Imdadullah Muhajir Makki: A Sunni (Brelvi) Saint and Elder

 

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

الصلاة والسلام عليك يا رسول الله

In the Name of Allah, the Rahman, the Merciful

Salutations of peace and blessing upon you, my master, Apostle of Allah!

The pious saint and elder, Imdadullah Muhajir Makki (1817-1899), may Allah have mercy on him, was an orthodox Sunni, whose beliefs and practices were in line with what is nowadays termed Barelawi. Ironically, the elders of Deoband who all received their spiritual lineage and initiation through him—the likes of Qasim Nanautawi, Rashid Gangohi and Ashraf Ali Thanawi—slid away from some of his beliefs and practices. But Imdadullah Muhajir Makki wrote a treatise entitled Faisalah Haft Mas’alah in which he affirmed essentially all those beliefs and practices of the Sunni Barelawi school which the Deobandis have dissented from. On the issue of standing (qiyam) for the remembrance and birthday of the Holy Prophet—sall Allahu alaihi wasallam—he said:

اکثر علما‏ء اجازت دیتے ہیں

Most Ulama permit it (Faisalah Haft Mas’alah, p.22)

اس کے بدعت کہنے کی کوئی وجہ نہیں

There is no reason to call this an innovation (ibid, p.23)

Concerning the Sunni belief that it is possible for the Holy Prophet—sall Allahu alaihi wasallam—to manifest himself or to be present at a gathering where he is being commemorated, he said:

رہا یہ اعتقاد کہ مجلس مولد حضور پر نور صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم رونق افروز ہوتے ہیں، اس اعتقاد کو کفر و شرک کہنا حد سے بڑھنا ہے۔ کیونکہ یہ امر ممکن ہے عقلاً و نقلاً۔ بلکہ بعض مقامات پر اس کا وقوع بھی ہوا ہے۔

As for the belief that the Prophet Muhammad, sall Allahu alaihi wasallam, enlivens and appears at the gathering of Mawlid, calling this belief disbelief and polytheism is going too far, because this is possible both intellectually and textually. In fact, it has even occurred in some places (ibid, p.26)

Imdadullah Muhajir Makki said he himself attends such gatherings to commemorate the Mawlid and that he performs qiyam (standing to recite Salat and Salam upon the Prophet):

مشرب فقیر کا یہ ہے کہ محفل مولد میں شریک ہوتا ہوں بلکہ ذریعہ برکات سمجھ کر ہر سال منعقد کرتا ہوں اور قیام میں لطف ولذت پاتا ہوں۔

This poor man participates in the Mawlid gathering, rather, he considers it a source of blessings, which he holds every year, and he finds pleasure and enjoyment in the standing (ibid, p.27)

On the issue of sending Salat and Salam upon the Prophet, sall Allahu alaihi wasallam, in the grammatical second person, with second person pronouns, and also calling upon individuals in the unseen for help, he said:

ملائکہ کا درود شریف حضور اقدس میں پہنچانا احادیث سے ثابت ہے۔ اس اعتقاد سے کوئی شخص الصلوۃ والسلام علیک یا رسول اللہ کہےکچھ مضائقہ نہیں

Angels conveying the noble Durud [Salat] upon the Holy Prophet is proven from the Hadith. There is no harm in saying, As-Salatu was-Salamu alayka Ya Rasul Allah, with this belief (ibid, p.35)

البتہ جو ندا نص میں وارد ہے مثلاً یا عباد اللہ اعینونی۔ وہ بالاتفاق جائز ہے

That calling which has been narrated from the Nass, for example, O servants of Allah help me, is allowed by consensus (ibid, p.36)