In Spring of 2013, a shocking revelation jolted the valley of Kashmir, its repercussion being felt throughout the Indian subcontinent; the exposition of a fake faith healer who used to allegedly rape his students in his centre. The widespread ignorance of masses about the connotations of Islam, what it stands for and the path it prescribes for self purification has been a great factor leading to a surge in such episodes. Earlier an aged ‘Pir’ was caught for raping a minor in his custody. The parents of that girl were not even ready to accept that their ‘great pir’ had done such an act, instead they kept on pressing on the girl that the child (in the girl's womb) was the result of some other person’s act.
People got attracted to the i center owing to the strange things spread about him; things like he didn’t sleep for past 20 years, things like revelation comes to him and he is the wali (pl Awliya, meaning ‘friend, ally etc’) of Allah (SWT) and many more ‘miracles’ that are spread out about him. The question arises, is the possessor of supernatural activities to be considered as the wali of Allah (SWT)? If so then then Hindu magicians, Christian soothsayers and infact each and everybody who can perform such feats is a wali of Allah (SWT)! In this way many false Prophets like Musailama, Aswad Al ansy etc who declared Prophet-hood after Prophet Muhammad (SAW) would be also considered as awliya of Allah (SWT) because of their ‘miraculous’ activities which got them tens and thousands of followers.
The general masses must be made aware about the true nature of self purification in Islam, how it is achieved and the people must know who are the true Awliya (friends) of Allah (SWT) and who are the fake ones. It is the confusion in these two matters that the parents of over 500 girls willingly got their wards admitted in the infamous center of the fake faith-healer.
We must understand that the Sahaba (companions) of the Prophet (SAW) were on the highest state of purification, the question we should ask is that which methodology did they follow. Their’s approach is the best approach and their lives are an example for us to emulate. These people would take their course of self purification through Qur’an. They would be strict in observing the commandments of Allah (SWT) and would stay away from His prohibitions. These are the basic elements which constituted their style of Self purification. As for us Qur’an doesn’t suffice us, neither does the way of the Prophet (SAW) and nor the practice of his companions, and that is why we venture out in dark deserts and eventually get lost.
People got attracted to the infamous center owing to the strange things spread about him; things like he didn’t sleep for past 20 years, things like revelation comes to him and he is the wali (pl Awliya, meaning ‘friend, ally etc’) of Allah (SWT) and many more ‘miracles’ that are spread out about him. The question arises, is the possessor of supernatural activities to be considered as the wali of Allah (SWT)? If so then then Hindu magicians, Christian soothsayers and infact each and everybody who can perform such feats is a wali of Allah (SWT)! In this way many false Prophets like Musailama, Aswad Al ansy etc who declared Prophet-hood after Prophet Muhammad (SAW) would be also considered as awliya of Allah (SWT) because of their ‘miraculous’ activities which got them tens and thousands of followers.
It should be clear to us that One who does not truly believe that Muhammad (SAW) is the messenger of Allah (SWT), but believes that he was a great and respected ruler who, like other great kings, led his people based on his own intellectual efforts and opinions can never be a wali of Allah (SWT). Likewise One who believes that Muhammad (SAW) is the messenger of Allah (SWT) to the whole creation generally, but that Allah (SWT) has special allies (awliyaa') to whom he was not sent, and who are not in need of his message, rather, they have a way to Allah (SWT) without need for the Prophet, as Al-Khidhr was with Musa in the story found in Sura Al-Kahf can never be a wali of Allah (SWT). And One who says that he can take what he needs directly from Allah (SWT) and benefit from it without the need for any Prophets can also not be an ally of Allah (SWT). Similarly One who believes that Muhammad (SAW) was only sent with the "superficial" laws which he accepts, but believes that there are other hidden truths with
which the Prophet (SAW) was not sent, did not know, or that he is able to know them better than the Prophet (SAW), or that he can come to know them as the Prophet knew them, but not through the Prophet (SAW) can also never be a wali (friend) of Allah (SWT).
Allah (SWT) says about His allies (Awliya) in the Qur’an:
No doubt! Verily, the Auliyâ' of Allah, no fear shall come upon them nor shall they grieve. (10:62)
This aayah is by and large on the tip of tongue of every Kashmiri who is fond of these ‘faith healers’, but what they forget is the aayah following it, Allah (SWT) says:
“Those who believed, and used to fear Allâh much.” (10:63)
That is, only the ones who believe in Allah (SWT), that is those who believe in the Oneness of Allah – Islamic Monotheism and fear Allah (SWT) by abstaining from evil deeds and sins and by doing righteous deeds are the Awliya of Allah (SWT). Thus those who love Allah (SWT), follow His commandments and perform all good deeds are really the Awliya of Allah (SWT). On the contrary those who do evil deeds, disobey Allah (SWT), involve themselves in drugs (as are the reports concerning certain 'pirs' and their close aides) they are not even good Muslims leave alone being the Awliya of Allah (SWT).
Prophet (SAW) said in the narration recorded in Bukhari: "Allah (SWT) ta'ala says: I have declared war on anyone who is an enemy of any of my allies. There is nothing better with which my slave can come closer to me than fulfilling all that I have made obligatory upon him. Then, my slave will continue to come closer to me be making extra efforts until I love him. When I love him, I am his hearing with which he hears, his sight with which he sees, his hand with which he strikes, and his leg with which he walks. If he asks me, I will give him, if he seeks refuge with me, I will give him refuge. I have not hesitated in anything which I do as I hesitate in taking the soul of my believing slave. He dislikes death, and I dislike annoying him, but he must meet his death."
A close examination of this text will reveal that a servant comes close to Allah (SWT) by performing Obligatory deeds and Allah (SWT) says, “There is nothing better with which my slave can come closer to me than fulfilling all that I have made obligatory upon him..” Thus those who remain awake whole night dancing and listening to Music and when it is the time for Fajr they sleep saying salah is not obligatory upon them can never be the Awliya of Allah (SWT). Rather the Awliya of Allah (SWT) are those who perform the obligatory deeds and then as the above hadith mentions ‘continue to draw closer to Allah (SWT) by making extra efforts’ that is they perform supererogatory (Nawafil) acts of worship. It is strange that our society takes those people who are drowned in filth and don’t even come close to salah as Awliya of Allah (SWT). Just because they perform some supernatural feasts. But that is not a condition of being an Ally of Allah (SWT), rather the condition is what Allah (SWT) Himself states: “Those who believed, and used to fear Allâh much.” (10:63) Thus Whoever does not seek to become close to Allah (SWT) by the doing of good actions (as defined by Allah (SWT)) and the avoiding of bad actions, is not one of the allies of Allah (SWT).
Also, the people who are insane and those in general who cannot distinguish between right and wrong and those whose worship is not valid then they also cannot be the awliya of Allah (SWT) because of the hadith (hadith e Qudsi) of Abu Hurairah as previously stated in which Allah (SWT) says that “There is nothing better with which my slave can come closer to me than fulfilling all that I have made obligatory upon him..” thus whose both obligatory and nawafil acts are not even valid then how can they be awliya of Allah (SWT). Also those who live in janabah (sexual impurities) and najas (impurities) and don’t bother to clean themselves can also not be the awliya of Allah (SWT) because their acts of worship like salah, saum (fasting) etc are not valid unless they clean themselves.
Sometimes people take certain people as Awliya of Allah (SWT) based on their lineage. This prompts some fake Godmen to change their names from ABC to Syed ABC. However, Prophet (SAW) said in an authentic hadith, in the books known as As-sunan: "An arab has no superiority over a non-Arab, nor has a non-Arab any superiority over an Arab, nor has a black man any superiority over a white man over a black man except by the criterion of taqwa (righteous practice). All of you are from Adam, and Adam is from dust." Also he said (SAW), "Allah (SWT) has removed from you the arrogance of the jahiliya, and its pride in ones ancestors. People are only two types: a pious practicing believer, and a rebellious corrupt sinner." Thus anyone from any category of people who is more pious in his practice for the sake of Allah (SWT) is better in the sight of Allah (SWT), and if they are equal in taqwa, they are equal in rank.
Also a person can never be a wali (pl Awliya) of Allah (SWT) unless he follows the guidance of Prophet (SAW) in his worship. Once The Prophet (SAW) saw a man standing in the sun and said: What is this? Those around him answered: Abu Isra'il swore an oath that he would stand in the sun, not seek shade, not speak, and fast. The Prophet said: Order him to sit down, seek shade, speak, and let him complete his fast. (Note: This hadith proves that of the four parts of the man's oath, only the fasting is obedience to Allah (SWT), since it is a mode of devotion prescribed by Allah (SWT), as for the other three, they are bid'a and blameworthy innovation, and so the Prophet had the man ordered to stop them even though he had made an oath (nadhar).) Also in Muslim and Bukhari, Anas narrates: Some men asked about the acts of worship of the Prophet (SAW), and it was as if they thought them little. They said: And which of us is like the Prophet of Allah (SWT)? Then one of them said: As for me, I fast every day, and never break it. And another one said: As for me, I stand in prayer in the night, and do not sleep. Then a third one said: As for me, I do not eat meat. And a fourth one said: As for me, I do not marry women. The Prophet (SAW) said: What is with people who say such things? As for me, I fast and I break fast, I stand in prayer and I sleep, I eat meat, and I marry women. Whoever turns away from my way (sunnah) is not of me. i.e. took another path with the conviction that it is superior to the path of the Prophet (SAW). Whoever does such is unconnected to Allah (SWT) and His Prophet (SAW). Allah (SWT) said: “And who turns away from the tradition of Ibrahim (i.e. pure monotheism) except for the one who has immersed himself in foolishness?” (2:130) Rather, it is obligatory upon every Muslim to believe that the best discourse of all is the Book of Allah (SWT), and that the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad (SAW) as it has been established in the sahih hadith, i.e. that the Prophet used to say that in his khutba every Friday.
Thus it is clear that had the people been knowledgeable of the fact as to what is the method of self purification prescribed in Islam and who are the Awliya of Allah (SWT), many scandals could have been averted. But we people don’t concern ourselves with knowledge of the deen. In the collection of Imam Bukhari, Anas (RA) narrates that Prophet (SAW) said: "From among the portents of the Hour are (the following): −1. Religious knowledge will be taken away (by the death of Religious learned men). −2. (Religious) ignorance will prevail. −3. Drinking of Alcoholic drinks (will be very common). −4. There will be prevalence of open illegal sexual intercourse.
Imam Bukhari has made in his authentic collection of ahadith, in the book of knowledge, a chapter that is titled "Subject: Seeking Knowledge before Saying and Action". He meant that knowledge is a prerequisite or condition for saying anything or initiating any action so that the sayings and actions become valid and accepted by Allah (SWT)
Thus in order that the menace of these fake faith healers is put to an end we must busy the youth of Kashmir in particular and people of all age groups in general with acquiring religious knowledge. We must start by Qur’an learn the language of Qur’an and try to memorize as many parts (juzz/para) of it as possible. We should pay special attention to the ahadith and should have circle where Bukhari, Muslims and other great collections of ahadith are taught. Then we should also have regular conferences where the lives of Prophets and our righteous predecessors are highlighted so that people may emulate their character and way of life. The masajid are the ideal places to hold such activities but alas we have restricted the role of masajid in our societies to the general prayers only. May Allah (SWT) ta’la help us and guide us. Aameen
Inspired by the work of Shykh ul Islam Imam Taqi ud deen Ahmad Ibn Taymiyyah rahimahullah Al Furqan Bayna Awliyair Rahman wa bayna Awliyaish Shaitan
Initially published on: March, 29, 2013