Syrian scholar dismantles religious extremism

This post is to share with you an extract from a recent Friday sermon by veteran traditional scholar Muhammad Sa’eed Ramadhan Al Bouti at the historic Great Mosque of Damascus also known as the Umayyad Mosque. (جامع بنى امية الكبير )

Here is the video with English subtitles.

Translation:

“I Remind you, O servants of Allah ,  The Constitution of Islam is the book of God Almighty which was revealed to the Final Messenger , and our model in the implementation of this Constitution,  is the beloved prophet Muhammad (PBUH)   The practical application of the Constitution in the daily life is called Sharia. Consider these multiple sources.

The constitution of Islam, the Koran, which I never saw in it but warnings against fanaticism, extremism and criminal terrorism. It raised the prophet in the light of mercy and forgiveness.  The Book of Allah Almighty told His Messenger: (It is by God’s grace that you were gentle with them — for if you had been harsh and hard-hearted, they would surely have deserted you – so bear with them, pray for forgiveness for them and take counsel with them in the conduct of affairs.[Al-Imran: 159].

This direction to His Messenger is not specific to Muslims, but to all he has been sent to. Is it not the Book of Allah Almighty that laid down the scales of justice free from racial, prejudicial, or religious partialities?(Let not the hatred of others turns you away from justice; Deal justly; that is closer to piety) [Maa-ida: 8]

The book of God Almighty did defend a Jewish person with ten verses when he was accused of a theft charge  while he was innocent and the thief was a Muslim?! Those verses started with the following: [We have sent the Book down to you  with the truth so that you may judge  among mankind by means of what God has shown you. And do not be an advocate for the treacherous. Al Nisaa: 105].

This is the Constitution speaking.  If anyone fights against extremism and terrorism,  you cannot find in the whole world  and in the history of all times,  such as the Book of Allah Almighty fights against extremism and terrorism. And Muhammad the Lord raised him  in the light of mercy and forgiveness. Examine his life career from beginning to end,  You can find only just opposite to what the Book of Almighty is being accused. Didn’t  that polytheist Bedouin challenged the Messenger seizing the opportunity in the valley of full of trees on returning from a battle. Kicking foot, he wakes him up and says:  Who would save you from me, O Muhammad?  The prophet Replied quietly: “Allah”. The sword fell from the hands of the Bedouin and he sat scared and shaken. What did the Messenger ? Pardoned and calmed him down, the Bedouin returned to his people and said: “I have come to you from the best of mankind.” Muhammad is the Messenger of God,  who was brought up by the Almighty  in the light of mercy, forgiveness, moderation.

He is the one who treated all people as they are shown in public. , He did not penetrate into their private affairs; He did not keep secret eye on any one to turn a blind eye to their outward appearances.  There were many hypocrites in the city, how did the Messenger (PBUH) deal with them?   How did he treat the man who said on an occasion which I do not want to talk about its details:  “We and the robes of Quraish are like the saying:  Make your dog fat, it will eat you” By God If we return to al-Madina, the noble will surely expel the humble.” His son, a true Muslim, Abdullah ibn Ubay Bin Salool said: O Messenger of Allah I have heard that you want to eliminate my father because of his statements, if so, command me please I will come to you with his head.  Smiled the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and said,

‘No, we deal with him friendly on what happened between us “ When he died, and his son Abdullah sent to the Messenger,  begging for the shirt worn by the prophet (PBUH) to be shrouded by his father which he hoped  It will make things easier for him in the hereafter. The Messenger of Allah did send it.

Moreover when he was brought for funeral prayer, the Prophet (PBUH) stood to pray  while his companion Omar (R) whispered in his ear:  ‘O Messenger of Allah do you pray for a person who said so and so and did so and so’. The Messenger did not pay any attention to it, when Omar (RA) continued the prophet (PBUH) turned to him and said: Leave me Umar, Allah gave me choices. And I chose this (to pray for him,) The Messenger (PBUH) prayed for bin Ubayy ibn Salool.

This is our example after the Constitution, which I told you about, do you see in his whole life a smell of extremism or of terrorism, O servants of Allah?!Next Come and look at the biographies of the companions who lived in the shade of Islamic law that stems from Quran and Sunnah, How did they live their life? After the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) many groups emerged straying away from the way of the book of Allah Almighty, Juhamiyya, Murjia, Muathazila and others, listen well, O slaves of Allah and contemplate.  Do you find the companions call them unbelievers?! Do you find accusation of infidelity which blows these days here and there against those who went astray from Ahl Sunna Wal Jamaa?

We do not know – Even after a thorough study and analysis of the history – that the companions of the Messenger (PBUH) charged these groups with infidelity.  No, But we find forgiveness and tolerance Do you smell extremism or terrorism in the lives of the companions?  No. You cannot find it.  Consider biographies of their followers, look and examine, their approach has been aligned with

The constitution of Islam, the Quran, and the life of the beloved Messenger (PBUH), Look at the position of Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal – There are people who attribute the allegation to Imam Ahmad.  You know the story of ordeal that took place  on Imam Ahmad, when this ordeal took place in the age of Mutawakkil some of his disciples came and said to him: Sir, pray to God Against Ibn Abi Duat –  one of the Mu’tazilah who inflated the fire against Imam Imam Ahmad replied: What benefit you have in punishing your brother on the Day of Resurrection because of you? He raised his hands and prayed in favour of for Ibn Abi Daat, and all those who caused the plight that took place on him.

Servants of Allah: This is our Islam represented by its constitution and the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Do you find anything other than kindness, Just opposite to what Islam and Muslims are accused of?”

Terror turns up in Egypt , Pakistan Continues to suffer

Security forces in EGYPT have arrested two Salafis suspected of demolishing the shrines of revered Sufi figures in the Delta city of Qualiub. A group of Salafis on Wednesday demolished five shrines in the city, claiming that visiting shrines was an act of apostasy and against Islam. They also clashed with residents of the city who rushed to protect the shrines. The Islamic Research Academy on Thursday denounced the Salafis for demolishing the shrines and called the destruction a “criminal” act. http://www.almasryalyoum.com/en/node/381918
In Cairo, Abdel Hadi al-Qassabi, head of the Supreme Council for Sufi Orders, announced the fact-finding committee, while at the Hussein mosque hundreds of people surrounded the shrine inside, promising to lay their lives down to protect it.

Grand Mufti Ali Gomaa

Gomaa, meanwhile, praised a fatwa by the Islamic Research Complex which criminalized the destruction of shrines, saying such behavior destroys the unity of Muslims. http://www.almasryalyoum.com/en/node/383562

Youssef al-Qardavi too!!

The prominent Islamic scholar Youssef al-Qaradawi leveled severe criticism at Egypt’s Salafi movement, describing its thinking as both stagnant and extreme.
Al-Qaradawi added that the Salafi movement opposed the 25 January revolution and accused the revolutionary youth of deviating from Islam by disobeying authority. “Strangely enough, they now present themselves as the heroes of the revolution and its defenders,” he added. http://www.almasryalyoum.com/en/node/386155

Pakistan

In Pakistan Taliban continues to destroy Sufi shrines and slaughter innocent pilgrims with human bombs. They sanctify suicide, which is a deadly sin in Islam, as well as killings of hundreds and thousands of innocent civilians.
See BBC report:
Suicide attackers have killed at least 41 people and wounded many more at a shrine in Pakistan,  The explosions struck near the Sakhi Sarwar shrine in Punjab, as Sufi Muslim devotees gathered for an annual three-day festival. Sufis, a minority Muslim group who follow mystical beliefs, are regarded as heretical by hardliners. A Taliban fighter told reporters his group carried out the attack, the third on Sufi shrines in a year!!!!

Interestingly it continues:
“Sufism has been widely practised in Pakistan for hundreds of years – analysts saying it has a much bigger following than the hard-line Taliban version of Islam. Devotees perform singing and dancing and pray to saints (sic)who are honoured with numerous shrines. Their beliefs are considered un-Islamic by hardliners, who have targeted their shrines several times. Last October, a suicide bombing at a shrine in Punjab province left six people dead. And earlier in the year a suicide attack on a Lahore shrine killed at least 42 people, making it the most deadly such attack on record.    For decades, the government has also sought to suppress Sufism, and has put it under strict control.”

There were  blasts on a shrines one  in Punjab on 25/10/2010 and another in Lahore on 2/7/2010 as BBC reports.

Religion of Peace

It has been posted elsewhere in this blog on the terrorist version of Islam that stems from the deviated ideology of Wahabism. The term itself has been defined as an outfit promoting and practicing violent attack against all non-Wahabis, Muslim or non-Muslim.  The outfit unleashed, in its very beginning, bloody violent attacks on Traditional Muslims of Mecca and Medina and destroyed all historical and traditional structures in their Kingdom. Now No More is needed to be convinced of its terrorist nature with extreme deviation from the Religion Peace and the Messenger of Mercy.
Also see: a)“To My Fundamentalist Friend” b) Islam Vs Terrorism c) Suicide and Bombing

May Allah Save us All !

Heretics’ Tampering With Traditional Texts

Extinction of honesty counts one of the signs of the Last Day as The Holy Prophet (PBUH) precisely predicted. We can see all of His prophecies being realized and this is one of them. How sad to see people who are visibly pious and religious deceiving their followers and that is too in the name of Religion!?

Deviant sects are being caught tampering classic traditional books of great scholars because these texts reject their made-up ideologies. They have tried to destroy the history as their new innovations cannot stand up in the presence of those historical evidences. The worst example is that occurred in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia during Wahabi onslaught.

Recently I have been asked about Imam Nawawis (R) stand on constructing and maintaining structures upon the graves of prophets and saints. I went through his famous book Rawdha Talibeen through an e-library called Makthbah Shamilah which offers thousands of classic books and is widely used by students.  I was shocked to see the sentence has been tampered with. I went online to get the correct version, but to be shocked again to see it distorted. Praise to Almighty Allah as I continued my search until I found the exact text.

What is striking is the divine dignity of Imam Nawawi (R). Those deceivers could not erase the sentence altogether but left behind crystal clear traces to inform the reader of a mischievous deletion! Subhan Allah. See the links and compare with the image below:

1. http://www.al-eman.com/Islamlib/viewchp.asp?BID=162&CID=62#s3
2. http://islamport.com/d/2/shf/1/26/1782.html?zoom_highlightsub=%DE%C8%E6%D1+%C7%E1%CA%C8%D1%DF+%C8%E5%C7+%DD%D1%DA+%ED%CC%E6%D2+%E1%E6%D5%ED (2/339)

 But it was very upsetting and shocking for me to be convinced of the widening deception  and distortion in religious texts. My simple search yielded horrible results.  Many books of Imam Nawawi (R)  has been attacked including Al Adhkar where he asks to seek prophet’s intercession upon visiting His Rawdha in Madina . (See the image below that contains the confession from Wahabi scholars of altering and deleting Imam Nawawis (R) Texts!)

Click

Great works of other scholars’ like Bin Abideen Al Hanfi, Abu Hayyan Nahwi and Imam Allama Swavi(R) have also been played with. It is in additional to the misinterpretations, mistranslations and badly informed notes on hundreds of traditional religious texts.

It is interesting to know that these people have tampered with the texts of even Ibnu Thaimiyya when he comes against their extremist views; it is done in case they failed to keep them in the hideouts as they have done with some other books. His well-known fatwa of Mardin which is used by terrorists to kill innocent people is considered to be a tampered text otherwise a writing error. See http://www.mardin-fatwa.com
So I just want my friends to be well aware of this danger not to be fooled by those heretical fanatics. May Almighty Allah save us all!

Related  links:  1. Wikipedia 2. N.Keller 3.Maktoobblob

“YOU & I-To my `Fundamentalist’ Friends

Wonderful contrast between  traditional Sufis  and Muslim extremists
– A  poetic perception.

You want to speak of War
I want to speak of Peace.

You say Punish
I say Forgive

You speak of God’s Wrath
I speak of His Mercy

Your Quran is a Weapon
My Quran is a Gift

You speak of the Muslim brotherhood
I speak of the brotherhood of Man

You like to Warn others
I like to Welcome them

You like to speak of Hell
I like to speak of Heaven.

You talk of Lamentation
I talk of Celebration.

You worship the Law
I worship the Divine.

You want Silence
I want Music*

You want Death
I want Life

You speak of Power
I speak of Love.

You search out Evil
I warm to the Good

You dream of the Sword
I sing of the Rose petal

You say the world is a Desert
I say the world is a Garden

You prefer the Plain
I prefer the Adorned

You want to Destroy
I want to Build

You want to go Back
I want to move Forward

You are busy Denying
I am busy Affirming

Yet there might be one thing
on which we see eye to eye

You want Justice
So do I.

Mahmood Jamal

* See this Comment

Burdah (The Cloak): World’s Most Popular Single Poem

I personally feel overwhelmingly obliged to the Great Lover Imam Sharafudheen Muhammed Al Busiri for providing me his marvelous words in praising our Beloved Messenger (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). I can never pay off his charity of that single day when I was  reading those piercing lines of sublime love in the vicinity of the most sacred place in the universe, i.e. in front of our Master, the Messenger Of Allah(Peace and Blessings be upon Him). Can we pen down a single line, worthier or dearer than those sacred lines, even if we spend all of our life span?? Never! O’ Great Imam Al Busiri!!, May Allah reward you with the best of rewards. May Allah join us with our Beloved Master. Ameen

I would like here to quote  a famous western Islamic scholar Mr. Timothy J. Winter (Abdal Hakim Murad),Cambridge University, UK , as he says “what we are dealing with is very probably the most influential and the most popular single poem in the history of any language. There simply is no other text from ancient or recent times that has been done in so many languages, not just for some rarefied literary elite but for the people…”

It has been recited all over the Muslim world for centuries and get carved on mosques even in the Holy Mosque of the Prophet(Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) in Medina.
Here is an introduction for “The Burda” Sung by Fez Singers of Morocco and released  by Sandala Filims in the United States, with the translation of  noted American scholar Sheikh  Hamza Yusuf ; A documentary really   worthy to watch !

Another passage on the poem reads “Qasida Burdah as a poem has had a unique history. Even in the poet’s lifetime it was already regarded as sacred. Over 90 commentaries have been written on this poem by many of the foremost scholars and imams of Islam, including Ibn Hajar, Mulla Ali al-Qari, Ibn Allan, Bajuri, and others. It has been translated into Persian, Urdu, Turkish, Berber, Punjabi, English, French, German, Sindhi, Dutch and other languages. The poem is memorized and recited in congregations, and its verses decorate the walls of public buildings and mosques. From coasts of Senegal to the Philippines, from Russia to South Africa, everywhere Qasida Burdah is recited as a token of love for the Prophet and to ask for blessings.”

Mean while we see people who cannot enjoy the beauty of the poem dare labeling it UnIslamic. What a Pity! We can’t but feel sympathy and pray for them to recover from their hapless state.

Somali Sufi group joins government to fight al-Shabab- BBC News

Government forces only control a small part of the capital, Mogadishu

A powerful Sufi Muslim group has joined Somalia’s government to tackle the al-Qaeda-inspired al-Shabab insurgents who control large parts of the country.

The deal, signed at the African Union headquarters in Ethiopia, is seen as a significant military boost for the beleaguered UN-backed government.

The Ahlu Sunna Wal Jamaa group controls several areas in central Somalia, where it has been fighting al-Shabab.

AU head Jean Ping welcomed the deal as a historic opportunity for peace.

He urged al-Shabab to lay down its weapons.

Rage at grave desecration

Al-Shabab and its allies control much of southern Somalia, while the government, backed by AU peacekeepers, controls only a few parts of the capital, Mogadishu.

“We have agreed to share power,” said Somali Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke at the signing ceremony.

Under the deal, Ahlu Sunna will be given five ministries and its forces will be incorporated into the government’s security structures.

Ahlu Sunna and al-Shabab have very different interpretations of Islam.

However, some Ahlu Sunna factions have opposed the deal.

– BBC

Don’t Excuse; No Confusion!

Almighty Allah unequivocally announces in the Holy Quran that “Verily, the Right Path has become distinct from the wrong path”(2 -256). So differences of opinion in the Muslim Ummah do not excuse any confusion in finding the right path. All measures have been taken to ensure that a sincere truth seeker does not go astray. This has been already discussed in some of my past posts and here I would like to put down some additional support with unquestionably authentic Hadiths.
A Muslim cannot distrust his Creator while he says in the Holy Quran. “He (Muhammad  (صلى الله عليه وسلم)  is anxious over you (to be rightly guided, to be saved from the punishment of the Hell-fire). For the believers (he is) full of pity, kind, and merciful.(9-128)

A Hadith reported By Imam Bukhari and Narrated By ‘Uqba bin ‘Amir (RA) reads: One day the Prophet(صلى الله عليه وسلم)  went out and offered the funeral prayers of the martyrs of Uhud and then went up the pulpit and said, “I will pave the way for you as your predecessor and will be a witness on you. By Allah! I see my Fount (Kauthar) just now and I have been given the keys of all the treasures of the earth (or the keys of the earth). By Allah! I am not afraid that you will worship others along with Allah after my death, but I am afraid that you will fight with one another for the worldly things.”

Today if some body comes to warn you about being Polytheistic when u call your beloved prophet” Oh My Prophet” and says that the whole Ummah except a few are polytheists and that the prophets said so because he didn’t know that, can you believe him? Do these urchins know better than the prophet and are they more anxious over Muslim Ummah than the Prophet himself!!? NEVER .

What else a Muslim Needs? Wiping out any possible confusion that might emerge in the final stages of his ummah, the Messenger strictly warned about these guys in another Hadith Reported By Imam Muslim and Narrated By Abu Huraira (RA). The Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said: “there will be a group of people in the end of the days who will bring you views that neither you nor your forefathers ever heard of. So be warned and let them be warned. Allow them not to misguide you and cause Fitna (i.e. in your hearts)”

The new ideology claims that the Muslim Ummah was in utter darkness, ignorance and full of polytheism especially in Makkah and Medina until their leader comes with his ‘revolutionary’ ideas. Here we see our dearest prophet very specifically warning against this fellow. Glory to the God! and Peace and Blessing to The Messenger!

The Hadith is also Reported By Imam Bukhari and Narrated By Ibn ‘Umar (RA):The Prophet said, “O Allah! Bestow Your blessings on our Sham! O Allah! Bestow Your blessings on our Yemen.” The People said, “And also on our Najd.” He said, “O Allah! Bestow Your blessings on our Sham (north)! O Allah! Bestow Your blessings on our Yemen.” The people said, “O Allah’s Apostle! And also on our Najd.” I think the third time the Prophet said, “There (in Najd) is the place of earthquakes and afflictions and from there comes out the side of the head of Satan.”

(See what Encyclopedia Britannica has to say on Najd http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/401967/Najd)

There are also many authentic Hadiths which refute their wild ideology downright. The Most Beloved Said: Satan is hopeless of idols being worshipped in The Arabian peninsula. While the history shows us the Wahabee terrorists destroying the shrines of the prophet’s companions and other pious people labelled as idols. Even the Blessed Green Dome is not left out from this heinous allegation and they are waiting for the right time. Poor guys! They think the God turned down the prophet’s humble supplication for his shrine not to be worshipped and so they are undertaking that responsibility instead of Almighty Allah! God forbid!

Our Beloved Messenger has made things very clear, and now It is upon you to decide for yourself,

O! Our beloved Prophet, we bear witness that You have conveyed the whole Message, and it is well communicated, You have fulfilled the trust bestowed upon You and it is well performed. And You have struggled for the sake of Allah the true Jihad, and you left us in the clearest path where the night is as bright as the day. So May Allah reward you the best of Rewards and bless us with Your Most Glorious Companionship. Ameen

NAJD=IRAQ ? Maps prove this equation wrong!!!See Cooments:

On Difference!

Recently my friend posed some questions pertaining to the difference of opinions amongst the religious sects and the difficulties he faces in making the decision to be with the right people. I felt great respect when he asked me about the minimum set of belief that is needed to escape from the hellfire. While struggling to keep his way of life untainted with the culture he lives in, these differences of opinion inside the religion brought to him a kind of confusion.

Every known school of thought seemed to be biased while claiming that the ultimate truth is with them and every individual is biased to what he think as the Truth.

Should we be afraid of being biased while the truth itself is biased?

Impartiality is important and necessary for one who does not know the truth. Therefore, to find the truth we have to get a stand equally distant from and near to every party involved. But once we achieved the truth we should never lose it.

Thanks to Almighty Allah, The Holy Quran does not allow an honest truth seeker to be confused, In the First Chapter Sura Al Fatiha Vese No 7 , Allah explains clearly the Right Path as the path of the best people.

صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنعَمتَ عَلَيهِمْ غَيرِ المَغضُوبِ عَلَيهِمْ وَلاَ الضَّالِّينَ

“The path of those upon whom Thou hast bestowed favors, Not [the path] of those upon whom Thy wrath is brought down, nor of those who go astray”

If you just look around you and a bit more behind in the history you can easily see that these differences are innovations and The Great personalities of this Religion standing up as Light-houses for the whole humanity. The Holy Quran says:

وَقُلْ جَاء الْحَقُّ وَزَهَقَ الْبَاطِلُ إِنَّ الْبَاطِلَ كَانَ زَهُوقًا

And say: The truth has come and the falsehood has vanished; surely falsehood is a vanishing [thing].