Nisfus Shaban ke Dua

Subject: Inaccurate Decision of ISNA’s Fiqh Council Creates Controversy

Inaccurate Decision of ISNA’s Fiqh Council Creates Controversy


Start fasting when you see the moon and end fasting when you see the moon. If you cannot see the moon because of clouds complete 30 days. This Hadeeth has been transmitted in Sahih Bukhari. Moreover, it has been the criterion employed by the Hilal Committee of Greater Chicago since its establishment 35 years ago. According to the principle enunciated above, the sighting of the moon anywhere in North America marks the beginning of the lunar month. In the past, ISNA’s Fiqh Council has repeatedly changed their criteria. This year, they have decided to alter their standards yet again. According to the new standards, if the moon is born before noon Greenwich Time, ISNA will declare the next day to be the beginning of Ramadan; the same will apply to Eid-ul-Fitr. Based on this, they have decided that September 23, 2006 will be the start of Ramadan. On the 30th of August, the Hilal Committee of Greater Chicago, which comprises of learned scholars and jurists of Islam, held a meeting in this regard and concluded that the ISNA Fiqh Council’s decision was incorrect. In the past, the scholars of Fiqh have differed on whether the beginning of the month should start with the actual sighting of the moon or whether it should be based on mathematical calculations. In all the Islamic libraries of the world, one will find only a handful of scholars in favor of using mathematical calculations to decide the beginning of the Islamic month. Over the last 1400 years of Islamic history, not a single instance exists wherein mathematical calculation (as opposed to the actual sighting of the moon) was used to determine the beginning of the Islamic month. The Fiqh Council’s proposal to use the calculation method has been justified on the grounds of convenience. Yet earlier generations of Muslims have never considered convenience as sufficient justification for abandoning the Shari’ah, especially with regards to a matter as weighty as the month of Ramadan. Neither the contemporary American Muslim, nor any previous Muslims, have had any valid excuse for departing from the Shari’ah. With this in mind, the Hilal Committee of Greater Chicago declines to accept the decision made by ISNA Fiqh Council and appeals to all Muslims to do likewise, as their decision is clearly in conflict and violation of the Shari'ah,. Fasting (Sawm) is the fourth pillar of Islam, as per the tradition laid down by our beloved Prophet Muhammad (S), and thus under the guidance of the Shari’ah, American Muslims should begin and end their worship during Ramadan by sighting the moon. Such is the best way of ensuring that such worship is accepted by Allah. The dates of Ramadan and Eid must be determined on the basis of conventional moon sighting principles. It is this method which the Hilal Committee of Chicago has held fast to in the past and intends to continue to abide by in the future. information from: http://www.shariahboard.org/

Raza Khani Fitna

AHMED RAZA KHAN & BARELVIS CRUSHED

"In this short article, we hope to clarify to the respected reader the names of the great Ulama from the early part of the 20th century who were living in the Holy cities of Makkah and Madinah, followed by the Ulama of the most famous Sunni institute in the world: Jami al-Azhar, in Cairo, Egypt, and lastly the Ulama from the honorable and lauded land of Shaam (Syria) - who all unanimously testified to the truthfulness, honesty, scholarship, and most importantly that the Ulama of Deoband were Sunni Muslims belonging within the true manifestation of the Ahl-ul-Sunnah Wa'l Jama'ah. In doing so these very Ulama repudiated all the claims made against the Ulama of Deoband by Ahmad RAZA KHAN Barelvi of India, in the early 1900's."-Kareem Abdullah of UK

Ahmad Raza Khan made the great accusation in his Husam al-Haramayn and followed up in his Tamheed-e-Iman, that the four Illustrious scholars: Maulana Khalil Ahmad al-Sahranpuri, Maulana Rashid Ahmad al-Gangohi, Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanawi and Maulana Qasim Nanautwi all became unbelievers and apostates from the deen of Islam. He did not stop at that heinous point, but went on to declare quite blatantly that: "ANY PERSON WHO DOUBTS THE KUFR OF THESE PEOPLE WILL THEMSELVES BECOME KAFIRS!" (See the preface to his Tamheed-e-Iman, p. v, by the South African Barelvi who called himself the "Khadim-e-Raza: servant of Rida Khan", Mohammed Bana, dated 19/10/87).In the preface to Tamheed-e-Iman by the above named South African Barelvi, he listed a number of Ulama who initially signed in favour of Ahmad Raza Khan's Husam al-Haramayn. Below, is a list of the names of all the Ulama who either withdrew their signatures or categorically included their certificatory letters and signatures in repudiation of Ahmad Raza Khan and his followers, and more importantly to vindicate and exonerate the perfidious allegations made in his Husam al-Haramayn. All of the names listed immediately below can be found in the comprehensive list composed later from Shaykh Khalil Ahmad's: al-Muhannad ala'l Mufannad (see later).ULAMA OF MAKKAH:1) Ustad-al-Haram - Mufti Muhammad Saeed Shafi'i2) Mufti Abid ibn Husayn al-Maliki3) Mufti Ali ibn Husayn al-MalikiULAMA OF MADINAH1) Mufti of the Hanafi's - Tajuddin Ilyas2) Shaykh of the Maliki's - Mufti Sayyid Ahmad of Algeria3) Mufti Khalil ibn Ibrahim Kharbuti4) Shaykhud-Dalail - Mufti Sayyid Muhammad Saeed5) Shaykh Umar ibn Hamdan al-Mahrasee6) Mufti of the Shafi'is - Sayyid Ahmad Barzanji7) Mufti Muhammad Aziz al-Maliki8) Mufti Abdul Qadir Tawfiq - Teacher in Masjid al-NabawiThe prefacer, Mohammed Bana, the self proclaimed Khadim-e-Raza said after giving his superseded list which he did not admit to or seem to know of (p. vi):"Readers are requested that in view of the warning by the leading Imams and Islamic Jurists of Haramain Shareefain they should NOT DOUBT the kufr of those Ulama of Deoband and expose their own Imaan to danger." Then he said under the heading: "Truly Surprising and Shocking": "It is indeed surprising and shocking that after these Ulama of Deoband were declared kaafirs none of them even bothered to defend their kufr. Numerous books by the Ulama-e-Ahle Sunnat were written refuting their statements but these insolent Ulama remained silent throughout their lives with the kufr fatwas hanging over their heads right up to their deaths. They neither denied the statements were theirs nor made any attempts to clarify these statements of kufr, refute or explain that they did not mean to say what the entire leading Ulama of Makkah, Madinah and India had understood..."I say: This is far from the truth and it is the most deceitful way of hood winking the general Muslim population. It is not just a slander against the Deobandi's but is also a way of beguiling not just the truth, but even deceiving the Barelvi mass's; for we have already shown that these Ulama of Deoband did reply to Rida Khan and his cohorts, and all the major titles have been given with the names of the publishers to demonstrate the deception of anyone who claims such things like Mohammed Bana. What will shock him and his ilk is what shall be mentioned below and the list of Ulama who later withdrew their signatures and found in favour of these very same Ulama of Deoband, to be pious scholars from amongst the Sunni Ulama.There are 7 specific books, which clarify the status of the Ulama of Deoband to be pious Sunni Muslims, and ultimately demolish all Barelvi allegations and slanders. The first being the work: Al-Muhannad ala'l Mufannad (also known as al-Tasdeeqat li-Dafa al-Talbeesat), and is usually known commonly as: Aqeeda Ulama Ahl-e-Sunnat Deoband, by the great scholar and Muhaddith that Rida Khan called an unbeliever, and he is, Maulana Khalil Ahmad al-Sahranpuri (d. 1346 AH). This book contains some 26 questions asked by the Ulama of Hijaz to the Ulama of Deoband with regard to questions that could be used to detect if the Deobandi Ulama that Rida Khan declared unbelievers were in essence what he claimed! The answers proved conclusively that the Ulama of Deoband were Sunni's, not Wahhabi's, and far from the label of unbelief pronounced by Rida Khan, and his followers up until this day. This book contains a great number of certificatory letters and signatures by the Ulama of Hijaz, al-Azhar and Shaam.
A host of Indian subcontinent Ulama also endorsed this book. We shall list all the names shortly with the dates they actually signed their declarations in favour of all the Deobandi Ulama that Rida Khan made takfeer of. Al-Muhannad ala'l Mufannad was written originally in Arabic, unlike Rida Khan who based his false and exaggerated allegations based on his own Arabic translations of the misinterpreted quotes from the four Deobandi Ulama - who all wrote their works under examination in Urdu only. Since hardly any of the Ulama of Makkah and Madinah knew any Urdu they could not check the claims made by Rida Khan from the works of the Deobandi Ulama, but had to rely on Rida Khan's own Arabic translations. This was the first way of misinterpreting and in reality deceiving the Ulama of Hijaz.It would have been more scholarly and honest if Rida Khan actually went and approached the 4 Deobandi Ulama who were all alive in his own time, and asked them personally what they meant by their statements, that he, Rida Khan, seems to have clearly misunderstood. If one was to ask oneself why Rida Khan failed to take on this path, one can only entertain one conclusion. Namely, he was out to get his contemporaries who were very popular and especially so in eradicating innovations and superstitions currently prevailing in India during British colonialist rule. Ahmad Rida Khan and his followers had realised that the Ulama of Deoband had succeeded in founding a great Madrasah under the Dars-e-Nizami syllabus to produce scholars for all India since 1867. At that time Rida Khan was just 11 years of age but he and his ilk had realised that the Ulama of Deoband in the tradition of Shah Waliullah of Delhi, had managed to produce a large following, a great number of educated scholars, and a number of scholarly works.All of this was not in the interest of the Barelvi's who had failed to match the scholarship, and even establish a proper Madrasah to create Ulama in the same grandeur and rank as Darul Ulum Deoband. Even today hardly anyone talks about a famous Madrasa in the hometown of Rida Khan, known as Bareilly. Whatever they have today in the name of a Madrasah is far less known than Darul Ulum Deoband in all India or the rest of the world. So, it seemed natural for Rida Khan and his cohorts to knit-pick on any issue which could cause his young movement to blossom; especially since he supported a number of practices which were initially alien to the first three pious generations of Islam (Salaf us-Salihin). He knew very well that the Ulama of Deoband were mounting a campaign to return to following strict Sunni Islam, which was as close as possible to the practice of the Salaf, as interpreted by the great Imam, Abu Hanifah, rahmatullah alayhi.With this begrudging and impudent attitude, Rida Khan mounted a campaign against all of his contemporaries from all the Sunni factions, which opposed his ideology. He mounted his campaign heavily on the Ulama of Nadwa in Lucknow, the Wahhabi's who labelled themselves as Ahl-e-Hadith, and most heavily against the most successful group, the Ulama of Deoband, who were and continue to defend the true teachings of the Qur'an and Sunnah, and fight the baseless innovations which were current in his time and unfortunately so still in our times. Prior to his writing his Husam al-Haramayn, Rida Khan was virtually unknown as a major scholar of Islam in comparison to his contemporaries.The second of the books in refutation of Rida Khan, was a direct reply to his Husam al-Haramayn, and this was written by his contemporary Deobandi Ulama which included: Shaykh Khalil Ahmad al-Sahranpuri, al-Sayyid Husayn Ahmad al-Madani, and Shaykh Muhammad Manzur Nu'mani. The title of this work was: Aqaid Ulama-e-Deoband aur Husamul-Haramayn ka mukammil Jawab. This book also contained the signatures of some 14 Ulama from Makkah and Madinah, in reply and direct opposition to Rida Khan. The names will be presented below.The third of the books in reply to Rida Khan was Ghayatul Ma'mul by the Mufti of the Shafi'is in Madinah, Sayyid Ahmad al-Barzanji. Note, he is scholar number 11 of the Madinan Ulama in the Barelvi list above. The scholars who condemned Rida Khan in this book will be listed below. One should ask oneself why this Mufti who was initially a signatory to Husam al-Haramayn later refuted Rida Khan?!The fourth and fifth booklet were actually written by Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanawi himself, after he was asked some questions regarding the allegations made by Rida Khan against his Hifz al-Iman. The titles of these 2 works are: Bastul-Banan li-Kaffil-Lisan an Kitabi Hifz al-Iman, written in the year 1329 AH in reply to questions put to him by Maulana al-Sayyid Murtada Hasan from Chandpur; and the second work was entitled: Tagyeerul-Unwaan fi Ba'di Ibaaraati Hifz al-Iman, written in the year 1342 AH, in answer to another question put to him.The sixth work was a book entitled: Al-Sahm al-Ghayb fi kabd Ahlul Rayb by al-Shaykh al-Sayyid Muhammad Anwar Shah al-Kashmiri (d. 1352 AH). This work was mentioned by the late Shaykh Abdal Fattah Abu Ghudda in his editing of Shaykh al-Kashmiri's book: al-Tasreeh bima Tawatur fi nuzul al-Masih (p. 30). It was written in Persian and Shaykh Abdal Fattah mentioned that it was written specifically against the Barelvi's (Shaykh Abdal Fattah did not show any respect to the Barelvi's or their leader, Rida Khan on that page). Shaykh Abdal Fattah declared Shaykh al-Kashmiri to be the Imam of His Age (Imam al-Asr).The seventh work was written by Shaykh al-Sayyid Husayn Ahmad al-Madani in 3 volumes and it is entitled: al-Shihab al-Thaqib ala'l Mustariq al-Kadhib. This is the most extensive reply in the time of Rida Khan. Note, all the scholars who replied to Rida Khan from amongst the Deobandi Ulama were living contemporaries of Rida Khan.These are seven titles known to myself in refutation of Rida Khan in his life time, and with all these facts taken into consideration, one can only conclude that Barelvi's who spread rumours and hyperbole against the Ulama of Deoband, are either plain ignorant of these works which are all in print even today, or they have been lying against all Muslims, be they Barelvi or not. And, success comes from Allah and delusion from the Shaytan. All the above titles with another 18 more titles have been fully listed with the names of their authors and their publishers in another article, Alhamdulillah.
THE ULAMA OF MAKKAH, MADINAH, AL-AZHAR AND SYRIA WHO TESTIFIED IN FAVOR OF THE ULAMA OF DEOBAND AND DISTANCED THEMSELVES FROM AHMAD RIDA KHAN AND HIS ALLEGATIONS, AS LISTED IN: AL-MUHANNAD ALA'L MUFANNAD
The following is a full list of all the Ulama who testified in favour of the Ulama of Deoband in repudiation of Ahmad Rida Khan, his followers and their allegations. The honorific tiles and descriptions given to the Ulama below are based on what has been listed at the beginning of each testificatory letter from Hijaz, al-Azhar and Syria.THE ULAMA OF MAKKAH AL-MUKARRAMA:1) Muhammad Saeed Ba-baseel al-Shafi'i, Teacher & Imam and Khateeb in Masjid al-Haram.
2) Ahmad Rasheed al-Hanafi. His letter was dated as being written and signed on Friday 17th of Dhil Hajj 1328 AH.
3) Muhibud-Din al-Muhajir al-Makki al-Hanafi - Imam Junayd and Imam Shibli of his time for his extreme piety.
4) Al-Shaykh Muhammad Siddiq al-Afghani al-Makki - who was called the Imam of the Awliya and Arifin

5) Hadrat Maulana al-Shaykh Muhammad Abid (ibn Husayn) - Mufti of the Maliki's.6) Hadrat Maulana Muhammad Ali ibn Husayn Maliki - Teacher in the Haram SharifTHE ULAMA OF MADINAH AL-MUNAWWARA7) Sayyid Ahmad Barzanji al-Shafi'i - he wrote a lengthy certification which was written on the 2nd day of Rabiul-Awwal in the year 1329 AH. He was also the author of a specific refutation of Rida Khan, as has been mentioned above.
8) Shaykh Rasuhi Umar in the year 1322 AH. He was a teacher in Madrasa al-Shafa
9) Mullah Muhammad Khan in the year 1326 AH. He was a Hanafi scholar from Bukhara originally and he was a teacher in the Masjid al-Nabawi
10) Shaykh Fayd al-Karim Khalil ibn Ibrahim, teacher in the Haram al-Sharif al-Nabawi11) Syed Ahmad al-Jazairi - Shaykh of the Maliki's and a teacher in the Masjid al-Nabawi.
12) Shaykh Umar ibn Hamdan al-Mahrasee - Servant of Knowledge in the Masjid al-Nabawi13) Shaykh Muhammad Zaki al-Barzanji - Servant of Knowledge in the Masjid al-Nabawi14) Shaykh Muhammad al-Aziz al-Wazeer al-Tunusi - teacher in the Haram al-Sharif al-Nabawi15) Shaykh Muhammad al-Soosi al-Khiyari - teacher in the Haram al-Sharif al-Nabawi16) Shaykh Ahmad ibn al-Ma'mun al-Balgeesh - in the year 1328 AH17) Shaykh Muhammad Tawfiq - teacher in Syria and Khateeb of Jami al-Saruji originally18) Shaykh Musa Kaadim ibn Muhammad - teacher at Bab us-Salam19) Shaykh Ahmad ibn Muhammad Khayr al-Haaj al-Abbasi - teacher in the Noble Mosque20) Shaykh ibn Nu'man Muhammad Mansur - dated 1326 AH21) Shaykh Ma'sum Ahmad Sayyid - Servant of Knowledge in the Haram al-Sharif al-Nabawi22) Shaykh Abdullah al-Qadir ibn Muhammad23) Shaykh Yasin al-Farra al-Dimashqi - dated 1326 AH24) Mullah Abdar Rahman - Teacher in the Haram al-Sharif al-Nabawi25) Shaykh Mahmud Abd al-Jawwad - Servant of Knowledge in the Haram al-Sharif al-Nabawi26) Shaykh Ahmad Bisaati - Servant in the Haram al-Sharif al-Nabawi27) Shaykh Muhammad Hasan Sindi - Servant of Knowledge in the Haram al-Sharif al-Nabawi28) Shaykh Ahmad ibn Ahmad Asad - Servant of Knowledge in the Haram al-Sharif al-Nabawi29) Shaykh Abdullah al-Nablusi al-Hanbali - dated 1328 AH - teacher in Haramain Sharifain30) Shaykh Muhammad ibn Umar al-Fulaani - teacher in the Haram al-Sharif al-Nabawi31) Shaykh Ahmad ibn Muhammad Khayr al-Shanqiti al-Maliki al-Madani - dated 1328 AHTHE ULAMA OF AL-JAMI AL-AZHAR, CAIRO, EGYPT32) Hadrat al-Shaykh Saleem al-Bashari - Shaykh al-Ulama in al-Azhar33) Shaykh Muhammad Ibrahim al-Qayaani34) Shaykh Sulayman al-AbdTHE ULAMA OF SYRIA35) Hadrat Maulana al-Sayyid Muhammad Abul Khayr well known as Ibn Abidin ibn al-Allamah Ahmad ibn Abdal Ghani ibn Umar Abidin al-Husayni al-Naqshabandi al-Dimashqi al-Hanafi - who was a direct descendant of the great Hanafi Faqih and Muhaddith known as Ibn Abidin, author of al-Fatawa al-Shaamiyya
36) Mustafa ibn Ahmad al-Shatti al-Hanbali - who was described as the Muhaqqiq (research scholar) of his time.
37) Mahmud Rasheed al-Attar - who was a well known student of the greatest Muhaddith in his age, and he was Shaykh Badrud-Din al-Hasani al-Hanafi (his biography is on the ASFA forum and in The Reliance of the Traveller, x98, edited by Nuh Keller)
38) Hadrat al-Shaykh Muhammad al-Bushi al-Hamawi39) Hadrat al-Shaykh Muhammad Saeed al-Hamawi40) Hadrat al-Shaykh Ali ibn Muhammad al-Dalail al-Hamawi41) Al-Fadil al-Imam al-Rabbani Hadrat al-Shaykh Muhammad Adeeb al-Hauraani42) Hadrat al-Shaykh Abdal Qadir43) Hadrat al-Shaykh Muhammad Saeed - dated 17th of Rabiul-Awwal 1329 AH44) Hadrat al-Shaykh Muhammad Saeed Lutfi al-Hanafi45) Shaykh Faaris ibn Muhammad al-Hamawi46) Hadrat al-Shaykh Mustafa al-Haddad
ULAMA OF THE INDIAN SUBCONTINENT WHO TESTIFIED TO THE 26 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS IN AL-MUHANNAD ALA'L MUFANNAD IN ORDER TO DECLARE RIDA KHAN'S CLAIMS TO BE BASELESS
The Ulama of the Indian subcontinent also testified alongside the Ulama from Hijaz, al-Azhar and Shaam that the Deobandi's were pious Sunni Muslims free from the allegations of Kufr thrown at them by Rida Khan and his followers. The list includes the following names:1) Shaykh al-Hind Maulana Mahmud Hasan2) Hadrat Maulana Mir Ahmad Hasan3) Hadrat Maulana Mufti Azizur Rahman, Mufti al-A'zam of Darul Ulum Deoband4) Hakeem al-Ummah Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanawi5) Hadrat Maulana Shah Abdur Rahim Raipuri6) Hadrat Maulana Hakeem Muhammad Hasan7) Hadrat Maulana Qudratullah Muradabadi8) Hadrat Maulana Habibur Rahman9) Hadrat Maulana Muhammad Ahmad al-Qasimi10) Hadrat Maulana Ghulam Rasul11) Hadrat Maulana Muhammad Sahul12) Hadrat Maulana Abdus Samad13) Hadrat Maulana Hakeem Muhammad Ishaq14) Hadrat Maulana Riyadud-Din15) Hadrat Maulana Mufti Kifayatullah16) Hadrat Maulana Diyaul-Haqq17) Hadrat Maulana Muhammad Qasim18) Hadrat Maulana Ashiq Ilahi Meeruthi19) Hadrat Maulana Siraj Ahmad20) Maulana Qari Muhammad Ishaq21) Maulana Hakeem Muhammad Mustafa Bijnawari22) Hadrat Maulana Hakeem Muhammad Mas'ud Ahmad Gangohi23) Hadrat Maulana Muhammad Yahya Sahranpuri24) Hadrat Maulana Kifayatullah SahranpuriCERTIFICATION OF LATER ULAMA1) Hadrat Maulana Qari Muhammad Tayyib - one time Rector of Darul Ulum Deoband2) Hadrat Maulana Mufti Muhammad Shafi (teacher of Shaykh Abdal Fattah Abu Ghuddah)3) Hadrat Maulana Zafar Ahmad Uthmani (also a teacher of Shaykh Abdal Fattah Abu Ghuddah)4) Hadrat Maulana Muhammad Yusuf al-Banuri (another teacher of Shaykh Abdal Fattah)5) Hadrat Maulana Khayr Muhammad Jalandhari6) Hadrat Maulana Mufti Jamil Ahmad Thanawi7) Hadrat Maulana Mufti Mahmud of Multan, Pakistan8) Hadrat Maulana Mufti Abdullah of Multan9) Hadrat Maulana Mufti Abdus Sattar of Multan10) Hadrat Maulana Abdal Haqq11) Hadrat Maulana Muhammad Ahmad Thanawi12) Hadrat Maulana Abdal Haqq Naafi13) Hadrat Maulana Abdullah Bahlawi14) Hadrat Maulana Muhammad Anwar of Faysalabad, Pakistan15) Hadrat Maulana Shamsul Haqq Afghani16) Hadrat Maulana Sayyid Hamid Siyal17) Hadrat Maulana Mufti Rasheed Ahmad of Karachi, Pakistan18) Hadrat Maulana Mufti Muhammad Fareed19) Hadrat Maulana Mufti Ahmad Saeed20) Hadrat Maulana Mufti Muhammad Wajeed21) Hadrat Maulana Ali Muhammad22) Hadrat Maulana Mufti Abdal Qadir23) Hadrat Maulana Muhammad Sharif Kashmiri24) Hadrat Maulana Sayyid Sadiq Husayn25) Hadrat Maulana Abdal Hayy26) Hadrat Maulana Muhammad Abdullah27) Hadrat Maulana Abdas Sattar Tunusi28) Hadrat Maulana Muhammad Sharif Jalandhari29) Hadrat Maulana Nazir Ahmad30) Hadrat Maulana Muhammad Idris31) Hadrat Maulana Muhammad Ali Jalandhari32) Hadrat Maulana Muhammad Ayyub Banuri33) Hadrat Maulana Fadl Ghani34) Hadrat Maulana Fayd Ahmad35) Hadrat Maulana Muhammad Sarfraz Khan36) Hadrat Maulana Qadi Abdal Lateef
ULAMA OF MAKKAH AND MADINAH WHO TESTIFIED AND SIGNED AGAINST RAZA KHAN'S: HUSAM AL-HARAMAYN SPECIFICALLY
Maulana Sayyid Husayn Ahmad al-Madani who was a contemporary of Raza Khanand a resident of the Holy City of Madinah al-Munawwara was one of the Deobandi Ulama who was present in the Hijaz when Rida Khan came to have his book Husam al-Haramayn signed by the Ulama of Makkah and Madinah. After the reality of Rida Khan's deceitful tactics were exposed by the Ulama of Deoband in works like al-Muhannad ala'l Mufannad and many other works, the following Ulama of Hijaz signed against Rida Khan's Husam as mentioned in Shaykh al-Madani's biography: Cherag-e-Muhammad (p. 96):The Ulama of Makkah al-Mukarrama:1) Shaykh Abdullah Makki al-Shafi'i2) Shaykh Shu'ayb al-Maliki3) Shaykh Ahmad al-Makki4) Shaykh Abdul Jalil Effendi al-Hanafi5) Shaykh Ahmad Rashid al-Hanafi6) Shaykh Muhibuddin al-Hanafi7) Shaykh Muhammad Siddiq Afghani al-MakkiThe Ulama of Madinah al-Munawwara1) Shaykh Yasin Misri al-Shafi'i2) Shaykh Abdullah al-Nablusi3) Shaykh Abdul Hakim Bukhari al-Hanafi4) Shaykh Mullah Shankar Bukhari5) Shaykh al-Sayyid Muhammad Amin Ridwan Shafi'i6) Shaykh Effendi Ma'mun al-Bori7) Shaykh Fatih Tahiri al-Maliki
Finally, the Chief Mufti of the Shafi'i's in Madinah al-Munawwara also wrote a book against Ahmad Rida Khan once the reality of his treachery against the Ulama of Deoband, Makkah and Madinah came to light. The full details behind this are mentioned in the book: Cherag-e-Muhammad by Shaykh Zahid al-Husayni. Details are found in an another article. The Mufti in question was Sayyid Ahmad al-Barzanji, who was one of the Ulama who initially signed in favor of Rida Khan's Husam al-Haramayn. Let us repeat the details behind Sayyid Barzanji's book and the Ulama who testified against Rida Khan.Ghayatul Ma'mul fi Ilm Ghayb al-Rasul of Sayyid Barzanji was written in refutation of Ahmad Rida Khan's views on Ilm al-Ghayb (Knowledge of the Unseen) possessed by the Holy Prophet - sallallahu alaihi wa sallam. Here are some quotes from this book.On page 28, Shaykh Barzanji said that Raza Khan was: "One who stuck to his deviant beliefs because of his stubbornness and animosity..."Also on the same page: "(He) acknowledges himself to be a scholar, whereas the thing he claims for himself (ilm) was never given to him....""His ta'weel and tahreef (interpretation and wilful changing of the truth) is an example of extreme treachery and obvious ignorance..""He (Rida Khan) is an ignoramus..."
These statements were conferred also by the following Ulama:
i) Shaykh Abdal Qadir Tawfiq al-Shalabi al-Tarablusi al-Hanafi, who later resided in Madinah al-Munawwara. He added on page 33 that Rida Khan was a "quarrel monger" and his (Rida Khan): "Beliefs are a pile of lies, false allegations and completely against religious teachings..."
ii) Shaykh Fatih al-Tahiri, Muhaddith and Faqih of the Maliki's declared Rida Khan to be: "One who strives to create dissension...." and : "Is one of those people who follow their low bestial desires and whatever Shaytan pours in their heart...."The following Ulama also conferred and agreed upon the rebuttal of Shaykh Barzanji against Rida Khan:i) Mufti Tajuddin Ilyas al-Hanafiii) Shaykh Muhammad Sa'eed al-Dalailiii) Sayyid Abbas Ridwaniv) Shaykh Umar al-Hamdanv) Shaykh Khalil al-Kharbuti
CONCLUSION
Let us now quote what Raza Khan said in the last page of his Tamheed-e-Iman about the Ulama of Deoband that he declared to be unbelievers unequivocally, and without a shadow of doubt in his mind. He said:" (3) ANY PERSON WHO WOULD NOT CALL THEM DISBELIEVERS OR WOULD MAINTAIN FRIENDSHIP WITH THEM, OR WOULD TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THEIR POSITIONS AS TEACHERS OR RELATIVES OR FRIENDS WILL ALSO DEFINITELY BECOME ONE OF THEM. HE IS A DISBELIEVER LIKE THEM. ON THE DAY OF JUDGEMENT, HE WILL ALSO BE TIED WITH THEM IN THE SAME ROPE. (4) WHATEVER LAME EXCUSES AND FRAUDULENT ARGUMENTS THEY GIVE HERE ARE INVALID AND FALSE."Some more distasteful quotes:Ahmad Rida Khan said: "If anyone admires Darul Ulum Deoband, or does not believe in the corruption of the Deobandi's and does not scorn them, THEN THIS IS SUFFICIENT TO MAKE A JUDGEMENT FOR HIM TO BE A NON-MUSLIM!" (Fatawa Ridwiyya, 6/43 of Rida Khan).
A Barelvi by the name of Didar Ali declared in his Tafsir Mizan al-Adyan (2/270): "The Deobandi's are heretics and straying. They are the most wicked of all the creatures of Allah!!" (I say doesn't this mean that this Barelvi believed that Deobandi's are worse than all the wicked groups of unbelievers, even the animals and Shaytan himself? What kind of person could say such a thing - please decide for yourself?!)Raza Khan in his Malfuzat (pp. 325-6) said: "IF THERE IS A GATHERING OF HINDU'S, CHRISTIANS, QADIYANI'S AND DEOBANDI'S, THE DEOBANDI'S ALONE SHOULD BE REJECTED, FOR THEY HAVE COME OUT OF THE FOLD OF ISLAM AND DEFECTED FROM IT. AGREEMENT WITH THE UNBELIEVERS IS FAR BETTER THAN THE AGREEMENT WITH THE APOSTATES!!"Let us finish off with one more quote from Rida Khan: "THE WORKS OF THE DEOBANDI'S ARE MORE UNCLEAN THAN THE VARIOUS WORKS OF THE HINDU'S. THE DOUBT ABOUT THE HERESY OF ASHRAF ALI DEOBANDI AND SUSPICION ABOUT HIS PUNISHMENT IS ALSO UNBELIEF. TO CLEANSE THE IMPURITY WITH THE PAPERS OF THE WORKS PRODUCED BY THE DEOBANDI'S IS NOT LAWFUL, NOT BECAUSE OF THE RESPECT FOR THEIR BOOKS, BUT BECAUSE OF THE REVERENCE OF THE LETTERS WITH WHICH THEY HAVE BEEN WRITTEN." (Fatawa Ridwiyya, 2/136, Faisalabad, Pakistan).
Needless to say, Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanawi was cleared by the Ulama of Hijaz, al-Azhar and Syria. We wonder what today's Barelvi's have to say about these shocking quotes from Rida Khan and his disciple Didar Ali (which ultimately also apply to all those we have mentioned above, be it from Hijaz, al-Azhar or Syria). So I say by analyzing all of these statements of his (Rida Khan) the only logical deduction that can be inferred is that - not only are the Ulama of Deoband unbelievers but also all those who sided and signed in favour of them in al-Muhannad ala'l Mufannad, in Ghayatul Ma'mul of al-Barzanji and those Ulama who signed against Rida Khan's Husam al-Haramayn, Shaykh Muhammad Alawi al-Makki and Shaykh Abdal Fattah Abu Ghuddah (separate articles on their Deobandi affiliations have been posted previously) - are all under the sword of Rida's wrath and Takfir (taking peope out of Islam)! I ask the opponents to either now join Rida's Takfir against all of these venerable signatories or distance themselves from his harsh attitude. Let us see who the brave one's are. Will they make takfir as Rida demands or become alleged unbelievers like Rida's opponents?
Rida Khan declared the Deobandi's to be Wahhabi's falsely. Just look finally O readers on his belief on the accursed Satan and the Wahhabi's below! In his Ahkam-e-Shariat (p. 112):"The Wahhabi's are more contemptuous than Iblis, indeed more mischievous and more straying than he, for the Shaytan does not tell a lie, but they tell a lie!!"I finish by quoting the famous Hadith for you all to contemplate on:Allah's Messenger, sallallahu alaihi wa sallam said, "If a man says to his brother, 'O Kafir (disbeliever)!' Then surely one of them is such (i.e. a Kafir)." (Bukhari, 8.125A)
Wasalam

The beginning of creation [ibtida' al-khalq]

The beginning of creation [ibtida' al-khalq]

You should know—may Allah enable you to achieve what is dear and pleasing to Him!-that Allah (Exalted is He) first created the spirit of Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace) from the light of His Beauty. As Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He) has told us:I created the spirit of Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace) from the light of My countenance.As the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) has said: The first thing that Allah created was my spirit [ruh]. The first thing that Allah created was my light [nur]. The first thing that Allah created was the pen [qalam]. The first thing that Allah created was the intellect ['aql]. This means that they are all one thing, that being the Muhammadan Reality [al-Haqiqat al-Muhammadiyya] , but it is called a "light [nur]" because it is pure and unclouded by the darknesses of Majesty. As Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) has said: There has now come to you from Allah qad ja'a-kum mina 'llahi a Light, and a clear Book. Nurun wa Kitabun mubin. (5:15)It is also called an "intellect ['aql]," because it comprehends universal truths [kulliyyat]. It is also called a "pen [qalam]," because it is an instrument for the transmission of knowledge, just as the pen is an instrument in the realm of letters [of the alphabet]. The Muhammadan spirit is thus the quintessence of all entities, the first of all beings and the origin of them all. As he has said (blessing and peace be upon him): I am from Allah and the believers are from me.Allah created all the spirits from him in the realm of Divinity [Lahut], and in the finest real formation. "Muhammad" is the name of all human beings in that realm, and he is the original home. Then, when four thousand years had passed, Allah created the Heavenly Throne ['Arsh] from the light of the eye of Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace), and from the Heavenly Throne He created the rest of existing entities. Then He reduced the spirits to the lowest level of existence, meaning the physical bodies. As Allah (Exalted is He) has said: Then We reduced him [the human being] thumma radadna-hu to the lowest of the low. asfala safilin. (95:5) In other words, the first descent was from the realm of Divinity [Lahut] to the realm of Omnipotence [Jabarut]. Between the two Sanctuaries, Allah (Exalted is He) clothed them with the light of Omnipotence, which is the royal spirit [ruh sultani]. Then he sent them down, in this attire, to the realm of Sovereignty [Malakut], and He clothed them with the light of Sovereignty, which is the immaterial spirit [ruh ruhani]. Then He sent them down to the realm of Dominion [Mulk], and He clothed them with the light of Dominion, which is the physical spirit. Then from it Allah created the bodies. As He has said (Exalted is He): Out of it [the earth] We created you, min-ha khalaqna-kum and into it We shall send you back again, wa fi-ha nu'idu-kum and We shall bring you forth from it a second time. wa min-ha nukhriju-kum taratan ukhra. (20:55)Then Allah (Exalted is He) commanded the spirits to enter the bodies, so they entered at Allah's command (Exalted is He). As He has said (Almighty and Glorious is He): And I breathed into him of My Spirit. wa nafakhtu fi-hi min Ruhi. (38:72)When the spirits became attached to the physical bodies, they forgot the covenant they had contracted on the day when Allah asked them: "Am I not your Lord?" and they said: "Yes indeed!"3 Because of this, they did not return to the original home, but the All-Merciful Source of Help took pity on them. He sent down Heavenly Books to remind them of that original home. As He has said (Exalted is He):We sent Moses with Our signs, [saying]: wa la-qad arsalna Musa bi-ayati-na "Bring your people forth from darkness into light, an akhrij qawma-ka mina 'z-zulumati ila 'n-nuri and remind them of the days of Allah." wa dhakkir-hum bi-ayyami 'llah. (14:5)In other words: "Remind them of the former days of communion with Him, in the company of the spirits." All the Prophets came into this world and went away to the Hereafter because of this admonition, but few human beings took heed, longed for their original home and returned to it, until Prophethood was assigned to the supreme Muhammadan spirit, the seal of the Mission and the guide away from error. Allah sent him to those heedless people, to open their eyes from the sleep of heedlessness, so he summoned them to Allah (Exalted is He), to contact with Him and the meeting with His sempiternal Beauty. As Allah (Exalted is He) said to him: Say: "This is my way: I call to Allah qul hadhihi sabili ad'u ila 'llah: with insightful knowledge, I and whoever follows me." 'ala basiratin ana wa mani 'ttaba'a-ni. (12:108)The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) once said: My Companions are like the stars. Whomever of them you follow, you will be guided aright.Insight comes from the eye of the spirit, which opens within the heart of the saints [awliya']. That is why it is not acquired by knowledge of the external world, but only by knowledge of the inner Presence. As Allah (Exalted is He) has said: And We taught him knowledge from Our Presence. wa 'allamna-hu min ladun-na 'ilma. (18:65)It is therefore necessary for the human being to acquire that eye, and so become one of the masters of insight, by taking instruction from a saint, a spiritual guide whose teaching concerns the realm of Divinity [Lahut]. O brethren! Wake up, and hasten to forgiveness from your Lord through repentance! As Allah (Exalted is He) has said: And hasten to forgiveness from your Lord, wa sari'u ila maghfiratin min Rabbi-kum and a Garden as wide as the heavens and the earth, wa jannatin 'ardu-ha 's-samawatu wa 'l-ardu which has been made ready for those who are truly devout. u'iddat li'l-muttaqin. (3:133)Embark upon the path, and return to your Lord with these spiritual caravans. The path will soon be cut off, and no travelling companion will be found. We have not come to settle in this vile, dilapidated world, nor for the sake of eating, drinking, and satisfying crude natural instincts. Your Prophet is waiting, sorrowful for your sake. As he said (peace be upon him): My sorrow is for the members of my Community who will come in later times. The knowledge that is sent down to us is twofold: exoteric and esoteric, meaning the sacred law [shari'a] and direct understanding [ma'rifa]. Allah (Exalted is He) has commanded us to apply the sacred law to our outer being, and direct understanding to our inner being, so that the combination of the two will result in knowledge of Reality [Haqiqa], just as fruit is produced by the tree and the leaves. As Allah (Exalted is He) has said: He has partitioned the two seas. maraja 'l-bahraini They meet, [but] between them there is a barrier yaltaqiyan: baina-huma barzakhun that they do not overpass. la yabghiyan. (55:19,20)Reality cannot be attained, and the goal cannot be reached, by exoteric knowledge alone. Perfect worship is accomplished by means of both forms of knowledge, not one without the other. As Allah (Exalted is He) has said: I did not create the jinn and humankind wa ma khalaqtu 'l-jinna wa 'l-insa except to worship Me. illa li-ya'budun. (51:56) In other words: "to know and understand Me." If someone does not know and understand Him, how can he worship Him? Direct knowledge is attainable only by removing of the veil of the lower self [nafs] from the mirror of the heart, and cleaning and polishing that mirror. It will then reflect the beauty of the treasure hidden in the secret of the heart's core. Allah (Exalted is He) has said in the Sacred Tradition [Hadith Qudsi]:I was a hidden treasure and I wished to be known, so I created Creation.It is clear, therefore, that Allah (Exalted is He) created the human being to know and understand Him. Direct knowledge is of two kinds: knowledge of the attributes [sifat] of Allah (Exalted is He), and knowledge of His Essence [Dhat]. Knowledge of the attributes is experienced by the physical body in both domains [this world and the Hereafter], while knowledge of the Essence is experienced by the holy spirit in the Hereafter. As Allah (Exalted is He) has said: And We supported him [Jesus] with the holy spirit.wa ayyadna-hu bi-Ruhi 'l-Qudus. (2:87)They [who know the Essence] are likewise supported with the holy spirit.These two experiences are attainable only by means of two forms of knowledge, the exoteric knowledge and the esoteric knowledge mentioned above. As the Prophet (peace be upon him) once said: Knowledge ['ilm] is twofold: knowledge conveyed by the tongue, that being Allah's testimony to His servants, and knowledge conveyed by the heart, that being the knowledge that is useful for the attainment of the goal. First of all, the human being needs knowledge of the sacred law, in order to provide the body with sufficient education in the realm of the attributes, that being the realm of the stages of development. He then needs esoteric knowledge, in order to provide the spirit with education in its own realm of understanding. That can only be achieved by abstaining from all practices that are incompatible with the sacred law and the spiritual path [tariqa]. Its achievement requires the endurance of personal and spiritual hardships, for the sake of pleasing Allah (Exalted is He), without hypocritical display [riya'] and the pursuit of fame [sum'a]. As Allah (Exalted is He) has said: So whoever hopes for the meeting with his Lord,fa-man kana yarju liqa'a Rabbi-hi let him do righteous work, fa-l'-ya'mal 'amalan salihan and let him give no one any share at all wa la yushrik in the worship due unto his Lord. bi-'ibadati Rabbi-hi ahada. (18:110)The realm of direct knowledge is the realm of Divinity [Lahut], and that is the original home, in which the holy spirit was created in the finest formation. What is meant by the holy spirit is the real human spirit, which was installed in the core of the heart, and which becomes manifest through repentance, instruction, and constantly declaring: "There is no god but Allah [la ilaha illa 'llah]." This declaration is first made with the tongue, then with the inner being, when the heart has become alive. The Sufis have called the inner being "the child of the spiritual concepts [tifl al-ma'ani]," because it arises from the sacred conceptions. It is called a child for several reasons: 1. It is born from the heart, as the child is born from the mother, then reared by the father as it steadily grows to maturity. 2. Just as worldly knowledge is taught to ordinary children, spiritual knowledge is taught to this special child. 3. The ordinary child is unsoiled by the filth of external sins, and this special child is likewise pure and unstained by the filth of polytheism [shirk], heedlessness and physicality.4. In the case of this special child, the purity of form is even greater, so it is seen in dreams in a shape like that of the angels. 5. Allah (Exalted is He) has described the attendants of the Garden of Paradise in terms of childhood [tifliyya], in His saying (Almighty and Glorious is He): There wait on them immortal boys. yatufu 'ala-him wildanun mukhalladun. (56:17)And there go round, waiting on them, wa yatufu 'alai-himyoung boys of theirs, ghilmanun la-hum as if they were hidden pearls. ka-anna-hum lu'lu'un maknun. (52:24)6. The name "child" conveys a sense of its gentleness and its cleanliness. 7. The name "child" is used metaphorically, to indicate its connection with the body and its likeness to the human form, but only for the sake of comparison, not for the purpose of belittlement. It refers to this "child's" initial state. This "child" is the real human being, because he has a connection with Allah (Exalted is He), so the body and physicality are not unlawful to him. As the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) once said: I have a time with Allah, when there is no space for any angel brought near [to the Lord], nor for any Prophet sent as a Messenger.This [Prophet sent as a Messenger] refers to the human nature of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace). The angel brought near [to the Lord] refers to his spirituality, which was created from the light of Omnipotence [Jabarut], as was the angel, so it has no entry into the light of Divinity [Lahut]. The Prophet (blessing and peace be upon him) also said: Allah has a Garden in which there are no houries, no palaces, no honey and no milk, but where one gazes only at Allah's countenance (Exalted is He). As Allah (Magnificent is His Majesty) has said: Faces on that day will be resplendent, wujuhun yawma'idhin nadira: looking toward their Lord. ila Rabbi-ha nazira. (75:22,23)As the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: You will see your Lord as you see the moon on the night when it is full.If the angel and the physical body entered into these realms, they would be burned to ashes. As Allah (Exalted is He) has said in the Sacred Tradition [Hadith Qudsi]:If I disclosed the splendors of My Majesty, I would burn up everything as far as My eye can see. As Gabriel (peace be upon him) said: "If I had drawn nearer by a fingertip, I would have been set on fire."