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Monday, November 26, 2012

Good Night tips

A man who does not think for himself does not think at all good night
life is very short so breaksilly rules and enjoy the beautiful night good night.
As a day turns into night,Keeping worries out of site. No matter how
tuf d world may seem, But.U still deserve the sweetest dream tonit
MOON has come to color your dreams, STARS to make them musical and my
SMS to give you warm and peaceful sleep.
Destiny awaits those who dare to dream.. but to dream you have to goto
sleep. so rush towardsyour bed.. Good night.
When i was going to wish goodnight my dearfriends.that time a face
blinking in my hearts.that was your face.good night
If I had the power I will write your name on the stars and draw your
faceon the clouds for everyone to see and appreciate GOOD NIGHT
dreams are the best part of life. if you miss sleep. you miss the best
part of life. so its already late good night
Am a night bird,standingout your window,waiting till u close your
lovely eyes,to be sure u sleep.Good Night..
'I want you to b with me only two times in my life'. 'Now and Forever'
good Night
--

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And Allah Knows the Best!

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Published by :->
M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA

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A call for Justice - details - PART THREE A VERY PAINFUL QUESTION AND ITS ANSWER

After going through this article, a question may come to mind - why is
it that when there are so many astray sects, that the scholars of Ahle
Sunnah seem to come together against only the Deobandi School of
thought, and not so much against any other?
Before answering this question, I consider it essential to point out
that by Allah's grace, the scholars of Ahle Sunnah have fought
against, anddenounced and refuted every stray sect by speech,
literature and debate - there is ample proof of this. We have never
compromised withanyone in our quest to overcome evil and to protect
the true faith. A number of treatises written by Ala Hazrat Imam Ahmed
Raza (and other scholars) in denunciation of Shias, Qadianis, and
Non-Abiders (Gair Muqallid) have been published in millions and are
being published right up to this day. AfterAla Hazrat, his caliphs,
pupils and disciples performed religious duties through their speeches
and writings and the influence of their services has spread all over
the world. It would be wrong to assume that we have a soft corner for
any deviated sect.
REASONS FOR A STRICT STANCE AGAINST THE DEOBANDI SECT
A point that remains to be clarified is - why is the attitude of the
Ahle Sunnah scholars, so severe against the Deobandi sect? There are a
number of reasons for it - they must be readand understood with a cool
mind.
Reason # 1 - Their Infidelity
The first and foremost reason is the infidelities and blasphemies of
the Deobandi scholars - these are actually the fundamental
differences- these heretic beliefs are written in their books and are
ingrainedin the hearts of the Deobandis.
Reason # 2 - Difficulty In Identification
As far as actions are concerned, they too call themselves Hanafi, and
apparently they offer Salat (prayer) as we do. Their call of Salat,
Salat of Eid etc. are the same as ours. In short, there are no outward
signs with which the simple Muslims can identify / recognize them.
There is every possibility that simple Muslims will misunderstand
them. Therefore it was necessary that the beliefs of the Deobandi
school be presented clearly to the masses, in order that there is no
difficulty in identifying them.
As far as Shias are concerned, their call for prayers, their mode of
prayer etc., are vastly different from that of Sunnis - they are
easily identifiable. The same is the case of the Non-Abiders
(Gair-Muqallid). Their compulsory prayers, Witrprayers, Taraweeh and
Eid prayers clearly warn others that they have different beliefs.
Therefore the need to warn people of such deviated sects is not as
urgent as is the need to educate them about the deviant Deobandis.
Reason # 3 - Their Methods Of Corrupting The Faith Of Sunni Masses
They are very good impostors. By entering the ranks of our Sunni
masses, and impersonating to be on our side, they bring people close
to them through various tricks - and when they deduce that they have
been successful in doing so, they inculcate respect and adoration in
their hearts for the elders of the Deoband school. Thereafter they
change them to such an extent that they begin to abhorall the beliefs
and customs, which were dear to them like their faith - and consider
them polytheism and heresy! Within a few days, their hearts get sealed
with such wretchedness that they are not prepared to listen to any
reference either from the Qur'an or Hadith. It should be noted very
clearly that I am not writing this fromimagination. Rather these are
our daily observations.
In such circumstances, there is no other way left to save the simple
masses from going astray from the Straight Path followed by the Holy
Prophet (peace and blessings upon him) and the saints, but to educate
them about the filthy beliefs of the Deobandi sect, and their deceits
and fraud.
Reason # 4 - The Hypocrisy Of The Deobandi Sect
Going through the traits of Deobandi sect, it becomes very clear that
they are truly the inheritors of the traits ofthe hypocrites mentioned
in the Holy Qur'an. For instance, the hypocrites were double-faced.
One face was meant for their own group whilst the other was for the
honourable Muslim Companions of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings
be upon him). The Holy Qur'an has narrated this trait of theirs in the
following words: -
And when they meet with the believers, they say, "We believe"; and
when they are alone with their devils, they say, "We are undoubtedly
with you, we were just mocking!" (Surah Al Baqarah 2:14 - from the
Holy Quran's English Translation"Treasure of Faith" by Mohammed Aqib
Qadri)
The same is the case with the Deobandi sect. They too have two faces -
one for the faithful followers of the Holy Prophet (peace and
blessings be upon him) and the other for members of their own group.
An Interesting Example Of Deobandis' Hypocrisy
If you want to see a living example of the above, come to Delhi. A
very famous person by the name of Jamil Ilyasi resides here who is a
staunch Deobandi Tableeghi. The addition of the term Ilyasi is
sufficient to portray his complete background. On the one hand, he is
such an active preacher of Deobandism and Tableeghi Jamaat in Delhi
that it is highly unlikely that there is anymosque in Delhi of which
he is member of the Delhi Waqf board and Waqf council, whichhe has not
turned into a camp of the Tableeghi Jamaat. But now learn the other
side of picture and lament - that there is not a single Mausoleum of
the twenty Khwajas of Delhi at which he is not present on the occasion
of Urs. When the late Rajiv Gandhi became thePrime Minister for the
first time, Jamil Ilyasi was the one who placed the floral wreath on
the grave of Khwaja Moeenuddin Chishti on his behalf. Another
moreinteresting fact is that when the late Mrs. IndiraGandhi was
removed from her post and was passing her life in the abyss of defeat,
Jamil Ilyasi approached her - and like a soothsayer who could see the
future, advised her that there is only one person on earth who could
restore her rule - and that person is Huzoor Gaws e Azam Shaykh Abdul
Qadir Jilani whose sacred mausoleum is in Baghdad. Indira Gandhi did
not want anything else. She immediately arranged for his trip andJamil
Ilyasi set off for Baghdad. He remained in seclusion at the holy
shrine for fifteen days - and upon returning he informed her that he
had received the good news from the shrine that her (Indira Gandhi's)
rule would be restored within 9 months.
Now please be fair - can someone wage a war more intense against his
or her own faith, except the followers of the Deobandi faith? They,
according to their own terminology, have"worshipped" graves and
accepted those as"faithful" who accordingto them have spread
polytheism. Now you yourself decide - how difficult it is to avoid
people who have so many faces. They portraya different face in Deoband
and Saharanpur - and a different one in Baghdad and Ajmer.
The Deobandi Faith Murdered!
Those who have read Taqwiat-ul-Iman and Bahishti Zewar are aware of
the fact that according to the Deobandi school, seeking assistance
from the "graves" is "Shirk-e-Jali" (absolute polytheism). But now
read the belief they havefor the graves and tombsof their own elders -
extracted from the book"Tareekhe Mashaekhe Chisht", written by none
other than the Shaykh-ul-Hadith of Saharanpur,Maulvi Zakaria Sahab.
While writing about the demise of Mianji Noor Mohammed Jhanjhanvi, who
was the Shaykh of Haji Imdadullah Makki, he quotes Haji Sahab that his
Shaykh (while inhis fatal disease) said to him:
"I wanted to put you into toil and exertion (ofspiritualism), but I
cannot go against the will of God - the call of my last journey has
arrived." When Hazrat Sahab uttered these words, I (Haji Imdadullah)
burst into tears. Hazrat comforted me and said that a saint does not
die, but rather he moves from one world to another. The same benefit
will be derived from the grave of a saint, as was during his
lifetime."
Read one more extract regarding the grave of Mianji Noor Mohammed
Jhanjhanvi - from his biography which is published by Idara Talifaat
Ashrafia in Thana Bhavan, the preface of which is written by Qari
Mohammed Tayyeb Sahab, the principal of Darul Uloom Deoband. The
writer says:
"Even after the demise of Mianji Noor Mohammed Jhanjhanvi, the same
spring of bounty flows from his honorable soul and according to his
own words, the same beneficence which used to be received from his
angelic personality is derived from his grave."
So in order to prove thatthe same benefits do accrue from Mianji Noor
Mohammed Jhanjhanvi'sgrave after his demise, the writer of the
biography quotes the following event:
"Haji Imdadullah Makki once said that there was a weaver among the
disciples of Mianji Noor Mohammed Jhanjhanvi. After the death of
Hazrat, the weaver paid a visit to the mausoleum of Hazrat Sahab and
after offering "Fateha", he pleaded that he was very disturbed and was
living a life of poverty. He received a reply from Hazrat Sahab that
he willget two annas (Indian currency coins) daily from his grave.
Once when I visited the mausoleum, I found him there. After narrating
the whole event to me, he said that he receives the promised amount
from the foot of the grave every day." (Sawanahe Hazrat Mianjev page
79)
Now please be fair! It is clearly stated in the famous books of the
Deobandi sect - namely Taqwiat-ul-Iman, Bahishti Zewar and Fatawahe
Rasheediyah - that seeking help by paying a visit to a mausoleum and
requesting the saint to help in times of troubles and calamities is
blatant polytheism. But now youcan see that in this whole event, the
verdict of polytheism has been accepted as part of faith!
Now you can yourself decide that when there is such a thick cover of
hypocrisy on the face of the sect that it hides the doctrines of its
own faith, how difficult it is to identify them. So in order to save
the general public from the evils of this double facedreligion, the
scholars of Ahle Sunnah school felt the need to educate the people
time and again regarding the features of their hidden face, so that
they be saved from falling into their trap.
PART FOUR
A BRIEF DEBATE REGARDING INNOVATION.
The word "Bidat" (innovation) is a very frequently used term in the
Deobandi sect. Every now and then terming the Ahle Sunnah as"Bidati"
is part of their daily conversation - to the extent that they have
named the Ahle Sunnah as "Bidati" (innovators). For example in his
book"Tareekhe Mashaekhe Chisht" Maulvi Zakaria has quoted the
following statement of Haji Imdadullah Makki:
"I never decline to make anyone my disciple in order that he may not
betrapped by some innovator -upon which Allah may call me to account
that 'This man had come to you - why did you turn him away, because of
which he got trapped at such a place?'"
There can be no other interpretation of the above statement except
that since Haji Sahib is the Shaykh of Deoband, only he is on the
proper way of Sunnah - and that all the other Shuyukh are innovators!
At this juncture I feel the need to bring before you the other side of
thepicture. In the same book, Maulvi Zakaria haswritten that Haji
Imdadullah Makki had affixed a stone at the grave of his Shaykh Mianji
Noor Mohammed Jhanjhanvi, on which the following verses are inscribed:
"The city of Jhanjhana is a place of guidance - theplace where exists
your home and refuge -
Your Lord the Pure, and your mausoleum - is here - therefore know, Owise man!
Here is the sacred grave of the great person, hereall the Shuyukh and
commoners bow their heads!
Whoever wishes to see the Lord God, should go to pay a visit to his grave,
The moment he sees it, I firmly believe - he will see the Lord of the creation!"
Just imagine! (1) To set off for visiting his grave, and (2) Seeing
his grave is equal to seeing Allah - are all these things permitted in
the Deobandi faith? I challenge every one right from Maulvi Zakaria
down to every elder and student of the Deobandi sect, to prove in the
light of their beliefs - as stated in Taqwiat-ul-Iman, Bahishti Zewar
and Fatawahe Rasheediyah - that all these verses are according to the
Deobandi faith. But regrettably, since this deed has been committed by
their own elders, the Deobandis must blindly accept it as correct!
Going against their own principles for the sake oftheir elders, is the
exclusive double-faced policy of the Deobandis that had to be exposed.
And in order to expose the Deobandis, the scholars of Ahle Sunnah had
to resort to writing books, go for debates, and had to make the
spreading of the truth a mission of their lives.
Allama Arshad ul Qadri (Rehmatullah Alaih)
Founder & Chief Administrator
Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya Islamic University - New Delhi.
17 Muharram 1413 (19 July 1992)/

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And Allah Knows the Best!

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Published by :->
M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA

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A call for Justice - details - PART TWO

PART TWO
A) CHARGES OF THE DEOBANDI SCHOLARS AGAINST THE SCHOLARS OFBAREILLY.
The history of our differences will remain incomplete if we do not
narrate here the chargesthat the Deobandi scholars have leveled
against us. The most important blame on us isthat we have termed their
learned and worthy scholars as infidels and we have been very bold and
careless in giving the verdict of infidelity, and furthermore that we
have been very biased and fanatical in our views.
In defense, we only wishto state that the verdict of infidelity
mentioned in our book "Hussaam-ul-Haramain" (The Sword of the Two Holy
Sanctuaries), for the charge of insulting the Holy Prophet (peace and
blessings be upon him), and on the charge of denial of tenets of
Islam, has been given against ONLY 5 (five) persons - and the verdict
has beenupheld and attested by the then scholars of Mecca and Medinah,
andother cities of the Arab world.
Of those five, four are the very same elders from the Deobandi School
(the blasphemouswritings of whom are detailed above) and the fifth
person is the great liar and impostor Gulam Ahmed Qadiani.
So henceforth, if someone supports the blasphemous writings ofany one
of the 5 mentioned above, he will himself be responsible for the
consequences and the due punishment. The scholars of Bareilly are not
interested in unnecessarily expelling anyone from the fold of Islam.
By supporting the blasphemous and insolent writings and disrespect of
the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), it is they
themselves whomake arrangements for their own ruin in this lifeand in
the hereafter. It isabsolutely ridiculous to blame anyone else for it.
A Point To Remember
Here, an important matter needs to be explained. A non-Muslim,after
his recitation of theKalema and acceptance of faith and Islam, should
be considered a Muslim - and likewise it is necessary that if any
Muslim commits blasphemy (Allah forbid),he should be considered an
infidel - this is a fundamental rule.
The Ahle Sunnah Bareillvi scholars had to fulfill this unpleasant
obligation under specificconditions - and similarly the Deobandi
scholars have not laggedfar behind. As a proof, please read the letter
of Maulvi Amin Ahmed Islahi, extracted from hisfamous book
"Hakeem-ul-Ummah" written by Maulvi Abdul Majeed Daryabadi. This
letter was written at the time when Maulvi Islahi was the Chief
Administrator of Madrasahe Islah, in Sarae Meer, District Azamgarh,
India. The following extract from the letter is worth reading: -
"The verdict given by Maulana (Ashraf Ali) Thanvi that - 'Maulvi
Shibli Nomani and Maulvi Moeenuddin Farahi are infidels, and since the
Madrassah is the mission of these two individuals, it follows that the
Madrassahe Islah is a teaching place of infidelity and hypocrisy - to
the extent that even the scholars who attend its public meetings are
also infidels and faithless' - has now been published."
Upon receiving this letter, Maulvi Abdul Majeed Daryabadi (a disciple
and caliph of Maulvi Thanvi) wrote a detailed letter as a confidante
to Maulvi Thanvi in which he referred to the piety, intense worship
and"Tahajjud" prayers of Maulvi Shibli Nomani and Maulvi Moeenuddin
Farahi, as proofs of their Islam. His aim was to convey that the
verdict of infidelity against these two prominent pious persons could
not be easily accepted. The reply he received from Maulvi Thanvi was
as follows: -
"All these are deeds - and beliefs are quite apart from them. It is
possible for wrong deeds to combine with correct faith and beliefs,
and the opposite is also possible." (Hakeem-ul-Ummah - page 476)
The only possible inference from the above reply of Maulvi Thanvi is,
that despite Maulvi Shibli Nomani's and Maulvi Moeenuddin Farahi's
fame, knowledge and piety, the decree of infidelity issued by Maulvi
Thanvi against the two is correct. In order to prove that Maulvi
Ashraf Ali Thanvi was correct in issuing such a verdict, his devotees
and fans will resort to the interpretation that surely Maulvi Thanvi
must have seen or noticed some act of infidelity (in writing or in
speech) in these two Maulvis - without a solid reason based on
Shariah, he would surelynot have issued a verdictof infidelity.
Now if we apply the same principle on Mr. Thanvi and other scholars of
Deoband, then it transpires that the verdict of infidelity issued
against them by the scholars of the 2 holycities, is also NOT
unfounded. They also had solid reasons based on the Shariah for
terming them infidels, the details of which you have read in the
earlier pages.
If the fame and piety of Maulvi Shibli Nomani and Maulvi Moeenuddin
Farahi could not save them from being termedinfidels, then has some
special revelation descended from the sky which exempts these elders
of the Deobandi school from being termed infidels, despite their being
guilty of blasphemy and disrespect of the Holy Prophet?
B) AN ANSWER TO THE CHARGE OF BIAS AND FANATICISM.
One of the charges leveled against us by theDeobandi scholars is
thatwe have been very biased and fanatical in our views. At this
juncture, it will be most appropriate to show them their own face in
the mirror, so that they may think before they point a finger at
anyone else!
B1) The First Example of Deobandi Extremism.
You have just read in theprevious paragraphs theverdict given by
Maulvi Ashraf Ali Thanvi which was as follows: - 'Maulvi Shibli Nomani
and Maulvi Moeenuddin Farahi are infidels - and since the Madrassah
(Islah) is the mission of only these two individuals, it follows that
the Madrassahe Islah is a teaching place of infidelity and hypocrisy -
to the extent that even the scholars who attend its public meetings
are also infidels and heretics.'
Now you can decide yourself, can there be fanaticism beyond that?
B2) Second Example of Deobandi Fanaticism.
Maulvi Thanvi is such an extremist in his views that he does not allow
his devotees and fans to even read the books of the persons he
considersheretics. An extract from the book "Kamalate-Ashrafia" (A
collection of Maulvi Thanvi's sayings etc.,) is as follows: -
"If a person from an astray sect talks about religion, there is always
evil hidden in it. Their writings also contain evilhidden within,
thereforeone should never keep their company and never ever read their
books." (Kamalate-Ashrafia - page 55)
Now please be fair with us - if we adopt the same strict attitude
towards those whom weconsider infidels because of their denial of the
necessities of faithand disrespect of the Holy Prophet (peace and
blessings be upon him), we are reproached. Whyshould we not be allowed
the same privilege that the Shariah allows them?
B3) Another Example of Deobandi Extremism
Those who are aware of the history of Nadwah, know that the elders of
the Deobandi school were against its very formation. To the extent
that when the principle of Nadwah Maulvi Mohammed Ali Mongeree went to
inviteMaulvi Rasheed Ahmed Gangohi to attend its yearly conference, he
not only declined to accept the invitation, but also refused to meet
Maulvi Mongeree. When Maulvi Mongeree insisted that if Maulvi Rasheed
Ahmed Gangohicould not attend the conference, he should allow any of
his men to attend on his behalf, Maulvi Gangohi's reply was: -
"It has been made known to me that it (Nadwah) does not have a good
ending. I therefore cannot permit any of my men to attend on my
behalf." (Tazkerat-ur-Rasheed Vol2 page 205).
"It does not have a goodending" - there cannot be better proof of this
ILHAM (revelation) other than the fact that Nadwah is now under the
control of the Deobandis!
And the horrible picture of its ending will become clearer if you keep
its beginning in sight.
Learned people know that Shibli Nomani occupied an important place
amongst the founders of "Nadwah". One of his articles has been
published in the sixth volume of"Makalate Shibli". He wrote this
article at a time when there was some misunderstanding between him and
the principal of Nadwah. Gradually, the differences rose to such an
extent that the students went on strike in support of Shibli. The
excerpt is as follows: -
"When the crisis was at its peak, the time of Mawlid Shareef arrived
and the students wantedto celebrate it according to their yearly
routine - but knowing that I (Shibli) would speak on the occasion of
Mawlid Shareef, they were prevented from it. At lastsome people
intervened and persuaded him (the principal) that if Mawlid Shareef
celebration was not permitted, there willbe widespread anger in the
city. So under this compulsion, the celebration of Mawlid Shareef was
allowed, but under various conditions and restrictions." (Makalate
Shibli - Vol 6. Page 131)
But can the Mawlid Shareef celebration be held in the courtyard of
Dar-ul-Uloom Nadwah inthis age? Is the trend of celebrating Mawlid
Shareef still prevalent among the students of Nadwah? No. Because
Nadwah has now been usurped by Deobandis.
Just think! That was the beginning and this is theend - and strangely
enough, note that the"Ilham" of Maulvi Rasheed Gangohi relatesonly
with its "evil" end - not with the beginning!
B4) Yet Another Example Of Deobandi Fanaticism.
You have read one example of the fanaticism of Maulvi Rasheed Ahmed
Gangohi. Now please read one more example of his extremism and
stubbornness.
His hatred for the Saints and their mausoleums had reached to such an
extent, that he hated even their Urs. The mausoleum of one of
thefamous Chishti Saints Hazrat Maulana Abdul Quddoos Gangohi is also
in the same Gangoh, which happens to be thenative place of Maulvi
Rasheed Ahmed. The hatred in his heart for the great saint, and for
the celebration of the saints' "Urs" can be gauged from the following
extract from the book of Maulvi Zakaria - the Shaykh-ul-Hadith of
Saharanpur.He writes in his book"Tareekhe Mashaikhe Chisht" - page 294
(The History of Chishti Shuyukh) as follows: -
"The Urs of Hazrat Maulana Abdul Quddoos Gangohi which Maulvi Rasheed
Ahmed was powerless to stop, distressed him so much that it was almost
impossible for him to bear it. At first, he used to leave Gangoh and
stay in Rampur in those days, but in the last few years of his life he
was compelled to bear this anguish and had to spend the time of the
Ursin his Khankah (house).During the days of Urs, he also detested his
disciples coming to Gangoh to such an extent that he often showed his
anger and even avoided speaking to them. One of his Caliphs and
disciples, Maulvi Mohammed SalehJalandhari set off for Gangoh in order
to have the privilege of seeing Maulvi Rasheed Ahmed Gangohi.
Incidentally, the Urs was in full swing.Although Maulvi Mohammed Saleh
did not have the faintest idea of the Urs, Maulvi Rasheed Ahmed
instead of replying to his greetings, did not even bother to ask him
whether he had taken his meal, or even ask him the reason of his
arrival."
"Two days passed away in the same stalemate. Seeing Maulvi Rasheed
Ahmed Gangohi's face turned away from him, and purposely ignoring his
presence was unbearable for Maulvi Mohammed Saleh. At lasthe
approached Maulvi Rasheed Ahmed, and with tears in his eyes he asked
Maulvi Rasheed as to what had he done, forwhich he was being punished
so severely. As an apology he further said, 'Hazrat, Allah knows that
from the very beginning, I have no interest in things like Urs. I
swear that I have not come to Gangoh for the sake of attending the
Urs. I did not know that the Urs was being held in these days.' Imam
Rabbani said, 'Although your intentionwas not of attending theUrs, but
on the way through which two men were coming to attend the Urs, you
were the third!' ".
Readers must now decide with justice - can there be fanaticism more
intense than this? His disciple had not come to Gangoh for the sake of
attending the Urs, but had come to meet his Shaykh. But as he had made
the terriblemistake of coming at thetime of Urs, he was punished
severely, as if he had committed a heinous crime!
Now the question arises that if Maulvi Rasheed Ahmed had so much
hatred for the Urs of Maulana Abdul Quddoos Gangohi, then why did he
ever become a disciple in the Chishti Sabri order of saints? And
whereas the fact is that in this order, right from Hazrat Khwaja
Moeenuddin Chishti, to Khwaja Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki, Baba
Fareeduddin Ganj Shakr,Meboob-e-Ilahi Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliya, Hazrat
Sabir Pak, Hazrat Chirag Dehli, Hazrat Banda Nawaz Gaysu Daraz, Hazrat
Turk Panipati, Hazrat Shaykh Abdul Haq Radolvi, Hazrat Shaykh Abdul
Quddoos Gangohi, Hazrat Shaykh JalaluddinThanesri, Hazrat Akhi Siraj,
Hazrat Alauddin Pindvi and Hazrat Sultan Ashraf Jehangir Samnani-
among them there is not a single saint who has not held the Urs of his
Shuyukh.
It is quite strange to note that only because of the fact that his
disciple had come during the time of Urs, Maulvi Rasheed Ahmed Gangohi
turned his face away from him. Whereasall the Shuyukh of the Chishti
order who have kept the tradition of Urs alive, believe him (Shaykh
Abdul Quddoos) to be their Dastageer (aide). Now the questionwhich
swings like a sword above the head ofMaulvi Rasheed Ahmed is- how can
someone who(according to the beliefs of Maulvi Rasheed Ahmed) is
himself involved in "Moharrimat wa Bidaat" (forbidden acts and
innovations), take someone else close to Allah?
C) ANOTHER OBJECTION BY THE DEOBANDI SCHOLARS -AND ITS ANSWER
The people against whom Ala Hazrat Imam Ahmed Raza (of Bareilly) used
his pen could not bear their wounds, and kept moaning all their life.
Revenge is a basic instinct of every wounded person - and naturally,
when a personcannot restrict his enemies, he resorts to hurling
abuses. The same thing happened with Ala Hazrat. The people who could
not defend the charge of insulting the Holy Prophet (peace and
blessings be upon him) through knowledge and proper arguments,
concluded that the only way of satisfying their lust for revenge was
to tarnish the image of Ala Hazrat - by any means, fair or foul.
When they could not find anything objectionable in the dignity and
personality of Ala Hazrat, they concocted the false charge that Ala
Hazrat has revived various innovations instead of reviving the Sunnah
- whereas as a Renewer ofIslam, the greatest accomplishment of Ala
Hazrat is his differentiation and segregation of right from wrong, and
truth from falsehood - innumerable examples of these are spread over
huge volumes of his decrees (fatawas).
The name of Shaykhe Deoband Husain Ahmed Madani, tops the list of
those who raised such accusations against Ala Hazrat. In his book
entitled "Al Shihab-ul-Saqib", he has hurled about 600 abuses on Ala
Hazrat, among which is"The Renewer of Innovations" - which is ascar on
the page of his book.
But at this stage, I wish to salute the character and dignity of Ala
Hazratagain and again that despite the Deobandis' grave enmity, the
accusers have not yet been able to prove him as a pioneer of
innovations.
The difference in the meaning of "Pioneer" and "Renewer" is well known
to every learned person. Those who called Ala Hazrat the"Renewer" of
innovations must now prove who is the"Pioneer" of the"innovations"
which supposedly Ala Hazrat has revived. And they will also have to
give account, as to how manytimes have they abused the "Pioneers" of
such innovations.
Although it is not the main topic, I do have a long list of
innovations - the "pioneers" of which are none other than the Deobandi
scholars themselves! Though I do not have ample time, butto prove my
objection and in relevancy with the occasion, I quote only some of the
innovations pioneered by the Deobandi scholars, as listed below:
1. Reading the complete Saheeh Bukhari Shareef (the famous Hadith
collection), in order raisemoney for the Madressah, while giving the
excuse that this was done for "repelling calamities & fulfilling
needs" - the pioneer of this innovation is none other than the Darul
Uloom Deoband itself.
2. Assigning a specific place for funeral prayersin the courtyard of
DarulUloom Deoband, not on the basis of administrative reasons but on
the basis of wrong beliefs - the pioneer of this innovation is none
otherthan the Darul Uloom Deoband itself.
3. Stipulating that the shroud of a dead Muslim must always be made of
Khaddar (a hand spun coarse cloth) - and refusing to lead / offer the
funeral prayers in the absence of Khaddar -the pioneer of this
innovation is none otherthan the Shaykh of Deoband, Maulvi Husain
Ahmed!
4. Holding a large celebration upon completion of 100 years of Deoband
Madressah, with huge arrangementsand publicity for the sake of
conferring certificates to scholars - and inviting a polytheist,"Gair
Mahram" (forbidden even to look at) woman on the stage, and giving her
the seat of "Chief Guest" - and as if this was not enough, seating all
their elderly scholars and students at her footsteps below the stage -
the pioneers of these several evil innovations are none other than the
scholars of Deoband.
5. Standing up respectfully on hearing the National Anthem (of India)
which contains several polytheistic phrases, and that too in the
courtyard of a religious school - the pioneers of this evil innovation
are none other than the scholars of Deoband.
6. Considering that it is a"religious duty" to help a Congress Leader
to gain victory in elections - the pioneer of this innovation is none
otherthan the Shaykh of Deoband, Maulvi Husain Ahmed!
7. Holding a public meeting with invitations, for the sake of
condoling the death of their elders and then reciting eulogies based
on heresy and apostasies- the pioneer of this innovation is none
otherthan the Darul Uloom Deoband itself.
8. Compulsorily stopping the people after a predetermined particular
Salat (obligatory prayer) and delivering a lecture fromthe book
"Tableeghi Nisaab" - the pioneers ofthese several innovations are none
other than the scholars of Deoband. (This book has now been
named"Fazaile Aamal").
9. Taking the people out of their homes for"special worship" and on
tours around the world in the name of inviting people to recite Kalema
and offer Salat - the pioneers of this innovation are none other than
the scholars of Deoband.
10. Ordering all the people present to stand up in respect of the
Indian President when he arrived, while the national anthem (of India)
was being sung inthe courtyard of the Darul Uloom - the pioneers of
this innovation are none other than the scholars of Deoband, who were
themselves present on the stage. Now they must answer as what kind of
innovation this was.
These and countless other innovations have been pioneered by the
Deobandi school - but they never get tired of terming Ala Hazrat as an
Innovator!
Scholars of the Deobandischool give the decree of"heresy" without any
hesitation on every newly originated action,and by terming it as
prohibited, they create new differences and new intrigues among the
Muslims.
Take the case of Mawlid as an example. The most important reason given
by them to prove that it is "an innovation, haram(prohibited) and a
heresy" is that it is a 700-year-old innovation.In its present state,
it was neither at the time of the Holy Prophet, nor in the age of the
Companions or Tabayeens. But when it is asked, that if according to
you it is a heresy only because of itbeing a newly invented act, then
please point out any of its components which eradicates any Sunnah or
comes under the category of forbidden acts - so they have no answer,
except to keep silent.
Following are the components of a Mawlid Shareef gathering:
1. Public announcement
2. Carpeting, stage, tent, etc.,
3. Illumination
4. Perfumes and sprinkling of rose water
5. Distribution of sweets
6. Gathering of Muslims
7. Narration of events that took place at the time of birth of the Holy Prophet
8. Remembrance of Allahand His Holy Prophet.
9. Standing and recital of Salaam.
In the above list, except for the standing and recital of Salaam,
there is not a single component that is missing in their gatherings
for Seerah, sermon, preaching, or for honoring their scholars. Public
announcement, stage, illuminations, gathering of people, speeches by
one or more speakers - all these are present - so by their own decree,
they should also term these as prohibited.
The only remaining issueis that of Standing and reciting Salaam. This
too is not the reason of prohibiting Mawlid Shareef - for according to
them, the celebration of Mawlid Shareef is prohibited even
withoutthis. (According to the explanation of the decree issued by
their famous Maulvi, Rasheed Ahmed Gangohi)
And if it is asserted that the reason of prohibition is the narration
of incorrect traditions in it, then I would like to remind you that
Maulvi Rasheed Ahmed Gangohi prohibited the Mawlid Shareef even if the
traditions narrated in it are correct!
In a number of debates I have asked the scholars of the Deobandi
school, that when the components of our Mawlid gatherings and that of
your various gatherings are one and the same, then why are your
gatherings for the purpose of delivering sermons permissible - and at
the same time, why are our gatherings for Mawlid impermissible? An act
cannot be permitted or prohibited just because the reason of our
assembly is Mawlid Shareef and your assembly is for delivering a
sermon or for seerah.
When they could not come up with any reply, I said that there is only
one reason which comesto my mind - and that is -on the occasion of the
birth of the Holy Prophet, when the entire universe was celebrating,
only Satan (along with his disciples)was mourning and casting dirt
upon his head.
Only Satan the outcast was aggrieved at the birth of the Holy
Prophet(peace and blessings be upon him). Possibly you too feel hurt
and follow Satan's footsteps, because the event of his noble birth has
taken place a long time ago, and now only its memories are left. When
you people celebrate the"Diamond Jubilee" of Madressah Deoband,
Shariah does not stop you - and when we celebrate Mawlid Shareef, the
Deobandi school starts screaming!
Someone has rightly said- that when the heart is envious of someone,
it gets enflamed even at the mention of his name! PART THREE
A VERY PAINFUL QUESTION AND ITS ANSWER
After going through this article, a question may come to mind - why is
it that when there are so many astray sects, that the scholars of Ahle
Sunnah seem to come together against only the Deobandi School of
thought, and not so much against any other?
Before answering this question, I consider it essential to point out
that by Allah's grace, the scholars of Ahle Sunnah have fought
against, anddenounced and refuted every stray sect by speech,
literature and debate - there is ample proof of this. We have never
compromised withanyone in our quest to overcome evil and to protect
the true faith. A number of treatises written by Ala Hazrat Imam Ahmed
Raza (and other scholars) in denunciation of Shias, Qadianis, and
Non-Abiders (Gair Muqallid) have been published in millions and are
being published right up to this day. AfterAla Hazrat, his caliphs,
pupils and disciples performed religious duties through their speeches
and writings and the influence of their services has spread all over
the world. It would be wrong to assume that we have a soft corner for
any deviated sect.
REASONS FOR A STRICT STANCE AGAINST THE DEOBANDI SECT
A point that remains to be clarified is - why is the attitude of the
Ahle Sunnah scholars, so severe against the Deobandi sect? There are a
number of reasons for it - they must be readand understood with a cool
mind.
Reason # 1 - Their Infidelity
The first and foremost reason is the infidelities and blasphemies of
the Deobandi scholars - these are actually the fundamental
differences- these heretic beliefs are written in their books and are
ingrainedin the hearts of the Deobandis.
Reason # 2 - Difficulty In Identification
As far as actions are concerned, they too call themselves Hanafi, and
apparently they offer Salat (prayer) as we do. Their call of Salat,
Salat of Eid etc. are the same as ours. In short, there are no outward
signs with which the simple Muslims can identify / recognize them.
There is every possibility that simple Muslims will misunderstand
them. Therefore it was necessary that the beliefs of the Deobandi
school be presented clearly to the masses, in order that there is no
difficulty in identifying them.
As far as Shias are concerned, their call for prayers, their mode of
prayer etc., are vastly different from that of Sunnis - they are
easily identifiable. The same is the case of the Non-Abiders
(Gair-Muqallid). Their compulsory prayers, Witrprayers, Taraweeh and
Eid prayers clearly warn others that they have different beliefs.
Therefore the need to warn people of such deviated sects is not as
urgent as is the need to educate them about the deviant Deobandis.

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And Allah Knows the Best!

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A call for Justice - details - NOW IT IS UP TO YOU TO DECIDE

Now the third root causeof our differences with the scholars of
Deoband is also before you. You have now to decide 3 things, with
justice.
Firstly, do you agree with the above mentioned verdicts issued by the
Deobandi scholars, or not.
Secondly, are these verdicts contrary to the lawful traditions and
customs practiced in the Muslim world, or not.
And thirdly, is the religious and social system of our Muslim society
harmed by these verdicts or not.
If yes, and surely yes, then according to these verdicts, is the
entire Muslim society involved in forbidden acts from dawn to dusk?
And if so, where does our Islamic society stand?
This is the stage where you have to draw a line between the scholars
of Deoband and that of Bareilly - and you must arrive at the
conclusion that all the efforts of the Deobandi scholars were directed
at proving that the entire Muslim society, each and every member of
it, was a sinner - whereas the efforts of the Ahle Sunnah Bareillvi
scholarswas to prove that unless an act is explicitly forbidden by
Allah or theHoly Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), then no
one has the right to forbid it. Terming the ethical and religious
customs upon which the Muslim societyis built, as forbidden (Haram) is
a clear deviation from proven facts and an open enmity with the
Muslims.
If my readers adopt a fair stance, they will have to admit that all
the efforts of the Ahle Sunnah Bareillvi scholarsare in support of
majority of the Muslim Ummah, whereas those of the Deobandi
scholarsare directed against it.
Can there be a greater ingratitude other than taking those who are
hell bent upon attackingand ruining us, as our greatest well-wishers -
whereas on the other hand to deem those whohave put their lives and
status in danger for us, as our greatest enemies?
CONCLUSION OF PART ONE
The purpose of clarifyingthe foundations of our differences, up to
what I have written until now, is that the readers may clearly
understand the nature of differences, and may not attribute our anger,
frustration and separation for any other reason.
If the assault of the insolent pen of Deobandwas on us, there could
have been plenty of ways for forgiveness andreconciliation. But the
fact is that they tried to harm the honor of the Holy Prophet (peace
and blessings be upon him), and have thereby causedsuffering to Allah
and HisHoly Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) - and so the
decision regarding them will come from these sources.
We do not have any direct relationship with any scholar - it is
through the means of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon
him). When someone severs his relationship with the Holy Prophet, then
the question our having a relation with him does not arise. Rather the
spirit of loyalty towards the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be
upon him) demands from us that as long as we live, we shall not only
have our relations severed with such blasphemers, but shall continue
our struggle of keeping eachand every Muslim away from them.

A call for Justice - details - C) THE THIRD FOUNDATION OF DIFFERENCES

(Improper Decrees Issued By The Deobandi School)
Under this basis of differences are the verdicts and writings of the
Deobandi scholars inwhich the religious traditions of the
Muslimsmasses (Jumhur) have been termed as"Forbidden" (Haram) and
heretic innovations. Read please the details below:
1. They term the seeking of mediation (Tawassul) from the Prophets and
saints as forbidden and a sin.
2. They do not accept thebelief that the Holy Prophet (peace be upon
them) had knowledge ofthe hidden, even if it is given by Allah.
3. According to the explanation of Taqwiat-ul-Iman, they believe that
the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) has mingled with
dust.
4. Holding of Meelad (Mawlid) gatherings andQiyam & Salam (the
prevalent way in which a devotee prays for peace and blessings of
Allah upon the beloved Prophet, in a state of standing upright) - all
these are forbidden according to them.
5. Holding gatherings in order to convey the reward of Fateha,
recitation of the Qur'an etc., either for saints or for common Muslims
- allthese are forbidden according to them.
6. They term it forbiddento hold public meetings to narrate the
martyrdom of Hazrat Imam Husain or to commemorate Gyarhween Shareef of
Hazrat Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani and Chhatti of Hazrat Shaykh
Moeenuddin Chishti.
7. They term the rejoicing, holding of public meetings and taking out
of processions on the occasion on the birth of our Holy Prophet (peace
and blessings be upon him) as forbidden.
8. According to them, building of domes over the mausoleums of Saints
and pious Muslimsis forbidden.
9. They term the slogans of "Ya Rasool Allah" and"Ya Nabi Salam
Alaika" as forbidden.
10. According to them, inviting relatives and others on the occasion
of Khatna (circumcision) and Bismillah (The start of reciting the
Qur'an) and Aqeeqah (sacrifice for newborn) is prohibited.
11. Teejah (meals for thepoor on the third day of passing away of a
Muslim), Daswaan (mealsfor the poor on the tenth day of passing away
of a Muslim), Chaleeswan (meals for the poor on the fortieth day of
passing away of aMuslim), preparation of Halwa (sweet dish) on the
occasion of Shabe-Bara`at (15th Night of Shabaan) - all these are not
permissible according to them.
12. According to them it is impermissible to inviteanyone on the
occasion of weddings, engagements etc., nor is it permissible for one
to attend such gatherings.
13. They decree the wearing of head-garlands by the grooms (on the day
of wedding) as an act of polytheism.
14. Regarding the person who places wreaths on the mausoleums of
saints, and commemorates the Urs of saints - they term the marriage of
any Muslim female with the son of such a person as Haram. They also
forbid participation in the funeral prayers of such aperson, inquiring
after his health and greeting him.
15. They also term the seeking and obtaining of benefit (Faiz) from
thesouls of saints and seeking their assistance as forbidden.
16. According to them, kissing the thumbs uponhearing the name of the
Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is forbidden.
17. They also term the Fateha of Imam Jafar Sadiq in the month of
Rajab, as forbidden.
18. They term the illumination of mosques upon completion of the
recitation of Holy Qur'an in the month of Ramadan, as forbidden.
19. They also deem prohibited the placing of epitaphs showing the date
of death on the grave of Muslims.
20. To pray for the forgiveness of the deceased after the funeral
prayers, is prohibited according to them.
21. They term the act of embracing each other on the Eid days as forbidden.

A call for Justice - details - B) THE SECOND FOUNDATION OF DIFFERENCES. (Incorrect Beliefs Of The Deobandi School).

You have read in the previous pages that the first basic cause of our
differences with the Deobandi scholars, is their disrespect of the
Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and their denial of
the basic tenets of Islam. Youwould have definitely assessed by now
that our hatred and abhorrence of the Deobandi scholars because of
their blasphemy can never end - for it is a requirement of our faith.
The first basic cause was quite sufficient for our separation from the
Deobandi school, but you will be astonished toknow that there are
quite a few special beliefs upheld by the Deobandi scholars, which are
also playing a vital role in widening the gulf between us. Provided
below are some of their beliefs, with reference to their books:
1. A follower (member ofthe Ummah) can surpass the Prophets in deeds.
(Tahzeer-ul-Naas)
2. It is not necessary for the Prophets to be immune from saying
blatant lies. (Tasfia-ul-Aqaid)
3. It is wrong to considerthat saying lies is againstthe dignity of
Prophethood.(Tasfia-ul-Aqaid)
4. It is wrong to believe that Prophets are innocent of sinning.
(Tasfia-ul-Aqaid).
5. A person engaged in prayers becomes a polytheist (mushrik) upon
diverting his thoughts towards the Prophet. (Siraate-Mustaqeem)
6. To think about the Prophet whilst one is in prayer is worse than
being engrossed in the thoughts of adultery, or thinking about a
donkeyor an ox. (Siraate-Mustaqeem)
7. It is possible for Allah to tell lies (Yakrozi).
8. It is a heresy to deem Allah free from time and space (Idha-ul-Haq)
9. The deceptions of magicians are greater than the miracles of the
Prophets. (Mansabe-Imamat).
10. A person, who labels the Companions of the Holy Prophet (peace and
blessings be upon him) as "infidels", is not out of the fold of Jamaat
Ahle Sunnah. (Fatawahe Rashidiah)
11. Whoever is named"Mohammed" or "Ali" does not have authority over
anything. (Taqwiat-ul-Iman)
12. All creations - whether small (such as common men) or great (such
as prophets and saints) - they all are, before Allah's majesty, more
lowly than even a cobbler. (Taqwiat-ul-Iman)
13. One who considers the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon
him) as his mediator andintercessor on the Day ofResurrection, is
equal to Abu Jahal in polytheism. (Taqwiat-ul-Iman)
14. It is polytheism to have names such as"Rasool Baksh", "Nabi
Baksh", "Gulam Mohiuddin" and "Gulam Moeenuddin". (Taqwiat-ul-Iman)
15. To be "A mercy for the entire creation" (Rehmatul Lil Alameen)
isnot an exclusive attribute of our Holy Prophet (peace and blessings
be upon him). The followers can also be the "A mercy for the entire
creation" (Rehmatul Lil Alameen). (Fatawahe Rashidiah)
16. Eating from the food prepared for Fateha of the saints, causes the
heart to die. (Taqwiat-ul-Iman)
17. The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is our elder
brother, we are his younger brothers. (Taqwiat-ul-Iman)
18. It is polytheism to say, "if Allah and His Prophet will a thing,
it will be accomplished". (Bahishti Zewar).
19. To travel for the sakeof visiting the mausoleums of any Prophet
(peace be upon them) or any saint, or to illuminate their mausoleums,
to carpet them, to sweep there, give people water to drink or make
arrangements for their ablution and bathing - (all this) is
polytheism. (Taqwiat-ul-Iman).
Here I will request my readers to reflect upon the above mentioned
beliefs of the Deobandi school with justice and sincerity. Among these
beliefs are a few that affect the belief of Tauheed (the Oneness
ofAllah) and a few others which if accepted as truewould put the faith
of a billion Muslims in danger- and this does not stop here. Billions
of our ancestors, who acceptedfaith contrary to these beliefs as true
Islam, will also come within the purview of such beliefs.
For a little while, put the Bareillvi scholars aside, and with your
religious temperament, decide whether you agree with the above
mentioned beliefs and actions or not - and without any hesitation just
decide in a clear YES or NO - whether the present Muslim society is
based on these beliefs or not. Ifnot and obviously not, then please
give a decision regarding the scholars of Bareilly who have disagreed
with the above noted beliefs and have struggled to save the Ummah from
these filthy beliefs & actions, and have also striven to keep the
Ummah associated with the correct beliefs of Islam.
It is now up to the Muslim masses to decide whether this significant
achievement of the righteous Ahle Sunnah Bareillvi scholars was in the
interest of the Ummah or otherwise - and whether the services they
rendered caused dissension withinthe Ummah or have saved it from
breaking up.
If you agree that the faith of the majority of the Muslims worldwide
is the same as that whichthe scholars of Bareilly upheld, you will
then have to accept that it was these scholars who were the true
leaders of the Muslim masses. Those who, under the influence of false
propaganda of the opponents, accuse the Ahle Sunnah Bareillvi scholars
of sowing the seeds of dissension within the Ummah, deserve to be
called the worst ingrates in history.
Even if you do not call yourself a Bareillvi, you must be thankful to
the Ahle Sunnah Bareillvi scholars for the noble role that they played
by saving you from falling victim of the incorrect teachings of the
Deobandi school - and for keeping the Muslim Ummah associated with
proper beliefs.

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And Allah Knows the Best!

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Published by :->
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A call for Justice - detail

A CALL FOR JUSTICE
The first root cause of our disagreement with the Deobandi scholars
with references to their books, is before you. It should be clear that
this basic cause of disagreement is concerned with (1) Insulting the
Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and (2) Denial of the
necessities of Islam. And there is no doubt in their infidelity. A
number of verses of the Holy Qur'an bear testimony to the fact that
even a minor disrespect towards the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings
be upon him), breaks one's relation with faith and Islam. Under no
circumstances can superiority in knowledge or worship save one from
the evil consequences of insolence.
Here I will request my readers NOT to read the defamatory writings of
the Deobandi scholars with a view that it is justa religious dispute
between Bareilly and Deoband. Rather what must be kept in mind is that
the attack of the Deobandi scholars is upon the great personality of
the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). The attack of
their insolent pen is NOT uponthe Ahle Sunnah Bareillvischolars, but
especially on the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)
himself!
If you read these lines with a view that it is justa dispute between
the scholars of Bareilly and Deoband then the sincerity you need to
make a fair decision, willvanish. The purpose of my above request is
because to prefer the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)
above any other belovedperson is a requirement of our faith. Therefore
put aside the scholars of Bareilly for a while and ask your faithful
conscience the followingquestions: -
(a) Do the writings of the Deobandi scholarsattack the
sanctity of ourHoly Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), or not?
(b) Do these writings deviate from the basic requirements and
tenets of faith, or not?
If you have any doubt regarding the authenticity and the location of
the references given, you can yourself find and read them - these
books are openly available at bookshops, even to this day.
So what did the Ahle Sunnah Bareillvi scholarsdo? It was just that
after going through these defamatory writings of the Deobandi
scholars, the Ahle Sunnah Bareillvischolars openly displayed the
reaction ofthe unbearable distress and the spiritual agony that they
were made to suffer all of a sudden. The hurdle of relations did not
come in their way.
They contacted the Deobandi scholars and with authentic proofs asked
them to first seek repentance according tothe Shariah from those
writings - which vilify our Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon
him), and which deny the necessities of Islam - and secondly to delete
those writings from their books. But the spurious fame of the Deobandi
scholars came in their way and they preferred the everlasting
punishment of fire to the disgrace of this world.
A1) A Common Trait Among Those Who Disrespect The Holy Prophet (peace
and blessings be upon him).
Deviating from the above conversation, I would like to clarify a point
to my readers, trusting that the extra moments of waiting will not be
a burden upon them.
Going through the annals of history you willnotice a common trait
among those who were insolent towards the Holy Prophet (peace and
blessings be upon him). After uttering or writing any blasphemous word
due to hypocrisy, insteadof seeking repentance for their infidelity,
they resort to wrong interpretations and verbal jugglery when they are
called to account and admonished.
During the era of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him),
the very same attitude existed in the hypocrites of Medinah. Once when
the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was returning froma
journey, the hypocritesused a derogatory word for him - and when the
Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) called them to account
after he was informed by the honorable companions, the hypocrites
resorted to giving wrong interpretations and lameexcuses. It was
revealed in the Holy Qur'an to the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings
be upon him) as follows: -
"Do not feign excuses, you have turned disbelievers after becoming
Muslims" (Surah Tauba -9:66 - from the Holy Quran's English
Translation"Treasure of Faith" by Mohammed Aqib Qadri)
Had the revelations not been going on, the hypocrites' fraud would not
have been disclosed and they would have concealed their infidelityby
reciting Kalema in theMuslim society.
A2) A Recent Example Of Verbal Jugglery
If you wish to know about the role of the hypocrites of Medinah inthe
present age, read about the Pro Vice Chancellor of Jamia MilliaIslamia
of New Delhi. In order to be called a supporter of secularism, he
expressed his views about the banned book of Salman Rushdie in an
interview for an English Magazine that "the ban on this book (Satanic
Verses) enforced by the Indian Government should be lifted because
everyone has a fundamental right to express his views."
The clear meaning of this phrase is that Rushdie cannot be calledto
account of the Blasphemy he has done in his book because he has a
fundamental right to express his views. In other words,
Mushir-ul-Hasan with his above phrase has openly supported the
disrespecttowards our Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
The courageous and sacrificing students of Jamia Millia deserve praise
and applause. When they read the interview of Mushir-ul-Hasan, and
based on his crime of supporting ablasphemer, they joined hands in the
spirit of defending the honor of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings
be upon him) and demanded from the then Indian Government that since a
supporter of a blasphemer is also a blasphemer, Mushir-ul-Hasan should
be sacked from his post - and that they cannot tolerate a blasphemer
and cruel person at any cost.
As this was a question of defending the honor of our Holy Prophet
(peace and blessings be upon him), a large number of teachers of the
Jamia Millia became indifferentof the consequences andannounced their
supportwith the students. When the Muslims of Delhi learned about the
incident, a wave of hatred and detestation spread, and the people of
the city also started supporting the students. The manner in which
Anjuman-e-Raza of Zakir Nagar displayed their anger against
Mushir-ul-Hasan, gave correct advice to the students and encouraged
everyone, should be written down in letters of gold.
But The Scholars Of Deoband! Only accordingto the Deobandi
Scholars(among whom Maulvi Salim Ibne Qari Tayyab Sahab and Maulvi
AhmedAli Qasimi and the secretary general of Abna-e-qadeem
Dar-ul-Uloom Deoband Maulvi Fuzail Ahmed are worth mentioning) the
blasphemy of Mushir-ul-Hasan is NOT proved. This is evident from
theirjoint statement in the daily "Qawmi Awaz" dated 18 May 1992 as
follows: -
"The students should seein the light of Islamic teachings, whether the
one who is being termed an insulter of theHoly Prophet (peace and
blessings be upon him), is really an insulter or not."
How regretful and astonishing it is, that thestudents and the teachers
of Jamia Millia and the general public who are not scholars understood
the blasphemy of Mushir-ul-Hasan, but the scholars of Darul Uloom
Deoband could not understand it - although the appeal of the
Chancellor Mr. Bashiruddin Ahmed about Mushir-ul-Hasan was published
on the last page of Qawmi Awaz, and the following excerpt from it
perfectly reveals the crime of Mushir-ul-Hasan.
"The Pro-Vice Chancellor of the Jamia, Prof. Mushir-ul-Hasan has
expressed his opinion about lifting the ban on this book (Satanic
Versesby Salman Rushdie). As this is a cause of annoyance, an
environment of anger and revolt has been created."
It is clear from the statement of the Vice Chancellor that the charge
of the students against Mushir-ul-Hasan is not baseless because he has
based his statement on the fact that every one has the right to freely
express his views. Therefore whatever Salman Rushdie has written
against our Holy Prophet(peace and blessings be upon him), is
Rushdie's permitted right. But it is a matter of great regret that
despite so much explanation, the Deobandi scholars consider
Mushir-ul-Hasan guiltless. The most important justification given by
them for his innocence isas follows: -
"The one who is being termed an insulter of theHoly Prophet (peace and
blessings be upon him) has clarified that he is free from this sin and
has complete respect in his heart for the Holy Prophet (peace and
blessings be upon him)".
The inanity of the Deobandi scholars is really pathetic that they do
not even know that in order to prove any charge, the confession or
admission of guilt is NOT required. His statements and the words he
has used are more than enough to prove his guilt - or else itshould be
pointed out where in the history of Islamic punishments has a criminal
been punished on the basis of his confession. Whoever has been
punished, has been punished on the basis of his words and statements.
Can Dar-ul-Ifta of Deoband prove that has anyone who was termed an
infidel byit because of uttering blasphemy, been made to confess his
infidelity? But it is obvious here that the Deobandi scholars would
not have uttered such immature statements if their love for the Holy
Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), had not beenovercome by the
motive of supporting Mushir-ul-Hasan. They have nowto answer what was
the reason of their supporting and advocating for Mushir-ul-Hasan.
We have referred to this event just to clarify to our readers how the
love of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), unites the
believers against the insulters - and how those whose hearts are
devoid of this noble spirit resort to indecent and ridiculous
interpretations in order to defend a blasphemer.
In order to expose the mentality of the blasphemers as well as their
supporters, I think Ihave swayed far from the main subject. I now
request you to direct your attention to the discussion in the previous
pages regarding the charges against the elders of Deoband for
insulting the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
The very same thing happened at that time. In order to protect the
insolent writings of theirelders, the Deobandi scholars adopted a
stance of hostility and stubbornness, and with all their might began
propagating among the masses that they were completely free from
thecharges of blasphemy. And furthermore, they claimed that the
scholarsof the Ahle Sunnah Bareillvi school had created this entire
dispute and that the accusation against them - that of insulting the
Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) - is totally untrue,
and baseless.
They had a large numberof resources and means of communication at
their disposal. When people started getting influenced from their
false propaganda, we were left with no other option but to go for
discussions and debates and to reveal the fact that the charges on the
elders of Deoband school for writing insolent remarks againstthe Holy
Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), are NOT baseless, but in
fact a reality.
Therefore in every debate, the insolent writings of their elders were
read before them along with proper reference to the page numbers and
the Deobandi scholars never said that the books from which the
reference were given were not written by their elders or that these
insolent writings were not present in their books.
The most important benefit derived from these debates was that the
general public realized that the chargesof blasphemy on the Deobandi
scholars are based on solid grounds -and that the protest and
agitation of the Ahle Sunnah scholars which isreflected in their
speeches is to defend the honour of the Holy Prophet (peace and
blessings be upon him).

A call for Justice - Part1

PART ONE
THE THREE FOUNDATIONS OF DIFFERENCES BETWEEN AHLE SUNNAH SCHOLARS &THE
DEOBANDI SCHOLARS:
The religious enmity between Deoband and Bareilly, and its
negativeeffects that are prominent from the press to the stage, and
which started in the previous century is not abaseless one. If your
mind is open to the truthread below the real foundations of the
differences of this religious dispute that has divided the Muslim
nation into two groups.
A) THE FIRST FOUNDATION OF DIFFERENCES (Insolent Writings Of Deobandis
Against The Holy Prophet- peace and blessings be upon him).
Everyone is aware that a Muslim has a very strong and devoted relation
with his Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). The belief
regarding the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is so
reverential and sensitive that a Muslim cannot bear any insult towards
the Holy Prophet. In order to protect his honor, the Muslims of the
subcontinent have offered sacrifices in every era and with such an
exemplary spirit that it is now a part of history. This aspect of a
Muslim's love for the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)
should be remembered -that while expressing anger and regret
againstthe insolent, a Muslim has never bothered to see who will be
targeted. Whoever commits any disrespect or blasphemy against our Holy
Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) - whether the individual is
an outsider or from among us - the swords of the Muslims have become
unsheathed against suchpeople.
The contemporary example of the outcast Salman Rushdie is beforeyou.
He made the entire Muslim world his enemy by attacking the honor of
our Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Indeed all those
who gave numerous sacrifices to defend the donor of the Holy Prophet
(peace and blessings be upon him), deserve immense praise.
This itself is the main foundation of our anger against the scholars
of the Deobandi school - because their elders have written insolent
words and phrases against our Holy Prophet(peace and blessings be upon
him). A few examples of such insolent writings are as follows: -
1. The religious leader ofthe scholars of Deoband,Maulvi Ashraf Ali
Thanvi in his book entitled"Hifz-ul-Iman" (The Protection of Faith)
has compared the knowledge of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be
upon him), with the knowledge of lowly creatures such as animals and
beasts - andhe himself has confessedto this heinous crime! (May Allah
protect us!)
Learned people know that if anything is compared with a respectable
thing, it implies respect - whereas on the contrary, if anything is
compared with a disgraceful and shameful thing, it implies defamation
and disrespect. This principleis so well known and widely accepted in
the Urdu language, that no learned person can denythe authenticity of
this interpretation.
On this basis we claim that, beyond doubt, Mr. Thanvi is guilty of
insolence towards the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
By comparing the knowledge of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be
upon him) with that of animals and lowly creatures, he has definitely
committed theheinous crime of insulting the Holy Prophet (peace and
blessings be upon him).
2. The second and third leaders of the Deobandi school i.e. Maulvi
Khalil Ahmed Ambethvi and Maulvi Rasheed Ahmed Gangohi have written in
their book "Baraheene Qatia" (The Definite Proofs), that on the
issueof encompassing the knowledge of the earth, the knowledge of
Satan exceeds the knowledge of our Holy Prophet (peace and blessings
be upon him). Furthermore,they claimed that if one believes that the
knowledge of our Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)
exceeds that of Satan, such a person will become a "polytheist"
(Mushrik), because the vastness of Satan's knowledge is proven from
Qur'an and Hadith, whereas no such proof exists in respect of the
knowledge of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). (May
Allah protect us!).
In the above-mentioned case, there are no two opinions that assessing
the knowledge of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to
be inferior to that of Satan, is a blatant blasphemy and insolence
towards the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
Similarly, it is a blatant insolence and a blasphemy to say that in
contrast to Satan, anyone who believes in the vast extent of the
knowledge of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is a
"polytheist" (Mushrik), but having the same belief about Satan is not
polytheism!
Likewise it is also a clear disrespect towards our Holy Prophet (peace
and blessings be upon him) to say that there is no clear proof in the
Qur'an on the vast extent of his knowledge, but there is proof in
Qur'an as well as Hadith regarding the vast knowledge of Satan!
3. The most important leader of the Deobandi school, and also the
founder of the Deoband Madressah i.e. Maulvi Qasim Nanotvi, in his
book "Tahzeer-ul-Naas" has refused to accept our Holy Prophet (peace
and blessings be upon him) as the Last Prophet - whereas to believe in
Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessings be upon him), as the Last
Prophet of Allah is proven both from the Qur'an and the Hadith.
He has gone to the extent of writing that"even if it were assumedthat
a New Prophet can come during the era of the Holy Prophet (peace and
blessings be upon him), or after the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings
be upon him), it would not have an effect on the "Finality"
(Khatemiat) of our Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon
him)".Whereas every sane person can easily understand the simple
principle that the belief regarding the Finality of the Holy Prophet
(peace and blessings be upon him) gets negated upon the arrival of a
new Prophet. It is this very book of Maulvi Qasim Nanotvi - i.e.
"Tahzeer-ul-Naas" which the Qadianis term a precursor to validate
theprophethood of Mirza Gulam Ahmed Qadiani (May Allah protect us).
It should be clear that our dispute with Deobandi scholars on the
issue of Khatm - e- Nubuwat (The Finality ofProphethood) is not a
secondary one, but is regarding Islamic principles and is fundamental.
It is not concerned just with the permissibility (hillat) or
prohibition (hurmat), but with infidelity and Islam.

A call for Justice

ALLAH - In The Name Of - The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful. A CALL
FOR JUSTICE
This book is written for all those:
· Who sincerely want to know about the differences between the
scholars of the Ahle Sunnah School and the scholars of the
DeobandiSchool and who wish to remove the real obstacles towards
unification.
· Who in their private meetings address these serious and principled
differences as (1) a deceit of the Maulvis, (2) a means of making
money, (3) a way of making a living etc., - and who receive applause
from the people, for expressing such thoughts.
· Who, despite being highly educated, consider making attempts at
understanding and removing such differences as a waste oftime.
· Who consider the differences between the Ahle Sunnah scholars and
the Deobandi scholars, as merely trivialor secondary.
· Who spend their scholarly and research capabilities in clarifying
and interpreting the insolent writings of the Deobandis. (Perhaps
religion will remain incomplete without suchexplanations!)
· Who consider researching the differences between the Ahle Sunnah and
Deobandi scholars just a waste of time, whereas at the same time they
are the most zealous advocators of unification!
· Who consider that Teejah (meals for the poor on the third day of
passing away of a Muslim), Daswaan (mealsfor the poor on the tenth day
of passing away of a Muslim), Chaleeswan (meals for the poor on the
fortieth day of passing away of aMuslim), and visits to mausoleums are
the actual differences between the Ahle Sunnah scholars and Deobandi
scholars.
· Who consider the publication and sale of literature based on
blasphemous and insolent writings, as the most important service to
Islam!
· Who feel uneasy at the mention of religious differences, but who
spend all their physical and monetary resources in tolerating and
solvingwith elegance all their official problems and business affairs.
· Who advise that as per the circumstances, disputed writings &
problems should not be discussed - but do not render this advice to
the institutions that are ceaselessly publishing such literature.
· Who term the issues of (a) Respecting our Holy Prophet (peace and
blessings be upon him), (b) The status of the HolyProphet (peace and
blessings be upon him), (c) The attributes of the Holy Prophet (peace
and blessings be upon him), (d) Veneration of the Companions and of
the members of the family ofthe Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be
upon him), (e) Sainthood and (f) other Islamic issues, as
"Sectarianism" perpetrated by the Ahle Sunnah school of thought - and
in this way such persons intentionally or unintentionally support
infidelity and heresy.
· Who understand the real causes of the differences and have thetrue
spirit of presenting a program on the national (or international)
level, through which the wide gulf of differences can be bridged and
an initiative can be taken towards unification.
If you have a soft corner in your heart for the scholars of Deobandi
school, the obvious effect of reading this booklet will be that you
will close it and put is aside with frustration. However, if you are a
great thinker and have the spirit for searching facts by going deep
into events, you will definitely attempt to find out why the
foundations of this dispute were laid - and what are the causes owing
to which the dispute still continues allover the world, after so many
years.
If the dispute was limited to a few people, it could be ignored by
considering that personal or family interests may be involved - but
the range of this dispute is so widethat not only the whole country
(Indian Sub Continent) but a very large region abroad has been dragged
into it. From mosques to religious schools (madressahs), all aspects
of our religious life havebeen so deeply affected by it that from
villages tocities, the entire country has been divided by it.
Therefore the real reasons that actually started the dispute cannot be
overlooked byjust terming it just as an individual strife between
Bareilly and Deoband.
Regretfully until now historians have not attempted make an impartial
research into the real basis of our dispute with the scholarsof the
Deobandi school - a dispute which is going on among millions of
Muslims at home and abroad since the last several decades. Due to it,
the entire Muslim society has fallen prey tospiritual agony and
confusion. Can there be a greater mockery of ourinnocence that our
protest is termed as"Spread of Dissension", whereas it the right of
every innocent individual to disclose his anger and sorrow?
After these introductory words, we now present the details of this
religious dispute before our readers trusting thatthey will ascertain
the real causes in light of what is written here below. Even if
reading this booklet is a burden on you, I would still request you to
read the details, because a seekerof the truth does not have a bias
towards any group.

--

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And Allah Knows the Best!

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Published by :->
M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA

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stories - A Prodigal Tale

He left at night, taking with him a changeof clothes, a blanket, and a
small bag of money which he found in his father's room. He travelled
until dawn and then all of the next day and well into the following
night, pursued by thoughts of his angry and vengeful father. His route
led south towards the holy city, following the roads he knew from the
yearly pilgrimage his family were rich enough to make. The land rose
around him in broken shadows, ragged heights of limestone, sparse
ground, uncultivated andsporadically populated, the occasional
shepherds'village buried in the valleys where goats roamed the scrub.
On the evening of the third day, exhausted and hungry, he stood
watching the sun slip beyond the horizon, casting its last rays over
the broad expanse of a lake. His sense of guilt had not left him but
thoughts of his angry father had ceased to torment him, diminishingin
intensity as the distance from home increased. A mist was rising off
the lake. Grass tufts, long and heavy with seeds, stood dry
andyellow-silvery in the fading light. Autumn flowers thrust their
crowns above the grass, including one of which he did not know the
name, a head of pale trumpets spread out on along stalk, its white
petals glowing faintly in the dusk. A tent flap clattered in the
rising wind and sand drifted across the clearing, driven in little
runs and gusts. He drew the edge of his cloak tighter acrosshis mouth.
The sounds of the caravan he had joined earlier that afternoon were to
his back. He could hear the mutter of conversation. Blue smoke coiled
away from a fire of camel dung. Some of the women were tending a stew
of meat and vegetables.
The sound of feet approaching awakened him. One of the men had
come over to ask if he would like some food. Hefollowed to where a
group of travellers sat in a circle around the fire and ate
gratefully. It was his first meal since leaving home. He watched the
others, theirfaces mostly in shadow, wondering what they thought of
him, a stranger who had come amongst them from the hills. Had they
believed his story about a religious obligation, a prayer answered?
They had accepted him easily enough. They could know nothing for
certain.
< 2 >
On the eighth day the caravan approached the walls of the city,
climbingthe steep slopes through small peasant fields and olive
groves, past square,flat-roofed, mud houses, the hills stretching away
into the distance. His firstthought on entering the gate was to find a
room. He approached a small inn in one of the unpaved lanes off the
main thoroughfare. The room he was offered wassmall, but he had little
money and did not yet know where more wouldcome from. He planned to
look for work, to live quietly for a while, until he had thought out
whatto do. The woman of the inn regarded him out of her round, black
eyes, her grey hair tied back from her darkly freckled face. He felt
suddenly fearful of her. It was almost as though she knew his reason
for being there, knew the whole story of how he came to be standing
before her with his cloak and few bundled possessions. Worse still,
she seemed complicit in his secret. He had thought to pass as a simple
traveller but suddenly confronting thiswoman's mocking gaze he knew he
was marked. A feeling of dread possessed him. He made an excuse about
having to change money and went out. She made no reply.
The shadows of the northern wall engulfed him, its bleak
battlementstowering above him. The memory of the old woman clung to
him like a horrible dream. It was agood hour before he could shake off
the sense of panic and fear. He wandered, drifting aboutthe city,
until tiredness overcame him. Now he rested on his haunches, his back
against a wall in a small street of fruit and vegetable stalls. Out of
the passing multitude appeared a dishevelled youth, a dirty blanket
around his shoulders. Theyouth sat beside him and they exchanged
hesitant greetings. The other had been longer on the road and his face
was thin andlined. They spent the night in a field on the outskirts of
the city, the earth uncultivated and full of weeds. His new companion
was to show him much in those first few days, opening to himthe
streets and alleys of the city.
< 3 >
That night he had the first of the dreams which for months
plagued his sleep; dreams filled with violent and erotic images. In
this first dream he was trying to save a child from a life of
prostitution and shame. He rode away with her on a mule but then lost
her in the darkness only to find her mutilated body lying naked in the
road. Many of these dreams were populated with dead women as wellas
with swords, snakes and flight; ciphers of his guilt. Because the
presence of these imageswas so shocking, he imagined that his secret
must be transparent to everyone around him. At night he slept lightly,
part of him always mindful lest he should give something away in his
mutterings, or wake screaming.
But at first the effect of these dreams was nothing compared to
the poverty. Destitution camehard to him having known only luxury all
his life. The small amount of money he had brought with him soon ran
out and he was forced to begin order to feed himself. Then one day he
found himself a party to theft. Standing by a butcher's stall, his
companion suddenly said to him, 'Quick, run'. Looking up he saw that
the boy had seized a chicken from beside the stall. He felt his
stomach tense as he broke into a run. They dived into the first
alleyway to the right, descending into the shadows, turning right
again through a low arch, across a courtyard and over a low wall.
Thenthey ran on down the adjoining lane. His companion must have
thought the route out beforehand. They kept running until they were
sure they were not beingfollowed. There had beenshouts and a
half-heartedattempt at pursuit but that seemed all.
When they eventually stopped it was because they could not run
any further. His side was doubled with a stitch, his lungs bursting,
his heart swelling as though it would explode. He felt sick and
vomited while his chest continued to heave painfully. His companion
lay sprawled in a doorway holding his sides. He was laughing and
pointing at the pool of vomit. 'Hell, what wereyou running from?' he
asked.
< 4 >
After this he stole regularly. Though he ate infrequently it was
enough. He slept rough in abandoned houses, in the street, sometimes
outin the fields. His poverty depressed him and the dreams became more
frequent and intense. He began drinking wine of the cheapest and
roughest sort. He was now submerged in the underworld of the city.
Most of the people he spent time with were drunkards like himself,
living by stealing, the women by hustling. Each had his or her story,
elaborated and embellished over so many years the teller no longer
knew where the truth ended and the lies began. Though they banded
together out of need for each other, few confided the true reason for
his being there. Amongst this shifting group of outcasts he had no
real friends. He spent a lot of time on his own. Even when with others
he was withdrawn, alonein their midst, quietly brooding.
One particular eveninghe sat with a group under a tree drinking.
Hereached out for a jar of wine which stood to his right. His hand
found the earthenware jar and he dragged it towards him across the
ground. As he did so one of the girls leaned over him.
'No more,' she said. He tried to fend her off with his arm but
found he didn't have the strength. 'You've had enough, you'll be sick
again.' She took hold of the neck of the jar as he tried to raiseit to
his mouth. She was too strong for him and he lay back against the
stony earth, the girl's face appearing above him. She was young but
little of youthfulness remained to her. He closed his eyes, feeling
the tears wanting to come. He lay still, wishingthat she might release
him from the prison of his silence. If only she would ask him what the
matter was, and persist in asking until she had got an answer. But she
simply sat there watchinghim, perhaps angry at hisfoolishness, or
indifferent, not wanting to burden herself with his problems.
Thus he went on from day to day, finding ways to occupy himself
for hours at a stretch. He walked for miles around the city with his
head bowed, or simply sat, staring into the dust at his feet. Need of
money forced him to beg and to steal. If he was lucky someone would
take pityon him and buy him wine. His once smooth and youthful face
became sunken and dark,and his eyes, often jaundiced and
bloodshot,bulged in their sockets. His clothes were torn andstained,
his body thin and bruised.
< 5 >
The Feast of Passover came and thousands of pilgrims gathered,
filling the inns and camping in the environs of the city. He stayed
away from them, knowing his familywould be somewhere amidst the
throng. For safety he moved outside of the ritually clean areas. His
family could not wander here withoutrendering themselves unclean for
the ceremonies and this they would not do. He was secure in his own
uncleanness. On the few occasions when he did venture into the city it
was never to a place where someone might know him. He did not liketo
go into the busy thoroughfares. Most of the day he lay in the fields
watching. In the distance he could see the steady column of smoke
rising from the Temple area. White and blue figures moved in the haze,
the sun reflecting from whitewashed walls, the grey smoke rising and
dispersing in the clear sky. The noise of thegreat crowd carried
across to him, the sound of voices, of bells and cymbals, and
sometimes of chanting.
He was cut off from it all and the sense of dispossession
oppressed him. It was not that he was particularly religious. He had
never been fervent in his observance, or strong in his beliefs. What
troubledhim was not spiritual pain, but simply a sense of no longer
belonging. He left the fields and wandered for an hour through the
back streets and alleyways where he came on an itinerant preacher
proclaiming to anyone who would listen. The holy man was in his
mid-twenties, bearded and simply dressed. His face had a severe,
ascetic angularity,but his hands were long and slender and he gestured
as he spoke with great gentleness. 'A father always has room in his
heart to forgive a son who repents,' the preacher was saying. It was a
phrase caught in passing and barely registering in his mind. But the
words had found a place in his thoughts, like seeds in the crevice of
a wall. The encounter lasted a few minutes onlyand was soon forgotten.
In the following days his mental condition worsened. Secrets
contained for so long were now demanding audience. He had eaten
practically nothing for a week and had little appetite. Wine eased his
hunger. He had grown thinner, more lethargic, and found it
increasingly difficult to concentrate. On the last night of the Feast
he had the first of many visions. He was sitting in the corner of
aninn completely drunk. A woman he knew came over towards him, her
eyes heavily darkened with makeup. He smelled the sweetness of her
unwashed body as she placed the palm of her hand against his face.
< 6 >
'Why don't you stop drinking?' she asked. He heard someone
laughing,he felt nauseous. The woman stroked his cheek, and then his
hair, looking into his face. He bowed his head and moved slightly
aside. A triangle of light fell from a gap between the curtain and the
doorframe, highlighting the head and shoulders of a man across the
room. The man was laughing, his mouth wideopen and the lips drawn back
to reveal an irregular set of decaying teeth. As he tried to focushe
saw that there was noflesh on the head at all. The teeth jutted
straight out of bone, the lower jaw hanging slack, the eyes empty
sockets beneath the shadow of the brow.
The skull turned towards him grinning with the fixed expressionof
a mask. He closed his eyes to rid himself of the image, but when he
opened them again the skull was still there, staring at him. Then the
skull spoke: 'I could tell her all about you,' it said.'I could tell
her everything.' He closed hiseyes again and pressed his hands to his
ears and this time when he lookedagain the skull was gone.He rose
unsteadily, pushing the girl aside. People watched him uncertainly.
When he gotoutside he was shaking and was violently sick.
The effect of the visionon his subsequent conduct was marked. He
tried over the next few weeks to stay sober, wrestling with the
agonising need for drink.He tried to eat though it made him ill. Then
by a piece of sheer chance he was offered a job on a farm north of the
city. He worked in the dusty fields pruning vines and olive trees, the
rough branches cutting his hands. He earned enoughfor his keep, living
on vegetables and bread, which were cooked and served collectively to
the labourers.
He had now stopped drinking but his mental condition continued to
deteriorate. He had visions regularly. Often the birds would talk to
him, or devils in the form of birds, taunting him with their
accusations. On one occasion the roots of an olive tree he was tending
became a nest of vipers writhing around his feet. In the midst of the
snakes was awoman's brooch. He reached down to pick it up but as he
touched the glinting object it turned into a stone and the snakes
vanished. After a month of labouring in the fields he was moved to the
position of swineherd. He fed the pigs, cleaned out their enclosure
and herded them up the hillside where they rooted in the shade of the
olive groves.At night he slept with them for warmth.
< 7 >
One evening late that summer, at the time of the evening meal, he
wassitting apart from the other labourers, absorbed as usual in his
own thoughts. The men were huddled on the other side of the courtyard,
talking quietly. Suddenly his attention was arrested bythe hand
gestures of one of them. The man turned towards him and he recognised
the preacher he had stopped to listen to months before. The tallfigure
moved towards him and he heard the words 'the father always has room
in his heart.' The preacher's lips did not move. It was as though the
words had been spoken directly intohis mind. A shadow fell across him
and there wasthe man standing before him, his hands hanging loosely at
his sides, the sun behind giving him a kind of aura. The idea of
repentance which had lain dormant so long began to shoulder its way
into the light of consciousness. When at last the presence faded he
wept.
At the height of the summer, sickness broke out in the community.
It struck quickly. Within a week two of the labourers lay dead, their
bodies swollen and blotchy. A third man died a day later, and then a
child. A grave was dug beyond the farm and fires burned all day. The
community was in turmoil. The women wept and prayed for hours
together, and there was talk of divine punishment. The priest came
several times with incense and there were offerings in an attempt to
placate the evil. Seeingand hearing all this filled him with terror.
He began to talk to himself, though no one could make out exactly what
hewas saying. It seemed that he had convinced himself he was the cause
of the plague, that he carried the evil now venting itself on those
around him. Many thought he was possessed by a devil and wanted to
turn him out. There was talk and speculation about his past. It was
with some relief that the communityawoke one morning to find he had
gone.
It was the child's deaththat drove him away. Shewas nine years
old. He was present when the father carried the body wrapped in an old
cloak from the house. The child's arm had fallen loose from the
makeshift shroud and had seemed to point at him. Whichever way the
body was turned the arm followed him. The women were keening and
hugging each other while the men stood greyfaced and upright watching
the solemn procession. The father placed the body on top of the fire,
while other men threw on more brushwood. The flames leapt, eating at
the dry cloth. Some of the wood slipped and the body rolled slightly
so that the arm, which had been folded back across the girl's chest,
slipped free and lay pointing accusingly at him again. He half
expected the child to get up and denounce him. He watched transfixed
as the fire enveloped the frail human form. When the fire burned down
he helped to shovel the ash into the grave.
< 8 >
He left that night, taking some food in a leather satchel and his
master's donkey. By the time the sun had begun to rise over the
eastern hills he was already descending from the highlands and was
miles away from possible pursuers. He rode for several days, drinking
from wells and skirting the tiny villages on his route. The sparse
terrain had been seared by the long hours of oppressive heat. Only
near water didanything green flourish. Everywhere else the vegetation
was dry and yellowed. At night he slept dreamlessly.
All day the sun blazed down on him out of a cloudless sky as he
trudged into the evaporating distance of the plains. The road was
thick with dust, in places so deep the donkey had difficulty walking
and they had to leave the track and go onto the rougher, stonier
ground to the side. But it was an interior world which occupied all of
his attention. Memories fromthe past wove themselvesinto an intricate
tapestry in which images of sin and repentance were dominant. He
thought once more of the inn keeper's wife and of howhis guilt had
plunged himinto this purgatory. He saw visions repeatedly, of the
preacher, of his father, of the dead child.
He had ridden for five days without eating. His body ached and he
was covered with dirt and sweat. The donkey was tired and walked
slowly while he rolled in the saddle, slipping at times into a state
of semi-consciousness. Partsof the dream of his first night in the
city flooded his mind. The girl was with him now, sitting behind on
the donkey and he was taking her back home. But they seemed to be
going slower and slower. She was complaining that he did not love her,
that if he did love her they would be able to go faster. He tried to
nudge the donkey into a trot but they seemed to be sinking into the
road. Then he felt the girl slip from behind him. By the time he was
able to turn round she had fallen unconscious on the ground, her arm
pointingaccusingly in his direction. She was burning, flames spreading
around her. Then the preacher appeared above the fire saying: 'the
father alwayshas room in his heart.'
< 9 >
He woke suddenly andfound that they had stopped in the shadow ofa
large rock. He pressed the donkey to walk on but the animal refused
tomove. In the distance he could see a group of low buildings. It was
well intothe afternoon now and he dismounted and began to stumble
towards the village. His eyes stung in the heat and he felt dizzy from
lack of food. His lean facelooked sickly under its coat of grime as he
staggered along the stony track in his ragged tunic. He was mumbling
incoherently to himself, and at one point thoughthe saw the preacher
waiting for him by the distant buildings. Then he fell unconscious in
themiddle of the path.
The dogs found him four hours later, swollen with plague. The
villagerswere terrified and left him where he was until they could get
a priest. The following morning the holy man approachedcautiously, the
people of the village a few paces behind. The stranger lay gaunt and
grey in the dust. His clothes were nothing but soiled rags, his eyes
wide open and staring.