word is louder then voice: December 2016

Saturday 31 December 2016

KHAWARIJ

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 2, 2008

RISE OF KHAWARIJ : PART 1 ( requested by brother AIDIL)

All praise is for Allah, Lord of all the worlds, and blessings and peace upon His servant Sayyiduna Muhammad (sall-Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam), upon his family, his companions, his wives and those who follow them for the best until the Day of the judgment.
A humble request: We start reading many articles and leave them in the middle. What is the end result? We do not have complete knowledge on any topic.

Please read this article completely.
In order to know the good among the people, one must first examine the history of heresy in Islam. Only by understanding false teachings and their supporters will we appreciate the importance of the people of good. (Ahl ul-khayr).
Insha Allah this article will be divided into 2 parts.

The first part will be about the origin of KHAWARIJ and the “MODERN DAY KHAWARIJ”. For all those who just want to know this, they must read PART 1 completely.
The second part will analyze hadith of NAJD.

It should be known that the original KHAWARIJ were outside the fold of Islam.

ORIGIN OF KHAWARIJ

The origins of Kharijism date back to the time of the Prophet (s).
Amongst the clearest indications we have of this is the Hadith in Bukhari and Muslim.

After the Battle of Hunain the Prophet (s) - in distributing the booty - gave preference to a number of non-Muslims. His aim was to attract them to Islam Hurqus ibn Zuhair. rebuked the Prophet (s) by saying to him: "Be just in your distribution O Messenger of Allah."
The Prophet was incensed by this remark and responded by saying:"Then who can be called just if I am not just?"
To this the Prophet added:
"There will come a time when a group of people will leave our ranks. They will recite the Quran with fervour and passion (lit. "With tongues that are moist".) but its spirit will not go beyond their throats. They will leave our ranks in the manner of an arrow when it shoots from its bow."

Points from above hadith:

This man objected to the decision of prophet and showed his preference over the decision of prophet. He showed disrespect to the prophet. He rebelled against the Prophet (sallallaahualaihi wasallam) in the sense that accused him of treachery. ( He is counted amongst the Kafir and not as a companion [sahaba] of the prophet). He is considered the first of the Kharij (the Seceders" or "the Rebels) to arise in Islam. The root of his sickness was that he preferred his own opinion above that of the Prophet . If he had waited to hear what the Prophet had to say, he would have realized that no opinion can be given precedence over that of The Prophet (s) .
He went against the Command of Allah subhanhu wa tala.
Say, (O Muhammad, to mankind): If ye love Allah, follow me; Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.
( Quran , 3: 31)
He who obeys the Messenger, obeys Allah. But if any turn away, We have not sent thee to watch over their (evil deeds). "( Quran 4 : 80).

The Battle of Siffin (very important development)

It is significant that this self same Hurqus was elected as one of the heads of the Kharijites after the Battle of Siffin.
The Battle of Siffin was a battle between two groups of muslims. Sayyidna Ali(rd) on the one side and Sayyidna Muawiyyah(rd) on the other side. Many Companions on both sides were disheartened by this conflict. The necessity, therefore, for arbitration between the two parties was felt. The proposal was accepted by both parties with Abu Musa al-Ash'ari representing Sayyidna Ali (r) and 'Amr ibn al-As (r) representing Sayyidna Muawiyyah (r).
When the pact was read out by ibn Qais a large group on the side of Sayyidna Ali objected to its terms. Most of the members of this group belonged to the Bedouin tribe of Tamim.
Their spokesperson on the occasion was Urwa ibn Udaiyya. He said: "Are men to arbitrate in the affairs of Allah? There can be no arbitration except by Allah." In support of his view he quoted the following Quranic passage: "The prerogative of command rests with none but Allah. He declares the truth and he is the best of judges" (6:57).
Sayyidna Ali's response to this was typical:"There is a word of truth in what they say," he said, "but their ends are devious."
Urwa, along with 12,000 others, then seceded from the party of Sayyidna Ali. Initially they set up camp at a place called Harawra on the outskirts of Kufa. Here they elected Abdullah ibn al-Kawwa as their head. Sayyidna Ali pursued them and engaged them in debate. Ibn al-Kuwwa conceded to Sayyidna Ali's arguments and he, along with a few others, returned to his ranks.
The rest of the Kharijites then left for Nahrawan. Here they elected Abdullah ibn Wahb al-Rasibi and the above-mentioned Hurqus ibn Zuhair as their leaders.
It is interesting to note here that al-Rasibi was known for his fervour in reciting the Quran and was also nicknamed Dhu al-Thafanat (the one whose kneecaps appeared like two humps of a camel because of the intense and extended nature of his prostration in Salaah).
Nevertheless, on their way to Nahrawan, they encountered Abdullah ibn Khabbaab al-Aratt, one of the governors of Sayyidna Ali. Amongst the things he said to them after they identified him as an enemy was the following:
"My father related to me that the Prophet (s) said: 'There will come a time when the fitna (corruption and sedition) of the one who sits will be considered preferable to the one who stands; and the fitna of the one who stands will be preferable to the one who walks; and the fitna of the one who walks will be preferable to the one who runs. So if it is at all possible then try to be amongst those who are slaughtered rather than amongst those who will do the slaughtering."
Khabbab, ironically, was one of the first victims of Kharijite brutality. He, along with his pregnant wife, was hacked to death. When the news of this slaughter reached Sayyidna Ali he set out for Nahrawan with an army of 4,000 men.

Points from above incidence

Khawarij use Quran to back up their false claim.
They think their understanding of Quran is better than the understating of the companions of the prophet.
If Muslims do not agree with them, they kill innocent Muslims.
They have riya (show off) in Ibadah (worshipping Allah).
Imam Bukhari (rh) in his sahi under the chapter” Book of Asking apostates and those who separate themselves in obstinate rebellion to repent and fighting them” names a sub chapter as “Killing Kharijites and heretics after proof is established against them”.
Imam Bukhari (rh) narrates this:
Ibn 'Umar used to consider them to be the worst of Allah's creation. He said, "They took verses which were revealed about the unbelievers and then applied them to the believers."
This is a hall mark of the khawarij who use quranic verses revealed about unbelievers and apply them upon muslims.
Hadith ( Sahi Bukhari)
Abu Salama and 'Ata' ibn Yasar reported that they went to Abu Sa'id al-Khudri and asked him about the Haruriyya*, "Did you hear the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say anything?" He said, "I do not know what the Haruriyya are, but I heard the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, 'Some people will emerge in this nation (and he did not say, 'from this nation") whose prayer will make you think little of your prayers in comparison. They will recite the Qur'an, but it will not go beyond their throats. They will pass through the deen as an arrow passes through game. The archer looks at his arrow, arrowhead and its fastening and is unsure about its notch, and whether there is any blood on it.'"
The Haruriyya are the Kharijites. The name is taken from Harura', a place in Iraq where they first gathered.]

Suffice it for us at this stage to know that by now this group of Kharijites - known as the "Muhakkima"- had already resolved upon the following principles:
a) The declaration of Kufr (unbelief) on Sayyidna Ali, Muawiyyah, and all those who had participated in and agreed to the process of arbitrationb) Takfir (charging with unbelief) of all those who disagreed with them on any theological issuesc) The right to kill any of the above.
In this context the response of Sayyidna Ali to their view that the "prerogative of command belongs to Allah alone"( "fal-hukmu lillah", Quran 40: 12)by saying that it was "a word of truth with a devious end" becomes quite apparent.

It was evident to Sayyidna Ali that theirs was a political agenda - an agenda that was inspired by an ill-conceived sense of political isolationism owing to their Bedouin status. The spirit of Islam - as yet - had not served to de-tribalise them. Strength, to them, resided in aggression and belligerence; and not in the deeper recesses of the spirit and soul - the wellsprings of genuine faith (Iman).
Sayyidna Ali understood this for he understood the meaning of the Quranic verse:"The desert Arabs say, 'We believe (amanna).' Say: 'You do not as yet have true faith.' Rather say: 'We have only submitted our wills to Allah (aslamna), for not yet has true faith entered your hearts.'" (49:14).

It is therefore not surprising that the Hurub al-Ridda (the War against the Apostates) that occurred during the time of Sayyidna Abu Bakr was inspired by a group of people with similar backgrounds. It is even less surprising that most of the claims to prophethood after the death of the Prophet (s) also emanated from these localities.

For the Kharijites, on the other hand, to legitimise their agenda and justify their killing of Muslims they had to declare them as Kafir and hence the territories in which they lived as a Dar al-Harb (an abode of war). This they legitimised under the nefarious pretence of "the prerogative of command belongs to Allah." This statement - and more correctly read, in its Kharijite context, as "only we (with our swords) have the prerogative of command" - spawned thousands of little gods who maimed and massacred and killed in the name of the most Merciful of the Merciful.

FIGHTING BETWEEN THE MUSLIMS AND THE KHAWARIJ
( REFERENCE: al-Farq bain al-Firaq BY Abdul Qahir al-Baghdadi)

Sayyidna Ali set out for Nahrawan, as mentioned earlier, with a party of 4,000 soldiers. Here he confronted the Kharajites.
"When Ali approached the Kharajites he demanded that they hand over the one who killed Abdullah ibn Khabbab. They responded by saying that all of them were responsible for his death and that if they should get the opportunity they would kill Ali too.
Ali and his army moved out and confronted them. Shortly before the battle, however, he said to them: 'For what reason do you seek revenge from me?' They replied: ' The first reason is that after having fought alongside you at the Battle of the Camel - and after having been victorious - you allowed us to take the spoils of war but you prohibited us from imprisoning their women and children. So how did you allow us the one and not the other?'
Ali replied, 'I allowed you the booty for the reason that they had unlawfully taken that wealth from the Bait al-Mal in Basra in the first place. That happened before I went to Basra. As for their women and children, they did not join in the battle. So their rights within Islam remain as it would for any Muslim living in a Dar al-Islam. Moreover, none of them apostatised and it's not permissible to shed the blood of those who remain within the fold. But above all, had I allowed you to imprison their women, then who amongst you would have had the temerity to take Aisha as a prisoner?' The Kharajites shuddered at this rejoinder.
They then said, 'The second reason for our revenge is that that when you signed the treaty of peace between yourself and Muawiyya you eliminated your title 'Amir al-Mu'minin'.
To this Ali replied, 'In this respect I did exactly what the Prophet (s) of Allah did with Suhail ibn 'Amr at the Treaty of Hudaibiyya. Suhail said to him (s), 'Had I accepted that you were the Prophet of Allah then I would not be disputing with you in this fashion. So remove your title 'The Prophet of Allah' from the pact and write your name followed by the name of your father. The Prophet (s) acceded to this and had his Companions record 'This is what Muhammad ibn Abdullah and Suhail ibn 'Amr have agreed upon…'
Soon after that the Prophet informed me that I would one day find myself in a position similar to the one in which he had found himself at Hudaibiyya. So my situation today with the children of those people is identical to that of the Prophet with their fathers.
The Kharajites then said to Ali, 'Why did you say to the two arbitrators (Abu Musa al-Ashari and Amr ibn al-As), 'If I am suited for the position of Khalifa then you may appoint me.' By this you expressed doubt in your own ability as a Khalifa. It is therefore understandable, if not preferable, for others to hold similar doubts about you.'
Ali replied, 'Indeed through that I wished to be fair to Muawiyya. Had I unconditionally asked the arbitrators to appoint me as the Khalifa then Muawiyya would not have accepted that. In this regard, when the Prophet invited the Christians of Najran to earnestly pray to Allah for an answer he expressed a similar fair-mindedness. This is evident from the verse of the Quran, 'Say: Come! Let us gather together - our sons and your sons, our women and your women, ourselves and yourselves. Then let us earnestly pray, and invoke the curse of Allah upon the one who lies.' (Quran, 3: 61)
In this manner the Prophet was fair to the Christians. Had he (s) said, on the other hand, 'I will earnestly pray and invoke the curse of Allah upon you' then the Christians of Najran would never have accepted his invitation. For the same reason, therefore, I wished to be fair to Muawiyya. Moreover, at that point I could not be certain about Amr ibn al-As's position - whether he would mislead me or not.
Lastly they said to Ali, 'Why did you, in the first place, allow two arbitrators to arbitrate in a matter that was inherently your right?'
Ali responded, 'I was present when the Prophet of Allah appointed Sa'ad ibn Muadh as an arbitrator after the battle with the tribe of Quraitha. If he wished then he need not have appointed an arbitrator in the first place. So I did the same - and followed the example of the Prophet - when I appointed an arbitrator.'"
After this lengthy discourse most of the Kharajites - 8,000 of them - capitulated and returned to the ranks of Sayyidna Ali. 4,000 of them - including Hurqus ibn Zuhair and Abdullah al-Rasibi - remained committed to their cause. This is a story of the integrity of Sayyidna Ali. And that integrity, as told in the narration of al-Baghdadi, continues where he records that Sayyidna Ali ordered the 8,000 who capitulated not to join them in the battle. He had come with 4,000 and with 4,000 he would fight. On that day too, he swore that no more than ten on his side would die and no more than ten on their side would survive. That is precisely what happened. Amongst those who survived was Hurqus ibn Zuhair.
The intractable Hurqus confronted Sayyidna Ali and said, "O son of Abi Talib, I fight you not except for the sake of Allah, and for my reward in the afterlife."
Sayyidna Ali retorted, "Your kind, Hurqus, is the kind that Allahu Ta'ala refers to in the Quran where He states, 'Say: Shall We tell you of those who lose most in respect of their deeds? Those whose efforts have been wasted in this life, while they imagined that they were acquiring good by their works' (18: 103). Amongst these - and I swear by this in the name of the Lord of the Ka'ba - are you Hurqus!"
Hurqus met his end and was killed.
Perhaps Hurqus would see the worth of his "good" deeds in the afterlife. But the roots of internecine hatred they left behind were firmly sunk in the soil of this world. Nevertheless, the story, if it needs to be told, need not be for the sake of the legacy the Kharajites left behind. If there is ever a need for the story to be told, then it is for the lessons to be learnt from Sayyidna Ali's attitude and approach to them during his short reign as Khalifa. Not only is he a model of justice and integrity, but, like his three great predecessors, is a model of how Muslim leaders, governors and communities ought to behave and conduct themselves.

POINTS TO BE NOTED

Khawarij misinterpret Quran and Sunnah to justify their wrong action.
They think they know the most and go against the Muslims. They don’t accept any evidence which does not suit their desire. For them killing muslims is permissible.

HOW ALI (RD) WAS KILLED BY A KHAWARIJ

Muhammad ibn Sad (RH) in his Tabaqat, reported from his teachers that three Kharijites--Abdur-Rahman ibn Muljam, al-Burak ibn Abdilaah and and Amr ibn Bakr at-Tamīmī--gathered in Makkah and pledged to kill Sayyidina `Alī (r) on a Friday morning on the seventeenth day of Ramadhan, the three envious conspirators went to the main masjid of Kufa just before the break of dawn, there they took their position in the narrow passage leading to the prayer hall. A little later, Hadrat `Alī (r) the Beloved of Sayyiduna Muhammad (s) and the “Door of Knowledge” came to the masjid, when it was still dark and their was no one else in the masjid. Ibn Muljam struck Sayyidina `Alī (r) a vicious blow on the forehead which penetrated to his blessed brain. Sayyidina `Alī (r) cried out to the people not to let him escape and they caught him.
[NOTE: Abdurrahman Ibnu Muljam, the assassin of Imam `Alī, was the most important muhaddith (narrator of Hadith) in his generation of Tabi'een.]
When Umm Kulthūm screamed at him,
“O enemy of Allah! [yā `aduwullh], you have killed the Amīril Mu'minīn wrongly,” the cursed one replied, “Then cry!” He then went on to say , “I poisoned the my sword, so if he survives me, I pray that Allah (swt) banishes him and destroys him.”
After Sayyidina `Alī (r) was martyred, Ibn Muljam was brought out to be executed. It was observed that the skin of his forehead was brown from the effects of constant prostration in prayer.
When Sayyidina Imam Hassan ibn `Alī (r) wanted to make a peace settlement with Mu`awiyah, a Kharijite by the name of al-Jarrah ibn Sinān revolted against him. Al-Jarrah said to him, “You have committed shirk as your father did,” then stabbed him in his upper thigh.
The Kharijites continued to raise confusion within and against the Muslim state, massacring innocent Muslim men, women and children during both the Ummayad and Abbassid dynasties. Later on they were all but eradicated by the Ahlu Sunnah Wal Jama`ah.

MODERN DAY KHAWARIJ

Ibn `Abdul Wahhāb at-Tamīmī of Najd, a descendant of Dhul-Khuwaisarah, revived the Kharijite sect, some of whom call themselves Wahabis and others who call themselves Salafis.
Ibn Abd al-Wahhab belonged to the Bani Tamim tribe. He was born in Uyayna village near the town of Huraimila in the Najd Desert in 1111 A.H. (1699) and died in 1206 (1792).
(TO SEE THE HADITH OF NAJD, PLEASE READ PART 2 OF THIS ARTICLE)

He spread their evil thought amongst the Bedouins of Najd, encouraging them to revolt against the Ottoman caliphate, with the help of the British, just as their forebears had revolted against the early caliphs.
Ibn Abdul Wahab najdi made friendship with Ibn saud and they both ordered many innocent muslims to be killed in Mecca and Taif. Muslims women were tortured and Muslim property was taken.
Ibn Abdul Wahab and Ibn Saud made new laws. They said that Muslims worship grave. [Recall how the first Khawarij called the companions as Kafir ]. The blessed graveyard in Medina ‘jannat ul baqi” was destroyed. The graves of pious companions of the prophet which was not destroyed from the time of first Caliph till 1120 AH ( 1708) was destroyed by these wahabis. The house in which prophet was born has been recently destroyed by these modern day khawarij to make business centers.
1) The foremost Hanafi scholar of his time, Imam Muhammad Amin ibn Abidin (d. 1252/1836 Rahimahullah) said in his celebrated work Hashiyya radd al-Mukhtar (vol. 3, pg. 309):
"In our time Ibn Abdal Wahhab (Najdi) appeared, and attacked the two noble sanctuaries (Makkah and Madinah). He claimed to be a Hanbali, but his thinking was such that only he alone was a Muslim, and everyone else was a polytheist! Under this guise, he said that killing the Ahl as-Sunnah was permissible, until Allah destroyed them (Wahhabi's) in the year 1233 AH by way of the Muslim army."
(2) Shaykh Zayni Dahlan (Rahimahullah) said in his book Futuhat al-Islamiyya (vol. 2, pg. 268):
"The sign of the Khawarij (the first deviant sect that appeared in the time of the Companions) concerning the shaving of the head, was not found in the Khawarij of the past, but only in the Najdi's of our time!"
(3) Shaykh al-Islam Hussain Ahmad al-Madani (Rahimahullah) said in his book ash-Shihab as-saqib (pg. 42):
"Ibn Abdal Wahhab arose in the beginning of the thirteenth Islamic century in the Najd. His thinking was false, and his beliefs were corruptional; on these grounds he opened the way for killing the Ahl as-Sunnah."
(4) A more contemporary view on the Wahhabite sect has been expressed by Abdal-Hakim Murad in the journal Islamica (pg. 9):
"Ibn Abdal Wahhab, however, went far beyond this (i.e; of Ibn Taymiyya). Raised in the wastelands of Najd in Central Arabia, he had little access to mainstream Muslim scholarship (I say: This may be disputed by his supporters). In fact, when his da'wah appeared and became notorious, the scholars and muftis of the day applied to it the famous hadith of Najd: Ibn Umar (Allah be pleased with him) reported the Prophet (Peace be upon him) as saying: "Oh God, bless us in our Syria; O God, bless us in our Yemen." Those present said: "And in our Najd, O Messenger of God!" But he said, "O God, bless us in our Syria; O God, bless us in our Yemen." Those present said, "And in our Najd, O Messenger of God!" Ibn Umar said that he thought that he said on the third occasion: "Earthquakes and dissensions (fitnah) are there, and there shall arise the horn of the devil." (Sahih al-Bukhari).
And it is significant that almost uniquely among the lands of Islam, Najd has never produced scholars of any repute.
The Najd-based da'wah of the Wahhabi's, however, began to be heard more loudly following the explosion of Saudi oil wealth. Many, even most, Islamic publishing houses in Cairo and Beirut are now subsidised by Wahhabi organisations, which prevent them from publishing traditional works on Sufism, and remove passages in other works considered unnacceptable to Wahhabist doctrine.
Undoubtedly, one of the worst abominations perpetrated by the Wahhabis under the leadership of Ibn Abd al-Wahhab was the massacre of the people of Taif. They killed everyone in sight, slaughtering child and adult, ruler and ruled, lowly and high-born. They began with a suckling child nursing at his mother’s breast and moved on to a group studying the Qur’an, slaying all of them, down to the last man. When they had wiped out the people in the houses, they went into the streets, the shops and the mosques, killing whoever happened to be there. They even killed people in prayer until they had annihilated every Muslim in Taif and until only some twenty or more people remained.
The Wahhabis cast books into the streets to be blown to and fro, including copies of the Qur’an, volumes of Bukhari, Muslim and other canonical collections of hadith, and books of fiqh, all amounting to thousands. Books remained in the streets for several days, trampled on by the Wahhabis. Not one among them made the slightest attempt to remove even one page of the Qur’an from under foot and preserve it from the ignominy and disrespect of this display. Then they destroyed the houses and made what was once a town into a barren wasteland. This happened in the Hijra Year, 1217
(Jamal Effendial-Sidqi al-Zahawi).
UNFORTUNATELY not many young Muslim read this recent history. All we have to do is just cross check and we will find that it is a Historical fact about attack on Mecca and taif. I request Muslims to plz do their own research about the history of Saudi Arabia for the year 1924.
Please find time to investigate the following:
The origins of the Wahhabi Movement in the eighteenth century
The conquest of Mecca and Medina, 1803-1806: the first Saudi state
The reigns of Faisal b. Turki Al Sa´ud, 1834-1838 and 1843-1865
Travellers and surveyors of the Arabian Peninsula, 1831-1841
The capture of Riyadh, 1902
Relations with Ibn Rashid and with the Shaiks of Kuwait and Muhammerah, 1902-1918
Captain W.H.I. Shakespear´s meeting with Ibn Saud, 1911
The conquest of the Hijaz: the attack on Taif, September 1924, the siege of Jedda and the occupation of Mecca and Medina, 1924-1926
The Anglo-Saudi treaty, 1927
The Ikhwan rebellion, 1928
The proclamation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 1932
The border dispute with Yemen, 1934
The oil concession with Standard Oil of California, 1933
The first oil exports, 1939, and the development of the oil economy
US/Saudi relations and ARAMCO.
Destruction of the graves of the companions of the prophet
Destruction of the house in which prophet was born.
For those who have academic interest can find, how Wahabis have deviated from the basic Aqidah( belief) of Islam.
The modern day Khawarij call themselves as SALAFI and they
follow scholars like Ibn Tyamiah , ibn abdul wahab najadee, albani ,
ibn baaz, . The scholars from the Khawarij sect try to show disrespect to prophet , try to find faults in individual companions of the prophet and also in their collective decision.
Next time if you meet a wahabi calling you as a mushrik ,kafir or a deviant don’t be surprised! Recall how Hurqus ibn Zuhair and his friends called the companions of prophet as Kafir! Recall how wahabis killed muslims just 105 years back when their modern form developed. Recall how the original Khawarij used Quran to prove their wrong action and how they used quranic verse revaled for non muslims on muslims and you will find ALL OF THIS in WAHABIS.

List of modern day khawarij

1. Muhammad Abduh Jamal al Afghani Salafiyah - common with many modernists.
2. Madhkhalis further subdivided into-Faleh al Harbi group-Haddad group-Maribi group-Maghrawi group-Abdul Muhsin Abbad group-Ahya types who call against the others and claim to be on the middle ground.
3. The Sahwis ( these are the ones that call themselves Hanbali), further subdivided into:-Turathi group in Kuwait-Qutubi group-Sururi group who are realy just a salafi ikhwani group-Hawali conspiratorial group-Ittihad Somali group-Sad al Faqihs anti Saudi group-Markaz ad Dawah wal Irshad Pakistan-Ahlul Hadith -although some sub groups of them are with the Madkhalis-Ansar as Sunnah in Egypt and Sudan.

.AND NOT TO TALK OF THOSE WHO COME ON INTERNET, NEVER READ TAFSIR , SHARAH but will be First To call the great scholars as “deviant”’!

POSTED BY MUSLIM AT 8:40 PM

Thursday 29 December 2016

The Ihya' is Comprehensive

Imam Al-Ghazali's Ihya' 'Ulum Al-Deen

The Ihya' is Comprehensive

Imam al-Ghazali earned for himself the title Hujjatul Islam (The Proof of Islam). As we read the Ihya', it begins to dawn on us why he is held in such high esteem. He appears to be a master of all branches of learning and it seems he has codified all knowledge of Islam existing upto his time in the Ihya'.

1. His teaching is rooted in the Qur'an and the Sunnah. These have been the original sources of the 'ulama (the learned) who came before him as well as those who followed him. He backs up his themes throughout the Ihya' with verses from the Qur'an and gives tafsir (explanation) of the verses.

2. He is a master of the Hadith Shareef of our beloved Prophet Muhammad Mustafa Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam. The Ihya' is full of ahaadith from the Sihah Sitta as well as many other well-known compilations of hadith.

3. As a master of history (seerah), he documents in great detail, in the chapters titled Athar (Narratives), the life history of our Holy Prophet Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam; of many anbiya (prophets), 'alayhimussalam, of the Ahl ul Bayt (the blessed Household of our beloved Prophet Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam), of the sahaba (his companions), of the taabi'een (the Followers, who followed the sahaba), the awliya (saints) and saleheen (the pious). Thus each Islamic injunction is supported by Qur'an, hadith and real-life examples of 'amal (action) on these from seerah (history). More than a hundred sahaba are mentioned in the Ihya' as well as a hundred or more awliya (saints). In this way, Imam al-Ghazali has preserved for posterity the history of achievements in piety. This further nurtured and sustained the love of scholarship among Muslims.

4. He is an 'aabid (worshipper) of Allah Ta'ala par excellence who exhorts you to engage in worship and do zikr (remember Allah). He is referred to as siraaj u'l mutahajjideen (the lamp for those who perform tahajjud). Besides the fardh, sunnah and nawafil salah, he talks about the supererogatory prayers for each day of the week, and gives the azkaar and awraad (regular voluntary invocations) for each day of the week and the dua (supplications) of the beloved Prophet Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam, the anbiya, 'alayhimussalam, the Ahl ul Bayt, the sahaba, and the awliya, may Allah be pleased with them. He devotes two whole books to invocations and supplications, that is, Vol I, Book 9 and Book 10.

5. He is the literary giant who uses analogy, rhetoric, rhyming prose, simile and metaphor and intersperses his discourse with gems of qasaaid (eulogies) from spiritual masters to emphasise, illustrate or illuminate his point. The Ihya' contains verses composed by Sayyidina 'Ali, Sayyidatina 'Aisha and Hadrat Abu Darda' Rady Allahu 'Anhum; as well as by Imams and sufi saints such as Hadrat Hasan al-Basri, Malik bin Dinar, Sufyan al-Thawri, Ibrahim ibn Ad'ham, 'Abdallah ibn al-Mubarak, Imam al-Shafi'i, Dhul Nun al-Misri, Al-Sari al-Saqati, Abu Sa'id al-Kharraz and Junaid al-Baghdadi, among others, may Allah Ta'ala shower them with His Mercy. And he cites Hadith Shareef on Hadrat Hassaan bin Thabit Rady Allahu 'Anhu which establish him as the poet of the Prophet, Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam.

6. He expounds on Aqidatul Islam (The Islamic Creed), in Vol I, Book 2, as explained by Imam Abu'l Hasan al-Ash'ari before him. Those who love the Asma-ul-Husna will take this book Qawaaid u'l 'Aqaaid (Foundations of the Articles of Faith) to heart. He explains the Arkan al-Islam (the pillars of Islam), the Arkan al-Iman (the pillars of Faith), and ihsan (spiritual excellence). The uniqueness here is that he explains both the zahiri (manifest) as well as the sirri (hidden spiritual) aspects of each of the teachings of Islam. His teaching is rooted in the Ahl us Sunnah tradition. He explains that the rightful successors to our beloved Prophet Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam in chronological order are Sayyidina Abubakr, Sayyidina 'Umar, Sayyidina 'Uthman and Sayyidina 'Ali, Rady Allahu 'Anhum ajma'een.

7. The Ihya' is rooted in shari'ah (sacred Muslim law). Himself a Shafi'i, Imam al-Ghazali shows great respect for the Imams of all the four Ahl us Sunnah madhaa-hib who codified Muslim law, that is, Imam ul A'zam Imam Abu Hanifa, Imam Shafi'i, Imam Malik, and Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal. He gives life histories of each of these Imams in Vol. I, Book 1. He goes to great lengths to explain that what appeals to him about these Imams is not so much that they were fuqaha (jurists) but that they were sufis as well, who practiced tasawwuf.

8. He is ad-Daa'ee al-Kaamil (Accomplished Preacher), propagating Islam as taught and lived by the Holy Prophet, Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam. As an 'alim, he towered above all and was in a position to refute the teachings of sectists of his time, like the Mu'tazila, the Baatiniyyah and the philosophers.

9. He is a sufi saint who talks of wajd (spiritual ecstacy), kashf (unveiling of spiritual secrets) and ilham (inspirations), which are various spiritual states. He is the spiritual master who has tasted of ma'rifa (direct illuminative knowledge) and haqiqa (spiritual realities).

10. He is Hujjat ul Islam who wants to lead us to paradise under the banner of our beloved Prophet Muhammad Mustafa Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam by making us live totally according to his life-style, taking him as our model of character and conduct, as Allah Sub'hanahu wa Ta'ala says in the Holy Qur'an:

Wa Innaka La'ala Khuluqin 'Azeem
And undoubledly, you have the most exalted character. (68:4)

The rest of this article expounds on some of these major themes.

Imam Al-Ghazali's Ihya' 'Ulum Al-Deen

It Is Full Of Qur'an

As mentioned earlier, according to Shaykh 'Abdallah al-'Aydaroos, the Ihya' is a sharh (explanation) of the Qur'an and Hadith. First, let us appreciate it as a sharh of the Qur'an.

It is an exhilarating experience to recite the verses of the Qur'an Kareem quoted in the Ihya' at one sitting and to crown it all with the Fateha!
Al-Fateha!

Once you have done that, you are naturally curious to find out how much of the Qur'an is in the Ihya'. So you reference the footnotes provided by al-Hafiz al-Iraqi and a quick count reveals 2370 quoted verses, quoted in full or in part. Some of the verses have been repeated for emphasis. Assuming rather liberally that one-third are repetitions, we can draw a rough and ready conclusion that a quarter of the 6236 verses of the Qur'an have been directly quoted by Imam al-Ghazali, Rahmatullahi 'alaih in support of the theme of each book of the Ihya'.

The very first verse in the Ihya' must have pleased Allah Sub'hanahu wa Ta'ala so much that He, in His unbounded generosity gave the bahral muhit (encircling ocean) of the Ihya' to Imam al-Ghazali to plunge into. Approach it gently as your eyes might well up with tears.

Shahidallahu Annahu Laa Ilaaha Illaa Huwa
Wa'l malaaikatu wa 'ulul 'ilmi qaaiman bi'l qist
Laa Ilaaha Illaa Huwa'l 'Aziz u'l Hakeem

Allah bears witness that none is to be worshipped but He,
and (so do) the angels and those possessed of knowledge, Maintaining His creation with justice;
none is to be worshipped but He, the Mighty, the Wise (3:18)

Imam al-Ghazali loves this verse so much that he repeats it in many places in the Ihya'. Forty such oft-repeated verses can be identified equal to the forty books of the Ihya'. These are:

(2:165), (2:264), (3:18), (3:134), (4:41), (6:125), (7:55), (7:199), (7:200), (8:17),
((9:24), (13:11), (16:18), (16:90), (17:85), (18:49), (21:23), (26:89), (29:69), (32:16),
(35:41), (39:9), (39:22), (42:11), (48:29), (55:46), (57:12), (57:20), (58:11), (66:6),
(66:8), (68:4), (91:9), (91:10), (97:1), (99:7), (99:8), (103:1-3)

Let us benefit from the translation of a few of these verses with the intention of acting upon them.

Those who spend (benevolently) in ease as well as in hardship and those who restrain (their anger) and pardon men; and Allah loves the doers of good (to others). (3:134)

Take to forgiveness and enjoin good and turn aside from the ignorant (7:199)

And if you would count Allah's favours, you will not be abe to count them; most surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful (16:18)

Surely, Allah enjoins justice and the doing of good (to others) and the giving to the kith and kin, and He forbids indecency and evil and rebellion; He admonishes you that you may be mindful. (16:90)

And the Book (of Deeds) shall be placed (before you), then you will see the guilty, fearing from what is in it, and they will say: Ah! woe to us! what a book is this! It does not omit anything, small or great but takes account of them (all); and they shall find all that they did before them; and your Lord is not unjust with anyone. (18:49)

And (as for) those that strive for Us, We will most certainly guide them in Our ways; and Allah is most surely with the doers of good. (29:69)

Is he who is obedient during hours of the night, prostrating himself and standing, takes heed of the Hereafter and hopes for the mercy of his Lord (like the one who does not). Say: Are those who know and those who do not know equal? Only those who are endued with understanding receive admonition. (39:9)

Will he whose heart Allah has opened to Islam so that he is upon a light from his Lord (be like him who is not in this condition)? Woe to those whose hearts are hardened against the remembrance of Allah, those are in clear error. (39:22)

And for him who fears to stand before his Lord are two Paradises. (55:46)

And undoubledly, you (O beloved Prophet) have the most exalted character. (68:4)

Al-Fateha!

Imam Al-Ghazali's Ihya' 'Ulum Al-Deen

It Is Full Of Hadith

Once you have established how much of the Qur'an is in the Ihya', the next thing you want to know is the number of ahaadith in the Ihya'. For that, your user-friendly source is again the Takhreej (Identification) of Shaykh Hafiz al-Iraqi. A quick count in the footnotes reveals a total of 4534 ahaadith, quoted in full or in part, more than the number of ahaadith in Sahih Muslim, and more than the number of ahaadith in Al-Muwatta (The Well-Trodden Path) of Imam Malik, and Riyaad-us-Saleheen (The Gardens of the Righteous) of Imam an-Nawawi put together!

One of the aims of the Ihya' is to turn people to 'amal saleh (good deeds). So let us take this opportunity to learn ten ahaadith shareef from the Ihya', Vol. I, one hadith from each of its ten books with the intention of acting upon them.

The beloved Prophet Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam said:

1. The 'ulama (learned) are the heirs of the Prophets (narrated by Hadrat Abu Darda, Rady Allahu 'Anhu, and reported by Imam Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, and Ibn Hibban; Ihya', Vol. I, p. 16).

2. Faith has over seventy branches, the most excellent of which is the declaration that no one is worthy of worship but Allah, and the humblest of which is the removal of what is injurious from the road. And modesty is a branch of faith (narrated by Hadrat Abu Hurairah, Rady Allahu 'Anhu, and reported in Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim; Ihya', Vol. I, p. 144).

3. The key to prayer is ritual purity (tuhur) (narrated by Sayyidina 'Ali, Rady Allahu 'Anhu, and reported by Imam Tirmidhi; Ihya', Vol I, p. 150).

4. The merit of congregational prayer is greater than that of individual prayer by twenty-seven degrees (narrated by Hadrat 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar, Rady Allahu 'Anhu, and reported in Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim; Ihya', Vol I, p. 176).

5. Whoever does not thank people, is not thankful to Allah (narrated by Hadrat Ibn Sa'eed, Rady Allahu Anhu, and reported by Imam Tirmidhi; and also narrated by Hadrat Abu Hurairah, Rady Allahu 'Anhu, and reported by Imam Abu Dawud and Ibn Hibban; Ihya', Vol I, p. 263).

6. The most important optional fasts after the (obligatory) fasts in the month of Ramadan are those in the month of Muharram (narrated by Hadrat Abu Hurairah, Rady Allahu 'Anhu, and reported in Sahih Muslim; Ihya', vol. I, p. 281).

7. One hundred and seventy mercies descend upon the Ka'ba every day: sixty for those doing tawaf (circumambulation), forty for those performing prayers and twenty for those who just look at it (narrated by Hadrat 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas, Rady Allahu 'Anhu, and reported in Shu'b ul Iman (Branch of Faith) of Imam al-Bayhaqi; Ihya', Vol I, p. 287).

8. Those who take to the Qur'an are the people of Allah and very special to Him (narrated by Hadrat Anas, Rady Allahu 'Anhu, and reported by Imam an-Nasaai, Ibn Majah, and al-Haakim, Ihya', Vol. I, p. 322)

9. Allah, the Blessed and the Exalted, says: "When my servant remembers Me himself (alone), I remember him Myself. When he remembers Me in congregation, I remember him in a better congregation. And if he draws near to Me a hand's span, I draw near to him an arm's length; and if he draws near to Me an arm's length, I draw near to him a fathom's length. And if he comes to Me walking, I go to him at speed". (Hadith Qudsi) (narrated by Hadrat Abu Hurairah, Rady Allahu 'Anhu, and reported in Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim; Ihya', Vol I, p. 351).

10. The best prayer after those that have been prescribed is the qiyaam ul-layl (tahajjud in the night vigil) (narrated by Hadrat Abu Hurairah, Rady Allahu 'Anhu, and reported in Sahih Muslim; Ihya', Vol I, p. 419).

Hasbunallahu wa ni'mal Wakeel
Allah is Sufficient for us and (He is) the most excellent Trustee (3:173)

Imam Al-Ghazali's Ihya' 'Ulum Al-Deen

The Narratives

Each book of the Ihya' abounds with these and they are referred to as Athar (later traditions). They relate to narrations by or concerning the Prophets 'alayhimussalam, the Ahl ul Bayt (the blessed Household of our noble Prophet Muhammad Mustafa Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam), the sahaba (his companions), the taabi'een (Followers), the tab'i taabi'een (those who followed the Followers), the mashaayikh (spiritual masters), and the awliya Allah (friends of Allah, sufi saints), those that are well-known as well as those that remain anonymous and hidden. Let us seize this opportunity to go through some of these narratives to gain their flavour as well as blessings. (Translations by Shaykh Abdal-Hakim Murad, Shaykh Muhtar Holland and Mawlana Fazlul Karim have been used).

1. The entire text of the sermon of Sayyidina AbuBakr Rady Allahu 'Anhu (when the beloved Prophet Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam passed away), has been given by al-Qa'qa' ibn 'Amr, who said, """ When the people had finished weeping, Sayyidina AbuBakr stood up before them to preach a sermon, the greater part of which was an invocation of blessings upon the Prophet Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam. He praised and glorified Allah for every state (which he might bring about) and then said:

"I bear witness that no one is worthy of worship except Allah, Alone, Who fulfilled His promise, gave victory to His bondsman, and overcame the factions Alone. To Him alone is the praise. And I bear witness that Muhammad is His bondsman and Emissary, and the seal of His Prophets. And I bear witness that the Book is now as it was when revealed and that the Faith is now as it was when laid down, and that the Tradition now is just as it transpired, and that the discourse is just as he uttered it, and that Allah is the manifest Truth.

O Allah! Bless Muhammad, Your bondsman and Emissary, Your Prophet, Your beloved one, trusted one, preferred and chosen, with the most excellent blessings ever granted by You to any one of Your creatures.

O Allah! Bestow Your blessings and protection from harm and Your Mercy and Your Grace upon the Master of the Messengers, the Seal of the Prophets, the Leader of the Godfearing, Muhammad, the Commander and Leader of Good, the Emissary of Mercy.

O Allah! Bring close to You his degree, make mighty his proof, ennoble his rank, and raise him up to a Praiseworthy Station which shall be the envy of the first and the last (of mankind). Grant us the benefit of his Praiseworthy Station on the Day of Arising and supply his place for us in this world and in the the next, and lead him to the Rank and the Means (of intercession) in Heaven.

O Allah! Bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, and grant grace to Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, as you did grant blessings and grace to Ibraham; truly, You are Praiseworthy, Majestic""". (Ihya', Vol IV, p. 504)

2. One day, Sayyidina 'Umar Rady Allahu 'Anhu exclaimed while delivering a sermon (khutbah): "O you (soldiers) going on the mountain". When he came to know by kashf or "unveiling" of secret knowledge that the enemies were about to surround the Muslim soldiers (who were far away in another land), he cautioned them because he had direct knowledge. Soon his voice reached them. (Ihya', Vol III, p. 27)

3. Hadrat 'AbdAllah ibn Salam Rady Allahu 'Anhu once asked those who had been present at the death agonies suffered by Sayyidina 'Uthman Rady Allahu 'Anhu after he had been wounded."What did Sayyidina 'Uthman Rady Allahu 'Anhu say while he was in his death throes?" "Three times we heard him say", they replied, "O Allah! Unify the nation of Muhammad Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam". (Ihya', Vol IV, p. 507)

4. Sayyidina 'Ali Rady Allahu 'Anhu said, "If I wish, I can load seventy camels with the Tafsir (exegesis) of Surah al-Fateha alone". (Ihya', Vol. I, p. 341)

5. Imam al-Hasan Rady Allahu 'Anhu said: "An unruly riding-beast is in no greater need of a strong bridle than is your soul". (Ihya', Vol. III, p. 71)

6. When Imam al-Hasan ibn 'Ali Rady Allahu 'Anhu became increasingly ill, Imam al-Husayn Rady Allahu 'Anhu entered and said, "O my brother, why do you sorrow? You are going to join Allah's Emissary Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam, and Sayyidina 'Ali ibn Abi Talib Rady Allahu 'Anhu who are your fathers; and Sayyidatina Khadija bint Khuwaylid and Sayyidatina Fatima bint Muhammad Rady Allahu 'Anhuma, who are your mothers, and Hadrat Hamza and Hadrat Ja'far, Rady Allahu 'Anhuma who are your paternal uncles". And he replied, "O my brother! I am going to something the likes of which I have never been to before". (Ihya', Vol IV, p. 509)

7. Sayyidatina Safiyya Rady Allahu 'Anha told of an old woman who once complained to Sayyidatina 'Aisha Rady Allahu 'Anha of the hardness of her heart. "Remember death frequently", she told her, "and your heart will be softened". This she did and her heart was indeed made soft. She went to thank Sayyidatina 'Aisha Rady Allahu 'Anha. (Ihya', Vol IV, p. 479)

8. It is also reported that Hadrat Bilal Rady Allahu 'Anhu and Hadrat Suhaib Rady Allahu 'Anhu approached some Arab families to talk to them (and asked them for women in marriage). They asked them, "Who are you two?" Hadrat Bilal Rady Allahu 'Anhu replied, "I am Bilal and this is my brother Suhaib. We were astray and Allah guided us aright. We were slaves, then Allah freed us. We were poor, them Allah enriched us. If you give us wives, praise be to Allah! If you reject us, glory be to Allah!"

They said, "Of course you two shall marry, and all praise is for Allah!" Then Hadrat Suhaib Rady Allahu 'Anhu said (to Hadrat Bilal Rady Allahu 'Anhu): "You might have mentioned our exploits and that we were among the first with Allah's Messenger Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam". Hadrat Bilal Rady Allahu 'Anhu replied: " Quiet! I spoke the truth and truthfulness has got you married". (Ihya', Vol II, p. 44)

9. Hadrat 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas Rady Allahu 'Anhu was asked, "What is nobility (karam)?", and he replied, "That which Allah has mentioned in His mighty Book: Assuredly, the most noble of you in Allah's sight are the most pious". (49:13) (Ihya', Vol III, p. 57)

10. Hadrat Salman al-Farsi Rady Allahu 'Anhu was asked: "Why do you not put on good clothes?" He replied, "Being a servant, how can I put on good clothes? When I shall be free, Allah will give me such clothes as will never perish". ( Ihya', Vol IV, p. 249)

11. It is said of Imam Zaynul 'Abideen 'Ali ibn al-Husayn Rady Allahu 'Anhu that he used to turn pale when he made his ablution. When his family asked him what came over him during his ablution, he would say, "Do you realise before Whom I wish to stand in prayer?" (Ihya', Vol I, p. 179)

12. Said Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq, may Allah shower him with His Mercy, "Whenever I am confronted with a desire, I look to my soul. If it displays desire, I give it something of it, which is better than to deprive it, whereas if it hides its desire, and displays indifference to it, I punish it by abstaining, and do not give it anything at all". Such is the way to punish the soul for this hidden desire". (Ihya', Vol III, p. 107)

13. It is said that whenever Hadrat al-Khidr 'Alayhissalam and Hadrat Elias 'Alayhissalam meet in each season, they never separate without reciting the following:

Bismillahi
MaashaaAllahu laa Quwwata illaa Billah
MaashaaAllahu kullu ni'matin minAllah
MaashaaAllahu al-khayru kulluhu Biyadillah
MaashaaAllahu laa yasrifus-sua Illallah

In the Name of Allah
It is what Allah has willed. There is no power except with Allah
It is what Allah has willed. Every grace is from Allah
It is what Allah has willed. All good is with Allah
It is what Allah has willed. No one dispels evil but Allah

He who recites this three times every morning is safe from conflagration, drowning and burglary, if Allah wills. (Ihya', Vol I, p. 374-375)

14. Hadrat Abu Sulayman al-Darani, may Allah shower him with His Mercy, is reported to have said, """Hadrat Uways al-Qarani, may Allah be pleased with him, went on Pilgrimage and entered Madina. He stood at the gate of the Mosque and when he was told, "This is the tomb of the Prophet, Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam", he fell down in a faint""". (Ihya', Vol. I, p. 320)

15. 'Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak, may Allah shower him with his Mercy, said about Imam ul A'zam, Imam Abu Hanifa, may Allah shower him with his Mercy, that he was given the treasures of the world but he fled away from them. Muhammad bin Shuja' narrated to some of his friends that Khalifa Abu Ja'far al-Mansur ordered 10,000 dirhams to be given to the Imam but he declined the offer". (Ihya', Vol. I, p. 39)

16. Humaydi said: Imam Shafi'i, may Allah shower him with His Mercy, once went to Yemen with some of the leaders and returned to Makkah with 10,000 dirhams. A tent was pitched up for him on the outskirts of Makkah and people began to come to him. He did not move from his place until he had distributed all the dirhams he had. (Ihya', Vol I, p. 36)

17. Imam Shafi'i, may Allah shower him with His Mercy, once said, """I saw some Khorasani horses at the door of Imam Malik, may Allah shower him with His Mercy, and I had never seen any other horses better than them. I said to Imam Malik, "How beautiful they look". He said, "They are a present from me to you, O Abu Hamid". I said, "Keep one of them for yourself for riding". He said, "I shall be ashamed before Allah to tread with the hoof of any animal on the soil where lies the Prophet sent by Allah""". Witness then his benevolence and his veneration for the soil of Madina. (Ihya', Vol. I, p. 39)

18. Bishr ibn al-Harith (al-Hafi), may Allah shower him with His Mercy, said: "Ahmad ibn Hanbal, may Allah shower him with His Mercy, is my superior on three counts: he pursues the lawful for others as well as for himself, whereas I seek it for myself alone; he has an expansive approach to marriage whereas my style is cramped; and he has become the Imam of the people". (Ihya', Vol II, p. 26)

19. Rabi'a al-'Adawiya al-Basri, may Allah shower her with His Mercy, said, "Our prayer for forgiveness (istighfaar) needs many prayers for forgiveness". (Ihya', Vol I, p. 371)

20. On the night that he passed away, al-Hasan al-Basri, may Allah make us benefit from him, was seen in a dream. The gates of heaven had been opened and a voice was calling out, "Al-Hasan al-Basri has come to Allah, and He is well-pleased with him!" (Ihya', Vol IV, p. 542).