capetonian
New Member
Why am i asking this question? Recently i have noticed an increase in the number of "shaykhs/imaams" visiting our shores (Cape Town) claiming to be descendents of our Beloved Prophet. From the little information i have gathered it seems to me that these persons belong to the Sufi movement.
I know that our Beloved Prophet had no surviving sons, so would the offspring of His daughters be regarded as His descendents?
The latest "descendent" to arrive is Habib 'Umar ibn Hafidh and this is briefly what a local newspaper had to say about him: "One of the Muslim worlds most prominent scholars and agents of dawah, Habib 'Umar ibn Hafidh, is due to visit South Africa in February and March this year. The 47 year old is a 39th generation descendent of the Prophet Muhammed (SAW) and was born in the blessed city of Tarim in the Hadramaut valley. His father Habib Muhammed ibn Salim, was a renowned scholar".
I suspect this is a ploy used by some to lure people to the Sufi movement. Maybe it is easier for the Sufi student to pledge allegiance to his "Shaykh" if he claimed to be a descendent of our Beloved Prophet. I found the following bit of information on TTI with regards to the Sufi sect:
The Student and his ‘Shaykh’- There exists a strange and twisted relationship between the ‘shaykh’ (murshid) and his student (mureed). The student has to obey the ‘shaykh’ at all times and can’t have any objection to the ‘shaykhs’ statements, he must not speak in front of the ‘shaykh’ nor pray in front of him without the ‘shaykhs’ permission.
The student is not allowed to attain his 'spiritual development' from any other source, and he must keep in constant contact with the 'shaykh' who will inform him of his 'spiritual progress'.
Another thing which the student must do is give a bay’ah (pledge of allegiance) to his Shaykh so that he will then become a person of the tareeqah (path). There are several Sufi tareeqahs that the Sufi can give bay’ah to such as Naqshbandi, Chistee, Qaadiri and Shaadili named after the founder (often so-called) of the Tareeqah. Once the Sufi student makes his pledge to his 'shaykh', by placing his hand in the hand of his 'shaykh', he joins the tareeqah of the 'shaykh'. He then becomes part of a Sufi chain which many claim goes all the way back to the Prophet (sal-Allaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam)
Bay’ah linguistically means making an agreement. Islaamically it signifies making pledge to the Khalifah, or the Muslim ruler to promise or swear allegiance to him, not to revolt against him, but to obey him in whatever is not disobedience to Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta’aala). In doing so, it was usual for the person making this covenant to place his hand in the hand of the Khalifah, or the ruler of the Muslims, in confirmation of the covenant. But the Sufis took this correct bay’ah a step further and started giving bay’ah to their shaykh’s, who were not caliphs or rulers. All of the examples of Muslims giving rulers’ bay’ah pertain only to that bay’ah, which is an exclusive belonging to the Khalifah or the ruler of the Muslims. Not one of the Ulema of the past made any reference to another form of bay’ah, like that of the Sufis.
I know that our Beloved Prophet had no surviving sons, so would the offspring of His daughters be regarded as His descendents?
The latest "descendent" to arrive is Habib 'Umar ibn Hafidh and this is briefly what a local newspaper had to say about him: "One of the Muslim worlds most prominent scholars and agents of dawah, Habib 'Umar ibn Hafidh, is due to visit South Africa in February and March this year. The 47 year old is a 39th generation descendent of the Prophet Muhammed (SAW) and was born in the blessed city of Tarim in the Hadramaut valley. His father Habib Muhammed ibn Salim, was a renowned scholar".
I suspect this is a ploy used by some to lure people to the Sufi movement. Maybe it is easier for the Sufi student to pledge allegiance to his "Shaykh" if he claimed to be a descendent of our Beloved Prophet. I found the following bit of information on TTI with regards to the Sufi sect:
The Student and his ‘Shaykh’- There exists a strange and twisted relationship between the ‘shaykh’ (murshid) and his student (mureed). The student has to obey the ‘shaykh’ at all times and can’t have any objection to the ‘shaykhs’ statements, he must not speak in front of the ‘shaykh’ nor pray in front of him without the ‘shaykhs’ permission.
The student is not allowed to attain his 'spiritual development' from any other source, and he must keep in constant contact with the 'shaykh' who will inform him of his 'spiritual progress'.
Another thing which the student must do is give a bay’ah (pledge of allegiance) to his Shaykh so that he will then become a person of the tareeqah (path). There are several Sufi tareeqahs that the Sufi can give bay’ah to such as Naqshbandi, Chistee, Qaadiri and Shaadili named after the founder (often so-called) of the Tareeqah. Once the Sufi student makes his pledge to his 'shaykh', by placing his hand in the hand of his 'shaykh', he joins the tareeqah of the 'shaykh'. He then becomes part of a Sufi chain which many claim goes all the way back to the Prophet (sal-Allaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam)
Bay’ah linguistically means making an agreement. Islaamically it signifies making pledge to the Khalifah, or the Muslim ruler to promise or swear allegiance to him, not to revolt against him, but to obey him in whatever is not disobedience to Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta’aala). In doing so, it was usual for the person making this covenant to place his hand in the hand of the Khalifah, or the ruler of the Muslims, in confirmation of the covenant. But the Sufis took this correct bay’ah a step further and started giving bay’ah to their shaykh’s, who were not caliphs or rulers. All of the examples of Muslims giving rulers’ bay’ah pertain only to that bay’ah, which is an exclusive belonging to the Khalifah or the ruler of the Muslims. Not one of the Ulema of the past made any reference to another form of bay’ah, like that of the Sufis.
