SUFISM

Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. We thank Allah for the blessing of Islam and
humbly ask Him to raise the rank of Prophet Muhammad, his kind Al and Companions, and to
protect his nation from that which he fears for it. May Allah grant us the sincere intentions
and the proper comprehension.

INTRODUCTION

Sufism is very much a part of the Religion of Islam. Indeed, the leader of all the Sufis was
Prophet Muhammad, who was sent by Allah to teach the people the matters which, if
performed and practiced in the proper way, would lead to their success in this life and in the
Hereafter. Unfortunately, many things which are in fact contradictory to the teachings of the
Prophet are today labeled Sufism. There are some, who under the guise of being Sufis,
spread falsehood and misguidance and dare to label it Sufism. On the other hand, there are
groups, like the Wahhabis and those who follow them, who categorically deny Sufism and
claim it is not even a part of the Religion.

It is our intention to shed light on the methodology of the true Sufis and encourage others to
follow their path while exposing those fakes, the "Sufi-claimers," and warning against their
misguidance. We have divided our topic into two parts: First, to explain Sufism and give
examples of the genuine Sufis in our history. Second, to expose those "Sufi-claimers" by
presenting some of their misguidance and to warn against it. Our intention is in following
the saying of Allah in Surat Al ^Imran, 110:

which means: [You are the best nation brought to the people, ordering the lawful, forbidding
the unlawful, and believing in Allah.]

Allah said in Surat al-Ahzab, 70-71:

These verses mean: [ O you who believe, be God-fearing and utter the statements which
comply with the Religion so that Allah may guide you to perform the good deeds and forgive
your sins. The one who obeys Allah and His Messenger shall win greatly. ]

SUFISM: THE METHODOLOGY OF THE TRUE SUFIS IS PART OF THE RELIGION OF ISLAM

PART I

THE METHODOLOGY OF THE TRUE SUFIS

The statements which comply with the laws of the Religion are the sound sayings, whereas
the sayings which contradict the Religion are abhorrent and evil. With reference to Sufism,
the sound saying which complies with the laws of the Religion is that Sufism is the
methodology implemented by the true Sufis and is very much a part of the Religion. True
Sufis are people who realize the importance of the Obligatory Knowledge of the Religion and
endeavor to acquire it through proper channels, i.e., through trustworthy and
knowledgeable teachers. They acquire the knowledge, then implement it and encourage
others to do the same. Sufis are a people who follow the great Messenger, Muhammad, in a
full manner by following his teachings and his example. They weigh things by the scale of
the Religion. They do not deem lawful that which Allah ordained as unlawful, and they do
not deem unlawful that which Allah ordained as lawful. They judge ugly what the laws of the
Religion judge ugly, and they judge good what the laws of the Religion judge good. They do
not indulge their appetites, and do so willingly. They go against the desires of their selves.
They are a people who keep busy worshipping their Lord, fighting laziness and ignorance.
They may work in the matters of this life, yet they do not have an interest in worldly
acquisitions because the world has departed their hearts.

WHO ARE THE TRUE SUFIS?

True Sufis are those who follow the teachings of the Messenger of Allah, his companions,
and their followers. They have attained the high ranks of righteousness and piety in Islam.
The true Sufis from Ahl us-Sunnah are the best examples to follow. The leader and best
example of them all was Prophet Muhammad r. He was the most knowledgeable creation of
Allah--the best--and the one with the highest status. He was sent to teach the people the
true Religion. He showed the path to guidance and the route to success in this world and the
Hereafter. He had the best ethics, the best manners, and the most love for Allah. He
encouraged and urged the people to acquire the Knowledge. After Prophet Muhammad, the
greatest leaders of the true Sufis were the four caliphs: Abu Bakr, ^Umar, ^Uthman, and
^Aliyy. Abu Bakr as-Siddiq was the best of the humans after the prophets. After him, ^Umar
Ibnul Khattab, then ^Uthman Ibn ^Affan, then ^Aliyy Ibn Abi Talib. They are the greatest
Sufis of the nation of Prophet Muhammad. They were the most knowledgeable among the
companions of the Prophet. They understood that the Knowledge of the Religion is the
foundation for success and, in turn, urged and guided the people to acquire it. After these
superior men, the great men of Sufism acquired the knowledge, highlighted its importance,
taught it, ordered others with it, and spread it. Great men such as al-Jilaniyy, al-Awza^iyy,
Abu Hanifah, Malik, ash-Shafi^iyy, Ahmad, Sufyan ath-Thawriyy, al-Junayd, al-Ash^ariyy,
al-Maturidiyy, at-Tahawiyy, ar-Rifa^iyy, al-Ghajdawaniyy, and many others were great Sufis
who adhered to the teachings of the Prophet. Another was Uways al-Qarniyy, whom the
Prophet praised in his hadith:

In this hadith, the Prophet told us the best of the followers of the Companions was a man by
the name of Uways Ibn ^Amir from the tribe of Qarn, a part of the tribe of Murad. He was
known for his kindness to his mother. He had been inflicted with leprosy from which he was
cured--except for a small spot. The Prophet ordered the companions, should they meet
Uways al-Qarniyy, to ask him to make supplication to Allah to forgive them. This is what our
Master ^Umar Ibnul Khattab did during his caliphate when some reinforcements from
Yemen came to al-Madinah to support the Muslims in their battle with the blasphemers. The
reinforcements had come to our Master ^Umar, in al-Madinah so that he would tell them
where to go and what to do according to his battle strategy.

Our Master ^Umar inquired whether or not Uways was with them. When he found him he
asked him, "Are you Uways, the son of ^Amir?" Uways said, "Yes." ^Umar asked him if he
was good and kind to his mother and again Uways replied, "Yes." ^Umar asked him, "Were
you inflicted with leprosy and cured except for a spot as small as one dirham?" He said,
"Yes." Then our Master ^Umar, remembering the order of the Prophet, asked Uways to make
supplication to Allah to forgive him. Out of his humbleness, Uways told ^Umar that Umar’s
supplication would more likely be answered since ^Umar had recently returned from
performing Hajj. However, ^Umar told Uways about the order of the Prophet, and Uways
made supplication for him.
Uways was a very humble person. Some of the children used to think he was a crazy person
because he was so poor and his clothing so old. Our Master ^Umar told him he would write
to the ruler of the country where Uways was headed to list his name as one of those who
would receive money from time to time, however, Uways did not accept--despite his very
poor situation. Rather, he told ^Umar, "I prefer to be like other people."

In another hadith, the Prophet said:

which means: <>

Among the true Sufis are the waliyys--the highly righteous Muslims--who attained such a
high level because of their adhering to the laws of the Religion and their following the
Prophet in sincerity. They perform the obligations, refrain from all the prohibitions, and
engage in performing many supererogatory acts of worship. They are the ones about whom
Allah said in Surat Yunus, Ayah 62:

which means: [There is no fear on them and they will not be sad (on the Day of Judgment).]
Those waliyys did not reach their high status by ignorance. It is known and unanimously
agreed upon that Allah did not make any ignorant person a waliyy. All the waliyys of Allah
are knowledgeable.

KARAMAHS OF THE WALIYYS

Moreover, Allah endowed the waliyys with karamahs. Karamahs are extra-ordinary actions
which might occur to the waliyy, and are a sign he is truthfully following his prophet. A
miracle, on the other hand, is the extra-ordinary event which occurs at the hand of a prophet
as proof of his truthfulness. For example, when Prophet Musa threw his staff and it became
a serpent, Pharaoh’s magicians knew what he did was not witchcraft and that Musa was a
prophet. Another miracle occurred with Prophet Ibrahim when the people threw him in the
blazing fire and neither his body nor his clothes burned. Many people witnessed the karamah
of our Master, Ahmad ar-Rifa^iyy, a great waliyy who lived about 800 years ago. Once when
standing in front of the grave of the Prophet, Imam Ahmad asked that the Prophet put out
his hand so he could kiss it. The Prophet did so in front of a large and great crowd of people.
What happened to our master, Ahmad ar-Rifa^iyy was a karamah, not a miracle, because
although it was an extra-ordinary event, it occurred to one not claiming the status of
prophethood.

Abu Muslim al-Khawlaniyy is an example of another great waliyy. He stood up against al-
Aswad al-^Ansiyy, an evil man who falsely claimed the status of prophethood. When Abu
Muslim al-Khawlaniyy refuted al-Aswad al-^Ansiyy, he tried to kill him to silence him. So, al-
Aswad al-^Ansiyy set a blazing fire and tried three times to burn Abu Muslim in it. However,
that fire did not burn Abu Muslim or his clothes--a karamah for Abu Muslim. Seeing this, al-
Aswad decided to banish Abu Muslim from his land. Abu Muslim went to al-Madinah, the city
of the Prophet, a place he had never been before. He was met at the borders of al-Madinah
by ^Umar Ibnul Khattab. Although ^Umar had never before met Abu Muslim, Allah gave our
Master ^Umar the knowledge of his story. ^Umar said, "Praise be to Allah Who made one of
the members of the nation of the Prophet similar to Ibrahim al-Khalil"-- meaning that the
fire did not burn Abu Muslim as the fire did not burn Prophet Ibrahim before him.

Many people have reported witnessing incidents of karamahs. One such incident occurred to
our Master ^Umar Ibnul Khattab while he was giving a speech in al-Madinah. All of a sudden
he called out, "O Sariyah, the mountain, the mountain." The people in the mosque did not
understand what was going on. When ^Umar came down from the platform, they asked him
about what had happened, but ^Umar refused to explain to them. All he said was, "A matter
had occurred to me." Later, the soldiers of the Muslim army led by Sariyah told the people
how they escaped falling into a trap the blasphemers had schemed for them, because they
heard ^Umar’s voice calling, "O Sariyah, the mountain, the mountain." As a result, the
Muslim army went to the mountain, escaped the trap, and defeated the blasphemers. This
was a karamah for our Master ^Umar.

Our Master Ahmad ar-Rifa^iyy used to give lessons that were attended by 100,000 people--
all able to hear his lesson without modern-day microphones or any other instruments!!! It
was reported a man could be working in his field, planting and plowing, and still be able to
hear the lesson. Ahmad ar-Rifa^iyy used to teach the people fiqh, tawhid, the Arabic
language, the fundamentals of the Religion, and other knowledges.
Imam an-Nawawiyy was a waliyy and a great scholar who authored many works. Allah
illuminated Imam an-Nawawiyy’s finger for him at night when the lantern was out of oil so
he could see and continue writing about the Religion. This was a karamah for Imam an-
Nawawiyy.

Our Master ^Abdul Qadir al-Jilaniyy used to give twelve lessons every day in the fiqh and
tawhid. Once, when he was praying, he saw an illumination, and a voice addressed him
saying, "O ^Abdul Qadir, I am your Lord, and I relieve you of all the obligations." He
signaled by his hand, "Go away, you are the devil." The devil told him, "I have mislead 70
people before you by that, but your knowledge protected you." Al-Jilaniyy knew what he
saw was the devil, because he knew Allah does not resemble His creations. What he saw
came from a direction and as an illuminated body. It spoke with a sound and a letter and a
language. He knew Allah is not an illuminated body, is clear of directions, and is clear of
sounds, languages, and letters. Moreover, al-Jilaniyy knew even Prophet Muhammad was
not relieved of the obligations, so why should one of less status be relieved of them?

These are the examples of the great waliyys, those who adhere in sincerity to the
methodology of the Prophet, who perform the obedience and refrain from the sins, who
perform many optional acts of worship, and who implement their knowledge. They are the
true Sufis to whom Allah gives such powers.

THE TARIQAH

Among the true Sufis, you will find those who follow a tariqah, and sit in circles to remember
Allah together. The tariqah is a good innovation in Islam. It falls under the permissibility in
the Religion for the top scholars of the nation of Muhammad to innovate matters in the
Religion which comply with the Qur’an, hadith, ijma^, and athar. Those scholars who
innovate such innovations are greatly rewarded, as are those who practice their good
innovations. Muslim narrated the Prophet said
which means: <>

There are about 40 tariqahs--all of them are sound in principle and origin. Examples are: the
Rifa^iyyah tariqah, the Qadiriyyah tariqah, the Naqshabandiyyah tariqah, the Shadhiliyyah
tariqah, the Badawiyyah tariqah, among others. All of them were established and founded by
great scholars of Ahl us-Sunnah in compliance with the Religion, i.e., in compliance with the
Qur’an, hadith, ijma^, and athar. However, today there are many people who claim to be
followers of a particular tariqah, yet have perverted and misapplied the original tariqah--
thereby doing things contrary to the Religion. Although such people exist, they do not shake
the foundation, the truthfulness, or the credibility of the tariqahs.

SAYINGS AND DOINGS OF SOME GREAT SUFIS

Those great Sufis and founders of tariqahs all taught that the proper methodology and the
route to success in this life and the Hereafter is to follow the methodology and Sunnah of the
Prophet.

Al-Junayd al-Baghdadiyy, who is the master of the path of the Sufis, said, "Our path is
guided by and based on the Book of Allah, and the Sunnah of the Messenger." Shah
Naqshaband, another great name among the great Sufis, said, "The correct way to our path
is to follow the Prophet, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam." Among the famous sayings of our
Master Ahmad ar-Rifa^iyy is: "The tariqah is the same as the laws of the Religion, and the
laws of the Religion are the same as the tariqah." This means the tariqah applies the rules of
the Religion, and the rules of the Religion order that which is practiced in a sound tariqah.
Abul Hasan ash-Shadhiliyy, the founder of the Shadhiliyy tariqah, said, "If extraordinary
matters happen with you that contradict the laws of the Religion, the Book of Allah, and/or
the Sunnah of the Messenger, then definitely leave them out and follow the rules of the
Religion."

Those great Sufis, founders of tariqahs, all advised their students to acquire the knowledge
and implement it. Imam Ahmad ar-Rifa^iyy, the founder of the Rifa^iyyah tariqah, advised
the Muslims at large to quote the sayings of Malik, Ahmad, ash-Shafi^iyy, and Abu Hanifah.
This is to highlight the importance of learning the matters of the Religion through the great
scholars of Islam, the scholars of the four most recognized schools of thought.
Al-Ghajdawaniyy, who set the foundation for the Naqshabandiyyah tariqah, wrote a letter to
one of his students. In his letter he said,

I urge you to acquire the knowledge and the good manners and to be God-fearing. Follow
the traces of the good scholars who lived during the first 300 years after the immigration of
the Prophet and the scholars who followed their path after them. Adhere to Ahl us-Sunnah
wal-Jama^ah. Study the fiqh, [that is, the knowledge of the rules of the Religion]. Study the
hadith, [the knowledge of the sayings of the Prophet]. Study tafsir, [the interpretation of the
Qur’an], and beware and avoid those who are ignorant and claim to be Sufis.

The Prophet, did not indulge his appetite; He ate a little with the intention of supporting his
body to be able to carry out Allah’s orders. It is known that an entire month would pass and
the Prophet would not light a fire in his house to cook. Rather, he and his family would
choose to eat dates and drink water. Abu Bakr as-Siddiq, at one time, was a very wealthy
man. After he became Muslim he gave all of his money to help the Muslims and to support
the propagation of Islam. After that, he was seen carrying merchandise on his shoulder to
sell in order to earn a humble living for himself and his family. This is the situation of the
Sufis. They are humble, not arrogant. They do not indulge their appetites or their selves.
Even though they might be engaged in some worldly matters, it is for a religious reason, and
their hearts are not attached to these matters.

Al-Junayd, the son of Muhammad al-Baghdadiyy, is known as the Master of the true Sufis.
He lived during the beginning of the 4th Hijri century. He was a faqih. He was
knowledgeable in the matters of the Religion. He was a scholar of hadith. Linguists, scholars
of the language, and scholars of the Religion used to come to attend his circle to benefit
from his knowledge. Among his sayings is: "We did not acquire this level of Sufism just by
talking about it; but rather, we acquired it through spending the nights awake in prayer,
experiencing hunger from fasting the days, and going against our worldly desires." This is, of
course, after acquiring the knowledge and implementing it--all in sincerity to Allah.

Hence, Sufism is very much a part of the Religion of Islam. History is full of many great
examples of true Sufis. It is only intelligent on our part to follow their example and beware
of those who claim to be Sufis--yet spread falsehood and misguidance. Moreover, we must
fulfill the obligation of ordering the lawful and forbidding the unlawful by warning the
Muslims at large from those misguided people who cheat them in the matters of their
Religion whether they claim to be Sufis or not

"Sufi-Claimers"

Part II:

WHO ARE THE "SUFI-CLAIMERS"?

Bearing in mind that Sufism is the methodology implemented by the true Sufis following the
example of Prophet Muhammad, let us expound on what we have named "claimed-Sufism."
Be warned against the "Sufi-claimers," for there are many people today who claim to be
Sufis yet do not have a drop of piety in them. They are dangerous people who delude others
into following their misguidance by their false appearance of piety. They exaggerate to give
the appearance of being humble, and their superficial efforts are to lower their heads and
their gaze and to close their eyes whenever they say statements to remember Allah (dhikr).
They worry about appearances and settle for using the dhikr-beads. For all their concern
about their appearance, these "Sufi-claimers" are a people who did not learn the Obligatory
Knowledge of the Religion. As a result of their ignorance, they do not follow the Messenger
of Allah in what is lawful nor do they avoid what is unlawful. Rather, they follow their own
desires and that which the devil embellishes for them. They are liars and false-claimers and
are drowning in their own ignorance.

Those "Sufi-claimers" claim to love the Prophet, when really they belie him and oppose him.
Their hearts are attached to the love for leadership, power, and recognition. They want
fame, titles, money, and other than that among the worldly matters. They try to camouflage
their true goals by appearing sincere and humble. However, they misinterpret the matters of
the Religion to suit their own desires and as a result, they pervert these rules and are drawn
into sinning. They breach the laws of the sound circles of remembering Allah, and falsify the
sound rules of followship under the tariqah. When they get in circles to remember Allah,
they pervert His name and say, " Ah, Ah," instead of saying, "Allah, Allah." In their circles,
they move their bodies in unlawful motions, similar to the dance of the enormous sinners,
ignoring it is forbidden in the Religion to dance in that manner.
SOME MISGUIDED INTERPRETATIONS OF THE "SUFI-CLAIMERS"

Those "Sufi-claimers" are not interested in acquiring the knowledge of the Religion. They are
ready to misinterpret the verses of the Qur’an and the hadiths of the Prophet to suit their
own desires and to justify their bad inclinations and the enormous sins they commit. As a
result, they commit the unlawful. For example, some among those ignorant "Sufi-claimers"
misinterpret the Qudsiyy hadith related in Sahih al-Bukhariyy from the route of Abu
Hurayrah, that the Prophet said Allah said:

Shaykh Abu ^Uthman al-Hiriyy interpreted this hadith as:

The best thing the slave of Allah can do to become closer in obedience to Allah is to perform
that which Allah made obligatory on him. After that, the person would perform plenty of the
supererogatory acts of worship until he gains the love of Allah . Once he is at that stage, his
matters would be answered faster than the things that he hears, faster than the things he
sees, faster than the action he does with his hand, and faster than the walking he does with
his legs; and if that person should seek refuge with Allah, Allah would protect him.

Abu Sulayman al Khattabiyy explained that hadith to mean: "Such a person would be guided
to use his body in what is acceptable to Allah, and his supplication would be answered
quickly." Thus, if he uses his hand, he would be guided to use it in obedience to Allah;
likewise, when he uses his ears, eyes, legs, and other organs.

This is how some of the scholars of Islam interpreted this hadith, but those ignorant "Sufi-
claimers" believe Allah unites with the creations so they misinterpret this hadith and say it
means, "If Allah loves the slave then Allah becomes his hand, leg, ear, and eye." Some of
these "Sufi-claimers" believe Allah dwells in the slaves; and some others believe the
universe is Allah, and every person, animal, or thing is a part of Him. One of them would
even have the audacity to say about himself, "I am Allah." A man named al-Hallaj, who lived
over 1000 years ago, said he is Allah. If one of those "Sufi-claimers" goes to visit a friend
and is asked who is at the door, he might say, "Allah," because he believes that Allah dwells
in the bodies.
Some of those blasphemers who say Allah unites with His creation said, "The Christians
committed blasphemy because they limited Allah to the body of ^Isa and the body of Jibril."
They said, "Had the Christians generalized and said, ‘Allah is in all things,’ they would have
escaped blasphemy." May Allah protect us from their evil.

Shaykh Zayni Dahlan, who was the Mufti of the Shafi^iyy school in Makkah more than one
hundred years ago, pronounced the one who holds such a belief a blasphemer and in this he
agreed with Shaykh Ibn Hajar, who lived more than 300 years before him. Al-Qadi ^Iyad
also pronounced them as blasphemers and conveyed the consensus (ijma^) on their
blasphemy. Shaykh ^Izzud-Din Ibnu ^Abdis-Salam, Fakhurd-Din ar-Raziyy, as-Suyutiyy, al-
Junayd, Shaykh Abul Huda as-Sayyadiyy al-Baghdadiyy, and ar-Rifa^iyy all pronounced
them as blasphemers. Imam Ahmad ar-Rifa^iyy said: "Had al-Hallaj been on the right path,
he would not have said, ‘I am Allah’."

SOME EXAMPLES OF THE MISGUIDANCE OF THE "SUFI-CLAIMERS"

Some of those "Sufi-claimers" say, "Iblis will be saved on the Day of Judgment." This is
blasphemy. You would find among them those who say, "On the Day of Judgment there will
be no difference between the one who is obedient and the one who is sinful." This is
blasphemy. You would find among them some who say, "The occupants of Hellfire actually
enjoy Hellfire." This is blasphemy. You would find among them those who claim: "Pharaoh of
Musa would be saved in the Hereafter." This is blasphemy. Some of them say: "The
knowledge of Allah increases." They say: "A new knowledge happens to Allah," and by that
they make Allah similar to the creatures. This is blasphemy. Some of them say: "Allah has a
place." This is blasphemy.

Some of them, when wanting to remember Allah, pervert His name and say, ‘Ah’ instead of
saying Allah. Shaykh al-Mannawiyy refuted those who claim there is a hadith about the
Prophet from which they deduced it is permissible to say ‘Ah’ instead of Allah. He said this
claimed hadith is more likely fabricated because it belies the Qur’an. Allah said in Surat al-
A^raf, Ayah 180:
which means. [Allah has the perfect names, so call Allah by His Perfect Names. ] Shaykh
Dhafir al-Madaniyy said it was the deviated followers of the Shadhiliyyah Tariqah, residing in
Fas, who innovated that term ‘Ah,’ and not Shaykh Abul Hasan ash-Shadhiliyy, the founder
of the Shadhiliyyah Tariqah.

Some of those "Sufi-claimers" say, "Prophet Muhammad, (sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam) is an

illuminated part of Allah." They say, "Allah took a part of his light and ordered it to be
Muhammad, so it became Muhammad." This is blasphemy for three reasons. First, because
they say Allah is an illuminated body. Second, because they say Allah has parts. Third,
because they bely the Qur’an in which it is explicitly stated that Prophet Muhammad is a
human being. The proper understanding of the ‘light’ of Prophet Muhammad has two
dimensions. The first is that Prophet Muhammad guides to the path of Islam. The second
refers to the light which emanated from Prophet Muhammad when he smiled or when one
looked at his face. He, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam, was the most beautiful of the creation;
however, believing that does not deny that Prophet Muhammad is human, because it is
clearly stated in the Qur’an in Surat al-Kahf, Ayah 110. Predicating about Muhammad, Allah
said

which means: [Say, (O Muhammad), "I am only a human being as you are, however, I
receive the Revelation." ] So, be warned against a book titled Mawlid al-^Arus, which was
unrightfully attributed to Ibnul Jawziyy. This book includes a statement that "Allah took a
part of ‘His Light,’ ordered it to be Muhammad, and it became Muhammad." Anyone who
believes Allah is a light and part of it transformed to become Prophet Muhammad is a
blasphemer.

Some of those "Sufi-claimers" say: "Muhammad is the Self of Allah." This is obvious
blasphemy. Some of them say: "Paradise is the playground of kids, however, as for us, we
want Allah." This is blasphemy for belittling Paradise. Those "Sufi-claimers" attribute that
saying to one of the great scholars of Islam, a great Sufi: Abu Yazid al-Bastamiyy, who is
clear of such sayings.

Some of those "Sufi-claimers" say: "Prayers do not have much significance; rather, what is
important is clearing one’s inner self." They say: "A person can be guided to Allah through
Islam, Buddhism, fire-worship, or another religion." All of this is blasphemy for belying the
saying of Allah:

which means [The true Religion to Allah is Islam.]

Some of those false "Sufis-claimers" believe their leaders are a reflection of Allah: checking
the matters of the slaves, supporting the one who is a believer, and misguiding the person
who stands against them. Hence, they say that anyone who stands against their shaykh is
standing against Allah. A woman from their group wrote an article expressing that belief.
She believes Allah goes into things, and that the shaykh of her tariqah is a reflection of Allah.
Moreover, she believes anyone who refutes the shaykh of her tariqah is against Allah. So, if
one would go to the shaykh of their tariqah and refute him by the evidences of the Religion,
his followers would consider him a bad soul. Thus, to them, standing against their shaykh
means Allah has exposed the defiance of the person and his rejection of Allah.

In his book, Nihayatul Matlab, al-Juwayniyy said: "We do not infer any other meaning from
he who utters an explicit word of apostasy." Hence, the one who says, "I am Allah," and then
claims he meant another meaning is still a blasphemer. The religious rule and judgment is
not to infer another meaning from an explicit word. This is why the scholars of Baghdad
pronounced al-Husayn, the son of Mansur, al-Hallaj, as a blasphemer. Al-Hallaj was killed,
and his head was placed on a pole by the orders of the ^Abbasiyy caliph, al-Muqtadir Billah,
in the year 309 A.H. in accordance with the fatwas of the scholars. Abu ^Abdur-Rahman as-
Sulamiyy in his book, Tabaqat as-Sufiyyah, said: "Most of the true Sufis negated al-Hallaj."
"They did not consider him a Sufi", as was said by al-Khatib al-Baghdadiyy in his book, The
History of Baghdad. Ar-Rifa^iyy said, "Had al-Hallaj been on the right path he would not
have said, ‘I am Allah.’" Al-Junayd al-Baghdadiyy who is also recognized by those "Sufi-
claimers" as the head of the Sufis, said to al-Hallaj, "You have opened a hole in Islam that
can only be filled in with your head." His statement came true after only a short period when
the ^Abbasiyy caliph ordered al-Hallaj killed. Al-Junayd al-Baghdadiyy also said, "Had I been
the ruler, I would have beheaded the one who says, ‘No one exists except Allah’."

WARNING: SOME PERVERTED TARIQAHS OF TODAY

Brother Muslim: Be warned against some of the followers of the Tijaniyyah tariqah who say
about Prophet Muhammad he is the Self of Allah. This is blasphemy. We do not confirm that
statement was said by the founder of the tariqah; rather, we recognize that some of the
people who practice the Tijaniyyah tariqah say it.

Also, be warned of another group who link themselves to the Dandarawiyyah tariqah who
say: "O Allah, raise the rank of all the creatures and their creations." They claim the
creatures create, meaning the creatures bring things from the state of non-existence into
the state of existence. They belong to the school of the Mu^tazilah and the school of Hizb at-
Tahrir, both of whom claim that the creatures create their own actions.

Also be warned against a faction known as ad-Daghistaniyyah who claim to follow the
Naqshabandiyyah tariqah. They follow a man called ^Abdullah ad- Daghistaniyyah, who
claimed he died and 124,000 prophets came and brought him back to life. He said he would
not die again until the mahdiyy appears, and that he would live for seven years with the
Imam al-Mahdiyy. Allahu akbar; he died about four months after he made that claim! Among
his misguided sayings is: "He who recites the Fatihah will receive merits and benefits that no
one among the waliyys or the prophets of Allah will receive--even if the person who recites
the Fatihah was openly a blasphemer or a hypocrite who conceals his blasphemy."
^Abdullah ad- Daghistaniyyah’s successor is a man named Nadhim al-Qubrusiyy, also known
as Nadhim al-Haqqaniyy. His group is present in this country represented by a misguided
man by the name of Hisham Qabbaniyy and in other countries represented by his brother,
^Adnan Qabbaniyy. They have several followers who follow them in ignorance.

Be warned, also, of a man by the name of Amin Shaykhu who died and was succeeded by a
man named ^Abdul Hadi Albaniyy. They also claim to follow the Naqshabandiyyah tariqah.
They say: "Allah willed for all to die as believers, however His Will was not fulfilled in most
cases." They say: "Before creating the blasphemer, Allah did not know he will commit
blasphemy." To them, Allah knew about their blasphemy after He created them. By this, they
attribute ignorance and change to Allah--clear blasphemy from them!!!

ADDITIONAL WARNINGS FOR THE GOD-FEARING MUSLIMS

These "Sufi-claimers" are present and active in the United States, Canada, and other places.
They do not recognize the true knowledge or valid, sound proofs, but instead, surrender to
their delusions and the whisperings of the devil. The devil whispered to them that even
though they are ignorant, by simply clearing their inner selves they can attain the highest
levels. Hence, according to them, they do not need knowledge, prayers, or other Islamic
matters. Simply, they believe by clearing their inner selves, they reach the high level.
Moreover, to them, the high level is uniting with Allah. They call it al-fana’, and by this they
mean the human being unites with Allah. Their belief is blasphemy.

Had those people known the rules of the Religion, they would have realized it does not help
the one who fornicates or who kills unrightfully to say, "I had a good intention." His
intention is a hidden matter. The actions he committed are an apparent matter, and what is
hidden does not help him. Even if his intention was to be obedient, if he deliberately did
sinful things, his intention would not help him. Likewise, if a person performs prayers, goes
to Hajj, studies the religious knowledge, and lectures on it, yet on the inside his intention in
performing these actions is to be praised by the people, then none of what appeared to be
good deeds from him would be acceptable to Allah. What is on the inside and what is on the
outside go hand in hand. For the person to gain the reward for his good deeds, he must
perform it with the proper intention, i.e., for the sake of Allah only and in accordance to the
rules of the Religion revealed to Prophet Muhammad and conveyed to us by his companions
and their followers.

The person who does not acquire the Obligatory Knowledge of Islam is sinful, and Allah does
not make an ignorant person a waliyy. It is known and confirmed in the Religion that he who
does not acquire the Knowledge does not excel. He does not attain high status in the
Religion. So recognize and be firm in knowing: Knowledge is the gateway to success. It is
the foundation of success in this life and in the Hereafter.

ADVICES

Let us make sure we obtain the Obligatory Knowledge, implement it, and be sincere about it
in our hearts. Let us spread that knowledge and teach it to others. Let us be among those
who protect and preserve the creed of Prophet Muhamamd. He who has the perfect love for
the Prophet would follow the Prophet’s teachings regarding the matters of the lawful and
the unlawful. He who only claims to have the perfect love for the Prophet and does not
follow him in the matters of the lawful and the unlawful, is a swindler and a liar.
Let us speak the truth with sound statements. Let us order what is lawful and forbid what is
unlawful and encourage others to do the same. Recognize Sufism and know the true Sufis
are those who follow the Prophet and propagate that knowledge through the acceptable
methodologies. They are those who brought victories and opened the lands and unified the
Muslims throughout the Islamic history. They are the ones who spread Islam and defended
the Religion. The true Sufis today are endeavoring in sincerity to establish unity among the
Muslims. In doing so they are following the path the Prophet prescribed--as did the
Companions, their followers, and all the great scholars of Islam.

Allah said in the Qur’an in Surat Al ^Imran, Ayah 103:

which means: [Apply the rules that are in the Book of Allah; adhere to the Religion of Allah,
and do not disunite ]. In this verse Allah told us explicitly the basis of unity and its
foundation is adhering to the Book of Allah and adhering to the matters of the Religion--
knowledge of which is acquired by learning it from trustworthy teachers. If one does not
have the reliable knowledge of what is in the Book of Allah and what is in the Religion he
cannot adhere to their laws.

Allah told us this is the basis of the unity, i.e., to be knowledgeable, and hence, to adhere to
the principles of the Religion. This is what the true Sufis in the past did and this is what the
true Sufis now are doing. We call all to adhere to what is in the Book of Allah and to what is
in the sayings of the Prophet, by acquiring the knowledge of the Religion through
trustworthy and knowledgeable teachers who themselves took their knowledge from
trustworthy and knowledgeable teachers, who have a similar chain reaching back to the best
teacher of all, Prophet Muhammad.

I ask Allah to make us among those who order the lawful and forbid what is unlawful and to
grant us the sincerity in all the matters of our Religion and all that which we do. I ask Allah
to make us among those who strive to teach and spread the creed of Ahl us-Sunnah, and
who do that seeking the reward from Allah, and not fearing anyone in that course.