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The people of Bid'ah claim that because Tasbeeh and recitation of the Qur'aan takes place in their customary functions, those who oppose them are actually opposed to Tasbeeh and Qur'aan and claiming the function to be a Bid'ah is actually classifying Tasb PDF Print E-mail
Ilm - Sects

Guidance About Customary Functions and Gatherings

Q: Ilm-16: The people of Bid'ah claim that because Tasbeeh and recitation of the Qur'aan takes place in their customary functions, those who oppose them are actually opposed to Tasbeeh and Qur'aan and claiming the function to be a Bid'ah is actually classifying Tasbeeh and Qur'aan as acts of Bid'ah. They say that we Deobandis are therefore Wahhaabis because we stop people from doing good. Please guide us on the matter.

Answer: These types of questions appear time and time again in the pages of the "Peghaam". However, you must note the following: When acts that oppose the teachings of Rasulullaah SAW. and the Sahabah RADI. Are regarded as part of the Deen and Shari'ah, it is tantamount to altering the Deen, to regarding Bid'ah as Sunnah and an act of sin as an act of virtue. This translated into saying that the Shari'ah that Rasulullaah RADI. Brought was inadequate and incomplete and in need of modification (Allaah forbid!). It is obvious that such a practise is sinful and irreligiousness in the name of religion. Therefore, Rasulullaah SAW. and the Sahabah RADI. Vehemently opposed such practices. Note the following:

1. The author of Moima'ul Bahrain relates in his commentary that a person once arrived at the place of performing the Eid salaah on the day of Eid and was about to start performing salaah when Hadhrat Ali RADI. stopped him. "O Ameerul Mu'mineen" the man said, "I know well that AIIaah will not punish me for pertorming salaah (why are you then stopping me?)." Hadhrat Ali RADI. replied, "l know well that Allaah will not reward you for something unless Rasulullaah SAW. did it or encouraged it. (Since Rasulullaah SAW. did not perform any salaah before the Eid salaah) I fear that your act will be futile and (when it comes to worship) futile acts are Haraam. I therefore fear that Allaah may even punish you for it.

Although salaah is an act of lbaadah, Hadhrat Ali RADI. stopped the person from performing salaah before the Eid salaah because Rasulullaah SAW. never did it. While salaah is filled with Dhikr and recitation of the Qur'aan, does this mean that Hadhrat Ali RADI. was opposed to Qur'aan and Dhikr? was he then a wahhaabi?

2. When the son of Hadhrat Abdullaah bin Mughaffal RADI. Recited Bismillaah loudly in salaah before Surah Faatiha, his father said, "Dear son! That is an act of Bid'ah. Abstain from acts of Bid'ah. I have not seen anything more detestable to the sahabah RADI. of Rasulullaah RADI. than acts of Bid'ah. I have performed salaah behind Hadhrat Abu Bakr RADI.. Hadhrat Umar RADI. and Hadhrat Uthmaan RADI. And have never heard any of the them recite it (loudly), so do not do so.

Now can Hadhrat Abdullaah bin Mughaffal RADI. be labelled a Wahhaabi because he said that reciting Bismillaah loudly is a Bid'ah when Bismillaah is a verse of the Qur'aan?

3. Hadhrat Naafi RAH. reports that Hadhrat Abdullaah bin Umar RADI. once heard a person sneeze and say. "Alhamdulillaah was Salaamu alaa Rasulillaah . To this. Hadhrat Abdullaah bin Umar RADI. remarked.
"Although I also sag "Alhamdulillaah was Salaamu alaa Rasulillaah (on other occasions as separate phrases), Rasulullaah SAW. did not teach us this (to recite this when sneezing). What Rasululaah SAW. did teach us was to recite "Alhamdulillaah alaa Kulli Haal.

Now can it be said that because Hadhrat Abdullaah bin Umar RADI. stopped the person from reciting Durood, he is opposed to Rasulullaah SAW. Was he then a Wahhaabi?

4. Hadhrat Abu Maalik Ashja'ee RADI. reports that he once asked his father Hadhrat Taariq RADI. "You have performed salaah behind Rasulullaah SAW., Hadhrat Abu Bakr RADI., Hadhrat Umar RADI., Hadhrat Uthmaan RADI. and now for five years here in Kufa behind Hadhrat Ali RADI. Did they recite the Qunoot? Dear son! He replied, "That is a Bid'ah.

Look at how this Sahabi RADI. classified reciting the Qunoot always in the Fair salaah as a Bid'ah when Qunoot is a du'aa and du'aa is the essence of Ibaadah. Was he then opposed to du'aa? Was he then a Wahhaabi?

5. When Hadhrat Abdullaah bin Umar RADI. saw people raising their hands above their chests while making du'aa. he said. "Your raising your hands like that is a Bid'ah because Rasulullaah SAW. never raised his hands above his chest.

Because Rasulullaah SAW. never raised his hands above his chest in du'aa on any occasion apart from the occasion of Salaatul Isfisqaa, Hadhrat Abdullaah bin Umar RADI. did not hesitate to label the act as a Bid'ah. Could it be said that he opposed raising the hands to make du'aa? Could he be labelled a Wahhaabi?

6. When Hadhrat Umaaarah bin Ruwaybah RADI. saw Bishr bin Matwaan raise his hands in du'aa as he delivered a sermon, he made du'aa that Allaah destroy Bishr's hands because he never saw Rasulullaah SAW. raise his hands in that manner during the sermon.

Not only did the Sahabi RADI. oppose raising of the hands during the sermon, but he even cursed the person doing the act. Could it be said that he opposed raising the hands to make du'aa? Could he be labelled a Wahhaabi?

7. Hadhrat Abdullaah bin Zubayr RADI. once saw a person raise his hands in du'aa (during Qa'dah) before completing tire salaah. He therefore told the man that Rasulullaah SAW. never raised his hands in du'aa until he had completed the salaah.

Now because Rasulullaah SAW. never raised his hands in du'aa before completing the salaah, this Sahabi RADI. opposed the practice. Could he be labelled a Wahhaabi?

8. Hadhrat Umar RADI. had sent Hadhrat Abdullaah bin Mas'ood RADI. to Kufa to teach the Qur'aan and Ahadeeth to the people and as a Mufti. It was during this period that when the people waited for the Fajr salaah, they started the practice of sitting in groups with many stones before them. Someone would then tell them to recite Allaahu Akbar a hundred times and they would all do so. He would then tell them to recite Laa Ilaaha Illallaah a hundred times and they would do it. In this manner, they would recite various Adhkaar. When Hadhrat Abdullaah binMas'ood RADI. heard about this. he approached them and asked what they were doing. "We are only counting the Tasbeehaat with these stones," they replied. Hadhrai Abdullaah bin Mas'ood RADI. said to them, "You had rather count your sins on them. There is no need to count the Tasbeehaat because I can assure you that Allaah does not waste a single good deed.''

Hadhrat Abdullaah bin Mas'ood RADI. then said in remorse. "O Ummah of Muhammad SAW. It is so sad to see how fast you are heading for destruction! The companions of Rasulullaah SAW. are still amongst you. Rasulullah SAW. clothing is still with you and has not yet become old and even his utensils are present without being broken (yet you have already started going astray). I swear by the Being Who controls my life that you people are either following a way that is more rightly guided than the way of Rasulullaah SAW. (which is impossible) or you have opened the doors to deviation.

"But we have only' intended to do good," the people pleaded. "There are many people who say that they only intend good," Hadhrat Abdullaah bin Mas'ood RADI. said. "however, they are never blessed with any good at all. Rasulullaah SAW. told us that there will be people who will recite the Qur'aan without the Qur'aan going higher than their collarbones (will not be accepted) because their recitation will be done as they want to do it and not as Allaah and His Rasool SAW. want it." Hadhrat Abdullaah bin Mas'ood ' RADI. then went away in anger. The narrator of the incident says. "We observed that these people later affiliated with the Khawaarij because they were fighting against us when we waged war against the Khawaarij.

9. Another narration states that Hadhrat Abdullaah bin Mas'ood RADI. once heard about some people who sat in groups after the magrib salaah. One of them would then tell the others to recite Subhaanallaah certain number of times. Alhamdulillaah a certain number of times andAIIaalhu Akbar a certain number of times. The people would then do as bidden. When Hadhrat Abdullaah bin Mas'ood RADI. heard about this and saw what they were doing, he remarked. I swear by Allaah that you people are either involved in a very dark Bid'ah or you have more knowledge than the Sahabah RADI. of Rasuiuliaah SAW. He then had them removed from the Masjid

Was Hadhrat Abdullaah bin Mas'ood RADI. against Tasbeeh? Can he be called a Wahhaabi?

10. A Hadith states that three men once approached one of the wives of Rasulullaah SAW. to enquire about Rasulullaah SAW.'s Ibaadah. Upon leaving. they said, "All Rasulullaah SAW.'s past and future errors have been forgiven, so he does not need to exert himself so much." One of them then said. "I shall perform salaah all night without sleeping." The other said, "I shall fast every day without missing any fasts" and the third said, "I shall never get married (so as to devote all my time and energy to Ibaadah ) . "

When Rasulullaah SAW. heard about this, he called them and said, "What is this I hear about you? Listen well! Even though I may be the one who fears Allaah most from all of you, yet I sometimes fast and sometimes do not perform salaah at night and sleep as well and also get married. Whoever turns away from my way of life is not from amongst my people. "

Did Rasulullaah SAW. not prevent the Sahabah RADI. from doing what is in excess of the Sunnah? Did he not stop them from performing extra salaah, fasting and from not getting married? Was Rasulullaah SAW. then a Wahhaabi?
Read the above incidents and read them to others as well. They will, Inshaa Allaah, be sufficient for any person in search of the truth. Of course, people who are slaves to their whims will never accept this and will persevere in their obstinacy. Allaah addresses Rasulullaah SAW. saying, If they do not respond to you, then you should know that they are following only their whims (they have no cause to reject except because they follow their passions). Who can be more unjust (misguided) than the one who follows his whims without any guidance from Allaah? Verily AIIaah does not guide an oppressive nation (those who do things merely because it appeals to their fancy will not be rightly guided because they refuse to accept any advice)."

The psychology you mention in your question is the misguided one stemming from Shaytaan. Their example is like that if a termite that eats wood from inside. In a similar manner, people who perpetrate acts of Bid'ah destroy the ways of Rasulullaah SAW. from inside (while everything stills appears sound on the outside) and replace the Sunnah practices of Rasulullaah SAW. with their devilish acts of Bid'ah.

Hadhrat Sufyaan Thowri RAH. said that of all sins, Shaytaan loved Bid'ah practices the most because people practising it never repent. Since people carrying out other sins realise that they are sinning, there is always hope of them repenting someday. As for the person carrying out acts of Bid'ah, they are never inspired to repent because they think that they are doing good. This is in reality what Iblees himself meant when he said, "l have broken the backs of the son of Aadam with sinning, but he has then broken any back with repentance. I have therefore devised such sins for them from which they will never repent. This is by way of the acts of Bid'ah.
Hadhrat Imaam Ghazaali RAH. said, "When you do anything without the command and example of Rasulullaah SAW. it will be an act of sin and not of Ibaadah even though it may well appear to be an act of Ibaadah."

The Deen of Islaam is a religion from Allaah and is not a fabricated religion. The basis to judge whether any injunction is part of the Deen or not is therefore the Qur'aan, the Ahadeeth and the ways of the Sahabah RADI. It does not depend on what the mind or whims decide. And Allaah knows best what is most correct.

Fatawa Rahimiyyah (Vol.1)