❖ Imam Al-Dhahabi's Guidance Against Innovation and Pantheistic Mysticism
✍ Authored by: Abu al-Qasim Naveed Shaukat
✦ Statement of Imam Shams al-Dīn Muḥammad ibn Aḥmad ibn ‘Uthmān al-Dhahabī (رحمه الله)
(Died: 748 AH)
Imam Al-Dhahabi رحمه الله said:
“When you see a speculative theologian (mutakallim) innovator who says: ‘Keep us away from the Book of Allah and solitary (āḥād) Hadiths; speak to us through reason,’ then know that he is Abu Jahl. And when you see a pantheistic Sufi (of Wahdat al-Wujud) who says: ‘Keep intellect and transmission away from us; speak to us through taste (dhawq) and inner intuition (wijdān),’ then know that he is Iblis appearing in human form, or has incarnated into this man.
So if you fear him, then flee from there. And if you do not flee, then throw him down, mount his chest, recite Āyat al-Kursī over him, and blow upon him—then seize his neck.”
Siyar A‘lam al-Nubalā’, Vol. 4, p. 472❀ Summary of the Guidance
Imam Al-Dhahabi delivers a severe rebuke against two dangerous trends:
① Innovators from the Theological (Kalam) School
- These are individuals who reject the Qur’an and authentic Hadiths as sources of evidence and insist on pure rationalism.
- Imam likens such people to Abu Jahl, the arch-enemy of the Prophet ﷺ—because of their arrogance towards revelation.
② Mystics of Wahdat al-Wujud (Pantheism)
- These are individuals who abandon both intellect and transmitted knowledge (naql) and instead base their belief on personal spiritual experiences, taste (ذوق), and intuition (وجدان).
- Imam Al-Dhahabi calls such a person either Iblis in human form or a person possessed by Iblis.
✦ Prescribed Response by Imam Al-Dhahabi
- If such individuals instill fear, one should flee from their presence.
- If escape is not possible, then confront them with spiritual strength:
- Physically overpower them if necessary
- Recite Āyat al-Kursī and blow upon them
- Seize their neck, symbolizing spiritual combat against deviant ideologies
✔ Reflections on Imam Al-Dhahabi’s Position
- This statement reflects Imam Al-Dhahabi’s uncompromising stance against bid‘ah (religious innovation) and spiritual misguidance.
- It emphasizes the primacy of Qur'an and Sunnah over philosophy or mystical speculation.
- The Imam warns against distorting the religion through intellectual arrogance or subjective mysticism.
❖ Conclusion
Imam Al-Dhahabi رحمه الله emerges as a staunch defender of orthodox Islamic belief, firmly opposing any attempt to deviate from revelation-based faith—whether under the guise of rationalist theology or mystical experience. His powerful words serve as a timeless warning for all those who attempt to elevate reason or personal intuition above the Qur’an and Sunnah.
