The Sufis have many
self-contradictory and
confusing concepts related
to death, soul, grave and
Barzakh.
Some claim that the
Messenger of Allah (sallallahu
alaihi wa-sallam) and the
‘righteous saints’ are
actually alive and in
control of their senses,
whilst they are being
buried,
Others believe that death
just comes to them
momentarily,
Yet others even dislike
the use of the term,
‘death’, and say ‘they
have gone behind a
curtain.’
The Deobandis have an
amalgam of all these three
false beliefs in their
Aqeedah as will be analyzed
in the course of this
chapter.
The Deobandis believe that
the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu
alaihi wa-sallam) is alive
in his grave and can be
benefited from, just as he
could be benefited from,
during his lifetime in this
world. Fazaail-e-Aamaal is
full of such quotations,
which claim that the
Messenger of Allah (sallallahu
alaihi wa-sallam) is aware
of the conditions of his
Ummah (nation) and can
physically help those who
seek his assistance. They
also claim that he (sallallahu
alaihi wa-sallam) is in
contact with the Deobandi
scholars from whom he (sallallahu
alaihi wa-sallam) learnt to
speak the Urdu language.[1]
Moreover, the Deobandis
extend these qualities to
their dead Shaikhs and
scholars, as is mentioned in
their books. These false
beliefs are responsible for
the poor understanding of
Tawheed and widespread
misconceptions on issues of
Aqeedah amongst the Deobandi
masses and the cadre of the
Jamaat Tableegh.
Insha’Allah, these beliefs
will be analyzed point by
point.
1. Moulana Zakariyah
mentions in Fazaail-e-Aamaal,
“Shaikh Abu Ya’kub Sanusi
says: ‘One of my disciples
came to me and said: ‘I
shall die tomorrow in the
afternoon.’ The following
day, the man came to the
Holy Masjid at Makkah,
observed his Zuhr Salaat,
made ‘Tawaaf’ of the Holy
Ka’bah, then went a little
farther away from the Ka’bah
and gave up his soul. I
washed his body and arranged
his burial. When I laid him
in the grave, he opened his
eyes. I asked him in
surprise, ‘Is there life
after death?’ He replied: ‘I
am alive and he who is a
true lover of Allah never
dies.”[2]
2. “Abu Ali Radbari says: ‘A
poor and ragged old man once
came to me on Eid day and
said: ‘Is there any neat
clean place around where a
poor man could meet his
death.’ I thought he was not
talking sense and said with
unconcern, ‘Come in and lie
where you like, and give up
your soul.’ The man came in,
performed wudhu (ablution)
and observed a few Rakaat of
Salaat. He then laid on the
ground and his soul departed
from his body. I washed his
body, shrouded him and
arranged his burial. When I
was going to put him in his
grave…I uncovered his face,
he opened his eyes. I asked
him in surprise, ‘Is there
life after death?’ He
replied: ‘I am alive and he
who is a true lover of Allah
never dies. Insha’Allah, I
shall intercede for you on
the Day of Resurrection, by
virtue of the distinction
granted to me by Allah.”[3]
3. “Abu Saeed Khazzaaz says
that he was once staying in
Makkah. One day, on coming
out of the Bab-e-Bani
Shaibah (a gate), he saw a
very handsome man lying dead
on the ground. He was
looking at his face in
surprise, when the dead man
opened his eyes, smiled at
him and said: ‘Abu Saeed,
don’t you know that the
friends of Allah (those who
love Him truly) do not die;
they are just transferred
from this world to the
next.’”[4]
4. “One Buzurg says that I
gave Ghusl to a Mureed, he
took grasped of my toe. I
said: ‘Leave my toe, I know
that you are not dead. This
is only a transfer from one
place to another.” He
released my toe.”[5]
5. “Ibn ul-Jalaa, who is a
well-known Sufi Shaikh, says
that when his father died
and his body was laid on
wooden board for washing, he
(the father) began to laugh.
The people who had come to
wash his body were terrified
(to see a dead man laughing)
and ran away. After a while,
one of his father’s friends
came and bathed him.”[6]
[1]
Rasheed Ahmad Gangohi
writes in Al-Baraheen
al-Qaatiyah about the
superiority of the
Madrasa (school) of
Deoband, he says, “It
comes to my mind that
the school of Deoband
has an exalted position
near Allah, because of
the numerous scholars
who have passed out from
it and benefited the
common folk.
Subsequently, a noble
person was blessed with
a vision of the Prophet
Muhammed (sallallahu
alaihi wa-sallam), in
which he saw Allaah’s
Messenger (sallallahu
alaihi wa-sallam)
speaking in Urdu. The
noble person asked, ‘How
do you know this
language, while you are
an Arab?’ He (sallallahu
alaihi wa-sallam) said,
‘From the time I have
been in contact with the
scholars of the school
of Deoband, I’ve known
this language’.” Rasheed
Ahmad Gangohi comments,
“From this we understand
the greatness of this
Madrasa (school).” [Al-Baraheen
al-Qaatiyah, p.30]
(Click to view scanned
image of the quote)
[2]
Fazaail-e-Aamaal, (Eng.
Trans.) Virtues of
Charity, Chapter.6,
p.599, (2nd South
African Impression
1414-1993. Published by
Waterval Islamic
Institute)]
Fazaail-e-Aamaal,
Virtues of Charity,
(Hindi Translation),
Chapter.6, p.702 (Idara
Ishaat Diniyat, First
Edition (1984).
[3]
Fazaail-e-Aamaal, (Eng.
Trans.) Virtues of
Charity, Chapter.6,
p.609, (2nd South
African Impression
1414-1993. Published by
Waterval Islamic
Institute).
Fazaail-e-Aamaal,
(Hindi. Trans.) Virtues
of Charity, Chapter. 6,
p.712 (Idara Ishaat
Diniyat, First Edition
(1984).
[4]
Fazaail-e-Aamaal, (Eng.
Trans.) Virtues of
Charity, Chapter.6,
p.610, (2nd South
African Impression
1414-1993. Published by
Waterval Islamic
Institute).
[5]
Fazaail-e-Aamaal,
(Hindi. Trans.) Virtues
of Charity, Chapter.6,
p.702 (Idara Ishaat
Diniyat First Edition
(1984).
[6]
Fazaail-e-Aamaal, (Eng.
Trans.) Virtues of
Charity, Chapter.6,
p.599, (2nd South
African Impression
1414-1993. Published by
Waterval Islamic
Institute)
Fazaail-e-Aamaal,
(Hindi. Trans.) Virtues
of Charity, Chapter.6,
p.702 (Idara Ishaat
Diniyat, First Edition
(1984).
