Siraj-ul-Absar (English) - Khalifatullah Mehdi (AHS)

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defiled Sheikh (Muttaqi)], who has said that the Mahdi AS cannot be proved unless he
possesses all those attributes that have been described in all the Traditions.
He [Muttaqi] says: Because, the command of the Shari'at are of two kinds; one is the
principles or the etiqadiyat [beliefs] and, two, the furoo [the manifest deeds]. The bid’at of
the beliefs is more serious than the bid’at of the deeds. Only the person who is an expert in
the Prophetical Traditions, particularly those that are in respect of Mahdi AS , can identify the
bid’at of the beliefs.
We say: I am astonished at the words of this disoriented Sheikh [Muttaqi], because at
times he talks as a sane and wise man and says that bid’at-fil-eitqad is known only by
a person who is an expert in the Prophetical Traditions. And at times, he talks like a
lunatic and says that the person should be an expert especially in the Traditions that
have come with respect to the Mahdi AS , because, according to him, the bid’at-fil-usul
purports to mean the beliefs. Then, which are the vitiated beliefs which we learn
from the Traditions that have come in respect of the emergence of the Mahdi AS ? All
the sects of Islam argue on the basis of the Book of Allah [Quran] and the Sunnat,
and call each other as bid’ati [innovators] and gumrah [misled]. Now [the question is]
among these sects which bid’at is evident in order to charge them on the basis of
those Traditions which have appeared in favour of the Mahdi AS ? If you look at the
afore-quoted passages, the baladat [stupidity] of the Sheikh [Muttaqi] will become
obvious.
He [Muttaqi] says: It is for this reason [it is said] that fighting against a bid’ati [innovator] is
superior to fighting against a kafir [infidel], because a kafir is identified by his bodily
appearance and dress that he is a kafir. Hence, the Muslim does not go near him, nor does he
accept his opinions and contentions. As for the bid’ati: He remains in the garb of the
Muslims and the righteous. Hence, he is recognized only by the person who has a profound
knowledge of Kitab [Quran] and Sunnat.
We say: The saying of the critic is like the illat [illness] of his saying, ‘The bid’at of the
beliefs is more serious than the bid’at of the deeds’. His objective is to say that the
bid’at of the Mahdavis is the bid’at of the beliefs. Hence, waging a jihad against
Mahdavis is superior to waging a jihad against kafirs, because these Mahdavis hold
the belief that a person who is not the Mahdi is Mahdi AS . I am astonished at the
Sheikh [Muttaqi] that he has, without any rhyme or reason, just on the basis of his
own enmity and injustice [towards us], and for the simple reason of our belief, he
holds that our killing is permissible and justified. Even if it is accepted that there is
flaw in our belief, on the basis of the vast differences of opinion among the
predecessors and others, and on the basis of uncertainity in interpretation and
metaphorical language, and because there is no mujtahid to whom we could revert
[for guidance], even then in ambiguous matters we do not consider that any Muslim
who has erred in his judgment is liable to be killed, because this supposed error is
like the mistake of a person who cannot find the direction of Qibla [Makkah] on an