He found you absorbed in His love so guided you to Him (Sura 93:7)

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

In the Name of Allah; the Entirely Merciful the Especially Merciful

Allah Most High says to His beloved Prophet ﷺ

وَوَجَدَكَ ضَالًّا فَهَدَىٰ۝

And He found thee wandering in search for Him and guided thee unto Himself

(Sura 93: 7)

The word ضالّ as used in this Verse has caused controversy as it ordinarily means “misguided” “erring” “astray”. However, this word has several other meanings, and that meaning should be understood which is befitting the status of the beloved Prophet ﷺ

Regrettably, certain English translations of the Holy Qur’an have mistranslated this Verse resulting in denigration of the status of the beloved Prophet ﷺ

The translation of Shi’ite translater, Ali Quli Qara’i: “Did He not find you astray, and guide you?”

The translation of non-Muslim British orientalist, A. J. Arberry: “Did He not find thee erring, and guide thee?”

These are other similar translations are incorrect for several reasons. Elsewhere in the Holy Qur’an it is stated:

مَا ضَلَّ صَاحِبُكُمْ وَمَا غَوَىٰ۝

Your Companion ﷺ has not strayed, nor has he erred

(Sura 53: 2)

Therefore, to be consistent with the Holy Qur’an, a majority of the classical exegetes have rejected the meaning that Allah found the Prophet ﷺ “astray” or “erring” and then guided him to the Truth. They instead mention the reported incidents when the Prophet ﷺ while still a young child was once lost somewhere in Mecca. At the time he was under the custody of his paternal grandfather Abdul Muttalib, who was greatly distressed that the Prophet ﷺ was lost and he could not find him. Abdul Muttalib was so distressed he went straight to the sacred Ka’ba and begged Allah to return the Prophet ﷺ to him. Incidentally, it was Abu Jahl who came across the beloved Prophet ﷺ and returned him to his grandfather. Another incident is narrated that the Prophet and his uncle, Abu Talib, were once lost on the way to Syria but were miraculously guided back to the way. So here Allah is reminding the Prophet ﷺ of His favors of guiding him back to the way when he was lost.

Imam Fakhr al-Din al-Razi (d. 606H) has also explained another possible meaning which is that the Prophet ﷺ was engrossed in the love of Allah, so Allah guided him to Him. This is the translation put forward by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani and Ahmad Reza Khan Barelwi in modern times. Imam al-Razi writes:

الرابع عشر: الضلال بمعنى المحبة كما في قوله:

{ إِنَّكَ لَفِى ضَلَـٰلِكَ ٱلْقَدِيمِ }

[يوسف: 95] أي محبتك، ومعناه أنك محب فهديتك إلى الشرائع التي بها تتقرب إلى خدمة محبوبك

Reference: Tafsir al-Kabir; v.31, p.218

Here, Imam al-Razi has given the example of Prophet Jacob (peace be upon him). When Prophet Joseph (peace be upon him) gave his brothers his Qamîs (frock) as a means of curing the blindness of their father, when the brothers returned to Prophet Jacob the latter said that he could smell the fragrance of his son Joseph, to which the brothers replied:

قَالُوا تَاللَّـهِ إِنَّكَ لَفِي ضَلَالِكَ الْقَدِيمِ۝

They said: “By Allah, you are still deeply engrossed in the same old love of yours.”

(Sura 12: 95)

Prophecy Concerning Rome

One of the grand prophecies of the beloved Prophet ﷺ is regarding the Romans:

تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ وَالرُّومُ أَكْثَرُ النَّاسِ

“The establishment of the Hour (is when) the Romans are the majority of mankind”

(Sahih Muslim)

In my estimation (and Allah knows best), the term al-Rûm does not simply refer to the city of Rome in modern-day Italy, but to Roman/Western civilization. This is certainly true in light of the Qur’anic usage of the word “Rome”:

غُلِبَتِ الرُّومُ۝

“Rome has been defeated”

(Sura 30:2)

As referring to the Byzantine or Eastern Roman empire based in Constantinople. In a broader sense, “Rome” in Islamic terminology refers to Western and European Christendom. As a religious community, it is certainly true that the Roman Catholic Church is the largest denomination in the world, with some 1.2 billion adherents. Keep in mind that the Protestant churches, whose adherents are estimated at some 800 million, are also included within Western Christianity as they came out of the Roman Church. And in light of the Qur’anic usage of “Rome” it must be admitted that the Eastern Orthodox churches, with some 300 million adherents worldwide, are also included within Roman Christendom. (It should be remembered that the Catholic-Orthodox schism occurred in the year 1054 C.E., a few centuries after the advent of Islam) Hence, the only major Christian denomination which can be said to be outside of Roman Christendom is the Nestorian Church of the East, which was based in Sassanid Persia and not Rome during the advent of Islam. So it is clear that while Rome is not exactly synonymous with Christianity as a whole in the Islamic terminology, nevertheless, Rome is a code word in Islam for Western Christendom and particularly the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches. Our beloved Prophet’s (peace be upon him) prophecy that “Rome” shall comprise the majority of mankind before the establishment of the Hour (Judgment Day) is therefore certainly true and fulfilled judging by the demographics today’s world.

Another prophecy concerning Rome is that the Muslims shall fight and defeat Rome, and only thereafter will the Dajjal (Antichrist) emerge:

سَتُقَاتِلُونَ جَزِيرَةَ الْعَرَبِ فَيَفْتَحُهَا اللَّهُ ثُمَّ تُقَاتِلُونَ الرُّومَ فَيَفْتَحُهَا اللَّهُ ثُمَّ تُقَاتِلُونَ الدَّجَّالَ فَيَفْتَحُهَا اللَّهُ

“You will fight the Arabian Peninsula and victory will be granted by Allah. Then you will fight the Romans and victory will be granted by Allah. Then you will fight Dajjal and victory will be granted by Allah.” (Sunan Ibn Maja)

Soon after the conquest of the Arabian Peninsula, i.e., the Ridda Wars faught by the first Caliph Abi Bakr (Allah be pleased with him) against the apostate tribes and false prophets, the Muslims turned their attention toward fighting the Romans (Byzantines). These wars with Western Christians continued and intensified during the Crusades, until the Western Christians became dominant through colonialism and remain so in the post-colonial age. However, it is no secret that Western/European power is somewhat declining and other powers like China and Israel (Zionists) are slowly but surely rising. We know that once Rome has been totally defeated the Dajjal will arise and pose the next great existential threat to the Muslims. The rise of Dajjal is connected to the continuing build up of the State of Israel’s military might. Then there is the rise of Gog and Magog and there invasion of the Holy Land after the decisive defeat of the Dajjal.

Barelwi Belief: Prophets are not Sinless Prior to Becoming Prophets

 

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

The Barelwis accuse other Muslim sects who acknowledge the humanity of the Prophets of disrespect for their sanctity and exalted status. This is why it is so ironic that the Barelwis should themselves assert that Prophets are not necessarily Ma’sum (innocent and sinless) prior to their receiving Nubuwwah (prophethood).

 

The Barelwi scholar and exegete, Mufti Ahmad Yar Khan Naeemi, says concerning the brothers of the Prophet Joseph (peace be upon them):

 

جن علما‍‌ئ نے تمام بھا‌‎ئیوں کو نبی مانا ہے وہ کہتے ہیں کہ پیغمبر کفر و شرک سے تو ہمیشہ معصوم ہوتے ہیں لیکن گناہ سے نبوت کے بعد معصوم ہوتے ہیں نہ کہ پہلے اور یہ حضرات اس وقت نبی نہ تھے بعد میں بنے کیونکہ یہ ارادہ سخت گناہ ہے۔

 

“Those scholars who accepted all these brothers to be prophets say Prophets are always free from infidelity and polytheism, but they are free of sin after prophethood, not prior to it. Thus, these brothers at that point in time were not prophets, they became prophets afterwards. This intention of theirs is one of severe sin.”

 

Reference: Tafsir Nur-ul-Irfan; Sura 12:9

 

 

 

It should be noted here that the Barelwi mulla has contradicted the folk belief of his own maslak that a Prophet does not become a Prophet, but is a Prophet from the moment he is born. For example, the Barelwis claim that Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was always a Prophet. He did not become a Prophet at the age of 40 when the Angel Gabriel came to him in the Cave of Hira as ordinary Muslims believe; but rather that was the point in time when his Prophethood was announced or manifested.

Barelwi Fatwa: Jinnah was a Murtad (Apostate) and Kafir (Infidel)

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

The Barelwis (i.e. grave-worshipers) are a sect that is very widespread among the Muslims of the Indian subcontinent, including Pakistan, a Muslim country that was carved out of Hindu-majority India in 1947.

 

Pakistan was founded by Mr. Muhammad Ali Jinnah (1876-1948). He is affectionately referred to as Qaid-e-Azam (lit. “great leader”) by Pakistanis.

 

 

 

In Pakistan, the Barelwis frequently boast that while their Deobandi rivals were supportive of the Hindu-dominated Congress Party, and opposed the creation of Pakistan, they (Barelwis) fully supported the Pakistan movement. Furthermore, the Barelwis accuse Deobandi Ulema of disrespecting Mr. Jinnah and issuing edicts of Kufr against him, intending to embarrass the modern-day Deobandis of Pakistan.

But this is nothing short of revisionism. Historically, the Ulema from many sects including the Barelwis bitterly opposed the Muslim League and its leader Mr. Jinnah. The Barelwi mulla Muhammad Tayyab Danapuri issued a strongly-worded fatwa against Mr. Jinnah, stating:

بحکم شریعت مسٹر جینا اپنے ان عقا‌‎‌‍‏ئد کفریہ قطعیہ یقینیہ کی بنا پر قطعا مرتد اور خارج از اسلام ہے

 

Translation: “By the verdict of the Shari’ah, Mr. Jinnah, due to these decidedly heretical beliefs, is certainly an apostate and expelled from Islam.”

 

Reference: Tajanib Ahle Sunnat; p.177

 

 

The Barelwi mulla, not satisfied with simply excommunicating Mr. Jinnah from Islam, went further and stated that anyone who simply doubted the veracity of this fatwa after being aware of Jinnah’s beliefs is likewise an apostate and an infidel!

Rafa Yadain (Raising Hands During Salat)

 

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

One of the controversial differences of opinion among the Muslims concerning the Salât is the issue of Raf’-ul-Yadain or raising the hands. There are several views on the matter, the main ones being catalogued here:

1. Hanafi view: Hands are raised once only during the first Takbîr which commences the Salat.  This is also the Mâliki view.

2. Shâfi’i view: Hands are raised during first Takbîr, when bowing, after raising head from bowing, and when standing up after the first Tashahhud.

3. Hanbali view: Hands are raised during first Takbîr, when bowing and after raising head from bowing.

4. Ibâdi view: Hands are not raised at all, not even during the first Takbîr!

Some Muslims, especially the Shî’ites and some of the so-called Ahlul Hadîth raise their hands between the two prostrations, or with every Takbîr, or even every movement from one position to the next in the Salât.

With the exception of the Ibâdi sect’s position, all other practices mentioned here are legitimate and have their evidence from the Sunnah of the Prophetﷺ

However, it appears that the Hanafi position is the strongest. Firstly, there is the Hadith of Sayyidina Abdullah b. Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him):

حَدَّثَنَا عُثْمَانُ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ، عَنْ سُفْيَانَ، عَنْ عَاصِمٍ، - يَعْنِي ابْنَ كُلَيْبٍ - عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ الأَسْوَدِ، عَنْ عَلْقَمَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مَسْعُودٍ أَلاَ أُصَلِّي بِكُمْ صَلاَةَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ فَصَلَّى فَلَمْ يَرْفَعْ يَدَيْهِ إِلاَّ مَرَّةً

It was reported from Alqamah who said: Abdullah ibn Mas’ud said: Should I not pray for you the way the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) prayed? So he prayed, raising his hands only once. (Sunan Abi Dawud)

The celebrated Muhaddith, Imam Albâni (rahimahullah) authenticated this narration:

 

 

Reference: Sahih Sunan Abi Dawud; v.1, p.216 (#748)

The rationale behind not doing Raf’-ul-Yadain in the rest of the Salât is that it is contrary to the Sakînah (tranquility) that is required in Salât. This means the one who is praying Salât should be as still and tranquil as possible; refrain from excessive and unnecessary movements. The proof that excessively raising one’s hands in Salât is contrary to this tranquility is based on the following Hadîth:

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، وَأَبُو كُرَيْبٍ قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنِ الْمُسَيَّبِ بْنِ رَافِعٍ، عَنْ تَمِيمِ بْنِ طَرَفَةَ، عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ سَمُرَةَ، قَالَ خَرَجَ عَلَيْنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ ‏"‏ مَا لِي أَرَاكُمْ رَافِعِي أَيْدِيكُمْ كَأَنَّهَا أَذْنَابُ خَيْلٍ شُمْسٍ اسْكُنُوا فِي الصَّلاَةِ ‏"‏

Jabir b. Samura reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came to us and said: “How is it that I see you lifting your hands like the tails of headstrong horses? Be calm in prayer.” (Sahih Muslim)
 

It is often argued that this Hadîth from Jâbir b. Samurah (Allah be pleased with him) is concerning the waving of hands during the Taslîm through which the worshiper exits the Salât. The Prophet ﷺsaw that some of his companions while offering the Taslîm would gesture with their hands to those praying alongside them to the right and the left; the Prophetﷺ then forbade them to do this saying “why do you point out with your hands as if they are the tails of headstrong horses?”

Because the narrations to this effect are also narrated by Sayyidina Jâbir b. Samurah, it is assumed that the above cited narration is in that context and is not concerning the Rafa’ Yadain that is performed before going into Ruku’ and raising the head from Ruku’, etc.

However, a deeper analysis makes apparent that these are two separate incidents. Firstly, this narration of Jâbir b. Samurah is via Tamîm b. Tarafah; while the narrations of Jâbir b. Samurah concerning the Taslîm are via Ubaidullâh ibnul-Qibtiyyah.

Secondly, the narration via Tamîm b. Tarafah has the additional wording “be tranquil in the Salât”, indicating that it is concerning the Rafa’ Yadain that is offered inside the Salât, and not the Taslîm through which a person exits the Salât.

Supplicating in One's Own Tongue During Salat

Mullas and those under their toxic influence claim it is forbidden to supplicate to Allah in one’s own language other than Arabic during the Salat.

But contrary to this, the Prophet (ﷺ) said:

أَقْرَبُ مَا يَكُونُ الْعَبْدُ مِنْ رَبِّهِ وَهُوَ سَاجِدٌ فَأَكْثِرُوا الدُّعَاءَ

“The closest that a person can be to his Lord, the Mighty and Sublime, is when he is prostrating, so increase in supplication then.”

(Sahih Muslim)

This is a strong proof that a person can offer supplication in his or her own language during the Sajdah (prostration). The Prophet (ﷺ) instructed Believers to increase supplication to the Lord in that particular state of worship. It is obvious that a non-Arab or someone who isn’t fluent in Arabic will be unable to fulfil this instruction if he or she is restricted to supplicating in the Arabic language only.