Reading from the book *Al-Da'wah wa al-Da'i* by Hasan al-Banna, with commentary on it

The Shaykh : What is the matter with the book *Al-Da'wah wa al-Da'i*?

The questioner : O Shaykh, have you read it? Have you read it?

The Shaykh : I did.

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh : By Allah, I read it a long time ago in its first edition, as I do not find any impact of it in my mind, good or bad. But it is known that Hasan al-Banna (may Allah have mercy on him) was not a scholar; he had a strong Islamic emotion, and he had writings in which he contradicted the Sunnah and the Salafi methodology. This is known about him. As for this specific book, I have no idea about it. Let us see what you have regarding it.

The questioner : And we hear about SufismThe Shaykh : in Hasan al-Banna (may Allah have mercy on him)?

The Shaykh : Yes.

The questioner : And this is hinted at in some of his books. The reading in these days is from this book, *Mudhakkarat al-Da'wah wa al-Da'i*, and perhaps this book is one of the later ones?

The Shaykh : Perhaps.

The questioner : Perhaps it is one of the later books because it mentions things
about his da'wah, about what happened to him, about what they did, about the system, and about his life. He spoke about his life even when he was young and in school, and he mentions his Sufi shaykhs, praises them, and deifies them. He mentions al-Badawi and mentions names that may be famous and names that are not known. He mentions al-Dasوقي and mentions many of these people.

The Shaykh : When he mentions al-Badawi, what does he say about him?

The questioner : Regarding al-Badawi, he says he talks about a young man who died, though he is from the youth, as if he is speaking about the memory of his death. He mentions that he had a story with this young man and that he began to talk with him; he was his contemporary before the young man's death. He says, "We began to talk about the awliya (close friends of Allah) and knowledge, and our conversation turned to Sayyid Ibrahim al-Dasوقي, then to Sayyid Ahmad al-Badawi in Tanta. He said, 'Do you know the news of Sayyid Ahmad al-Badawi?' I said to him, 'He was a noble wali, a pious righteous person, and an excellent scholar.' He said, 'That is all?' I said, 'This is what we know; this is the limit of my knowledge. So give me what you have.' This young farmer, who says he did not learn the basic teachings, began to ramble on and made it seem as if everything was found, and that the pulse of Islam, and that, and that, was on the hand of his master al-Badawi, and al-Banna was listening. At the end of the speech, al-Banna commented, saying, 'I was listening to this commentary and the sequence in the history of Sayyid al-Badawi, and I was amazed at the mentality of this young farmer who did not learn the basic teachings, and how much buried intelligence and abundant mind there is in Egypt.'"

The Shaykh : What Allah willed.

The questioner : Because this young man brought what was not broughtThe Shaykh : meaning he did not speak about al-Badawi as al-Badawi deserves, as this one spoke, so he praised him for this speech. This is on page thirty-five of *Mudhakkarat al-Da'wah wa al-Da'i*.

The Shaykh : How many is this edition, my professor? First, second, third? What is written on it?

The questioner : This is a later edition, perhaps the last edition by al-Maktab al-Islami, and al-Nidawi wrote the introduction for it.

Another questioner : The fifth edition.

The Shaykh : The fifth edition.

The questioner : This fifth edition is from the year one thousand four hundred and three

The Shaykh : four hundred and three.

The questioner : and three, and on page twenty-one he saysThe Shaykh : about Sufism, saying, "Perhaps it is useful to record in these memoirs some thoughts about Sufism and the paths in the history of Islam and in the history of the Islamic da'wah, dealing with the scene of Sufism and its effects, and what it led to, and how these paths can be beneficial to the Muslim community."

The Shaykh : What Allah willed.

The questioner : Then he came and jumped from his many words and said, "And what happened to these truths, the truths of Sufism, happened to other truths of Islamic knowledge. It took the form of a science that organizes human conduct and draws for it a special path in life, its stages being dhikr (the remembrance of Allah) and worship, and knowing Allah, and its end being reaching Paradise and the pleasure of Allah. This section of Sufi sciences, which I call the sciences of education and conduct, is undoubtedly the core and essence of Islam. And undoubtedly, the Sufis have reached with it a level of treating souls, curing them, and elevating them that no other educators have reached. And undoubtedly, they carried the people with this style to a practical plan in terms of performing the obligations of Allah and avoiding His prohibitions and being sincere in turning to Him."

The Shaykh : There is no power and no strength except with Allah.

The questioner : On page twenty-three, the days of Damanhur,
he talks between these pages a lot about Sufism and immersion in it, among other things. But here he says on page twenty-four of the book, "And we used to, on many Fridays that happened to be spent in Damanhur, propose a trip to visit one of the awliya (close friends of Allah) near Damanhur. So we would sometimes visit al-Dasوقي, walking on our feet immediately after the Fajr prayer, where we would arrive around eight in the morning. We would cover the distance in three hours, which is about twenty kilometers. We would visit and pray Jumu'ah, rest after lunch, pray 'Asr, and return to Damanhur, where we would arrive after Maghrib approximately. And we would sometimes visit 'Albat al-Nawam, where Shaykh Sayyid Sanjar, one of the special men of the Khasafiyyah order, known for their righteousness and piety, is buried in its cemetery. We would spend a full day there and then return." He talks and boasts about having been raised in this manner and doing this toward the awliya (close friends of Allah) and toward their graves.

The Shaykh : You mentioned that this edition is from al-Maktab al-Islami; how did he comment on it?

The questioner : Al-Nidawi wrote the introduction for it.

The Shaykh : He comments on it like me... Allahu Akbar.

The questioner : The days of silence and dignity, and we had days in which we would vow silence. And now, although he talks about his life, he sees that it is what built him and brought him to where he is. "And we had days in which we would vow silence and distance from people, so that none of us would speak except with dhikr (the remembrance of Allah) or Qur'an. And the students, as is their habit, would take advantage of this as an opportunity for mischief. They would approach the principal or the teachers reporting that so-and-so the student had been struck in the tongue. The teacher would come to clarify the matter, and we would answer him with a verse from the Qur'an, and he would leave. I remember our teacher, Shaykh Farhat, with good." This is the silence of the lines.

The Shaykh : Yes, exactly.

The questioner : And he has a passion for al-Ghazali... and he praises al-Ghazali and makes him an imam. Then he says, "I was not able to detach myself from the education of al-Ghazali and his style of education."

The Shaykh : A dangerous testimony.

The questioner : And indeed, "I was not able to," he says this about himself on page thirty-three. The *hadrah* is on page forty-one. In the *hadrah*... the Shaykh says, "I was happy with life in Cairo this year, as my ranking appeared, until he said... As I used to find great pleasure in the *hadrah* after the Jumu'ah prayer every week at the home of Shaykh al-Hassafi, and then in many nights of the week at the home of the first khalifa of Shaykh al-Hassafi, 'Ali Afandi Ghalib."

The Shaykh : This biography is to gather the people around him so that if he runs for election, he succeeds.

The questioner : Here on page forty, his going out for the Mawlid.

The Shaykh: Yes.

The questioner : And he mentions, "And it was our custom to go out in the commemoration of the birth of the Messenger"

Another questioner : The *hadrah*, how is the *hadrah*?

The Shaykh : Dancing with dhikr.

Another questioner : Dancing and dhikr.

The Shaykh : Yes.

Another questioner : Dhikr and dancing.

The Shaykh : Yes, exactly.

The questioner : And he says, "And it was our custom to go out in the commemoration of the birth of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) with the procession after the *hadrah*."

The Shaykh : What Allah willed.

The questioner : "Every night from the first of Rabi' al-Awwal to the twelfth of it, from the home of one of the brothers. He says from the first of Rabi' al-Awwal to the twelfth of it, from the home of one of the brothers. And it happened that on one of the nights, it was the turn of our brotherThe Shaykh : Shalabi, so we went as usual after the night prayer and found the house bright, clean, and prepared, and he distributed sherbet, coffee, and cinnamon as usual. We went out in the procession reciting the usual poems in complete joy and full happiness. After returning, we sat with Shaykh Shalabi for a while and wanted to leave, when he said with a gentle, soft smile, "If Allah wills, you will visit me early tomorrow to bury Ruhiyyah, my Ruhiyyah, this one and only one." He had been blessed with her after approximately eleven years of marriage, and he was passionately devoted to her, not leaving her even in his work. She had grown up and flourished, and he named her Ruhiyyah because she occupied in his soul the position of the soul. We were surprised and asked, "When did she pass away?" He said, "Today, before the afternoon prayer." We said, "Why didn't you tell us so we could come out of another house with the procession? What happened?" Our sadness fell away and the mourning turned into joy. He asked, "Do you want a blessing from Allah greater than this blessing?" The conversation turned into a lesson in Sufism delivered by Shaykh Shalabi, who attributed the death of his beloved daughter to Allah's jealousy over his heart, for Allah is jealous over the hearts of His righteous servants that they should attach themselves to other than Him or turn away to others. He cited Ibrahim (peace be upon him), whose heart attached itself to Isma'il, so Allah commanded him to sacrifice him, and Ya'qub (peace be upon him), whose heart attached itself to Yusuf, so Allah caused him to lose him for several years.

Another questioner : This is a greater miracle than that of Ibrahim (peace be upon him), because Allah did not take Ibrahim's son.

The questioner : He said, "And his heart attached itself to Isma'il, so Allah commanded him to sacrifice him, and Ya'qub (peace be upon him), whose heart attached itself to Yusuf, so Allah caused him to lose him for several years." I do not know why He left Muhammad, for his son Ibrahim passed away.

The Shaykh : There is no power and no strength except with Allah.

The questioner : Therefore, the heart must not attach itself to other than Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He), otherwise it is a liar in its claim of love.

The Shaykh : Allah is the Greatest. Ibrahim's heart attached itself to Isma'il, so He rewarded him... If you wish, I will answer you... This is disbelief...

Another questioner : This statement is found in the words of Ibn al-Qayyim.

The Shaykh : Is it found in the words of Ibn al-Qayyim?

The questioner : Therefore, the heart of the servant must not attach itself to other than Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He), otherwise it is a liar in its claim of love. He recounted the story of al-Fudayl ibn 'Iyad, who held the hand of his youngest daughter and kissed her. She said to him, "O my father, do you love me?" He said, "Yes, my daughter." She said, "By Allah, I did not think you were a liar before today." He said, "How so, and how many times have you lied?" She said, "I thought that with your state with Allah, you would not love anyone else with Him." He wept.

Another questioner : Due to his ignorance, he does not distinguish between natural love and love with Allah.

The Shaykh : We seek refuge in Allah from this statement. This is a statement that touches the station of prophethood. The Messenger spoke about al-Hasan and al-Husayn.

The questioner : The daughter said, "I thought that with your state with Allah, you would not love anyone else with Him." The man wept and said, "O my Master, even the children have discovered the showing off of your servant al-Fudayl." And so on, from these hadiths that Shaykh Shalabi...

Another questioner : And then the Messenger wept for his son Ibrahim and wept for his daughter's son...

The questioner : This was delivering a lesson, and in his lesson, he was Salafi.

The Shaykh : In his lesson?

The questioner : Salafi, one of the Salafis.

The Shaykh : Okay.

The questioner : One of the Salafis.

The Shaykh : Ah, good.

The questioner : One of them was carrying the Sunnah, and it seemed the Salafi wanted to remind the Shaykh to deviate from the important matters of creed, but the Shaykh outwitted him. Then he clarified that he had laughed at him and that he had been outwitted in the end. Now we hear what the Shaykh says: "And in one of the nights, I felt a strange spirit, a spirit that harbored resentment, and I saw that my listeners had distinguished themselves against me in my lesson, for some of them had distinguished themselves from others, even in their seating. I had barely settled when I was surprised by a question: 'What is the professor's opinion on the issue of seeking nearness to Allah through a means (tawassul)?' I said to him, 'My brother, I think you do not want to ask me about this issue alone, but you also want to ask me about the prayer and blessings after the call to prayer, and about reciting Surat al-Kahf on Friday, and about the wording of lordship for the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) in the tashahhud, and about the parents of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and where their abode is, and about reciting the Qur'an and whether its reward reaches the deceased or not, and about these gatherings held by the people of the paths, and whether they are a sin or a nearness to Allah.' I began to list for him all the issues of disagreement that had been the center of a previous trial and severe disagreement between us. The man was surprised and said, 'Yes, I want the answer to all of this.' I said to him, 'My brother, I am not a scholar, but I am a civilian teacher who memorizes some verses and some hadiths.'" Glory be to Allah, how did the Tabligh group gather? This is their style with...The Shaykh : ...there, this is their style with this man. Look at what he says at the end as well: "But I am a civilian teacher who memorizes some verses and some noble Prophetic hadiths and some religious rulings from my reading of books, and I volunteer to teach them to people. If you take me beyond this scope, you have put me in a difficult position. And whoever says 'I do not know' has issued a ruling. If what I say pleases you and you see good in it, listen, and you are thanked. And if you want to expand your knowledge, ask other specialized scholars and virtuous people, for they are able to issue rulings for you as you wish. As for me, this is the extent of my knowledge, and Allah does not burden a soul except with what it can bear."

Another questioner : He did well.

The questioner : He does not clarify his lie. Now he says, he will say about himself, listen now: "So the man took this statement and found no answer, and I took him with this style... and he was relieved."Those present : Or most of them were relieved by this escape, but I did not want the opportunity to be wasted, so I turned to them and said to them, "My brothers, I know exactly that this brother the questioner, and that many of you, did not want behind this question anything but to know which party this new teacher belongs to, whether he is from the party of...The Shaykh : Musa or from the party of...The Shaykh : 'Abd al-Sami'." And this knowledge does not benefit you at all. And you have spent eight years in the day of trial, and that is enough. And these issues have been disputed by Muslims for hundreds of years, and they are still disagreeing. And Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) is pleased with us for love and unity, and He dislikes from us disagreement and division. I hope you will pledge to Allah to leave these matters now and strive to learn the principles of the religion and its rules."

Another questioner : Unity of the ummah, or unity of existence?

The questioner : Meaning they unite with each other, unity of the ummah. The point is that he says, "He is pleased with us for love and unity."

Another questioner : On what basis?

The questioner : It does not matter.

The Shaykh: Allahu Akbar.

The questioner : And that he also admits that he did not give that answer for the sake of the exit, meaning he is silent. This is a fallacy and laughing at people. A person asks him and he answers him with this answer, and then afterwards he says, "I answered him with this answer in order to escape, otherwise it is not the truth."

The Shaykh : Yes, exactly.

The questioner : He lied at the same time.

Another questioner : It is as if he is teaching the callers: if a Salafi comes to you asking you, dismiss him like this.

The Shaykh : Yes, exactly.

Another questioner : In the notes, he explicitly states that he took the creed from Jawharat al-Tawhid.

The Shaykh : Do you have this book?

Another questioner : Yes, it is available, O Shaykh.

The Shaykh : The Islamic Office edition?

Another questioner : Ah, and the first edition of the book that I have is older than this one.

The Shaykh : What year?

Another questioner : Fifteen years before this one.

The Shaykh : Okay, take your time.

The questioner : In fact, I wanted us to hear this statement, because even our brothers who write about the Sufism of al-Banna do not mention anything except that he was on the al-Husayni path, and they do not mention these great matters by which he raises the youth of the ummah. His notes are available to all the youth of the Ikhwan; we do not exclude those who do not have them, they have looked at them. They read the books of al-Banna and live with them at all times, and these partisan people do not read anything but the books of their leaders. One should not remain silent about such things, and the youth of the ummah are raised on them. This statement should be brought out for them to know it, and many of the youth, if they knew this from al-Banna, would spit in their hands from his call.

The Shaykh : This is if they are Salafis.

The questioner : If they are Salafis and they were deceived?

The Shaykh : As for the non-Salafis.

The questioner : If the truth is clarified to them, will they take it?

The Shaykh : I want to say that your statement in its generality is not accepted, because most of the Muslim Brothers have not been raised with a correct, Salafi Islamic upbringing. Some individuals among them were helped by circumstances and connected with some Salafis, so their ideas became correct and their creed was rectified. Only these few, who are a minority, if they look into this, they reject it as one rejects the wind.

The questioner : This is what I mean.

The Shaykh : This is what you mean.

The questioner : And the writings I mean are those written by the Salafis.

The Shaykh : How?

The questioner : I mean, there are sheikhs among the Muslim Brothers and the Salafis who have found in them a zeal to prevent these people from being deceived.

Another questioner : Peace be upon you

The Shaykh : And peace be upon you.

The questioner : The slogans: they write and say, warning these people that al-Banna has such-and-such, and that he has a Sufi method, but they overlook or feign ignorance of such sites that al-Banna mentions.

The Shaykh : Look, Professor.

The questioner : And they may mention it regarding the followers, like Sayyid Hawwa and al-Tilimsani and so-and-so, and mention their passion for graves and their attachment to them, and remain silent about what is with al-Banna. Is this my point?

The Shaykh : It is not possible to find a Salafi who joined the Muslim Brothers, but you will find many Muslim Brothers—I do not say they joined the Salafis—but they became Salafis in creed. The difference between a Muslim Brother who became a Salafi but did not join the Salafis is that he does not leave his party affiliation, unlike if he joined the Salafis, in which case he would leave the party affiliation of the Muslim Brothers. And what I know is that many of the Muslim Brothers, when the clear and distinct Salafi call came to them, they responded to it and became Salafis in their own selves, but they did not become Salafis for others. Therefore, you will not be able to find one of them who can criticize al-Banna rightly, because by doing so, he would leave the Muslim Brothers.

Another questioner : Or he would leave, if he is a leader.

The Shaykh : No, if he is expelled, that would be good, but they should not give them a way to expel him. It is clear.

The questioner : Is that clear?

The Shaykh : And therefore, unfortunately, you will not find one of these Salafi Muslim Brothers who is able to criticize the Muslim Brothers.