead from the living? And who is it that rules and regulates all affairs? They will soon say, 'Allah'. Say: Will ye not then show piety (to Him)?" In the second verse Allah declares, "(O Prophet), Say: Who is the Lord of the seven heavens, and the Lord of the Throne (of glory) Supreme? They will say, '(they belong) to Allah'. Say: Will ye not then be filled with awe? Say: Who is it in whose hands is the governance of all things, - who protects (all), but is not protected (of any)? (Say) if ye know. They will say, '(It belongs) to Allah'. Say: Then how are you deluded?" (Surah Mu'minun, ayahs 84-9, Yusuf Ali's translation).

Heretical statement - 2

Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, on page 5 of his book, makes an inference following the above-quoted two Koranic verses, "The Prophet did not include the pagan Arabs in the community of Muslims believing in the Tawhid-i Rabubiyyah i.e. Creator's oneness, to which he was calling people, despite the fact that they (the pagans) had accepted the Creator's attributes."

Rebuttal

Dear readers, what the Wahhabi chief says here is simply not true. The pagan Arabs didn't believe in Allah's attributes, because the Almighty says in the 33rd ayah of the Surah Yunus after the quoted 31st, "Thus is the Word of thy Lord proved true against those who rebel: Verily they will not believe." In the thirty-sixth ayah of the same Surah, He further says, "But most of them follow nothing but fancy: truly fancy can be of no avail against Truth." In the Surah Mu'minun, following the said ayahs 84-9, Allahu ta'ala says on ayah 90, "We have sent them the Truth: But they indeed practice falsehood!" (Yusuf Ali's translation). Hence, it is crystal-clear that the pagan Arabs did not bear testimony as regards Allah's unity/oneness; rather, their words quoted in the Koran were, actually, a mockery. We can now understand the evil intention of Ibn Abd al-Wahhab for producing the two ayahs above. He wanted to prove that the pagan Arabs of Mecca believed in the 'Wahdaniyyat' i.e. oneness of Allah just like the Sunnis do, and then, wanted to draw a similarity between the Sunnite tradition of recourse to intermediaries (waseela, tawassul etc.) and the disbelief of the pagan Arabs in order to castigate the Sunnite belief. However, the truth is, the pagan Arabs didn't believe in the oneness of Allah. Moreover, the statues of deities or things, as per their statement quoted in the Koran, were idols of worship, and not intermediaries.

According to Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, the Prophet of Islam did not accept the disbelievers of Mecca as Muslims due to their disbelief in I'badat, that is, worshiping. This is also a false claim, since the Islamic savants have unanimously declared that A'mal or deeds (practicing of one's faith) were not inclusive in core beliefs. Thus, the person who believes in all matters required in Islamic I'tiqad or faith, but is unable to practice his faith owing to laziness and/or some other reason, is not a disbeliever, but a sinner. On the other hand, if s/he professes her/his faith, and believes wholeheartedly, the Kalimat-i Shahadah i.e. basic article of Islamic faith - 'La ilaha Illallahu Muhammadur Rasulullah', meaning 'There is no God except Allah, Muhammad (swallallaahu alaihi wa sallam/peace be upon him) is His Apostle' - then no doubt can be cast on her/his faith. In a Hadith, quoted by Imam Muslim, our Prophet has said that any Muslim who calls another Muslim a disbeliever without any valid reasons (Islamic evidences), shall turn into a disbeliever him/herself. Therefore, we should have friendly attitude towards Muslim brothers and sisters, and should not bear enmity towards them. (For further information kindly refer to the Online book 'Advice for the Muslim' - 'Iman does not include ibadat' chapter, at http//www.hakikatkitabevi.com)

Heretical statement - 3

Ibn Abd al-Wahhab says on page 52 of his book 'Kashfush Shubuhat', "The intention with which these ignoramuses (he is referring to the Sunnis) are producing all such evidences is to prove that anyone who professes the article of faith 'La ilaha illallaah' cannot be called a disbeliever; on the contrary, they cannot be executed in view of whatever they do or commit. These ignorant polytheists (meaning Sunnis) should be told that it is widely known that the Apostle of Allah has fought against the Yahud/Israelis and has taken them prisoners, even though they professed the basic article of faith - 'La ilaha illallaah'."

Rebuttal

Actually, the Apostle of Allah fought with the Yahud to establish the latter part of the Kalimat al-Tawhid - 'Muhammadur Rasulullah'. The Israelis didn't believe in it and started plotting against him and that was why our Prophet (peace be upon him) had to fight them. We reiterate that when a Muslim utters the Kalimat al-Tawhid  and verbally says 'I am a Muslim', no one should then call him/her a disbeliever. If the converted Muslim doesn't perform a'mal (prayers and  good deeds), he will become a sinner, yet he will not be a disbeliever; in this case, he should be shown how to perform a'mal. Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, by calling the true believers (meaning Sunnis) polytheists and non-believers, has indeed transgressed and strayed from the right path of Islam. According to the Hadith quoted above, he himself has become a disbeliever!

Koranic verse number -3

Allahu ta'ala says, "And that the mosques are only for Allah, so worship none with Allah". (Surah Jinn, ayah 18, as translated in Imam Ahmad Reza Khan's Tafseer-i Kanz al-Eemaan)  

Koranic verse number - 4

Allah declares, "For Him (Allah) (alone) is prayer in truth: Any others that they call upon (that is, pray to) besides Him hear them no more...." (Surah Ra'd, ayah 14)

Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab has tried to prove that it is polytheism (shirk) to ask for spiritual help (Istimdad-i Ruhaniyy/Istigatha) from the Anbiya (Apostles of Allah) and the Awliya al-Kiram (saints and dervishes in Islam) by producing the two ayahs mentioned above. However, seeking spiritual help is altogether a different matter from Du'a (prayer). The Arabic word 'Du'a' referred to in the two Koranic ayahs means worshiping and praying to Allah. To prove our point, let's quote ayahs 18 and 19 of the said Surah Jinn in their entirety; Allah says, "Wa annal masaajida lillaahi falaa tad'uu' ma'allaahi ahadaa - wa annahu lammaa qaama a'bdullaahi yad'uuhu kaaduu yakuunuuna a'laiyhi libadaa", meaning "And that the mosques are only for Allah: So worship none with Allah; Yet when the Devotee (Apostle) of Allah stands forth to pray to Him, they (Jinns) just make round him a dense crowd." The context for this Revelation was that our Prophet (peace be upon him) regularly prayed inside the holy Ka'ba (mosque) at Mecca. It is noteworthy in the ayah that the Apostle of Allah stood (qamaa) in the Du'a. Hence, it is crystal-clear that the Arabic word Du'a quoted in the ayah means salaat/namaaz/ritual prayers, because one has to stand for ritual prayers. These ayahs do not negate the validity of tawassul or recourse to intermediaries by the Sunnis, as these are all revealed for Mecca's pagan Arab disbelievers.

Heretical statement - 4

Ibn Abd al-Wahhab says on pages 6-7 of his book, "All Nazaar-Niyaaz i.e. gift/sacrifices are dedicated for Allah alone; .........The (verbal) affirming of Tawhid-i Rabubiyyah by the pagan Arabs of Mecca did not make them believers in Islam, and their seeking help from angels, Anbiya (prophets) and Awliya (Sufi-dervishes) for intercession with Allah and for attaining His closeness was tantamount to such a grave sin that their lives and properties became halal  (permitted for confiscation) to the Muslims."

Rebuttal

Yes, in the haqiqiyy or real sense, all nazaar-niyaaz are for Allah, just as all that exists on the Earth and in the Heavens belong to Him, and Him alone. Henceforth, nazaar-mannat should be dedicated to Him in the real sense. But this does not mean that we cannot send gifts and sacrificial animals to the mazaar or dargah i.e. shrines of Muslim saints and dervishes for feeding the poor and presenting the thawab (rewards) to the souls of the revered saints. We shall discuss this issue in the second part of this tract, Allah willing.

Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab has castigated the Sunni Muslims in his above statement by saying that they are like the pagan Arabs of Mecca for seeking mediation of the Prophets and dervishes and their lives and properties have, thus, become halal  (lawful) for Muwahhidin i.e. believers of one Allah. This is probably why the Wahhabi marauders perpetrated the most heinous crimes on the inhabitants of Mecca and Medina in 1221 year of the Hegira. Our Prophet (peace be upon him) said, as related in authentic books of Hadith, ''Whosoever, without any valid reason (of Sharia), kills his fellow Muslim (brother), shall become a disbeliever." One can draw his/her own conclusions about the Wahhabi chief's statement in the light of the Hadith quoted above.

Heretical statement - 5

In the opinion of Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, the pagan Arabs understood the meaning of the Kalima (basic article of faith); and the prophets did not feel it necessary to impart to them the knowledge that Allah is the 'Creator' and the 'Sustenance-giver' and the 'Ruler of the Heavens and the Earth'! He quotes an ayah:

Koranic verse number 5

Allah says in Surah Swad, ayah 5, "Has he (the Prophet) made the gods (all) into one God? Truly this is a wonderful thing!"

Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab then says, "The ignorant pagan Arabs understood the meaning of the Kalima even; whereas, how astonishing is the fact that the people currently proclaiming themselves to be the followers of Islam (meaning Sunnis) do not understand it. .......These people think that mere verbal affirmation of the Kalima is enough, and there is no need for believing it wholeheartedly.........Therefore, what benefit is there in those people with Muslim names from whom the pagan Arabs understood the Kalima better?" (Kashfush Shubuhat, page 9)

Rebuttal

In order to interpret the above ayah, we have to read the previous ayah of the same Surah; Allah says in Surah Swad, ayah 4: "So they wonder that a Warner (the Prophet) has come to them from among themselves! And the unbelievers say, 'This is a sorcerer telling lies'!" Thus, it is absolutely clear that the exclamatory words of the pagan Arabs of Mecca were in fact sarcastic, and not an affirmation of their faith in the oneness of Allah. Who said that? The Koran, of course! In the Surah Furqan, ayah 41, Allah says, "Wa idhaa ra'awuka i'yyattakhidhunaka illaa huzuwa", meaning "(O Prophet), when they see thee, they treat thee no otherwise than in mockery." Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab has misinterpreted the Koran and has distorted it. In a Hadith the Apostle of Allah said, "Whosoever distorts the Koran and explains it according to his own understanding, shall find his abode in hell (in the here-after)!"

Verbal affirmation of the Kalima solely is not enough, one has to believe wholeheartedly that Allah is one and  that Muhammad (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) is His Apostle. Afterwards, one has to believe in all the principles of Islam as required by the religion. These teachings have been passed on to us by the early Muslims (Mutaqaddimuun) and their successors, the latter Muslims (Muta'khiruun), who came after the Prophet and his blessed companions. When the Wahhabi marauders invaded Mecca and Medina in 1221 hegira, the Sunni Islamic savants of the blessed city of Mecca unanimously issued a fatwa (religious edict) entitled 'Saiful Jabbar', in which they proved with Islamic evidences, the heresies of Ibn Abd al-Wahhab and his followers. The Kalimat al-Tawhid is not only about the Ilah or Creator, Allah, but also about His Apostle. One may turn into a renegade, if one doesn't believe in him (the Apostle). Henceforth, the people who utter disrespectful words towards the Prophet (peace be upon him) lose their Iman i.e. faith. Ibn Abd al-Wahhab has conceded, "A person will turn into a disbeliever outright, even if he utters a single word of disbelief; no excuses from him will be accepted even though he utters it in a state of ignorance" (Kashfush Shubuhat, page 11). Then it is for sure that the impudent Wahhabi and Salafi, Mawdoodi and Tableeghi, who have uttered disrespectful and abusive words for our Prophet will turn apostates. Allah says in the Surah Baqara, verses 161-2, "Those who reject Faith, and die rejecting, on them is Allah's curse, and the curse of angels, and all mankind; they will abide therein, their penalty will not be lightened, nor will respite be their (lot)" (Yusuf Ali's translation).

Heretical statement - 6

Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab says on page 11 of his book, Kashfush Shubuhat, "It should be especially mentioned here about the Koranic account of an event regarding Prophet Musa (Moses); in that episode the people of Hadrat Musa (alaihis-Salaam), despite being honest and knowledgeable and talented, told him, 'O Moses! fashion for us a god like unto the gods they have' (Surah A'raf, verse 138)."

Rebuttal

Dear readers, look how Ibn Abd al-Wahhab has misinterpreted the Koran by not disclosing the ayah in its entirety; Allah says, "Qaala innakum qawmun tajhaluun", meaning "Moses said: Surely ye are a people without knowledge" (Surah A'raf, verse 139). We Sunnis hereby accept the Almighty's testimony regarding the matter. The Israelis were really an ignorant nation at the time of Moses. Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab has in fact contradicted the divine revelation by stating that the Israelis were knowledgeable and talented. Thus, he has turned into an apostate as per his own inference quoted earlier. It may be noted here that he has brought a similar type of allegation against the blessed companions of our Prophet (peace be upon him), who according to him, requested the Apostle of Allah for 'Dhat-i Anwat' i.e. an idol for worshiping. This is a fabrication and distortion of historical facts, because the blessed companions never asked for idols.

Heretical statement -7

Ibn Abd al-Wahhab says, "Some of the polytheists (he means the Sunnis), for example, refer to the Koranic ayah (Surah Yunus, 62) that states, 'Behold! verily on the friends (Awliya) of Allah there is no fear, nor shall they grieve'; They (the Sunnis) also say: 'The issue of intercession is certainly valid'; and 'The Prophets have an exalted station in Allah's esteem" (Kashfush Shubuhat, pages 17-8). "Say in response (he is telling Wahhabi preachers): Allah has stated in His Book (the Koran) that those who have crooked minds turn to the Mu'tashabih or ambiguous ayahs, that is, verses with hidden meanings, and reject the Muhkam or explicit ayahs of command" (Ibid, page 18). He says in page 20 of his book, "They (the Sunnis) say: 'We are sinners and the pious votaries of Allah have a special station with Him; that's why we seek Allah's mercy with their mediation." At this point Ibn Abd al-Wahhab refers to two ayahs of the Koran:

Koranic verse number 6

Allah quotes the words of the pagan Arabs in Surah Yunus, ayah 18, "These are our intercessors with Allah!"

Koranic verse number 7

Allah says in Surah Bani Israil, ayah 57, "Those whom they call upon (that is, pray to) do desire (for themselves) means of access to their Lord, even those who are nearest; they hope for His mercy and fear His wrath; for the wrath of thy Lord is something to heed of."

Ibn Abd al-Wahhab, after quoting the two verses of the Koran, infers, "The people with whom our Prophet fought actually accepted the faith that you (i.e. Sunni) are professing (meaning, the exalted station of Allah's votaries), and they too affirmed that the statues didn't have ta'thir i.e. effect on matter/affair/incidents (in other words, these couldn't work miracles). The pagan Arabs sought intercession from these statues for worldly matters and redemption in the hereafter." (Kashfush Shubuhat, page 20)

Rebuttal

The Awliya or friends of Allah have nothing to fear, as it is clear from the testimony of the said ayah 62 of Surah Yunus. They do have a special station (maqaam) of reverence in Allah's esteem. They are the representatives of our Prophet (peace be upon him) and they will also intercede for the people. And what can we, the common Muslims, say about the magnanimity of the Prophets of Allah? Their power or authority to intercede is absolutely true! The Muhkamat or explicitly revealed ayahs of the Koran bear testimony to this fact! Actually, the deniers of their interceding powers use the Ayat-i Mutashabihat (ambiguous verses of the Koran that have hidden, underlying meanings) for hoodwinking the Muslims. May we ask, is the issue of intercession a falsehood? Ibn-i Abd al-Wahhab is trying to prove it that way! Otherwise, he wouldn't have brought the matter of Muhkam and Mutashabih ayahs up here. And how is it that the Prophets and the Awliya have nothing to fear, if they didn't have a special station with Allah? Ibn Abd al-Wahhab has denied this fact, too. Now we will analyze the two ayahs - Surah Yunus 18 and Surah Isra'il 57 - that the Wahhabi chief has provided as his documents. The ayah of Surah Yunus in its entirety reads, "They serve, besides Allah, things that hurt them not, nor profit them, and they say: 'These are our intercessors with Allah'. Say: 'Do ye indeed inform Allah of something He knows not, in the heavens or on earth? - Glory to Him! And far is He above the partners they ascribe (to Him)'!"

Dear readers, see how cunning the Wahhabi chief is in concealing the main part of the ayah; the verse tells us what the disbelievers claimed as intercession was actually not intercession, but Du'a or I'badat (worshiping of idols). We have already proved that Du'a means worship. Now it is clear that Allah knew what the pagan Arabs were informing, and as such, He couldn't find any similarity between His permitted Shafa'at (intercession) and the so-called 'Shafa'at' claimed by the pagan Arabs. These words of the pagan Arabs as quoted in the Koran, were meant to mock the Prophet and the Islamic practice of seeking Shafa'at. Ibn Abd al-Wahhab has tactfully denied Shafa'at by producing this ayah. The truth, however, could not be suppressed. The ayah he puts forth proves him wrong!

In order to understand  ayah 57 of Surah Isra'il, we have to read the preceding ayah of the same Surah. Allah declares, "(O Prophet), say: Call on those (meaning, Du'a/worship those) - besides Him - whom ye fancy; they have neither the power to remove your troubles from you, nor to change them" (as translated by Yusuf Ali). This ayah, like the others, elucidates that the pagan Arabs were worshiping many things/idols. Worshiping and seeking intercession, however, are two different things altogether! An intelligent and wise person will easily understand this difference. But since the ignorant ones might be duped into believing it, we have deemed it necessary to write a refutation of Ibn Abd al-Wahhab's book.

Ibn Abd al-Wahhab's statement - "..and they (pagan Arabs) too affirmed that the statues didn't have ta'thir/tasarruf i.e. effect on matter/affair/incidents (in other words, these couldn't work miracles)" - runs counter to the Koranic revelation absolutely. If his words were true, Allah wouldn't have said that the statues didn't have any power to save the pagan Arabs from trouble. There are so many similar ayahs in the Koran that if the pagan Arabs had believed in the matter, Allah wouldn't have revealed those repeatedly. Ibn Abd al-Wahhab has tried to distort history here. Allah states in Surah Furqaan, ayahs 3-4, "Yet have they taken besides Him, gods that can create nothing but are themselves created; that have no control of hurt or good  to themselves; nor can they control death nor life nor resurrection. But the disbelievers say: 'Naught is this (the Koran) but a lie, which he (the Prophet) has forged'." Since the Koran has testified that the idols worshiped by the disbelievers were unable to create and that Allah was the sole Creator, they alleged that the Book was a forgery, a lie. Thus, it is now proved beyond the shadow of any doubt that Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab's claim that the pagan Arabs believed in Allah is totally baseless and also that he has interpreted the Koran wrongly. According to a Hadith, any person who gives the Koran wrong meanings will go to Hell.  

Heretical statement - 8

Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, on page 24 of his book Kashfush Shubuhat, writes, "If he (meaning, Sunni) says: 'The pagan Arabs sought help from the statues; but I bear witness that Allah is the sole Giver of all beneficial things and He is also the Possessor of Wrath and the One who controls everything in the World of Creations; I ask from no one else except Him. And the pious ones have nothing to do in this matter. I, however, have recourse to them so that they might intercede for me with Allah'. (O Mu'wahhid i.e. believer in One Allah)! Recite the holy verse from Allah's Book to him (meaning Sunni)". Ibn Abd al-Wahhab then goes on to quote a part of the 3rd ayah of Surah Zumar.

Koranic verse - 8     

We will quote the whole of the 3rd ayah of Surah Zumar in order to expose the truth to our readers. Allah says, "Is it not to Allah that sincere devotion is due? But those who take for protectors others than Allah say: 'We only serve (i.e. worship) them in order that they may bring us nearer to Allah'. Truly Allah will judge between them in that wherein they differ. But Allah guides not such as are false and ungrateful." (As translated by Yusuf Ali)

Rebuttal

Glory be to Allah Almighty! The ayah, when read in its entirety, tells us that the pagan Arabs were actually worshiping their statues all the while they were claiming that these would intercede for them with the Lord. Allah also reiterates in the Koranic verse that the pagan Arabs were liars. Hence, it is yet again proved that the words of the disbelievers were nothing but a ridicule - a mockery. These ayahs of the Koran do not negate the Sunni Muslims' recourse to the Awliya al-Kiraam, since the issue of Waseela (intermediaries) is a part of the Islamic faith. It is supported by sound documents. We will produce these evidences in the 2nd part of our  tract.

Heretical statement - 9

Ibn Abd al-Wahhab expresses his own opinion about Shafa'at (intercession) in page 27 of his book Kashfush Shubuhat, ".....Rather, the Prophet is the intercessor whose shafa'at would be accepted (on the Day of Judgement). I, too, desire his intercession (with the Lord). But Allah says in the Koran, Surah Zumar, ayah 44, Qul lillaahi shafa'atu jamee'a, meaning 'Say: To Allah belongs (the right to grant) intercession'." The Wahhabi chief then goes on to quote ayah 255 of Surah Baqara, where Allah says, Man dhalladhii yashfa'u i'ndahuu illaa bi idhni-hii, meaning "Who is there can intercede in His presence except as He permitteth?" Ibn Abd al-Wahhab says, "The Prophet will not intercede for anyone as long as Allah does not grant permission (for the seeker)." At this point, the Wahhabi chief refers to the Koran, Surah Anbiya'a, ayah 28:

Koranic verse - 9

Allah says, Ya'lamu maa baiyna ayidi-hiim wa maa khalfa-hum wa laa yashfa'uuna illaa limanirtadaa wa hum-min khashyatihii mushfiquun, meaning "Allah knows what is before them (the Prophets), and what is behind them, and they offer no intercession except for those who are acceptable, and they (intercessors and intercession-seekers) stand in awe and reverence of His (glory)." (As translated by Yusuf Ali)

Rebuttal

In the above ayah the intercession of our Prophet (peace be upon him) has been glorified even further. The non-believers cannot be termed as 'acceptable' or 'people who have been able to please Allah'. On the contrary, 'acceptable' people are the ones who have affirmed verbally the Kalimah (basic article of Islamic faith) and have become practicing Muslims. What we are saying is every Prophet (alaiyhis-salaam) will intercede for his own people/Ummah; because the Ummah have become 'acceptable' at that point when they accepted his Apostleship. The ayah elucidates that there is no intercession for people outside of this community. Hence, to become a devout one of the Ummah, we have to obey our Prophet (peace be upon him) absolutely. Whether we can fulfill all our obligations as regards the A'mal/practicing of our religion is of secondary consideration when compared to fulfilling the requirements of the Islamic faith, that is, the Kalimat. This is called the Eemaan in Islamic lexicon. In a Sahih Hadith, the Prophet of Islam said that he would intercede for anyone who possessed Eemaan as much as the size of a mustard-seed. Thus, we can infer that dearth in A'mal/practice, if any, would be complemented with the Shafa'ah.

The power of Shafa'ah (intercession) on Judgement Day has already been granted to our beloved Prophet (peace be upon him). In fact, Allah has revealed in other ayahs of the Koran that the main Shafa'ah would be under His Apostle's control (Kindly refer to Surah Zukhruf, ayah 86 and similar ayahs). Now if, running counter to this scenario, Allah summons on the Day of Judgement the Shafa'ah of His Apostle for each and every individual standing in the dock and waiting to be judged, then the whole thing becomes a laughing matter. Who else can say this except an ignoramus! A follower of the Mawdoodi Jama'at in Bangladesh came up with an even more ludicrous idea. He said that Shafa'ah meant our Prophet's making Du'a (i.e. praying) for the Ummah, and that accepting or rejecting his Du'a is in Allah's Discretion! If this was the case, then the Apostle of Allah could have made such prayers in his worldly lifetime by saying - "O Allah! Exempt my Ummah from the punishments of Judgement Day!" Actually, Allah will enhance the Prophet's power of intercession on that day. He will show the disbelievers in our Prophet's Shafa'ah by pointing to their eyes what Shafa'ah really is and what a grief it is to be left out of its shade! Because, in a Sahih Hadith it is stated that the disbelievers in Shafa'ah would be denied its favors.

The said ayah 28 of Surah Anbiyaa does not negate the Prophet's principal power of Shafa'ah, since it has shed light on a special aspect of this power in question. The focus is on who are 'acceptable' and who are not. And our Prophet knows this matter fully, because he is the 'witness to the truth' (Surah Zukhruf, ayah 86). Neither will he intercede for anyone outside of the Ummah, nor will he do the same for the apostates and renegades. How can Shafa'at-i Kubraa (intercession on a large scale), presented to him by Allah, be an exalted station on Judgement day, if Allah has to show him who he might intercede for? Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab makes a farce of it by trying to explain it according to his own understanding. We shall discuss about Shafa'ah in the second part of this tract.

Heretical statement - 10

Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, in his book Kashfush Shubuhat, pages 29-30, says, ".....It is now clear to you (Wahhabi) that all the keys to intercession are in Allah's possession, therefore, you (Wahhabi) should seek intercession from Him alone and also pray: 'O Allah! Do not deny me the intercession of the Prophet. Make him an intercessor for me instead'. You may make other prayers like this, which are in accordance with the Sunnah." He further says, "If he (Sunni) claims that the power of intercession has been granted to the Prophet by Allah and that is why he is seeking it from him, tell him (Sunni) that Allah has granted the power of intercession to the Prophet alright, but has also forbidden all (Sunni) to seek it from him. Allah has declared in the Koran, Surah Jinn, ayah 18, 'And the mosques are only for Allah, so worship none with Allah'." (The translation of the Koranic verse is from Imam Ahmad Reza Khan's Tafseer-i Kanz al-Eemaan)

Rebuttal

According to the Sunni faith, Muslims should ask for Shafa'ah from the Prophet (peace be upon him), as he has been granted the power of intercession. Moreover, the above ayah of Surah Jinn does not negate such requests, because the Arabic word 'Du'a' used in the ayah means 'worshiping', and not intercession. Allah has prohibited worshiping of beings other than Him in the said ayah. As a matter of fact, nowhere in the Koran has Shafa'at of the pious ones been prohibited by Allah Almighty! On the contrary, there are lots of instances that prove intercession as valid in the Sharia. We'll produce the ayahs later in this tract.

Heretical statement - 11

The Wahhabi chief in his book Kashfush Shubuhat, page 32, says, "If he (Sunni) argues that Shirk (polytheism) means worshiping idols and they (Sunnis) are not worshiping any of those, then ask him: 'What does Shirk mean'? And if he replies by saying that it means to invoke idols made of wood and stones or make recourse to shrines (of the Anbiya and Awliya) for fulfillment of wishes or necessities, and towards this end sacrifice animals for them (the pious ones) and also say that they would serve as intermediaries for attaining the closeness of Allah and that the Almighty would, by His Grace, save Muslims from all types of danger and calamity, then tell him (Sunni) that he has spoken the truth; and this is what they (Sunnis) are doing in front of stones and shrines (of Muslim saints)."

Rebuttal

In order to make the points pungent, the Wahhabi chief has put forth his own dogmas through the mouth of the Sunnis. A Sunni Muslim, however, does not answer questions in such a silly manner. He knows very well the difference between the Arabic terms 'Du'a' and 'Istiyana'. We will provide answers to the above questions in such a manner that is expected of an erudite Sunni. We will not answer in the fashion Ibn Abd al-Wahhab expects him to answer. It should also be noted that the Wahhabi chief has termed visiting and revering Mazaars (shrines) of Buzuurgane Deen (Sufi/dervishes) and also observing Urs (religious functions commemorating the anniversary of Sufi/dervishes' re-uniting with Allah in the hereafter) as Shirk (polytheism) that is tantamount to worshiping of idols.

Heretical statement - 12

Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab quotes ayah 62 of Surah Yunus - Alaa inna awliyaa-Allaahi la khawufun a'laiyhim wa la-hum yahzanuun, meaning "Behold! verily on the friends of Allah there is no fear, nor shall they grieve", and then writes, "You (Wahhabi) tell him (Sunni): Yes, this is absolutely true; but they are not to be worshiped for this reason. We are only denying the worshiping of other beings with Allah, which is polytheism. Otherwise, it is obligatory to love and respect the Awliya (friends of Allah) and follow them, and also accept/recognize their Karaamat i.e. power of working miracles." (Kashfush Shubuhat, page 36)

Glory be to Allah! The Wahhabi chief shows respect to the Awliya al-Kiraam in the above quote; but what does he say on page 40 of his book Kashfush Shubuhat? Let's listen: "People of earlier times (meaning, Dark Age) used to invoke with Allah such persons who were near and dear ones of Allah Almighty - they were the Prophets or saint/friends of the Lord or angels. Besides, they may have worshiped such trees or stones that were obedient to Allah; in no way were these disobedient to Him. But people of our time (meaning, Sunnis) invoke with Allah, and ask for help from such people who are the worst transgressors of the established code of morality; those who make recourse to these immoral people reveal their immoral practices themselves; among these immoral behaviors are adultery and fornication, stealing and skipping ritual  prayers, which are sins." On page 37 of the book, the Wahhabi chief also says, "The sins of the people (meaning, pagan Arabs) of early times were less than those of the ones (meaning, Sunnis) of our time."

Rebuttal

We all know the story of the wolf that put on a sheep's fleece in order to deceive the flock of sheep. Ibn Abd al-Wahhab in one place of his book says that he loves the Awliya al-Kiraam (Sufi/dervishes) and believes in their Karaamat (power of working miracles), while in another he says they are the 'worst transgressors of the established code of morality'. The Wahhabi chief has indeed castigated the Sufi/dervishes who are the most revered personalities in the eyes of the Sunnis. The Karaamat of the Sufi/dervishes is a Divine power which cannot be judged with the human intellect. Science cannot help the human mind to grasp their Kashf and Shuhuud (Divine vision). Persons who claim to 'believe' in the Karaamat of the Awliya al-Kiraam, should know well that the Sufi/dervishes can help the people, and fulfill their needs with Divine power, and also can see with Divine vision what we ordinary humans are unable to see. Those who claim they have 'faith' in the Awliya should also know that any impudent behavior from them towards the Sufi/dervishes would result in Allah's Wrath falling on them. We, the Sunnis, truly believe in the Awliya al-Kiraam and respect them, too; we do not hold any wrong beliefs about them, as alleged by the so-called 'believers' in the Awliya. Believing in the above-mentioned Divine powers of the Sufi/dervishes is not polytheism, it is Eemaan, rather.

Gawthul A'zam Hadrat Abd al-Qadir Gilaaniyy (may Allah be pleased with him) said that if any followers of his Tareeqat (Sufi discipline/way) ask for help in times of danger or peril, he would protect them from that. The Awliya i.e. Sufi/dervishes are in the same spiritual state whether they be in their worldly lives or in their lives beyond this world; meaning they can work Karaamat/miracles everywhere. The Karaamat of Ashaab-i Kahaf (companions of the cave) is narrated in the Koran. Of course, the Real Owner of all Karaamat or miracles is Allah. However, in a Majazi sense, that is, metaphorically, the Sufi/dervishes can be said to be owners of Karaamat. This state of the Awliya is A'tayiy, meaning granted by Allah. If it were not true, then Shaykh Abd al-Qadir Gilaaniyy (Rahmatullaahi alaiyh) would have become a non-Muslim for uttering the above-quoted words (Allah forbid)! Many among the Sufi/dervishes have uttered such words as Karaamat, Hadrat Bayizid Bistamiyy (Rahmatullaahi alaiyh) and Hadrat Mansur Hallaj (Rahmatullaahi alaiyh) to name a few. Hadrat Ali (Karramallaahu wajhahu), the 4th caliph, said, Anaa yadullaah, meaning 'I am the Hand of Allah'. Does Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab want to call them 'disbelievers' and 'polytheists' too? He has already called them 'the worst transgressors of the established code of morality.' According to the Hadith-i Qudsi narrated by al-Bukhariyy, the person who castigates and calumniates the Awliya is, virtually, in a state of war with Allah. He cannot win this war! Another funny aspect is the effort of the Wahhabi chief to measure Shirk (polytheism); as if it were a commodity that could be weighed! Polytheism is polytheism, an unpardonable sin. Allah will not forgive it. Then, why try to measure it? Yes, there is a point, and that is to take a fling at the Sunnis! It won't help, though. It will turn one into a renegade, because, in Surah Tawba, ayah 79, Allah says, "Those who slander such of the Believers as give themselves freely to (deeds of) charity, as well as such as can find nothing to give except the fruits of their labor, - and throw ridicule on them, - Allah will throw back their ridicule on them; and they shall have a grievous penalty." The ayah elucidates that the apostates who are impudent towards the pious Sufi/dervishes shall burn in hell!

Heretical statement - 13     

The Wahhabi chief, in his book Kashfush Shubuhat, page 47, has conceded finally, "The people who were called Kafir, that is, disbelievers during the Dark Age, were called as such for their disbelief in the Prophet (peace be upon him) and in the Koran, and also in the Resurrection, apart from taking partners with Allah (polytheism)."

Rebuttal

Ibn Abd al-Wahhab has at last hit the bottom line. His above statement contradicts whatever he has said throughout his rubbish of a book. How can the pagan Arabs of Mecca disbelieve in the Koran, if they knew  Allah as the 'Creator', the 'Sustenance-Giver' etc? And how could the 'believers' in Tawhid-i Rabubiyyat commit polytheism? These are self-contradictory words of the Wahhabi chief. We have rebutted his statements with Islamic evidences above. Now we will produce the documents that prove the validity of the Sunnite traditions like Waseela  (Tawassul), seeking of intercession and spiritual help from the pious ones of Allah, visiting their Mazaars (shrines) and being respectful during the visit, observing Urs etc Insha'Allah!

Part - 2 

Validity of Sunnite Traditions

1. Tawassul (Mediation)

Imam Taqiyy al-Deen al-Subkiyy (Allah's mercy be upon him), as quoted in Allama Yusuf Nabhaniyy's book 'Shawaahid al-Haqq', said, "There are two forms of Tawassul of Rasulullaah/Apostle of Allah (swallallaahu alaiyhi wa sallam): The first one is to ask from Allah for the sake of his high status and Baraka (blessedness). One of the following terms Tawassul, Istighatha and Tashaffu' is used when praying in this manner. All of them mean the same. He who prays by expressing one of these terms asks from Allah by making the Prophet (peace be upon him) an intermediary (between him and Allah). He asks from, prays to, Allah through the Prophet (peace be upon him). In worldly affairs as well, Allah immediately grants the thing that is asked from Him through an intermediary whom He loves very much. The second form of Tawassul of the Prophet (peace be upon him) is to ask him to pray to Allah so that one may fulfill one's wish, for the Prophet (peace be upon him) is alive (in a spiritual/isthmus life) in his Rawdah Shareef (blessed shrine) and can understand what is asked from him and can also ask for it from Allah. And in the Hereafter too, he will be asked to intercede, and he will intercede, and his intercession will be accepted." As the Awliya al-Kiraam/Sufi-dervishes are the inheritors of the Prophet (peace be upon him), therefore, the above two forms will also be applicable for them.

Islamic Evidence - 1

Allah, in Surah Ma'ida, ayah 35 of the Koran, says, Ya ayyuhaalladheena aamanuut-taqullaaha waabtaghuu ilaiyhil waseelah, meaning "O Believers! Fear Allah and seek the means of approach to Him." Hadrat Muftiyy Abdus-Salaam I'saapuriyy (Rahmatullaahi alaiyh) in his book 'Subuulus-Salaam' (Paths of Peace) wrote, "Allah has commanded the believers to abstain from sins and perform good deeds by becoming a Muttaqiyy (Allah-fearing person). He has then commanded them to seek a Waseela (means) for approaching Him. Therefore, the term Waseela signifies 'someone' or 'something' other than (Islamic) faith and piety. It refers to the Prophet (peace be upon him), or his Nayeb i.e. representatives, meaning the Awliyaa-i Kiraam (Sufi-dervishes). After the Prophet's wisaal (reuniting with Allah in the hereafter), his representatives, that is, the Awliyaa-i Kiraam and Mursheed-i Kaamil are the Waseela or Guides of peace in this world and in the hereafter for every believer." (Muftiyy I'saapuriyy passed away in 1984. He was a khalifa of Gawthul A'zam Hadrat Shah Sufi Ghulaamur Rahmaan al-Qadiriyy Rahmatullaahi alaiyh, a great Sufi of Maizbhandar Darbar Shareef in Chittagong, Bangladesh)

Sufi Abd al-Hakim Arwasi of Turkey in this regard wrote in his booklet Rabita-i Shareefa, "That the waseela is Rasulullaah (sall-Allaahu alaiyhi wa sallam) is made known in the Divine Command in the 31st ayah of Surah Al-i Imraan: (In the name of Allah, the most gracious and the most merciful) - In-kuntum tuhibbuuna-Allaaha faat-tabi'uuniyy yuhbibkumu-Allaahu, meaning 'If you love Allah, adapt yourselves to me (Prophet)! Allah will love you'. Everyone who claims to be a Muslim should believe in this ayah. The Hadith - Al 'ulamaau warasatul anbiyaa - meaning 'Ulama are the inheritors of prophets', shows that Awliya-i Kiraam (Sufi-dervishes) are waseelas, too. It is impossible to obey the Koranic command 'adapt yourselves' without loving." (Readers may refer to my online article Waseela at http://kazisaifuddinhossain.weebly.com/waseela-intermediaries/waseela-intermediaries)

Islamic Evidence - 2

Allah, in the Koran, Surah Nisaa, ayah 64, says,  Wa lau annahum idh-zwalamuu anfusahum ja'uuka fastaghfarullaaha wastaghfara lahumur-rasuulu lawajadullaaha tawwaabar-raheema, meaning "If they (Muslims) had only, when they were unjust to themselves (i.e. after committing sin), come to thee (the Prophet) and asked Allah's forgiveness, and the Apostle had asked forgiveness for them, they would have found Allah indeed oft-returning, most merciful."

It transpires from the above ayah that Allah has commanded the Muslims to make a waseela of the Prophet (peace be upon him) while asking for His forgiveness of their sins. The Ashaab-i Kiraam (blessed companions of the Prophet) attained the closeness of the Almighty in this manner. This method of Du'a (prayer) hasn't been rescinded in the Koran, and henceforth, it will be valid till the end of the world and beyond. This is the waseela (means) for salvation (Najaat). In this context we will narrate a Hadith of our Prophet (peace be upon him), which was related by Hadrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him): The Apostle of Allah said, "When Adam (alaiyhis-salaam) ate the fruit (from the forbidden tree), he prayed to the Almighty: 'O my Lord (Rabb)! Forgive me for the sake of Muhammad (swallallaahu alaiyhi wa sallam)'. And Allah said, 'I have not created him yet. How do you know him? Adam (alaiyhis-salaam) said, 'O my Lord! When Thou created me and gave me Thine soul, I looked up and saw the phrase La ilaaha illallaahu Muhammadun Rasulullaah written on the skirts of the 'Arsh (Throne). Thou would only write the name of Thine most beloved by Thine Name. Considering this, I knew that Thou loved him very much'. Upon this Allah said, 'O Adam, you tell the truth. Of Mine creatures, he is the one I love most; so I have forgiven you for his sake. If Muhammad (alaiyhis-salaam) had not existed, I would not have created you'." (Quoted in Imam Baiyhakiyy's Dalaiyl and Alusi's Ghaliyya; also in the online English book 'The Sunni Path', page 82, at www.hakikatkitabevi.com)

Imam Ibn Hajar Makki in this regard said, "The (religious) tradition or rite ordained by Allah for seeking the mediation of the Prophet (peace be upon him) during his worldly life hasn't been rescinded by Him. It is valid till now and will remain so till the Day of Resurrection." (Majmu'a-i Fatawa-i 'Isaapuriyy)

                                                     (End of Blog 1)