Ron-Kid
HasbunAllahu wa ni`mal Wakil '
Praise be to Allah.
The book Fadaa’il al-A‘maal – the original title of
which was Tabl eeghi Nisaab – by Muhammad
Zakariyya al-Kandahlawi is a collection of chapters
about various virtuous deeds. It was written by the
author to be a reference for the group Jamaa‘at al-
Tableegh. This book became of great importance for
them, which they read in their gatherings and study
in their schools and mosques. It is written in Urdu,
which is why it did not become widespread in the
Arab countries; rather it is widely known in the
countries in which Jamaa‘at al-Tableegh is
widespread, such as India, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Shaykh Hammood at-Tuwaijri said in al-Qawl al-
Baleegh (p. 11):
The most important book among the Tableeghis is
Tableeghi Nisaab (also known as Fadaa’il al-A‘maal ),
which was written by one of their leaders whose
name is Muhammad Zakariyya al-Kandahlawi. They
pay a great deal of attention to this book, which they
respect as Ahl as-Sunnah respect as-Saheehayn and
other books of hadeeth.
The Tableeghis have made this book the most
important reference work for the Indians and other
non-Arabs who follow them. It contains a great deal
of matters of shirk, innovation (bid‘ah), myths, and
fabricated (mawdoo‘) and weak (da‘eef) hadeeths. In
fact it is a book of evil, misguidance and confusion
(fitnah). End quote.
Shaykh Shams ad-Deen al-Afghaani said in his book
Juhood ‘Ulama’ al-Hanafiyyah fi Ibtaal ‘Aqaa’id al-
Qubooriyyah (2/776):
The leading imams of the Deobandis have books
which are venerated by the Deobandis, but they are
filled with the myths of grave-worshippers and Sufi
idolatry, such as – and he mentioned a number of
books, including Tableeghi Nisaab, i.e., Nisaab at-
Tableegh, and Manhaj at-Tableegh. These Deobandis
did not openly disavow these books or warn against
them, and they did not put a stop to the printing and
sale of these books. The markets of India and
Pakistan and elsewhere are full of them. End quote.
It says in Fataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa’imah (vol 2,
2/97):
Question: I am a Muslim man living in Britain, and I
want to follow the path of Ahl as-Sunnah wa’l-
Jamaa‘ah in all aspects of my life. On that basis I am
trying to read religious books in Urdu. Whilst reading
some religious books written by the famous and
prominent Indian scholar who belongs to the
Deobandi Jamaa‘at at-Tableegh, whose name is
Shaykh Muhammad Zakariyya Kandahlawi, the shaykh
of hadeeth, I found in his book Tableeghi Nisaab (p.
113), in Chapter 5, a story quoted by the author from
a book entitled Rawnaq al-Majaalis . This is the story
of a merchant who died and his estate was shared
between his two sons. In addition to a great deal of
wealth, the deceased had left behind a hair from the
head of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him). The younger son kept the hair from the
head of the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah
be upon him) and gave up the wealth to which he
was entitled from his father’s estate, giving it to his
older brother. What happened was that the one who
took the wealth soon became bankrupt, whilst the
one who took the hair became rich. After the death of
the younger brother, in whose possession was the
hair from the head of the Prophet (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him), one of the righteous
saw the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him) in his dream, and the Prophet (blessings
and peace of Allah be upon him) said to him:
“Whoever has any need should go to the grave of this
younger brother and call upon Allah, may He be
glorified and exalted, at his graveside so that He
might answer his prayer.” This is quoted from the
book Tableeghi Nisaab.
I also read another book called Tareekh Mashaayikh
Juththat by the same author, Shaykh Muhammad
Zakariyya Kandahlawi. On p. 232, he mentions
Shaykh Haji Imdaadullah Muhaajir Makki, when he
was in his final illness and was visited by one of his
followers who was grieved by his state. The shaykh
realised that he was feeling sad for him and he said:
“Do not grieve, for the ascetic (zaahid) worshipper
does not die; rather he moves from one place to
another, and he meets people’s needs when he is in
his grave as he used to meet their needs when he
was alive.” This is quoted from the book Tareekh
Mashaayikh Juththat .
I would like to hear your wise opinions about the
above and also about the following matters:
(a)
Is he – the author – and the one who narrated this
story still a Muslim in the light of this belief which is
reflected in his books and his words? Please explain
to us with evidence from the Qur’an and Sunnah.
(b)
If he is no longer a Muslim, what is the evidence
from the Qur’an and Sunnah that he is beyond the
pale of Islam?
The answer was:
What is quoted in these books, such as the example
mentioned in the question, comes under the heading
of reprehensible innovation and myths that are not
based on any sound Islamic principle and have no
basis in the Book of Allah or the Sunnah of His
Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
No one says or believes this except one who is
confused and blinded to the truth, and has gone
astray from the straight path.
The claim that a hair of the Prophet still exists, and
brings riches to the one who keeps it, and the claim
to have seen the Prophet (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) in a dream telling people to offer
supplication at the grave of this man – all of that is
lies and fabrications for which there is no evidence. It
is narrated in a saheeh report that the Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “The
Shaytaan cannot appear in my form.” Agreed upon. So
how could the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah
be upon him) instruct people to call upon Allah at
gravesides when he forbade such actions during his
lifetime and warned against it in the strongest terms,
and he forbade exaggerating about the Prophets and
righteous people and seeking to draw close to Allah
(tawassul) by virtue of them after their death? He
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not
die until Allah had perfected His religion by means of
him (the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him)) and completed His favour or blessings. So
nothing can be added to or taken away from what He
prescribed. The belief that supplications offered at
gravesides will be answered is an innovation for
which there is no basis in Islam, and it may lead a
person to major shirk if he calls upon the occupant of
the grave instead of Allah or alongside Him, or if he
believes that the occupant of the grave has the power
to bring benefit or cause harm, because the only One
Who can bring benefit or cause harm is Allah, may He
be glorified.
Similarly, the belief that the ascetic (zaahid)
worshipper does not die, rather he moves from one
place to another, and that he can meet people’s
needs from his grave as he used to meet their needs
when he was alive, is also a false belief; it is one of
the beliefs of the deviant Sufis. There is no basis for
that; rather what is indicated by the verses and
saheeh hadeeths is that every person in this world
will die. Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation
of the meaning):
“Verily, you (O Muhammad SAW) will die and verily,
they (too) will die”
[az-Zumar 39:30]
“And We granted not to any human being immortality
before you (O Muhammad SAW), then if you die,
would they live forever?”
[al-Anbiya’ 21:34]
“Everyone is going to taste death, and We shall make
a trial of you with evil and with good, and to Us you
will be returned.”
[al-Anbiya’ 21:35]
.
The saheeh hadeeths also indicate that when a
person dies, all his deeds come to an end except
three: beneficial knowledge, a righteous son who will
pray for him, or ongoing charity (sadaqah jaariyah).
The deceased in his grave has no power to harm or
benefit himself, and it is more apt to say that one
who is in this state has no power to do that for
anyone else. It is not permissible to seek to have
one’s needs met by anyone except Allah alone with
regard to that over which no one has any control
except Allah; seeking such needs from the dead is
major shirk. Anyone who believes anything other
than that has disbelieved in the sense of major kufr
and has gone beyond the pale of Islam – Allah forbid
– because of his rejecting the proven evidence to that
effect from the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His
Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
He has to repent sincerely from that, resolve not to
go back to that evil deed, and to follow the path of
the righteous early generations of Ahl as-Sunnah
wa’l-Jamaa‘ah in order to attain the pleasure of Allah
and His Paradise, and to be safe from His
punishment. End quote.
It says in al-Mawsoo‘ah al-Muyassarah fi’l-Adyaan
wa’l-Madhaahib wa’l-Ahzaab al-Mu‘aasirah (1/322):
In their gatherings in Arab countries they – i.e.,
Jamaa‘at at-Tableegh – focus on reading from Riyadh
as-Saaliheen , but in non-Arab countries they focus
on reading from Hayat as-Sahaabah and Tableeghi
Nisaab; the latter book is full of myths and da‘eef
(weak) hadeeths. End quote.
To sum up, the scholars continue to warn against the
book Tableeghi Nisaab , otherwise known as Fadaa’il
al-A‘maal . It is not permissible for any Muslim to
read it; rather they should focus on the books of the
saheeh Sunnah, books whose authors follow the path
of Ahl as-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa‘ah. As for books that
contain myths and lies, they should not have any
place in the heart or mind of the Muslim.
And Allah knows best
The book Fadaa’il al-A‘maal – the original title of
which was Tabl eeghi Nisaab – by Muhammad
Zakariyya al-Kandahlawi is a collection of chapters
about various virtuous deeds. It was written by the
author to be a reference for the group Jamaa‘at al-
Tableegh. This book became of great importance for
them, which they read in their gatherings and study
in their schools and mosques. It is written in Urdu,
which is why it did not become widespread in the
Arab countries; rather it is widely known in the
countries in which Jamaa‘at al-Tableegh is
widespread, such as India, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Shaykh Hammood at-Tuwaijri said in al-Qawl al-
Baleegh (p. 11):
The most important book among the Tableeghis is
Tableeghi Nisaab (also known as Fadaa’il al-A‘maal ),
which was written by one of their leaders whose
name is Muhammad Zakariyya al-Kandahlawi. They
pay a great deal of attention to this book, which they
respect as Ahl as-Sunnah respect as-Saheehayn and
other books of hadeeth.
The Tableeghis have made this book the most
important reference work for the Indians and other
non-Arabs who follow them. It contains a great deal
of matters of shirk, innovation (bid‘ah), myths, and
fabricated (mawdoo‘) and weak (da‘eef) hadeeths. In
fact it is a book of evil, misguidance and confusion
(fitnah). End quote.
Shaykh Shams ad-Deen al-Afghaani said in his book
Juhood ‘Ulama’ al-Hanafiyyah fi Ibtaal ‘Aqaa’id al-
Qubooriyyah (2/776):
The leading imams of the Deobandis have books
which are venerated by the Deobandis, but they are
filled with the myths of grave-worshippers and Sufi
idolatry, such as – and he mentioned a number of
books, including Tableeghi Nisaab, i.e., Nisaab at-
Tableegh, and Manhaj at-Tableegh. These Deobandis
did not openly disavow these books or warn against
them, and they did not put a stop to the printing and
sale of these books. The markets of India and
Pakistan and elsewhere are full of them. End quote.
It says in Fataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa’imah (vol 2,
2/97):
Question: I am a Muslim man living in Britain, and I
want to follow the path of Ahl as-Sunnah wa’l-
Jamaa‘ah in all aspects of my life. On that basis I am
trying to read religious books in Urdu. Whilst reading
some religious books written by the famous and
prominent Indian scholar who belongs to the
Deobandi Jamaa‘at at-Tableegh, whose name is
Shaykh Muhammad Zakariyya Kandahlawi, the shaykh
of hadeeth, I found in his book Tableeghi Nisaab (p.
113), in Chapter 5, a story quoted by the author from
a book entitled Rawnaq al-Majaalis . This is the story
of a merchant who died and his estate was shared
between his two sons. In addition to a great deal of
wealth, the deceased had left behind a hair from the
head of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him). The younger son kept the hair from the
head of the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah
be upon him) and gave up the wealth to which he
was entitled from his father’s estate, giving it to his
older brother. What happened was that the one who
took the wealth soon became bankrupt, whilst the
one who took the hair became rich. After the death of
the younger brother, in whose possession was the
hair from the head of the Prophet (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him), one of the righteous
saw the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him) in his dream, and the Prophet (blessings
and peace of Allah be upon him) said to him:
“Whoever has any need should go to the grave of this
younger brother and call upon Allah, may He be
glorified and exalted, at his graveside so that He
might answer his prayer.” This is quoted from the
book Tableeghi Nisaab.
I also read another book called Tareekh Mashaayikh
Juththat by the same author, Shaykh Muhammad
Zakariyya Kandahlawi. On p. 232, he mentions
Shaykh Haji Imdaadullah Muhaajir Makki, when he
was in his final illness and was visited by one of his
followers who was grieved by his state. The shaykh
realised that he was feeling sad for him and he said:
“Do not grieve, for the ascetic (zaahid) worshipper
does not die; rather he moves from one place to
another, and he meets people’s needs when he is in
his grave as he used to meet their needs when he
was alive.” This is quoted from the book Tareekh
Mashaayikh Juththat .
I would like to hear your wise opinions about the
above and also about the following matters:
(a)
Is he – the author – and the one who narrated this
story still a Muslim in the light of this belief which is
reflected in his books and his words? Please explain
to us with evidence from the Qur’an and Sunnah.
(b)
If he is no longer a Muslim, what is the evidence
from the Qur’an and Sunnah that he is beyond the
pale of Islam?
The answer was:
What is quoted in these books, such as the example
mentioned in the question, comes under the heading
of reprehensible innovation and myths that are not
based on any sound Islamic principle and have no
basis in the Book of Allah or the Sunnah of His
Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
No one says or believes this except one who is
confused and blinded to the truth, and has gone
astray from the straight path.
The claim that a hair of the Prophet still exists, and
brings riches to the one who keeps it, and the claim
to have seen the Prophet (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) in a dream telling people to offer
supplication at the grave of this man – all of that is
lies and fabrications for which there is no evidence. It
is narrated in a saheeh report that the Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “The
Shaytaan cannot appear in my form.” Agreed upon. So
how could the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah
be upon him) instruct people to call upon Allah at
gravesides when he forbade such actions during his
lifetime and warned against it in the strongest terms,
and he forbade exaggerating about the Prophets and
righteous people and seeking to draw close to Allah
(tawassul) by virtue of them after their death? He
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not
die until Allah had perfected His religion by means of
him (the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him)) and completed His favour or blessings. So
nothing can be added to or taken away from what He
prescribed. The belief that supplications offered at
gravesides will be answered is an innovation for
which there is no basis in Islam, and it may lead a
person to major shirk if he calls upon the occupant of
the grave instead of Allah or alongside Him, or if he
believes that the occupant of the grave has the power
to bring benefit or cause harm, because the only One
Who can bring benefit or cause harm is Allah, may He
be glorified.
Similarly, the belief that the ascetic (zaahid)
worshipper does not die, rather he moves from one
place to another, and that he can meet people’s
needs from his grave as he used to meet their needs
when he was alive, is also a false belief; it is one of
the beliefs of the deviant Sufis. There is no basis for
that; rather what is indicated by the verses and
saheeh hadeeths is that every person in this world
will die. Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation
of the meaning):
“Verily, you (O Muhammad SAW) will die and verily,
they (too) will die”
[az-Zumar 39:30]
“And We granted not to any human being immortality
before you (O Muhammad SAW), then if you die,
would they live forever?”
[al-Anbiya’ 21:34]
“Everyone is going to taste death, and We shall make
a trial of you with evil and with good, and to Us you
will be returned.”
[al-Anbiya’ 21:35]
.
The saheeh hadeeths also indicate that when a
person dies, all his deeds come to an end except
three: beneficial knowledge, a righteous son who will
pray for him, or ongoing charity (sadaqah jaariyah).
The deceased in his grave has no power to harm or
benefit himself, and it is more apt to say that one
who is in this state has no power to do that for
anyone else. It is not permissible to seek to have
one’s needs met by anyone except Allah alone with
regard to that over which no one has any control
except Allah; seeking such needs from the dead is
major shirk. Anyone who believes anything other
than that has disbelieved in the sense of major kufr
and has gone beyond the pale of Islam – Allah forbid
– because of his rejecting the proven evidence to that
effect from the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His
Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
He has to repent sincerely from that, resolve not to
go back to that evil deed, and to follow the path of
the righteous early generations of Ahl as-Sunnah
wa’l-Jamaa‘ah in order to attain the pleasure of Allah
and His Paradise, and to be safe from His
punishment. End quote.
It says in al-Mawsoo‘ah al-Muyassarah fi’l-Adyaan
wa’l-Madhaahib wa’l-Ahzaab al-Mu‘aasirah (1/322):
In their gatherings in Arab countries they – i.e.,
Jamaa‘at at-Tableegh – focus on reading from Riyadh
as-Saaliheen , but in non-Arab countries they focus
on reading from Hayat as-Sahaabah and Tableeghi
Nisaab; the latter book is full of myths and da‘eef
(weak) hadeeths. End quote.
To sum up, the scholars continue to warn against the
book Tableeghi Nisaab , otherwise known as Fadaa’il
al-A‘maal . It is not permissible for any Muslim to
read it; rather they should focus on the books of the
saheeh Sunnah, books whose authors follow the path
of Ahl as-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa‘ah. As for books that
contain myths and lies, they should not have any
place in the heart or mind of the Muslim.
And Allah knows best