Fazilat al-Sheikh Hafiz Zubair Ali Zai Sahib! Assalamu Alaikum! I hope you are in good health.
Through this letter, I want to know who Mansur Al-Hallaj was? In which century did he live, and for what crime was he executed? What do the Muhaddithin and scholarly researchers say about Mansur Al-Hallaj? Please prove with evidence.
(Wassalam, Faqat In’am al-Rahman, Tehsil and District Sawabi, Village and Post Office Zarobi, Mohalla Bozarkhel)
Answer:
Introduction of Husayn ibn Mansur al-Hallaj:
Husayn ibn Mansur al-Hallaj, whom ignorant people remember by the name Mansur al-Hallaj, has the following brief and concise introduction:
◈ Hafiz al-Dhahabi, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
المقتول على الزندقة، ماروي ولله الحمد شيئا من العلم، وكانت له بداية جيدة و تأله و تصوف، ثم انسلخ من الدين، وتعلم السحر وأراهم المخاريق، أباح العلماء دمه فقتل سنة احدي عشرة و ثلاثمائة
“He was killed because he was a heretic. Thanks be to Allah that he did not transmit any knowledge. His initial condition (apparently) was good; he was devout in worship and expressed Sufism. Then he left the religion (Islam), learned magic, and (gradually) showed extraordinary things to people. The noble scholars issued a fatwa that shedding his blood was permissible; therefore, he was killed in 311 AH.”
◈ Hafiz Ibn Hajar Al-Asqalani says:
والناس مختلفون فيه، وأكثرهم على أنه زنديق ضال
“People differ regarding him (Husayn ibn Mansur al-Hallaj), but according to the majority, he was an apostate and misguided.”
In the later period, from these two esteemed Imams of Asma al-Rijal and the two most famous books of Asma al-Rijal, it is established according to the majority of scholars that the mentioned Hallaj was an apostate and misguided.
◈ The esteemed Imam Abu Umar Muhammad bin al-Abbas bin Muhammad bin Zakariya bin Yahya al-Baghdadi (Ibn Haywayh) may Allah have mercy on him says:
لما أخرج حسين الحلاج ليقتل مضيت فى جملة الناس ، ولم أزل أزاحم حتي رأيته، فقال لأصحابه: لا يهولنم هذا، فإني عائد إليكم بعد ثلاثين يوما، ثم قتل
“When Husayn (bin Mansur) al-Hallaj was taken out (from prison) for execution, I also went with the people (to see him). Despite the crowd, I saw him. He was telling his companions: Do not fear him, I will come back to you alive after thirty (30) days.” Then he was killed.”
From this authentic chain, it is understood that Husayn bin Mansur al-Hallaj was a liar.
◈ Sheikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah may Allah have mercy on him says:
وعند جماهير المشائخ الصوفية و أهل العلم أن الحلاج لم يكن من المشائخ الصالحين، بل كان زنديقا
“The majority of the Sufi elders and the people of knowledge (the scholars of truth) did not consider Hallaj among the righteous people but rather a heretic (a great atheist and misled).”
الحمد لله رب العالمين، الحلاج قتل على الزندقة
Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, Hallaj was killed because he was a heretic.
Sheikh al-Islam further states:
وكذلك من لم يجوز قتل مثله فهو مارق من دين الاسلام
“And similarly, whoever does not consider the killing of Hallaj permissible, then that person is outside the religion of Islam.”
◈ Hafiz Ibn al-Jawzi wrote a book about him (Husayn ibn Mansur):
القاطع المحال اللجاج القاطع بمحال الحلاج
Ibn al-Jawzi states:
أنه كان ممخرقا
“Indeed, he was a liar and a false worshiper.”
In the face of these severe criticisms, the praise and authentication of the mentioned Hallaj is not established.
Zafar Ahmad Usmani Thanvi Deobandi, under the supervision of Ashraf Ali Thanvi Deobandi, wrote a book titled “Al-Qawl al-Mansoor fi Ibn Mansur, Sirr Mansur Hallaj.” This book was published by Maktabah Dar al-Uloom Karachi, No. 14. In this book, Thanvi Sahib collected baseless and rejected narrations on the subject and tried to give the impression that (according to the Deobandis) Husayn ibn Mansur Hallaj was a good man.
Example No. 1. Thanvi Sahib, may Allah have mercy on him, writes:
“People’s secrets were revealed, the matters of their hearts were disclosed (meaning he also had the unveiling of consciences). For this reason, he was called Hallaj al-Asrar, and then the title Hallaj stuck.”
Commentary: This statement is based on a narration from the History of Baghdad, which was narrated by Ahmad bin al-Husayn bin Mansur in Tustar.
The circumstances of Ahmad bin al-Husayn bin Mansur are unknown, so this person is obscure.
Example No. 2. Thanvi Sahib, may Allah have mercy on him, writes:
“Husayn bin Mansur said: Allah Almighty has made creation necessary for everything ….”
This phrase is written in Abdul Karim bin Hawzan Al-Qushayri’s Ar-Risalah Al-Qushayriyah with reference to Abu Abdul Rahman (Muhammad bin Al-Husayn) Al-Sulami Al-Nisaburi.
Although Abu Abdul Rahman Al-Sulami was esteemed among his townspeople and disciples, the Muhaddith of the same city, Muhammad bin Yusuf Al-Qattan Al-Nisaburi, states:
كان أبو عبدالرحمٰن السلمي غير ثقة…….وكان يضع للصوفية الأحاديث
“Abu Abdul Rahman Al-Sulami was not trustworthy… and he fabricated hadiths for the Sufis.”
In light of this severe criticism, the authentication of Al-Sulami mentioned is not established according to the method of the Muhaddithin. The authentication of Sulami’s teacher Muhammad bin Muhammad bin Ghalib and his teacher Abu Nasr Ahmad bin Sa’id Al-Asfanjani is also required. In summary, Thanvi Sahib has presented this chain on this topic with pride.
Stern Warning: Abdul Karim bin Hawzan did not mention Husayn al-Hallaj as a wali (saint) in Risala Qushayriyya. Risala Qushayriyya is devoid of his translation. If, in the circumstances of another person, his name appears incidentally in a narration, one should not rejoice over it.
Stern Warning: Husayn ibn Mansur al-Hallaj was not among the friends of Allah but was a misguided and heretical Sufi who was killed at the beginning of the fourth century Hijri based on the unanimous verdict of the great Islamic jurists. All stories about his miracles are fabricated and baseless.
Hafiz Ibn Hajar, may Allah have mercy on him, states:
ولا أري يتعصب للحلاج إلا من قال بقوله الذى ذكر أنه عين الجمع فهذا هو قول أهل الوحدة المطلقة و لهذا تري ابن عربي صاحب الفصوص يعظمه ويقع فى الجنيد والله الموفق
“In my opinion, no one supports Hallaj except those who believe in what he calls ‘Ayn al-Jam’ (the essence of union), and this is the belief of the people of absolute unity (Ahl al-Wahdat al-Mutlaqah). Therefore, you will see that Ibn Arabi, the author of Al-Fusus, honors Hallaj and belittles Junayd.”
By the people of absolute unity (Ahl al-Wahdat al-Mutlaqah) is meant those Sufi figures who hold the belief of Wahdat al-Wujud (Unity of Existence) and Hululiyyah (Incarnation). Exalted is Allah above what they say, by a great elevation.
This statement was attempted to be refuted by Zafar Ahmad Thanvi in his Risalah Qushayriyah regarding the fabricated narration. This refutation itself is rejected in the field of research. Thanvi also claimed that “the belief in monotheism of Ibn Mansur and Junayd was the same” (p. 46), but he did not present any valid evidence for this claim. In the scholarly field, Abdul Wahhab al-Sha’rani, a superstitious innovator Sufi, cannot be relied upon with unsound references; rather, authentic and established chains of narration are required. Whether it is the hadith of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, or the traces and names of the righteous predecessors, all require authentic and good chains of narration.
Sheikh al-Islam Abdullah bin al-Mubarak al-Marwazi, may Allah have mercy on him (died 181 AH), says:
الإسناد من الدين، ولولا الإسناد لقال من شاء ماشاء
“Chain of narration is part of religion; if there were no chain, then anyone would say whatever they wished.”
