Monday 18 November 2013

What The Classical Scholars Said About Tasawwuf/Sufism


 
What The Classical Scholars Said About Tasawwuf/Sufism

The following quotations of the scholars of Shariah regarding the precedence of the knowledge and science of Tasawwuf, (Purification of the Self)
Imam Abu Hanifa (85 H. – 150 H) "If it were not for two years, I would have perished." He said, "for two years I accompanied Sayyidina Ja‟far as-Sadiq and I acquired the spiritual knowledge that made me a gnostic in the Way." [Ad-Durr al-Mukhtar, vol 1. p. 43]
Imam Malik (95 H. – 179 H.) "whoever studies Jurisprudence (tafaqaha) and didn‟t study Sufism [tasawwafa] will be corrupted; and whoever studied Sufism and didn‟t study Jurisprudence will become a heretic; and whoever combined both will be reach the Truth." [the scholar'Ali al-Adawi , vol. 2, p 195.)
Imam Shafi'i (150 - 205 AH.) "I accompanied the Sufi people and I received from them three knowledges: ... how to speak; .. how to treat people with leniency and a soft heart... and they... guided me in the ways of Sufism." [Kashf al-Khafa, 'Ajluni, vol. 1, p 341.]
Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal (164 – 241 AH.) "O my son, you have to sit with the People of Sufism, because they are like a fountain of knowledge and they keep the Remembrance of Allah in their hearts. they are the ascetics and they have the most spiritual power." [Tanwir al-Qulub p. 405]
Imam Ghazzali (450 – 505 AH.) "I knew verily that Sufis are the seekers in Allah‟s Way, and their conduct is the best conduct, and their way is the best way, and their manners are the most sanctified. They have cleaned their hearts from other than Allah and they have made them as pathways for rivers to run receiving knowledge of the Divine Presence." [al-Munqidh, p. 131].
Fakhr ad-Din ar-Razi (544 – 606 AH) "the way of Sufis for seeking Knowledge, is to disconnect themselves from this worldly life, and they keep themselves constantly busy …. with Dhikrullah, in all their actions and behaviours. ['Itiqadaat Furaq al-Muslimeen, p. 72, 73]
Imam Nawawi (620 – 676 AH.) "The specifications of the Way of the Sufis are … to keep the Presence of Allah in your heart in public and in private; to follow the Sunnah of the Prophet (s) … to be happy with what Allah gave you…"[in his Letters, (Maqasid at-tawhid), p. 201]
Ibn Khaldun (733 – 808 AH.) "The way of the Sufis is the way of the Salaf, the preceding Scholars between the Sahaba and Tabi‟een of those who followed good guidance…" [Muqaddimat ibn al-Khaldun, p. 328]
Tajuddin as-Subki (727 – 771 AH.) "May Allah praise them [the Sufis] and greet them and may Allah cause us to be with them in Paradise. Too many things have been said
about them and too many ignorant people have said things which are not related to them. And the truth is that those people left the world and were busy with worship. … They are the People of Allah, whose supplications and player Allah accepts and by means of whom Allah supports human beings" [Mu'eed an-Na'am p. 190, the chapter entitled Tasawwufl
Jalaluddin as-Suyuti (849 - 911 AH.) "At-Tasawwuf in itself is the best and most honourable knowledge. It explains how to follow the Sunnah of the Prophet (s) and to put aside innovation." [Ta'yid al-Haqiqat al-'Aiiyya,p 57]
Ibn Taymiyya (661 – 728 AH) "Tasawwuf has realities and states of experience which they talk about in their science. Some of it is that the Sufi is that one who purifies himself from anything which distracts him from the remembrance of Allah and who will be so filled up with knowledge of the heart and knowledge of the mind to the point that the value of gold and stones will be the same to him. And Tasawwuf is safeguarding the precious meanings and leaving behind the call to fame and vanity in order to reach the state of Truthfulness, because the best of humans after the prophets are the Siddiqeen, as Allah mentioned them in the verse: "(And all who obey Allah and the Apostle) are in the company of those on whom is the grace of Allah: of the prophets, the sincere lovers of truth, the martyrs and the righteous; Ah! what a beautiful fellowship." (an-Nisa‟, 69,70)
"…some people criticised Sufiyya and Tasawwuf and they said they were innovators, out of the Sunnah, but the truth is they are striving in Allah‟s obedience [mujtahidin fi ta'at-illahij, as others of Allah's People strove in Allah's obedience. So from them you will find the Foremost in Nearness by virtue of his striving [as-saabiq ul-muqarrab bi hasab ijtihadihi]. And some of them are from the People of the Right hand [Ahl al-Yameen mentioned in Qur'an in Sura Waqi'ah], but slower in their progress.
… And this is the origin of Tasawwuf. And after that origin, it has been spread and [tasha'abat wa tanawa'at] has its main line and its branches. (Majmu‟a Fatawa Ibn Taymiyya al-Kubra, Vol. 1 1, Book of Tasawwuf, p. 497].
"The miracles of saints are absolutely true and correct, by the acceptance of all Muslim scholars. And the Qur‟an has pointed to it in different places, and the Hadith of the Prophet (s) has mentioned it, and whoever denies the miraculous power of saints are only people who are innovators and their followers." [al-Mukhtasar al-Fatawa, page 603]. Ibn Taymiyya says, "what is considered as a miracle for a saint is that sometimes the saint might hear something that others do not hear and they might see something that others do not see, while not in a sleeping state, but in a wakened state of vision. And he can know something that others cannot know, through revelation or inspiration." [Majmu'a Fatawi Ibn Taymiyya, Vol. 1 1, p. 314].
lbn Qayyim (691 – 751 AH.) "We can witness the greatness of the People of Sufism, in the eyes of the earliest generations of Muslims by what has beenmentioned by Sufyan ath-Thawri (d. 161 AH), one of the greatest imams of the second century and one of the foremost legal scholars. He said, "If it had not been for Abu Hisham as-Sufi (d. 115) 1 would never have perceived the action of the subtlest forms of hypocrisy in the self… Among the best of people is the Sufi learned in jurisprudence." [Manazil as-Sa'ireen.]
Abdullah ibn Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab (1115 – 1201 AH.) "My father Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab and I do not deny or criticize the science of Sufism, but on the contrary we support it, because it purifies the external and the internal of the hidden sins, which are related to the heart and to the outward form. Even though the individual might externally be on the right way, internally he might be on the wrong way. Sufism is necessary to correct it." [ad-Dia'at mukathaffa did ash-Shaykh Ibn Abdul Wahhab,p.85 ]
Ibn „Abidin (1198 – 1252 AH.) "the Seekers in this Sufi Way don‟t hear except from the Divine Presence and they don‟t love any but Him. If they remember Him they cry, and if they thank Him they are happy; … May Allah bless them." [Risa'il Ibn'Abidin p. 172 & 173]
Muhammad „Abduh (1265 – 1323 AH.) "Tasawwuf appeared in the first century of Islam and it received a tremendous honor. It purified the self and straightened the conduct and gave knowledge to people from the Wisdom and Secrets of the Divine Presence." (Majallat al-Muslim, 6th ed. 1378 H, p. 24].
Abul Hasan „Ali an-Nadawi (1331 AH b.) "These Sufis were initiating people on Oneness and sincerity in following the Sunnah of the Prophet (s) and to repent from theirsins and to be away from every disobedience of Allah „Azza wa Jail. Their guides were encouraging them to move in the way of perfect Love to Allah „Azza wa Jail. "…In Calcutta India, everyday more than 1000 people were taking initiation into Sufism. "…by the influence of these Sufi people, thousands and thousands and hundreds of thousands in India found their Lord and reached a state of Perfection through the Islamic religion."[Muslit-ns in India, p. 140-146]
Abul „Ala Maudoodi (1321 – 1399 AH.) " Sufism is a reality whose signs are the love of Allah and the love of the Prophet (s), where one absents oneself for their sake, and one is annihilated from anything other than them, and it is to know how to follow the footsteps of the Prophet (s). ..Tasawwuf searched for the sincerity in the heart and the purity in the intention and the trustworthiness in obedience in an individual‟s actions." "The Divine Law and Sufism: "Sufism and Shariah: what is the similitude of the two? They are like the body and the soul. The body is the external knowledge, the Divine Law, and the spirit is the internal knowledge."[Mabadi' al-islam, p. 17]
CONCLUSION: In sum, Sufism, in the present, as in the past, is the effective means for spreading the reality of Islam, extending the knowledge and understanding of spirituality and fostering happiness and peace. With it, Muslims can improve, transform, and elevate themselves and find salvation from the ignorance of this world and the misguided pursuit of some materialistic fantasy.
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Sunday 17 November 2013

The Reality of Sahih (Authentic) Hadith outside Bukhari & Muslim

The Reality of Sahih (Authentic) Hadith outside Bukhari & Muslim

Assalamualaykum, this article was written by Moulana Muhammad Abaasomer and he has given ijazah for it to be used on here, I pray that ALlah enables us to benefit from this, ameen
The following paragraphs discredit the erroneous claim of some individuals: that only the narrations of Sahih Al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim are authentic. This rebuttal is summarized in five points.
An Outdated Misconception
Firstly, in the fourth century of Islam, there existed a deviated sect which – like some individuals today- claimed that besides the ahadith of Sahihain, all other narrations are unacceptable. This false accusation was the reason for which Imam Abu Abdillah Muhammad ibn Abdillah Al-Hakim Al-Naisaburi (rahimahullah) compiled his famous work entitled: "Al-Mustadrak „alas Sahihain‟‟, in which he endeavored to compile those ahadith that fulfill the criteria of Sahih Al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim but were not included therein.
In his introduction, Imam Al-Hakim (rahimahullah) says: "Neither of them (i.e. Imam Bukhari (rahimahullah) or Imam Muslim (rahimahullah) have stated that there exists no other authentic narrations besides what they have chosen". [Al Mustadrak, vol.1 pg.2]
When commenting on the criteria laid down by Imam Bukhari and Imam Muslim (rahimahumallah), the scholars generally rely upon their own scrutiny of the respective books (i.e. Sahih Al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim). The reason for this is that very little has being explained by the authors themselves. For example, Imam Al- Bukhari (rahimahullah) has not written an introduction to his book, wherein he would have mentioned his criterion for accepting ahadith as sahih, or as to what would be his methodology in his book. This naturally leads to difference of opinion among the scholars.
However, there can be no difference of opinion when "the man speaks for himself", as is the case in the topic under discussion.
 Imam Al-Bukhari (rahimahullah) said: "I have memorized one hundred thousand authentic ahadith." [Tazkiratul Huffadh – vol.2 pg.556]
Interestingly, he only included nine thousand and eighty two of them (including repetitions) in his Al-Sahih! (Refer: Hadyus Saari, pg.653)
 Imam Al-Isma‟ili (rahimahullah) has quoted Imam Al-Bukhari (rahimahullah) as saying: „‟I have only cited sahih (authentic) ahadith in this book (i.e. Sahih Al-Bukhari) However, the amount of sahih ahadeeth that I omitted there from is much more.‟‟ [Hadyus Saari pg.9]
 Imam Ibrahim ibn Ma‟qal Al-Nasafi (rahimahullah) reports that Imam Bukhari (rahimahullah) said: "I have only quoted authentic ahadith in my book, and I
excluded many other authentic narrations for the fear of monotony." [ibid pg.9; Tarikh Dimashq vol.55 pg.54
o Imam Abu Bakr al Hazimi (rahimahullah) states, „Imam Al-Bukhari (rahimahullah) never intended to encompass every authentic narration.'[Shurutul A-immah]
o Imam Muslim (rahimahullah) has made a similar statement in his book Sahih Muslim, "Chapter on Tashahhud": "I haven't quoted every single authentic narration in this book." i.e, there are many authentic narrations that are not included therein.
o Imam Muslim (rahimahullah) is also reported to have said: "I haven't ever claimed that those narrations which are excluded from my Sahih are weak.My only claim is that the ahadith contained in my book are authentic." [Tarikh Baghdad and Al-Imam Ibn Majah wa kitabu Al-Sunan, pg.107]
These quotations clearly explain the reality; that there exists many authentic narrations outside of the Sahihain.
The many types of Sahih Hadith
Secondly, Hafiz Ibn Salah (rahimahullah) and others have classified the Sahih ahadith in to seven categories:
1) Those ahadith that appear in both, Sahih al Bukhari and Sahih Muslim. (Muttafaq „Alaih)
2) Those ahadith that appear only in Sahih al Bukhari.
3) Those that appear only in Sahih Muslim.
4) Those that match the criteria of both, Sahih al Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, but are not found therein.
5) Those that match the criteria of Sahih al Bukhari only and are not found therein.
6) Those that match the criteria of Sahih Muslim only and are not found therein.
7) Those that do not fit the description of any one of the above, but were classified authentic by some reliable Muhaddithun.
[Muqaddimah ibn Salah pg.27; Tadribur Rawi pg.73 and Sharh Nukhbah pg.64]
 In light of the above, the last four types of ahadith do not appear in the Sahihain. Despite that, they are still considered as authentic.
 Added to this is the fact that Imam Al-Hakim (rahimahullah) has cited ten types of Sahih ahadith, many of which are not included in the Sahihain. [Tadribur Rawi pgs.85-86]
More Books that contain only Sahih Hadith
Thirdly, many Muhaddithun have compiled books which they ensured contained only authentic narrations.
 Undoubtedly many of their narrations are not found in the Sahihain.
Some of these compilations are:
a) Al-Muwatta of Imam Malik (rahimahullah)
b) Sahih ibn Khuzaimah
c) Sahih ibn Hibban
d) Al Mukhtarah of Imam Diyaudeen al Maqdisi (rahimahullah) and others.
The General Practice of the Scholars
Fourthly, the practice of all the Muhaddithun throughout time also confirms the prevalence of authentic ahadith outside of the Sahihain. In this regard, countless Muhaddithun have classified various ahadith (that do not appear in Sahihain) as Sahih.
Books such as the following clearly substantiate this:
a) Al-Targheeb wa Tarheeb of Hafidh Al-Mundhiri (rahimahullah)
b) Riyadu Saliheen of Imam Al-Nawawi (rahimahullah)
c) Majma‟uz Zawaid of „Allamah Al-Haithami (rahimahullah)
d) Nasbur Rayah of „Allamah Al-Zaila‟ee (rahimahullah)
e) Fathul Bari of Hafidh Ibn Hajar Al-‟Asqalani (rahimahullah)
Imam Bukhari Himself
Fifth and Lastly, there are several ahadith that are not in the sahihain which Imam Bukhari (rahimahullah) was asked to comment on. Many of them have been classified as sahih by Imam Bukhari (rahimahullah) himself! (Examples can be found in Al-„Ilalul Kabeer of Imam Tirmidhi (rahimahullah)
Conclusion
These five points points are sufficient to prove the fallacy of the claim that: there exists no Sahih hadith outside of the Sahihain (Sahih al Bukhari and Sahih Muslim).
Therefore, if any particular madhab (school of fiqh) substantiates its viewpoint with a narration outside of the Sahihain, there should be no objection as long as the narration is suited for that purpose.
One who demands otherwise is quite far off from reality, since the Imams of the four famous schools of fiqh actually lived before the existence of the Sahihain!
Note: The purpose of this article is not to disparage these two most authentic books of hadith.
The Sahihain will always enjoy the rank of being "the most authentic books that were ever authored by man".
The motive is just to clarify a reality that seemed clouded to many contemporaries.
May Allah Ta‟ala guide us all.

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