![]() Allamah Shah Muhammad Isma’il Shahid Translated by Shaykh Muhammadullah Khalili Qasmi Fourth Issue
The explanation of this synopsis is that there are two types of means and paths to religious matters:
A similar example is that Zayd and ‘Amr both recite the Glorious Qur’an while looking in the mushaf, but ‘Amr used glasses due to weak eyesight, so it will be outright stupidity to mention his glasses while praising his recitation, e.g. somebody says thusly: “Glory by to Allah! How respectfully ‘Amr recites the Mighty Qur’an that he performs fresh wudu and sitting with complete humility and concentration in the mosque, opening the Glorious Qur’an and wearing his glasses, he recites…” or he explains thusly: “Although Zayd and ‘Amr are equal in the excellence of the recitation of the Qur’an, pronouncing the letters with tajwid, in humility and concentration, and also in penetration and pondering and the sweetness of voice, but ‘Amr is better than Zayd in recitation since he recites after wearing glasses” or he says thusly: “‘Amr recites from the Glorious Qur’an with vowels [and is thus superior].” Once this introduction has finished, it should be known that the abovementioned acts, i.e. ‘ulum aliyyah (auxiliary sciences), the Sufi practices and litanies and modern invented weapons are all related to the second type because the need for the utilization of these means arises because the people of our time are unable to achieve the real goal without these means. These matters are not related to the first type that they perfect the Qur’anic sciences or by means of them the stages of ihsan are accomplished or that these are the desirable acts of jihad. If anyone counts the abovementioned acts from amongst the first type and mentions them while describing the merits and virtues of the pious ‘ulama and mujahidin and based on these matters he gives preference to one person over another and to prove greater right of imamate he cites those matters and sciences, then all these matters will turn into real bid‘ah with respect to him. It should also be known that getting training of weapons and arms used in wars is more important than all the above mentioned means, and it is more appropriate relative to the other abovementioned means to spread and promote, because they are from the means and paths of jihad, and the basis of jihad is spreading and promoting [these weapons]. Next [in importance] are ‘ulum aliyyah (auxiliary sciences). The Sufi practices remain. It is appropriate to keep them hidden since there are [Sufi] sayings [that impress on this] which state: “The hand is [engaged] in work and the heart in the remembrance of the Beloved,” and: “Seclusion [with the Divine] while in a gathering.” Therefore, making khanqahs for them [i.e. the Sufi practices] and gathering people for them and inviting them is not good and a work worthy of praise. These are low in the levels of preserving religious matters. Rather, what should be done is during the instruction and teaching of the Book and Sunnah, those principles of the objectives of ihsan are poured into the hearts, and they should be taught to the students without considering the specific practices of the Sufis of a tariqah, and without observing a particular formality, and without distinguishing any one tariqah from the other tariqahs, and without calling to this specific tariqah, so that along with occupation in one’s worldly and otherworldly works, those [practices] are also exercised. Thus, if someone does not observe and preserve the abovementioned levels [of the different means], these abovementioned means will be descriptive bid‘ah (bid‘ah wasfiyyah) with respect to him [and not “real bid‘ah”]. It also ought to be known that there should be a certain belief that such-and-such a thing is from the foundational objectives and another is from those acts which complete them and another is from their necessary means. Although this is a hidden matter [since belief is in the heart], and the basis of anything being Sunnah and bid‘ah revolves around this, yet some outward matters also come within the [parameters of] “belief” in this issue. For example, counting the auxiliary sciences amongst the sciences of Shari‘ah, and based on the auxiliary sciences issuing praise, and being happy at the one skilled in these sciences that he will be included in the group of those scholars whose praise is due to [knowledge of] the Book and Sunnah, or to give good news to another about him being included in the group of those scholars, and to give him that respect and honor which is given to scholars of religion, and to lower and criticize those who are not talented in these [auxiliary sciences] even though by listening to the scholars of religion or by reading the translation of Qur’an and hadith he has acquired knowledge of religious rulings[1]. For example, a person called Zayd has complete skill in the auxiliary sciences [like Sarf, Nahw, etc.] but has no knowledge of the rulings of religion. On the other hand, a second person called ‘Amr, in the abovementioned way [i.e. by listening to scholars and reading translations], has good knowledge of religious laws but is unaware of the auxiliary sciences. Thus, counting Zayd amongst the scholars and ‘Amr amongst the ignorant, meaning in the occasions of respect and honor, or the credibility of the speech [of either of them] on the occasion of commanding good or issuing fatwa, or on the occasion of choosing an imam for Salah, or if Zayd opens his mouth in a debate on religious laws or has a discussion on them it will be considered respectful and courteous and if it was the other way round and ‘Amr discussed religious laws he will be counted amongst the irreverent and disrespectful; these examples regarding the aforementioned matters will be counted amongst effectual bid‘ah (bid‘ah hukmiyyah) The practices of the Sufis should be analogized to this. Idah al-Haq al-Sarih[2], p.137-146 [1] A hadith states: “Knowledge [‘ilm] is [restricted] to three, and all that is besides them is excess: a decisive verse [i.e. Qur’an], an established Sunnah [i.e. Hadith] and a fair obligation [i.e. Fiqh].” (Abu Dawud) [2] Imam Anwar Shah Kashmiri, praised the work Idah al-Haqq al-Sarih for its academic worth in refuting innovations in his well-known Fayd al-Bari. He wrote, “Bid‘ah is what its founder invents with a good intention and it becomes mixed up with the Shari‘ah. Refer for this Idah al-Haq al-Sarih by Shah Isma‘il and Kitab al-I‘tisam by Al-Shatibi.”(Fayd al-Bari, 5:540) ‘Allamah Sayyid Yusuf Banuri mentions in the preface of Urdu translation that some parts of this book are superior to Al-I’tisam of Imam Shatibi http://barelwism.wordpress.com/2012/05/31/ashgal-of-sufiya-and-bidah/ Comments are closed.
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