04.29.06

Respect and Compassion

Posted in Personal at 7:36 pm by Abbas

Someone, whom is very respected in the community, recently wrote a disugusting email accusing Shaykh Nazim Haqqani, the leader of the Naqshibandi tariqat (order) of “negating Islam” on a local list serv. Note that there is a murid (follower) of that tariqat on the mailing list too. The site referenced was obviously a neo-salafi site, which also condemned other groups and Muslims (including sufis, shi’as, hamza yusuf, anyone following a madhab, keller, etc.). I thought it would be beneficial to post my reply here as well because the issue of respect and compassion is very important.

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Bismihi Ta’ala
Salaamun ‘alaykum wa rahmatullah,

We need to stop bickering back and forth. It is not healthy and it just increases animosity amongst us.

I have noticed that the site, which was used as a reference, and similar sites are being heavily used in these list servs. Unfortunately, this particular site is anything but credible. It has attributed lies to some of the greatest ulema, and scholars of past and recent times. I will just give one simple example of how the site has manipulated and how the site tries to deceive the common person.”

The site states the following:

“Nuri Tibiris, one of the most renowned Shi’ite scholars and mujtahids, wrote a book against the present Quran. The book is entitled: ‘Faslul Khitab Fi Tahreefi-Kitabi Rabbil Arbaab’ (The Final Verdict on the Distortion of the Book of the Lord of Lords).

Khomeini mentions this scholar with great respect in his own book ‘A1Hukumatul Islamiyah” (The Islamic State). In fact, Khomeini has actually used Nuri Tibiris’s work entitled “Mustadrakul Wasail” to complete his theory of Wilayatul Faqih.”
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Now, a person who has done sufficient research knows there are three well-known Tabrisi’s in Shi’i history. The first is al-Nuri al-Tabarsi, whom DID write some controversial material like the allaahuakbar.net site claims but he was and is not respected and in fact he was in disagreement with the main stream Shi’a thought. Khomeini quoted NOT from him but from another Tabrisi, Abu Mansoor Ahmad Ibn Ali who lived in the sixth century after Hijrah. He is famous for some of his works. He never wrote any book to prove Quran is incomplete! But the most famous Tabrisi is yet another one! Abu Ali al-Fadl Ibn al-Hasan al-Tabarsi is the most knowledgeable one of the three.

Do you see the strategy and the style of this site? This site and other similar sites should be avoided due to the fact that it tries to ingrain hatred in the hearts of the believers towards each other.

The article or “refutation” of Shaykh Nazim, on the basis of other articles pasted on that site, may simply be deemed as propaganda, serving a particular agenda. I have a close friend who follows Shaykh Nazim. He is a shaykh of the religion and a respected scholar in the community. The best way to really understand what Shaykh Nazim teaches or preaches is asking one of his followers, just like how we would want non-Muslims to ask us about Islam rather than the media.

Every believer must “forbid evil and enjoin the good.” That is a given. However, there are means and ways to do it. The best of examples is the example of the purified Ahlul Bayt (as) or the Prophet and his Household.

Imam Hasan and Hussein (peace be onto them), the beloved grandchildren of our Prophet (saw) once saw an elderly man doing wudhu incorrectly. Did they go and condemn or call the man out? Of course not. They actually went up to that old man and asked him to observe how each one of them performed wudhu; so he can decide which one does it right. After both Hasan and Hussein (peace be with them) completed their wudhu, the old man finally realized his mistake.

The whole point of the story is that, is that with knowledge and intention, one must use wisdom and intellect. We need to show tolerance and compassion. And only through patience and with the love of Allah, can we achieve this.

Finally, we must come to an understanding that we live in a time in which all schools claim to follow the “authentic” Quran and Sunnah. We must realize a fallible being possesses no authority whatsoever to past judgments on another group of Muslims due to the reason that their beliefs may not conform to a certain dogma or ideology. We need to show respect. For the most part, people have failed to do so on numerous occasions implying that every other point of view is incorrect and deviant, which unfortunately ultimately leads to arrogance or khibr.

Wa salaam,
Abbas

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