A C A L L
F O R
J U S T I C E
BY
ALLAMA MOHAMMED ARSHAD-UL-QADRI
(May Allah increase his stature)
Original work entitled “Daawate Insaaf” (Urdu).
Translated into English by Mohammed Aqib Qadri.
Allah - In The Name Of - The Most Gracious, The Most
Merciful.
A CALL FOR JUSTICE
This book is written for all
those: -
·
Who
sincerely want to know about the differences between the scholars of the
·
Who in their
private meetings address these serious and principled differences as (1) a
deceit of the Maulvis, (2) a means of making money, (3) a way of making a
living etc., - and who receive applause from the people, for expressing such
thoughts.
·
Who, despite
being highly educated, consider making attempts at understanding and removing
such differences as a waste of time.
·
Who consider
the differences between the Ahle Sunnah scholars and the Deobandi scholars, as
merely trivial or secondary.
·
Who spend
their scholarly and research capabilities in clarifying and interpreting the
insolent writings of the Deobandis. (Perhaps religion will remain incomplete
without such explanations!)
·
Who consider
researching the differences between the Ahle Sunnah and Deobandi scholars just
a waste of time, whereas at the same time they are the most zealous advocators
of unification!
·
Who consider
that Teejah (meals for the poor on the third day of passing away of a Muslim),
Daswaan (meals for the poor on the tenth day of passing away of a Muslim),
Chaleeswan (meals for the poor on the fortieth day of passing away of a
Muslim), and visits to mausoleums are the actual differences between the Ahle
Sunnah scholars and Deobandi scholars.
·
Who consider
the publication and sale of literature based on blasphemous and insolent
writings, as the most important service to Islam!
·
Who feel
uneasy at the mention of religious differences, but who spend all their
physical and monetary resources in tolerating and solving with elegance all
their official problems and business affairs.
·
Who advise
that as per the circumstances, disputed writings & problems should not be
discussed - but do not render this advice to the institutions that are
ceaselessly publishing such literature.
·
Who term the
issues of (a) Respecting our Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him),
(b) The status of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), (c) The
attributes of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), (d)
Veneration of the Companions and of the members of the family of the Holy
Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), (e) Sainthood and (f) other Islamic
issues, as “Sectarianism” perpetrated by the Ahle Sunnah school of thought -
and in this way such persons intentionally or unintentionally support
infidelity and heresy.
·
Who
understand the real causes of the differences and have the true spirit of
presenting a program on the national (or international) level, through which
the wide gulf of differences can be bridged and an initiative can be taken
towards unification.
If you have a soft corner in
your heart for the scholars of Deobandi school, the obvious effect of reading
this booklet will be that you will close it and put is aside with frustration.
However, if you are a great thinker and have the spirit for searching facts by
going deep into events, you will definitely attempt to find out why the
foundations of this dispute were laid - and what are the causes owing to which
the dispute still continues all over the world, after so many years.
If the dispute was limited to a
few people, it could be ignored by considering that personal or family
interests may be involved - but the range of this dispute is so wide that not
only the whole country (Indian Sub Continent) but a very large region abroad
has been dragged into it. From mosques to religious schools (madressahs), all
aspects of our religious life have been so deeply affected by it that from
villages to cities, the entire country has been divided by it. Therefore the
real reasons that actually started the dispute cannot be overlooked by just
terming it just as an individual strife between
Regretfully until now
historians have not attempted make an impartial research into the real basis of
our dispute with the scholars of the Deobandi school – a dispute which is going
on among millions of Muslims at home and abroad since the last several decades.
Due to it, the entire Muslim society has fallen prey to spiritual agony and
confusion. Can there be a greater mockery of our innocence that our protest is
termed as "Spread of Dissension", whereas it the right of every
innocent individual to disclose his anger and sorrow?
After
these introductory words, we now present the details of this religious dispute
before our readers trusting that they will ascertain the real causes in light
of what is written here below. Even if reading this booklet is a burden on you,
I would still request you to read the details, because a seeker of the truth
does not have a bias towards any group.
PART ONE
THE THREE FOUNDATIONS OF DIFFERENCES BETWEEN AHLE SUNNAH SCHOLARS &
THE DEOBANDI SCHOLARS:
The religious enmity between
Deoband and
A) THE FIRST FOUNDATION OF DIFFERENCES (Insolent Writings Of Deobandis
Against The Holy Prophet - peace and blessings be upon him).
Everyone is aware that a Muslim
has a very strong and devoted relation with his Holy Prophet (peace and
blessings be upon him). The belief regarding the Holy Prophet (peace and
blessings be upon him) is so reverential and sensitive that a Muslim cannot
bear any insult towards the Holy Prophet. In order to protect his honour, the
Muslims of the sub-continent have offered sacrifices in every era and with such
an exemplary spirit that it is now a part of history. This aspect of a Muslim’s
love for the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) should be
remembered - that while expressing anger and regret against the insolent, a
Muslim has never bothered to see who will be targeted. Whoever commits any
disrespect or blasphemy against our Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon
him) - whether the individual is an outsider or from among us – the swords of
the Muslims have become unsheathed against such people.
The contemporary example of the
outcast Salman Rushdie is before you. He made the entire Muslim world his enemy
by attacking the honour of our Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
Indeed all those who gave numerous sacrifices to defend the honour of the Holy
Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), deserve immense praise.
This itself is the main
foundation of our anger against the scholars of the Deobandi school – because
their elders have written insolent words and phrases against our Holy Prophet
(peace and blessings be upon him). A few examples of such insolent writings are
as follows: -
1.
The religious leader of the scholars of Deoband, Maulvi
Ashraf Ali Thanvi in his book entitled “Hifz-ul-Iman” (The Protection of Faith)
has compared the knowledge of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon
him), with the knowledge of lowly creatures such as animals and beasts - and he
himself has confessed to this heinous crime! (May Allah protect us!)
Learned people know that if anything is compared with a respectable
thing, it implies respect - whereas on the contrary, if anything is compared
with a disgraceful and shameful thing, it implies defamation and disrespect.
This principle is so well known and widely accepted in the Urdu language, that no
learned person can deny the authenticity of this interpretation.
On this basis we claim that, beyond doubt, Mr. Thanvi is guilty of
insolence towards the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). By
comparing the knowledge of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)
with that of animals and lowly creatures, he has definitely committed the
heinous crime of insulting the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
2.
The second and
third leaders of the Deobandi school i.e. Maulvi Khalil Ahmed Ambethvi and
Maulvi Rasheed Ahmed Gangohi have written in their book "Baraheene
Qatia" (The Definite Proofs), that on the issue of encompassing the
knowledge of the earth, the knowledge of Satan exceeds the knowledge of our
Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Furthermore, they claimed that
if one believes that the knowledge of our Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be
upon him) exceeds that of Satan, such a person will become a “polytheist”
(Mushrik), because the vastness of Satan's knowledge is proven from Qur'an and
Hadith, whereas no such proof exists in respect of the knowledge of the Holy
Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). (May Allah protect us!).
In the above-mentioned case, there are no two opinions that assessing
the knowledge of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to be
inferior to that of Satan, is a blatant blasphemy and insolence towards the
Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
Similarly, it is a blatant insolence and a blasphemy to say that in contrast
to Satan, anyone who believes in the vast extent of the knowledge of the Holy
Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is a “polytheist” (Mushrik), but
having the same belief about Satan is not polytheism!
Likewise it is also a clear disrespect towards our Holy Prophet (peace
and blessings be upon him) to say that there is no clear proof in the Qur'an on
the vast extent of his knowledge, but there is proof in Qur'an as well as
Hadith regarding the vast knowledge of Satan!
3.
The most important leader of the Deobandi school, and
also the founder of the Deoband Madressah i.e. Maulvi Qasim Nanotvi, in his
book "Tahzeer-ul-Naas" has refused to accept our Holy Prophet (peace
and blessings be upon him) as the Last Prophet - whereas to believe in Prophet
Mohammed (peace and blessings be upon him), as the Last Prophet of Allah is
proven both from the Qur'an and the Hadith.
He has gone to the extent of writing that “even if it were assumed that
a New Prophet can come during the era of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings
be upon him), or after the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), it
would not have an effect on the “Finality” (Khatemiat) of our Holy Prophet
(peace and blessings be upon him)”. Whereas every sane person can easily
understand the simple principle that the belief regarding the Finality of the
Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) gets negated upon the arrival of
a new Prophet. It is this very book of Maulvi Qasim Nanotvi – i.e.
"Tahzeer-ul-Naas" which the Qadianis term a precursor to validate the
prophethood of Mirza Gulam Ahmed Qadiani (May Allah protect us).
It should be
clear that our dispute with Deobandi scholars on the issue of Khatm - e-
Nubuwat (The Finality of Prophethood) is not a secondary one, but is regarding
Islamic principles and is fundamental. It is not concerned just with the
permissibility (hillat) or prohibition (hurmat), but with infidelity and Islam.
A CALL FOR
JUSTICE
The first root cause of our
disagreement with the Deobandi scholars with references to their books, is
before you. It should be clear that this basic cause of disagreement is
concerned with (1) Insulting the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon
him), and (2) Denial of the necessities of Islam. And there is no doubt in
their infidelity. A number of verses of the Holy Qur'an bear testimony to the
fact that even a minor disrespect towards the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings
be upon him), breaks one's relation with faith and Islam. Under no
circumstances can superiority in knowledge or worship save one from the evil
consequences of insolence.
Here I will request my readers
NOT to read the defamatory writings of the Deobandi scholars with a view that
it is just a religious dispute between
If you read these lines with a
view that it is just a dispute between the scholars of
(a) Do the writings of the Deobandi scholars attack the
sanctity of our Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), or not?
(b) Do these writings deviate from the basic
requirements and tenets of faith, or not?
If you have any doubt regarding
the authenticity and the location of the references given, you can yourself
find and read them – these books are openly available at bookshops, even to
this day.
So what did the Ahle Sunnah
Bareillvi scholars do? It was just that after going through these defamatory
writings of the Deobandi scholars, the Ahle Sunnah Bareillvi scholars openly
displayed the reaction of the unbearable distress and the spiritual agony that
they were made to suffer all of a sudden. The hurdle of relations did not come
in their way.
They contacted the Deobandi
scholars and with authentic proofs asked them to first seek repentance
according to the Shariah from those writings - which vilify our Holy Prophet
(peace and blessings be upon him), and which deny the necessities of Islam -
and secondly to delete those writings from their books. But the spurious fame
of the Deobandi scholars came in their way and they preferred the everlasting
punishment of fire to the disgrace of this world.
A1) A Common Trait Among Those Who Disrespect The Holy Prophet (peace
and blessings be upon him).
Deviating from the above
conversation, I would like to clarify a point to my readers, trusting that the
extra moments of waiting will not be a burden upon them.
Going through the annals of
history you will notice a common trait among those who were insolent towards
the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). After uttering or writing
any blasphemous word due to hypocrisy, instead of seeking repentance for their
infidelity, they resort to wrong interpretations and verbal jugglery when they
are called to account and admonished.
During the era of the Holy
Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), the very same attitude existed in
the hypocrites of Medinah. Once when the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be
upon him) was returning from a journey, the hypocrites used a derogatory word
for him - and when the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) called
them to account after he was informed by the honourable companions, the
hypocrites resorted to giving wrong interpretations and lame excuses. It was
revealed in the Holy Qur'an to the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon
him) as follows: -
“Do not feign excuses, you
have turned disbelievers after becoming Muslims” (Surah Tauba -9:66 - from the Holy
Quran’s English Translation “Treasure of Faith” by Mohammed Aqib Qadri)
Had the revelations not been
going on, the hypocrites' fraud would not have been disclosed and they would
have concealed their infidelity by reciting Kalema in the Muslim society.
A2) A Recent Example Of
Verbal Jugglery
If you wish to know about the
role of the hypocrites of Medinah in the present age, read about the Pro Vice
Chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia of
The clear meaning of this
phrase is that Rushdie cannot be called to account of the Blasphemy he has done
in his book because he has a fundamental right to express his views. In other
words, Mushir-ul-Hasan with his above phrase has openly supported the
disrespect towards our Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). The
courageous and sacrificing students of Jamia Millia deserve praise and
applause. When they read the interview of Mushir-ul-Hasan, and based on his
crime of supporting a blasphemer, they joined hands in the spirit of defending
the honour of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and demanded
from the then Indian Government that since a supporter of a blasphemer is also
a blasphemer, Mushir-ul-Hasan should be sacked from his post – and that they
cannot tolerate a blasphemer and cruel person at any cost.
As this was a question of
defending the honour of our Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), a
large number of teachers of the Jamia Millia became indifferent of the
consequences and announced their support with the students. When the Muslims of
Delhi learned about the incident, a wave of hatred and detestation spread, and
the people of the city also started supporting the students. The manner in
which Anjuman-e-Raza of Zakir Nagar displayed their anger against
Mushir-ul-Hasan, gave correct advice to the students and encouraged everyone,
should be written down in letters of gold.
But The Scholars Of Deoband!
Only according to the Deobandi Scholars (among whom Maulvi
Salim Ibne Qari Tayyab Sahab and Maulvi Ahmed Ali Qasimi and the secretary
general of Abna-e-qadeem Dar-ul-Uloom Deoband Maulvi Fuzail Ahmed are worth
mentioning) the blasphemy of Mushir-ul-Hasan is NOT proved. This is evident
from their joint statement in the daily “Qawmi Awaz” dated 18 May 1992 as
follows: -
“The
students should see in the light of Islamic teachings, whether the one who is
being termed an insulter of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him),
is really an insulter or not.”
How regretful and astonishing
it is, that the students and the teachers of Jamia Millia and the general
public who are not scholars understood the blasphemy of Mushir-ul-Hasan, but
the scholars of Darul Uloom Deoband could not understand it – although the
appeal of the Chancellor Mr. Bashiruddin Ahmed about Mushir-ul-Hasan was
published on the last page of Qawmi Awaz, and the following excerpt from it
perfectly reveals the crime of Mushir-ul-Hasan.
“The
Pro-Vice Chancellor of the Jamia, Prof. Mushir-ul-Hasan has expressed his
opinion about lifting the ban on this book (Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie).
As this is a cause of annoyance, an environment of anger and revolt has been
created.”
It is clear from the statement
of the Vice Chancellor that the charge of the students against Mushir-ul-Hasan
is not baseless because he has based his statement on the fact that every one
has the right to freely express his views. Therefore whatever Salman Rushdie
has written against our Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), is
Rushdie's permitted right. But it is a matter of great regret that despite so
much explanation, the Deobandi scholars consider Mushir-ul-Hasan guiltless. The
most important justification given by them for his innocence is as follows: -
“The one who is being termed an insulter of the Holy Prophet (peace and
blessings be upon him) has clarified that he is free from this sin and has
complete respect in his heart for the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon
him)”.
The inanity of the Deobandi
scholars is really pathetic that they do not even know that in order to prove
any charge, the confession or admission of guilt is NOT required. His
statements and the words he has used are more than enough to prove his guilt –
or else it should be pointed out where in the history of Islamic punishments
has a criminal been punished on the basis of his confession. Whoever has been
punished, has been punished on the basis of his words and statements. Can
Dar-ul-Ifta of Deoband prove that has anyone who was termed an infidel by it
because of uttering blasphemy, been made to confess his infidelity? But it is
obvious here that the Deobandi scholars would not have uttered such immature
statements if their love for the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon
him), had not been overcome by the motive of supporting Mushir-ul-Hasan. They
have now to answer what was the reason of their supporting and advocating for
Mushir-ul-Hasan.
We have referred to this event
just to clarify to our readers how the love of the Holy Prophet (peace and
blessings be upon him), unites the believers against the insulters - and how
those whose hearts are devoid of this noble spirit resort to indecent and
ridiculous interpretations in order to defend a blasphemer.
In order to expose the
mentality of the blasphemers as well as their supporters, I think I have swayed
far from the main subject. I now request you to direct your attention to the
discussion in the previous pages regarding the charges against the elders of
Deoband for insulting the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
The very same thing happened at
that time. In order to protect the insolent writings of their elders, the
Deobandi scholars adopted a stance of hostility and stubbornness, and with all
their might began propagating among the masses that they were completely free
from the charges of blasphemy. And furthermore, they claimed that the scholars
of the Ahle Sunnah Bareillvi school had created this entire dispute and that
the accusation against them – that of insulting the Holy Prophet (peace and
blessings be upon him) - is totally untrue, and baseless.
They had a large number of
resources and means of communication at their disposal. When people started
getting influenced from their false propaganda, we were left with no other
option but to go for discussions and debates and to reveal the fact that the
charges on the elders of Deoband school for writing insolent remarks against
the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), are NOT baseless, but in
fact a reality.
Therefore in every debate, the
insolent writings of their elders were read before them along with proper
reference to the page numbers and the Deobandi scholars never said that the
books from which the reference were given were not written by their elders or that
these insolent writings were not present in their books.
The most important benefit
derived from these debates was that the general public realised that the
charges of blasphemy on the Deobandi scholars are based on solid grounds - and
that the protest and agitation of the Ahle Sunnah scholars which is reflected
in their speeches is to defend the honour of the Holy Prophet (peace and
blessings be upon him).
B) THE SECOND FOUNDATION OF DIFFERENCES. (Incorrect Beliefs Of The
You have read in the previous
pages that the first basic cause of our differences with the Deobandi scholars,
is their disrespect of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and
their denial of the basic tenets of Islam. You would have definitely assessed
by now that our hatred and abhorrence of the Deobandi scholars because of their
blasphemy can never end - for it is a requirement of our faith.
The first basic cause was quite
sufficient for our separation from the Deobandi school, but you will be astonished
to know that there are quite a few special beliefs upheld by the Deobandi
scholars, which are also playing a vital role in widening the gulf between us.
Provided below are some of their beliefs, with reference to their books: -
1.
A follower
(member of the Ummah) can surpass the Prophets in deeds. (Tahzeer-ul-Naas)
2.
It is not
necessary for the Prophets to be immune from saying blatant lies.
(Tasfia-ul-Aqaid)
3.
It is wrong
to consider that saying lies is against the dignity of
Prophethood.(Tasfia-ul-Aqaid)
4.
It is wrong
to believe that Prophets are innocent of sinning. (Tasfia-ul-Aqaid).
5.
A person
engaged in prayers becomes a polytheist (mushrik) upon diverting his thoughts
towards the Prophet. (Siraate-Mustaqeem)
6.
To think
about the Prophet whilst one is in prayer is worse than being engrossed in the
thoughts of adultery, or thinking about a donkey or an ox. (Siraate-Mustaqeem)
7.
It is
possible for Allah to tell lies (Yakrozi).
8.
It is a
heresy to deem Allah free from time and space (Idha-ul-Haq)
9.
The
deceptions of magicians are greater than the miracles of the Prophets.
(Mansabe-Imamat).
10.
A person,
who labels the Companions of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)
as “infidels”, is not out of the fold of Jamaat Ahle Sunnah. (Fatawahe
Rashidiah)
11.
Whoever is
named “Mohammed” or “Ali” does not have authority over anything.
(Taqwiat-ul-Iman)
12.
All
creations – whether small (such as common men) or great (such as prophets and
saints) – they all are, before Allah's majesty, more lowly than even a cobbler.
(Taqwiat-ul-Iman)
13.
One who
considers the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) as his mediator
and intercessor on the Day of Resurrection, is equal to Abu Jahal in
polytheism. (Taqwiat-ul-Iman)
14.
It is
polytheism to have names such as “Rasool Baksh”, “Nabi Baksh”, “Gulam
Mohiuddin” and “Gulam Moeenuddin”. (Taqwiat-ul-Iman)
15.
To be “A
mercy for the entire creation” (Rehmatul Lil Alameen) is not an exclusive
attribute of our Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). The followers
can also be the “A mercy for the entire
creation” (Rehmatul Lil Alameen).
(Fatawahe Rashidiah)
16.
Eating from
the food prepared for Fateha of the saints, causes the heart to die.
(Taqwiat-ul-Iman)
17.
The Holy
Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is our elder brother, we are his younger
brothers. (Taqwiat-ul-Iman)
18.
It is
polytheism to say, “if Allah and His Prophet will a thing, it will be
accomplished”. (Bahishti Zewar).
19.
To travel
for the sake of visiting the mausoleums of any Prophet (peace be upon them) or
any saint, or to illuminate their mausoleums, to carpet them, to sweep there,
give people water to drink or make arrangements for their ablution and bathing
– (all this) is polytheism. (Taqwiat-ul-Iman).
Here I will request my readers
to reflect upon the above mentioned beliefs of the Deobandi school with justice
and sincerity. Among these beliefs are a few that affect the belief of Tauheed
(the Oneness of Allah) and a few others which if accepted as true would put the
faith of a billion Muslims in danger - and this does not stop here. Billions of
our ancestors, who accepted faith contrary to these beliefs as true Islam, will
also come within the purview of such beliefs.
For a little while, put the
Bareillvi scholars aside, and with your religious temperament, decide whether
you agree with the above mentioned beliefs and actions or not - and without any
hesitation just decide in a clear YES or NO - whether the present Muslim
society is based on these beliefs or not. If not and obviously not, then please
give a decision regarding the scholars of Bareilly who have disagreed with the
above noted beliefs and have struggled to save the Ummah from these filthy
beliefs & actions, and have also striven to keep the Ummah associated with
the correct beliefs of Islam.
It is now up to the Muslim
masses to decide whether this significant achievement of the righteous Ahle
Sunnah Bareillvi scholars was in the interest of the Ummah or otherwise - and
whether the services they rendered caused dissension within the Ummah or have
saved it from breaking up.
If you agree that the faith of
the majority of the Muslims world-wide is the same as that which the scholars
of
Even if you do not call
yourself a Bareillvi, you must be thankful to the Ahle Sunnah Bareillvi
scholars for the noble role that they played by saving you from falling victim
of the incorrect teachings of the Deobandi school - and for keeping the Muslim
Ummah associated with proper beliefs.
C) THE THIRD FOUNDATION OF DIFFERENCES (Improper Decrees Issued By The
Under this basis of differences
are the verdicts and writings of the Deobandi scholars in which the religious
traditions of the Muslims masses (Jumhur) have been termed as “Forbidden” (Haram)
and heretic innovations. Read please the details below: -
1.
They term
the seeking of mediation (Tawassul) from the Prophets and saints as forbidden
and a sin.
2.
They do not
accept the belief that the Holy Prophet (peace be upon them) had knowledge of
the hidden, even if it is given by Allah.
3.
According to
the explanation of Taqwiat-ul-Iman, they believe that the Holy Prophet (peace
and blessings be upon him) has mingled with dust.
4.
Holding of
Meelad (Mawlid) gatherings and Qiyam & Salam (the prevalent way in which a
devotee prays for peace and blessings of Allah upon the beloved Prophet, in a
state of standing upright) – all these are forbidden according to them.
5.
Holding
gatherings in order to convey the reward of Fateha, recitation of the Qur’an
etc., either for saints or for common Muslims – all these are forbidden
according to them.
6.
They term it
forbidden to hold public meetings to narrate the martyrdom of Hazrat Imam
Husain or to commemorate Gyarhween Shareef of Hazrat Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani
and Chhatti of Hazrat Shaykh Moeenuddin Chishti.
7.
They term
the rejoicing, holding of public meetings and taking out of processions on the
occasion on the birth of our Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) as
forbidden.
8.
According to
them, building of domes over the mausoleums of Saints and pious Muslims is
forbidden.
9.
They term
the slogans of “Ya Rasool Allah” and “Ya Nabi Salam Alaika” as forbidden.
10.
According to
them, inviting relatives and others on the occasion of Khatna (circumcision)
and Bismillah (The start of reciting the Qur'an) and Aqeeqah (sacrifice for
new-born) is prohibited.
11.
Teejah
(meals for the poor on the third day of passing away of a Muslim), Daswaan
(meals for the poor on the tenth day of passing away of a Muslim), Chaleeswan
(meals for the poor on the fortieth day of passing away of a Muslim),
preparation of Halwa (sweet dish) on the occasion of Shabe-Bara`at (15th Night
of Shabaan) - all these are not permissible according to them.
12.
According to
them it is impermissible to invite anyone on the occasion of weddings,
engagements etc., nor is it permissible for one to attend such gatherings.
13.
They decree
the wearing of head-garlands by the grooms (on the day of wedding) as an act of
polytheism.
14.
Regarding
the person who places wreaths on the mausoleums of saints, and commemorates the
Urs of saints - they term the marriage of any Muslim female with the son of
such a person as Haram. They also forbid participation in the funeral prayers
of such a person, inquiring after his health and greeting him.
15.
They also
term the seeking and obtaining of benefit (Faiz) from the souls of saints and
seeking their assistance as forbidden.
16.
According to
them, kissing the thumbs upon hearing the name of the Holy Prophet (peace and
blessings be upon him) is forbidden.
17.
They also
term the Fateha of Imam Jafar Sadiq in the month of Rajab, as forbidden.
18.
They term
the illumination of mosques upon completion of the recitation of Holy Qur'an in
the month of Ramadan, as forbidden.
19.
They also
deem prohibited the placing of epitaphs showing the date of death on the grave
of Muslims.
20.
To pray for
the forgiveness of the deceased after the funeral prayers, is prohibited
according to them.
21.
They term
the act of embracing each other on the Eid days as forbidden.
NOW IT IS UP TO YOU TO
DECIDE: -
Now the third root cause of our
differences with the scholars of Deoband is also before you. You have now to
decide 3 things, with justice.
Firstly, do
you agree with the above mentioned verdicts issued by the Deobandi scholars, or
not.
Secondly,
are these verdicts contrary to the lawful traditions and customs practised in
the Muslim world, or not.
And thirdly,
is the religious and social system of our Muslim society harmed by these
verdicts or not.
If yes, and surely yes, then
according to these verdicts, is the entire Muslim society involved in forbidden
acts from dawn to dusk? And if so, where does our Islamic society stand?
This is the stage where you
have to draw a line between the scholars of Deoband and that of Bareilly - and
you must arrive at the conclusion that all the efforts of the Deobandi scholars
were directed at proving that the entire Muslim society, each and every member
of it, was a sinner - whereas the efforts of the Ahle Sunnah Bareillvi scholars
was to prove that unless an act is explicitly forbidden by Allah or the Holy
Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), then no one has the right to forbid
it. Terming the ethical and religious customs upon which the Muslim society is
built, as forbidden (Haram) is a clear deviation from proven facts and an open
enmity with the Muslims.
If my readers adopt a fair stance, they will have to
admit that all the efforts of the Ahle Sunnah Bareillvi scholars are in support
of majority of the Muslim Ummah, whereas those of the Deobandi scholars are
directed against it.
Can
there be a greater ingratitude other than taking those who are hell bent upon
attacking and ruining us, as our greatest well-wishers – whereas on the other
hand to deem those who have put their lives and status in danger for us, as our
greatest enemies?
CONCLUSION OF PART ONE
The purpose of clarifying the foundations of our
differences, up to what I have written until now, is that the readers may
clearly understand the nature of differences, and may not attribute our anger,
frustration and separation for any other reason.
If the assault of the insolent
pen of Deoband was on us, there could have been plenty of ways for forgiveness
and reconciliation. But the fact is that they tried to harm the honour of the
Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and have thereby caused
suffering to Allah and His Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) – and
so the decision regarding them will come from these sources.
We do not have any direct
relationship with any scholar - it is through the means of the Holy Prophet
(peace and blessings be upon him). When someone severs his relationship with
the Holy Prophet, then the question our having a relation with him does not
arise. Rather the spirit of loyalty towards the Holy Prophet (peace and
blessings be upon him) demands from us that as long as we live, we shall not
only have our relations severed with such blasphemers, but shall continue our
struggle of keeping each and every Muslim away from them.
PART TWO
A) CHARGES OF THE DEOBANDI SCHOLARS AGAINST THE SCHOLARS OF
The history of our differences
will remain incomplete if we do not narrate here the charges that the Deobandi
scholars have levelled against us. The most important blame on us is that we
have termed their learned and worthy scholars as infidels and we have been very
bold and careless in giving the verdict of infidelity, and furthermore that we
have been very biased and fanatical in our views.
In defence, we only wish to state that the verdict of
infidelity mentioned in our book "Hussaam-ul-Haramain" (The Sword of
the Two Holy Sanctuaries), for the charge of insulting the Holy Prophet (peace
and blessings be upon him), and on the charge of denial of tenets of Islam, has
been given against ONLY 5 (five) persons - and the verdict has been upheld and
attested by the then scholars of Mecca and Medinah, and other cities of the
Arab world.
Of those five, four are the
very same elders from the
So henceforth, if someone
supports the blasphemous writings of any one of the 5 mentioned above, he will
himself be responsible for the consequences and the due punishment. The
scholars of
A Point To Remember
Here, an important matter needs
to be explained. A non-Muslim, after his recitation of the Kalema and
acceptance of faith and Islam, should be considered a Muslim – and likewise it
is necessary that if any Muslim commits blasphemy (Allah forbid), he should be
considered an infidel – this is a fundamental rule.
The
Ahle Sunnah Bareillvi scholars had to fulfil this unpleasant obligation under
specific conditions – and similarly the Deobandi scholars have not lagged far
behind. As a proof, please read the letter of Maulvi Amin Ahmed Islahi,
extracted from his famous book "Hakeem-ul-Ummah" written by Maulvi
Abdul Majeed Daryabadi. This letter was written at the time when Maulvi Islahi
was the Chief Administrator of Madrasahe Islah, in Sarae Meer, District
Azamgarh,
“The
verdict given by Maulana (Ashraf Ali) Thanvi that - 'Maulvi Shibli Nomani and
Maulvi Moeenuddin Farahi are infidels, and since the Madrassah is the mission
of these two individuals, it follows that the Madrassahe Islah is a teaching
place of infidelity and hypocrisy - to the extent that even the scholars who
attend its public meetings are also infidels and faithless’ - has now been
published.”
Upon receiving this letter,
Maulvi Abdul Majeed Daryabadi (a disciple and caliph of Maulvi Thanvi) wrote a
detailed letter as a confidante to Maulvi Thanvi in which he referred to the
piety, intense worship and “Tahajjud” prayers of Maulvi Shibli Nomani and
Maulvi Moeenuddin Farahi, as proofs of their Islam. His aim was to convey that
the verdict of infidelity against these two prominent pious persons could not
be easily accepted. The reply he received from Maulvi Thanvi was as follows: -
"All
these are deeds - and beliefs are quite apart from them. It is possible for
wrong deeds to combine with correct faith and beliefs, and the opposite is also
possible." (Hakeem-ul-Ummah - page 476)
The only possible inference
from the above reply of Maulvi Thanvi is, that despite Maulvi Shibli Nomani’s
and Maulvi Moeenuddin Farahi’s fame, knowledge and piety, the decree of
infidelity issued by Maulvi Thanvi against the two is correct. In order to
prove that Maulvi Ashraf Ali Thanvi was correct in issuing such a verdict, his
devotees and fans will resort to the interpretation that surely Maulvi Thanvi
must have seen or noticed some act of infidelity (in writing or in speech) in
these two Maulvis - without a solid reason based on Shariah, he would surely
not have issued a verdict of infidelity.
Now if we apply the same principle on Mr. Thanvi and
other scholars of Deoband, then it transpires that the verdict of infidelity
issued against them by the scholars of the 2 holy cities, is also NOT
unfounded. They also had solid reasons based on the Shariah for terming them
infidels, the details of which you have read in the earlier pages.
If the fame and piety of Maulvi
Shibli Nomani and Maulvi Moeenuddin Farahi could not save them from being
termed infidels, then has some special revelation descended from the sky which
exempts these elders of the Deobandi school from being termed infidels, despite
their being guilty of blasphemy and disrespect of the Holy Prophet?
B) AN ANSWER TO THE CHARGE OF BIAS AND FANATICISM.
One of the charges levelled
against us by the Deobandi scholars is that we have been very biased and
fanatical in our views. At this juncture, it will be most appropriate to show
them their own face in the mirror, so that they may think before they point a
finger at anyone else!
B1) The First Example of Deobandi Extremism.
You have just read in the
previous paragraphs the verdict given by Maulvi Ashraf Ali Thanvi which was as
follows: - 'Maulvi Shibli Nomani and Maulvi Moeenuddin Farahi are infidels -
and since the Madrassah (Islah) is the mission of only these two individuals,
it follows that the Madrassahe Islah is a teaching place of infidelity and
hypocrisy - to the extent that even the scholars who attend its public meetings
are also infidels and heretics.'
Now you can yourself decide -
can there be fanaticism beyond that?
B2) Second Example of Deobandi Fanaticism.
Maulvi Thanvi is such an extremist
in his views that he does not allow his devotees and fans to even read the
books of the persons he considers heretics. An extract from the book
"Kamalate-Ashrafia" (A collection of Maulvi Thanvi's sayings etc.,)
is as follows: -
“If
a person from an astray sect talks about religion, there is always evil hidden
in it. Their writings also contain evil hidden within, therefore one should
never keep their company and never ever read their books.” (Kamalate-Ashrafia -
page 55)
Now please be fair with us - if
we adopt the same strict attitude towards those whom we consider infidels
because of their denial of the necessities of faith and disrespect of the Holy
Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), we are reproached. Why should we not
be allowed the same privilege that the Shariah allows them?
B3) Another Example of
Deobandi Extremism
Those who are aware of the
history of Nadwah, know that the elders of the Deobandi school were against its
very formation. To the extent that when the principle of Nadwah Maulvi Mohammed
Ali Mongeree went to invite Maulvi Rasheed Ahmed Gangohi to attend its yearly
conference, he not only declined to accept the invitation, but also refused to
meet Maulvi Mongeree. When Maulvi Mongeree insisted that if Maulvi Rasheed Ahmed
Gangohi could not attend the conference, he should allow any of his men to
attend on his behalf, Maulvi Gangohi's reply was: -
“It
has been made known to me that it (Nadwah) does not have a good ending. I
therefore cannot permit any of my men to attend on my behalf.”
(Tazkerat-ur-Rasheed Vol 2 page 205).
“It does not have a good ending” – there cannot be better proof of this
ILHAM (revelation) other than the fact that Nadwah is now under the control of
the Deobandis!
And the horrible picture of its
ending will become clearer if you keep its beginning in sight.
Learned people know that Shibli
Nomani occupied an important place amongst the founders of “Nadwah”. One of his
articles has been published in the sixth volume of “Makalate Shibli”. He wrote
this article at a time when there was some misunderstanding between him and the
principal of Nadwah. Gradually, the differences rose to such an extent that the
students went on strike in support of Shibli. The excerpt is as follows: -
“When
the crisis was at its peak, the time of Mawlid Shareef arrived and the students
wanted to celebrate it according to their yearly routine - but knowing that I
(Shibli) would speak on the occasion of Mawlid Shareef, they were prevented
from it. At last some people intervened and persuaded him (the principal) that
if Mawlid Shareef celebration was not permitted, there will be widespread anger
in the city. So under this compulsion, the celebration of Mawlid Shareef was
allowed, but under various conditions and restrictions.” (Makalate Shibli – Vol
6. Page 131)
But can the Mawlid Shareef celebration be held in the
courtyard of Dar-ul-Uloom Nadwah in this age? Is the trend of celebrating
Mawlid Shareef still prevalent among the students of Nadwah? No. Because Nadwah
has now been usurped by Deobandis.
Just think! That was the
beginning and this is the end – and strangely enough, note that the “Ilham” of
Maulvi Rasheed Gangohi relates only with its “evil” end – not with the
beginning!
B4) Yet Another Example Of Deobandi Fanaticism.
You have read one example of
the fanaticism of Maulvi Rasheed Ahmed Gangohi. Now please read one more
example of his extremism and stubbornness.
His hatred for the Saints and
their mausoleums had reached to such an extent, that he hated even their Urs.
The mausoleum of one of the famous Chishti Saints Hazrat Maulana Abdul Quddoos
Gangohi is also in the same Gangoh, which happens to be the native place of
Maulvi Rasheed Ahmed. The hatred in his heart for the great saint, and for the
celebration of the saints’ “Urs” can be gauged from the following extract from
the book of Maulvi Zakaria – the Shaykh-ul-Hadith of
“The Urs of
Hazrat Maulana Abdul Quddoos Gangohi which Maulvi Rasheed Ahmed was powerless
to stop, distressed him so much that it was almost impossible for him to bear
it. At first, he used to leave Gangoh and stay in Rampur in those days, but in
the last few years of his life he was compelled to bear this anguish and had to
spend the time of the Urs in his Khankah (house).During the days of Urs, he
also detested his disciples coming to Gangoh to such an extent that he often
showed his anger and even avoided speaking to them. One of his Caliphs and
disciples, Maulvi Mohammed Saleh Jalandhari set off for Gangoh in order to have
the privilege of seeing Maulvi Rasheed Ahmed Gangohi. Incidentally, the Urs was
in full swing. Although Maulvi Mohammed Saleh did not have the faintest idea of
the Urs, Maulvi Rasheed Ahmed instead of replying to his greetings, did not
even bother to ask him whether he had taken his meal, or even ask him the
reason of his arrival.”
“Two days
passed away in the same stalemate. Seeing Maulvi Rasheed Ahmed Gangohi’s face
turned away from him, and purposely ignoring his presence was unbearable for
Maulvi Mohammed Saleh. At last he approached Maulvi Rasheed Ahmed, and with
tears in his eyes he asked Maulvi Rasheed as to what had he done, for which he
was being punished so severely. As an apology he further said, ‘Hazrat, Allah
knows that from the very beginning, I have no interest in things like Urs. I
swear that I have not come to Gangoh for the sake of attending the Urs. I did
not know that the Urs was being held in these days.’ Imam Rabbani said,
‘Although your intention was not of attending the Urs, but on the way through
which two men were coming to attend the Urs, you were the third!’ ”.
Readers
must now decide with justice - can there be fanaticism more intense than this?
His disciple had not come to Gangoh for the sake of attending the Urs, but had
come to meet his Shaykh. But as he had made the terrible mistake of coming at
the time of Urs, he was punished severely, as if he had committed a heinous
crime!
Now the question arises that if
Maulvi Rasheed Ahmed had so much hatred for the Urs of Maulana Abdul Quddoos
Gangohi, then why did he ever become a disciple in the Chishti Sabri order of
saints? And whereas the fact is that in this order, right from Hazrat Khwaja
Moeenuddin Chishti, to Khwaja Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki, Baba Fareeduddin Ganj
Shakr, Meboob-e-Ilahi Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya, Hazrat Sabir Pak, Hazrat Chirag
Dehli, Hazrat Banda Nawaz Gaysu Daraz, Hazrat Turk Panipati, Hazrat Shaykh
Abdul Haq Radolvi, Hazrat Shaykh Abdul Quddoos Gangohi, Hazrat Shaykh
Jalaluddin Thanesri, Hazrat Akhi Siraj, Hazrat Alauddin Pindvi and Hazrat
Sultan Ashraf Jehangir Samnani – among them there is not a single saint who has
not held the Urs of his Shuyukh.
It is quite strange to note
that only because of the fact that his disciple had come during the time of
Urs, Maulvi Rasheed Ahmed Gangohi turned his face away from him. Whereas all
the Shuyukh of the Chishti order who have kept the tradition of Urs alive,
believe him (Shaykh Abdul Quddoos) to be their Dastageer (aide). Now the
question which swings like a sword above the head of Maulvi Rasheed Ahmed is –
how can someone who (according to the beliefs of Maulvi Rasheed Ahmed) is
himself involved in “Moharrimat wa Bidaat” (forbidden acts and innovations),
take someone else close to Allah?
C) ANOTHER OBJECTION BY THE
DEOBANDI SCHOLARS – AND ITS ANSWER
The people against whom Ala
Hazrat Imam Ahmed Raza (of
When they could not find
anything objectionable in the dignity and personality of Ala Hazrat, they
concocted the false charge that Ala Hazrat has revived various innovations
instead of reviving the Sunnah – whereas as a Renewer of Islam, the greatest
accomplishment of Ala Hazrat is his differentiation and segregation of right
from wrong, and truth from falsehood - innumerable examples of these are spread
over huge volumes of his decrees (fatawas).
The name of Shaykhe Deoband
Husain Ahmed Madani, tops the list of those who raised such accusations against
Ala Hazrat. In his book entitled “Al Shihab–ul-Saqib”, he has hurled about 600
abuses on Ala Hazrat, among which is “The Renewer of Innovations” – which is a
scar on the page of his book.
But at this stage, I wish to
salute the character and dignity of Ala Hazrat again and again that despite the
Deobandis’ grave enmity, the accusers have not yet been able to prove him as a
pioneer of innovations.
The difference in the meaning
of “Pioneer” and “Renewer” is well known to every learned person. Those who
called Ala Hazrat the “Renewer” of innovations must now prove who is the
“Pioneer” of the “innovations” which supposedly Ala Hazrat has revived. And
they will also have to give account, as to how many times have they abused the
“Pioneers” of such innovations.
Although it is not the main
topic, I do have a long list of innovations - the “pioneers” of which are none
other than the Deobandi scholars themselves! Though I do not have ample time,
but to prove my objection and in relevancy with the occasion, I quote only some
of the innovations pioneered by the Deobandi scholars, as listed below: -
1.
Reading the
complete Saheeh Bukhari Shareef (the famous Hadith collection), in order raise
money for the Madressah, while giving the excuse that this was done for
“repelling calamities & fulfilling needs” - the pioneer of this innovation
is none other than the Darul Uloom Deoband itself.
2.
Assigning a
specific place for funeral prayers in the courtyard of Darul Uloom Deoband, not
on the basis of administrative reasons but on the basis of wrong beliefs – the
pioneer of this innovation is none other than the Darul Uloom Deoband itself.
3.
Stipulating
that the shroud of a dead Muslim must always be made of Khaddar (a hand spun
coarse cloth) – and refusing to lead / offer the funeral prayers in the absence
of Khaddar – the pioneer of this innovation is none other than the Shaykh of
Deoband, Maulvi Husain Ahmed!
4.
Holding a
large celebration upon completion of 100 years of Deoband Madressah, with huge
arrangements and publicity for the sake of conferring certificates to scholars
– and inviting a polytheist, “Gair Mahram” (forbidden even to look at) woman on
the stage, and giving her the seat of “Chief Guest” – and as if this was not
enough, seating all their elderly scholars and students at her footsteps below
the stage - the pioneers of these several evil innovations are none other than
the scholars of Deoband.
5.
Standing up
respectfully on hearing the National Anthem (of
6.
Considering
that it is a “religious duty” to help a Congress Leader to gain victory in
elections - the pioneer of this innovation is none other than the Shaykh of
Deoband, Maulvi Husain Ahmed!
7.
Holding a
public meeting with invitations, for the sake of condoling the death of their
elders and then reciting eulogies based on heresy and apostasies - the pioneer
of this innovation is none other than the Darul Uloom Deoband itself.
8.
Compulsorily
stopping the people after a predetermined particular Salat (obligatory prayer)
and delivering a lecture from the book “Tableeghi Nisaab” - the pioneers of
these several innovations are none other than the scholars of Deoband. (This
book has now been named “Fazaile Aamal”).
9.
Taking the
people out of their homes for “special worship” and on tours around the world
in the name of inviting people to recite Kalema and offer Salat - the pioneers
of this innovation are none other than the scholars of Deoband.
10.
Ordering all
the people present to stand up in respect of the Indian President when he
arrived, while the national anthem (of India) was being sung in the courtyard
of the Darul Uloom - the pioneers of this innovation are none other than the
scholars of Deoband, who were themselves present on the stage. Now they must
answer as what kind of innovation this was.
These and countless other
innovations have been pioneered by the Deobandi school - but they never get
tired of terming Ala Hazrat as an Innovator!
Scholars of the Deobandi school
give the decree of “heresy” without any hesitation on every newly originated
action, and by terming it as prohibited, they create new differences and new
intrigues among the Muslims.
Take the case of Mawlid as an
example. The most important reason given by them to prove that it is “an
innovation, haram (prohibited) and a heresy” is that it is a 700-year-old
innovation. In its present state, it was neither at the time of the Holy
Prophet, nor in the age of the Companions or Tabayeens. But when it is asked,
that if according to you it is a heresy only because of it being a newly
invented act, then please point out any of its components which eradicates any
Sunnah or comes under the category of forbidden acts – so they have no answer,
except to keep silent.
Following are the components of
a Mawlid Shareef gathering: -
1.
Public
announcement
2.
Carpeting,
stage, tent, etc.,
3.
Illumination
4.
Perfumes and
sprinkling of rose water
5.
Distribution
of sweets
6.
Gathering of
Muslims
7.
Narration of
events that took place at the time of birth of the Holy Prophet
8.
Remembrance
of Allah and His Holy Prophet.
9.
Standing and
recital of Salaam.
In the above list, except for the standing and recital of Salaam, there
is not a single component that is missing in their gatherings for Seerah,
sermon, preaching, or for honouring their scholars. Public announcement, stage,
illuminations, gathering of people, speeches by one or more speakers - all
these are present – so by their own decree, they should also term these as
prohibited.
The only remaining issue is
that of Standing and reciting Salaam. This too is not the reason of prohibiting
Mawlid Shareef - for according to them, the celebration of Mawlid Shareef is
prohibited even without this. (According to the explanation of the decree
issued by their famous Maulvi, Rasheed Ahmed Gangohi.)
And if it is asserted that the
reason of prohibition is the narration of incorrect traditions in it, then I
would like to remind you that Maulvi Rasheed Ahmed Gangohi prohibited the
Mawlid Shareef even if the traditions narrated in it are correct!
In a number of debates I have
asked the scholars of the Deobandi school, that when the components of our
Mawlid gatherings and that of your various gatherings are one and the same,
then why are your gatherings for the purpose of delivering sermons permissible
- and at the same time, why are our gatherings for Mawlid impermissible? An act
cannot be permitted or prohibited just because the reason of our assembly is
Mawlid Shareef and your assembly is for delivering a sermon or for seerah.
When they could not come up
with any reply, I said that there is only one reason which comes to my mind -
and that is – on the occasion of the birth of the Holy Prophet, when the entire
universe was celebrating, only Satan (along with his disciples) was mourning
and casting dirt upon his head.
Only Satan
the outcast was aggrieved at the birth of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings
be upon him). Possibly you too feel hurt and follow Satan’s footsteps, because
the event of his noble birth has taken place a long time ago, and now only its
memories are left. When you people celebrate the “Diamond Jubilee” of Madressah
Deoband, Shariah does not stop you - and when we celebrate Mawlid Shareef, the
Deobandi school starts screaming!
Someone has
rightly said - that when the heart is envious of someone, it gets enflamed even
at the mention of his name!
PART THREE
A VERY PAINFUL QUESTION AND
ITS ANSWER
After going through this
article, a question may come to mind – why is it that when there are so many
astray sects, that the scholars of Ahle Sunnah seem to come together against
only the Deobandi School of thought, and not so much against any other?
Before answering this question,
I consider it essential to point out that by Allah’s grace, the scholars of
Ahle Sunnah have fought against, and denounced and refuted every stray sect by
speech, literature and debate – there is ample proof of this. We have never
compromised with anyone in our quest to overcome evil and to protect the true
faith. A number of treatises written by Ala Hazrat Imam Ahmed Raza (and other
scholars) in denunciation of Shias, Qadianis, and Non-Abiders (Gair Muqallid)
have been published in millions and are being published right up to this day.
After Ala Hazrat, his caliphs, pupils and disciples performed religious duties
through their speeches and writings and the influence of their services has
spread all over the world. It would be wrong to assume that we have a soft
corner for any deviated sect.
REASONS FOR A STRICT STANCE
AGAINST THE DEOBANDI SECT
A point that remains to be
clarified is – why is the attitude of the Ahle Sunnah scholars, so severe
against the Deobandi sect? There are a number of reasons for it – they must be
read and understood with a cool mind.
Reason # 1 - Their Infidelity
The first and foremost reason
is the infidelities and blasphemies of the Deobandi scholars – these are
actually the fundamental differences – these heretic beliefs are written in
their books and are ingrained in the hearts of the Deobandis.
Reason # 2 - Difficulty In
Identification
As far as actions are
concerned, they too call themselves Hanafi, and apparently they offer Salat
(prayer) as we do. Their call of Salat, Salat of Eid etc. are the same as ours.
In short, there are no outward signs with which the simple Muslims can identify
/ recognise them. There is every possibility that simple Muslims will
misunderstand them. Therefore it was necessary that the beliefs of the Deobandi
school be presented clearly to the masses, in order that there is no difficulty
in identifying them.
As far as Shias are concerned,
their call for prayers, their mode of prayer etc., are vastly different from
that of Sunnis – they are easily identifiable. The same is the case of the
Non-Abiders (Gair-Muqallid). Their compulsory prayers, Witr prayers, Taraweeh
and Eid prayers clearly warn others that they have different beliefs. Therefore
the need to warn people of such deviated sects is not as urgent as is the need
to educate them about the deviant Deobandis.
Reason # 3 - Their Methods Of Corrupting The Faith
Of Sunni Masses
They are very good impostors. By entering the ranks of our Sunni
masses, and impersonating to be on our side, they bring people close to them
through various tricks - and when they deduce that they have been successful in
doing so, they inculcate respect and adoration in their hearts for the elders
of the Deoband school. Thereafter they change them to such an extent that they
begin to abhor all the beliefs and customs, which were dear to them like their
faith - and consider them polytheism and heresy! Within a few days, their
hearts get sealed with such wretchedness that they are not prepared to listen to
any reference either from the Qur’an or Hadith. It should be noted very clearly
that I am not writing this from imagination. Rather these are our daily
observations.
In such circumstances, there is
no other way left to save the simple masses from going astray from the Straight
Path followed by the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings upon him) and the
saints, but to educate them about the filthy beliefs of the Deobandi sect, and
their deceits and fraud.
Reason # 4 – The Hypocrisy
Of The Deobandi Sect
Going through the traits of
Deobandi sect, it becomes very clear that they are truly the inheritors of the
traits of the hypocrites mentioned in the Holy Qur’an. For instance, the
hypocrites were double-faced. One face was meant for their own group whilst the
other was for the honourable Muslim Companions of the Holy Prophet (peace and
blessings be upon him). The Holy Qur’an has narrated this trait of theirs in
the following words: -
And when they meet with the
believers, they say, “We believe”; and when they are alone with their devils,
they say, “We are undoubtedly with you, we were just mocking!” (Surah Al Baqarah 2:14 -
from the Holy Quran’s English Translation “Treasure of Faith” by Mohammed Aqib
Qadri)
The same is the case with the Deobandi sect. They too have two faces –
one for the faithful followers of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon
him) and the other for members of their own group.
An Interesting Example Of Deobandis’ Hypocrisy
If you want to see a living example of the above,
come to
Now please be fair – can
someone wage a war more intense against his or her own faith, except the
followers of the Deobandi faith? They, according to their own terminology, have
“worshipped” graves and accepted those as “faithful” who according to them have
spread polytheism. Now you yourself decide – how difficult it is to avoid
people who have so many faces. They portray a different face in Deoband and
The Deobandi Faith Murdered!
Those who have read
Taqwiat-ul-Iman and Bahishti Zewar are aware of the fact that according to the
Deobandi school, seeking assistance from the “graves” is “Shirk-e-Jali”
(absolute polytheism). But now read the belief they have for the graves and
tombs of their own elders – extracted from the book “Tareekhe Mashaekhe
Chisht”, written by none other than the Shaykh-ul-Hadith of
While writing about the demise
of Mianji Noor Mohammed Jhanjhanvi, who was the Shaykh of Haji Imdadullah
Makki, he quotes Haji Sahab that his Shaykh (while in his fatal disease) said
to him:
“I
wanted to put you into toil and exertion (of spiritualism), but I cannot go
against the will of God - the call of my last journey has arrived.” When Hazrat
Sahab uttered these words, I (Haji Imdadullah) burst into tears. Hazrat
comforted me and said that a saint does not die, but rather he moves from one
world to another. The same benefit will be derived from the grave of a saint,
as was during his lifetime.”
Read one more extract regarding
the grave of Mianji Noor Mohammed Jhanjhanvi – from his biography which is
published by Idara Talifaat Ashrafia in Thana Bhavan, the preface of which is
written by Qari Mohammed Tayyeb Sahab, the principal of Darul Uloom Deoband.
The writer says: -
“Even
after the demise of Mianji Noor Mohammed Jhanjhanvi, the same spring of bounty
flows from his honourable soul and according to his own words, the same
beneficence which used to be received from his angelic personality is derived
from his grave.”
So in order to prove that the
same benefits do accrue from Mianji Noor Mohammed Jhanjhanvi’s grave after his
demise, the writer of the biography quotes the following event: -
“Haji
Imdadullah Makki once said that there was a weaver among the disciples of
Mianji Noor Mohammed Jhanjhanvi. After the death of Hazrat, the weaver paid a
visit to the mausoleum of Hazrat Sahab and after offering “Fateha”, he pleaded
that he was very disturbed and was living a life of poverty. He received a
reply from Hazrat Sahab that he will get two annas (Indian currency coins)
daily from his grave. Once when I visited the mausoleum, I found him there.
After narrating the whole event to me, he said that he receives the promised
amount from the foot of the grave every day.” (Sawanahe Hazrat Mianjev page 79)
Now please be fair! It is
clearly stated in the famous books of the Deobandi sect - namely
Taqwiat-ul-Iman, Bahishti Zewar and Fatawahe Rasheediyah - that seeking help by
paying a visit to a mausoleum and requesting the saint to help in times of
troubles and calamities is blatant polytheism. But now you can see that in this
whole event, the verdict of polytheism has been accepted as part of faith!
Now you can yourself decide
that when there is such a thick cover of hypocrisy on the face of the sect that
it hides the doctrines of its own faith, how difficult it is to identify them.
So in order to save the general public from the evils of this double faced
religion, the scholars of Ahle Sunnah school felt the need to educate the
people time and again regarding the features of their hidden face, so that they
be saved from falling into their trap.
PART FOUR
A BRIEF DEBATE REGARDING INNOVATION.
The word “Bidat” (innovation)
is a very frequently used term in the Deobandi sect. Every now and then terming
the Ahle Sunnah as “Bidati” is part of their daily conversation - to the extent
that they have named the Ahle Sunnah as “Bidati” (innovators). For example in
his book “Tareekhe Mashaekhe Chisht” Maulvi Zakaria has quoted the following
statement of Haji Imdadullah Makki: -
“I
never decline to make anyone my disciple in order that he may not be trapped by
some innovator –upon which Allah may call me to account that ‘This man had come
to you - why did you turn him away, because of which he got trapped at such a
place?’ ”
There can be no other
interpretation of the above statement except that since Haji Sahib is the
Shaykh of Deoband, only he is on the proper way of Sunnah – and that all the
other Shuyukh are innovators!
At this juncture I feel the
need to bring before you the other side of the picture. In the same book,
Maulvi Zakaria has written that Haji Imdadullah Makki had affixed a stone at
the grave of his Shaykh Mianji Noor Mohammed Jhanjhanvi, on which the following
verses are inscribed: -
“The city of
Your Lord the Pure, and your mausoleum - is here - therefore know, O
wise man!
Here is the
sacred grave of the great person, here all the Shuyukh and commoners bow their
heads!
Whoever
wishes to see the Lord God, should go to pay a visit to his grave,
The moment
he sees it, I firmly believe - he will see the Lord of the creation!”
Just imagine! (1) To set off for visiting his grave, and (2) Seeing his
grave is equal to seeing Allah – are all these things permitted in the Deobandi
faith? I challenge every one right from Maulvi Zakaria down to every elder and
student of the Deobandi sect, to prove in the light of their beliefs – as
stated in Taqwiat-ul-Iman, Bahishti Zewar and Fatawahe Rasheediyah – that all
these verses are according to the Deobandi faith. But regrettably, since this
deed has been committed by their own elders, the Deobandis must blindly accept
it as correct!
Going against
their own principles for the sake of their elders, is the exclusive
double-faced policy of the Deobandis that had to be exposed. And in order to
expose the Deobandis, the scholars of Ahle Sunnah had to resort to writing
books, go for debates, and had to make the spreading of the truth a mission of
their lives.
Allama Arshad ul
Qadri
Founder & Chief Administrator
Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya Islamic University –
17 Muharram 1413 (19 July 1992)