بِسْــــــــــــــــمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيْم

Deviated Beliefs of Sufis Regarding the Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه و سلم) – Dr Saleh as Saleh

The Muslim believes that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah and the last Prophet.

Allaah (Azza wa Jal) says: Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but he is the Messenger of Allaah and the last of the Prophets. [Qur’aan, Soorat Al-Ahzaab, 33:40].

Allaah entrusted Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه و سلم) with the final and complete message of Islam, calling mankind to worship none but Allaah. He (صلى الله عليه و سلم) is the best of the Messengers and the best of mankind. He, has no share at all of Ruboobiyyah (lordship) nor any share of Divinity. Contemplate the saying of Allaah regarding Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه و سلم) :

Say, O Muhammad (صلى الله عليه و سلم), it is not within my power to bring benefit nor to keep away harm except as Allaah wills; and if I knew what the future holds I could amass a great deal of wealth and harm would not befall me. But I am just a Messenger from Allaah sent by Him to warn those who disobey Him of His punishment, and to give glad tidings of His reward fro those who truly believe in Him and are obedient to Him. [Qur’aan, Soorat Al-A’raaf, 7:188].

He (صلى الله عليه و سلم) said:

“I am just a human like yourselves, I forget just as you forget. So, if I forget, then remind me.” [28]

The belief that Muhammad (صلى الله عليه و سلم) is the Messenger of Allaah necessitates that

1-He (صلى الله عليه و سلم) is the true Messenger of Allaah; he did not lie nor was he belied.

2-The Muslim should follow his teachings.

3-The Muslim believes in all of the reports which he (صلى الله عليه و سلم) related regarding the past, present and future and that these reports were revealed to him by Allaah (Azza wa Jal) and was not something which he knew on his own.

4-We comply with his commands

5-We stay away from what he forbade

6-We defend the Sharee’ah with which he was entrusted.

7-We comply with all that the he (صلى الله عليه و سلم) brought from the Sharee’ah as if it were from Allaah.

In the sight of the mystic Soofis, the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) is looked upon in ways that oppose the path which Allaah (Azza wa Jal) intended for the believers.

This could be summarized in the following points:

1-Many Soofis stress the concept of what they call Al- Haqeeqah Al-Muhammadiyyah or the “Perfect Man” (Al- Insaan Al-Kaamil). In the world of Soofism, Al-Insaan Al-Kaamil is the “barrier” qualified with both the Essence of Allaah and the essence of creation. And he is the one who comprises all the worlds of the Divine and that of creation, the complete and the partial. He deserves the Names of the Thaat (Allaah’s Essence) and the Divine Qualities. The Soofee mystics refer to Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه و سلم) as being the “Perfect Man” or the “Al- Haqeeqah Al-Muhammadiyyah”: The Thaat (Essence of Allaah) in its first designation; to him (Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم) belongs all of the Most Beautiful Names [of Allaah] and that he is Al-Ism Al-A’tham (Allaah’s Greatest Name). From Muhammad, the entire creation, this world and the Hereafter, was brought to exist!!

This is most fully described by ‘Abdul al-Karim Al-Jeeli (d.820Hj/1417 C.E.), a Soofee of the school of Ibn ‘Arabi, in his book Al-Insaan Al-Kaamil. [29] In this book he said:

“Know, may Allaah guard and protect you, that Al-Insaan Al-Kaamil (the Perfect Man) is the Qutub (the axis) around which the spheres of existence from beginning to end revolves. And he is one since the being of existence and forever and ever. Furthermore, he takes on various forms and appears in churches…his original name which belongs to him is Muhammad…I met him while he was in the image of my sheikh Sharaf-ud-Deen Ismaa’eel Al- Jhubratee…the secret behind this matter is him being able to take the form of every image…” [30]

It is the same creed of Ibn ‘Arabi and the advocates of Wahdat Al-Wujud, those who claim that Allaah is the essence of all that exits. They consider the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) as the first created being and from him originated rest of creation and that he himself is the God who is above the Throne. Such concept is similar to the philosophical concept of the “first cause” or the “first active intellect” from whom the creation emanated.

2-Some Soofis hold to the same concept as above but do not say that the essence of Muhammad is above the ‘Arsh.

3-Many Soofis claim that the light of Muhammad (صلى الله عليه و سلم) is the first being, and that he is the most honorable of creation, and for his sake Allaah has created the universe. They do not explicitly say that the creatures originated from him. [31]

Most Soofis, however, concur that the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) is the essence of emanation of all knowledge. Some of them consider that this emanation is eternal, meaning that it is present even before the existence of Muhammad (صلى الله عليه و سلم). That is why a large sector of the Soofis believe that the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) knows the Ghayb and that nothing escapes his knowledge in the heavens and on the earth.

They have also innovated many practices aimed at showing their so-called love of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) including celebrations of the Prophet’s birthday and his journey of Israa’ and Mi’raaj, his Hadrah, [32] and so forth.

They even call upon the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) seeking aid and help believing that he (صلى الله عليه و سلم) responds and answers such Shirk.

Such concepts, beliefs, and practices concerning the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) are corrupt and contradict the Message of the Qur’aan and Sunnah as well as the way of the true believers, the Sahaabah and those who followed them on the path of righteousness, may Allaah be pleased with them all.

References:

[28] Reported by Muslim in his Saheeh [English translation], vol. 1, no.1168]

[29] See Vol. 2, p. 73 (4th edition), 1395/1975.

[30] Al-Insaan Al-Kaamil, Chapter six quoting from ‘Abdur-Rahmaan ‘Abdul Khaaliq’s Al-Fikr As-Soofee [Cairo, Egypt: Daarul Haramayyn, 1413/1993], pp. 243-245

[31] You can find many of the Soofee concepts regarding Prophet Muhammd (صلى الله عليه و سلم) in the sayings, writings, and invocations of principal Soofis like Abu Taalib Al-Makki, Al-Ghazaali, Ibn ‘Arabi, Al-Jeeli, Ibn Masheesh, Abul-Hasan Ash-Shaathili, Al-Booseeri (in Nahjul Burdah), Ahmad Badawi, Al-Jazooli (in Dalaa’il AL-Khayraat), Ahmad-Ar-rifaa’I, Ibraheem Ad-Dasooqi, Fakhrud-Deen Ar-Raazi, Muhammad Al-Bakri (As-Salaat Al-Bakriyyah) and others. Some invocations stressing such concepts include the Teejaaniyyah, Al- Jeelaaniyyah, As-Saqaafiyyah, Al-Idreesiyyah, and others as well. See Kashf Haqeeqat As-Soofeeyyah, pp. 263-281, and Al-Fikr As-Soofee, pp. 175-195.

[32] Soofee innovated circles of Thikr. They claim that the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) attends these circles!

Posted from e-Book : Sufism : Origin and Development  – Dr. Saleh As-Saleh