Sixth Assembly (Khwan-Pur-Nemat)

Maulana Karimuddin said: If a person spreads his prayer-

mat on the place for prayer then, in Targhib-us-Salaat (An Inducement to Prayer) it is written that it is disapproved of. What is the reason for this? 1

The Venerable Master replied: Yes, this is found in Targhtb uş-Şalat. Seeing that it is there, what might the reason be? On the other hand, it is related in Jawahir (Jewels) and repeated in the Hidaya (Guidance) that a man from Kufa once came to the Great Imam (i.e. Abu Hanifa). He had spread his prayer- mat on the place for prayer and was offering his prayers on it. The man said: 'Do people offer their prayers on prayer-mats in your city? The Great Imam replied: 'What do people pray on in your city? He said: 'On a reed mat.' The Great Imam explained: 'That is also a prayer-mat. What difference does it make if it is called a reed mat? Afterwards, concerning the same point, he added: 'Praise came from behind me.' Namely, 'I am the leader of the Muslims. The leader first says 'God is Great, not someone who is imitating him. In the same way, I am esteemed for my opinion.

Maulana Karimuddin again asked: Some people come barefooted to the mosque and pray. What do you think about that?

He said: It would be allowable. Dirty feet do not indicate impurity. All one can say is that there is a possibility of impurity. At root, purity lies in things, for some of the companions of the Prophet used to come barefooted to the mosque and offer prayers there.

Again he asked: What if it is muddy?

He replied: The same would apply-there would be a possibility of impurity. In itself, there is no impurity involved. Later he added: Bukhara has a large population. The excre-

ment of four-footed animals and so on collects in a considerable quantity on the roads there and gets mixed up with the dust. When this news reached the Venerable Imam Muhammad, he issued a judgement stating that the dust of Bukhara was impure. Afterwards, when he arrived in Bukhara and saw for himself the large number of people and noticed how busily they were occupied with their affairs, and considered what a trial and hardship it would be for them if the dust of their city were declared to be impure, he retracted his decision. He said: 'The dust of Bukhara is pure.

Afterwards he said: In the time of the devoted Maulana Alauddin, I was there. The question arose about the wells inside the fort as to whether they were pure or impure. Inside the fort the wells are such that there is no proper surroundings. The slave-girls go along with soiled hands and feet. They draw water. They do not take care to avoid impure things. Many people began to wonder whether the water was pure or not. Afterwards they said: 'An authoritative decision should be given in this matter. Whatever the expounders of the Law decide upon should be accepted.' Thereupon the expounders of the Law gathered. They said: 'The people inside the fort are used to this. They generally use this water to wash their hands and faces, for cooking their food and drinking. If we write that these wells are impure, the people will be greatly put out and consequently suffer much.' Thereupon they wrote: 'The water is pure.'

It also happened that the scholars of Sonargaon once created a disturbance by contending that it was forbidden to eat lime because the shell is produced from elements produced by a shell-fish. A tumult arose in Sonargaon. News reached the nobles and rulers that the scholars were saying that it was forbidden to take lime. They also grew anxious: 'Should we take it or not? They assembled the expounders of the Law. They in turn said: 'So many thousands of people are accus- tomed to taking lime. Since this is so, if we write a prohibition against it, our order will mean that many thousands of Muslims are taking what is forbidden. After that, nobody wrote a legal decision condemning it.

Afterwards Maulana Karimuddin asked: What is the legal

basis for their not having given a decision condemning the practice? He replied: To make things easy for the people, because the path of Islam is a wide one. Whatever brings hard- ship upon the people is not permitted to be imposed on them. Those things which have been prohibited by the text of the Book itself, even though the people have accepted and become habituated to them, are not to be allowed simply to make things easy for the people. For example, the drinking of wine is prohibited on the authority of the Book, yet thousands of people are used to imbibing wine. Don't say, in this instance, that the people are accustomed to it! As long as something remains a disputed point, however, and the people are accus- tomed to it, they should not be troubled in that matter, but things should be made easy for them. An order in that vein should be issued. All effort to this end is admissible. Authori- tative decisions should be given in such a way as to make things easy for the people and that no harm should befall them. This injunction can be proved from the Quran: 'God Almighty said: 'No constriction in religion remained for you.

Once again Maulana Karimuddin said: Once Maulana Ziauddin Sunami was asked: 'What do you say about plaiting one's hair with silk ribbons? Maulana Ziauddin replied: 'O brother, so many people have become accustomed to it.' At this point, he stopped short.

After this, the Venerable Master said: The fact is that, since he saw that the people were accustomed to this, he did not speak against it.

Sheikh Mu'izzuddin then said: If it is said that it is for- bidden to wear silk, and this is established by a tradition, 'Both of these things are forbidden for members of my community,' then what answer can be made to this? He replied: Wearing is forbidden, but this knot is something upon which to entwine one's hair and then knot it. This is not called 'wearing' but 'knotting'. I remember this very point in connection with Maulana Sharafuddin Tau'ama.

Again he said: A legal decision changes in accordance with the times.' Is this absolute? He replied: Yes, if a decision has been given on some point in the first period of Islam and is

strictly applicable to the people of the second and third periods. Then a dispute arises and the decisions of the second and third period change. Here the saying, 'A legal decision changes in accordance with the times' is applicable.

He went on: In the town of Bihar a man was saying: 'I have given a written decision declaring silk ribbons to be forbidden. The Venerable Master said: His behaviour was childish. What credence can be given to the words of such people? To begin with, it has to be ascertained whether such people have understood the tradition at all! The words which can be accepted are those spoken by a religious man, a leader or a trustworthy person. You can accept immediately what you hear them say, but who can believe one and all? For example, such people who have read the Hidaya and Pazhdavi and become jurisconsults¹¹ and begun to write authoritative decisions on the Law. If a difficulty concerning the articles of faith or mystical knowledge is asked, they are nonplussed. Who can put any credence in the words of such people? Where is their intelligence, and where is their religion? Maulana Sharafuddin Tau'ama¹ was such a learned man that his fame had spread throughout Hindustan. There was nobody who entertained any doubt about his learning. He made use of silk ribbons, and also used a silk pyjama-cord. He did not write such things. Is it fitting for anybody else after him to do so? During the time he was teaching, whenever a difficulty arose, he would ponder over it. While he was doing so, he would take hold of his silk ribbon and play with it and remain engrossed in this fashion until he solved his difficulty. He would then let go the ribbon and explain the diffi- culty.

Later on he added: Those who are well grounded in the faith, and have become conversant with the meaning of God's Book and the Traditions of the Apostle, can give authoritative decisions, for they know that this tradition originates from a certain context and can be applied in a particular situation. Nowadays if you ask jurisconsults about a particular tradition they won't know what to say. The two-fold foundation is none other than Quranic exegesis and the Traditions so that, once a person has them at his fingertips, he is in a position to speak

authoritatively drawing, as he does, both from the Quran and the Traditions.18

Afterwards he continued: The science of Tradition is a difficult one, comprising all the parts of the Book.14 Until a person is conversant with them all, he cannot give the meaning of a single tradition. Yet a person who masters the meanings of the Book can do so. If a tradition comes before him, he will compare it with the Book. If he finds it in consonance with the Book, he will accept it. If he finds it in conflict with it, he will reject it. So, then, if somebody does not know the meanings of the Book, what can he compare it with? 15

Maulana Karimuddin asked: What is meant by 'Tradi- tion'? He said: Revelation is either manifest or hidden. Manifest revelation is that which occurred through Gabriel as an intermediary. That is the Quran, for the entire Revered Quran came to the Apostle through Gabriel. On the other hand, hidden revelation is that which descended upon the Apostle without any intermediary and was related by him. This type is called 'Tradition.

When Your eye flashes a secret to mine, There is no need for Gabriel at such a time.

Again he asked: Is what comes other than through Gabriel 'inspiration'?. He said: 'Inspiration' refers to the saints. 66 Concerning the Apostle, it is called 'hidden revelation'. It has the very same meaning as what we call 'hidden revelation' with respect to the Apostle. With regard to saints, it is 'inspiration'.

Again he said: It is not admissible that there should be any fault or error in the hidden revelation which used to come to the Apostle. Concerning the inspiration which comes to the saints, however, is there a possibility of fault or error? He said: In their inspiration also there is no scope for fault or error, for there is a light within them. 'He obtained light from his Lord' contains a hint in the matter. By means of that light they know that this is from God. They accept whatever they find comes from God. They will not accept, however, anything

Alauddin, a near relative of Amir Shadi, the Deputy Cham- berlain, said: Do people who hang tiny Qurans around their necks have them hanging on their right side or on their left? He replied: On the right side is better so that there should be a difference between the Quran and other things that people are accustomed to wear or carry. When they hang a shoulder- bag or something else across their shoulders, they let it hang on the left side. Similarly, if someone offers them a Quran, they take hold of it with both hands so that there may be a distinction between the way they receive the Quran and other things, for it is customary for people to take hold of anything given them by another with one hand.

Sheikh Muizzuddin said: What about books on jurisprudence? He replied: What applies to the Quran applies to them as well. Both are the same as far as honoring them is concerned. Hence, such books are to be respected.

Maulana Karimuddin said: If a person spreads his prayer-

mat on the place for prayer then, in Targhib-us-Salaat (An Inducement to Prayer) it is written that it is disapproved of. What is the reason for this? 1

The Venerable Master replied: Yes, this is found in Targhtb uş-Şalat. Seeing that it is there, what might the reason be? On the other hand, it is related in Jawahir (Jewels) and repeated in the Hidaya (Guidance) that a man from Kufa once came to the Great Imam (i.e. Abu Hanifa). He had spread his prayer- mat on the place for prayer and was offering his prayers on it. The man said: 'Do people offer their prayers on prayer-mats in your city? The Great Imam replied: 'What do people pray on in your city? He said: 'On a reed mat.' The Great Imam explained: 'That is also a prayer-mat. What difference does it make if it is called a reed mat? Afterwards, concerning the same point, he added: 'Praise came from behind me.' Namely, 'I am the leader of the Muslims. The leader first says 'God is Great, not someone who is imitating him. In the same way, I am esteemed for my opinion.

Maulana Karimuddin again asked: Some people come barefooted to the mosque and pray. What do you think about that?

He said: It would be allowable. Dirty feet do not indicate impurity. All one can say is that there is a possibility of impurity. At root, purity lies in things, for some of the companions of the Prophet used to come barefooted to the mosque and offer prayers there.

Again he asked: What if it is muddy?

He replied: The same would apply-there would be a possibility of impurity. In itself, there is no impurity involved. Later he added: Bukhara has a large population. The excre-

ment of four-footed animals and so on collects in a considerable quantity on the roads there and gets mixed up with the dust. When this news reached the Venerable Imam Muhammad, he issued a judgement stating that the dust of Bukhara was impure. Afterwards, when he arrived in Bukhara and saw for himself the large number of people and noticed how busily they were occupied with their affairs, and considered what a trial and hardship it would be for them if the dust of their city were declared to be impure, he retracted his decision. He said: 'The dust of Bukhara is pure.

Afterwards he said: In the time of the devoted Maulana Alauddin, I was there. The question arose about the wells inside the fort as to whether they were pure or impure. Inside the fort the wells are such that there is no proper surroundings. The slave-girls go along with soiled hands and feet. They draw water. They do not take care to avoid impure things. Many people began to wonder whether the water was pure or not. Afterwards they said: 'An authoritative decision should be given in this matter. Whatever the expounders of the Law decide upon should be accepted.' Thereupon the expounders of the Law gathered. They said: 'The people inside the fort are used to this. They generally use this water to wash their hands and faces, for cooking their food and drinking. If we write that these wells are impure, the people will be greatly put out and consequently suffer much.' Thereupon they wrote: 'The water is pure.'

It also happened that the scholars of Sonargaon once created a disturbance by contending that it was forbidden to eat lime because the shell is produced from elements produced by a shell-fish. A tumult arose in Sonargaon. News reached the nobles and rulers that the scholars were saying that it was forbidden to take lime. They also grew anxious: 'Should we take it or not? They assembled the expounders of the Law. They in turn said: 'So many thousands of people are accus- tomed to taking lime. Since this is so, if we write a prohibition against it, our order will mean that many thousands of Muslims are taking what is forbidden. After that, nobody wrote a legal decision condemning it.

Afterwards Maulana Karimuddin asked: What is the legal

basis for their not having given a decision condemning the practice? He replied: To make things easy for the people, because the path of Islam is a wide one. Whatever brings hard- ship upon the people is not permitted to be imposed on them. Those things which have been prohibited by the text of the Book itself, even though the people have accepted and become habituated to them, are not to be allowed simply to make things easy for the people. For example, the drinking of wine is prohibited on the authority of the Book, yet thousands of people are used to imbibing wine. Don't say, in this instance, that the people are accustomed to it! As long as something remains a disputed point, however, and the people are accus- tomed to it, they should not be troubled in that matter, but things should be made easy for them. An order in that vein should be issued. All effort to this end is admissible. Authori- tative decisions should be given in such a way as to make things easy for the people and that no harm should befall them. This injunction can be proved from the Quran: 'God Almighty said: 'No constriction in religion remained for you.

Once again Maulana Karimuddin said: Once Maulana Ziauddin Sunami was asked: 'What do you say about plaiting one's hair with silk ribbons? Maulana Ziauddin replied: 'O brother, so many people have become accustomed to it.' At this point, he stopped short.

After this, the Venerable Master said: The fact is that, since he saw that the people were accustomed to this, he did not speak against it.

Sheikh Mu'izzuddin then said: If it is said that it is for- bidden to wear silk, and this is established by a tradition, 'Both of these things are forbidden for members of my community,' then what answer can be made to this? He replied: Wearing is forbidden, but this knot is something upon which to entwine one's hair and then knot it. This is not called 'wearing' but 'knotting'. I remember this very point in connection with Maulana Sharafuddin Tau'ama.

Again he said: A legal decision changes in accordance with the times.' Is this absolute? He replied: Yes, if a decision has been given on some point in the first period of Islam and is

strictly applicable to the people of the second and third periods. Then a dispute arises and the decisions of the second and third period change. Here the saying, 'A legal decision changes in accordance with the times' is applicable.

He went on: In the town of Bihar a man was saying: 'I have given a written decision declaring silk ribbons to be forbidden. The Venerable Master said: His behaviour was childish. What credence can be given to the words of such people? To begin with, it has to be ascertained whether such people have understood the tradition at all! The words which can be accepted are those spoken by a religious man, a leader or a trustworthy person. You can accept immediately what you hear them say, but who can believe one and all? For example, such people who have read the Hidaya and Pazhdavi and become jurisconsults¹¹ and begun to write authoritative decisions on the Law. If a difficulty concerning the articles of faith or mystical knowledge is asked, they are nonplussed. Who can put any credence in the words of such people? Where is their intelligence, and where is their religion? Maulana Sharafuddin Tau'ama¹ was such a learned man that his fame had spread throughout Hindustan. There was nobody who entertained any doubt about his learning. He made use of silk ribbons, and also used a silk pyjama-cord. He did not write such things. Is it fitting for anybody else after him to do so? During the time he was teaching, whenever a difficulty arose, he would ponder over it. While he was doing so, he would take hold of his silk ribbon and play with it and remain engrossed in this fashion until he solved his difficulty. He would then let go the ribbon and explain the diffi- culty.

Later on he added: Those who are well grounded in the faith, and have become conversant with the meaning of God's Book and the Traditions of the Apostle, can give authoritative decisions, for they know that this tradition originates from a certain context and can be applied in a particular situation. Nowadays if you ask jurisconsults about a particular tradition they won't know what to say. The two-fold foundation is none other than Quranic exegesis and the Traditions so that, once a person has them at his fingertips, he is in a position to speak

authoritatively drawing, as he does, both from the Quran and the Traditions.18

Afterwards he continued: The science of Tradition is a difficult one, comprising all the parts of the Book.14 Until a person is conversant with them all, he cannot give the meaning of a single tradition. Yet a person who masters the meanings of the Book can do so. If a tradition comes before him, he will compare it with the Book. If he finds it in consonance with the Book, he will accept it. If he finds it in conflict with it, he will reject it. So, then, if somebody does not know the meanings of the Book, what can he compare it with? 15

Maulana Karimuddin asked: What is meant by 'Tradi- tion'? He said: Revelation is either manifest or hidden. Manifest revelation is that which occurred through Gabriel as an intermediary. That is the Quran, for the entire Revered Quran came to the Apostle through Gabriel. On the other hand, hidden revelation is that which descended upon the Apostle without any intermediary and was related by him. This type is called 'Tradition.

When Your eye flashes a secret to mine, There is no need for Gabriel at such a time.

Again he asked: Is what comes other than through Gabriel 'inspiration'?. He said: 'Inspiration' refers to the saints. 66 Concerning the Apostle, it is called 'hidden revelation'. It has the very same meaning as what we call 'hidden revelation' with respect to the Apostle. With regard to saints, it is 'inspiration'.

Again he said: It is not admissible that there should be any fault or error in the hidden revelation which used to come to the Apostle. Concerning the inspiration which comes to the saints, however, is there a possibility of fault or error? He said: In their inspiration also there is no scope for fault or error, for there is a light within them. 'He obtained light from his Lord' contains a hint in the matter. By means of that light they know that this is from God. They accept whatever they find comes from God. They will not accept, however, anything

Alauddin, a near relative of Amir Shadi, the Deputy Cham- berlain, said: Do people who hang tiny Qurans around their necks have them hanging on their right side or on their left? He replied: On the right side is better so that there should be a difference between the Quran and other things that people are accustomed to wear or carry. When they hang a shoulder- bag or something else across their shoulders, they let it hang on the left side. Similarly, if someone offers them a Quran, they take hold of it with both hands so that there may be a distinction between the way they receive the Quran and other things, for it is customary for people to take hold of anything given them by another with one hand.

Sheikh Muizzuddin said: What about books on jurisprudence? He replied: What applies to the Quran applies to them as well. Both are the same as far as honoring them is concerned. Hence, such books are to be respected.