The belief in the Oneness of Allah, the Lord of Glory, is the greatest part of faith and the essence of the true religion. The towering structure of worship, transactions, deeds, and morals is built upon this foundation. If this fundamental belief is correct, then all acts of worship and deeds will be accepted by Allah and will be a cause of reward and blessings. But if there is a flaw in this basic belief, then all acts of worship and deeds will be rejected and wasted. This belief is so important and indispensable that Allah Almighty has given even greater attention to its dissemination and understanding. More than a hundred thousand prophets and messengers and hundreds of scriptures and books were sent for the propagation and clarification of this belief. Since the chain of prophethood was to end with the Chief of Prophets Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, his mission and the revelation of the Quran completed the entire religion of Islam in general and this fundamental belief of Islam in particular.
After the Holy Prophet, peace be upon him, from the companions, may Allah be pleased with them, to the present day, the scholars of the true path have been engaged in the propagation and dissemination of this issue. But on the contrary, the evil scholars and the followers of Satan, out of their selfish desires and worldly greed, have trapped the simple-minded masses in their web of deceit and covered the concept of Tawheed (Oneness of God) well, and tried to shine shirk (polytheism) and kufr (disbelief) in such a way that in their false arrogance, they made the sun of Tawheed a mere ointment before them. Great tactics were used to attribute the attributes of the true God to others besides Allah. The result is that millions, not thousands, of Muslims began to recognize saints as gods, and millions became worshippers of graves and traders of shrines.
Now if a sigh escapes, I am helpless
Those who used to collect tribute from the empires of Caesar and Khosrow have now started living off the earnings of saints’ graves, and despite the presence of thousands of such verses and hadiths that forbid these superstitions and condemn them, labeling them as shirk, kufr, and innovation, they do not tolerate stepping back even an inch from their vile and reprehensible acts. Just think, the Islam which the Holy Prophet, peace be upon him, spread by leaving his home, bearing stones on his stomach, enduring various hardships, and which the companions, may Allah be pleased with them, nurtured with the blood of their children, what relation do these superstitions and absurdities have with this religion today?
What relation does dust have with the pure scholar?
On this basis, someone has said:
The heart has become a temple of idols from the remembrance of others besides Allah
Even the daughters have started calling us “Muslim-like infidels”
I have come for my purpose!
On Friday, 27th Jeth, 2000-6-9 AD, I had the opportunity to visit Rasul Nagar, which is located northwest of Ali Pur Chattha. After getting off the bus at the station, my traveling companion, who was of Barelvi belief, told me that nearby is the shrine of Baba Gulab Shah, where whoever goes finds the desire of their heart fulfilled, all their needs are met, and there is no lack of any worldly thing. When the undersigned and my companion Shafqat Shah reached the mentioned shrine, we saw a large crowd of people, including old men, young men, children, girls, and old and young women, all loudly chanting.
Seeing the saint, the pot was filled
When a drummer recited this verse, everyone responded by loudly chanting “Hazrat Baba Gulab Shah Sankhi Sarkar.” The drummer then recited another verse:
Awliya Allah, Allah, Awliya, there is no difference between them, O friend
A little away from this crowd, some dervishes, saints, and elders wearing green cloaks were sitting, with men and women attending to them. Some were pressing them, some had their heads on their feet, some were singing qawwali, and many people were chanting near them:
Pir Kamil Soorat Zillullah
Meaning: The sight of the Pir is the sight of grandeur
فنعوذ بالله من هذه الخزعبلات
A few rowdy young men, wearing caps, were politely engaged in praying here, and some women were licking the soil and walls of the shrine, applying the oil of lamps to their earrings, etc. Some were sitting under the old trees where Baba Gulab Shah used to sit. Some people brought a palanquin-like basket called “Ghadroli” in special terminology and offered it at Gulab Shah’s grave. These Ghadrolis had a model of Gulab Shah’s grave and were decorated with great skill and effort. When these Ghadrolis were brought to the shrine, people prostrated before them. It is famous that whoever brings this Ghadroli continuously for three years will have all their needs fulfilled.
Regarding these Ghadrolis, we asked a man named “Muhammad Azam of Ali Pur Chattha,” who has been coming to this shrine out of devotion for eight years, what the reality of these Ghadrolis is. He replied that they are nothing. First, they are an innovation; there is no concept of this in Shariah. Secondly, Baba Gulab Shah himself neither said nor ordered this.
These were the innovations and superstitions. Now the mention of Baba Ji’s miracles is presented.
Miracles of Baba Gulab Shah and Their Reality:
① During the 1965 war, whenever the Indian army threw bombs or the like around Rasul Nagar and its surroundings, Baba Ji would not let them fall there. A light would rise from his grave that would lift them into the air and then throw them into the nearby Chenab River.
② He fell in love with a woman. Once, while coming from Wazirabad, she was caught by some robbers. She called out to Baba Ji, and a voice came from within her saying, “My love is true, I live inside you,” and he saved her from the robbers.
The Reality of the Miracles:
① As far as protecting the area, causing harm or benefit to anyone, putting someone in distress or removing it, only Allah is worthy of this. Similarly, He is the Provider, the Reliever of difficulties, and the Fulfiller of needs. It is mentioned in the Holy Quran:
﴿وَإِن يَمْسَسْكَ اللَّهُ بِضُرٍّ فَلَا كَاشِفَ لَهُ إِلَّا هُوَ ۖ وَإِن يُرِدْكَ بِخَيْرٍ فَلَا رَادَّ لِفَضْلِهِ ۚ يُصِيبُ بِهِ مَن يَشَاءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ﴾
“If Allah afflicts you with harm, none can remove it except Him; and if He intends good for you, none can repel His bounty.”
«لا حول ولا قوة إلا بالله العزيز الحكيم»
“That is, no one can give benefit or harm except Allah, the Mighty, the Wise.”
Consider this! The Prophet (peace be upon him) also acknowledged Allah as the Owner of benefit and harm, yet here this authority is being assigned to the deceased, who is buried beneath the soil.
Reality lost in superstitions:
① Dear readers! Although the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) forbade separation from non-mahram (unrelated) individuals, people are calling this very wrong act a miracle. The point to ponder is that if a non-mahram man and woman cross the limits of modesty and shame in their desire for each other and meet in privacy, then this desire, which is called love, if it is true love and the one who loves is a sincere lover, then what is false love called?
Dear readers! These people are so foolish that they have included in their routines those things which only bring harm and no benefit at all, and have disregarded the divine commandments. Prayer, fasting, pilgrimage, and almsgiving are far from their minds; these people do not even take the name of Allah. Instead, they constantly chant “Pir Saeen, Baba Ji,” recite the kalima taught by them, and praise the teachings given by them. They are turning falsehood into truth and truth into falsehood. As Iqbal said:
Reality is lost in superstitions
This nation is lost in traditions
Islam and the Urs of Graves:
According to Arabic lexicon, the root “ع رس” is commonly used in the context of marriage and its related matters, but in prevalent Sufism, “Urs” refers to the festival held annually at real or supposed graves.
The history of shirk (polytheism) and polytheists testifies that one major cause of the misguidance of previous nations was the exaggeration in honoring men and the unlawful veneration of graves. History of England reveals that Christian popes had fixed gatherings, khanqahs (Sufi lodges) had many jagirs (land grants) and endowments, which were controlled by the pope’s disciples who collected gifts and offerings from visitors and issued them letters of pardon. Those who obtained these letters were fully assured that due to these pardons, they would attain eternal salvation after death without suffering punishment for their bad deeds. Due to the immoral behavior of the caretakers, the khanqahs became centers of immorality and corruption, and the concept of Christianity was limited to the extent that reaching these “divine bases” in some way and obtaining a certificate of salvation was considered the clear proof of felicity.
Similarly, among the people of India, from ancient times, there has been a custom that reaching one of the alleged sacred places once is considered a guarantee of success for obtaining forgiveness, achieving goals, and other purposes. Therefore, Hindus still gather annually at places like the Ganges and Yamuna, offer vows and sacrifices, present offerings before sadhus, and obtain certificates of salvation. At such occasions, so much grain and other items accumulate that even the treasury of a wealthy government cannot compete with it.
The situation is exactly the same among so-called Muslims, in fact, these people hold gatherings at graves with even more commitment, organization, and devotion, and they set out from all directions to reach these shrines. When they arrive at these shrines, they do everything that Hindus do at their fairs: upon seeing the shrines, they enter into a state of ihram, bow down on the offering ground, raise cries of “Labbaik Labbaik,” some bow at the threshold, some rub their noses on the stairs, some engage in circumambulation, some sit in a state of retreat, some hand over sacrificial goats to the caretakers of the grave, and some fulfill their vows in the form of candles, decorations, and money. In short, these fairs and gatherings display such polytheistic rituals that one shudders upon seeing them, and the self of a human being dies. Remember! The Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) did not even permit such a gathering for his own grave. He advised:
«لا تتخذوا قبرى عيدا»
“Beware! Do not turn my grave into a place of festivity.”
There are three essentials for Eid: first, gathering; second, fixed time; third, joy. The summary of prohibition is that no gathering with joyful arrangements should be held on a fixed day at my grave. Since such a lavish gathering is not permissible at the blessed grave of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), how can it be permissible at the graves of others?
The commentators of Hadith have explained several meanings of this. One of them is:
«لا تجتمعوا للزيارة اجتماعكم للعيد .»
Meaning: “Do not gather for visitation as you gather for Eid.”
Shah Waliullah Muhaddith Dehlawi writes:
«لا تجعلوا زيارة قبرى عيدا، بقول هذا اشارة الى سد مدخل التحريف كما فعل اليهود والنصارى بقبور انبيائهم، وجعلوها عيدا وموسما بمنزلة الحج .»
“I say that when the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, ‘Do not make my grave a place of Eid,’ it was an indication to close the door of distortion, as the Jews and Christians had turned the graves of the Prophets into places of Eid and pilgrimage seasons.”
writes:
«و من اعظم البدع ما اختر عوافي امر القبور، واتخذوها عيدا.»
“This is also among the great innovations that they have invented regarding the graves of saints and turned them into places of festivity.”
Shah Abdul Aziz states in a fatwa:
«جمع شدن برقبور كه مرد مان يك روز معين نموده و لباسهائے فاخره و نفيس پوشيده مثل روز عيد شادمان شده برقبرها جمع مى شوند رقص و مزامير و ديگر بدعات ممنوعه مثل سجود برائے قبور و طواف كردن قبور مے نمايند حرام و ممنوع است بلكه بعضے سجد كفر مے رسند و همين است محمل اين دو حديث لا تجعلوا قبرى عيدا، واللهم لا تجعل قبرى وثنا يعبد الخ.»
“That is, gathering annually at graves and going there wearing luxurious clothes like on Eid, with dancing, drumming, and circumambulation in prostration—all these are forbidden, and indeed, committing them may lead to disbelief.”
Similarly, Qazi Sanaullah Panipati, a famous Hanafi and Sufi scholar, says:
«لا يجوز ما يفعله الجهال لقبور الاولياء والشهداء من السجود والطواف حولها واتخاذا السرج والمساجد عليها ومن الاجتماع بعد الحول كالاعياد ويسمونه عرسا .»
“And those ignorant (pir and self-interested throne holders) who illuminate graves, perform circumambulation in prostration, build mosques there, and hold Urs annually at their graves, this is absolutely impermissible.”
Maulana Shah Muhammad Ishaq writes:
«مقرر كردن روز عرس جائز نيست»
“That is, holding Urs is not permissible.”
O Lord, grant them insight and vision as well,
For Muslims go and get robbed in the khanqah gatherings.
Thus, according to Islamic Shariah, holding Urs is neither obligatory nor necessary, neither Sunnah nor recommended; rather, it is explicitly prohibited by the Quran and the Hadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him). Because it resembles the practices of polytheists and is a strong means of shirk. Moreover, it has numerous political, social, and economic harms, the details of which cannot be discussed here. It is astonishing that all those who commit these heinous acts claim the name of Sufism and boast of following the Hanafi school. Whereas the Sufis have always tried to keep the fountain of Sufism free from these innovations, and scholars and researchers of the Hanafi school have clearly refuted these polytheistic customs and habits, as we have mentioned from their statements, which make it clear. Thus, Khawaja Naqshbandi (may Allah have mercy on him) beautifully said:
Instead of wasting your life visiting graves,
A living cat before a mystic is better than a thousand dead lions.
Even Shah Waliullah Muhaddith Dehlawi said:
«وهذا مرض بعض الغلاة من منافقى امة محمدي صلى الله عليه وسلم يومنا هذا .»
“And this is a disease with which some extremist hypocrites of the Ummah of Muhammad are afflicted.”
«وفى هذا كفاية لمن له دراية»
● Final Request :
Honorable readers! The essence of the teachings of the Quran is the Oneness of God, and this is an issue from which a revolution has always emerged that shattered all idols of those who claimed divinity besides Allah, which ended the divinity of humans over humans and gave the beloved belief of the unity of God, unity of the nation, and unity of purpose that eliminated the distinction between black and red.
Honorable readers! It is regrettable that today those who recite the declaration of the Oneness of God have become enemies of monotheism, and by entering the same dark caves of polytheism and disbelief, into which previous nations had fallen and were destroyed, they hold such beliefs about those elders and perform such acts at their graves that idolaters used to do at their idols’ shrines. It is a matter of great astonishment and extreme surprise that polytheism has been considered Islam and disbelief has been regarded as faith. People began bowing at niches, shrines, tombs, platforms, and markers, but mosques became empty and lifeless.
Just think, how did this change occur, how did all this happen?
Whereas the fundamental teaching of Islam is that Muslims should avoid polytheism and remain steadfast on monotheism. If a person remains strong on monotheism, his good deeds will be accepted by Allah, the Lord of Glory, otherwise, all will be rejected and futile.
We pray to Allah Almighty to bless the polytheists with the great blessing of monotheism and make them bearers of the banner of the declaration of the unity of God. Ameen!
