Documents of the Right Word

Rifâî [512-578 (C.E. 1183), in Umm-i-Ubeyd, in the neighborhood
of Basra] states as follows in the seventy-eighth page of the
Turkish book titled Ahmad Rifâî, which was printed in Istanbul in
1340: “It is never permissible to exceed the limit (prescribed by the
’Ulamâ) in talking about the events that took place among the Ashâb-i-kirâm
‘alaihim-ur-ridwân’ or to pronounce judgements on
them. Every Muslim should be discreetly reticent about the Ashâb-i-kirâm,
always mention their virtues, love and praise them
all.”] However, some people speak ill of the As-hâb-i-kirâm. They
are so daring as to vituperate, curse those people who are Islam’s
most beloved personages. It is necessary for the Islamic ’Ulamâ
‘rahmatullâhi ta’âlâ alaihim ajma’în’ to answer them, to refute
them, to explain that their way of thinking is erroneous, unhealthy.
It is to this end that this faqîr, [that is, Imâm-i-Rabbânî, mujaddidi-elf-i-thânî,
Ahmad Fârûqî ‘rahmatullâhi aleyh’ [971-1034 (C.E.
1624), in Sirhind, India], have written a few words. Yâ Rabbî (O
my Allah)! Do not punish us for what we have forgotten or for our
mistakes! This is the end of the answer which this faqîr has had the
lucky chance to write in order to rebut and chagrin the author of
the book I have read. May Allâhu ta’âlâ place in our hearts the
love of His religion! May He honour us all with making progress
in the way of His beloved Prophet Muhammad ‘alaihis-salâtu
wassalâm’! Âmîn.
The thirty-sixth letter of the second volume of the book
Mektûbât, written by the great ’âlim and Qayyûm-i-âlam, hadrat
Shaikh Muhammad Ma’thûm bin Ahmad Fârûqî ‘quddisa
sirruhumâ’ [1009-1079 (C.E. 1667), in Sirhind] who was a qayyûmi-âlam
and one of the very rare scholars educated throughout
centuries, answers various long questions. It has been considered
appropriate at this point to translate only the answer to the eighth
question in the letter:
Question: It is stated as follows in the book Sherh-i-Dîwân-ikutub-i-tawârih:
“When hadrat Emîr ‘kerrem-Allâhu ta’âlâ
wajhah’ detected the fact that some people were nursing a grudge
against him, he began to utter maledictions against five people
including Mu’âwiya ‘radiy-Allâhu ta'âlâ anh’ after each of the five
daily prayers of namâz. Upon hearing about this, they (these five
people) began to utter curses after each of the five daily prayers
upon five people, who were hadrat Emîr (Alî), hadrat Hasan,
hadrat Huseyn, Abdullah ibni Abbâs and Mâlik-i-Ejder ‘radiy-
Allâhu anhum ajma’în’. In fact, the Khalîfas of Benî Umayya
spread this ignoble practice far and near. In khutbas they
– 91 –