Jawaban Terhadap Tuduhan Ahbash dari Shaykh Dr. Gabriel Fouad Haddad

Refuting the Habashi's Claims

By Dr. Gabriel Fouad Haddad

Bismillah was-salat was-salam `ala rasullillah:

as-salamu `alaykum.

This is a series of articles regarding those who in a recent post accused Shaykh Nazim al-Haqqani of negating Islam -- may Allah Himself clear him of the allegations of the ignorant. They are known as the "Habashis" and they call themselves "Association of Islamic Charitable Projects." Their words can be found at: http://www.aicp.org/Graphics/Qubrusi/Qubrusi.htm

I originally intended to visit them and debate them concerning the slanders and fabrications that I found issuing from them. However, upon re-reading what they have said, and after receiving some information about them from concerned brothers, I decided that my complaint with the author of these slanders, Samir al-Qadi, and his friends was beyond the benefit of a public debate.

Therefore I will content myself to post on the Internet some of what I wanted to state publicly, and I pray that Allah will accept this from me as my hujja that I did not stand idly by when I saw his awliya' attacked, slandered and lied upon.

Shaykh Nazim al-Haqqani, Shaykh Hisham Kabbani, and Grandshaykh `Abdullah al-Daghistani rahimahullah -- although Allah does not need me as their defender, and Allah is the best Defender of His Friends.

The table of contents of the Habashis' slanderous page against Shaykh Nazim has a list of several small chapters. It will be seen insha Allah from touching on the first three of these, that the Habashis committed a grave sin by attributing to the Shaykh ludicrous positions which he never held. A child will be able to see that their method consists in putting words into the mouth of others. They do this both explicitly (#1 and 3 below) and implicitly (#2). This is lying and deception in both cases. Not too strangely their lie can very often be established by internal proofs from their own words, without needing to bring testimony from outside of what they themselves say.

Chapter 1:

The first of the Habashis' slanderous chapters against Shaykh Nazim -- may Allah grant him the good deeds of his adversaries -- bears the title:

Al-Qubrusi's First Statement: "Follow your Sheikh and do not object to him--even when he contradicts the Rules of the Religion."

If I write: X says: "..." Then I am reporting X's words in the direct discourse without paraphrasing. This is a rule of style in any language, not only English. By writing the above, the Habashis put forth a claim that Shaykh Nazim said those words verbatim.

I bear witness that Shaykh Nazim never said anything of the sort, and if one wades through the verbose text of the chapter that is posted under the above title, one will not find the words that they put in quotation marks and attributed to the Shaykh.

What they do quote, buried in their long chapter, is the Shaykh's words: "In order to follow us you must follow without judging or objecting." And this is nothing new or strange, on the contrary, it is a rule for every novice of a master, and every student.

To make an analogy, when a sick man goes to the doctor and gets a prescription, he is hardly in a position to argue with the doctor on the appropriateness of the prescription. Similarly one who follows a Shaykh of guidance is by definition trusting him for guidance. To question him supposes that he knows as much or better than him, so either don't follow him, or don't question him. There is too much evidence to that effect from the words of the Sufis. Ibn `Ajiba summed it up in Iqaz al-himam p. 134: "The shaykh's "mistake" is more correct than the murid's "correction."" If they knew anything about adab al-murid they would know this. But that is a different issue altogether, since I just showed that what they attribute to the Shaykh is the lie that you should follow someone who destroys the Shari`a. May Allah destroy anyone who claims this.

Chapter 2

The second of the Habashis' slanderous chapters against Shaykh Nazim -- may Allah grant him the good deeds of his adversaries -- bears the title:

Al-Qubrusi's Second Statement: "The orders of the Supreme Sheikh [= Qutb] are the Orders of Allah."

The rest of their chapter shows a deceptive claim that Shaykh Nazim meant that the Qutb equates Allah, or that the Qutb is ma`sum. Hasbuna Allah wa ni`ma al-Wakil. Allah, Alone, is our Lord.

What is meant by the statement "The orders of the Qutb are the Orders of Allah" is: "The orders of the Qutb never seek to uphold other than the orders of Allah." And this applies, long before the Qutb, to the Prophet himself first and foremost, then to his inheritors the true scholars of the Religion. It does not mean that the Qutb is identical with the Prophet; only that he is better than anyone else at following him.

The Habashis claim they are Sufis, but when they hear the words of an authentic Sufi Shaykh they oppose him. Yet they will not find, in the definitions of the Qutb by the authorities in tasawwuf, anything except what confirms the statement related from Shaykh Nazim.

al-Munawi said in al-Tawqif p. 586: "The Qutb is the one who is the locus of Allah's Gaze in every time in history. Allah gave him the greatest authority, directly from Him."

al-Jurjani said the same thing in Kitab al-ta`rifat p. 177.

al-Tahanawi said in Kashshaf istilahat al-funun p. 1167: "The Qutb is the one who is the locus of Allah's Gaze in every time in history. He is a creature who is of one heart with the Prophet, blessings and peace upon him."

And Shaykh `Abd al-Qadir al-Gilani said of the Qutb in Futuh al- ghayb, 33rd discourse: "There is no station above this man's station except for Prophethood... Look out for him... for safety lies in what he has to say, and in his presence."

I am not qualified to dwell on this high topic, and I will just repeat that Allah is the best Defender of His Friends, and I ask His forgiveness if I said anything wrong.

Chapter 3

The third of the Habashis' slanderous chapters against Shaykh Nazim -- may Allah grant him the good deeds of his adversaries -- bears the title:

Al-Qubrusi's Third Statement: "The Queen of England is like Allah."

Again, I bear witness that Shaykh Nazim never said such an enormity, and you will not find it in the body of their chapter following this buffoonish title. What you do find, is the quotation from a book of transcripts from Shaykh Nazim whereby he said: "Allah Almighty called the Prophet to His Divine presence, and the Prophet went as ordered, just as a dignitary is received by the Queen of England." Is this the same as saying: "The Queen of England is like Allah"?

O Allah, I bear witness that these people have slandered Shaykh Nazim by rephrasing the terms of his comparison so as to attribute shirk and anthropomorphism to him, when all his quoted statement contained was a comparison of the visit to Your divine court to the visit to the court of a monarch. O Allah, You know best whether they did this and the rest deliberately to sow hatred for one of Your pious servants.

This goes on for fourteen or fifteen chapters which they added to the polluted matter which can be found abundantly on the Internet. Is this the contribution of the Habashis to the cause of Islam through this new medium? Then may Allah save us from such contributors and their devices.

I will not pursue the examination and refutation of these childish lies so as not to give them further importance. Insha’ Allah, the remainder of my three posts should complete the picture for those who seek more information as to the nature and method of these Habashis. For my part I ask Allah to accept my intention that I sought to defend the reputation of Shaykh Nazim, and not to spread division and enmity.

Mr. Samir al-Qadi and his friends should be happy that they even heard of such as Shaykh Nazim al-Haqqani but once in their lifetime. They should repent of having lied against him, and they should take back their slanders if they fear Allah and the Last Day. I say this without rancor towards any.

Imam Bukhari in his Sahih narrated that the Prophet said that Allah said: "Whoever shows enmity to one of My Friends, I declare war upon him."

And Abu Dawud in his Sunan, Kitab al-adab, related that the Prophet said: "No man will desert a Muslim in a place where his respect is violated and his honor attacked without Allah deserting him in a place where he will wish for His help; and no man will help a Muslim in a place where his honor is attacked and his respect violated without Allah helping him in a place where he wishes his help."

And he said: "Avoid envy, for envy devours good deeds just as fire devours wood or dry grass."

And Imam Malik in his Muwatta' related that the Prophet said: "If the Lord should protect a man from the mischief of two things, he shall enter Paradise: firstly, from that which is between his two jaws [i.e. his tongue], and secondly, from that which is between his two loins [i.e. his genitals]."

And he was asked: "Can a believer be a coward?" He said: "Yes." He was asked again: "Can a believer be a miser?" He said: "Yes." He was asked again: "Can a believer be a liar?" He replied: "No."

And success is from Allah.

Blessings and Peace on the Prophet, his Family, and his Companions.

http://www.sunnah.org/fiqh/refuting_the_habashis.htm