The Position of the Righteous Salaf Regarding the Sufis
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Fatwa No. ( 21119 )
Q: The Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta has reviewed the letter addressed to His Eminence the Mufti, accompanied by the publication titled: ( The Position of the Righteous Salaf Regarding the Sufis ). It states: We found it to contain a defense of the Sufis and a misleading of understandings regarding the deviant Sufis, and an endorsement of them without regard to the misguidances, excesses, and gross acts of shirk (associating partners with Allah) contained therein. Therefore, it was necessary to clarify the fallacies and misleadings contained in that publication, knowing that Sufism is an innovation introduced into Islam and a foreign element brought in from Christianity.
A: We clarify this as follows: First: The sayings of some of the scholars, worshippers, and ascetics of the early generations, who are not among the Sufis, as quoted in it, do not serve to endorse the introduced Sufis; because the Sufis have deviated from the Book
and the Sunnah, and they have introduced deviant paths in which they opposed the methodology of those scholars whose sayings are quoted in the publication. Among these introduced methodologies are the doctrine of the unity of existence, the claim of divine indwelling, following the sheikhs of the paths in what they prescribe for the disciples without objecting to them, and their claim that they receive directly from Allah and do not need the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him); because in their view, he came for the common people, not the select few. Also, their worship of graves through slaughter, vows, supplication, and calling for aid to the dead. All these disgraceful acts are present in their books and they practice them in their actions and worship, as is observed in their current conditions. Second: Its statement: "And based on that, anything that contradicts Islam in any way cannot be attributed to the Sufis and Sufism; rather, it is the misguidance of the claimants who falsely and slanderously attributed themselves to Sufism, or it is among the matters inserted into their books with the intention of slandering these people and distorting their image and methodology, as happened in the books of tafsir (exegesis) with the Isra'iliyyat (Jewish traditions) that contradict what is known of these exegetes regarding their care to clarify the truth... etc." The answer to this is that we say: These mentioned misguidances do not come from the claimants of Sufism, but rather they come from the imams
of the deviant Sufis, such as Ibn Arabi and al-Hallaj and al-Rifa'i and Ibn al-Farid and al-Sha'rani in (Tabaqat), and al-Suhrawardi in (Awarif), and 'Abd al-Karim al-Jili in (al-Insan al-Kamil), and others of the poles of the Sufis, as is found in their books. The claim that these were inserted into their books is a claim without evidence. How can they be inserted into their books when their followers today print these books, circulate them, and apply them in their acts of worship night and day? The discussion now is about reality, not about books. Comparing this to the Isra'iliyyat in the books of tafsir is an invalid analogy; because it is an analogy with a significant difference; because not all Isra'iliyyat are lies, but there is accepted truth in them, which is what agrees with our Shari'ah brought by our Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), and falsehood, which is what contradicts the Shari'ah. Third: Its interpretation of the words of Shaykh Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab (may Allah have mercy on him), which is his statement when he mentioned knowledge, jurisprudence, worship, and seeking the Hereafter, then he said (may Allah have mercy on him): "So Allah sent His Prophet with this religion that encompasses both types." The author of the publication interpreted the two types as jurisprudence and Sufism, interpreting the Shaykh's words contrary to their correct meaning. The correct meaning is that the two types are guidance and the religion of truth, as in the noble verse:[At-Tawbah 9:33]
, and as the Shaykh said at the beginning of his speech: "Know, may Allah guide you, that Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) sent Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) with guidance, which is beneficial knowledge, and the religion of truth, which is righteous action." It is well known that the Shaykh (may Allah have mercy on him) fought against innovations and acts of shirk, and the greatest of them is deviant Sufism. Accordingly, the Committee sees it necessary to prohibit the distribution of this publication and to destroy it, and to warn against it; in order to preserve the 'aqidah (creed) of the Muslims from the spread of innovations and acts of shirk through this publication and its like. And may Allah send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions.
Q: The Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta has reviewed the letter addressed to His Eminence the Mufti, accompanied by the publication titled: ( The Position of the Righteous Salaf Regarding the Sufis ). It states: We found it to contain a defense of the Sufis and a misleading of understandings regarding the deviant Sufis, and an endorsement of them without regard to the misguidances, excesses, and gross acts of shirk (associating partners with Allah) contained therein. Therefore, it was necessary to clarify the fallacies and misleadings contained in that publication, knowing that Sufism is an innovation introduced into Islam and a foreign element brought in from Christianity.
A: We clarify this as follows: First: The sayings of some of the scholars, worshippers, and ascetics of the early generations, who are not among the Sufis, as quoted in it, do not serve to endorse the introduced Sufis; because the Sufis have deviated from the Book
and the Sunnah, and they have introduced deviant paths in which they opposed the methodology of those scholars whose sayings are quoted in the publication. Among these introduced methodologies are the doctrine of the unity of existence, the claim of divine indwelling, following the sheikhs of the paths in what they prescribe for the disciples without objecting to them, and their claim that they receive directly from Allah and do not need the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him); because in their view, he came for the common people, not the select few. Also, their worship of graves through slaughter, vows, supplication, and calling for aid to the dead. All these disgraceful acts are present in their books and they practice them in their actions and worship, as is observed in their current conditions. Second: Its statement: "And based on that, anything that contradicts Islam in any way cannot be attributed to the Sufis and Sufism; rather, it is the misguidance of the claimants who falsely and slanderously attributed themselves to Sufism, or it is among the matters inserted into their books with the intention of slandering these people and distorting their image and methodology, as happened in the books of tafsir (exegesis) with the Isra'iliyyat (Jewish traditions) that contradict what is known of these exegetes regarding their care to clarify the truth... etc." The answer to this is that we say: These mentioned misguidances do not come from the claimants of Sufism, but rather they come from the imams
of the deviant Sufis, such as Ibn Arabi and al-Hallaj and al-Rifa'i and Ibn al-Farid and al-Sha'rani in (Tabaqat), and al-Suhrawardi in (Awarif), and 'Abd al-Karim al-Jili in (al-Insan al-Kamil), and others of the poles of the Sufis, as is found in their books. The claim that these were inserted into their books is a claim without evidence. How can they be inserted into their books when their followers today print these books, circulate them, and apply them in their acts of worship night and day? The discussion now is about reality, not about books. Comparing this to the Isra'iliyyat in the books of tafsir is an invalid analogy; because it is an analogy with a significant difference; because not all Isra'iliyyat are lies, but there is accepted truth in them, which is what agrees with our Shari'ah brought by our Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), and falsehood, which is what contradicts the Shari'ah. Third: Its interpretation of the words of Shaykh Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab (may Allah have mercy on him), which is his statement when he mentioned knowledge, jurisprudence, worship, and seeking the Hereafter, then he said (may Allah have mercy on him): "So Allah sent His Prophet with this religion that encompasses both types." The author of the publication interpreted the two types as jurisprudence and Sufism, interpreting the Shaykh's words contrary to their correct meaning. The correct meaning is that the two types are guidance and the religion of truth, as in the noble verse:
It is He who has sent His Messenger with guidance and the religion of truth
هُوَ الَّذِي أَرْسَلَ رَسُولَهُ بِالْهُدَى وَدِينِ الْحَقِّ, and as the Shaykh said at the beginning of his speech: "Know, may Allah guide you, that Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) sent Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) with guidance, which is beneficial knowledge, and the religion of truth, which is righteous action." It is well known that the Shaykh (may Allah have mercy on him) fought against innovations and acts of shirk, and the greatest of them is deviant Sufism. Accordingly, the Committee sees it necessary to prohibit the distribution of this publication and to destroy it, and to warn against it; in order to preserve the 'aqidah (creed) of the Muslims from the spread of innovations and acts of shirk through this publication and its like. And may Allah send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions.
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.