The Sharʿī Status of Wajd and Ḥāl
Source: Fatāwā Amun Pūrī by Shaykh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Amun Pūrī
The Question
What is the reality of wajd (ecstatic trances) and ḥāl (states) claimed by the Ṣūfīs?
The Answer
The wajd and ḥāl practiced by Ṣūfīs are baseless, without evidence, and nothing but deception of Shayṭān (talbīs Iblīs). These practices were borrowed from the Christians. Neither the Prophet ﷺ, nor the Companions, nor the Tābiʿīn or Tabiʿ al-Tābiʿīn ever engaged in such practices.
Statements from Scholars
❀ Al-Fatāwā al-ʿĀlamgīriyyah:
“What those people do who claim wajd and love has no basis.”
(5/319)
❀ ʿAllāmah al-ʿAynī al-Ḥanafī (855H):
He said about the Ṣūfīs who claim wajd and divine love:
“They must be strictly stopped from raising their voices and tearing their clothes when listening to music. If even during the recitation of the Qur’an, raising voices and tearing clothes is ḥarām, how can it be permissible while listening to music—which itself is ḥarām?
Especially in our time, when sins are widespread and innovations have appeared in abundance. A group has become popular who imitate the appearance of scholars and assume the guise of the pious, but in reality, their hearts are full of lust and corrupt desires. They are wolves in disguise—may Allah protect us from their evil.
It is astonishing that they claim to love Allah while openly opposing the Sunnah of the Messenger ﷺ. They clap hands, sing songs, scream, and force themselves into unconsciousness. All of this stems from ignorance. Whoever claims love of Allah but opposes the Sunnah of the Messenger ﷺ is a liar. The Book of Allah declares him false.
There is no doubt these people do not know who Allah is, nor are they aware of the true love of Allah. They form lustful images in their corrupt hearts, entertain wicked thoughts, and then pretend to display great wajd. They weep bitterly, behave erratically, utter words in haste, and foam at the mouth.
In the end, ignorant and foolish people start believing in them, keep their company, affiliate themselves with them, and abandon the Sharīʿah of Allah and the Sunnah of the Messenger ﷺ. Such people only follow corrupt claims and hollow words. May Allah protect us all from their evil and from the evil of both jinn and mankind.”
(Minḥat al-Sulūk fī Sharḥ Tuḥfat al-Mulūk, p. 489)
Conclusion
- Wajd and ḥāl of Ṣūfīs are innovations, imitations of non-Muslims, and misguidance.
- They are not part of Islam and were unknown to the Prophet ﷺ, his Companions, and the early righteous generations.
- True love of Allah requires following the Qur’an and Sunnah, not indulging in baseless rituals of false ecstasy.
