The Reality Of Zaheer Mahmood & His as-Suffa Institute – Imdaadullah Muhajir Makki – PART 2

PART 2

By Abu Hibban & Abu Khuzaimah Ansaari

Sheikh Haji Imdadullah Muhajir was a great ascetic and scrupulous scholar. He was a descendent of Umar (Allah be pleased with him). Born in North India, he migrated to Makkah after the Indian Mutiny in 1875. His counsel is re-produced in English to benefit one and all.

A translation by: Shaykh Shazad Khan, As-Suffa Institute.

This counsel can be found on as-Suffas website

CLARIFYING NOTES

Although Zaheer Mahmood did not translate this counsel, being part of as-Suffa institute and a speaker and a representative for them he is by default linked to Imdaadullah Muhajir Makkee.

Being just and having an open minded approach, there are two possible scenarios. The first being Zaheer Mahmood is unaware of who Imdaadullah Muhajir was and what his beliefs were or he is or was unaware that a counsel authored by Imdaadullah Muhajir was uploaded on the as-Suffa website. On the other hand he is aware of the counsel being uploaded on the website and he is in agreement with who Imdaadullah Muhajir was and what his beliefs were. Giving Zaheer Mahmood such a possible scenario is being over generous as Zaheer Mahmood is a caller and should be aware what goes up on his site.

With regards to Zaheer Mahmood being unaware or having disagreement with the counsel, it’s important and incumbent on Zaheer Mahmood to clarify his beliefs in what we have mentioned below as part on Imdaadullah Muhajir and his beliefs and also reprimand the beliefs we have mentioned below as they are all anti Islamic. Any lack of clarification is by any means understood as his agreement with who Imdaadullah Muhajir Makki was and what his beliefs were.

If Zaheer Mahmood believes and holds to be on the same Aqeedah of Imdaadullah Muhajir then this is a serious issue and a major problem. In such instances the Muslims should have a clarification as they are deserving to know if Zaheer Mahmood and as-Suffa institute hold and adopt the same beliefs as Imdaadullah Muhajir Makki. 

Without compiling a lengthy biography of Imdaadullah Muhajir Makki we would just like highlight some his beliefs, who he was and his background and also mention some basic points in relation to his counsel.

Imdaadullah Muhajir Makki was approximately born in 1233H / 1817ce in Nanaut in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.

The Aqeedah of Seeking Help From Other Than Allaah

Imdaadullaah Muhaajir Makkee used to say, “Yaa Muhammad (Oh Muhammad) we plea to you, Oh beloved of Allaah we plea to you, I am in extreme difficulty nowadays, Oh my remover of difficulties I am pleading to you.” (Munaajibaat Naala’e Imadaad Ghareeb pg.32)

Imdaadullaah Muhajir Makki also said, “I certainly gained benefit from the graves of my Shaikhs just as I did in their lifetime.” (Shamaa’im Imdaadiyyah  pg.81)

These 2 statements of Imdaadullah Makki show how he asked the Messenger of Allaah (Sallallahu alayhee Wasallam) for help and to remove his difficulties and how he held it was permissible to go to the graves of his teachers and benefit from them. It is apparent he must have only benefitted from them as he would in their lifetime by asking them for help.  The statement of Yaa Muhammad we plea to you is sufficient to elucidate a shirkee concept.

 

The Aqeedah of Wahdatul Wajood
This belief entails that Allaah is in everything that exists eg trees, stones, animals and humans ie meaning that everything that exists Allaah is in it. There are varying understandings of this belief but the most common understanding is that the creation is a physical manifestation of Allaah and unfortunately the Deobandee school of thought is also riddled with this belief. This polytheistic concept is also rampant amongst the Soofee, Bareilwees and many muslim groups and sects.

The irony of this is Imdaadullah Muhajir Makki was a strong proponent and propagator of this belief to his students specifically and to the general masses generally. This is why you find the same stench of this corrupt belief amongst the Deobandee Elder Shaikhs.  

Imdaadullah Muhajir Makki said, “The issue of Wahdatul Wajood is true and also correct and there is no doubt or uncertainty in it. So this is my belief, my teachers and all those who have given their pledges of allegiance to me from the likes of Moulwee Muhammad Qaasim (Nanautwee), Moulwee Rasheed Ahmad (Gangohee), Moulwee Muhammad Yaqoob and Moulwee Ahmad Hasan. All of the ones I have mentioned are beloved to me and very close to me and they will never formulate their own beliefs or differ with me as I am their teacher.” (Shamaa’im Imdaadiyyah pg.32, Kulliyyaat Imdaadiyyah pg.218)

This statement has never been denied but rather accepted by the later Scholars of Deoband not only this but they also propagated this belief further and taught it throughout their various madrassahs and institutes for example in Dar al-Uloom Deoband, in Saharanpoor, Dhabel in India and in all of the other major institutes around the subcontinent including Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Burma and Sri lanka.  This statement also further shows some of the early major Deobandee scholars also believed in Wahdatul Wajood because their teacher affirmed it for them.  

Also from his sayings are, “Man before his physical apparent existence was himself in essence inwardly God (ie Allaah) and now (after being created as a man) man is an apparent manifestation of god (ie Allaah)” (Shamaa’im Imdaadiyyah pg.38)

Here Imdaadullah Muhajir Makki is saying that man is in reality a manifestation of Allaah in human form which is the belief of wahdatul wajood.

In another place Imdaadullah Muhajir Makki he said concerning the verse, “Verily! I am your Lord! So take off your shoes.” (Ta-Ha 20:12), “The sound that came from (mount) Toor came from the innerself of Moosaa (Alayhis-Salaam) and this is present in all humans.” (Shamaa’im Imdaadiyyah pg.59)

Meaning Allaah was in Moosaa and the voice that spoke from within Moosaa was really Allaahs voice meaning Allaah exists in everyone that is human. This again shows Imdaadullah Muhajirs belief that Allaah was incarnate in Moosaa and in all of man for that matter as this is the aqeedah of wahdatul wajood. We say incarnate as this is in essence the belief of other religions and sects who believe that Allaah incarnate himself into humans or other things. For example the belief of the Alawi sheeah who believe Allaah was incarnate in Alee (Radhiallaahu Anhu)   

He also said, “Because intercession with Messenger of Allaah (Sallalahu Alayhee Wasallam) is true, you can call the slave of Allaah the slave of the Messenger of Allaah (Sallalahu Alayhee Wasallam)” Whereas Allaah says “Say oh my slaves who have oppressed themselves.” (Soorah Zumar:53) The one who is referred to here is the Messenger of Allaah (Sallalahu Alayhee Wasallam). Maulana Ashraf Alee Thanwee said the meaning is also indicated by this. (Allaah further said), “Do not despair from the mercy of Allaah.” If Allaah was the one who was being referred to here, then he would have said Mir-Rehmatee (from my mercy [and not said from the mercy of Allaah) so that it applied to my slaves.” (Shamaa’im Imdaadiyyah pg.71)

Imdaadullah Muhajir also said which elucidated his belief of Wahdatul Wajood and everything that is created was in the manifestation of Allaah that, “A woman is the manifestation of man and man is the manifestation of the truth (ie Allaah). The woman is in the image of Allaah and hence beauty and attraction are visible in her.” (Shamaa’im Imdaadiyyah pg.70)

Imdaadullahs beliefs again show he believed Allaah was on this earth in Human form disguising himself. Sometimes this anti Islamic belief is explained further that a part of Allaah is in everything, meaning Allaah took a part of himself and he created everything that exists.

He says, “I (me the narrator) said your female servant narrates from the female Saint that once my nephew came to Hajj and the ship was almost destroyed. In such a helpless state he saw in his dream that Haajee (Imdaadullah) Saahib from one side and Hafiz Jeauw from the other side were shouldering the ship out of trouble. In the morning we found the ship had reached its destination safely after journeying for two days. He said “How did I know?” If the real helper was Allaah and how astonishing it would be if this were true. He relieves the problems of other himself by appearing in the cloak of others and it this gets attributed to me and you.” (Shamaa’im Imdaadiyyah pg.100)

Haajee Imdaadullah writes in ‘Dhiyaa al-Quloob’, “Meditate in his Wahdah and say, “He is the First and the Last…” (Soorah al-Hadeed:3) His existence is manifest everywhere, and he is in the beginning and in the end. Say with the tongue and meditate there is no one other than him and then become engrossed in this thought.” (Dhiyaa al-Quloob pg.33 also Shamaa’im Imdaadiyyah pg.100)  

This form of meditation is what a common day soofee does ie continuously reciting some words of the Quraan so much so that he loses his senses and reaches a state of oblivion known as Fana which means extinction or annihilation of the self with Allaah, but when he loses his senses he physically remains alive. Fana is a pure soofee term and its concept is taken and found in other religions. Fana can only be achieved by engrossing yourself and this is exactly what Imdaadullah Muhajir asks everyone to do.

When these soofee enter this state they have no existence outside of  the unity with Allah. These misguided soofees from the deobandees and barailwees have taken this from other misguided religions. Fanaa is equivalent to the concept of nirvana in Buddhism,or moksha in Hinduism which also aims for annihilation of the self.

A prime current day example of this are the whirling dervishes or the Dhikr some soofees do in unison saying Haq-Allaah and slowly by slowing this Haq (truth) becomes one with Allaah and hence the state of Fana. In Syria, Turkey, Jordan, Morocco and Egypt aswell as many other countries special gatherings are organized just to meditate and to perform dhikr loudly aswell as other means to achieve this fana.

In some countries especially in the Indian sub continent music is used to aid this unison or fana. So at shrines and tombs you often have musicians playing instruments and the public dancing without any segregation with abundant free mixing all based on evilness, with the opposite sexes heavily mixing and touching, all in the presence of these learned people from Allamah this to Shah that. A single word of disapproval is not uttered from them and all in the name of soofee fana and unsion with Allaah. They organise dances with drums and bells and music known as Qawaalian.

Sometimes you find the men with bells around their ankles and they dance, sometimes young boys or girls are made to dance. They believe the constant sound of the music will help them better and assist them in achieving the state of Fana.   

Some of the soofees believe because Allaah is already in them based on the aqeedah of Wahdatul Wajood it is a lot easier for them to achieve fana with Allaah. When this happens they appear to be in vegetative state helpless as if they are in a coma. The people around them begin to respect and revere them thinking they have reached a high status as they have achieved communion with Allaah and then they become known as Holy saints or Peers.  All of these concepts lead to what we have in our society and community from holy saints, peers, mureeds, shamans and so on. This is the reality and the core idea and basic principle of the deobandee scholars and especially their founding father, Imdaadullah Makki.

When the soofees reprimand the other soofees who allow the usage of music, and free mixing and all of the other sins, its just a case of, the better of them reprimanding the worse amongst them just because they don’t use music or dance and rather use pure words from the Quraan. This does not change anything, the concept, idea and end goals remains the same but just the means of getting to the end change.

Imdaadullah Muhajir Makki further writes after a couple of lines, “There are many other (words/verses) for meditations like, “Wherever you turn you will find the face of Allaah.”(Soorah al-Baqarah 2:115)  And “Allaah is ever watchful over you.” (Soorah an-Nisaa:1) and “And he encompasses everything.” (ash-Shura:54) And “In yourselves do you not see.” (Soorah adh=Dhaariyaat:21)

 

So he says the aforementione verses are other words of the Quraan that can also be used for meditation to achieve  fana and this is evident from the usage of the type of verses.

These statement of Wahdatul Wajood and the mixing of the creation with the creator propagate shirk and indicate similarities to the beliefs of other false religions. The Hindus, Buddhists as well as other religions all believe similar concepts regarding the supreme creator. As muslims we should warns against such beliefs and aid the Muslims with good correct sound beliefs which the pious predecessors understood and explained to the people.

Seeking Waseelah (Intercession) Via the Dead

In order to understand this belief we present the statement of the Deobandee Elder Shaikh and a major scholar in his own right from the scholars of Deoband. Khaleel Ahmad Saharanpooree writes, “According to us and our Mashaykh (scholars) it is permissible to use the waseelah (Intercession) of the Prophets, auliyaa, the martyrs and the Siddeeqeen, during their lives or after their deaths. By saying “Oh Allaah by the Waseelah (Intercession) of such and such respected person, we want the acceptance of our invocations and the removal of our calamities.” (al-Muhannad A’la Mufannad (pg.7)

He further wrote “Our honorable elders Akaabir Murshid al-Arab Wal-Ajam Hadhrat Haajee Imdaadullah Saahib Muhaajir Makkee, Shaikh al-Mashaiykh Qutb-e-Aalim Maulana Rasheed Ahmad Saahib Gangohee and Hakeem al-Ummat Hadhrat Maulana Shah Muhammad Ashraf Thanwee Saahib Quds-Surrah have authored lineage’s (of the Soofee Tareeqahs) of their revered elders in which they have included the names of the people they used to use as intercessors.” (al-Muhannad A’la Mufannad (pg.7)

So here seeking waseelah through the dead has been established for Imdaadullah Makki, the question here is what does Zaheer Mahmood and as-Suffa say? Are they in agreement with this belief? Do they warn from their belief and say this is shirk? Or do they believe that this is also permissible.

Imdaadullaah who is known as the Murshid al-Arab Wal-Ajam. Writes some poetry in which he calls his teacher Shaah Noor Muhammad by saying, “There is only support of your essence in this world, There is absolutely no plea to anyone other than to you, but It will be the day of judgement when God is the Judge,  I will hold your shirt and say open manifestly, Oh Shah Noor Muhammad it is the time of Imdaad (Help)’ (Shamaa’im Imdaadiyyah pg.84)

So this is the affair of Imdaadullah Muhajir, clearly his beliefs are contrary to the fundamental teachings of Islam. This is why it is incumbent on Zaheer Mahmood and his as-Suffa institute to clarify his beliefs and if he differs with the beliefs of Imdaadullah Muhajir Makki. it is important that he reprimands such beliefs and warns against Imdaadullah. This is not one mistake that can be over looked but there are many and as we mentioned this was just to yet again show a mindset of Zaheer Mahmood or the as-Suffa institute.

A dear brother by the name Hussain/Khurram left a comment which clearly showed he was angry or upset.  You mentioned some points which were very trivial and as we highlighted in the previous part it was a case of just showing the mindset and thinking. For example in the year 2001 and some years after that a whole conference was organised in india in Refuting the Ahlul Hadeeth and all sorts of false allegations. The same conference was organised and replicated in England Birmingham under the banner of “Tahafuz-e-Sunnat” ie a conference in preserving the Sunnah when yet the whole conference was about ridiculing the Scholars of Ahlus Sunnah and the Sunnah, the Ahlul Hadeeth and the good righteous scholars like Shaikh Abdul Azeez ibn Baaz and Shaikh Muhammad Naasir ud deen al-Albaanee. At the same time numerous hate fuelled books and treatises were given out free. We never got angry or annoyed nor did we have a huff and a puff. The reality is sometimes we have to approach these issues with an open mind.

Rather then getting upset all of us should seek clarity and help the muslims in ridding our community of these bad and corrupt beliefs so that our future generations can be free of any false beliefs which may lead them astry as opposed to us just getting all angry and wound up. This is our deen something we have to die upon so we dont take these issues lightly.

The point being we should free ourselves from bigotry and partisanship open our minds and research the truth without blindly following personalities and eloquent speakers. Insulting remarks will not benefit yourself nor us. Lastly we wish good for you and all the Muslims. We hope people see that the aqeedah of Imdaadullah Makki was not the basic Sunni Aqeedah and hence clarifications are necessary more so for those who profess love and promote Imdaadullah Makki.