Jama'at-ul-Muslimeen: Forbidden to Call Anyone as "Mawla" Apart from Allah

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

نحمده ونصلى على رسوله الكريم

Among the galaxy of misguided groups and parties are the followers of Syed Masood Ahmad (d. 1997), who arrogate for themselves the name Jama’at-ul-Muslimeen. This group considers all other Muslims who are not members of their insignificant Jama’at as being Kuffar (unbelievers). As such, they are simply to be understood as yet another manifestation of the Takfiri Kharijites who have deviated from the true path of Ahlus Sunnati wal-Jama’ah.

This sect is characterized by excessive literalism and an underlying failure to understand and comprehend the wisdom behind the meaning of Islamic texts.

For example, they claim:

اور نہ کسی کو مولی کہہ کر پکارنا چاہئے۔ "مولانا" یا "مولائی" کے الفاظ صرف اللہ  تعالی کے لئے استعمال کرنے چاہئیں، کسی دوسرے کے لئے نہیں۔

باقی رہا یہ کہ قرآن وحدیث میں بعض جگہ غیر اللہ کے لئے لفظ مولی کا استعمال ہوا ہے تو اس کا جواب یہ ہے کہ ہمیں جو حکم ملا ہے ہمیں اس کی تعمیل کرنی چاہئے۔

“No one should call another as Mawlaa. The words Mawlaanaa or Mawlaa’i should only be used for Allah Most High, not for anyone else. As for the word Mawlaa being used for other than Allah in some places in the Qur’an and Hadith, then the answer to this is that we should only act upon the command which we have been given.”

Reference: Tauhid-ul-Muslimeen; p. 117 – 118

It is quite noteworthy that this deviant sect on one hand acknowledges the fact that the word Mawlaa has been used in the Qur’an and Hadith as referring to persons other than Allah, yet in its blind obstinance, the so-called Jama’at-ul-Muslimeen claim it is forbidden to call anyone other than Allah with the name and title Mawlaa.

One must understand the fact that the Arabic words Mawlaa and Walee have a multitude of different meanings. With respect to Allah تعالى the meaning of Mawlaa that is unique and restricted to Him is that of ultimate ‘Guardian’, ‘Protector’, ‘Master’, and ‘Helper’. Apart from Allah, we have no other Guardian or Helper.

However, Mawlaa can also mean friend, ally, and beloved one. It is with this connotation that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

مَنْ كُنْتُ مَوْلَاهُ فَعَلِيٌّ مَوْلَاهُ

“Whoever I am a Mawlaa to, then Ali is his Mawlaa too.”

(Hadith Mutawatir)

Mawlaa is also the term used to describe someone’s freed-slave. For example, the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)  said to Zaid b. Harithah:

أَنْتَ أَخُونَا وَمَوْلاَنَا

“You are our brother and our Mawlaa”

(Bukhari)

These and many other examples prove that it is allowed to refer to respectable Muslims with the title Mawlaaya, Mawlawi, Mawlaana, and Mawlaa, as has been the widespread custom of Muslims from generation to generation. It was only with the emergence of the very recent and modern group, so-called “Jama’at-ul-Muslimeen” that this issue became controversial, when they declared it forbidden to call anyone besides Allah as “Mawlaa”.