Takfirism Violates Islam: Refutation Of Taliban Magazine Nawa-e-Afghan Jihad’s Article Titled ‘Kufr And Apostasy United Against Islamic Mujahedeen’ - Part 1
By Ghulam Ghaus Siddiqi, New Age Islam
October 18,
2014
The Taliban
ideologue Mr. Kaashif Ali al-Kheri, in the July 2014 issue of “Nawa-e-Afghan
Jihad” magazine, vehemently applied the labels ‘Kufr’ and ‘apostasy’ to nearly
all Pakistani Muslims. This was deliberately in the wake of Zarb-e-Azb mission
which received widespread support from the Pakistani civilian, political,
defence and Islamic clerical sectors. Ignoring the irrefutable Islamic fact
that Takfir of any Muslim unless he himself openly declares his unbelief is
forbidden, Mr. Kaashif mendaciously and ridiculously titled his write-up “Kufr
and Apostasy united against Islamic Mujahedeen”. Based upon none other than Wahhabi-styled
statements, he rendered force-fitted legitimacy to kill all non-Wahhabi Muslims
and non-Muslims. Thus, he shamelessly violated not only the divine commands of
the Qur’an and Hadith in each of their different miraculous meanings;
metaphorical, literal, specific and general etc, but also of all the four major
schools of thoughts in Islamic Jurisprudence.
Excerpts From Taliban magazine Nawa-e-Afghan Jihad accusing
Pakistani Muslims of being Kuffar and apostates
The Taliban
ideologue, Mr. Kaashif Ali al-Kheri writes, “After the Zarb-e-Azb
operation was launched by Pakistani Army in the North Waziristan, the
secular-minded groups look as if they were on the top of the world. The
deviants like Musharraf, Kayani and Zardari could not jump into this “blind
well”, Sharif has, however, decided to do that. Rafdhi and Mushrik groups are
ready to sacrifice their souls to sell their religion. Overwhelmed by
enthusiasm, the Rafdhi leader of the organization ‘Ittehad Bain al-Murtadeen’
(Leader of Unity among Apostates), Raja Nasir exaggerated so much that all
Pakistani people could not help enjoying the moment. Just three hours after the
Zarb-e-Azb operation was announced, he said “I announce to render hundred
thousands of Shiite volunteers to the Pakistani Army to fight against the
Takfiris”. The matter has reached a point that the productions of Mu’ta and
bastards have got ready to volunteer for the Pakistani Army. It is amazing that
hundred thousands of products of Mu’ta will go along with the unclean Pakistani
Army. In this state who will be able to save the Pakistani Army from the curse
of Allah Almighty?
“Subsequently, another group of polytheists
(Mushrikeen) appeared. On the 19th June, the Sunni Tahreek leader
Aejaz Qadri announced in Mansehra, saying “If the Pakistani Army orders me, I
will render hundred thousands of Mustafawi soldiers for Jihad to fight against
Tahreek-e-Taliban in Afghanistan”….We should say “Bade Miyan to Bade Miyan Chote Miyan Laanatullah! (Meaning- May God
curse upon both big and small brothers!)”.
So, it means that these hundred thousands of soldiers will be sent for
Jihad against Taliban! …Yes, of course, against the same Afghani Taliban who,
having defeated the Kuffar soldiers of the world and Mushrikeen of the east and
the west sent them back their homes. But this time Fatiha
reciters, Halwa eaters, practitioners of Teejah and Chaleeswan (Conveying
reward of virtues to the dead) will fight against Taliban! This is that Aejaz Qadri
who is terrorized so much that he peeps out his head through the behind closed
doors to see if there is any “terrorist” to kill him.
“Another group of this tribe (i.e. polytheists) which,
after earning US dollars, continued to protest against Mujahideen, chanting
loudly that hundreds of “Ulema” (clerics, ulema is plural of Aalim, scholar or
cleric) have issued fatwas on June, 22 that “the Zarb-e-Azb operation is a
Jihad against ‘terrorism’”! It was not explained in the fatwas to why the US
congress is tolerating the expenditures of this “Jihad”. This is the faith of
these ulema selling their religion. Tahir Canadian was not behind in this race
and issued fatwa that “I describe the Zarb-e-Azb operation as the greatest
Jihad against ‘terrorism’, thus, it is obligatory on the entire Ummah to
support this Jihad”. To please Crusader leaders, not only these groups of
Mushrikeen supported this Army operation but “the group of Muwahhedeen” led by
Hafiz Saeed was also on the fore front.
“However, all
these groups should remember that Allah will support and bless Mujahideen. If
the Pakistani Army continues this operation till the decisive end, Mujahideen
are also ready for that. God willing, they will defeat the Pakistani Army in
this war. Then what will happen to the supporters of the Pakistani soldiers.”
At the end of his article, the Taliban ideologue, Mr.
Kaashif says, “God willing, Mujahideen will kill the desires and dreams of the
united Kufr and its supporters. Thus, there will be nothing but darkness for
these groups of devils!”
To my great
horror, the Taliban ideologue, Mr. Kaashif described all non-Wahhabi Muslims of
Pakistan as the groups of Mushrikeen (polytheists), posing a severe threat to
do more future attacks on the majority Muslims of Pakistan. He mainly targeted
Shaikhul Islam Dr. Tahir ul Qadri, Maulana Sarwat Aejaz Qadri (Sunni Tahreek
leader), Shiite scholar Raja Nasir Abbas Jafri (General Secretary Majlis
Wahdat-e-Muslimeen) and scores of Sufi-minded Muftis and scholars. This is
simply because all of them openly supported the Zarb-e-Azb mission, calling it
a Jihad against Taliban terrorism.
It should be
noted that Jihad according to Taliban terrorists means to kill all those who
are non-Wahhabi/Sufi-minded/Sunni/Barelvi/mainstream Muslims along with Shias
and Ahmedis. Taliban/Wahhabi ideologues like Mr. Kaashif believe these Muslims
to be polytheists (Mushrikeen) and apostates. Describing Sufi Muslims “as group
of polytheists” and Pakistani Shiites as “productions of Muta and bastards”,
the Taliban ideologue, Mr. Kaashif mockingly said that Taliban terrorists had
defeated all polytheists of the world. Therefore “Fatiha reciters, Halwa
eaters, practitioners of Teejah and Chaleeswan (Conveying reward of virtues
to the dead)” could not withstand these terrorists.
Given the
virulent propaganda of Taliban ideologues detrimental to all Sufi-minded
Muslims across the world, it is the pressing need of our time to keep our
fellow Muslims abreast of the totally distorted meanings of the Quran and
Hadith. It is also necessary to tell them how the words like Kufr, apostasy, Jihad, Mujahid are being misused in order to kill non-Wahhabi Sunni
and Shia Muslims.
Feeling my
moral and humane responsibility I must not live without rebutting the
Taliban/Wahhabi ideology of killing non-Wahhabi Sunni and Shia Muslims under
the pretext of Kufr, apostasy or shirk. First we should know what the legal
value of Islamic Jurisprudence is for such Wahhabi ideologues using words like
Shirk, Kufr for Sufi-minded Muslims who I think follow the true version of
Islam. Let us deeply study the following Qura’nic verse and the sayings of the
prophet Muhammad peace be upon him۔
Unlawfulness of Takfirism in the Qur’an
“O believers! When you set out
(to fight) in the way of Allah, carry out a careful probe, and do not say to
him who greets you (as a Muslim): ‘You are not a believer.’ You seek goods of
the worldly life (in the shape of spoils of war, after killing a Muslim
declaring him a disbeliever). So, (rest assured that) Allah has gains and
booties in plenty. Before this you (too) were the same. Then Allah conferred on
you His Favour (and you became Muslims). So investigate and confirm the truth
(about others as well). Surely, Allah is Well Aware of what you do”.
(4:94)
This verse
goes so far as to say that a person who greets “Assalamu Alaikum” to show that
he is a Muslim cannot and should not be called Kafir (unbeliever). During the era of the prophet Muhammad peace be
upon him, when some Muslims suspected that such a person who greeted was not sincere,
our holy Prophet said to them: “He (the Holy Prophet) observed: Did you tear
his heart in order to find out whether it had professed or not?” (Muslim
Shareef)
Various Ahadith Strictly Prevent From Accusing Any Muslim
of being Kafir
The
messenger of Allah Almighty, Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: If a person
says to his brother, O’ Kafir (disbeliever)! Then surely one of them is such.
(i.e.; Kafir) (Sahih Bukhari Volume 8 Book 73 Number 125)
The same
Hadith is narrated with slightly different words in Muslim Shareef:
The Prophet
Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “Any person who calls his brother: O
Unbeliever, (then, the truth of this label) would return to one of them. If it
is true, (then it is) as he asserted, (but if it is not true), then it returns
to him (and thus the person who made the accusation is an unbeliever). [Sahih
Muslim Book 001, Number 0117:]
"Whoever
attributes Kufr [unbelief] to a believer, he is like his murderer".
(Narrated by Tirmidhi and Bukhari)
"Withhold
[your tongues] from those who say "There is no god but Allah" --- do
not call them Kafir. Whoever calls a reciter of "There is no god but
Allah" as a Kafir is nearer to being a Kafir himself”. (Tabarani, reported
from Ibn Umar)
"Three
things are the basis of faith. [One is] to withhold from one who says
"There is no god but Allah" --- do not call him Kafir for any sin,
nor expel him from Islam for any misconduct". (Abu Dawud)
All the Ahadith (plural of Hadith) mentioned
above obviously formulate a legal value not to describe a believer or a Muslim
as Kaafir. The law is so strict that
if the accusation is not true, the accuser himself will be considered a Kaafir. Hence, the Taliban ideologue,
Mr. Kaashif has violated the divine commandments and all the above-mentioned
sayings of the prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
Classical Islamic Jurists and
Scholars Disapproved Attribution of Takfirism towards Any Muslim
The standard
and classical scholars of Islamic law (Fiqh) prohibited the use of Takfiri
ideology for any believer. The following are the excerpts that refute
Taliban-Wahhabi ideologue, Mr. Kaashif who has done Takfīr of all Pakistani
Muslims:
“One of the
doctrines of Ahl as-Sunnah (the people of Sunnah) is that none of the people of
the Qibla can and should be called Kafir” (Sharh ‘Aqai’d al-Nasafiyyah by
Allamah Sa'ad al-Din al-Taftazani, p.121)
“A ruling of
Takfir should not be offered to a Muslim if there is possibility of
interpreting his words in a favourable manner” (Rad al-Mukhtar, Book of Jihad,
Chapter on Apostasy)
Pointing out to Imam Abu Hanifa the founder of Hanafi
School of thought, It has been said, “He did not describe anyone from among the
people of the Qibla as Kafir”. (Sharh al-Mawaqif, 5th part)
Imam Azam Abu Hanafi RA said: “Nothing expels a man from
faith except the denial of what brought him in it (faith)”. (Rad al-Mukhtar,
Vol 3, P.310)
Allama Mulla Ali Qari said, “It is extremely serious to
drive a Muslim out of the faith” (Sharh al-Shifa, vol 2, p.500)
Allama Jalaluddin RA said, “Takfir of people of the Qibla is itself an act of disbelief”.
(Dalail al-Masail)
“Various Imams have clearly said that if there is any
ground for not enacting Takfīr, The Takfiri ruling should not be issued, even
if that ground is weak”. (Raf al-Ishtiba an Ibarat al-Ishtiba, p.4)
A
widely known Sufi saint, Khwajah Mir Dard RA (1785), one of the three major
poets of the Delhi School said: “We do not call the people of the Qibla Kaafir,
even though they may be following false and different beliefs in most matters.
This is because of the very fact that faith in oneness of Allah Almighty, the
prophet-hood of Muhammad (peace be upon him) and turning to towards the Qibla
do not drive them out of their faith. Thus, they would be among such Muslims
who follow later inventions (evil inventions) and falsehood. The holy prophet
Muhammad (peace be upon him said), “hold back in the matter of the Qibla people
that you do not call them Kafir”. Ilm al-Kitab, p.75)
Besides, there are more of the great Islamic theologians
and Jurists who unanimously agree that none of the people of the Qibla can and
should be called a Kaafir. (al-Mawaqif, p. 600)
Summing Up
After
pondering over the Qur'anic verse, Ahadith and classical works of Islamic law
which is based on the holy Quran and Sunnah, one can say without hesitation
that it is a clear violation of the Islamic spirit to label a believer with Kufr
or shirk. But the question arises why do Wahhabis falsely describe Sufi-minded
Muslims as Mushrik and Kaafir? The reply is, ‘activities of Sufi-minded Muslims
like Shrine visiting, celebrating the birthdays of holy prophets, reciting
Surah Fatiha in front of sweets, having faith in Waseela (intercession, source)
and the hidden knowledge given by Allah Almighty to the prophet Muhammad (peace
be upon him) etc’. Based upon unbiased study of the Quran and Hadith, I find
these spiritual, devotional activities of Sufi-minded mainstream Muslims as
pious. On the part of the Wahhabi ideologues, it is nothing but assumption of
their force-fitted rhetoric and false illusions and theories. This way, I
believe that Wahhabis accusing Sufi-minded Muslims of being Kaafir or apostates
are the worst sort of people who themselves are denying the legal values set by
the holy Quran and Hadith and hence, they should worry about the consequences
of their act on the Day of Judgment. As for the majority mainstream Muslims,
they do reject their violent Takfiri ideologies.
(To be
continued)
A regular columnist for New Age Islam, Ghulam Ghaus is an Alim
and Fazil (Classical Islamic scholar) with a Sufi background. He has completed
the classical Islamic sciences from a Delhi-based Sufi Islamic seminary Jamia
Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia Zakir Nagar, New Delhi with specialization in Tafseer,
Hadith and Arabic. He completed his Alimiat and Fazilat respectively from Jamia
Warsia Arabic College, Lucknow and Jamia Manzar- e- Islam, Bareilly, U.P. He
has graduated in Arabic (Hons) and is pursuing his M.A in Arabic from Jamia
Millia Islamia, New Delhi.
New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic
Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism