Giving Space to Majzoob People in Mosques
In some mosques of our countries, certain eccentric types of people also spread filth in the corridors or chambers. Some of these people are indifferent to modest clothing and are completely free in their behavior. They go around begging or asking from people. Occasionally, such eccentric and mad individuals are seen wandering on the streets, disturbing people with various kinds of actions. For example, their heads are uncovered and hair disheveled, so filthy that it causes nausea to look at them. Moreover, their hair is so untidy that children and women get scared. Along with disfiguring their appearance, some even press stones under their armpits. Many also utter great blasphemous words and curses. Some have their private parts exposed and continue to perform extremely foolish acts.
But may our Muslims be sacrificed who, while being conscious and aware themselves, consider these naked-bodied and irreligious people as saints. They touch their hands and feet, seek wishes from them, and it is unknown what else they believe about them. May Allah protect our Muslims from ignorance and misguidance. Where is the status of sainthood and where are these madmen who mock the Islamic teachings of cleanliness and purity.
Sheikh al-Islam Imam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, wrote in his unparalleled book “Al-Furqan Bayna Awliya’ ar-Rahman wa Awliya’ ash-Shaytan” on the subject of the difference between the friends of Allah and the friends of Satan:
“A servant of Allah can only be a wali (friend of Allah) when he is a believer and pious, and a person who seeks nearness to Allah without doing good deeds and without abandoning evil cannot be a wali of Allah.”
Similarly, a madman or insane person cannot be a wali because neither is his faith correct, nor are his acts of worship valid. Both of these are essential to attain the rank of wilaya (sainthood). A madman who never recovers is considered mardood al-qalam (one whose accountability is lifted) and is excused from all rulings.
Sheikh al-Islam, may Allah have mercy on him, refers here to those ahadith in which the madman is considered excused. It is narrated from Umm al-Mu’minin Hazrat Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, in Abu Dawood, Nasai, Ibn Majah, Ibn Hibban, Darimi, Musnad Ahmad, Mustadrak Hakim, and Al-Muntaqi bin Al-Jarood that the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, said:
رفع القلم عن ثلاثة عن النائم حتى يستيقظ وعن المبتلى حتى يبدأ وعن المجنون حتى يعقل أو يفيق وعن الصبي حتى يكبر حتى يحتلم
The accountability (pen) has been lifted from three persons: the sleeping person until he wakes up, the madman until he recovers, and the child until he reaches maturity.
Similarly, it is narrated in four different ways from Hazrat Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, in Abu Dawood, Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, Ibn Khuzaymah, Ibn Hibban, Dar Qutni, Mustadrak Hakim, Musnad Ahmad, and Bayhaqi. Although three narrations have been discussed, one narration is proven with an authentic chain, and the others support it. Therefore, the major hadith scholars have ruled the collection as authentic. The words of the authentic narration are:
رفع القلم عن ثلاثة عن المجنون المغلوب على عقله حتى يفيق عن النائم حتى يستيقظ، وعن الصبي حتى يحتلم
The pen has been lifted from three persons: the madman until he recovers, the sleeping person until he wakes up, and the child until he reaches maturity.
Besides these two companions, many other ahadith with similar meaning have been narrated from other companions such as Hazrat Abu Qatada, Hazrat Abu Hurairah, Hazrat Thawban, Hazrat Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them, and Hazrat Shaddad bin Aws, may Allah be pleased with them. Their chains are mutakallim fiih (with the speaker). Their authentication has been done by Hafiz Haithami, may Allah have mercy on him, in Majma’ az-Zawa’id
, and by Allama Zailai in Nasb al-Rayah
.
In short, these ahadith show that a madman who never recovers is mardood al-qalam (excused from accountability). If someone recovers sometimes, then if during the state of recovery he commits disbelief, hypocrisy, or sin, he will be a disbeliever, hypocrite, or sinner.
However, if these acts occur during the state of madness, then there will be no accountability. And such a person cannot be a wali either because to attain the rank of wilaya, spiritual and physical cleanliness, proper clothing, good deeds, righteous actions, complete faith, and correct belief are fundamental elements.
Therefore, if someone claims wilaya but does not perform obligatory duties and does not avoid prohibited acts but rather commits them, and also claims that following the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, is not necessary for him and that he has passed beyond such stages, then such a person is a disbeliever and outside the fold of Islam, not a wali of Allah. For further details, Sheikh al-Islam Imam Ibn Taymiyyah’s book الفرقان بين أولياء الرحمن وأولياء الشيطان can be consulted.
It is not correct to consider such eccentric people as saints, nor should such people be given space in the chambers or corridors of mosques so that the respect of mosques is not harmed.
