Taking Lesson from the Mi’raj – Advice for The leaders of the Ummah
Taking Lesson from the Mi’raj – Advice for the leaders of the Ummah by Hazrat Maulana Yunus Patel Saheb (rahmatullah alayh) In the Seerah of Rasulullah (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam), we read about the beautiful experience and miraculous journey of the Mi’raj. The journey from Makkah Shareef to Baitul Muqqaddas (Jerusalem) is known as Isra, and the miraculous journey to the seven heavens and beyond is known as the Mi’raj. Whilst every aspect of the Isra and Mi’raj offers great lessons, there is a lesson that comes to mind, considering these times that we live in and the responsibilities and the trust that devolves upon those who have the knowledge of Deen, and who are in a position where they are able to influence the people. Our respected Muhadditheen have quoted Ahadith wherein Rasulullah (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam) related that during this journey, he (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam) was offered wine and milk to drink. Some say that this was at Masjid-al-Aqsa, and others say it was in the heavens, near Sidratul Muntaha. When Rasulullah (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam) accepted the milk, Jibreel (alaihis salaam) said: “You have adopted that which is Al-Fitrah [1]. Had you taken the wine, your Ummah would have certainly gone astray.” [2] Allah Ta’ala blessed Rasulullah (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam) with a disposition that was pure and unadulterated, and thus he (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam) inclined to what is good and pure. Milk is pure and nourishing. Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi (rahmatullahi ‘alayh) explained that like how milk provides nourishment and serves as a food and drink, similarly, the Deen of Islam offers complete spiritual nourishment. Rasulullah (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam) is Sayyidul Ambiyaa [3], Khaatamun Nabiyyeen [4] and Imamul Muttaqeen [5]. If he (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam) had chosen the wine, then Jibreel (alaihis salaam) had said, it would have had such an influence – such a great effect – on the entire Ummah, that the Ummah would have gone astray. ♦ There is a great lesson in this incident for those who are known as scholars, for those who preach, for those who sit on the Mimbars, and for people like myself who give Bayaans, Wa’az and Nasihah. A lot depends on such people. In whichever direction they go, the Ummah will follow. There will be a large following in whichever direction such people go. If a scholar goes in the right direction, there will be a following in that direction, and if he goes in the wrong direction, then too, there will be a following in the wrong direction. Mufti Muhammad Aashiq-e-Ilaahi Bulandshahri (rahmatullahi ‘alayh) had said: “This statement of Jibreel (alaihis Salaam) makes evident that the character and deeds of a leader have a direct impact on his followers.” It is not that everyone in the Ummah will just naturally and instinctively follow the Haq (truth). If that were the case, we would not find so many people in the Ummah of Rasulullah (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam) following nafs and Shaytaan. Are we not following nafs and Shaytaan in our lives? How often do we place our own desires before the pleasure of Allah Ta’ala? So many engage in sins recklessly – as if sins are the aim and objective of this worldly life (na’uzu billah). Whether Haq or Baatil, there will be followers. Look at Shaytaan! He too has a following! The Scholars are supposed to be the leaders of the Ummah of Rasulullah (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam). They are assigned with the great trust and immense responsibility of conveying this message of Deen and Haq. They are to show us the direction towards Jannah and lead us in that direction – by practically implementing the commandments of Allah Ta’ala and keeping clear of all the prohibitions of Allah Ta’ala. Now, if the scholars are going to go in the direction of Jahannum, then there will be many people who will follow them and who will say to Allah Ta’ala on the Day of Judgment: “Maulana Saheb, Qari Saheb, Mufti Saheb, Haji Saheb, Tablighi Saheb, Khanqah Saheb – and all these people of Deen, were showing us the direction to Jahannum. They were our leaders and we followed them” —but this will not be an excuse. We, who are categorised as scholars, should keep in mind the Hadith wherein Rasulullah (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam) said: “Whoever initiates a good practice in Islam and is emulated by others in doing so, will get the reward of it and the reward of all those who act upon it, without their rewards being diminished in any respect. And whosoever initiates an evil practice in Islam and is emulated by others, will bear the sin of it, and the sin of all those who act on it without their burden being diminished in the least.”[6] One of the outstanding qualities of one who has knowledge is his fear of Allah Ta’ala: “…It is only those who have knowledge among his slaves that fear Allah…” [Surah Fatir 35: 28] If a person has much knowledge, but there is no obedience to Allah Ta’ala, and there is an absence of the fear of Allah Ta’ala, he will not be categorised amongst the ‘Ulama or Ahle-Ilm. If the Scholars give leeway with respect to any of the Muharramaat (prohibitions), there is no doubt that the Ummah will very freely move in the direction of sins. And this is what we find happening today. Mufti Rasheed Ahmad Saheb Ludhyaanwi (rahmatullahi Alaih) explained that when the people of learning set a wrong precedent, the consequences are very severe: 1) Accountability before Allah Ta’ala will be harsher. 2) The wrongdoing by the scholars emboldens the masses to engage in sin. 3) The masses will consider sin as permissible. Our Akaabir always considered that their actions must not affect the Deen in any way. They were very particular about their actions. They looked at the bigger picture and did not compromise on Deen. As scholars, there has to be a
Islamic Law
Islamic Law by Hazrat Maulana Yunus Patel Saheb (rahmatullah ‘alayh) We want Islamic law to conform to our liking, so much so that we will find some Fatwa (Islamic ruling) to justify our actions. The ordinary laymen, and so too, many who are highly qualified in the secular field, read the Qur’an Sharif and authentic Hadith kitabs [1] such as Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim and find some Ayah (verse) or Hadeeth to justify their actions. The Ayah or Hadith is often taken out of context and expounded to justify grave and major sins. Each Ayah and Hadith has an explanation and commentary. If there was no need for explanations, we would not have had Allama Sayyid Mahmud Baghdadi (rahmatullah ‘alayh), Ibn Kathir (rahmatullah alayh) and other Mufassirin (commentators of the Qur`an Sharif), or Hafez Asqalani(rahmatullah ‘alayh), Mulla Ali Qari (rahmatullah ‘alayh) and other Muhaddithin [2] writing volumes in commentary. Therefore, just reading and presenting an Ayah from the Qur’an Shareef or a Hadeeth from a kitaab is insufficient to justify one’s actions. Although there are so many law books and medical journals at the disposal of the layman, not everyone is qualified to understand, explain, and interpret these. One has to spend many years studying and researching under one already qualified in law, medicine, etc. before one can do so. If some quack has to give a wrong opinion or an incorrect diagnosis, he would be sued for malpractice. In the field of Ifta [3], only those qualified in the science of Qur’an and Hadith may issue verdicts. No matter how many certificates, degrees and other qualifications and titles a person may have acquired in the secular field, these do not give him (or her) the license and authority to issue Fatwas (rulings) in the sphere of religion. Then there are so many who have a superficial knowledge of just the Arabic language, but they consider themselves qualified to interpret the Qur’an Sharif and Ahadith. The Sahabah (radiyallahu’ anhum), who were perfectly acquainted and well-versed in the Arabic language, were still required to formally learn the Qur’an Sharif from Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam). It would therefore be false and arrogant of a person with a basic study of Arabic to lay claim to having more knowledge and understanding than the noble Sahabah (radiyallahu ‘anhum) by presenting his own commentary of the Qur’an. So many who have not studied Shariah under the guidance of Ulama-e-Haq, reject the teachings of the Mujtahidin[4] and present their own concocted theories and commentaries. Others are quick to quote Ayat and Ahadith in support of their sinful actions or misinterpret the same. Such people should seriously heed the warnings of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) regarding their careless and erroneous statements and ignorant behaviour. Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “Whosoever, in interpreting the Qur’an, says therein anything of his own opinion commits a mistake even if he is correct.”[5] In another narration, Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) mentioned: “Whosoever interprets the Qur’an without knowledge, let him seek his abode in the Fire.” [6] And: “Whoso interprets the Qur’an according to his opinion, let him seek his abode in the Fire.” [7] Regarding misquoting Ahadith, Rasulullah (sallallahu’ alayhi wasallam) stated explicitly: “Be careful of (narrating) traditions from me except what you know. Whoso imputes falsehood to me intentionally, let him then seek his abode in the fire.”[8] Yes, when it comes to etiquette, character, the stories of the Ambiya (‘alayhimus salam) and nations of the past, the causes of rise and decline; paradise and hell, reward and retribution, then read and quote authentic Tafsir or translation. However, when it comes to the laws of Shariah, Fatawa (Islamic rulings), and commentary of the Qur’an and Hadith, leave it to those who have spent years mastering these sciences and are experts in these fields. Nowadays, the title of ‘Mufti’[9] has also become very cheap. Some spend a few months or a year in a Darul Ifta [10] and become rubber stamp “Mufti so and so”.Before enquiring about matters of Deen, verify the person’s qualifications, just as we do in worldly matters. Women have a weakness; if a woman gives a powerful speech on a subject, having read some Islamic books, she is asked questions on all subjects. The speaker, too, will sometimes reply to all questions, even though unaware or ignorant. Just giving a good speech is no qualification to answer all questions on the Qur’an Sharif and Sunnah of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam). We should be cautious and selective regarding whom we acquire Ilm-e-Deen [11]. There is a famous statement by Muhammad bin Sirin (rahmatullah ‘alayh): “This knowledge is a matter of Deen, so be careful whom you take your Deen from.” We should keep these points in mind, and we should also not lay claim to qualifications we do not possess. [1] kitaabs: Books [2] Muhaddithin: Scholars of Hadith [3] Ifta: Legal Shar’i injunctions [4] Mujtahideen: Scholars certified to interpret Islamic Law [5] Tirmidhi [6] Tirmidhi [7] Tirmidhi [8] Tirmidhi [9] Mufti : Muslim Jurist [10] Darul Ifta: Institution offering a course concentrating on Islamic Law and passing verdicts. [11] Ilm-e-Deen : knowledge of religion/Islam
In the Service of Deen
In the Service of Deen by Hazrat Maulana Yunus Patel Saheb (rahmatullah ‘alayh) Those involved in some Deeni service should consider their likeness to the guards protecting the King’s Palace. The guards understand that the King does not need their service. The King’s resources are such that he can easily replace any guard with hundreds or thousands more guards. Thus, a guard considers it his good fortune to be accepted by the King and be in his service. Similarly, those involved in the Khidmat of Deen have been selected from millions to serve the Deen of the King of Kings, Allah Ta’ala. They are defending and guarding the Deen of Islam or propagating the Deen. Thus, we should consider ourselves the most fortunate — despite our deficiencies and failings and not deserving such a privilege, Allah Ta’ala is using us for some service. We must understand that this is entirely the Ihsaan of Allah Ta’ala. We should not forget that Allah Ta’ala does not need us and can easily replace each one of us with an entire nation to be in the service of Islam. Allah Ta’ala expresses this independence and sovereignty: “…And if you turn away, He will replace you with some other people, then they will not be like you…” [Surah Muhammad 47:38] We should continuously express appreciation for the great favour of being in the service of Deen, and we should seek forgiveness for our shortcomings and inadequacies. Dua should be made for acceptance in the court of Allah Ta’ala. We should not seek worldly gains because the rewards of Allah Ta’ala encompass the best of both worlds for those who are Mukhlisin (sincere ones).