This excerpt is taken from Sheikh Irshad Ullah Maan's book The Search for Truth.
While addressing in the presence of Qazi Hussain Ahmad and the Deputy Principal of Jamia Ashrafia at Masjid Mansurah, Qari Muhammad Salim, the principal of the central Darul Uloom Deoband and son of Qari Muhammad Tayyab Sahib, the great-grandson of Maulana Muhammad Qasim, said: The reason for the differences among various schools of thought within Muslims is that instead of preaching the religion, we have started preaching sect and school of thought. It is natural that the mindset of intellectuals and scholars in every region and class is different. This ijtihadi opinion can be preferred but cannot be propagated. The only proof can be the religion of Allah. Sect, jurisprudence, and school of thought cannot be proof. There is a right to accept it and also to reject it.
Reference: (Hidayah Awam Ki Adalat Mein, p. 71, reference Daily Jang Lahore p. 4, dated 27-11-1987)
Will the devotees of Taqlid, the claimants of Deobandism, heed the advice of their central leader? Or will they disobey and make their association with Deobandism doubtful? We shall see.
It should be remembered that Christians and Jews are mentioned in many places in the Holy Quran, and Allah Almighty has repeatedly refuted their false beliefs in the Quran:
[1]
Reference: Surah Al-Baqarah, Verses: 40-147
[2]
Reference: Surah Aal Imran, Verses: 1 to 83-107
[3]
Reference: Surah An-Nisa, Verses: 44 to 95-153 to 157 to 199
[4]
Reference: Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verses: 12 to 26-41 to 120
[5]
Reference: Surah Al-A'raf, Verses: 160 to 179
[6]
Reference: Surah At-Tawbah, Verses: 3, 7, 9-29 to 35
[7]
Reference: Surah Bani Isra'il: 57, 111
[8]
Reference: Surah Maryam, Verses: 30 to 60
Regarding graves, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said in the Ahadith: May Allah curse the Jews and Christians for they have made the graves of their prophets into mosques. He used to say this to warn (his Ummah) against such acts.
Reference: Bukhari, Book of Prayer, Chapter: 435], [Muslim, Book of Mosques, Chapter on the prohibition of building mosques over graves... etc.: 529 to 532
So will the Muslim Ummah be afraid?
It should be remembered that Allah Almighty has forbidden Muslims in the Holy Quran from adopting the behavior of the People of the Book:
[اَلَمۡ یَاۡنِ لِلَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡۤا اَنۡ تَخۡشَعَ قُلُوۡبُہُمۡ لِذِکۡرِ اللّٰہِ وَ مَا نَزَلَ مِنَ الۡحَقِّ ۙ وَ لَا یَکُوۡنُوۡا کَالَّذِیۡنَ اُوۡتُوا الۡکِتٰبَ مِنۡ قَبۡلُ فَطَالَ عَلَیۡہِمُ الۡاَمَدُ فَقَسَتۡ قُلُوۡبُہُمۡ ؕ وَ کَثِیۡرٌ مِّنۡہُمۡ فٰسِقُوۡنَ]
Has the time not come for those who have believed that their hearts should humbly submit to the remembrance of Allah and to the truth that has been revealed, and that they should not be like those to whom the Scripture was given before them, and then a long period passed over them, so their hearts hardened; and many of them are defiantly disobedient.
Reference: (Al-Hadid: 16)
Their hearts hardened, and many of them are defiantly disobedient.
And the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: You will follow the ways of those who came before you, inch by inch and cubit by cubit, until if they entered into the hole of a lizard, you would follow them there as well. The Companions asked: O Messenger of Allah! Do you mean the Jews and Christians? He said: Then who else?
Reference: Bukhari, Book of Holding Fast to the Book and the Sunnah, Chapter: The Prophet’s Saying ﷺ: "You will follow the ways of those before you": 7320], [Muslim, Book of Knowledge, Chapter: Following the Ways of the Jews and Christians: 2669
Allah Almighty has declared the Christians as misguided in the Holy Quran and the Jews as those upon whom Allah's wrath has descended. In the Quran, they are repeatedly described as criminals involved in various crimes, and Muslims are forbidden from adopting their ways. It is commanded that after the knowledge of the religion has come to you, do not follow them, otherwise, neither will anyone be your supporter nor will anyone save you:
[وَ لَئِنِ اتَّبَعۡتَ اَہۡوَآءَہُمۡ مِّنۡۢ بَعۡدِ مَا جَآءَکَ مِنَ الۡعِلۡمِ ۙ اِنَّکَ اِذًا لَّمِنَ الظّٰلِمِیۡنَ]
Reference: (Al-Baqarah:145)
And if you follow their desires after the knowledge has come to you, then indeed you will be among the wrongdoers.
The purpose is to warn the Ummah that after acquiring the knowledge of the Quran and Hadith, following the Jews, Christians, and people of innovation is oppression upon oneself and is outright misguidance. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said in the above Hadith that if you follow them...
Therefore, here we will compile a list of the crimes of the Jews and Christians in the light of the Quran and Hadith, and present a comparative review of the methods of the current Kalima reciters with the methods of the Jews and Christians, so that if we are adopting any behavior of the Jews and Christians, we may avoid it. All this is being done out of sympathy and awareness, not for criticism.
Reference: (At-Tawbah:31)
And it is said that they took their rabbis and monks as lords besides Allah, meaning they obeyed their rabbis and monks instead of obeying the commands of Allah, therefore Allah declared them polytheists, as it is mentioned in a famous book of jurisprudence that the Jews and Christians used to obey their rabbis and monks, so Allah declared them polytheists. The believers were commanded not to ask about people's sayings but to ask what Allah and the Messenger ﷺ have commanded.
Reference: (Muqaddama Alamgiri:1/14)
Now we should see whether we are obeying only Allah and His Messenger ﷺ or also obeying other people.
(For further explanation, see Tawheed Fi Al-Hukm and Shirk Fi Al-Hukm).
They were declared to have committed Shirk in the Essence and it was said: And the Jews say that Uzair (peace be upon him) is the son of Allah, and the Christians say that the Messiah is the son of Allah; these are the words of their mouths, imitating the sayings of previous disbelievers. May Allah destroy them, how far they have gone astray. These people have taken their clerics, dervishes, and the son of Mary, the Messiah, as their Lord besides Allah, while they were commanded to worship only one Allah, and there is no true deity besides Him. He is free from their shirk.
Reference: (At-Tawbah:31,30)
And He said: [لَیۡسَ کَمِثۡلِہٖ شَیۡءٌ ۚ وَ ہُوَ السَّمِیۡعُ الۡبَصِیۡرُ] There is none like Him, and He is the Hearing, the Knowing.
Reference: (Ash-Shura:11)
And He said: They are disbelievers and polytheists who said, "The son of Mary is the Messiah, Allah."
Reference: (Al-Ma'idah:17, 72 to 77)
And He said: [وَ جَعَلُوۡا لَہٗ مِنۡ عِبَادِہٖ جُزۡءًا ؕ اِنَّ الۡاِنۡسَانَ لَکَفُوۡرٌ مُّبِیۡنٌ] and they made the servants of Allah partners with Him; indeed, man has become an open disbeliever.
Reference: (Az-Zukhruf: 15)
And He said: How can Mary and Jesus, peace be upon him, be Allah? They used to eat food, and Jesus was the son of Mary and was in Mary's womb.
Reference: (Al-Ma'idah: 75), (Aal Imran: 45 to 60), (Maryam: 20 to 32)
And He said: Allah does not die; all others are mortal.
Reference: (Al-Anbiya: 34, 35)
For more details, see the discussion on Tawheed Fi Azat and Shirk Fi Azat.
Reference: (At-Tawbah: 29 to 33), (Al-Ma'idah: 72 to 77)
In these verses, Allah Almighty declared them polytheists because they worship Jesus, peace be upon him, and
Reference: (Al-Ma'idah: 116 to 120)
mentions the conversation between Allah Almighty and Jesus, peace be upon him, on the Day of Judgment, which is noteworthy. Nowadays, some people of the Muslim Ummah also worship elders.And He said: That the Christians call upon Jesus, peace be upon him.
Reference: (Bani Isra'il: 57), (Al-Jinn: 18 to 20), (Al-A'raf: 35 to 42)
See
Reference: Translation of the Quran with Tafsir by Ahmad Raza Khan Sahib
and here the word ،،یدعون،، etc. appear.For more details, please see the discussion on Tawheed Fi Al-Ibadat and Shirk Fi Al-Ibadat.
Reference: (Al-Ma'idah: 76, 116, 117)
That is, on the Day of Judgment, Allah Almighty will say to Jesus (peace be upon him): Did you tell the Christians to make me and my mother their gods? Jesus (peace be upon him) will reply that as long as I was among them, I observed their condition, and then when You took me up to Yourself, You became their guardian, and all things are before You (meaning when Allah Almighty took Jesus (peace be upon him) to Himself, Jesus did not know what his nation was doing). The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said that when some of my companions are caught on the Day of Judgment, I will also give the same answer as Jesus (peace be upon him).
Reference: (Bukhari, Book of Tafsir, (Surah Al-Anbiya), Chapter: (As We Began the First Creation, We Will Repeat It; a Promise Upon Us): 4740)
For more details, see the discussion on Tawhid in Knowledge and Shirk in Authority.
Since the People of the Book are polytheists, they do not believe in Allah and the Day of Resurrection.
Reference: (At-Tawbah:29)
And this is the ruling for every polytheist, like the polytheists of Makkah
Reference: (Al-An'am:150)
even though they believed in Allah.
Reference: (Yunus:18 to 23, 31)
The clerics and ascetics of the People of the Book consume people's wealth unjustly and prevent them from the way of Allah.
Reference: (At-Tawbah:34)
Reflect on what is happening today. Nowadays, many clerics and ascetics are ignorant and instead of teaching people the Quran and Hadith, they teach ،،اللہ ھو،، ،،اللہ ھو،،, which has no meaning.Exaggeration means abandoning the path of moderation; it occurs in both excess and deficiency. For exaggeration, see
Reference: (An-Nisa:171-175), (Al-Ma'idah:72-77)
. In these verses, Allah Almighty says: O People of the Book! Do not exaggerate and say only what is true about Allah. There is no deity except Him; He is the Lord of everything in the heavens and the earth, and He alone is sufficient as a disposer of affairs, and all worship Him. Besides Allah, there is no guardian or helper for you.
Reference: (An-Nisa:171-173)
. And He said that Jesus (peace be upon him) said: O Children of Israel! Worship Allah, who is my Lord and your Lord. Whoever associates others with Allah, Allah has forbidden Paradise for him. There is no deity except Allah, so seek forgiveness from Him. Do not worship anyone besides Allah (Jesus) who does not have control over your benefit or harm. O People of the Book! Do not exaggerate and do not follow the opinions of those who went astray before and led many others astray and deviated from the straight path.
Reference: (Al-Ma'idah:72-77)
If a little reflection is made on the above-mentioned places in the Holy Quran, it will be understood that the People of the Book became polytheists due to exaggeration. That is why our beloved Prophet ﷺ has strictly forbidden us from such behavior and said that do not exaggerate about me like the Christians did about Jesus عليه السلام. I am only a servant of Allah and His Messenger.
Reference: Bukhari, Book of the Prophets' Hadiths, Chapter: 3445
Even in the case of elders lesser than the Prophet ﷺ, exaggeration can be heard everywhere on loudspeakers in the Muslim Ummah. This matter is extremely dangerous, and there is a need to change this attitude.
We studied Ahmed Raza Khan's translation along with the commentary with deep attention for several months. Everywhere, only exaggeration was evident. (Exaggeration means elevating or lowering a being beyond its rightful status.) The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was described as present and witnessing, even though Allah Almighty is also the Witness, meaning the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and indeed all the Prophets were equated with Allah in this attribute. Calling the noble Prophets ﷺ mere humans was declared a method of the disbelievers, which is the height of exaggeration. To justify their belief in calling upon others besides Allah, repeated distortions were made in the Quranic translation and commentary. To prove their belief in exaggeration, Imam Abu Hanifa was called the Great Imam, even though the Great Imam is our beloved Prophet ﷺ.
And the limit is that Abdul Qadir Jilani, may Allah have mercy on him, was called Ghaus-e-Azam in
Reference: Surah Maryam (96, verse 156)
, whereas Ghaus-e-Azam is only and only the attribute of Allah Almighty.
Reference: (An-Naml: 62 - Al-Anfal: 19 and Al-Ahqaf: 17)
This is clear exaggeration and shirk. We have already discussed this in detail with Quranic references in the chapter on those who call upon others besides Allah. One should avoid all these matters. There is no partner in the essence, attributes, powers, and rights of Allah Almighty; there is no one like Allah, no one equal to Allah, because He is the Creator and all others are creation. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ is such a personality that no greatest companion, no greatest imam, no greatest saint, no greatest prophet can equal him. Only and only obedience to Allah and His Messenger ﷺ should be followed.[1] That is, they went back on the acknowledgment of [سَمِعْنَا وَ اَطَعْنَا], the promise was that we heard and we obeyed, but they did not do so. The second acknowledgment was that Allah asked every human in the world of spirits, "Am I not your Lord, that is, your Provider?" The souls replied, "Yes!" Then Allah said that on the Day of Judgment, do not say that your forefathers committed shirk, will He destroy us? The People of the Book went back on this, meaning instead of acknowledging only Allah as Lord and Provider, they made the Prophets their Providers. This is the condition of the current people who recite the Kalima; in fact, they have made thousands of Providers. If the one from Lahore is a Provider, then all the Companions became Providers because he is superior to them. If the Companions became Providers, then all the Prophets became Providers because they are superior to the Companions. Thus, millions became Providers, so what happened to the Oneness of Allah?
[2] They did not remember the blessings of Allah Almighty.
Reference: (Al-Baqarah:47)
They did not remember the divine guidance, and when they turned away from it, Allah Almighty also took away the worldly blessings. This is exactly what the Muslim Ummah did, and this is what happened to them.[3] They mixed the truth with falsehood, concealed the truth
Reference: (Al-Baqarah:42, 146, 159, 174)
and combined divine guidance with the commands of other people. This is exactly what the Muslim Ummah did. This is the reason why today the Muslim Ummah is becoming humiliated and disgraced.[4] For more crimes of the People of the Book, see
Reference: Al-Baqarah (40 to 147) and Aal Imran (1 to 83)
and He said: Remember the meeting with Allah.
Reference: (Al-Baqarah: 46)
And He said: Do not commit shirk (associating partners with Allah).
Reference: (Al-Baqarah: 51, 62)
And He said: Be grateful for Allah’s blessings.
Reference: (Al-Baqarah: 52)
And He said: Do not alter the command of Allah.
Reference: (Al-Baqarah: 59)
And He said: Do not deny the signs of Allah.
Reference: (Al-Baqarah: 61, 94)
And He said that our unlettered Prophet removes from the People of the Book the burdens and shackles which their scholars had imposed through fabricated religion.
Reference: (Al-A'raf: 157, 158)
Keeping in mind the above behavior of the Jews and Christians, every one who declares the kalima should examine their own conduct to see if our scholars have also placed fabricated burdens and shackles around our necks. These are burdens and shackles that do not exist in the original religion (i.e., burdens and shackles of shirk and innovations). Then one should correct their conduct. The greatest crime committed by the People of the Book was that they accepted some parts of Allah’s Book and rejected others.
Reference: (Al-Baqarah: 85)
And Allah Almighty said here that whoever does this, We will disgrace him in this world and on the Day of Resurrection as well. This is exactly what the Muslim Ummah is doing nowadays: accepting some parts of the Quran and denying others. In fact, in Pakistan, many people do not even read the Quran with understanding.
