Bismillahir Rahmaanir Raheem
AN APPEAL TO THE ULAMA AND MUTAWALLIES (TRUSTEES)
By Hadhrat Moulana Abdul Hamid Is’haq Sahib (Daamat
Barakatuhum)
In this current situation, we have many Muslims who keep stressing the
need to follow government protocol even at the cost of Dieni principles and
teachings. The oft-repeated reasonings are that non-Muslims and particularly
certain political parties would capitalise on this. They would then vent
negative opinions about Muslims; that Muslims are not being responsible. The
normal mantra that goes along with this line of thinking is that we, the Muslim
community of South Africa, are in the minority;
-
we must identify and support with the
majority;
-
we must not look different from them;
-
we must not seem selective;
-
we must not seem to want selective treatment;
-
this government is very good for us;
-
we must stand by them;
- we must unite with the rest of the citizens of
the country and the people of the world against the pandemic, etc. etc.
All these reasons are because of, amongst other things, the fear which we
have for the creation. It is a well-known and reliable fact in Islamic
teachings: “Whoever does not fear Allah, Allah will cause him to fear
everything.”
If we do not fear Allah, Allah will place the fear of the creation in our
hearts. This seems to be exactly our condition. Fear has even filled our
hearts, for that political party, who are looked down upon as clowns in
parliament! The fear of the virus, the fear of the police, the fear of being
criticised, the fear of our parents/children/ family and others visiting us,
etc. have gripped our hearts!
We should ask ourselves: Do we have at least that level of fear for
breaking the Commands of Allah Ta’ala?! Or is it that we really seek just the
benefits of of this world: our temporary peace and well-being in dunya? …From the various
public platforms, it seems as if the call is that we must have peace with
everyone … including the devil. We just must not upset the apple cart! We must
be good and peace-loving people at the cost of our Dien and Aakhirah being
plundered and destroyed.
A small scratch on the car, a slight hitch in our worldly education, a
few hours without electricity, etc. cannot be tolerated. However, for the
destruction of Dien, we can allow and tolerate any and all destruction and
plundering. We do not only tolerate, but are proud to announce that we closed
the Masaajid before the government closed them. We are proud to broadcast that
we are very strict on protocols and demand more than what the authorities
require, to the extent that Qur’aan Shariefs are removed from the Masaajid! We
have reached such a level of fear and paranoia that we suspect that we will get
the virus from the Qur’aan Sharief – Na’uzu Billahi min zaalik. There is
so much of panic that we do not even want to wipe our hands over our faces
after Dua, as is Sunnah!
LINE OF ARGUMENT
People who favour the government protocols argue: “You also take
precautions; you lock your doors at night, you tie your camel…”, etc.
In answer:
Are the Covid precautions restricted to the Masaajid only?
Many people come till the Masjid without adopting the required precautions.
There is no distancing and no masks covering the mouth and nose, yet immediately
upon entry into the Masjid, all the protocols have to be implemented 200 to
500%.
Is the virus selective and only in the Masjid?! Why do all the
precautions only apply to the Masaajid and so rigidly?! What about the intense
debate amongst scientists, medical personnel and others? Those who are experts
and experienced in their fields refute the calls of the government and
mainstream media. They, in fact, say that masks are harmful, and social
distancing does not really offer any deterrent, and they present medical
proofs.
Where is the precaution of distancing in social gatherings, in
aeroplanes, in taxis, in marches and protests? Presently, IN the Masaajid, we
are instructed to be separated … divided … to stand apart, and then we are called
to unite?!
Immediately after Salaah, some of the very same people who are so strictly
monitoring the protocols have been observed smoking just outside the doors of
the Masaajid. They have no masks and there is no social distancing. Father and
son come together to the Masjid. There is no social distancing till the door of
the Masjid, and then strict distancing in the Masjid. After leaving the Masjid,
again there is no distancing! So much of discrepancy and contradiction.
When we take medicine as poison and poison as medicine, what hope can
there be of survival?!
LIKE CO-WIVES
We are taught in the Hadith that this world and the hereafter are like
co-wives; if you please one, the other becomes upset. We give preference to
and want to please our dunya at the cost of our real and everlasting Aakhirah!
This is all done looking at the scenario from a worldly perspective and also on
the basis of possible possibilities, as well as being exposed and overwhelmed by
what the scientists, medical academics, politicians and others, who in many
cases are atheists, who have their hidden agendas and are promoting and pushing
the same. The extreme negativity that is being induced by them opens the doors
of shaytaan possessing a person.
On the other hand, we find that at the beginning of the first lockdown
there were those brothers who went till the gates of the Masaajid and cried and
made Dua, on a daily basis. By the Barakaat of their Duas and the Duas of so
many others, Allah Ta’ala opened our Masaajid! In other parts of the world as
well, we heard of those sincere Musallis who would go upto the gates of the
Masjid, make Dua and even perform Salaah … such is their love and attachment to
the Masjid.
When Sheikhul Hind (Rahmatullahi ‘alayh) was in prison in Malta, every
week he would prepare for Jumu’ah and would go up to the gates of the prison and
say: “O Allah! This is as much as I can do.” It is narrated in a Hadith Qudsi:
"Whoever draws close to me by a hand-span length I draw closer to
him by a cubit. Whoever draws closer to me by a cubit, I draw closer to him by
a fathom. Whoever comes to Me walking, I go to Him running."
We should thus do as much as we can; Allah Ta’ala will help us further!
What is wrong in trying and that too, peacefully? Why discourage from showing
solidarity, love and connection with the Masaajid?
Of the seven people who will
enjoy the shade of the Arsh of Allah Ta’ala on the Day of Qiyamah will be he
whose heart was connected to the Masjid! The Masaajid are the homes of the Believers.
We should leave the Masjid for our worldly needs and then return to the
Masjid again and again, for every Salaah, as well as spend as much of our
time in the Masjid. This is where we find peace and solace! A Mu’min
is a like a fish in water in the Masjid, while a Munaafiq (hypocrite) is like a
bird in a cage when in the Masjid. In which group would we like to be in?!
The Masaajid are the most beloved places on earth to Allah Ta’ala. So why
can't we be positive and look at matters from a Dieni perspective? Why are we
overwhelmed with the dunya and only the outlook and views of the people of
dunya?
THE ULAMA AND MUTAWWALLIES (TRUSTEES)
The Ulama are the custodians and upholders of Dien, especially in the absence of the
Islamic Khilafat and any government enforcing Islamic law. The
responsibility is greater upon the Ulama to protect, promote and propagate Dien
from a Dieni perspective and not from the current worldly perspective!
If the Ulama are also going to view our Dieni matters from a dunya's standpoint;
that is, accept the opinions of scientists, politicians and academics of dunya,
then who is there to protect and guard our Masaajid and our Dien?
The Ulama, Ulama organisations, Mutawallies, etc. are the custodians of
the Masaajid and Dien as a whole, and they are being paid very heavily for that
by Allah Ta’ala. The reward for facilitating the upkeep and proper Ibaadaat in
the Masaajid are far, far beyond our imagination. We are not paid by any
authorities to upkeep their rules and regulations, yet sadly we impose their
rules more rigidly and more than required by them, that it appears as if we are
against our own Dien and our own Masaajid?!
AMR BIL MA’ROOF AND NAHY ANIL MUNKAR
(Commanding Good and Forbidding Evil)
When we reflect: We never did Amr-bil-Ma'roof on the dress-code for the
Masjid.
Our attendance and presence in the Masjid should
be with respect and Adab (etiquette). One aspect is our dressing, which Allah
Ta’ala also refers to in the Qur’aan Sharief:
“O Children of Aadam!
Take your adornment at every prayer time…”
[Surah Al-A’raaf 7 :
31]
So many attend the Masjid and perform Salaah without a topie, or in bermudas,
t-shirts with weird messages written or animate pictures, bizarre hairstyles,
coloured hair, etc. How often we see at the time of Nikah, many come to the
Masjid in a three-piece suit, with tie or bow tie. We did not correct these
wrongs. We did not encourage the Sunnah Libaas (garb). However, we now rigidly
enforce imaginary, protective protocols of scientists, politicians and others.
Fal mushtaka illallaah!
One major, underlying cause of turning the rulings of Dien upside down is
that we accept and are impressed with whatever is dished out by others, and
want to please them and those who follow them. We then sweep our Shari’ah under
the carpet, as though it does not exist or as if it does not give us guidance
on these matters – exactly what the Bani Isra’eel did with regard to the
Tauraat!
It is absolutely necessary for the Scholars and those in positions of
trust to see things from the Dieni viewpoint and not approach the matter from
the stance of the authorities and others, and thereafter try to find some obscure
substantiation from Shari’ah.
As Ulama and the upholders of the Shari’ah, we should make the Shari’ah
our benchmark and find lee ways and loopholes in the government law, whereby we
can maintain our Dien. This is 100% legal; not the opposite where we make legal
what the authorities say, so much so that some scholars and scholar
organisations plainly say that we have to follow the president's announcements.
Having given priority status to what scientists, professors, politicians and
others say, we even try to give their rulings an Islamic flavour, presenting some manipulated
ruling to please the non-Muslim authorities?! What a sad, sad state of
affairs.
SOME ENCOURAGING INCIDENTS
During the first lockdown there was a Hifz Qur’aan Khatam Jalsa held
quietly in one Masjid, behind locked gates. Someone reported them to the
authorities who came to check, after which one police-officer accepted Islam!!
In one town, someone complained about the Azaan. The municipality sent out a
senior person to find out more regarding the situation. Subhanallaah, he
instead, accepted Islam, spent four months in Jamaat and is a very strong
Da'ee, calling Muslims and non -Muslims to Dien, and with great success. A judge and his daughter, who had salafi thoughts, visited a family on a
Dieni occassion. It was the first time they were exposed to Dieni views on
these matters. Alhamdulillah, they changed and corrected their attitude and
views.
The continuous call is made to unite on baatil and falsehood. We must
unite on Dien. Our loyalty and allegiance are first and foremost to Allah
Ta’ala and His Rasul Sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam.
May Allah Ta’ala guide us all to that which is pleasing to Him and
protect us from compromising on our Dieni principles and teachings.
