This excerpt is taken from Sheikh Irshad Ullah Maan's book The Search for Truth.
[1] Abdul Quddus Gangohi competed with a yogi. The yogi turned into water, but that water was foul-smelling. Then he turned into water again, and this water was fragrant. He said: This is the difference between disbelief and Islam. The yogi, along with his disciples, became Muslim. He appointed him as a saint and sent him somewhere.
Reference: Monthly Darul Uloom Deoband, January 1960
[2] Abdullah Shah Qureshi killed a goat and brought it back to life.
Reference: Ibid, January 1958
[3] An elder told his disciple: Convey my greetings to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ replied: Convey our greetings to your innovating spiritual guide as well. Upon hearing this message, the spiritual guide started dancing with joy.
Reference: Monthly Al-Balagh, Safar 1334 AH, under the supervision of Mufti Muhammad Shafi
[4] Yusuf Banuri Sahib wrote about his father Maulana Muhammad Zakariya that he took permission in a dream from Imam Bukhari, may Allah have mercy on him, after reading the entire Sahih Bukhari, and took permission from Hafiz Badruddin Ayni, may Allah have mercy on him, after reading Umdat al-Qari, and from Ibn Hajar Asqalani, may Allah have mercy on him, after reading Fath al-Bari.
Reference: Al-Bayanat August 1975
Before beginning the discussion on beliefs, it is better to let them represent their own sect in their own words. Maulana Khalil Ahmad Saharanpuri says: We and our elders and our group, by the grace of Allah, are followers in jurisprudential rulings of the leader of the people, the great Imam, Imam Abu Hanifa Nu'man bin Thabit, may Allah have mercy on him, and in principles and beliefs we follow Imam Abu al-Hasan al-Ash'ari and Imam Mansur al-Maturidi, and in the ways of the Sufis we have affiliation with the noble Naqshbandi order and the pure path of the Chishti elders, and the beautiful Qadiri order and the pure path of the Suhrawardi elders.
Reference: Al-Muhand 'ala al-Mufand: 22
Maulana Muhammad Yusuf Banuri Sahib says about the Deobandi school of thought: The elders of Deoband have maintained the stance that after Hadith, considering the importance of Fiqh and Ijtihad, the jurist of the Ummah, Hazrat Imam Abu Hanifa, should be accepted as the Imam, and simultaneously, the sciences of Tasawwuf and purification of the heart by the spiritual masters should be correctly blended. On one hand, there is recognition of the eminence of Ibn Taymiyyah, and on the other hand, acknowledgment of the perfections of Sheikh al-Akbar Muhyiddin Ibn Arabi. By following and imitating Imam Abu Hanifa, and combining the Prophetic traditions and the sciences of Sufism, a beautiful, effective, and heart-pleasing school of thought emerged, which became known as the Deoband school of thought.
Reference: Madhhab Ulama-e-Deoband: p.5
The Imam of the Deobandis, Haji Imdadullah Muhajir Makki (who was pledged allegiance to by many great Deobandi scholars such as Maulvi Muhammad Qasim Nanotvi, Maulvi Muhammad Yaqub Sahib, Maulvi Ahmad Hasan Sahib, and Maulvi Rashid Ahmad Gangohi Sahib, etc.) and who is praised by the leader of the Tablighi Jamaat, Zakariya Sahib, in these words: Haji Sahib was a scholar of the highest order.
Reference: Aap Beeti No.7, p.153
And Haji Sahib himself is eloquent in favor of Qasim Nanotvi and Rashid Ahmad Gangohi and instructs his followers to benefit from their company or blessings.
Reference: Al-Muhand Ali Al-Mufand: p. 6
Haji Sahib says about the issue of Wahdat al-Wujud (Unity of Existence): The issue of Wahdat al-Wujud is true and correct; the first person who delved into this issue was Sheikh Muhyiddin Ibn Arabi.
Reference: Shama'im Imdadiya p. 32
And Ibn Arabi's belief is clear as he says: [اِنَّ الْوَجود الْمَخْلُوْقَ ھُوَ الْوُجُوْدُ الْخَالِقُ] The existence of the creation is actually the existence of the Creator.
Reference: Sharh Tahawiya: 556
[وَفِيْ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ اٰيَتُہٗ دَلَّ عَلٰی عَيْنِہٖ] In everything there is a sign of Him which indicates that it is His essence.
[فَمَا فِي الْوُجُوْدِ اِلَّا اللہ] So in existence, there is none but Allah.
Reference: Futuhat Makkiya: 1/272
Haji Imdadullah Muhajir Makki has also tried to prove this with Quranic arguments, for example, he writes: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ is connected to the truth, the servants of Allah can be called the servants of the Messenger, while Allah Almighty says: [قُلۡ یٰعِبَادِیَ الَّذِیۡنَ اَسۡرَفُوۡا عَلٰۤی اَنۡفُسِہِمۡ لَا تَقۡنَطُوۡا مِنۡ رَّحۡمَۃِ اللّٰہِ] The antecedent of the first-person pronoun is the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Maulvi Ashraf Ali Thanvi Sahib said: the context also supports this meaning, therefore he further said: [لَا تَقۡنَطُوۡا مِنۡ رَّحۡمَۃِ اللّٰہِ] If its antecedent were "Allah," then it would have said: [مِنْ رَّحْمَتِیْ] so that the relation with [عِبَادِیْ] would be appropriate.
Reference: Shama'im Imdadiya: p.71
Whereas Allah Almighty's command is: [مَا کَانَ لِبَشَرٍ اَنۡ یُّؤۡتِیَہُ اللّٰہُ الۡکِتٰبَ وَ الۡحُکۡمَ وَ النُّبُوَّۃَ ثُمَّ یَقُوۡلَ لِلنَّاسِ کُوۡنُوۡا عِبَادًا لِّیۡ مِنۡ دُوۡنِ اللّٰہِ] It is not befitting for any human that Allah should give him the Book, wisdom, and prophethood, then he says to the people, "Be my servants instead of Allah."
Reference: (Aal Imran: 79)
But Haji Imdadullah says: Differentiating between the worshiper and the worshipped is shirk (polytheism).
Reference: (Shama'im Imdadiya: p.37)
Therefore, from your special community, Bayazid Bastami, may his secret be sanctified, and Mansur Hallaj said [سبحانی ما اعظم شانی] and [انا الحق]. All of this is from the same chapter (Unity of Existence). Similarly, Haji Sahib says: The servant was the inner self of God before existence itself, and outwardly the servant [کنت کنزا مخفيا] is the proof of this. For example, the example of Allah is like a seed, and the example of creation is like a tree; the tree with all its branches, leaves, fruits, and flowers was hidden within it. When the seed revealed its inner self, it itself disappeared; whoever sees it sees the tree, the seed is not visible.
Reference: (Shama'im Imdadiyah p. 38)
Whereas the Quran says: [لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُوْلَدْ] He neither begets nor is born.
Reference: (Al-Ikhlas: 3)
And this Deobandi scholar says that Allah (نعوذ باللہ) is manifesting in the form of a dog, cat, mouse, donkey, and horse. Therefore, Haji Imdadullah says: [مَنْ اَرَادَ اَنْ يَّجْلِسَ مَعَ اللہِ فَلْيَجْلِسْ مَعَ اَہْلِ التَّصَوُّفِ] Whoever wants to sit with Allah should sit with the people of Tasawwuf. [یا،،من راٰني فقد رای الحق] Its second meaning is: [من راٰني فقد رای اللہ تعالٰی] Whoever has seen me has seen Allah.
Reference: (Shama'im Imdadiya 49)
Similarly, [اِنِّىْ اَنَا رَبُّكَ فَاخْلَعْ نَعْلَيْكَ] "Indeed, I am your Lord, take off your shoes." The voice in the form of a mountain came from the inner self of Musa.
Reference: (Shama'im Imdadiya: 59)
Similarly, Allama Muhammad Fazl Haq Khairabadi Deobandi writes: If the prophets had invited to Wahdat al-Wujud (Unity of Existence), then the benefit of their prophethood would have been lost; this belief is above the intellectual level of the common people, therefore these gentlemen were instructed to speak keeping in mind the intellectual level of the people.
Reference: Al-Rawd al-Majud by Khairabadi: p. 44
Consider! If this belief in the Unity of Existence (Wahdat al-Wujud) had truly descended upon the Prophets, then why did the Prophets not convey it to the Ummah... whereas Allah Almighty had commanded them very strictly: [یٰۤاَیُّہَا الرَّسُوۡلُ بَلِّغۡ مَاۤ اُنۡزِلَ اِلَیۡکَ مِنۡ رَّبِّکَ ؕ وَ اِنۡ لَّمۡ تَفۡعَلۡ فَمَا بَلَّغۡتَ رِسَالَتَہٗ] O Messenger! Convey what has been revealed to you from your Lord; if you do not, then you have not conveyed the message of Prophethood.
Reference: (Al-Ma'idah: 67)
And Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) warned: Whoever says that the Messenger of Allah concealed something, he is slandering the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
Reference: Bukhari, Book of Tafsir (Surah An-Najm), Chapter: 4855
Similarly, Maulvi Anwar Shah Kashmiri, a famous scholar of the Deobandis, writes under the Hadith __ARABIC_18:
ARABIC_19__
The meaning of [کنت سمعہ الذي] that the servant's ears, eyes, and other organs do not disobey the ruler is a deviation from the true words. Therefore, in Allah Almighty's statement __ARABIC_21, the ARABIC_22__ form of the speaker indicates that the one close through voluntary acts of worship (nawafil) means that nothing remains in the servant except the body and form, and only Allah Almighty is in control. This is the meaning that the pious Sufis refer to as annihilation in Allah (fana fi Allah). That is, the servant becomes completely free from the claims of the self, to the extent that nothing except Allah remains operative in this servant. The mentioned hadith is a shining indication towards the unity of existence (wahdat al-wujud). Until the time of our elders, Shah Abdul Aziz Sahib, there was great strictness and zeal regarding this issue of unity of existence, but I am not strict.
Reference: Faiz al-Bari:4/428
Thus Zakariya Sahib writes: At this place, I feel like writing two incidents as examples from the elders. One is the honorable letter that Sheikh al-Mashaikh Qutb al-Irshad Hazrat Gangohi Qudus Sirrah wrote to his Pir and Murshid Sheikh al-Arab wal Ajam Haji Imdadullah Sahib A'la Allah Martabah, which has also been published in Makateeb Rashidiyah. Therefore, to say more would be disrespectful and impertinent. O Allah! Forgive me, for it is written according to the sayings of the Hazrat. I am a liar, I am nothing, I am Your shadow, Your existence itself, what am I? I am nothing, and what I am, You are, and You and I are shirk upon shirk.
Reference: Fazail Sadaqat: 556
[اَسْتَغْفِرُ اللہَ اَسْتَغْفِرُ اللہَ اَسْتَغْفِرُ اللہَ وَ لَا حَوْلَ وَ لَا قُوَّةَ اِلَّا بِاللہِ]
The Deobandi author of Taleem al-Islam writes: The science of Tasawwuf has a very subtle issue called Wahdat al-Wujud or "Humah Aws," meaning to consider all existents as the existence of Allah and to regard all other existence as mere appearances, like considering waves, bubbles, drops, and ice as water. Accordingly, Maulana Jami says:
[ليس في الكائنات غيرك شيء انت شمس الضحٰی وغيرك]
Fi chah bashad be Farsi saya
Saya az roshni bar bama ya
Do jahan maya ast o ma'ni to
There is no existence without You
Amir Shah Khan Sahib Rashid Ahmad Gangohi narrates: In reference to Syed Sahib, there was a manifestation of the pure essence.
Reference: Arwah-e-Salasa: 185
And [pure essence] means the Divine Essence.Ashraf Ali Thanvi Sahib writes: Among the perfect ones, there is a rank called Abu al-Waqt, who can bring the manifestation upon himself whenever he wishes, as I have heard from my spiritual guide. It is not surprising that Hazrat Shah Sahib at that time brought the manifestation of the Almighty upon himself and, as a form of its manifestation, dismissed it attentively.
Reference: Arwah-e-Salasa: 8
Zakariya Sahib writes about Mansur Hallaj: The given Mansur was hanged for abandoning etiquette... "Ana al-Haqq" (I am the Truth), "Haqq" (Truth), but it was a blasphemous word.
Reference: Wali Kamil by Mufti Aziz ur Rahman: p. 249
Elsewhere, Zakariya Sahib states: The Truth, Glorified and Exalted, who is truly the source of every beauty and grace, and truly there is no beauty in the world except through Him.
Reference: Fazail-e-Quran: p. 300
Similarly, Zakariya Sahib’s special disciple, Sufi Iqbal, writes: Love, the beloved, and the lover are understood as one under the head of unity by someone.
Reference: Mohabbat: p. 70
The Deobandi author of "Inkishaaf" writes: Kashf-e-Kubra is also called Divine Revelation, meaning the observation and inspection of the Essence of the Truth, Glorified be He, and the removal of all veils and considerations, and seeing creation as the very essence of the Truth and the Truth as the very essence of creation through the light of insight. This is the true objective of the seeker of Kashf.
Reference: Inkishaaf: p.36
Read a story immersed in the theory of Wahdat al-Wujud, which Pir Jio Muhammad Jafar Sahib Sadhori narrates in Tazkirat al-Rashid:
One day, Maulana Khalil Ahmad Sahib Zaid Majdah inquired about what kind of person Hafiz Mendhu Sheikh Puri was. He said: He was a staunch disbeliever. Then, smiling, he said: Zamin Ali Jalalabadi was immersed in monotheism. Once he said: Zamin Ali Jalalabadi had many prostitutes as disciples in Saharanpur. Once, he was staying at the house of a prostitute in Saharanpur. All the disciples came to see their master, but one prostitute did not come. The master asked why she had not come. The prostitutes replied: Master, we tried hard to persuade her to come see you, but she said she was a great sinner and very disgraced; how could she show her face to the master? She is not worthy of a visit. The master said: No! You must bring her to us. So the prostitutes brought her. When she came before him, the master asked: Sister, why did you not come? She said: Sir, I was ashamed to come for the visit because of my disgrace. The master said: Sister, why are you ashamed? Who is the doer and who is the one who makes it happen? It is the same one. Hearing this, the prostitute became furious and angrily said: لاحول ولا قوۃ Although I am disgraced and a sinner, I would not even urinate on the face of such a pir. The master was embarrassed and bowed his head, and she got up and left.
Reference: (Tazkira al-Rashid: 2/242)
،
The famous Deobandi scholar Ahsan Gilani Sahib writes: Therefore, we do not deny seeking help from the souls of the elders.
Reference: (Hashiyah Sawanih Qasmi:1/337)
Maulana Najmuddin Deobandi writes:
The scholars of Deoband do not believe that a person has no control whatsoever over his life during or after death.
Reference: (Zalzalah dar Zalzalah: p.101)
The following incident based on this belief clarifies this concept further for the reader.
Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi narrates from Maulvi Nizamuddin Sahib Karanvi, who narrates from Maulvi Abdullah Barraqi, a very reliable person from Wilayati states that my one friend, who was a disciple of Baqiyat al-Salaf, Hujjat al-Khalaf, Qudwat al-Salikīn, Zubdat al-‘Arifīn, Sheikh al-Kull fi al-Kull Maulana Haji Imdadullah Sahib Chishti Sabri Thanvi Thumma al-Makki, used to perform Hajj at the House of Kaaba. He boarded a steamboat from Bombay to Agbot. While the steamboat was moving, it collided and was about to capsize or collide again and break apart. When he saw that there was no option but to die, in that desperate state, he anxiously thought of his Pir Roshan Zameer and prayed: At what time would help be more appropriate than now? Allah Ta’ala is the All-Hearing, All-Seeing, Absolute Doer. At that moment, the steamboat was saved from sinking and all the people were rescued. While this incident happened, the next day Makhdoom Jahan said to his servant: Press my back a little, it hurts a lot. The servant pressed the back and when he lifted the blessed shirt, he saw the back was peeled and the skin had come off in many places. He asked: What is this, why is your back peeled? He said: Nothing. Then he asked why he remained silent. The third time he inquired again: Did you get rubbed somewhere? You did not even go anywhere. He said: A steamboat was about to sink, your religious and spiritual brother was in it, his crying and wailing made me restless, I supported the steamboat with my back and lifted it up, when it moved forward and the servants of God were saved, that is why it got peeled and it hurts, but do not mention it.
Reference: (Karamat-e-Imdadiya: p.36)
Another narration of this incident is as follows: A student named Qudrat Ali, resident of Indri, Punjab, was present in the service of Haji Sahib as a disciple and servant. He stated that indeed he was present at a certain time, Haji Sahib came out of the room and gave me his lungi, which was wet, and said: Wash it with well water and clean it. When I smelled that lungi, it had the scent and slickness of the sea. After that, Hafiz Sahib came out of his room and gave his lungi, in which also the effect of the sea was noticeable.
Reference: (Karamat-e-Imdadia: p.14)
In this fabricated story, Haji Imdadullah is portrayed as a fulfiller of needs, remover of difficulties, knower of the unseen, and present and witnessing, and the disciple has gone astray by surpassing even the polytheists of Makkah, because when the polytheists of Makkah boarded a ship and due to a storm [ظَنُّوۡۤا اَنَّہُمۡ اُحِیۡطَ بِہِمۡ ۙ دَعَوُا اللّٰہَ مُخۡلِصِیۡنَ لَہُ الدِّیۡنَ] they became certain that they were surrounded, they purified their religion for Allah alone and called only upon Allah.
Reference: Yunus:22
But here see the belief of the disciple Sahib; when he saw that there was no option but to die, in this desperate state, he anxiously thought of his Pir Roshan Zameer and said. The polytheists call upon Allah, and this disciple Sahib thought of Pir Roshan Zameer and said. This is a strange division. That is why Akramah, the son of Abu Jahl, may Allah be pleased with him, became a Muslim, saying: O polytheists of Makkah! When the storm comes, you call only upon Allah and forget your fabricated deities. If Allah saves me, I will call upon Allah alone even on dry land. As soon as he set foot on the land, he declared the oneness of Allah, as the Quran also mentions the habit of the polytheists of Makkah: [فَاِذَا رَکِبُوۡا فِی الۡفُلۡکِ دَعَوُا اللّٰہَ مُخۡلِصِیۡنَ لَہُ الدِّیۡنَ ۬ۚ فَلَمَّا نَجّٰہُمۡ اِلَی الۡبَرِّ اِذَا ہُمۡ یُشۡرِکُوۡنَ]
When they board the ship, they purify the religion for Allah and call upon Him alone; when Allah saves them towards the land, they begin to associate partners with Him.
Reference: Al-Ankabut:65
And the disciple is so deeply immersed in misguidance and error that when the boat is caught in a storm and death is near, they forget Allah and begin to supplicate to other than Allah. Perhaps this is because, according to Thanvi Sahib, every village has a Qutb and a Ghaus. Some have said that the Qutb al-Aqtab is called the Ghaus.
Reference: (Taleem al-Deen:120)
Then the disciple, hearing the plea to the Ghaus, if he does not call upon him, then whom should he call? Allah asks the polytheists of Makkah this question:
[قُلۡ مَنۡ یُّنَجِّیۡکُمۡ مِّنۡ ظُلُمٰتِ الۡبَرِّ وَ الۡبَحۡرِ تَدۡعُوۡنَہٗ تَضَرُّعًا وَّ خُفۡیَۃً ۚ لَئِنۡ اَنۡجٰىنَا مِنۡ ہٰذِہٖ لَنَکُوۡنَنَّ مِنَ الشّٰکِرِیۡنَ]،[قُلِ اللّٰہُ یُنَجِّیۡکُمۡ مِّنۡہَا وَ مِنۡ کُلِّ کَرۡبٍ ثُمَّ اَنۡتُمۡ تُشۡرِکُوۡنَ]
O Prophet (ﷺ)! Ask them who delivers you from the darkness of land and sea, and they supplicate to Him humbly and secretly, saying, "If You would save us from this, we would surely be among the grateful." Say, "Allah saves you from it and from every distress; then you [still] associate others with Him."
Reference: Al-An'am: 64, 63
Allah claims that Allah grants salvation, and the disciple's belief is: O Pir! When else would be the time for help? The habit of the polytheists of Makkah was that they used to call upon Allah, whereas here the disciple calls upon the Pir Sahib. Notice the difference. Allah Almighty said to the polytheists:
[وَ اِذَا مَسَّکُمُ الضُّرُّ فِی الۡبَحۡرِ ضَلَّ مَنۡ تَدۡعُوۡنَ اِلَّاۤ اِیَّاہُ ۚ فَلَمَّا نَجّٰىکُمۡ اِلَی الۡبَرِّ اَعۡرَضۡتُمۡ ؕ وَ کَانَ الۡاِنۡسَانُ کَفُوۡرًا]
And when adversity touches you at sea, those whom you call upon besides Allah forget you; and when He delivers you to the land, you turn away, and man is ever ungrateful.
Reference: Al-Isra:67
For the polytheists, in the sea, those other than Allah forget them, only Allah remains remembered. But the Deobandi disciple is troubled by the remembrance of others in the sea and becomes busy calling upon others besides Allah. This is a strange division. Regarding the polytheists, Allah says: [وَ اِذَا غَشِیَہُمۡ مَّوۡجٌ کَالظُّلَلِ دَعَوُا اللّٰہَ مُخۡلِصِیۡنَ لَہُ الدِّیۡنَ]
And when waves cover them like shades, they call upon Allah, sincere to Him in religion.
Reference: Luqman:32
In one place, Allah questions the disbelievers that if the punishment of Allah comes upon you: [اَغَیۡرَ اللّٰہِ تَدۡعُوۡنَ ۚ اِنۡ کُنۡتُمۡ صٰدِقِیۡنَ]،[ بَلۡ اِیَّاہُ تَدۡعُوۡنَ]
Will you then call upon others besides Allah if you are truthful in your claim? (No) rather you will call only upon Allah.
Reference: Al-An'am:41,40
And this is your state: [وَ تَنۡسَوۡنَ مَا تُشۡرِکُوۡنَ] and you forget those whom you had set as partners with Allah.
Reference: (Al-An'am:41)
But here, the disciple's father Adam is quite unique. Considering Haji Imdadullah Sahib as the reliever of difficulties and fulfiller of needs, even in punishment and storm, this request is made to others besides Allah that when else would be a better time for help. Whereas Allah's command is: [اَمَّنۡ یُّجِیۡبُ الۡمُضۡطَرَّ اِذَا دَعَاہُ وَ یَکۡشِفُ السُّوۡٓءَ]
Is there any who listens to the distressed one when he calls upon Him and relieves his distress?
Reference: (An-Naml:62)
Then He Himself answers: [ءَ اِلٰہٌ مَّعَ اللّٰہِ ؕ قَلِیۡلًا مَّا تَذَکَّرُوۡنَ] (Will you still say) besides Allah there is no other god? You are indeed among those who are heedless.
Reference: (An-Naml:62)
Now, the Murid Sahib whom they are calling upon, do they have the power to remove calamities, whereas Allah says: [فَلَا یَمۡلِکُوۡنَ کَشۡفَ الضُّرِّ عَنۡکُمۡ وَ لَا تَحۡوِیۡلًا] They do not even have the authority to remove or change the calamity from you.
Reference: (Bani Isra'il:56)
But just observe the audacity of Pir Sahib, he says a fireboat used to sink.
There was a brother from your religious group in this, whose crying and wailing made me restless, so I left India and, alone or together with Hafiz Zamin, lifted the ship and straightened it. If lifting such a heavy ship and straightening it was so easy, then the passengers of the ship themselves would have supported it on their shoulders and saved it from sinking. Similarly, Haji Sahib has been proven to be a seer of the unseen, having heard the crying and wailing from such a distance. Likewise, Haji Sahib has been made present and witnessing everywhere, reaching the middle of the sea and returning to the police station without any means, while no one else even hears a sound, as the servant says. You did not go anywhere at all. It seems that distances and means hold no reality for them.
Ahsan Gilani states: The opinion of the Deobandi scholars regarding the issue of seeking help from the souls of deceased elders is the same as that of the general Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama'ah. After all, when even spiritual beings like angels are mentioned in the Quran as being used by Allah to assist His servants, and authentic hadiths mention that during the event of Mi'raj, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ received help from Musa (Moses) عليه السلام regarding the reduction of prayers, and met other Prophets عليه السلام and received glad tidings, then if Allah wills, is there any verse of the Quran or hadith that contradicts the assistance given by such pure souls to a distressed believer?
Reference: (Hashiyah Sawaneh Qasmi:1/332)
The Deobandi author of "Inkishaaf," citing some references from Imam Ghazali's book Ihya Ulum al-Din, writes: Now from the aforementioned affirmations, you can clearly conclude how much authority the souls of the Awliya (saints) have from Allah.
Reference: (Inkishaaf: p.70,7)
Somewhere it is written: The sainthood and miracles of the friends of Allah continue even after their death, by the permission of Allah. In this regard, understand that by the command of Allah, the souls of the friends of Allah can also come into this world and, by divine command, can also help others.
Reference: (Inkishaaf: p.67)
Ikhlaq Hussain Qasmi, President of Jamiat Ulama Province Delhi, states: The soul of a believer, especially the souls of the friends of truth and the righteous of the Ummah, after separation from the body, have the power to act in this material world, and the actions of these souls are according to the law of Allah.
Reference: (Ahlullah ki Azmat Ulama-e-Deoband ki Nazar Mein by Ikhlaq Hussain Qasmi)
In Fatawa Imdadiya it is stated: Seeking help from the souls of the spiritual guides is established for the one who has the spiritual insight of souls.
Reference: (Fatawa Imdadiya: 4/104)
The author of Sawanih Qasmi narrates an incident: A debate was arranged between a Barelvi scholar and a Deobandi student, (the Deobandi student) reluctantly agreed to the debate. The date, time, and place were all decided. The preacher Maulana Sahib appeared in the gathering with his followers, wearing a large, long, and wide turban, carrying stacks of books. On the other hand, the poor Deobandi imam appeared, bent and weak, with a humble face and voice, fearful, trembling, and anxious, repeatedly saying "Allah Allah." It is said that after this, the Deobandi imam gave his account based on his observation. He said that he sat down in front of Maulana Waiz Sahib. Before the conversation even began, suddenly I felt someone sit beside me whom I did not recognize, and that stranger said to me: "Start the conversation and do not fear at all." An extraordinary strength arose in my heart from this. What happened next (listen to the Deobandi imam’s account) was that some phrases started coming out of my mouth, and they were coming out in such a way that I myself did not know what I was saying. Maulana Waiz Sahib initially responded to these, but before the question and answer session could even get long, I saw Maulana Waiz stand up, place his head at my feet, crying, his turban disheveled, and saying, "I did not know that you were such a great scholar. May Allah forgive me. What you are saying is absolutely right and correct; I was the one who was wrong." The scene was such that the assembly was stunned, thinking about what they had come for and what they were witnessing. The Deobandi imam said that the suddenly appearing personality then disappeared from his sight, and he did not know who he was or what the story was. The story ended there. The Muslims of the town, who were already followers of the Deobandi imam, were greatly impressed by this incident, and the respect and comfort of the Deobandi imam increased even more. Sheikh al-Hind says: I asked that Maulana Sahib about the appearance of the personality who suddenly appeared and then vanished. He described the appearance, saying that it was as if the teacher’s every mole and feature was appearing before his eyes. When he finished the description, I told him that this was the teacher who appeared by the grace of Allah to assist you.
Reference: (Sawanih Qasmi:1/331)
Ashraf al-Sawanih: The author Ashraf Ali Thanvi Sahib, while mentioning the death of his great-grandfather Muhammad Fareed Sahib, writes: Sahib was going to a wedding procession when robbers attacked the procession. He had a bow and arrows, and he bravely started shooting arrows at the robbers. Since the number of robbers was large and he was unarmed otherwise, he was martyred in the confrontation. After his martyrdom, a strange incident occurred. At night, he appeared alive in his home and brought sweets for his family and said: If you do not reveal this to anyone, I will come like this every day. But his family feared that if the household saw the children eating sweets, they might suspect something. Therefore, they revealed it, and he did not come again. This incident is famous in the family.
Reference: (Ashraf al-Sawanih:1/10)
Allah mentions the person who was martyred for the cause of preaching:
[قِیۡلَ ادۡخُلِ الۡجَنَّۃَ ؕ قَالَ یٰلَیۡتَ قَوۡمِیۡ یَعۡلَمُوۡنَ]،[ بِمَا غَفَرَ لِیۡ رَبِّیۡ وَ جَعَلَنِیۡ مِنَ الۡمُکۡرَمِیۡنَ]
He was told, "Enter Paradise," he said, "Oh, I wish my people knew that my Lord has forgiven me and made me among the close ones."
Reference: (Yaseen: 27, 26)
If this martyr were allowed to return to the world, he would not say this: [یٰلَیۡتَ قَوۡمِیۡ یَعۡلَمُوۡنَ] rather he would come himself and inform. The soul cannot return even at that time when this condition occurs: [فَلَوۡ لَاۤ اِذَا بَلَغَتِ الۡحُلۡقُوۡمَ] and Allah challenges: when the soul reaches the throat and gets stuck.
Reference: (Al-Waqi'ah: 83)
[فَلَوۡ لَاۤ اِنۡ کُنۡتُمۡ غَیۡرَ مَدِیۡنِیۡنَ]،[تَرۡجِعُوۡنَہَاۤ اِنۡ کُنۡتُمۡ صٰدِقِیۡنَ][So if you are not to be overpowered, then why do you not bring it back, if you should be truthful?]
Reference: (Al-Waqi'ah: 87, 86)
Allah also rejects the desire of this martyr who says, "O Allah! Return my soul to my body so that I may fight in Your cause."
Reference: Muslim, Kitab al-Imarah, Chapter on the statement that the souls of the martyrs are in Paradise and they are alive with their Lord being provided for:1887
Allah Almighty says: [اَمۡوَاتٌ غَیۡرُ اَحۡیَآءٍ ۚ وَ مَا یَشۡعُرُوۡنَ ۙ اَیَّانَ یُبۡعَثُوۡنَ] They are dead, not alive, and they do not even have the awareness of when they will be raised.
Reference: (An-Nahl: 21)
And according to the Deobandis, Al-Ustad knew everything. Allah says:
[فَیُمۡسِکُ الَّتِیۡ قَضٰی عَلَیۡہَا الۡمَوۡتَ وَ یُرۡسِلُ الۡاُخۡرٰۤی اِلٰۤی اَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّی]Then He withholds those upon whom He has decreed death and releases the others until an appointed time.
Reference: (Az-Zumar:42)
Allah withholds the souls of the dead, and according to them (Deobandi scholars), the soul can come anywhere.
