Third Assembly (Khwan-Pur-Nemat)
Third Assembly (Khwan-Pur-Nemat)
Sheikh Sharfuddin Yahya Maneri
MORE BYSheikh Sharfuddin Yahya Maneri
Qazi Ashrafuddin said: How many times did the Apostle perform his ritual prayer upside down?
The Venerable Master replied, Once.
He further asked: In that condition did he lean against anything or not?
He replied: I have not seen it described anywhere.
Again, he enquired: Did he do it as an ascetical practice or with some other motive?
He answered: A crisis had arisen. In order to overcome
it he came forward with deep humility and utter helplessness. Moreover, the sheikhs who observe this practice do so in order to imitate the Apostle perfectly, in both word and deed, in order to obtain the promised reward of such imitation. Sustained by this hope, they strive, as far as they can, to imitate the words and deeds of the Apostle.
One of those present asked: What was promised?
He replied: The word of God Almighty: 'If you love God, then follow me, and God will love you. What they intend and desire is the love of God, and that is conjoined to the imitation of the Prophet.
Sheikh Muizzuddin-may his piety perdure-said: It is related that Sheikh Abu Saeed Abul-Khair said: 'I have Accom- plashed whatever has come down to me from the sayings and deeds of the Messenger, apart from three things which I neither found, nor was sure about, nor performed. The things I was not sure about were as follows. I heard that the Apostle had eaten watermelon but did not know whether he had first broken it or cut it into pieces. Now, if one's sheikh follows both of these practices, one of them must be what the Apostle did. Imitation would consist in doing that.
The Venerable Master said: Whatever has become lawful has obtained a lawful form. The requisite lawfulness of that thing is that very form which the Lawgiver has decreed for it. If the sheikh breaks and eats, it could be either that this was how the Apostle ate or not. If he ate in that fashion, it would be an Apostolic tradition. If he did not, it would be an inn- ovation. A similar argument can be made if he cut it and ate it. We hold that, wherever a question involving Apostolic practice or innovation arises, it is preferable to refrain from following a particular practice than to introduce an innovation, for the following of such a practice involves the introduction of innovation. Thus, a sheikh cannot take the initiative in this matter for, in performing a lawful action, he would be appre- hensive that, by doing so, he might fall into innovation. Thus, the saying of the Sheikh is correct.
Those present in the assembly said: The intention of the Sheikh in this matter was to follow an Apostolic tradition, not to introduce an innovation-that would be merely incidental.
He replied: Where there is an intention of following an Apostolic practice there should not be any innovation. More- over, wherever there is an innovation opposing the Apostolic practice, the intention of following the latter is tantamount to intending the former.
Sheikh Muizzuddin continued: Not following an Apostolic practice is a blameworthy act. It is not fitting to do such a thing.
He said: The fault involved in not following an Apostolic practice is less than that involved in introducing an innovation, for the former is not so blameworthy, while the latter is strictly forbidden and will be punished.
He continued: Wherever obligatory action and an inn ovation are involved, there one has to do what is obligatory, not turn aside from it. In this situation, why should he abandon what is obligatory?
He replied: There is a total prohibition with respect to the introduction of innovations, but there is none referring simply to the non-performance of some obligatory action.
The Helpless One enquired: Have you noticed any injunctions of the Law with respect to this matter?
He replied: When someone performs a ritual prayer of four cycles, it is necessary to remain seated after completing two cycles. If at this stage a doubt arises as to whether he has completed two or three cycles then, if he remains seated, think- Ing it is the second cycle, it might be that it is the third. To remain seated would be an innovation. Here the order is the same: 'Refrain from what is worthy!' He will get up and perform another cycle of prayer so that innovation may find no entrance.
NOTES AND REFERENCES
1. Each assembly is normally introduced by an expression such as, He had the felicity of kissing the blessed feet. It simply means that Zain Badr Arabi considers himself fortunate to have been present for the particular assembly. It is omitted in this, and subsequent assemble- lies.
2. It is hard to see how orthodox scholars from Arab lands could possibly agree with this statement. It does tell us, however, that the practice was known to Sharfuddin and his contemporaries and is one of the many examples of the influence of Hindu ascetical practices on the Sufis. Sharfuddin feels obliged to offer an explanation of the practice which links it to that of Muhammad.
3. It is easy to see that Sharfuddin's listeners have not been convinced by his line of argument. The whole issue of the perfect imitation of the Prophet is a burning one for Muslims. This discussion is most instructive in helping the modern reader grasp the mentality of a person who might be dubbed a conservative religious leader. Cer- twinly Sharfuddin is conservative when it comes to anything con- nested with the Prophet, for whom he has an intense personal love. This is obviously operative in the present discussion. In other issues, however, not immediately linked to apostolic practice, he is very liberal and extraordinarily modern in his outlook.
4. The word used is 'Wajib', referring to the second of the five classes of lawful acts. It refers to what is obligatory, but of which there is some doubt whether or not it was enjoined in the Quran or in a tradition of unquestionable authenticity.
Qazi Ashrafuddin said: How many times did the Apostle perform his ritual prayer upside down?
The Venerable Master replied, Once.
He further asked: In that condition did he lean against anything or not?
He replied: I have not seen it described anywhere.
Again, he enquired: Did he do it as an ascetical practice or with some other motive?
He answered: A crisis had arisen. In order to overcome
it he came forward with deep humility and utter helplessness. Moreover, the sheikhs who observe this practice do so in order to imitate the Apostle perfectly, in both word and deed, in order to obtain the promised reward of such imitation. Sustained by this hope, they strive, as far as they can, to imitate the words and deeds of the Apostle.
One of those present asked: What was promised?
He replied: The word of God Almighty: 'If you love God, then follow me, and God will love you. What they intend and desire is the love of God, and that is conjoined to the imitation of the Prophet.
Sheikh Muizzuddin-may his piety perdure-said: It is related that Sheikh Abu Saeed Abul-Khair said: 'I have Accom- plashed whatever has come down to me from the sayings and deeds of the Messenger, apart from three things which I neither found, nor was sure about, nor performed. The things I was not sure about were as follows. I heard that the Apostle had eaten watermelon but did not know whether he had first broken it or cut it into pieces. Now, if one's sheikh follows both of these practices, one of them must be what the Apostle did. Imitation would consist in doing that.
The Venerable Master said: Whatever has become lawful has obtained a lawful form. The requisite lawfulness of that thing is that very form which the Lawgiver has decreed for it. If the sheikh breaks and eats, it could be either that this was how the Apostle ate or not. If he ate in that fashion, it would be an Apostolic tradition. If he did not, it would be an inn- ovation. A similar argument can be made if he cut it and ate it. We hold that, wherever a question involving Apostolic practice or innovation arises, it is preferable to refrain from following a particular practice than to introduce an innovation, for the following of such a practice involves the introduction of innovation. Thus, a sheikh cannot take the initiative in this matter for, in performing a lawful action, he would be appre- hensive that, by doing so, he might fall into innovation. Thus, the saying of the Sheikh is correct.
Those present in the assembly said: The intention of the Sheikh in this matter was to follow an Apostolic tradition, not to introduce an innovation-that would be merely incidental.
He replied: Where there is an intention of following an Apostolic practice there should not be any innovation. More- over, wherever there is an innovation opposing the Apostolic practice, the intention of following the latter is tantamount to intending the former.
Sheikh Muizzuddin continued: Not following an Apostolic practice is a blameworthy act. It is not fitting to do such a thing.
He said: The fault involved in not following an Apostolic practice is less than that involved in introducing an innovation, for the former is not so blameworthy, while the latter is strictly forbidden and will be punished.
He continued: Wherever obligatory action and an inn ovation are involved, there one has to do what is obligatory, not turn aside from it. In this situation, why should he abandon what is obligatory?
He replied: There is a total prohibition with respect to the introduction of innovations, but there is none referring simply to the non-performance of some obligatory action.
The Helpless One enquired: Have you noticed any injunctions of the Law with respect to this matter?
He replied: When someone performs a ritual prayer of four cycles, it is necessary to remain seated after completing two cycles. If at this stage a doubt arises as to whether he has completed two or three cycles then, if he remains seated, think- Ing it is the second cycle, it might be that it is the third. To remain seated would be an innovation. Here the order is the same: 'Refrain from what is worthy!' He will get up and perform another cycle of prayer so that innovation may find no entrance.
NOTES AND REFERENCES
1. Each assembly is normally introduced by an expression such as, He had the felicity of kissing the blessed feet. It simply means that Zain Badr Arabi considers himself fortunate to have been present for the particular assembly. It is omitted in this, and subsequent assemble- lies.
2. It is hard to see how orthodox scholars from Arab lands could possibly agree with this statement. It does tell us, however, that the practice was known to Sharfuddin and his contemporaries and is one of the many examples of the influence of Hindu ascetical practices on the Sufis. Sharfuddin feels obliged to offer an explanation of the practice which links it to that of Muhammad.
3. It is easy to see that Sharfuddin's listeners have not been convinced by his line of argument. The whole issue of the perfect imitation of the Prophet is a burning one for Muslims. This discussion is most instructive in helping the modern reader grasp the mentality of a person who might be dubbed a conservative religious leader. Cer- twinly Sharfuddin is conservative when it comes to anything con- nested with the Prophet, for whom he has an intense personal love. This is obviously operative in the present discussion. In other issues, however, not immediately linked to apostolic practice, he is very liberal and extraordinarily modern in his outlook.
4. The word used is 'Wajib', referring to the second of the five classes of lawful acts. It refers to what is obligatory, but of which there is some doubt whether or not it was enjoined in the Quran or in a tradition of unquestionable authenticity.
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