Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim

Wa Sall Allahu ta ‘alaa ‘alaa Sayyidinaa wa Mawlaana Muhammad, wa ‘alaa Aalihi wa Sahbihi aj’ma’een

As salaamu ‘alaikum wa Rahmatullah.

Subhaan Allah!!  A website devoted to backbiting, slander, innuendo and vitriol.  I have followed the progress of mosque.com since early 1995, having also put up Al Adaab: living Islam according to the way of the True Salaf as Saliheen ( www.ummah.net/Al_adaab )in 1995, the site resides here http://www.al-adaab.org now.    I recall downloading the Islam.exe database and benefitting from the articles posted on the sites over the years.  The work of Sheikh Ahmad Darwish, held out a lot of promise.  It seems that all of this is being thrown away in the name of “protecting” Sheikh Abdullah al Ghumari Rahmatullahi ‘alaihi.

 I find it very difficult to believe that Sheikh Abdullah al Ghumari, would have agreed with such a course of action against anyone.  We are saying that we are cleaning up the Ghumari email group by removing the vitriol against Sheikh Ninowy, the reality is that, damage has already been done to the reputation of Sheikh Ahmad Darwish by his allowing his students to post such messages. The audience it seems was not wide enough and not enough people were being affected by this misguided effort.  The need to spread it to a wider audience seems to have necessitated a website devoted solely to this activity.  Past post have alluded to supposed Shia descent of Shaikh Ninowy, the supposed cursing of Sayyidinaa Amir Muawiyya  Radhi Allahu ‘anhu etc.  All of these accusations coming from a student of the Imminent Sheikh Abdullah al Ghumari Rahimahullah?  Ultimately, some Muslims with sincere hearts will blame the Shuyukh for the actions of those who act in their name.  The Shuyukh are invariably blamed for the mistakes, bad adaab, and lack of hikmah of students who purport to follow them.

Leaving aside whether the accusations are correct or not, this type of activity calls into question the level of sincerity, zuhd, and scholarship of those who have take these courses of action.  Al Imam Ghazzali Rahimahullah in his Ihya mentions the destructive nature and evil of debating;

“The following evils arise out of modern debates.

1.      Envy. The Holy Nabi (Sallallahu 'Alayhi wa Sallam) said: Envy consumes good deeds as fire consumes fuels. A debator is never free from envy and hatred. Envy is a burning fire. One who falls in it gets punishment in the world. Hazrat Ibn Abbas (Radhi Allah Anhu) said: Acquire 'Ilm wherever it is found and don't obey the shayateen who are prone to disputes.

2.      Pride. The Holy Nabi (Sallallahu 'Alayhi wa Sallam) said: A Mu'min cannot have kibr (pride) in him. There is a Hadith-e-Qudsi in which Allah Ta'ala said: "Grandeur is My cloak and pride is My mantle. I destroy the one who snatches anything of these two from Me."

3.      Rancor. A debater is seldom free from the evil of rancor.

4.      Back-biting which is likened by Allahu Ta'ala to the eating of carrion (49:12).

5.      Declaration of self-purity. Allah says: Don't attribute purity to yourself. He knows best who fears Him. (53:33).

6.      Spying and prying into secrets of adversary. Allah says Pry not. (49: 12).

7.      Nifaaq. A debater expresses his friendship for his adversary outwardly but he cherishes hatred for him inwardly. The Holy Nabi (Sallallahu 'Alayhi wa Sallam) said: When the learned men do not translate their learning into action, when they profess love for one another with their tongue and nurse hatred in their hearts, when they sever ties of relationship, Allah sends Curse upon them, makes their tongues mute and their eyes blind.

8.      To turn away from Haqq. The most hateful thing to a debater is to reject the truth revealed to his adversary and thus he takes to deception and deceit. The Holy Nabi (Sallallahu 'Alayhi wa Sallam) prohibited dispute about useless things. He (Sallallahu 'Alayhi wa Sallam) said: If a man gives up disputation in matters of unlawful things, a garden will be built for him in Paradise. If a man gives up disputations in matters of Haqq, a house will be built up for him in the highest Paradise. Allah Ta'ala says: He is more wrongful than one who devises a lie against Allah and calls the truth a lie when it comes to him. (29:68) Allah says: Who is more wrongful than he who lies against Allah and treats the truth when it comes to him as a lie (39:33).

9.      Another fault of debate is show and flattering the people in an effort to win their favor and to mislead them. Nifaaq (hypocrisy) is the greatest disease with which a debator is attacked and it is a major sin.

10.  Deception. Debators are compelled to deception.

These ten evils are the secret major sins arising out of debates and disputations. Besides these major offences, there arise many other guilts out of controversies leading to blows, kicks, boxing, tearing of garments, etc.

 The learned men are of three classes. One class comprise those who ruin themselves and also ruin others. Another class make themselves fortunate and make others also fortunate. Such learned men call others towards good. The third class of learned men call ruin to themselves but make others fortunate.”

Unfortunately everyone that goes to mosque.com or allah.com  now, is subjected to a link to this new site put up to continue the same line of attacks against Sheikh Ninowy which many who subscribed to the email group protested against.  I reserved commenting on this matter hoping that Sheikh Ahmad Darwish would stop this course of action.  I onky write now out of respect for Sheikh Ahmad and a concern that he is in fact damaging his own reputation and throwing away the rewards of his past his good works.

A piece of advice I received from my Shaikh Sayyid Mubarik Ali Jilani Hafidhahullah  some 28 years ago as a youth was to “do things Fisabilillah”.  He warned me against looking for fame or seeking the credit for my deeds in the eyes of people.  Allahu ta ‘ala  knows what one has or hasn’t done.  He told me that the salihoon doesn’t concern themselves with how others perceive them.  If one does a thing solely for Allahu ta ‘ala’s sake, what need is there for worldly recognition?

As elders in deen and Shaikh Ahmad and myself are peers in age at least (I don’t claim to surpass anyone in knowledge or wisdom), we should be careful to as set a good example for the youth who look to us for guidance in every aspect of life.  We must always use Hikma and weigh the effect  what we say or do has not only on ourselves and our  own reputation, but  also the effect they may have on the reputation of our teachers and our students.

A good friend of mine is fond of saying; “Every Wali had a past and every sinner has a future”.

My advice is to let this whole thing go and  return to serving the Ummah in a more positive way.  Rise above this all, Ask Allahu ta 'ala and his Beloved Habiyy Sall Allahu 'alaihi wa Aalihi wa sallim to rectify the situation, take the high moral ground that the Awliyya and the lovers of Habibullah Sall Allahu 'alaihi wa Sallim have always taken. Stop the attacks for Allahu ta 'ala's sake and for the sake of Sayydinaa wa Mawlanaa Muhammad Sall Allahu 'alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallim, The Ghumair 'Ulama Radwaan Allahu 'alaihim ajma'een, and the student of knowledge and the believers in general.

Your brother and sincere well wisher,

 Muhammad Sa’id Hunafa Qadiri Jilaniyy