The ruling on following the Sufi orders that are widespread in our time
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The first question of Fatwa No. ( 5156 ):
Q1: What do you say, may you be respected, about the Sufi orders that exist in our time in great numbers, for example; the Naqshbandi , the Qadiri , and with us in the Far West (Morocco) the Jilani , the Tijani , the Harqawi , the Wazani , the Dala'i , the Nasiri , the 'Alawi , and the Kattani , among other numerous names, but when I looked into their daily recitations, I found them to be approximately similar; because they all have in their morning recitation one hundred instances of seeking forgiveness, one hundred instances of sending blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in any form, and one hundred instances of the word of tawhid (the oneness of Allah), "There is no god but Allah," and in the evening the same, along with establishing the prayer at its time; because it is an obligatory condition for one who wishes to take their recitation from them, but some scholars from the Muslim Brotherhood said: whoever has a Sufi order is misguided, an innovator, and one who associates partners with Allah; because there was no Sufi order in the time of the Messenger nor in the time of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), not at all, and for this reason I ask your Eminence for a comprehensive answer on the subject; because the word (one who associates partners with Allah) is severe; because whoever associates partners with Allah, Allah has forbidden him Paradise and his abode is the Fire.
A1: Asceticism, devotion, and worship prevail among the sheikhs of the Sufi orders, but religious innovations and superstitions are numerous in their devotion and worship, such as remembering Allah with the singular name (Allah - the Living - the Self-Subsisting...) or remembering Him with the third-person pronoun like
(He - He - He.... ) or remembering Him with what He has not named Himself, such as (Ah - Ah - Ah... ) with swaying, bowing, rising from it, dancing, and other affected movements, along with various artificial sounds, chanting, and clapping or striking what is called: the baz (a type of drum) sometimes to regulate the tones of the chanting with the movements and pauses of the sounds of dhikr, and all of this is not established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) by word or deed, nor was it known from his Rightly Guided Caliphs or the rest of his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), rather it is from the newly invented matters, and it is established from al-'Arba' ibn Sariyah (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: Narrated by Abu Dawud and al-Tirmidhi who said: A good, authentic hadith. And the same applies to what is called a daily recitation (wird) mentioned in the question of seeking forgiveness and sending blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), for although these are beneficial phrases and were originally a means of nearness and prescribed worship, it is not established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to specify them for the morning or the evening, nor to set for them
a limited number in these two times that is not to be increased or decreased, nor to make nearness to Allah through them via a covenant that the sheikh takes from his follower, so adhering to what is mentioned in nearness to Allah with these dhikrs is a newly invented innovation, and it is established that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sahih Muslim 1718a Narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim, and in a narration of Muslim Sahih Muslim 1718b But whoever remembers Allah the Exalted with forms in which authentic hadiths have come with a specific number or at a specific time, that is praiseworthy, such as what is established from him (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said: Mishkat al-Masabih 2302 Narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim, and such as what is established from him (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said: Muwatta Malik 15:23 Narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim, up to the like of this where texts have come specifying a time or number, so observing the time and number in such matters is prescribed (mashru') as long as it does not lead to a newly invented manner, otherwise it is a blameworthy innovation; as mentioned at the beginning of the answer. And their innovations may lead them to seeking help from the dead and the absent in
relieving distress and in rising when standing and the like, in which they fall into major shirk (associating partners with Allah). We ask Allah for safety and well-being from that. And success is from Allah. And may Allah send blessings and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Q1: What do you say, may you be respected, about the Sufi orders that exist in our time in great numbers, for example; the Naqshbandi , the Qadiri , and with us in the Far West (Morocco) the Jilani , the Tijani , the Harqawi , the Wazani , the Dala'i , the Nasiri , the 'Alawi , and the Kattani , among other numerous names, but when I looked into their daily recitations, I found them to be approximately similar; because they all have in their morning recitation one hundred instances of seeking forgiveness, one hundred instances of sending blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in any form, and one hundred instances of the word of tawhid (the oneness of Allah), "There is no god but Allah," and in the evening the same, along with establishing the prayer at its time; because it is an obligatory condition for one who wishes to take their recitation from them, but some scholars from the Muslim Brotherhood said: whoever has a Sufi order is misguided, an innovator, and one who associates partners with Allah; because there was no Sufi order in the time of the Messenger nor in the time of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), not at all, and for this reason I ask your Eminence for a comprehensive answer on the subject; because the word (one who associates partners with Allah) is severe; because whoever associates partners with Allah, Allah has forbidden him Paradise and his abode is the Fire.
A1: Asceticism, devotion, and worship prevail among the sheikhs of the Sufi orders, but religious innovations and superstitions are numerous in their devotion and worship, such as remembering Allah with the singular name (Allah - the Living - the Self-Subsisting...) or remembering Him with the third-person pronoun like
(He - He - He.... ) or remembering Him with what He has not named Himself, such as (Ah - Ah - Ah... ) with swaying, bowing, rising from it, dancing, and other affected movements, along with various artificial sounds, chanting, and clapping or striking what is called: the baz (a type of drum) sometimes to regulate the tones of the chanting with the movements and pauses of the sounds of dhikr, and all of this is not established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) by word or deed, nor was it known from his Rightly Guided Caliphs or the rest of his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), rather it is from the newly invented matters, and it is established from al-'Arba' ibn Sariyah (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said:
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) gave us a forceful sermon, our hearts were moved by it and our eyes shed tears, so we said: O Messenger of Allah, it is as if it is the sermon of one who is bidding farewell, so give us advice. He said: I advise you to fear Allah, and to listen and obey even if a slave is appointed over you, and indeed whoever of you lives will see much disagreement, so hold fast to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the Rightly Guided Caliphs, and grip it with your teeth, and beware of newly invented matters, for every newly invented matter is an innovation, and every innovation is misguidance
وعظنا رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم موعظة بليغة وجلت منها القلوب وذرفت منها العيون فقلنا: يا رسول الله، كأنها موعظة مودع فأوصنا، قال: أوصيكم بتقوى الله والسمع والطاعة وإن تأمر عليكم عبد، وإنه من يعش منكم فسيرى اختلافًا كثيرًا، فعليكم بسنتي وسنة الخلفاء الراشدين عضوا عليها بالنواجذ، وإياكم ومحدثات الأمور، فإن كل محدثة بدعة، وكل بدعة ضلالةa limited number in these two times that is not to be increased or decreased, nor to make nearness to Allah through them via a covenant that the sheikh takes from his follower, so adhering to what is mentioned in nearness to Allah with these dhikrs is a newly invented innovation, and it is established that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
'A'isha reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: He who innovates things in our affairs for which there is no valid (reason) (commits sin) and these are to be rejected.
من أحدث في أمرنا هذا ما ليس منه فهو ردHe who did any act for which there is no sanction from our behalf, that is to be rejected.
من عمل عملاً ليس عليه أمرنا فهو ردif anyone says a hundred times in a day, “There is no god but God alone who has no partner, to whom dominion belongs, to whom praise is due, who is omnipotent”, he will have a reward equivalent to that for emancipating ten slaves, a hundred blessings recorded for him, a hundred evil deeds obliterated from him; it will be a protection for him from the devil all that day till evening, and no one will bring anything more excellent than he brings, except a man who has done more than he has.
من قال: لا إله إلاَّ الله وحده لا شريك له، الملك وله الحمد وهو على كل شيء قدير في يوم مائة مرة كانت له عدل عشر رقاب وكتبت له مائة حسنة ومحيت عنه مائة سيئة وكانت له حرزًا من الشيطان يومه ذلك حتى يمسي، ولم يأت أحد بأفضل مما جاء به إلاَّ رجل عمل أكثر منهWhoever says, 'Glory be to Allah and with His praise' (Subhana'llah wa bi-hamdihi) one hundred times in a day will have his wrong actions taken away from him, even if they are as abundant as the foam on the sea.
من قال: سبحان الله وبحمده في يوم مائة مرة حطت عنه خطاياه وإن كانت مثل زبد البحرrelieving distress and in rising when standing and the like, in which they fall into major shirk (associating partners with Allah). We ask Allah for safety and well-being from that. And success is from Allah. And may Allah send blessings and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.