Barelvi Confusion and Distress Regarding Offering Food in the Name of Others than Allah
Hafizur Rahman Qadri Sahib writes that is it forbidden to offer something in the name of others than Allah? When something is given in the name of others than Allah, there is an uproar that you offer food in the name of Ghaus Pak, Data Sahib, Imam Hussain (may Allah be pleased with him), the Prophet of Allah. So all these things in the name of others than Allah are forbidden.
✔ The Answer:
Vow (Nazar) is an act of worship; it is solely the right of Allah and forbidden for anyone other than Allah. The esteemed status of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is higher than all the creatures of the universe. The companions of the Prophet (may Allah be pleased with them) loved him immensely, yet throughout the entire collection of Hadith, you will not find a single narration where the companions made vows or offerings in the name of the Prophet (peace be upon him), or gave cows or other animals in his name. Among more than one hundred thousand companions, there is not a single companion who set a specific day to make vows in the name of the Prophet (peace be upon him).
The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) did not teach any companion to make vows in his name.
Qadri Sahib says that making vows or offerings to anyone other than Allah causes commotion, but sadly, Qadri is not even familiar with the books of his own sect. All the authentic books of Hanafi jurisprudence state that vow is a financial act of worship and is solely the right of Allah. I will show you your own reflection in your own mirror.
I am speaking their meaning, my tongue is mine, the words are theirs
I adorn their gathering, my lamp is the night theirs
In your Hanafi sect’s authentic book Fatawa Alamgiri, it is written:
والتذر الذى يقع من اكثر العوام بان ياتي إني قبر بعض الصلحاء ويرفع سترة قائلا يا سيدى فلان إن قضيت حاجي فلك فى من الذهب كذا باطل إجماعا
Among the common people, there is a custom that they go to the grave of a pious person and make a vow saying, “O so-and-so saint, if my need is fulfilled, I will offer so much gold on your grave.” This vow is invalid (Bala Jama’).
It is further written that giving dinars, dirhams, or other things at the graves of the saints to seek their nearness is also invalid and forbidden (Bala Jama’).
In the authentic Hanafi book Durre Mukhtar, it is stated:
واعلم ان النذر يقع بلا موات من اكثر العوام وما يوخذ من الدراهم ولشمع والذيت ونحوها الى ضرائح الاولياء الكرام تقربا اليهم فهو بالا جماع باطل حرام
It should be known that most common people make vows and offerings in the names of deceased persons, offer gifts to seek the nearness of the saints, and light lamps and oil at their graves. All these things are unanimously invalid and forbidden.
Similarly, in the famous commentary of Durre Mukhtar, Radd al-Mukhtar, it is explained as follows:
قوله باطل وحرام لوجوه منها انه نذر المخلوق والنذر لمخلوق لا يجوز لانه عبادة والعبادة لا تكون لمخلوق ومنها ان المنذوله ميت والميت لا يملك انه ظن ان الميت يتصرف فى الامور دون الله تعالى وعتقاده ذالك كفر
That is, there are many reasons why vows made to anyone other than Allah are invalid and forbidden. One reason is that these are offerings at graves and vows in the name of creatures, and vows in the name of creatures are not permissible because vow is an act of worship and worship is not permissible for any creature. Another reason is that the one in whose name the vow is made is dead and the dead have no control over anything. Another reason is that the person making the vow believes that the dead have authority to act in the universe besides Allah, which is disbelief.
There are many references in Hanafi jurisprudence regarding this. But I have presented only a few as examples so that Qadri Sahib, instead of attacking Ahl al-Hadith, should study his own Hanafi sect’s teachings, and the prohibition of vows to anyone other than Allah will become clear to him. We have not issued any verdict of disbelief on anyone from our side; rather, we have presented his own verdict before him.
In the Holy Quran, Allah Almighty says:
حُرِّمَتْ عَلَيْكُمُ الْمَيْتَةُ وَالدَّمُ وَلَحْمُ الْخِنْزِيرِ وَمَا أُهِلَّ لِغَيْرِ اللَّهِ بِهِ
Forbidden to you are carrion, blood, pork, and that on which any name other than Allah’s has been invoked.
He also said:
إِنَّمَا حَرَّمَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْمَيْتَةَ وَالدَّمَ وَلَحْمَ الْخِنْزِيرِ وَمَا أُهِلَّ بِهِ لِغَيْرِ اللَّهِ
He has forbidden you carrion, blood, pork, and that on which any name other than Allah’s has been invoked.
In the mentioned verses, the word اهل means calling, naming, invoking, or mentioning. The original shirk of the polytheists was that besides giving in the name of Allah, they also took a share for their partners. Allah Almighty mentioned their polytheistic act in the Quran as follows:
وَجَعَلُوا لِلَّهِ مِمَّا ذَرَأَ مِنَ الْحَرْثِ وَالْأَنْعَامِ نَصِيبًا فَقَالُوا هَذَا لِلَّهِ بِزَعْمِهِمْ وَهَذَا لِشُرَكَائِنَا
And they assign to Allah a share of the produce of their lands and cattle, and say, “This is for Allah,” according to their claim, “and this is for our partners.”
It is understood that the people of Mecca used to give in the name of Allah but also made their idols partners in the vow. If someone is told that vows and offerings are only permissible in the name of Allah, they say that we are just sending reward to our elders; we slaughter the animal in the name of Allah. This seems reasonable to observers, but their belief is that the saint in the grave knows our condition and has the power to change conditions, to give benefit and harm, and is the knower of the unseen and the controller of all.
Consider, if it is merely about sending reward, then why is the personality of Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani (may Allah have mercy on him) specifically designated? What is the secret in fixing the eleventh day of every month? Is there no other personality in the Ummah for sending reward?
God forbid, if they consider them sinners and think of sending reward to them, then this is disrespect because they were righteous and pious servants of Allah.
If they consider them righteous and deserving of sending reward, then there are even greater personalities in the Ummah: the companions of the Prophet (may Allah be pleased with them), the Prophet himself, and among them the distinguished ten (Ashra Mubashra):
(1) Abu Bakr Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him)
(2) Umar Farooq (may Allah be pleased with him)
(3) Uthman Ghani (may Allah be pleased with him)
(4) Ali (may Allah be pleased with him)
(5) Talha (may Allah be pleased with him)
(6) Zubair (may Allah be pleased with him)
(7) Saad (may Allah be pleased with him)
(8) Saeed (may Allah be pleased with him)
(9) Abdur Rahman bin Awf (may Allah be pleased with him)
(10) Abdur Rahman bin Jarrah (may Allah be pleased with him)
Besides them are the Tabi‘in and Tabi‘ al-Tabi‘in. Have they ever sent reward to them? From these references, it is clear that vow and offering is an act of worship and is exclusively the right of Allah. Do not associate anyone in the worship of Allah, as Allah Himself said:
وَلَا يُشْرِكْ بِعِبَادَةِ رَبِّهِ أَحَدًا
And do not associate anyone in the worship of your Lord.
But the condition of people has become such that out of ignorance, even women are offered as offerings at shrines. Ahmad Raza Khan Barelvi writes that Syed Abdul Wahab is among the great saints. There used to be a large fair and crowd at the shrine of Hazrat Syedi Ahmad Badawi Kabir. In this gathering, a merchant’s slave girl caught his eye, but he immediately averted his gaze because the Hadith says the first glance is for you and the second glance is accountable. The first glance has no sin but the second will be questioned. Well, he averted his gaze but liked her. When he came to the shrine, he said, “Abdul Wahab, that slave girl is liked.” It was said, “Yes, one should not hide anything from his Sheikh.” He said, “Okay, we have gifted you that slave girl.” Now you are silent because the slave girl belongs to the merchant and the Sheikh is gifting her. Immediately the merchant appeared and gave that slave girl as a vow to the sacred shrine. The servant indicated, and they accepted your vow. He said, “Abdul Wahab, what are you waiting for? Take her to such and such room and fulfill your need.”
From Ahmad Raza Khan Sahib’s statement, it is clear that a woman can be given as a vow or offering. There is neither any religious prohibition nor worldly blame because according to Barelvi belief, pleasing the saints is an act of worship and a cause of the pleasure of the Master, especially pleasing Hazrat Pir Sahib is considered by Barelvis as a cause of Allah’s pleasure.
But in Hadith it is said:
لعن الله من ذبح لغير الله
May Allah’s curse be upon the one who sacrifices for anyone other than Allah.
In prayer, every person acknowledges:
التحيات لله والصلوات والطيبات
All acts of worship of the tongue, body, and wealth are for Allah alone.
Offering vows and supplications to anyone other than Allah is also forbidden according to Ahmed Raza Barelvi!
Some people go to a tree and make their vows and supplications, saying that this is the seat of Shaheed Baba. Ahmed Raza Khan Sahib Barelvi has also declared this impermissible. Accordingly, they were asked what the scholars of Ahl al-Sunnah say in this regard. Some people say that a certain tree is the resting place of a martyr, and in a certain niche a martyr resides, and every Thursday they come to that tree and niche bringing Fatiha, sweets, and rice, hanging garlands, burning incense, and asking for wishes. Such customs are found in many places in this city. Do the martyrs reside in trees and niches, and are these people on the truth or falsehood? Please provide a clear and signed written answer.
Permission according to Ahmed Raza Khan Barelvi:
All these are nonsense, superstitions, ignorant follies, and falsehoods that must be removed.
From these references, it is proven that offering vows and sacrifices to anyone other than Allah is not established by any Hadith nor by the lives of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them). Sacrificing for anyone other than Allah is a cause of curse, and from the references of Hanafi jurisprudence, it is proven that vows to others besides Allah are forbidden and invalid. In short, vows to others besides Allah are not established from the Quran and Sunnah, therefore the believers should avoid such things. All vows and sacrifices should be made only for Allah.
By the grace of Allah, now people are rapidly understanding the truth; the clouds of polytheism and innovation have cleared, and the true religion is being recognized.
As the poet says:
The traces of magic have now appeared, the night’s spell has been broken
From the dreadful hands of darkness, the cloak of enlightenment has been released
Barelvi Argument on the Permissibility of Vows and Sacrifices to Others Besides Allah Based on Quranic Verses
Hafiz ur-Rahman Qadri Sahib has written two Quranic verses at the end of this article.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تُحَرِّمُوا طَيِّبَاتِ مَا أَحَلَّ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ وَلَا تَعْتَدُوا إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ الْمُعْتَدِينَ
O you who have believed, do not prohibit the good things which Allah has made lawful for you and do not transgress. Indeed, Allah does not like transgressors.
The second verse:
فَكُلُوا مِمَّا ذُكِرَ اسْمُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ بِآيَاتِهِ مُؤْمِنِينَ
Eat of that upon which the name of Allah has been mentioned, if you are believers in His verses.
✔ The Answer :
These blessed verses have no relation to the vow to anyone other than Allah. The first verse states that whatever Allah has made lawful, do not declare it unlawful. I want to ask, where has Allah made the vow or offering to anyone other than Allah lawful, which we declare unlawful? Which verse of the Quran supports this? Which Hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) declares the vow or offering to anyone other than Allah lawful? The second verse states that eat lawful things by mentioning the name of Allah, not unlawful.
Not everything becomes lawful by mentioning the name of Allah while eating. Committing an unlawful act can also make a lawful thing unlawful. For example, if someone steals and then eats lawful food, it becomes unlawful, no matter how pure the food is. If someone earns through usury and eats it after saying Bismillah, and argues that whatever name of Allah is taken on is lawful to eat, would any sensible person accept this argument? Certainly not. Therefore, these verses have no connection to your topic.
Qadri Sahib neither presented any verse as evidence for the lawfulness of vows to others than Allah, nor any Hadith of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), nor the practice of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) showing that they made vows to others than Allah. A claim without evidence becomes invalid.
Nor could he prove the lawfulness of vows to others than Allah from Hanafi jurisprudence. We have proven from Hanafi jurisprudence and the Quran that vows to others than Allah are unlawful. May Allah grant all Muslims the ability to understand the truth. Ameen.
If we speak with evidence, it will be refuted,
Even the silence of their lips will become a testimony.
