I thank Allah
for these "Observations on Methodology and Creed" that provide, through
extensive quotes, a golden opportunity for presentation and discussion of
some aspects of the Most Distinguished Naqshbandi Tariqa as taught by
GrandShaykh `Abd Allah al-Daghistani. May Allah reward those who took the
time to copy those quotations painstakingly, providing page references, a
bibliography and even website links.
Someone on a mailing list flayed the post while others hailed it as a chance
to learn. Allah Most High reward each according to his intention. An
Usuli rule states "the most possesses the status of the whole" and most
of the post consists in Sufi statements. As for the rest – not everyone has
to be learned, or in agreement, or even a good writer. And, in case the post
was indeed an attack, then praise belongs all the same to Allah Who supports
His Religion through the words and deeds of criminals although it is
possible the authors only *acted* badly so that their reward would be
greater through the guise of attracting blame and be considered ignorant in
the eyes of reasonable people. They are "Malaamaatis."
In any case I thank Allah Most High for this chance to discuss the Nobility
among His Elite, and send blessings on His Prophet and saints, asking Him to
raise us in their company. Was-Salam.
-----------------
<<September 2002
<<OBSERVATIONS ON HISHAM KABBANI'S AND GF HADDAD'S METHODOLOGY AND CREED
<<PREAMBLE
...
<<Haddad turns a blind eye and has
no qualms about his own teachers citing spurious and baseless hadith and
presenting bizarre ideas in the name of Islam yet he can't help but lambast
(through his Internet articles and newsgroup posts) anyone and everyone,
young or old, that happens to disagree with their views. Why the double
standards?>>
Actually, I
clarified more than once that Shaykh Hisham Kabbani's Encyclopedia of
Islamic Doctrine contains mistakes on certain issues, including spurious
hadiths, and have posted detailed corrections.
<<1. KABBANI BELIEVES ALL SUFIS, INCLUDING HIMSELF,
ACCOMPANIED THE PROPHET (S) AND ABU BAKR (R) DURING THEIR MIGRATION FROM
MAKKAH TO MADINAH.
<<In a work co-edited by
GF Haddad, Kabbani teaches that all Sufi groups were in the presence of the
Prophet (s) and Abu Bakr (r) when they stopped in the cave during their
migration from Makkah to Madinah; all Sufi saints and their followers were
called spiritually to that cave (Ali ibn Abi Talib [r] was also summoned).
Among other things Allah commanded the Prophet (s) to order each saint to
put his hand over the hands of his followers; Abu Bakr (r) and Ali (r)
placed their hands over all the Sufis; the Prophet (s) then placed his hand
and finally Allah placed His Hand last of all! This, Kabbani claims, is the
secret meaning of Surah al-Fath, verse 10, and that in fact Allah Himself
recited this verse at the time of this incident and all of them were
"hearing God's own words".>>
It is well-known that the
Naqshbandi Sufi path, which is taught by Mawlana al-Shaykh Nazim al-Haqqani
and Shaykh Hisham, considers the cave in which the Prophet (saws) sheltered
himself with Abu Bakr (ra) during the Hijra as its spiritual birthdate. This
is not something exclusive to the Haqqani branch although the language in
which this event is couched may differ from Shaykh to Shaykh. See Prof.
Hamid Algar’s translation of "The Path of God’s Bondsmen" in English (since
the posters do not speak Arabic or the other Islamic languages).
As for language such as "Allah placed His Hand" and "hearing God's own words" it is essentially Qur’anic, just as Imam Ahmad al-Rifa`i’s expression "The one who remembers Allah is His sitting-companion" (al-dhaakir jalees al-Haqq) is essentially from the hadith. Objecting to such expressions shows the probable influence of Mu`tazili or Jahmi beliefs since those sects habitually reject the Qur'anic verses and hadiths containing such language.
<<The next day when the Prophet (s) and
Abu Bakr (r) continued the journey to Madinah, all of them, Kabbani and all
other Sufi followers, migrated with the Prophet (s) and Abu Bakr (r)! (ibid,
p.41).>>
See the hadith:
"Spirits are marshalled soldiers..." quoted, if I recall, in the same book
(al-Arwahu junudun mujannada). The Prophet (saws) taught that the meetings
of spirits on the earth is a reflection of their prior meeting in the world
of souls, so we see the believers seek meetings with believers, while the
munafiqs rally around one another.
<<2. SUFIS HAVE ACCOMPANIED 124,000 PROPHET ADAMS
(AS)
<<Kabbani believes there
have been 124,000 Adams (as) and that the Adam (as) we know of is the last
of the 124,000. Likewise there are 124,000 Sufi saints presently on earth
and along with their followers they have accompanied each of these 124,000
Adams (as)! (Kabbani, Mercy Oceans Shore of Safety, p.46)>>
This is from the
Futuhat al-Makkiyya, see al-Sha`rani al-Yawaqit wal-Jawahir on
this issue. It is not an integral part of a Muslim's `Aqida.
<<3. ALI IBN ABI TALIB'S (R) OUTER-SPACE
ADVENTURES
<<Kabbani teaches that the Prophet (s) ordered the Companion Ali (r) to
project himself outside of the earth's atmosphere to combat alien life
forms! He writes:
<<"There are powers that stand outside
human nature... Imam Ali was the only one permitted to use these powers. He
was ordered by the Prophet (s) in every given period of time to project
himself outside the limits of our earth. If such a power had not been in
existent in Sayyidna Ali, the earth would have been erased from existence
because of other creatures existing out of the limits of this world and
desiring to bring our planet under their control... Sayyidna Ali was ordered
to defeat these creatures by using miraculous powers he was given and
conquering the other planets so that they would not bring their tyranny to
this earth. Were it not for him, we would have been in the powers of other
planets a long time ago." (Kabbani, Mercy Oceans Shore of Safety,
pp.86-87)>>
I withheld
judgment on the above until I read something very similar in the Ibriz of
Shaykh `Abd al-`Aziz al-Dabbagh on the multiplicity of the selves (dhawaat)
of Anbiya' and Awliya' for the execution of tasks that lie
outside the power of normal human nature.
<<4. ALI IBN ABI TALIB (R) HAS SECRET KNOWLEDGE
WHICH 'UMAR IBN AL-KHATTAB (R) DID NOT HAVE AND WOULD NOT UNDERSTAND
<<Kabbani's and Haddad's
teacher, Nazim, writes: "Grandsheikh told me that one day Sayyidina Ali said
to Sayyidina Omar, regarding the secret knowledge that had been opened to
him: 'Oh Omar, if i would speak to you from the secret knowledges which have
been opened up to us, you would instantly cut my head off with your sword;
you wouldn't be able to let me get up from my seat if i told you from the
secrets of the Way, the creation, the religion, prophethood and the secrets
of Allah Almighty - you can't even listen.'" (Nazim, Mercy Oceans' Hidden
Treasures, p.36)>>
Sayyiduna
`Ali's *state* did not merely say this to Sayyidina `Umar but shouted it
outloud to the totality of the Sahaba. This holds true even if some of them
may have possessed what he himself did not possess. Al-Khidr taught Musa
what he did not know - upon our Prophet and them blessings and peace -
although Musa is above al-Khidr in rank and also knew what al-Khidr did not
know. Similarly, the superior ranks of Abu Bakr and `Umar are not open to
discussion even as `Ali - Allah be well-pleased with all of them - was the
only one who could say: "Ask me anything!" Hence Imam Ahmad al-Rifa‘i gave
him the loftiest names apart from the rest of the Four. This is part of the
knowledge of the Sunna, which the Shuyukh of Tasawwuf know from inside as
well as out.
<<5. DIFFERENTIATING BETWEEN THE KHULAFA
AR-RASHIDIN (CRITICISING 'UMAR [R] AND 'UTHMAN [R])
<<About Uthman ibn Affan (r), their spiritual guide, Nazim, says: "Grandsheikh
was saying about the third Khalipha, Othman, that he was of a very high
degree among the Sahaba and was the most modest of the Prophet's
companions... In spite of this, Othman didn't attain the spiritual ranks
attained by Abu Bakr and Ali because he sometimes held firmly to his own
desires instead of putting them completely in line with the Prophet's. This
was also one reason for his martyrdom: misfortunes befell him as a result of
his not being able to totally leave his own desires behind." (Nazim, Mercy
Oceans' Hidden Treasures, pp.38-39) >>
We already
addressed this passage in posts on the usenet group soc.religion.islam and
the mailing-list msa-ec. "The good deeds of the righteous are the bad deeds
of those brought near."
<<Concerning Umar ibn al-Khattab (r),
they say: "Yet, despite these most admirable characteristics of Sayyidina
Omar, he did at times set his will against the will of the Prophet. Often
Omar would be quick to unsheathe his sword and ask permission to decapitate
hypocrites, but the Prophet would say: 'No. Omar, put away your sword.' This
sort of thing may happen a few times, but the effect is that the soul is
kept from awakening, it remains passive." (ibid, pp.43-44)>>
This is in
meaning in the Sahih, hadith None of you truly believes until....
<<Perhaps this is why out
of the four Khulafa Kabbani mentions only Abu Bakr (r) and Ali (r) when he
said: "We ask Allah to guide all Muslims in their belief and to bring all
who have strayed back to the truth... back to the guidance of Abu Bakr and
Ali..." (Kabbani, Islamic Beliefs & Doctrine According to Ahl al-Sunna,
Vol.1, p.3).
<<What happened to the guidance of Umar (r) and Uthman (r)?>>
Abu Bakr and `Ali are the two founts of all Sufi paths, especially - in terms of number - the latter. This is all elementary knowledge but may Allah reward the questioners for having it spelled out for beginners.
<<Elsewhere, Kabbani unnecessarily draws attention
to how Umar (r) and Uthman (r) were excluded from certain key events. He
writes:
<<"Before leaving Mecca for Madina, the Prophet (s) put someone in his bed
because the ignorant people came to his door intent on killing him. He put
Sayyidna Ali in his bed, which means that he made Sayyidna Ali his
representative. He did not put Sayyidna Umar, he did not put Sayyidna Uthman,
none of the sahaba, but someone of his own blood and his flesh. And he took
with him as company that other image, sayyidna Abu Bakr, to the cave." (Kabbani,
Mercy Oceans Shore of Safety, p.32).
<<Is it really necessary
to keep repeating what Umar (r) and Uthman (r) didn't attain?>>
Through this
rhetorical question the questioner, of course, is saying: "Is it really
necessary to read the Qur'an and the Sira closely?" At the same time the
questioner seems to warn – Allah reward him – against attempting to imply
from the Shaykh’s speech some kind of demerit for any of the Sahaba, which
would be the mark of Munafiqs and sectarians.
<<6. THEIR SUFI GROUP HAS POWERS WITH WHICH TO
COMPLETE THE SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE PROPHET'S (S) COMPANIONS IN THEIR
GRAVES BECAUSE SOME OF THE COMPANIONS WERE 'INCOMPLETE'
<<Nazim wrote: "This lecture about Satan
and Adam, and about the Sahaba was given by Grandsheikh after the morning
prayer, and in the afternoon on the same day Grandsheikh told me: 'Oh Nazim
Efendi, this morning's lecture has been heard by the companions of the
Prophet in their graves, and they were very pleased with it, as we have been
given a miraculous favour from the Lord that if we notice an incompleteness
on the part of anyone, and point it out, it will become complete. When i was
pointing out that some of the Sahaba were sometimes using their own wills
and not putting their desires in line with the Prophet's thus causing their
incompleteness, at that moment Allah Almighty completed for them their
development there in the grave, and so, they are very happy indeed." (Nazim,
Mercy Oceans' Hidden Treasures, pp.66-67)>>
Here it should be
pointed out that Shaykh Nazim never wrote the above but it was written and
published by American Murids from talks he gave (may Allah ever reward
them). As for the meaning, the above must be carefully understood not to
question the unequalled and unattainable rank of Prophetic Companionship.
However, it must be understood in light of the sahih hadith of the
Prophet (saws) that there are some Awliya’ in the latter days that will
attain the reward of fifty of the Sahaba. At the time he (saws) said this it
was difficult to imagine; reportedly, some of the Sahaba even sought to
correct his wording (saws)! (See its full text and takhrij in our webbed
reply titled The "Salafis" Unveiled.) It is possible that among those
rewards are the Naqshbandi khasa’is that "if we notice an
incompleteness on the part of anyone, and point it out, it will become
complete." If this is the case, then the benefit of this Karama
covers the entire Umma (even the angels if Allah wishes), including the
believers in their graves, and Allah knows best.
7. THE PROPHET'S (S) EGO!
<<Nazim has said: "As we
know of the Holy Prophet himself, his ego appeared to him as 'Buraq', the
heavenly winged steed that bore him from Earth to Heaven." (Nazim, Mercy
Oceans' Endless Horizons, p.61).>>
This is
symbolic language based on (1) the Prophet;s (saws) statement that Allah had
helped him make his shaytan submit; (2) the hadith that the dunya is the
best mount to akhira; and others. The early Sufi Imam al-Hakim al-Tirmidhi
said in Adab al-Murid, the stronger the heart the weaker the ego, and the
stronger the ego the weaker the heart. This is all for seekers to understand
that there are ways and means for the Isra' and Mi`raj of the Umma, since
Allah Most High can very well raise the Prophet (saws) wherever He wishes
without Buraq and without Sayyidina Gibril (as). Understanding this makes
the difference between fiqh and illiteracy. The Sufi Shuyukh address needs
with fiqh, while fools narrate with the last energy but do not get the first
word of what they read. May Allah reward the Malamatis for drawing attention
to this through their careful selective quoting.
<<Apparently, Nazim's and Kabbani's
teacher, Grandsheikh, also rode the same Buraq that carried the Prophet (s).
In his biography Grandsheikh is quoted as saying: "Then I sat in meditation,
connecting myself through my Shaykh, my uncle, to the Prophet. I saw the
Prophet coming to me with 124,000 Sahaba (Companions)... Then I saw the
Prophet hugging me and I saw myself disappearing in him. As soon as I
disappeared in him I saw myself ascending from the Dome of the Rock, the
Bait ul-Maqdis, from which the Prophet ascended in the Night Journey. I saw
myself astride the same Buraq which carried the Prophet and I saw myself
carried up in a true vision, to the Station of Two Bow-lengths, where I
could see the Prophet but not myself. I felt myself to be a part of the
entirety of the Prophet. Through that Ascension I received the Realities
that the Prophet poured into my heart from what he had received on the Night
of Ascension... I heard a voice coming from the Divine Presence sayi!
ng, "Approach, O my servant, to My
Presence." As I approached through the Prophet, everything disappeared, even
the spiritual reality of the Prophet disappeared. Nothing existed except
Allah, Almighty and Exalted... Then I felt my uncle shaking my shoulder,
saying, 'O my son, it is time for Fajr prayer.'" (see biography below)>>
This is why the
Shuyukh said that the Salat is the Mi`raj of every Mu'min. May Allah send
blessings and peace on the Prophet and his Family and Companions, and on
those fortunate beings - our Shuyukh - raised to such lofty God-given
states. There are plenty more of such descriptions in classical Naqshbandi
literature.
<<8. NAQSHABANDI'S REACHING THE LEVEL OF THE
PROPHET (S)
<<Nazim says: "The
Naqshabandi Order teaches the very highest good manners, manners which make
its followers lovely to their Lord and to all good people. It gives them
subtle and exact perception which enables them to arrive at the very essence
of any matter; that is the level of the Holy Prophet himself." (Nazim, Mercy
Oceans' Endless Horizons, pp.85-86).>>
The verse of
company with the Nabiyyin, Siddiqin, Shuhada, and Salihin is
not to say that one has "reached their level" but that one shares it. Allah
Most High gives His favor to whomever He wills. Whoever gives thanks, gives
thanks for himself, and whoever disbelieves, then Allah is in no need of
him.
<<9. MANKIND IS UNCREATED
<<Nazim says:
<<"Allah Almighty is
greatest. He is timeless, ever ready, without beginning. He is king. And yet
you cannot find a king without a kingdom. Without subjects his kingship has
no meaning. Just as there can be no meaning for a prophet without an ummah
(nation). Therefore, Allah was ready without beginning, and his servants
also were ready without beginning. If there were no people, to whom was He
Allah? Was it to Himself? No! A hadith relates: 'I was a secret treasure and
wanted to be known.' His people were part of this treasure... When people
come to this world, they have the appearance of beginning, but in reality
they were with Allah always, without beginning." (Nazim, Mercy Oceans: 1980,
p.13)>>
The Sunni books of
`Aqida ask: Are the Divine Attributes of act without beginning? (I.e.
creating, giving, withholding, istiwa’, etc.) The Maturidis said yes, the
Ash`aris no (cf. al-Qari in Sharh al-Amali, commentary on line 6). Mawlana
al-Shaykh Nazim in the above phrase "you cannot find a king without a
kingdom" refers to the Maturidi position. However, there is a problem with
the subsequent words reported from him because there seems to be a missing
ending.
First the difference of opinion in the `Aqida issue:
the Ash`ari position might be misinterpreted to mean that some Divine
Attributes are created, which is impossible, while one wrong implication of
the Maturidi position is that the created objects associated with these
beginningless Divine acts, such as creation, human beings, the Throne, etc.
are themselves also without beginning. This also is not true. They are
created and distinct from the uncreated Divine Attributes.
In reality, said the Ulema, there is no disagreement as long as the right
phrasing is that these Attributes are "beginninglessly potential" (saluhi
qadeem) and "accomplishing in time" (haadith tanjeezi).
Hence the Maturidis said: "the Attributes are neither the Essence nor
different from it" which terms everything OTHER than the Attributes (meaning
also other than Allah Himself) as created without the shadow of a doubt and
never to be described as "without beginning." Therefore, I tend to think
that the above excerpt is an incomplete argument that Mawlana is citing only
as a flashy preamble to a clarification that was left out, either from the
quotation, or from the original American/European transcript that was
published as _Mercy Oceans_. And Allah knows best.
<<What Nazim cites here
as a hadith (see also Kabbani, Mercy Oceans Shore of Safety, p.23), namely,
"I was a secret treasure and wanted to be known...", is not at all from the
words of the Prophet (s) as ibn Hajr, az-Zarkashee and as-Suyuti confirmed
centuries ago. Ali al-Qari al-Hanafi includes it in his collection of
fabrications (al-Asrar al-Marfu'a, #353) and says its meaning is correct
based on Qur'an 51:56 but he was opposed by Muhammad as-Sabagh in his
footnotes to the same work. Al-Ijluni adds: "This saying occurs often in the
words of the Sufis who have relied on it and built upon it some of their
principles." (Kashf al-Khafa, #2016).>>
Al-Qari is a Mujaddid
and an accomplished authority in more than one of the sciences of the
Shari`a including hadith. To place stock in in an unknown student’s
critique of an established master is to place the cart before the ox: you
will get nowhere. In fact, al-Qari uses the very same hadith to prove a
point in his Sharh al-Fiqh al-Akbar. One who complains that the Sufi
Masters use weak hadiths should once again understand that the purpose of
tasawwuf is improvement of the soul and its style does not necessarily
comply with the strictures of hadith transmission. Otherwise, go and
critique every single Qutb ever known, including al-Junayd, al-Rifa`i, and
so forth – but leave us out of this satanic delusion.
<<Nazim goes on to say on p.82 of the
same book:
<<"A disciple commented, 'You gave us a good lesson, Maulana, when you told
us that there is no king without a kingdom, no prophet without an ummah, no
creator without creatures. Allah is uncreated, and servants are also
uncreated. But when we come to this life, we forget.' 'Yes', replied the
Shaykh. 'It is enough. You cannot go too deep without sinking!'"
<<Mankind is
uncreated? Without subjects Allah's kingship "has no meaning"?>>
The "Yes" of
the Shaykh refers to the very last phrase, which is essentially Qur’anic,
while his warning that "you cannot go too deep without sinking" refers
all-too-gently to the inanity of the phrase "servants are also uncreated,"
which is the soul of contradiction, like saying "self-made ant."
<<10. ULAMA DON'T HAVE ANYTHING
<<Well, according to Kabbani they don't: "In Montreal, Muslims are now taking their names out of directories, because tablighi people come knocking at their doors! Ulama like to run after people to bring them to their classes because they don't have anything. But saints have everything and therefore come one time." (Kabbani, Mercy Oceans Shore of Safety, p.57)>>
No true Ulema run after
people to try to bring them to their classes, and "if the Ulema are not the
Awliya of Allah then Allah has no Awliya" (spoken by Abu Hanifa and al-Shafi‘i).
So Shaykh Hisham must have been speaking of empty Ulema, just as there are
fasle claimants to wilaya, false claimants to Sunnism, false claimants to
Sufism, false claimants to Ash‘arism, and so forth.
<<11. GF HADDAD AND HADITH
<<Haddad unashamedly passes over hadith
fabrications in Kabbani's works, yet attacks with a vengeance any hadith
that might support an opponent's point of view.>>
It should be easy to provide examples – if the above were true...
<<But why does he even bother to ascertain the authenticity or weakness of
any hadith ascribed to the Prophet (s)? His teacher, Nazim, has already
declared that:
<<"If a trustworthy Alim says or writes in a book that such and such is a
hadith, you must believe... If you find any learned man in whom your heart
believes and trusts, you must believe any hadiths he tells you. This is the
way of students and also of common people. But Awliya, to whom Allah
Almighty has given light, are different... when Awliya are reading, they may
see those hadiths which are exact, shining from the page. They are the words
of the Prophet (peace be upon him), coming with light, filled with light.
When a man can see this, he is not in need for the opinions of another as to
which hadith is strong and which is weak. So many Alims are denying this or
that hadith while Awliya say that those hadiths are all right... Also, if
any book has hadiths from the Prophet (peace be upon him), we accept it out
of respect for the Prophet (peace be upon him). If it is an incorrect
hadith, there is no responsibility for us if we accept it. This is a high
adab, or good manner!
s. If someone says, 'This is a hadith', we believe it out of respect to our
Prophet (peace be upon him)." (Nazim, Mercy Oceans, p.117).>>
The same rule can be
found under the pen of great Muhaddiths such as `Abd al-Haqq al-Dihlawi and
the Mujaddid `Abd al-Hay al-Lacknawi.
<<The approach that
Haddad's teacher outlines is devoid of any objective reasoning and reduces
hadith science to personal whims, having no principles and reference points.
Why, when defending his own and his teacher's creed, does Haddad highlight
that his adversaries have used weak or fabricated hadith or that their
chains contain discredited narrators? By his teacher's own standards Haddad
is not respecting the Prophet (s) if he questions the validity of any
hadith, since even if the hadith happens to be incorrect it should still be
believed and accepted.>>
Kashf is whim only
to those that are still in Jahiliyya with respect to many, many aspects of
the Sharia. As for pointing out weak hadiths, we did and we do even if we
put them in practice nevertheless, such as kissing thumb-nails during adhan
or using salt before or after meals: both hadiths being forgeries,
nevertheless, if the Sufi Masters recommend it it does not mean it becomes
binding on all. As Mawlana said, it is a matter of individual inspiration.
As a matter of fact this is literally what `Abd al-Rahman ibn Mahdi and Ibn
Hajar al-`Asqalani said about the top levels of hadith Mastership.
<<12. THE 'GOLDEN' NAQSHBANDI CHAIN
<<This is the chain of shaykhs through which the Naqshbandi secrets and
tariqat have supposedly been handed down from one generation to the next. It
is often mentioned at the back of most of Nazim's books and can also be seen
at the naqshbandi.org site.
<<The chain is actually broken in at
least two places. Jafar as-Sadiq is listed as the 5th shaykh in the chain.
We are told that he lived between 83-148 A.H. and that he "passed on the
Secret of the Golden Chain to his successor, Tayfur Abu Yazid al-Bistami."
The naqshbandi.org site mentions that Abu Yazid al-Bistami was "over seventy
years old" when he died in 261 A.H. (actually, from al-Bistami's statement
at the end of his biography it is clear that he was 74 years of age when he
died). This means that al-Bistami wasn't born until around 187 A.H., some 39
years after Jafar as-Sadiq had already passed away.
<<The other break relates to al-Bistami's successor, Abul Hassan al-Kharqani.
We are told that the "secret of the Golden Chain was passed from Bayazid
al-Bistami to Abul Hassan al-Kharqani". Al-Kharqani died in 425 A.H. and we
have already seen that al-Bistami died in 261 A.H. Their dates of death are
therefore separated by 164 years. It is impossible that al-Kharqani
physically met al-Bistami unless al-Kharqani himself lived for over 164
years.
There is near
consensus among the hadith Masters that al-Hasan al-Basri never heard any
hadith directly from `Ali (ra), much less took the Sufi cloak (khirqa) from
him. Yet the chain of all the major Sufi paths claim this link, such as the
Shadhili, Rifa`i, Qadiri, and others. Al-Sakhawi said: "This chain is
broken, but I narrate it for its baraka." His teacher Ibn Hajar, his
colleague al-Suyuti, the latter’s student al-Haytami, were all Shadhilis.
Al-Dhahabi was Suhrawardi. Ibn Taymiyya was Qadiri. They boasted of these
affiliations although they knew that in external terms they were
broken-chained.
<<The Naqshbandi's attempt to gloss over
these defects by suggesting that the secrets were passed on beyond the grave
in the the world of spirits.>>
When I was in Morocco I
asked the Shadhili Shaykh Sidi Mustafa Basir about Shaykh Ahmad al-Ghumari’s
book al-Burhan al-Jali on the nisba (affiliation) of all Sufi
Tariqas to `Ali ibn Abi Talib and the Manaqib of `Ali –
RadiyAllahu `anh – in which al-Ghumari claimed that the Naqshbandi chain
is broken because it contains three spiritual "Uwaysi" links, and
that it is impossible that al-Qasim ibn Muhammad, for example, can receive
khilafa from Salman since the latter died when al-Qasim was only five
years old. Sidi Mustafa replied: "There are Awliya who received their
khilafa in the womb of their mothers."
I heard from Dr. Samer al-Nass that the late Shaykh Ahmad Harun of Damascus
received his spiritual khilafa from a man who had died hours before
and whom he temporarily resuscitated, with the grace of Allah, because he
had arrived too late to meet him when he was still alive.
<<The Naqshbandi tariqat
gets its name from the 17th shaykh in the chain, Muhammad Baha'uddin Shah
Naqshband. According to the naqshbandi.org site he died 791 A.H., yet his
successor, Ala'uddin al-Bukhari al-Attar, apparently wasn't born until 18th
of Rajab, in the year 802 A.H. Even more confusing is that the sites gives
al-Attar's date of death as "20th of Rajab, 802 A.H." a mere two days after
his birth. No doubt this is an oversight.
<<See the chain here
http://www.naqshbandi.org/chain/names.htm>>
`Ala’ al-Din
undoubtedly met Shah Naqshband as an adult and took from him.
<<13. NAZIM CLAIMS TO RECEIVE SPIRITUAL
TRANSMISSION FROM ALLAH, VIA THE PROPHET (S) AND HIS GRANDSHEIKH
<<On one occasion, Nazim claimed: "I was intending to speak on a different
subject altogether but this lecture came instead. This is proof that i don't
speak as i would like to but as inspiration comes to me from Allah by means
of spiritual transmission. He Almighty instructs His Prophet, the Prophet
instructs Grandsheikh and Grandsheikh relays the message to me - even now
from the other world. Yes, my Grandsheikh directed me to deliver such a talk
and it contains what is not to be found in books. It is 'new news'." (Nazim,
Mercy Oceans' Endless Horizons, p.91)
<<Elsewhere, Nazim writes: "Now i shall
speak, God willing, as my Grandsheikh inspires me to speak upon this topic;
and he and his Grandsheikh bring me these inspirations from the heart of the
Prophet..." (ibid, pp.33-345)>>
Imam Ibn `Abd al-Salam
said of the discourses of Ibn `Ata’ Allah: "This kind of speech is fresh
from Allah," and he termed his Hikam as "Revelation similar to Qur’an if it
were allowed to say such a thing." Imam al-Nawawi in Bustan al-`Arifin said
that no human speech other than the words of the Prophet (saws) was more
deserving of being called hadith than the speech of Abu Yazid al-Bistami.
<<If Kabbani's and Haddad's teacher's
lectures are directly inspired by Allah through the "heart of the Prophet"
does this mean that Kabbani and his ilk are beyond reproach?>>
What is next,
Imamiyya infallibility? This is the kind of imprudent conclusion that only a
feeble mind can settle upon – or one thoroughly infected with ill will.
<< Apparently so, since Nazim wants from
his followers that: "... the Murid shall put his belief in the one who is
his Shaikh and Guide, and should proceed as indicated by him. The Murid may
not ask his Shaikh any question referring to anything which he may order him
to do." (The Naqshabandi Way: A Guidebook for Spiritual Progress [Preface
and Commentaries by Sheikh Nazim] 2nd Edition, p.19).>>
This is
standard Sufi practice from the earliest time as any familiarity with the
Risala Qushayriyya or the Ghunya of Shaykh `Abd al-Qadir would show.
<<14. BEING ABLE TO CONTROL THE SPIRITS OF THEIR
FOLLOWERS
<<Kabbani wrote concerning Nazim:
"Mawlana Sheikh Nazim can control you from where he likes because he
received custody of your spirit when you took initiation from him." (Kabbani,
Mercy Oceans Shore of Safety, p.113). >>
Shah Naqshband
said that in the Naqshbandi Tariqa the Shaykh has to know the states of his
Murid in the three times: past, future, and present, otherwise he is not
qualified to be his Shaykh. Further, he said, "Whoever is connected to our
friendship, we know of his states wheresoever he is and he must receive our
assistance as long as he keeps the path of imdad clean of worldly
attachments and filth." This is found in most of his biographies by the
Shuyukh of the past, notably those of the Syrian and Daghistani branches
apart from the branch of Mawlana al-Shaykh Nazim, Allah be well-pleased with
him.
<<15. HOW TO GET HOLY PEOPLE TO VISIT YOU
<<Nazim teaches: "You may take a shower.
Then pray 2 rakats, clear your heart and ask for the presence of a holy
person. If you do this excercise for 40 days, one of them must reach to you.
Don't be afraid if they touch you!" (Nazim, Star from Heaven, pp.41-42)>>
In the same
way, keep disparaging the Awliya and you will get the devils and jinns to
visit you, and be afraid when they touch you.
<<16. SEEKING SUPPORT FROM KABBANI'S AND NAZIM'S
TEACHER
<<Nazim wrote: "May He
Almighty cause us to benefit from Grandsheikh's blessings and teachings, and
from his spiritual care for us even from his grave. We derive our spiritual
power from his heart center. If he cuts us off we are stranded. Every breath
that our Grandsheikh turns towards us from his spiritual breaths is like a
warm breeze which blows on the bare branches of trees, causing buds and
blossoms to burst forth... Therefore, we seek our Grandsheikh's support by
saying: 'Meded Ya Sayyidi, Support, oh my Master.' You must call upon your
Grandsheikh in such a manner when you are in need of support, then that
support may reach to you. The more you feel yourself to be weak and in need
of support, the more support he will extend to you." (Nazim, Mercy Oceans
Divine Sources, pp.9-10)>>
Similarly, Imam Ahmad
al-Rifa`i in his Hikam said : "Whoever approaches people with pride
and arrogance will be stranded and rejected ; whoever approaches them with a
broken spirit will receive every good from them." From our connection to the
Awliya we hope for every good and learn adab to this effect. This
connection is in essence unaffected by their passing from life on earth to
life in barzakh.
<<17. CAN WE SEE INTO PEOPLE'S HEARTS? NAZIM:
'NO.' KABBANI: 'YES!'
<<Nazim was asked: "So do you think that the outside appearance is more
important than the condition of the heart?" He replied: "We are not
prophets, so we cannot look at what is going on inside, but we see the
outside and it does not make me happy..." (Nazim, Power Oceans of Light,
p.94)
<<Nazim rightly affirms
that humans are unable to see into people's hearts (though he makes an
exception for Prophets). This is contradicted by Kabbani: "There are
one-hundred and twenty-four thousand saints on this earth, running here and
there to look into people's hearts, to bring them back to God." (Kabbani,
Mercy Oceans Short of Safety, p.4)>>
Mawlana al-Shaykh Nazim
meant "we do not have a mandate" but when the mandate is given it is a
different matter. Al-Junayd was asked by a Christian about the meaning of
the hadith: "Beware the clear sight (firasa) of the believer, for he
sees with the light of Allah," whereupon al-Junayd said to him: "Say Shahada."
This is a clear example of God-given permission to look into the heart of a
fortunate other for his benefit and guidance.
<<18. SAINTS ARE THE SAME AS PROPHETS
<<In some specific instances, Kabbani and Nazim have placed Saints and
Prophets on the same level.
<<Saints, like Prophets, are able to speak about the future (Kabbani, Mercy
Oceans Short of Safety, p.25)
<<Only Saints and Prophets have "entered the ocean of knowledge of Allah
Almighty". (Kabbani, Mercy Oceans Short of Safety, p.89)
<<The Prophet Muhammad (s) said that he who saw him in a dream has in fact
seen him because Shaytan cannot assume the Prophet's (s) form (Bukhari). In
the same way, Nazim writes that: "The sheikh may give his orders by dreams,
as it is prohibited for jinns and devils to appear in the form of the
Prophet or the sheikh." (Nazim, Mercy Oceans Book 2, p.20)
<<Allah has prohibited
the earth from consuming the bodies of the Prophets (Abu Dawud, an-Nasa'i).
Likewise, says Nazim: "The earth is prohibited from devouring the bodies of
the Prophets and Saints." (Nazim, Mercy Oceans' Endless Horizons, p.134).
See also Kabbani's Mercy Oceans Shore of Safety (p.54).>>
Only simpletons
would derive from the above examples the conclusion that "Saints and
Prophets are the same."
<<19. PREDICTING FUTURE EVENTS, INCLUDING THE TIME
OF THE DAY OF JUDGEMENT
<<Nazim said on April 22nd 1978 in London: "Allah Almighty will send to each
camp a head, a leader. In our books we call one of them (one of such
leaders) Mahdi, who will lead man to Allah Almighty... Before this camping
will be a great war... The greatest war that history will witness will
ensue... These signs that have been given us indicate that the last day is
coming, is nearly exactly now. I don't know if this will happen today or
tomorrow, this month or next month, this year or perhaps the second year. We
shall witness that great event within two years." (Mercy Oceans: Serendib
Edition: Part One, pp. 18-19)
<<History was to prove otherwise. The
greatest war that mankind would witness, and during which the Mahdi would
appear, did not occur "within two years." >>
<<Some years later in 1986 in Cambridge, England,
Nazim said: "There must be a Great War between East and West... This year it
will not be because this year is not Hadj ul-Akbar.... We do not think that
they will be more than 40 years old. During the war Mahdi Alehi Salam will
come... In these next 2 years dangerous and big things are expected." (Nazim,
The Secrets Behind the Secrets, p. 142)
<<Nothing happened. Actually, Nazim believes the Mahdi has already been
born, sometime between 1930 and 1940 (ibid). That would already make him
between 62 and 72 years of age. Nazim tells us that he met the Mahdi some
years ago. The Mahdi, he says, presently resides in a "big, deep cave"
protected by jinn who electrocute to death anyone who approaches that cave
(ibid, p.132-133)
<<More dates were given years later. Nazim again said about the year in
which the War would occur: "It can come in 1996, or in 1997, or in 1998 or
in 1999. It will not wait for the year 2000." (Nazim, Secret Desires, p.116)
<<Later he sounded a little less certain and said: "Another world war will
maybe come before the 21st Century." (ibid, p.134)
<<When asked at which time Jesus (as) would come back, Nazim replied: "He
will come soon. In a few years. The year 2000 will not be completed. It is
impossible for the year 2000 to be completed. He will be with us before
then." (Nazim, The Secrets Behind the Secrets, p. 22)
<<Jesus did not come before the year 2000. Did he? Kabbani also draws
attention to the year 2000: "All saints now are waiting for the year two
thousand. The ones who have passed away knew that in two thousand some great
event would occur on this earth." (Kabbani, Mercy Oceans Shore of Safety,
p.11)
<<Finally, Nazim
predicted that the Day of Resurrection would occur in the 21st Century. He
categorically stated: "The Day of Resurrection will be in the 21st century."
(Nazim, Secret Desires, p.42 and p.83)>>
{And they say: When
(will) this promise (be fulfilled), if ye are truthful?}
{Would they (now) hasten on Our doom?}
<<CONCLUSION
<<Is there any
justification for the beliefs outlined above? Is this heterodoxy cloaked in
an ultra-thin orthodox garment? Ask the people of knowledge if you do not
know (Qur'an 16:43).>>
How is this
heterodoxy and how can an anonymous accusation be itself not heterodox in
the first place?
Wal-Hamdu lillah.
----------------
Bibliography
Kabbani, Mercy Oceans Shore of Safety. Haqqani Islamic Trust,
Michigan, USA, 1993
Kabbani, Islamic Beliefs & Doctrine According to Ahl al-Sunna Vol.1.
As-Sunna Foundation Publications, California, USA, 1997
Nazim, Mercy Oceans' Hidden Treasures (Teachings of Sultan ul-Awliya
Sheikh Abdullah ad-Daghistani An-Naqshbandi), no date or publisher given.
See here
http://www.naqshbandi.org/library/hidden/index.htm
Nazim, Mercy Oceans' Endless Horizons. Sebat Offset Printers, Konya,
Turkey, 1982
Nazim, Mercy Oceans. No publisher given, 1980
Nazim, Mercy Oceans (Book Two). Sebat Offset Printers, Konya, Turkey,
1980
The Naqshabandi Way: A Guidebook for Spiritual Progress (Preface and
Commentaries by Sheikh Nazim). Sebat Offset Printers, Konya, Turkey, 2nd
Edition, 1988
Nazim, Star from Heaven. Zero Productions, London, UK, 1996
Nazim, Mercy Oceans' Divine Sources. Sebat Offset Printers, Konya,
Turkey, 1984
Nazim, Power Oceans of Light. Zero Productions, London, UK, 1995
Nazim, Mercy Oceans: Serendib Edition, Part One. Arafat Publishing
House, Sri Lanka, 1987
Nazim, The Secrets Behind the Secrets Behind the Secrets. Duru Offset
Print, Berlin, Germany, 1987
Nazim, Secret Desires. Zero Productions, London, UK, 1996
Ali al-Qari al-Hanafi
(d. 1014 A.H.), Al-Asrar al-Marfu'a fi al-Akhbar al-Mawdu'a. Maktaba
al-Islami, Beirut, 1986
Al-Ijluni, Ismail ibn Muhammad,
Kashf al-Khafa (2 volumes in 1). Cairo, n.d.
Biographies
Grandsheikh, Abdullah ad-Daghestani
http://www.naqshbandi.org/chain/39.htm
Shaykh
Nazim al-Qubrusi
http://www.naqshbandi.org/chain/40.htm
Shaykh Hisham Kabbani
http://www.sunnah.org/about/shaykh_...ham_kabbani.htm
-- end quote and reply --
GF Haddad
Qasyoun@ziplip.com