











Dr Tahir ul Qadri’s Stance on Gustakh-e-Rasool is ” Case to Case ” whole Group is not blamed !
Never let your self be distraught or be confused on this matter that all the great scholars and personalities of Islam do not have the same, one, agreeable opinion upon a certain matter in a congregative way. However, if this happens it is the most best of blessings and a thing that is full of good.
Even though on certain issues if someone differs or disagrees in opinion, that dis-agreement should not cause distraught and confusion leading to opposition.
Because, if a dis-agreement remains only a dis-agreement then it is a blessing, but if that dis-agreement turns into an opposition then it is not a blessing but an inconvenience for everyone.
And if we try to remove the limit or the distance between opposition and dis-agreement then it is bad for the Ummah and for our schools of thought as well.
Sadly, we have removed the difference between dis-agreement and opposition.
Wherever there is a dis-agreement we turn it into opposition, which further turns into a debate, leading to a dispute.
If a certain dis-agreement is literary then there is no harm, because literary dis-agreements were found among the Sahaba Ajmaeiin (Radhi Allahu Anhu) too, but they never opposed each other. Such literary dis-agreements were found among the Tabieen, Taba Tabieen, the great scholars and the 4 Imaams too.
But their way was to let their dis-agreement remain only a dis-agreement and not to turn their dis-agreement into opposition, therefore, it then remains a mercy.
Therefore, the first rule for the unity of Muslim Ummah is that we must make a strong intention, deep in our hearts, that we will never let our literary dis-agreement turn into a mutual opposition, therefore in this way dis-agreements never cause harm. This should be a fundamental principle of thought in uniting the Ummah.
Note:- This Article is in process of Editing by the translator.Errors & omissions are expected,
Some mischievous and unwise people tampered with the video clips of Mahfil Samaa` held in Damascus under the banner of Minhaj-ul-Quran International in 2005 and uploaded them on the internet to propagate that people were falling in prostration before Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri and that Shaykh-ul-Islam was appreciating the gesture. It is stated that no such incident took place and it is but a slander, pure and simple. Those who have cooked this conspiracy are afraid that their fabricated beliefs are being hammered. In their heart of hearts they are afraid of Shaykh-ul-Islam’s towering intellectual personality and his powerful arguments based on Quran and Hadith. They are, through these base tricks, trying to distract the attention of people from Shaykh-ul-Islam’s wisdom-laden speeches and books. Mindlessly, they are flinging mud on the person who presented Islam based the Holy Qur`an and Hadith; on intellectual level they have yielded, so they are behaving in this foolish way.
First of all, we would take up for discussion the matter of video clip of Mahfil Samaa` held in Damascus so that the confusion of those unwise and simpleton people, who have developed doubt that (God forbid) someone is offering prostration to Shaykh-ul-Islam, may be clarified.
1. Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri never allowed anyone in his life to fall in prostration before him. What to speak of prostration, he strictly forbids his followers to kiss his hands. He never likes the act of someone kissing his feet.
2. He can clearly be seen pushing the person away who was bending to kiss his feet in the video clip of Mahfil Samaa` held in Damascus. Is it not regrettable that some of the ‘blind’ commentators have interpreted his act as demonstration of appreciation?
3. The entire world knows this fact that Shaykh-ul-Islam offers his prayer while sitting in the chair due to pain in his backbone and always uses medicated seat for sitting purpose. Therefore it was not possible for him to suddenly bend down to stop the person from bowing to kiss his feet. However, he can be seen trying to stop him with his hands.
4. The world also knows this too that he does use foot rest owing to pain in his backbone but he had participated in the Mahfil Samaa` held in Damascus during his journey. Therefore pillow was used due to unavailability of foot rest in the Mahfil Samaa`. The pill was not used there (God forbid) for people to bend over it and fall in prostration to him. What a pity that those commenting on it regarded it as an act of prostration in contravention of all cannons of justice and fair play!
5. Since the Mahfil Samaa` was held during the journey, therefore, it was not possible to make such arrangement as are normally made for such gatherings held at the central secretariat of Minhaj-ul-Quran International. In such gatherings, people are deputed to stop followers from kissing his feet strictly. If the video clip is reviewed by shunning all prejudice and partiality, it would become certain that one person is deputed there to prevent the followers from kissing his feet but when the person coming in did not find anyone on the other side, he took that way to be able to kiss his feet whom Shaykh-ul-Islam kept stopping strictly.
6. Therefore, it is not right for any Muslim to advertise and propagate anything without scrutiny and exact knowledge of facts. This is what the Holy Quran and the Sunna preach and is only the demand of the faith. So far as the kalam (poetry) being sung in the Mahfil Samma` is concerned, there is a message of Oneness of Allah (monotheism) in the poetry; based on mysticism and spiritualism. This kalam dedicated to Allah Almighty and the misuse of such kalam of excellence and highest order to establish one’s heinous and misplaced viewpoint is nothing but a sign of ignorance and out and out wretchedness.
We have so far clarified that Shaykh-ul-Islam neither liked the act of kissing his hands and feet nor ever encouraged it, leave alone falling in prostration before him. In his speeches and books, he has always dubbed the act of prostration for worship (sajda ibada) as polytheism (shirk) and prostration out of veneration (sajda tazim) for someone other than Allah as forbidden (haram). Two of his books namely Kitab at-Tawhid and Tazim and Ibada could be consulted in this regard along with his numerous lectures and speeches.
But a question arises here whether the act of kissing feet could be taken to mean prostration? Is kissing of feet an act of polytheism (shirk)? What are Islamic teachings about it? It is important to note as what would be the view of Islamic law if someone kissed the feet in peculiar circumstances? Given here below are some Prophetic traditions on the subject:
1. It is reported by Zari` ibn Aamir who came to the Holy Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) along with delegation of Abul Qays:
This hadith is related by Imam Abu Dawud in as-Sunan (vol. 4, p. 357 # 5225). Moreover Imam Bayhaqi also narrated this in as-Sunan al-Kubra (vol. 7, p. 102) and Imam Tabarani in two of his books: al-Mujam al-Kabir (vol. 5, p. 275 # 5313); and al-Mujam al-Awsat (vol. 1, p. 133 # 418).
2. Imam Bukhari has devoted a chapter on kissing the feet al-Adab al-Mufrad. He has reported the same Hadith mentioned above from Wazi` ibn Aamir in the following words on page number 339 and hadith number 975. He reports:
These words denote particular meaning. Narrator says that they did not merely content themselves with holding the blessed hands, rather kept on kissing the blessed feet besides hands, though they were holding the blessed hands and feet of the Holy Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him).
3. Imam Trimidhi has quoted Safwan bin Assal as reporting one hadith on the same subject. He says: some people of the Jewish nation came to the Holy Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him). They questioned him and gave declared evidence that he is the true Prophet of Allah:
This Hadith is narrated by Imam Nasai in as-Sunan (vol. 7, p. 111 # 4078); Ibn Maja, as-Sunan (vol. 2, p. 1221 # 3705); Tirmidhi in as-Sunan (vol. 5, pp. 77, 305 # 2733, 3144), Ahmad ibn Hanbal in al-Musnad (vol. 4, pp. 239, 240), Hakim in al-Mustadrak (vol. 1, p. 52 # 20), Tayalisi in al-Musnad (p. 160 # 1164); and Maqdisi in al-Ahadith al-Mukhtara (vol. 8, p. 29 # 18).
Despite the narration of this Hadith by a number of authentic hadith-narrators and using it as evidence, only a biased person could regard it as an act of the Jews and how we can give it the status of necessary evidence. What else can be said about this kind of thinking except expression of regret that the objector noticed the act of the Jew but did not see the blessed personality with whom it was being done? The Holy Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) did not forbid the Jews to kiss his feet, it may well be regarded as silent Sunna (Sunna taqriri).
4. Highly respected student of Imam Ibn Taimiyya, Ibn Kathir, writes while narrating an incident in the interpretation of verse no 101 of Sura al-Maida that the Holy Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) got annoyed over something:
Other interpreters have also stated the above-mentioned same tradition while interpreting the relevant verse.
Now the question arises here whether the act of kissing the blessed feet of the Holy Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) by such a respected Companion of the stature of Umar (may Allah be well pleased with him) and the Prophet’s act of not stopping him from doing so constituted the violation of the concept of Oneness of Allah (God forbid).
5. Imam Muqri (d. 381 AH) quotes Burayda (may Allah be well pleased with him) as reporting in his Book Taqbil al-Yad (p. 64 # 5) that once a Bedouin came to the Holy Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him). He said: I have embraced Islam but I want more so that my faith should be strengthened. Then the Holy Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) allowed him and a tree came to the Bedouin on his call and the tree said: O Prophet of Allah, peace be upon you. There is a long tradition that follows it. The Bedouin saw all of these signs and said:
The tradition states that the Holy Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) gave permission to that Bedouin. Then he requested for falling in prostration, the Holy Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) did not allow him. Ibn Hajar Asqalani has narrated the same hadith reported by Imam Muqri in Fath al-Bari (vol. 11, p. 57). Furthermore, Allama Mubarak Puri has also quoted the same tradition in Tuhfa al-Ahwadhi (vol. 7, p. 437).
This tradition very clearly states that the Holy Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) permitted the kissing of his blessed feet but did not allow prostration before him. Had the kissing of feet and falling in prostration meant one and the same thing, he (blessings and peace be upon him) would never have allowed this at all.
Did the Holy Prophet’s act of being silent and not stopping the Companions (may Allah be well pleased with them) from doing that not mean permission from him? Does that act of the Companions (may Allah be well pleased with them) not fall in the category of Sunna Taqriri? If the kissing of the feed is an act of prostration, were the Companions (may Allah be well pleased with them) prostrating themselves then? (God forbid) the Holy Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) who was raised as a Prophet to spread the message of Oneness of Allah and eliminate polytheism, allowed the act of polytheism?
Would that those objecting to the kissing of feet had studied something!
A question can come up in the mind of the people that the kissing of feet was an act exclusive to the Holy Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him). We dilate here below as what is the reality of kissing of feet of non-Prophets, saints, religious scholars and spiritual directors?
It is an undeniable reality that extending respect to the religious scholars and saints is what Islam requires with reference to the Holy Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) and his Din. Interpreting their respect as polytheism is falsehood and being prejudiced with them is the sign of hypocrisy. The readers of the books of the Prophetic traditions know this reality that kissing the feet of the elders has been the usual practice of people of love and reverence. A few examples and precedents are being put forward here:
1. Suhayb (may Allah be well pleased with him) was the slave of Abbas (may Allah be well pleased with him). He states:
It is narrated by Imam Bukhari in al-Adab al-Mufrad (p. 339 # 976); Dhahabi, Siyar Alam an-Nubala (vol. 2, p. 94); Mizzi, Tahdhib al-Kamal (vol. 13, p. 240 # 2905); and Muqri in Taqbil al-Yad (p. 76 # 15).
2. Imam Bukhari, a consensus traditionists of every school of thought and bright star of kingdom of knowledge, has devoted an entire chapter (number 444) on the kissing of hands in his book al-Adab al-Mufrad. He has narrated three Prophetic traditions on the ‘kissing of hands.’ It is manifestly clear that what it means is that the Companions used to kiss the hands of the Holy Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) and the way the Companions (may Allah be well pleased with them) used to kiss the hands of the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him), in the same way, Successors (tabi`in) would also kiss the hands of the Companions (may Allah be well pleased with them). While referring to these hadith, Imam Bukhari is throwing light on the manners of life that it was the way of the elders that they used to kiss the hands of the Shaykshs and religious scholars. Given the importance of the act, Imam Bukhari specified a separate chapter on the subject. This is not merely this. The chapter that follows Imam Bukhari has devoted to the ‘kissing of feet.’
By arranging these chapters in the book of manners, Imam Bukhari has clarified that he regarded the act of kissing hands and feet as manners of life. Had he considered these acts as denoting prostration or polytheism, he would neither have devoted separate chapters nor narrated Hadith on them.
3. When Imam Bukhari came to the city of Nishapur, a city of Imam Muslim, the most authentic hadith narrator of the Muslim world after Imam Bukhari, Imam Muslim came to see him. It is reported in all the books based on the life stories of the Imams that Imam Muslim kissed the forehead of Imam Bukhari and then requested his permission:
It is also narrated by Ibn Nuqta in at-Taqyid li Marifa Ruwat as-Sunan wal-Masanid (vol. 1, p. 33); Dhahabi, Siyar Alam an-Nubala (vol. 12, p. 432, 436); Nawawi, Tahdhib al-Asma wal-Lughat (vol. 1, p. 88); Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, Muqaddima Fath al-Bari (p. 488); and Nawab Siddiq Hasan Qanooji in al-Hitta fi Dhikr as-Sihah as-Sitta (p. 339).
4. Allama Shirwani Shafi`i writes in Hawashi (vol. 4, p. 84)
5. Abu al-Ula Abd ar-Rahman ibn Abd ar-Rahim Mubarakpuri, a respected scholar belonging to Deoband schools of thought and interpreter of Jami` at-Tirmidhi, has a distinguished position in the science of Hadith. He has listed all the above-mentioned Prophetic traditions on the kissing of hands and feet as evidence on page no 437 of the seventh volume of Tuhfat al-Ahwadhi. This clearly gives us an idea of his ways and practices.
Likewise many traditions and instances could be quoted as reference but only a few have been quoted, which establishes the fact that kissing the hands and feet of saints and elders is a rightful and favourite act. The people of mysticism and spiritualism are convinced that the kissing of feet is not a normal act and those doing so do it out of love and devotion. Therefore there is nothing wrong with doing so for someone who is an established authority of knowledge and the Imam of the time. Therefore we should be very discreet while churning out Fatwas (religious edicts) and should do so only after studying the Holy Quran, Sunna, and acts of Companions and saints that too after getting rid of our biases and partiality. We should not project things without research and studies because the Holy Quran forbids to do so without proper investigation. The Holy Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) has also condemned such an attitude. Allah Almighty says in verse number 6 of Surah al-Hujurat:
Allah Almighty has ordained the believers in this verse to fully investigate the matters before forming their opinions on any matter. The purpose of doing so is to sift fact from fiction. They only take concrete step once they have been satisfied of the veracity of the matter. Referring to that, the Holy Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) said:
Reported by Imam Muslim in as-Sahih (vol. 1, p. 10 # 5).
The believers are being asked not to believe in the hearsay and fully investigate the matters from all angles before passing it on to others. They should only convey when the truth of the matter has been established because passing on such things without proper inquiry is like telling lie. There are many hadith on this that the believer could be all but not a liar. So only such a person can ignore the above mentioned arguments as has chosen to close his eyes to reality and plugged his ears against the truth. Clearly, the perpetrators are seeking shelter for their weak beliefs and have practically admitted their defeat knowledge-wise.
May Allah Almighty protect us from such ignorance! May He open our eyes and ears to the true teachings of the Qur`an and Hadith! (Amin)
M. F. Rana
See the video clip bellow to know that what is the origin of Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri?
Syed Sami-uz-Zafar Naushahi
.
False things have always been attributed to great personalities of Islam through out the history. Dr. Tahir ul Qadri is no exception to that. He emerged so quickly, and had so many accomplishments in such a short span of time, that some corners started their organized efforts to defame him. They attributed lots of things to him which either he never said, or were quoted out of context.
One of the most mis-reported issues is that of his dreams. In this post I would analyze this issue in a little bit detail. But before that, I would suggest the readers to obey the following teaching of Quran (Sura Hujrat 49:6)
O ye who believe! If a wicked person comes to you with any news, ascertain the truth, lest ye harm people unwittingly, and afterwards become full of repentance for what ye have done.
. اے ایمان والو ! اگر تمہارے پاس کوئی فاسق (شخص) کوئی خبر لائے تو خوب تحقیق کر لیا کرو (ایسا نہ ہو) کہ تم کسی قوم کو لاعلمی میں (ناحق) تکلیف پہنچا بیٹھو، پھر تم اپنے کئے پر پچھتاتے رہ جاؤ
Most of the objections raised against Dr. Sahib are baseless and usually are part of organized propaganda campaigns. So you are suggested to always authenticate such news, before believing in them.
What Dr. Qadri said:
In one of his speeches, Dr. Tahir-ul-Qadri described a couple of his dreams. The summary of his words follows:
Dream 1:
The Prophet (صلی اللہ علیھ وآلھ وسلم ) came to my Dream, when I was young. He asked me to make an Islamic center and promised me that he would come there.
Dream 2:
In a Dream I saw that there are a lot of people gathered in a ground. Someone told me that the Prophet (صلی اللہ علیھ وآلھ وسلم ) is present there and is very angry that why people of
Pakistan have done nothing for Islam. The Prophet (صلی اللہ علیھ وآلھ وسلم ) is saying that he came on the invitation of the scholars, but now he is angry with them. He (i.e. the Prophet (صلی اللہ علیھ وآلھ وسلم )) is going to leave this country. On this I (i.e. Dr. Sahib) went to the Prophet (صلی اللہ علیھ وآلھ وسلم ) and begged forgiveness on the behalf of my country fellows. After some time, the Prophet (صلی اللہ علیھ وآلھ وسلم )’s anger reduced and He accepted my invitation to stay in
Pakistan. He asked me to make arrangements related to his stay and travel including the arrangement of the ticket of the journey.
What Dr. Qadri NEVER said:
The wording of Dr. Sahib has been summarized above, and would be analyzed in this discussion later. But some people took this as an opportunity to defame him by attributing false things with him. So be sure about the following:
He NEVER said that the Prophet (صلی اللہ علیھ وآلھ وسلم ) came in his Dream and asked him to come into politics / contest election.
He NEVER said that the Prophet (صلی اللہ علیھ وآلھ وسلم ) decided the name of his Jama’at (party).
He NEVER said that the Prophet (صلی اللہ علیھ وآلھ وسلم ) asked him to make this and this decision.
And the list goes on … All the decisions in his organizations are taken by relevant decision-making bodies and Dr Sahib never claimed that a decision was taken on the instruction of the Prophet (صلی اللہ علیھ وآلھ وسلم ).
Objections on these Dreams
People came up with numerous objections on these dreams. The major objections include:
1. Dr. Sahib is using cheap ways to win popularity and hence he talks about his dreams in every other speech.
2. The Dream shows that the Prophet (صلی اللہ علیھ وآلھ وسلم) was angry with all the scholars except Dr. Sahib. Does it show that there is no other good scholar in the country except Dr. Sahib?
3. Why did the Prophet (صلی اللہ علیھ وآلھ وسلم) ask Dr. Sahib for the arrangements of the stay or travel, including the ticket? Does the Prophet (صلی اللہ علیھ وآلھ وسلم) need such things to travel and is he dependant on Dr. Sahib for these arrangements (Na Uzu Billah)?
Objection 1 Answered:
Here is a discussion related to the objection: “Dr. Sahib is using cheap ways to win popularity and hence he talks about his dreams in every other speech.”
In answering this we would briefly see whether dreams have any importance in Islam, whether they should be described in front of others, whether Prophet (صلی اللہ علیھ وآلھ وسلم), Sahaba and other Aslaf described their dreams and is it a common routine of Dr. Sahib to narrate his dreams.
Does the dreams have any importance in Islam?
1. Good Dreams are part of Prophetism:
Allah’s Apostle said, “A good Dream (that comes true) of a righteous man is one of forty-six parts of prophetism.” (Bukhari Vol. 9, Book 87, No. 112)
The Prophet said, “A true good Dream is from Allah, and a bad Dream is from Satan.” (Bukhari Vol. 9, Book 87, No. 113)
I heard Allah’s Apostle saying, “Nothing is left of the prophetism except Al-Mubashshirat.” They asked, “What are Al-Mubashshirat?” He replied, “The true good dreams (that conveys glad tidings).” (Bukhari Vol. 9, Book 87, No. 119)
2. Seeing the Prophet (صلی اللہ علیھ وآلھ وسلم) in dreams:
The Prophet said, “Whoever has seen me in a Dream, then no doubt, he has seen me, for Satan cannot imitate my shape.” (Bukhari Vol. 9, Book 87, No. 123)
The Prophet said, “Whoever sees me (in a Dream) then he indeed has seen the truth.” (Bukhari Vol. 9, Book 87, No. 125)
The Prophet said, “Who ever sees me (in a Dream) then he indeed has seen the truth, as Satan cannot appear in my shape.” (Bukhari Vol. 9, Book 87, No. 126)
Is mentioning dreams a bad thing?
1. Prophet (صلی اللہ علیھ وآلھ وسلم) mentioned his dreams:
The Prophet said, “… while I was sleeping last night, the keys of the treasures of the earth were brought to me till they were put in my hand.” (Bukhari Vol. 9, Book 87, No. 127)
Allah’s Apostle said, “I saw myself (in a Dream) near the Ka’ba last night, and I saw a man with whitish red complexion …I asked, ‘Who is this man?’ Somebody replied, ‘(He is) Messiah, son of Mary.’ …” (Bukhari Vol. 9, Book 87, No. 128)
Allah’s Apostle … said, “Some of my followers were presented before me in my Dream as fighters in Allah’s Cause, sailing in the middle of the seas like kings on the thrones or like kings sitting on their thrones.” (Bukhari Vol. 9, Book 87, No. 130)
Above 3 Ahadith show that Prophet (صلی اللہ علیھ وآلھ وسلم) used to describe his dreams, or in other words, narrating one’s dreams is the Sunnah of the Prophet (صلی اللہ علیھ وآلھ وسلم).
2. Prophet (صلی اللہ علیھ وآلھ وسلم) asked Sahaba to mention their dreams:
Allah’s Apostle very often used to ask his companions, “Did anyone of you see a Dream?” So dreams would be narrated to him by those whom Allah wished to tell. (Bukhari Vol. 9, Book 87, No. 171)
Above Hadith (alongwith other similar ones) show that the Prophet (صلی اللہ علیھ وآلھ وسلم) used to encourage Sahaba to narrate their dreams.
3. Sahaba used to mention their dreams:
Narated By Ibn ‘Umar: Men from the companions of Allah’s Apostle used to see dreams during the lifetime of Allah’s Apostle and they used to narrate those dreams to Allah’s Apostle. Allah’s Apostle would interpret them as Allah wished. (Bukhari Vol. 9, Book 87, No. 155)
Narated By Ibn ‘Umar: I was a young unmarried man during the lifetime of the Prophet. I used to sleep in the mosque. Anyone who had a Dream, would narrate it to the Prophet. (Bukhari Vol. 9, Book 87, No. 156)
Narated By Abu Salama:
I used to see a Dream which would make me sick till I heard Abu Qatada saying, “I too, used to see a Dream which would make me sick …” (Bukhari Vol. 9, Book 87, No. 168)
First 2 Ahadith show that narrating a Dream to the Prophet (صلی اللہ علیھ وآلھ وسلم) was a common practice of Sahaba. The third Hadith shows that Sahaba used to narrate their dreams to each other.
Narrations of Dreams from Various Schools of Thought:
1. Elders through the ages:
Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jillani (رحمت اللہ علیھ) has mentioned his dreams in “Bahja tul Asrar” which is an account of whatever he used to describe in his sittings (in front of thousands of people).Hazrat Ali Hajvari (رحمت اللہ علیھ) has mentioned his dreams in his famous book “Kashaf ul Mahjoob”.
Imam Shairani, in his book “Tabaqat” writes that Imam Jilal ud Din Syuoti saw the Prophet (صلی اللہ علیھ وآلھ وسلم) 70 times not in his Dream but while he was awake. This shows that Imam Jilal ud Din Syuoti mentioned about his ziyara and hence others recorded this in the books.Shah Wali Ullah has written a full-fledged book (namely “Ad dur us Samin Fi Mubasharat un Nabi ul Ameen”) in which he has gathered 40 dreams seen by him or his teachers.
And there is a long list of elders who not only described their dreams, but they also recorded them in books.
2. Ahl-e-Hadith / Wahabi school of thought:
Ibn-e-Qayam, an Imam acknowledged by Ahl-e-Hadith / Wahabi people, has recorded numerous dreams in his book “Kitab
ur Ruh”.
3. Deobandi school of thought:
Most of the objections against Dr. Tahir ul Qadri’s dreams were raised by a Deobandi based “Islamic” Jama’at. Ironically, the Deobandi school of thought is much ahead of all others in describing their dreams. “Mubasharat Dar ul Uloom Deoband” is a collection of those dreams which people saw about this Dar ul Uloom. Ashraf Ali Thanvi has recorded hundreds of dreams of various people in his book “Hakayat ul Owliya”. Other Deobandi books which are filled with the descriptions of dreams include “Imdad ul Mushtaq” by Ashraf Ali Thanvi, “Tazkira tur Rasheed” by Ashiq Ali Mirathi, “Tazkira Fazl ur Rehman” by Abu ul Hasan Nadvi, and “Asdaq ur Roya” by Ashraf Ali Thanvi.
4. Tablighi Jama’at:
Molana Muhammad Zikriya (the founder of Tablighi Jama’at) has himself recorded his numerous dreams in the book “Aap Beeti”. 40 of his dreams have been collected in another book “Mahboob ul Aaraifin”. More dreams related to Tablighi Jama’at are collected in “Bahja tul Qaloob”.
Does Dr. Sahib mention about his dreams too often?
1. He mentioned it in only one speech:
Several thousand speeches / lectures of Dr. Sahib are available in audio / video format. He mentioned about his dreams in ONLY ONE SPEECH. So saying that “Dr. Sahib is using cheap ways to win popularity and hence talks about his dreams in every other speech” is very far from reality.
2. He didn’t mention it in masses:
Dr. Sahib didn’t narrate his Dream in a public gathering. Even its cassette was not released for masses. He rather shared this in a close circle of his companions. Doing so is directly the Sunnah of the Prophet (صلی اللہ علیھ وآلھ وسلم). The Prophet (صلی اللہ علیھ وآلھ وسلم) used to narrate his dreams to Sahaba and Sahaba used to narrate their dreams to him. There is nothing objectionable in sharing a Dream with one’s companions / freinds.
Conclusion about Objection 1:
If Dr. Tahir ul Qadri, who has narrated only a couple of dreams in only one of his speeches, is being accused of using “cheap ways to win popularity”, then what should be our verdict about the elders of every school of thought who narrated hundreds of dreams in numerous books through out the Islamic history?
The above discussion shows that the first objection about the dreams is totally baseless and such objections have no grounds in the teachings of Islam. It also shows that the objection is grounded on double standards of the critics.
Objection 2 Answered:
Now we would discuss the second objection, which states: “The Dream shows that the Prophet (صلی اللہ علیھ وآلھ وسلم) was angry with all the scholars except Dr. Sahib. Does it show that there is no other good scholar in the country except Dr. Sahib?”
Exceptions are Always There
The answer to this objection is based on a universally accepted rule: “Exceptions are always there.” This rule is equally accepted in Fiqh / Shariah etc. Even Quran has made general statements, without mentioning exceptions, but exceptions are understood from the context.
1. Examples from Quran:
When Allah orders Hazrat Noh (AS) to “take thou on board pairs of every species” (Al-Mu’minun 23:27), the verse actually means a very limited subset of total species on earth. Similarly “every boat”in Al-Kahf 18:79, “every hill” in Al-Baqara 2:260 “every stratagem” in At-Tauba 9:5 and “every high place” in Ash-Shu’ara 26:128 are all general statements, though there are clear-cut exceptions in all of these 5 cases. These exceptions are there even in the presence of the Arabic word کل meaning “every”. On another place Quran declares about man: “So We made him (i.e. a human being) hearer, seer” (Al-Insan 76:2), though there are millions of deaf and blind people in this world who cannot hear or see anything.So from Quran we can conclude that exceptions are there, even if they are not mentioned in the actual statement.
2. Examples from Hadith:
Making exceptions in general statements is common in Ahadith also. For example, Bukhari Vol. 1, Book 4, No. 213 states: “The Prophet used to perform ablution for every prayer.” The very next Hadith of Bukhari mentions an exception to this statement: “Allah’s Apostle led the ‘Asr prayer and asked for the food. Nothing but Sawiq was brought and we ate it and drank (water). The Prophet got up for the (Maghrib) Prayer, rinsed his mouth with water and then led the prayer without repeating the ablution.”
Similarly, exceptions can be found in the general statements made in numerous other Ahadith.
3. Examples from Elders:
Hazrat Abdullah bin Mubarak (رحمت اللہ علیہ) said “The scholars of today have become so much so habitual of eating suspected and haram that they are only busy in filling their stomach and fulfilling their lusts and they use their knowledge as a snare with which they hunt the world.” (Ikhlaq-us-Salehin page 42)
Before commenting on Dr. Sahib’s statement one should think about this statement of Hazrat Abdullah bin Mubarak. He is writing about the time when people like Imam Abu Hanifa (رحمت اللہ علیہ), Imam Malik (رحمت اللہ علیہ), Qazi Ayadh (رحمت اللہ علیہ) and Malik bin Dinar (رحمت اللہ علیہ) etc were still alive. They, along with many other scholars, are certainly exceptions to the above statement of Hazrat Abdullah bin Mubarak (رحمت اللہ علیہ), though the statement itself is not mentioning any exceptions.Similarly Malik bin Dinar (رحمت اللہ علیہ), another prominent figure of that era, declared: “I do not accept the witness of a scholar about another scholar because all of them are jealous.” Again, the phrase “all of them are jealous” must have exceptions, as that era included all the big names mentioned above.
Conclusion about Objection 2:
General statements automatically account for the exceptions (wherever applicable). It is not only proven by Quran, Hadith and sayings of the elders but it is a well-known rule in Islamic Fiqh.
So Dr. Sahib’s statement does not negate the existence of any good scholars in
Pakistan, rather it automatically incorporates the exceptions of good scholars. Hence the second objection on his dreams is also baseless.
Objection 3 Answered:
Now we would discuss the most important objection raised on this issue, which says:“Why did the Prophet (صلی اللہ علیھ وآلھ وسلم) ask Dr. Sahib for the arrangements of the stay or travel, including the ticket? Does the Prophet (صلی اللہ علیھ وآلھ وسلم) need such things to travel and is he dependant on Dr. Sahib for these arrangements (Na Uzu Billah)?”We would address this by discussing it from 3 angles:
1. The act of asking doesn’t show dependence
2. Similar dreams seen by scholars in past
3. Dreams are subject to interpretation
1. The act of asking doesn’t show dependence:
The act of asking can have various reasons; it doesn’t necessarily show that the person asking for something is dependent on it. E.g the Prophet (صلی اللہ علیھ وآلھ وسلم) asked for various things during his life, which many a times were meant to honor the person. E.g. the Hadith of Mishqat, which is also narrated by Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal and Bahaqi, shows that the Prophet (صلی اللہ علیھ وآلھ وسلم) asked an Ansari Sahabi to feed him. Similarly in Nur ud Din Zangi’s era, the Prophet (صلی اللہ علیھ وآلھ وسلم) came to his Dream, informed him of the conspirators who were trying to get the body of the Prophet (صلی اللہ علیھ وآلھ وسلم) from his grave, and then asked him “Save me from these two (conspirators)” (Wafa ul Wafa / Khalasa tul Wafa / Jazab ul Qaloob) Was the Prophet (صلی اللہ علیھ وآلھ وسلم) dependent on Nur ud Din Zangi (Na Uzu Billah)? Prophet (صلی اللہ علیھ وآلھ وسلم) can ask such things from others to honor them; this doesn’t show that the Prophet (صلی اللہ علیھ وآلھ وسلم) is dependent on anyone.
If asking for something shows dependence, then is Allah also dependent (Na Uzu Billah) who is making questions in the following verses of Quran:“…give regular Charity; and loan to Allah a Beautiful Loan.” (Al-Muzamil 73:20)
“Who is he that will loan to Allah a beautiful loan, which Allah will double unto his credit and multiply many times?” (Al-Baqara 2:245)
Surely no one would say that Allah’s act of asking for loan shows His dependence on that loan. It is surely meant for our own well-being.
The above example of Quran proves that the act of asking doesn’t show dependence of the questioner.
2. Similar dreams seen by scholars in past
The dreams of Dr. Sahib actually had nothing objectionable, especially when he had himself presented their possible interpretation. But a (so called) religious Jamat of Pakistan got the cassette of the speech, thoroughly tempered it by omitting various parts of it, and then distributed it in the masses to confuse the people. They changed the whole theme of the speech by cutting various parts of the speech and joining them together. This was a very shameful act which was done in an attempt to degrade Dr. Sahib.
As the Jamat which put alligations on Dr. Sahib’s dreams, primarily belongs to Deobandi school of thought, I would present a few examples of dreams reported by their own elders to show their reality.
Molana Rafi ud Din saw that Prophet (صلی اللہ علیھ وآلھ وسلم) came in his Dream, rejected the original boundaries planned for the construction of Dar ul Uloom Deoband, and marked new boundaries on a wider area with his stick. These marks were present in the morning and we built the building based on these marks. (Mubasharat Dar ul Uloom Deoband, Page 45)
Molana Qasim Nanotvi saw that he was standing on the roof of Kaba, and canals were emerging from his feet and spreading in the world. The narrator interprets that standing on the roof of Kaba represents Dar ul Uloom Deoband and canals represent its branches. (Mubasharat Dar ul Uloom Deoband, Page 35)Qari Muhammad Tayyab narrates that in Dream he saw that Dar ul Uloom Deoband has been established on the roof of the Masjid-e-Nabavi and his (i.e. Qari Sahib’s) residential room was also present there. (Mubasharat Dar ul Uloom Deoband, Page 53-54)
Molana Qasim Nanotvi saw during his childhood that he is sitting in the lap of Allah (Mubasharat Dar ul Uloom Deoband, Page 63)
Molana Rafi ud Din saw that Molana Qasim Nanotvi’s grave is inside the grave of a Nabi (Mubasharat Dar ul Uloom Deoband, Page 70)
Molana Abdul Rashid says that the Prophet (صلی اللہ علیھ وآلھ وسلم) instructed in his Dream. “Serve Molana Zikriya, as serving him is like serving me. I visit his room quite often.” (Bahja tul Qaloob, Page 21)Molana Habib ur Rehman Usmani says that in a public gathering, which he was presiding over, the Prophet (صلی اللہ علیھ وآلھ وسلم) came on a train. (Mubasharat Dar ul Uloom Deoband, Page 67)In a Dream the Prophet ( صلی اللہ علیھ وآلھ وسلم) said: “The guests of Imdad Ullah are scholars, I would cook their food myself.” Then Ashraf Ali Thanvi and Rashid Ahmad Gangohi became Haji Imdad Ullah‘s guests. (Tazkira tur Rasheed, Page 46)
Comments: The elders of every school of thought saw dreams which require their تعبیر (interpretation). I have mostly quoted the examples from Deobandi school of thought, as they were most active in the whole campaign against Dr. Sahib’s dreams.Now we would move to the issue of interpretation of dreams (Inshallah).
3. Dreams are subject to interpretation
Dreams are subject to interpretation, this is proven from Quran. Hazrat Yaqoob (علیہ السلام) says to Hazrat Yusaf (علیہ السلام): “Thus will your Lord choose you and teach you the interpretation of dreams …” (Yusuf 12:6) Hazrat Yusuf (AS) acknowledged it by saying “My Lord, You have given me the kingdom and taught me the meaning of dreams.” (Yusuf 12:101)
This sura alone has several examples where the interpretation of a Dream is different from the Dream itself. E.g. the stars in Hazrat Yusuf (علیہ السلام)’s Dream (in verse 12:4) actually meant his brothers. Similarly when “the King dreamt that seven lean cows were eating seven fat ones and that there were seven green ears of corn and seven dry ones” (Yusuf 12:43), the interpretation given by Hazrat Yusuf (علیہ السلام) was: “Cultivate your lands for seven years as usual and preserve the produce with its ears each year except the little amount that you will consume. After this will ensue seven years of famine in which all the grain that you have stored will be consumed except a small quantity. Then there will be a year with plenty of rain and people will have sufficient milk and other produce.” (Yusuf 12:47)
The above discussion proves that dreams are subject to interpretation (تعبیر) and should not be taken in their literal meanings.
Interpretations of dreams given by the Prophet (صلی اللہ علیھ وآلھ وسلم)
Example 1: Milk means knowledge
Narrated Ibn ‘Umar: I heard Allah’s Apostle saying, “While I was sleeping, I was given a bowl full of milk (in a Dream), and I drank of it to my fill until I noticed its wetness coming out of my nails, and then I gave the rest of it to ‘Umar.” They (the people) asked, “What have you interpreted (about the Dream)? O Allah’s Apostle?” He said, “(It is Religious) knowledge.” (Bukhari Vol. 87, Book 9 No. 134)
Example 2: Size of shirt means strength in religion
Narrated Abu Sa’id Al-Khudri: Allah’s Apostle said, “While I was sleeping, some people were displayed before me (in a Dream). They were wearing shirts, some of which were merely covering their breasts, and some a bit longer. Then there passed before me, ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab wearing a shirt he was dragging it (on the ground behind him.)” They (the people) asked, “What have you interpreted (about the Dream) O Allah’s Apostle?” He said, “The Religion.” (Bukhari Vol. 9, Book 87, No. 136)
Example 3: Cutting a part of the body means birth of a grand child
Hazrat Um e Fazal (رضی اللہ عنہا), the wife of Hazrat Abbas (رضی اللہ عنہ) saw in a Dream that a part from the body of the Prophet (صلی اللہ علیھ وآلھ وسلم) has cut, and dropped in her lap. She got worried. But the Prophet (صلی اللہ علیھ وآلھ وسلم) said that its interpretation is good. A grand child of mine would be born which would play in your lap. So Hazrat Imam Hussain (علیہ السلام) was born. (Mishqat Sharif)
Example 4: Broken roof means return of husband
A woman asked from the Prophet (صلی اللہ علیھ وآلھ وسلم): “I have seen the roof of my house broken.” He replied that her husband, whom was on a far off travel, would return. (Ahlam ul Anbiya wa Sulaha)
Comments so far:
The above Ahadith show that a Dream is subject to interpretation and it should not be taken in its literal meaning. So in the above Ahadith milk is interpreted as knowledge, size of shirt is interpreted as strength in religion, cutting a part of the body is interpreted as the birth of a grand child, and breaking of roof is interpreted as return of husband.
Strange interpretations related to the ziyara of the Prophet (صلی اللہ علیھ وآلھ وسلم)
Ibn-e-Sireen (رحمت اللہ علیھ) is a famous Tabaee and is considered among the imams of interpretation of dreams. His famous book, Tabeer ur Roya (i.e. interpretation of dreams) enlists the interpretations to thousands of dreams, some of which (related to the ziyara of the Prophet (صلی اللہ علیھ وآلھ وسلم) are given here:
Ibn e Sireen (رحمت اللہ علیھ), the imam of interpretation, says:1. If someone sees that he is digging or scraching the grave of the Prophet (صلی اللہ علیھ وآلھ وسلم), it means that he would revive a Sunnah.2. If someone sees that he is drinking the blood of the Prophet (
صلی اللہ علیھ وآلھ وسلم), it means that he would be martyred in Jihad.3. If someone sees that the Prophet (صلی اللہ علیھ وآلھ وسلم) has died at a place, it means that Sunnah would be eliminated from that place.One can see that ziyara of the Prophet (
صلی اللہ علیھ وآلھ وسلم) in Dream can be interpreted in various ways. Some times the Prophet (صلی اللہ علیھ وآلھ وسلم) represents his Sunnah, sometimes Islamic teachings, sometimes the Muslim Ummah and sometimes other related things.
Dream of Imam Bukhari
Imam Bukhari saw that he is removing flies from the body of the Prophet (صلی اللہ علیھ وآلھ وسلم). An expert told him that flies represent fabricated Ahadith and he would remove / distinguish them from the authentic ones.
Dream of Imam Abu Hanifa
Imam Abu Hanifa saw that he was picking the bones of the Prophet (صلی اللہ علیھ وآلھ وسلم) from his grave and he was giving preference to some bones over other bones. He became very puzzled at seeing this (as according to Ahadith earth cannot eat the body of the prophets). Ibn e Sireen told him that the Dream is good. He said that he (i.e. Imam Abu Hanifa) would carefully study the narrations of the Sunnah of the Prophet (صلی اللہ علیھ وآلھ وسلم) and would pick the most authentic ones (to compile Fiqh).
Interpretation of Dr Tahir ul Qadri’s Dreams:
As we have seen, ziyara of the Prophet (صلی اللہ علیھ وآلھ وسلم) can be interpreted in various ways. Some times coming of the Prophet (صلی اللہ علیھ وآلھ وسلم) in dreams represents his Sunnah, sometimes Islamic teachings, sometimes the Muslim Ummah and sometimes other related things. That’s why death of the Prophet (صلی اللہ علیھ وآلھ وسلم) in Dream was interpreted as removal of his Sunnah, and flies trying to sit on his body were interpreted as false narrations attributed to him.Similarly, Dr Tahir ul Qadri’s dreams also require interpretation. So this is what he himself interpreted about them:
Note: The wording is mine, summarizing Dr. Tahir ul Qadri’s wording:
Dream: The Prophet (صلی اللہ علیھ وآلھ وسلم) asked me to make an Islamic center (Minhaj-ul-Quran) and promised me that he would come there (in that center).
Interpretation: Prophet (صلی اللہ علیھ وآلھ وسلم)’s faiz would be included in that center.Dream : The Prophet (صلی اللہ علیھ وآلھ وسلم) was going to leave this country.
Interpretation: Islamic way of life is going away from our society. Dream: The Prophet ( صلی اللہ علیھ وآلھ وسلم) asked me to make arrangements of his stay.
Interpretation: The Prophet (صلی اللہ علیھ وآلھ وسلم) wanted me to start a struggle for the revival of Islam.Dream : The Prophet (صلی اللہ علیھ وآلھ وسلم) asked me to make arrangements of travel including the ticket of the journey.
Interpretation: Ticket and other arrangements of travel are sign of excessive traveling required for the preaching of Islam.
Conclusion:
In this thread we discussed 3 objections commonly raised against Dr. Tahir ul Qadri’s narrated dreams. Some points of our discussion are summarized here:
1. Some critics of Dr. Tahir ul Qadri accuse him that he is “using cheap ways to win popularity” by narrating his dreams. The fact is that he only narrated 2 or 3 dreams in only one of his speeches. Narrating one’s dreams is the Sunnah of the Prophet (صلی اللہ علیھ وآلھ وسلم), Sahaba, and scholars through out the Islamic history.
2. His statement that “the Prophet (صلی اللہ علیھ وآلھ وسلم) was angry with the scholars of
Pakistan”, was mis-interpreted. The statement does make the exception for those scholars who are genuinely working for Islam.
3. His statement that “the Prophet (صلی اللہ علیھ وآلھ وسلم) asked me to make arrangement of stay, travel and ticket” does not show that the Prophet (صلی اللہ علیھ وآلھ وسلم) is dependent on such things. The dreams are subject to interpretation and should not be taken in their literal meanings. This was proven from the examples of Quran, Hadith and sayings of the imam of interpretation of dreams. Examples of dreams of other scholars (including the dreams of Imam Abu Hanifa and Imam Bukhari) were given to illustrate this point.
4. Some of the dreams, which people have wrongly attributed with Dr. Sahib, were also touched. For example Dr. Sahib NEVER said that the Prophet (صلی اللہ علیھ وآلھ وسلم) came in his Dream and asked him to come into politics or to contest election. He NEVER said that the Prophet (صلی اللہ علیھ وآلھ وسلم) decided the name of his Jama’at (party). Numerous dreams are falsely attributed with him, so one should verify a statement made against him.THE END