Jamiatul Ahlia Darul Uloom Moinul Islam Hathazari on Saad

Question

To: Chief Mufti, Fatwa Department: Darul Uloom Moinul Islam, Hathazari, Chattogram, Bangladesh, Al-Jamiyatul Ahaliya Darul Uloom Moinul Islam, Hathazari, Chattogram.

Subject: Regarding issuing fatwa on the activities conducted by Saad followers.

Respected Sir,

For your kind information, I am letting you know that the followers of the controversial Maulana Saad of Nizamuddin have reached an extreme level of excess day by day. In this situation, for the greater interest of the Ummah, I am placing a few questions before you.

1) Is it legitimate for those who follow Maulana Saad, who call themselves followers of Nizamuddin or mainstream, to conduct various activities in mosques in the name of dawah and tabligh?

2) Would it be permissible according to Shariah to participate in, assist, support, or cooperate in any way with their conducted activities such as bayan (sermons), taleem (teaching), mashwara (consultation), muzakara (discussion), gasht (outreach), etc.?

3) Would it be legitimate in the view of Shariah for mosque committee presidents/general secretaries or mutawallis (caretakers) to give permission or provide opportunities for them to conduct any programs?

I hope to receive answers to these questions in light of the Quran, Sunnah, and Shariah for the greater interest of the Ummah.

Therefore, I request you to kindly provide a fatwa on the above matters.

Submitted by
Qazi Navid Hossain, Fatwa Department

Answer

Fatwa and Islamic Law Research Department, Al-Jamiyatul Ahliya Darul Uloom Moinul Islam, Hathazari, Chattogram, Bangladesh – ESTD-1901/1319

Fatwa Department – Fatwa No. 294.6.2 – Academic Year 1445-46

Sharia Resolution Date: 22/12/24

Contemporary righteous scholars have agreed about certain statements of Maulana Saad that his statements are erroneous and contrary to the unanimously accepted views of Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaah. For example, considering only the traditional dawah-tabligh as the means of spreading religion and belittling other religious efforts, claiming that the ummah of the end times will have stronger faith than angels and prophets, believing that reciting the Quran without understanding will not earn rewards, particularly criticizing the noble companions, and his fabricated statements about several prophets (peace be upon them) which are extremely sensitive.

Keeping these matters in view, despite being cautioned by the honorable muftis of Darul Uloom Deoband long ago, he remains steadfast in his position. In the latest fatwa published from Darul Uloom Deoband on June 13, 2023, it was mentioned that their teachers have received such statements from him at various times, which upon reading, it can be written without hesitation that not only has he not corrected himself, but rather he is progressing towards wrong interpretations, distortion of religion and Sharia, and persistence in self-made viewpoints (Fatwa No: 11360). Following such a misguided person is extremely dangerous for faith and practice, therefore, it is not permissible to follow him until he sincerely repents. Moreover, his followers abuse and mock the righteous scholars, which is a major sin.

The mosque is Allah’s house, from where the light of guidance spreads for society and nation. Therefore, those who follow Saad and consider his fabricated statements correct, while abusing scholars and showing no regard for Muslims’ lives and property in implementing their agenda – it will not be permissible to conduct their activities in mosques including gasht, taleem, bayan, etc. in the name of dawah-tabligh.

Similarly, it will not be permissible for general Muslims to associate with such people, participate in their activities, help, cooperate with, or support them.

Even granting permission for their activities by any responsible person or executive administration from the Waqf Board, Trustee Board, or mosque committee will not be permissible. Allah says: “Cooperate with one another in righteousness and piety, and do not cooperate in sin and transgression. Fear Allah, indeed Allah is severe in punishment.” (Surah Al-Maidah-2).

Link to Saad’s statements: https://tinyurl.com/mwwd9pd8

Sharia Proofs

1. “And cooperate with one another in righteousness and piety, and do not cooperate in sin and aggression. Fear Allah, indeed Allah is severe in punishment.” (Surah Al-Ma’idah: 2)
2. “O you who believe! Fear Allah and be with the truthful.” Surah At-Tawbah (119)
3. “(Be) with the truthful” means in Paradise. It means be with those who are truthful in their faith in Allah, who prove their words through their actions, and are not among the hypocrites whose actions contradict their words. The meaning of this verse is to be with the truthful in the hereafter by fearing Allah in this world. (Tafsir al-Tabari Jami al-Bayan, Vol 7, p: 84, Dar al-Fikr)
4. “(Do not sit with them until they engage in other conversation)” means other than disbelief. “(Then you would be like them)” This indicates the obligation to avoid those who commit sins when they openly commit wrong, because whoever doesn’t avoid them has approved of their actions, and approval of disbelief is disbelief. Allah says: “You would then be like them.” So whoever sits in a gathering of sin without denouncing them shares equally in their sin. One should denounce them when they speak of or commit sin. If one cannot denounce them, they should leave them so as not to be among those mentioned in this verse. It is reported that Umar bin Abdul Aziz found some people drinking wine, and when told that one of those present was fasting, he ordered punishment and recited this verse “you would be like them” meaning that being pleased with sin is itself a sin. Therefore, both the doer and the one who approves face punishment for sins until they all perish. This similarity is not in all attributes, but it is binding in terms of apparent association, as it is said: Every companion is influenced by their associate. (Tafsir Qurtubi / 418, Egyptian Book House Library)
5. Abu Sa’id Al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Do not accompany except a believer, and let none eat your food except one who is pious.” Reported by Abu Dawud (4832) and Tirmidhi (2395)
6. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Insulting a Muslim is sin and fighting him is disbelief.” Reported by Bukhari (6044)
7. Whoever denies any of the prophets (peace be upon them) or criticizes a prophet in any way or is not satisfied with any of the traditions of the messengers has committed disbelief. (Fatawa Tatarkhaniya 7/300-301 Al-Maktaba Zakariya)
8. Whoever hates a scholar without apparent cause, disbelief is feared for them. (Fatawa Hindiya 2/270)
9. Since the issuance of this writing, we at Nadwatul Ulama have been periodically receiving such statements from the mentioned speaker, upon reading which it can be written without doubt that instead of improvement, the matter continues to move towards wrong interpretations, distortions in religion and Sharia, and insistence on self-made theories. The recent statements sent by the scholars of Bhopal (which includes the statement after Fajr in 2023) prove Darul Uloom Deoband’s stance based on reality that this is not a matter of partial misstatement, but rather of misguided thinking, lack of knowledge, and the audacity to attempt interpretation and derivation despite lack of qualification, which has resulted in an ongoing series of distortions, etc. (Fatawa Darul Uloom Deoband – Date – 24/1444 Hijri, Fatwa Number: 11360)
10. Insulting religious knowledge and abusing righteous scholars who are religious scholars is disbelief (kufr). Therefore, it is necessary to have such a person become Muslim again and renew their marriage contract, and they should be exiled. If they do not become Muslim again, the Islamic ruling is to execute them. (Ahsan al-Fatawa 1/38 Maktaba Zakariya)

Prepared By:
Muhammad Mahadi Hasan Narayanganj,
Noman bin Abdur Razzak Momenshahi.

Checked and Approved By:
Asimuddin Mufti, Muhaddith and Mufassir Daral-Sham

Md. Rashe Mufti and Ustadh, Al-Jamiyatul Ahliya Darul Uloom, Moinul Islam Hathazari, Assistant, Bangladesh.

Humayun Kabir, Mufti and Ustadh Al-Jamiyatul Ahliya Darul Uloom, Moinul Islam, Fatwa Department.