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Advice for the Muslim

ADVICE FOR THE MUSLIM Brief passages from the reputed books of ahl as-sunnat scholars are quoted for refuting corrupt Wahhabi and la-madhhabiyya beliefs.

ADVICE FOR THE MUSLIM

Brief passages from the reputed books of ahl as-sunnat scholars are quoted for refuting corrupt Wahhabi and la-madhhabiyya beliefs.

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Allâhu ta’âlâ’s creating,” should that person be regarded as a<br />

member of his umma or an enemy of that exalted Prophet, who is<br />

<strong>the</strong> darling of Allâhu ta’âlâ and <strong>the</strong> highest of prophets? It has<br />

been stated in âyats that he is rahma (blessing) even <strong>for</strong><br />

unbelievers. Why should he not be a means and cause of rahma <strong>for</strong><br />

<strong>Muslim</strong>s and Ahl as-Sunnat wa ’l-Jamâ’a who love him?<br />

The ’wasîla’ (intermediary, recourse) in <strong>the</strong> âyat al-karîma,<br />

“Search <strong>for</strong> a wasîla!” includes ’ibâdât, prayers and also blessed,<br />

estimable dhâts (persons, substances, <strong>the</strong>mselves). The hadîths<br />

and events reported above prove this fact clearly.<br />

There are many âyats indicating that it is permissible to ask<br />

creatures <strong>for</strong> everything, even <strong>for</strong> things which men are unable to<br />

do but Allâhu ta’âlâ may bestow upon His awliyâ’ as karâmât.<br />

One of <strong>the</strong>se âyats is <strong>the</strong> one in Sûrat an-Naml which quotes <strong>the</strong><br />

Prophet Sulaimân (’alaihi’s-salâm) as saying, “Oh my people!<br />

Who will bring her throne here?” There were genies and men and<br />

even satans among <strong>the</strong> people he addressed. Ifrît, one among an<br />

evil group of genies, said, “I can bring be<strong>for</strong>e you stand up.”<br />

Sulaimân (’alaihi’s-salâm) said, “I want it to be brought faster.”<br />

Âsaf ibn Barhiyâ, Sulaimân’s (’alaihi ’s-salâm) secretary, said, ‘I<br />

can bring it faster.” Bilqîs’ throne was in <strong>the</strong> Yemen, and<br />

Sulaimân (’alaihi ’s-salâm) was in Damascus. There was a distance<br />

of three months between <strong>the</strong> Yemen and Damascus [on foot]. He<br />

brought [her with her throne] to Damascus under <strong>the</strong> ground just<br />

at that moment. The throne was a couch ornamented with gold<br />

and jewels. This was a karâma. Allâhu ta’âlâ grants karâmât,<br />

outside His usual custom or laws to His awliyâ’, to His human<br />

servants whom He loves. Allâhu ta’âlâ talks in praise of <strong>the</strong><br />

karâma He granted to a walî, a pious servant of His, in <strong>the</strong> Qur’ân<br />

al-karîm, and He did not reprove Sulaimân (’alaihi ’s-salâm)<br />

because he asked <strong>for</strong> this karâma. He does not question, “Why<br />

did you ask someone else <strong>for</strong> this while I am closer to you than<br />

your aorta? Why did you not ask Me <strong>for</strong> something which men are<br />

not able to do and which no one else but I have <strong>the</strong> power to do?”<br />

For this reason, Sulaimân (’alaihi ’s-salâm) was Allâhu ta’âlâ’s<br />

Prophet. He knew that this word or wish of his was nothing but<br />

clinging to causes, which was compatible with his religion; Allâhu<br />

ta’âlâ orders men to cling to causes. Asking Rasûlullâh, martyrs<br />

and sâlih people <strong>for</strong> something is a similar action. It is a way of<br />

making use of <strong>the</strong> karâmât granted to <strong>the</strong>m by Allâhu ta’âlâ. They<br />

are causes (sabab), means (wâsita) or recourses (wasîla). Allâhu<br />

ta’âlâ is <strong>the</strong> only one who creates and makes. The karâmât of<br />

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