The
Chishti Nizami Habibi Soofie
International Sufi Order
Pietermaritzburg
South Africa
786/92
Raqs
Spiritual
Dancing (Raqs) and Singing (Sama/Qawwali)
Allah Y says in the Holy Qur’aan, the 3rd Sura,
al-i-Imraan, verse 191:
Men
who celebrate the praises of Allah Y,
standing, sitting, and lying down on their sides,
Hajai’ta
Muhammadan fa-ajabtu 'anhu
Wa
'indAllah-i fee zaaka'l jazaau
You
mocked Muhammad e,
but I replied on his behalf,
And
there is reward with Allah Y
for this
Hajai’ta
Muhammad-an barran taqiyyan
RasulAllah-i
sheematuhu'l wafaau
You
satirized Muhammad e,
virtuous, righteous,
The
Apostle of Allah e
, whose nature is truthfulness,
Fa-inna
abee wa waalidahu wa 'irdee
Li
'irdi Muhammad-in minkum wiqaau
So
verily, my father and his father and my honour
Are
a protection to the honour of Muhammad e
Some non-Muslim poets used to mock the
Holy Prophet Muhammad e
through their poetry and Hazrath Hassan bin Thabit t
is answering[1]
them through poetry in defense of the Holy Prophet Muhammad e.
This is narrated by The Mother of the Believers, Hazrath Aisha Siddiqa y.
This Hadith is in both Bukhari and Muslim reported by Hazrath Urwa[2],
the nephew of Hazrath Aisha Siddiqa y. Hazrath Aisha y said, ‘Forgive Hassan for his transgression for
he recites the praises of my beloved.’ This is also reported in both Bukhari
and Muslim. She was referring to Hazrath Hassan t being part of the group that scandalized Hazrath
Aisha y
yet she forgave him and implored the Holy Prophet Muhammad e to forgive him on account of his poetry praising
the Holy Prophet Muhammad e
(naat). She loved his poetry
so much, that she reports every hadith with reference to Hazrath Hassan t’s
poetry.
It
is reported in Mishkat a'l Masabih (Book 2, Chapter 12, p. 187), the
Holy Prophet Muhammad e
used to ask Hazrath Hassaan bin Thabit t
to answer his enemies on his behalf. Indeed, he had a pulpit erected within
the mosque for him to stand upon and recite poetry belittling the unbelievers
and praising the beloved Holy Prophet e
Sayyidi wa Murshidi al-Habib Ahmad Mash'hur bin Taha al-Haddad talks about
this in his classical masterpiece Miftah u'l Jannah (Key To The Garden)
and sums it up as follows:
"This
was done through poetry, and in the mosque, so see what rank a poet may reach
who rises to defend religion and make known the good qualities of the Master
of the Messengers - his degree is not less than that of a preacher who summons
and guides, for they both stand on the pulpit of summoning to Allah Y
, defending religion and subduing its enemies". (p. 120)
Hazrath Aisha y says, as reported in Bukhari Shareef
and in Tirmidhi, Musnad Imam Ahmad, Haakim and numerous collections of ahadith
that the Holy Prophet Muhammad e
used to set up the minmbar in the Masjid and ask Hazrath Hassaan t
to sit thereon and recite naat.
In Bukhari, Musnad Imam Ahmad ,
Tabarani, Baihaqi it is reported that Hazrath Al-Aswad ibn Suray t
said, "I came to the Holy Prophet Muhammad e
and said, ‘Messenger of Allah e,
I have praised Allah Y
and you in poems of praise and
eulogies.’ He said, ‘As far as your Lord is concerned, He must be praised[3],
and so I began to recite them.’ In another version it states that the Holy
Prophet Muhammad e
summoned him to bring all his compositions and to recite them. So the Holy
Prophet Muhammad e
has established this Sunnah of listening to poetry in praise of Allah Y and in his honour for every lover.
Hazrath Anas t reports as it appears in Tirmidhi, Nasai and
Sunan-e-Kubra; also mentioned by Imam Asqalani, Qurtubi etc that upon the
Conquest of Makkah when the Holy Prophet Muhammad e
was entered the Holy Sanctuary (Haram) in a procession,
at its head was the Holy Prophet e
, seated on his camel Qaswa; Hazrath Abdullah bin Rawaha t, on foot in front, held the bridle; around on
every side were the chief Companions; and behind, in a long extended line, came
the rest of the pilgrims on camels and on foot. Hazrath Abdullah bin Rawaha t[4]
led the procession reciting naat and also the following couplet on entry:
"Get
out of his way, you disbelievers, make way, we will fight you about its
revelation with strokes that will remove heads from shoulders and make friend
unmindful of friend."
From this we learn that to recite naat
in a procession (juloos) is also a Sunnah. Hazrath Umar t
objected to his prolific use of poetry and said to him, "Why do you recite
so many poems in the House of Allah Y
in the presence of the Holy Prophet Muhammad e?"
Before Hazrath Abdullah bin Rawaha t,
could respond, the Holy Prophet Muhammad e
stated on his behalf, "Oh Umar! His poems are more effective
(against the disbelievers) than your arrows!" This was the jurist, Hazrath
Umar t
speaking but the very same lover, Hazrath Umar t would during his caliphate, in a state
of ecstasy, ask an old women of Madinah to repeat poetry on the Holy Prophet
Muhammad e.
The might and power of good oration is clearly illustrated by the
statement of the Holy Prophet Muhammad e
for we notice that poetry in praise of the Holy Prophet Muhammad e increases love in hearts of lovers
whilst some dead hearts feel pain.
These are narrations that belong to the
Chapter of Love in this Deen. If this deen is devoid of this
Chapter of Love, then it has no relevance in our lives. Imams Haakim, Baihaqi
and Tabarani report about Hazrath Ka'b ibn Zuhair t who previously used to compose satirical verses of
poetry against the Muslims but later repented on the Hands of the Holy Prophet
Muhammad e
and accepted Islam. The incident is as follows, ‘After the conquest of Makkah,
he arrived in Madinah and stayed at a man’s house from Juhainah as a guest.
After the dawn prayer; when he was about to leave, the man suggested that he go
to the Holy Prophet Muhammad e.
He went to Masjid an-Nabawi in disguise and face veiled, sat by the Holy Prophet
Muhammad e,
and put his hand in the blessed hand. The Holy Prophet Muhammad e who
had never seen Ka‘b before, did not recognize him. Ka‘b t said: "O, Messenger of Allah e!
If Ka‘b bin Zuhair comes to you as a repentant Muslim; will he be secure and
forgiven if I fetch him?" The Messenger of Allah e said, "Yes." "I am Ka‘b bin
Zuhair," said he. Upon hearing that one of the Helpers rose to his feet and
asked the Messenger’s allowance to cut his throat. "Leave him
alone!" said the Holy Prophet e,
“He has become a repentant Muslim after his disposal of the past. "He
repented on the blessed hands of the Holy Prophet Muhammad e and pledged allegiance. He then said, ‘O
Messenger of Allah e!
I have written a naat, may I recite it? The Holy Prophet Muhammad e gave permission. Ka‘b then recited his
well-known poem, a 58 line ode in Basit (expansive) meter which he had
especially composed for the occasion. It is know as Baanat Su'aad or
‘Su’aad has left’[5].
It is his longest qasida, all of which rhyme in the letter "laam",
hence it is a "laamiyyah". Four of these verses have become so
popular that they are quoted by many scholars in their books.
He sought pardon with the following
verse:
Verse
39
Nubbitu
anna Rasulallahi aw’adani
I
was told that the Messenger of Allah e
had threatened retaliation against me
Wa
al-afwu ‘inda rasulillai mamulu
But
with the Messenger of Allah e
have hope of finding pardon
The Holy Prophet Muhammad e
honored him when he recited the following verse:
Verse
51
innar-rasoola
lanurun yustada‘u bihi
Indeed
the messenger is a light from whom light is sought
Muhannadun
min suyufillahi maslulu[6]
The
unsheathed sword of Allah Y
, of the fine Indian make
On hearing this verse the Holy Prophet
Muhammad e
was ushered into a state of ecstasy (wajd). In this state, the Holy
Prophet e
removed his shawl and presented it to Hazrath Ka’b t.
The great Imams state, amongst them Imam Asqalani t,
Imam Qastalani t,
Imam Ibn Kathir t
that, this mantle or shawl was passed down in the family of Hazrath Ka'b ibn
Zuhair t
and it was eventually acquired by Hazrath Amir Muawiyyah t
and passed down to the various caliphs. Imam Shihabuddin as-Suhrawardi (passed
away 632 A.H/1235 C.E) in his spiritual classic 'Awaarif u'l Ma'aarif
(The Illuminative Knowledge of the Spiritual Masters, p. 158) informs that it
became the most valuable piece of clothing ever since. It had been used by the
caliphs as a means of ‘blessing’ during battles, being carried in a casket.
It is stated that the Muslims won every battle to which it was taken. To this
day it is preserved in a museum in
Istanbul
in a gold casket.
Books of Sirah have recorded up
to 188+ poets of naat [7]both
male and female from amongst the Sahabah. The uncle of the Holy Prophet Muhammad
e,
Hazrath Abbas t
composed and recited naat in praise of the Holy Prophet Muhammad e. Has history recorded many uncles who sing the
praises of their nephew? Hazrath Abu Taalib, the uncle who cared for the Holy
Prophet Muhammad e
after the father of the Holy Prophet e
had passed away, also recited naat of the Holy Prophet e. His poetry has been preserved and recorded in the
hadith collection of Bukhari. Usually a person who has not accepted the
faith, his utterance regarding the Holy Prophet Muhammad e
is not narrated in hadith collections. Abu Taalib recited:
O
Messenger of Allah e!
the cloud looks at your beautiful face
Then
only does it rain
Imam
Bukhari recorded this in his hadith collection. Probably he said, ‘For this I
make an exception.’
In
Tabarani and Haakim it is recorded that Hazrath Abbas bin Abd al-Mutallib
t
requested permission to recite poetry of naat. The Holy Prophet Muhammad e granted permission and the Holy
Prophet e
made the following dua after hearing it:
‘O
My uncle! Allah Y
preserve your face and teeth due to your recitation’
It
is also reported that Hazrath Qays ibn Abd Allah ibn Amr t
a.k.a al-Nabigha al-Ja’di t
recited a naat of about 180 verses. The Holy Prophet e
was pleased and made a similar dua:
‘Allah
Y preserve your
face and teeth due to your recitation’
or
“May
Allah Y not
deform your mouth?”
The Imams of Hadith report that Hazrath
Qays ibn Abd Allah ibn Amr t
reached the ripe old age of 120
years, some say 112, and if any teeth of his fell off miraculously a new teeth
grew the same day [8].
It is stated that each new tooth was more shiny and white than the previous one.
Love leads to obedience (ita’at),
imitation (itteba), and desire to see the object of love (shawke liqa),
reverence (tazeem) and respect (adab). Respect of the Holy
Qur’aan is to recite it. The Holy Prophet Muhammad e
has stated, ‘One who loves me must love the Holy Qur’aan and the one that
loves the Holy Qur’aan must cry and recite it.’ He e
expounded that if one cannot cry, one should force oneself to cry because we
need to respond to the Qur’aan in this way. Cry in such a way that the
listener feels one is crying out of the fear of Allah Y. The Sahaba would also be deeply moved
with emotions when they recited the Qur’aan. Hazrath Abu Bakr t,
for example, who was a soft-hearted man, used to cry while reciting the Holy
Qur’aan when leading Muslims in prayer. Once, Hazrath Umar t became ill and confined to bed as a result of his
reciting the verses,7 and 8 of the 52nd Sura, at-Tur:
“Verily,
the Torment of your Lord will surely come to pass. There is none that can
avert it.”
On another occasion, Hazrath Umar t
wept when he was reciting the 86th verse of the 12th Sura,
Say:“I
(Prophet Jacob) only complain of my grief and sorrow to Allah Y
.”
Lovers of the Holy Prophet Muhammad e
should love the Holy Qur’aan and Hadith. These are signs of love of the Holy
Prophet e.
The Holy Prophet Muhammad e
said and Hazrath Ali t
reports:
Man ahabbani wa ahabba haazain
He
who loves me and loves these two [Hazrath Imam Hassan
t
and Imam Hussain t]
Wa aba huma wa umma huma
And
loves their father Ali t
and their mother Fatimah Zahra y
Kana maifi darajati yaumul kiyaama
On
the Day of Judgment they will be with me on my level
This Hadith is in Tirmidhi. The love of
those that the Holy Prophet e
loved is a sign of loving him.
“I,
Ali, Fatimah, Hassan and Hussain and all those that love us will be together
at one place on the Day of Judgment. We will eat and drink together until
people will be separated”
The Holy Prophet Muhammad also e
prayed to Allah Y
to love those that he loves and to love those that love them. This is the status
of love within the Islamic framework. Sahaba who were mortally wounded in
battle, stood up on hearing the voice of the Holy Prophet Muhammad e. If this is not love, then what is?
When the Holy Prophet Muhammad e
requested a contribution for the Tabuk[10]
Expedition, the Muslims gave
whatever they could give, but Hazrath Abu Bakr Siddique t
exceeded all the records by giving all that he had to the Holy Prophet e
without
leaving anything for his own family. He even included the clothing he was
wearing. He appeared in front of the Holy Prophet Muhammad e wearing a sack held together by thorns. When the
Prophet asked him what he had left for his family, he replied, “Allah Y
and His Messenger e
are enough for them.” What can motivate a man to give in the path of Allah Y
to this extreme except love? Tirmidhi and Abu Daud records a
hadith in the Sihah Collection (sihah sittah), also narrated by ibn
Asakir that when Allah Y
saw this expression of love of Hazrath Abu Bakr Siddique t, He ordered Jibraeel u, to wear a sack held together by thorns and to go
to the Holy Prophet Muhammad e
and say, ‘Allah Y
has sent salutations (salaam) to Abu Bakr via your Holy
Personality and asks if he has at least left food at his home and if he is
pleased with Allah Y (hal anta ila Rabbika radhi).’
When Hazrath Abu Bakr Siddique t
heard this he went into a state of ecstasy, began whirling and began crying out
repeatedly, ‘I am pleased with my Lord!’
The
Holy Prophet Muhammad e
said as recorded in Bukhari and Muslim:
"Do
not abuse my Companions, for if any of you were to spend gold equal to
(mountain of) Uhud in charity, it would not equal a handful of one of them or
even half of that"
And
he e said as recorded in Sahih, At-Tabaranee
"Whoever
abuses my Companions, upon them is the curse of Allah Y,
the angels and all the people"
Tirmidhi
and Ibn Hibban quote Hazrath Abdullah ibn Mughaffal t
that the Holy Prophet Muhammad e
warned:
By
Allah
Y
, By Allah Y
! Refrain from
using bad language about my Companions! By Allah
Y , By
Allah Y
! Refrain from
using bad language about my Companions! Do not make them the target of your
attacks after me! Whoever loves them, loves them on account of his love of me;
whoever hates them, hates them on account of his hatred of me. He who insulted
them, has insulted me, and he who insulted me, has insulted Allah
Y,
he who insulted
Allah
Y,
Allah
Y
will punish him
To love these companions, due to their
love for the Holy Prophet e
is a sign of love of the Holy Prophet e.
A lover loves everyone his beloved loves; loves everyone who are faithful to his
beloved and loves those that serve his beloved. Thus is forbidden to cut the
trees and hurt even the creatures in Madinah, the City of the Beloved. The
family, companions and associates of the Holy Prophet Muhammad e are worthy of love due to their link (nisbah)
with him. The food and other likes of the Holy Prophet e
is worthy of preference and love. Love makes a lover oblivious of everything
other than the beloved and attentive to everything loved by the beloved.
Tujhi koh
dekhna, terihi sunna, tujh meh ghum hohna
haqiqat,ma'rifat,
ahle tariqat is koh keh te heh
To
look at beloved, to listen to his every word, to become engrossed in him
The
adherents to Islamic Law (shariah) term such behaviour as Reality (haqiqat)
and Recognition (ma’rifat)
Imam'Allamah
Mahmud al- Alusi mentions in Tafsir Ruh al Ma’ani[11]:
After
the Holy Prophet Muhammad e
had passed away the Companions, used to go to the House of his beloved wife
Hazrath Maimuna y,
to look at a mirror utilized by the Holy Prophet Muhammad e
that she had kept safely. In this mirror they did not see themselves but the
image of the Holy Prophet e.
The mirror had refused to let go of the image of the
beloved.
Does intellect allow one to rub saliva on ones face? No!
But the companions used to rub the blessed saliva and wudhu water of the
Holy Prophet Muhammad e on their faces, collect his blessed hair, rub their faces
and hands on objects that he e
came into contact with.
Mujhe hosh kab thi
ruku kie, Mujhe kya khabar thi sujood kie, Tera naqshe pah kie talash thi ke
meh jukh raha tha namaaz meh
I
had no knowledge of bowing (ruku). What did I know about prostration?
Was
I in search of your footprints or was I prostrating in prayer?
Meri
zindagi bi ajib heh, Meri bandagi bhi ajib heh, Jaha milgaya tera naqshe pah
wahi meh neh Kaaba bana diya
Strange
is my life and my servitude
Wherever
I found your footprints I made it my direction
It is ingrained in the nature of man that when he sees or
hears from his beloved he loses his senses and becomes ecstatic.
Let us see if this
level of love existed in the Sahaba. The following
is recorded in Bukhari and Muslim[12]
and no scholar, Muhaddith, Aalim, Mufti, Muhaqqiq,
can refute its existence or reliability. It is also recorded in Tirmidhi and Abu
Daud. The Imams of Hadith have written commentaries on this Hadith. There were
African companions of the Holy Prophet Muhammad e
from
Ethiopia
and/or Abyssinia, the Bani Arfida (sons of Arfida) residents of Madinah that
used to come to visit the Holy Prophet Muhammad e
annually on the occasion of ‘
Id.
In Bukhari it is stated that they were ‘playing’ (yalhabu), dancing
and playing in Masjid an-Nabawi, in front of the door of the Holy Prophet e
house. Bukhari has recorded this in the Chapter, ‘Playing in the
Masjid’, since the word ‘playing’ appears in the text. So, readers of this
Hadith concentrate more on playing than other aspects. Other Imams have also
commented on this hadith. This being in the Chapter, ‘Playing in the
Masjid’, in Bukhari, a question arises as to whether anyone has permission to
play in the mosque? This is a place of prayer, reflection, bowing and
prostration, so the answer is a definite, ‘No!’ Yet, Bukhari has recorded
this in the Sub Chapter, ‘Spearplay in the Masjid’. The Muslims of African
descent used to come to the Holy Prophet Muhammad e on the Day of ‘Id and it is stated they were ‘playing
with spears’ in the Mosque and in front of the house door of the Holy Prophet
Muhammad e. If one
analyses this hadith and reflect as to where the door of the house of the Holy
Prophet Muhammad e opened, it opened leading to ‘The Piece of Paradise on
Earth’ (Riazul Jannah). Imam Tirmidhi did not use the word
‘playing’ (yalhaboon) but utilized yaznifoon. Some have
commentated on the activity saying that they were doing the ‘war dance’
since they had spears etc. Could they have not performed a ‘war dance’
outside in the open fields? They could never have ‘played’ or performed a
‘war dance’ at such a ‘Place of Sacredness’ , the Masjid of the Holy
Prophet Muhammad e,
in front of the door of his blessed residence, standing on a piece of paradise.
Adab
gahez zehre asmah az arsh nazuk tar ,
Nafas
ghum kar dami ayaad Junaid oh Bayazid Jah
There
is a place where respect has to be offered and that place is more delicate
than the arsh of God , When great spiritual luminaries from amongst his
followers like Junaid Baghdadi t and Byazid Bistami t, When they come to the
Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) in word or
deed, they come trembling
So many have
inferred and understood this hadith with their subjective limitations and
selective concentration. This hadith is in the Musnad of Imam Hamnbal,
Tirmidhi, Tabarani, Nasai and as-Sunan al-Kubra etc. Hazrath Aisha t,
reported that the Abysinians were standing in front of the door of the Holy
Prophet e’s house and were ‘ecstatically dancing’ or
performing raqs on anticipation of seeing the Holy Prophet Muhammad e.
Hazrath Anas bin Maalik t, reports in the Musnad of Imam Hamnbal t:
Kana
fil Habashatu yazfiloona byna yada Rasulullahi e,
wa yarbasu
Here yazfiloo or raqs is mentioned.
The Holy Prophet e
called Hazrath Aisha t, to witness this ecstatic state of love, thus giving it
his approval. Also, he asked the
Sahaba as to what they were saying in this ecstatic state? The Sahaba told the
Holy Prophet e that they were saying:
Muhammadun
abdun saleh
Muhammad
e
is the most righteous slave of Allah
Y
This is in the same spirit as Hazrath Amir Khusro t
saying:
Muhammad
shame mehfil buud
Muhammad
e is the light
of the gathering
As the Holy
Prophet Muhammad e put his benevolent gaze on the Sahaba performing raqs
and singing his praises, I have no doubt that he looks at us “whirling”in
“raqs” in the Sama of the Chishtiyyah and Mawlawiyya[13]
tarîqas.
In Tabarani it is
recorded that Hazrath Aisha y, said:
I
had my hand on the Holy Prophet Muhammad e ’s
shoulder whilst they, the Africans, performed raqs
In another version of this hadith it is stated:
The
Holy Prophet e
invited his wife Aisha to watch the dance, took her into the crowd, and lifted
her over his back, so that she could watch them clearly as she eagerly leaned
forward, her cheek pressing against his.
In Sahih, ibn Hibban[14]
recording this incident the word yazfiloona meaning raks is
also used.
Only a dance to
please the beloved, extreme love of the Holy Prophet Muhammad e
is permitted in the Masjid and no frivolous playing is allowed. Imam
Abu’l-Fadl Ahmad ibn Hajar, better known as Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani [15]
t, says in his commentary of Bukhari, Fath ul-Bari fi
Sharh Sahih al-Bukhari or Fathul Bari or "Grant of the
Creator" is the most valued Sunni commentary of Sahih Bukhari, that this
incident was repeated annually on the Day of ‘
Id.
In Tirmidhi and Nisai-Sunan al-Kubra it is mentioned that the children of
Madinah came to see what was happening and they joined in the dance of the
African Companions. Imam Zamakshari[16]
t, in Fraiz Dar-ilm Fariz says:
kala
az-zakilu ar raqs
Imam Ibn
Hajar al-Asqalani, Imam Suyuti and numerous Imams have described the ‘ecstasy
and dance’ using the word raqs. In different versions of this Hadith it
is stated that Hazrath Umar ibn
al-Khattab t felt compelled to interfere and stop them, but the Holy
Prophet e
intervened on their behalf, directing Umar to leave them alone and noting
to him that they were "the sons of Arfida," that is, not his (Arab)
people. ." This event
of the "sons of Arfida"--a familiar Arabian linguistic reference to
people of African descent--provides a significant instance of the place of
culture (here, of course, Black African culture) within the Prophetic
dispensation. The Holy Prophet e's
intervention to stop Hazrath Umar t
made it clear that the Africans were not to be judged by Hazrath Umar t's local Arabian standards or made to conform to them. The
"sons of Arfida" had their own distinctive cultural tastes and
traditional behaviour. The fact that they had embraced Islam did not mean they
were also required to commit cultural apostasy or become subservient to Arab
customs. The Prophet allowed Muslim Arabs agency in their social expression and
extended a similar right to non-Arabs. By his affirmation of the "sons of
Arfida," he established an overriding sunnah and abiding legal
precedent for respecting different ethnic and cultural traditions and
acknowledging the emotional needs, tastes, and cultural inclinations of all who
embraced his teaching.
In keeping
with this sunnah of the Holy Prophet Muhammad e, Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti t
of Ajmer, who is historically credited with pioneering the propagation of Islam
in the Indo-Pak sub-continent and had launched his missionary activity with the
blessing of the Holy Prophet e,
had spiritually obtained the Holy Prophet e’s permission to utilize sama[17]
with musical instruments as part of his mission. The people of
India
are culturally attuned to instrumental music. This response to their cultural
needs helped Islam spread with ease.
Hazrath
Jaafar bin Muhammad t reports[18]
that when Jaafar ibn Abi Talib t returned to Madinah from
Abyssinia, he was involved in a 'dispute' with his brother Hazrath Ali t and Zaid bin Haritha t regarding who would take care of an orphan. They went to
resolve the case to the Holy Prophet Muhammad e. The Holy Prophet Muhammad e
said to Zaid, ‘You are the friend (anta maula) of Allah Y and the Holy Prophet e’. Turning to Jaafar t
he e said, ‘You resemble me most
in looks and character’ (anta ashbahta khalqi wa khuluqi), then turning
to Hazrath Ali t, he e said, ‘You are of me and I am of you’ (anta minni wa ana minka).
Thereafter the Holy Prophet e
awarded the responsibility of the maintenance and care of the orphan to Jaafar t.
There is another report on the same incident by Hazrath Ali t wherin he states that when the Holy Prophet Muhammad e addressed Zayd t, he
got up and began dancing ecstatically (raqs), then when the Holy Prophet e
addressed Hazrath
Jaafar t and he danced ecstatically (raqs) around the already
ecstatic Zayd t.
Then when he e addressed Hazrath Ali t he began dancing ecstatically around both Hazrath Zayd t and Hazrath Jaafar t. Hazrath Jaafar t danced in
a particular way, hopping on one leg. When he was asked as to why he danced in
that peculiar fashion, he said that the Abyssinians dance in this way when they
become really excited happy[19].
Imam
Baihaqi[20]
t has a complete chapter in Sunan al-Kubra called the Chapter on the
permissibility of Raqs on the basis of this hadith. Imam Bazzar[21]
in al - musnad also reports this hadith. Imam Jalaluddin Suyuti[22]
t on being questioned about the legality of raqs and the fact that
certain Sufis dance in an ecstatic state, has stated in Khasais al-Kubra
that the Shariah has not forbidden raqs (La inkara alaihi fi
zaalik). He further states that this very question was asked to Shaykh
al-Islam, Imam Imam Sirajuddin ibn Al-Mulaqqin t and he had given the same ruling.Imam Suyuti t then quoted the rulings of
many prominent scholars of the four schools of fiqh and concludes that none had
forbidden raqs but commended those that become ecstatic as people of a
high ‘spiritual state’ (sahibe haal). He also quotes the Holy
Qur’aan, the 3rd Sura, al-i-Imraan, verse 191 as evidence for the
permissibility of raqs:
Men
who celebrate the praises of Allah Y,
standing, sitting, and lying down on their sides,
Throughout
the Muslim world there are people who go into an ecstatic state and dance due to
their intense love for the Holy Prophet Muhammad e. The Sufis of the Shadhilyya Order combine the postures of
standing, sitting, and lying down in their gathering of zikr called
‘Hadra’[23]
(Arabic:حضرة). He then quotes the hadith of
Hazrath Jaafar ibn Abu Taalib t, dancing ecstatically around
the Holy Prophet Muhammad e. He then makes reference to
great Imams that performed raqs, like the great authory of Hadîth and fiqh such as Shaykhul-Islâm
`Izzuddîn ibn `Abdis-Salâm t
"attended the samâ` and danced in states of ecstasy (wajd)!"
(kâna yahdurus-samâ` wa yarqusu wa yatawajadu)! (Ibn al-`Imâd,
Shadharatudh-dhahab, 5:302; Ibn Shâkir al-Kutabi, Fawât al-wafâyat, 1:595;
al-Yâfi`i, Mir'ât al-jinân, 4:154; al-Nabahâni, Jâmi` karamât al-awliyâ,
2:71; Abu al-Sa`âdat, Tâj al-ma`ârif, p. 250)
Imam Zahbi
and Imam ibn Kathir[24],
the student of ibn Taymiyya, who is
not counted as the Imam of ahle Sunnah
(translators note: since he
was under the influence of ibn Taimiyya) has
written in al-Bidaayah wa al-Nihaayah
about the brother-in-law of the pride of the Muslims, the liberator of al-Quds,
Sultan Salauddin Ayyubi, Shah Abu Saeed al-Muzaffar as to how he celebrated Meelad
on 12 Rabi ul-Awwal. He
used to slaughter 5000 sheep, 10 000 chicken and thousands used to attend
including Sufis. Imam ibn Kathir writes:
Wa yafalu
simaa’anu lis Sufiyati min az-zuhri ilal fajr…
He says that part of the meelad
celebrations consisted of sama, which lasted from zuhr
salaah to the fajr salaah, with
breaks for performance of salaah. He
goes on to say that Shah Abu Saeed al-Muzaffar used to ecstatically dance in raqs
with the Sufis. Imam Suyuti t
then mentions another hadith on Hazrath Jaafar ibn Abu Taalib t. He says that when Hazrath Jaafar ibn Abu Taalib t
returned from
Abyssinia
and on seeing the Holy Prophet Muhammad e
after such a long absence began dancing ecstatically[25].
In the Sunan of ibn abu Daud[26]
and Asqalani in Fath al-Baari that when the Holy Prophet Muhammad e
arrived in Madinah after the Hijra then the Companions having Abyssinian
roots danced ecstatically in happiness. Imam Bukhari[27]
has narrated this in at-Tarikh al-Kabeer. Imam Nawawi[28]
and Imam Asqalani have stated that this was a welcoming ecstatic dance (raqs)
by the Abyssinians who by nature did this at joyous occasions for they performed
raqs on every occasion of ‘
Id.
Imam Asqalani says that what can be a bigger Day of ‘Id for them than the
coming of the Holy Prophet Muhammad e
to Madinah. He says the first raqs was performed by the Abyssinians on
this day of arrival and thereafter they continued this mode of expression of
love for the Holy Prophet Muhammad e
on every ‘Id day.
A man from
Lahore
came to shaykh Hasan Muhammad Chishti t[29]
and said: “In this time there is no one worthy of listening to Sufi music”.
He replied: “If that was the case, the world would be destroyed”. The man
said: In past days there were men like Shaykh Baba Farid t, Shaykh Nizamuddin Awliya t
and shaykh Nasiruddin t. Now there
is no one like them”. The Chishti shaykh replied: “In their time men said
the very same thing”.
from an urdu lecture by Prof. Tahirul Qadri
Adapted and translated By Irshad Soofie Siddiqui
[1]
The whole of Chapter 1026 in Sahih al-Muslim is about "The Merits of
Hassaan bin Thabit t
And in the above cited (part of a longer) Hadith from that chapter (Vol. 4,
Book 29, p. 1328), we get a glimpse of how Hazrath Hassaan bin Thabit y actually replied. In hadith no 6081 Hazrath
Aisha y said: I
heard Allah's Messenger e
as saying to Hassaan: "Verily Ruh ul Quds would continue to help
you as long as you put up a defense on behalf of Allah Y
and His Messenger e". And she said: I heard Allah's
Messenger e as
saying: "Hassaan satirized against them and gave satisfaction to the
Muslims and disquieted the non-Muslims".
[2]
Narrated ‘Aisha: Once Hassaan bin Thabit t
asked the permission of the Holy Prophet e
to satirize (i.e. compose
satirical poetry defaming) the infidels. The Holy Prophet e
said, “What about the fact that I have common descent with them?” Hassan
replied, “I shall take you out of them as a hair is taken out of dough.”
Narrated ‘Urwa: I started abusing Hassan in front of ‘Aisha, whereupon
she said. “Don’t abuse him, for he used to defend the Prophet (with his
poetry).” (Book #56, Hadith
#731) Bukhari
[3]
This in no-way signifies the Holy Prophet Muhammad e
forbade his praise, but these are words of humility from the personification
of humility.
[4]
"And whoso obey Allah Y
and the Messenger (Muhammad e)
then they will be in the company of those on whom Allah Y
has bestowed His Grace,...." (4:69) Soon after the revelation of this
ayah, Rasulullah e
commented, "I can vouch for a Sahabi who is amongst those blessed by
Allah Y
." The Sahabah t
anxiously waited to hear the name of this auspicious individual. After a
slight pause, Rasulullah e
uttered from his blessed lips the name, "Abdullah bin Rawaha t
[5]
The entire poem is recorded by Ibn Hisham in his Sira. Ibn Hisham, Sirat
Rasulullah, p.503-513 of the translation by A.Guillaume, 9th
Printing (
Karachi
.
Oxford
Univ.
press, 1990)
[6]
Initially Hazrath K’ab t,
had recited نار (naar),
but the Holy Prophet Muhammad e
changed it to نور (nur)
and in recitation the Holy Prophet e
amendedسيوف
الًله to
سيوف
الهند
: refer Al-Malfuz al Sharif A’la Hazrath English Trans:
Barkatur Raza Publications, Durban, South Africa pages 234, 235
[7]
The hadith master (hafiz) and historian Ibn Sayyid al-Nas (d. 732) compiled
a 400-page anthology of over 180 male and female Companion-poets who recited
na`at in praise of the Prophet. In his book, entitled Minah al-madh (The
Gifts of Praise), he lists each Companion alphabetically, identifying them
by name and tribe and quoting a few representative lines of na`at from each.
[8]
Ibn Hajar, al-Isaba, No. 8639; Bayhaqi, 6:232; Ibn Kathir, al-Bidaya, 6:168.
[9]
Haythami said in Majmua az-Zawahid (9:174)
that he did not know its narrators. Tabarani also narrated it in al-Mujam-al-Kabir
(3:41#2623)
[10]
Tabuk (also spelled Tabouk) (Arabic: تبوك)
is a
province
of
Saudi Arabia
, located along the north-west coast of the country, facing
Egypt
across the
Red Sea
. The Holy Prophet Muhammad e
decided to lead a Muslim army into Roman territory before the Roman
armies crossed the Arab borders and threatened the heart of Islam. The Tabuk
expedition took place in Rajab, 9 A.H.
[11]
Ruh al-Ma'ani: The full name of this tafseer is 'Ruh al-Ma'ani fi Tafseer
al-Quran al-'Azim wa al-Sab al-Mathani' and it was written by 'Allamah
Mahmud al-Alusi (died 1270 Hijrah), the famous scholar of the last Period of
Baghdad, and comprises of thirty volumes.
[12]
Al Jaami` Al Saheeh. Version 1.07 - By Imam Al Bukhari Volume 44.155:
Narrated `Aisha:
Allah's Apostle came
to my house while two girls were singing beside me the songs of Bu'ath (a
story about the war between the two tribes of the Ansar, i.e. Khazraj and
Aus, before Islam.) The Prophet reclined on the bed and turned his face to
the other side. Abu Bakr came and scolded me and said protestingly,
"Instrument of Satan in the presence of Allah's Apostle?" Allah's
Apostle turned his face towards him and said, "Leave them." When
Abu Bakr became inattentive, I waved the two girls to go away and they left.
It was the day of `Id when the Africans used to play with leather shields
and spears. Either I requested Allah's Apostle or he himself asked me
whether I would like to see the display. I replied in the affirmative. Then
he let me stand behind him and my cheek was touching his cheek and he was
saying, "Carry on, O Bani Arfida!" When I got tired, he asked me
if that was enough. I replied in the affirmative and he told me to leave.
Sahih Muslim recorded, Book 004, Number 1942.
'A'isha reported: The
Messenger of Allah e
came (in my apartment) while there were two girls with me singing the song
of the Battle of Bu'ath. He lay down on the bed and turned away his face.
Then came Abu Bakr and he scolded me and said: Oh! this musical instrument
of the devil in the house of the Messenger of Allah e!
The Messenger of Allah e
turned towards him and said: Leave them alone. And when he (the Holy
Prophet) became unattentive, I hinted them and they went out, and it was the
day of 'Id and Africans were playing with shields and spears. (I do not
remember) whether I asked the Messenger of Allah e
or whether he said to me if I desired to see (that sport). I said: Yes. I
stood behind him with his face parallel to my face, and he said: “O Banu
Arfada, exert yourselves” till I was satiated. He said (to me): Is that
enough? I said: Yes. Upon this he asked me to go.
[13]
Rumi, Jalal ad-Din, 1207–73, founded the Mawlawiyya (Mevlevi) Sufi order,
who use dancing and music as part of their spiritual method, and who are
known in the West as Whirling Dervishes. Rumi's influence spread to
Persian-speakers in
Afghanistan
and central Asia, and beyond, to
Turkey
and
India
.
[14]
Ibn Hibban al-Busti, Muhammad (d. 354/965), Sahih ibn Hibban
[15]
Abu’l-Fadl Ahmad ibn Hajar, better known as Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani (Arabic:
ابن حجر
العسقلاني)
(February 18, 1372- d. February 2, 1449) Fath ul-Bari fi Sharh Sahih
al-Bukhari or Fathul Bari or "Grant of the Creator" is
the most valued Sunni commentary of Sahih Bukhari, written by Ibn Hajr
Asqalani in 18 volumes
[16]
Abu al-Qasim Mahmud ibn Umar al-Zamakhshari (1074 - 1143 or 1075-1144) was a
medieval Persian Hanafi scholar was born and died in Khiva in
Turkey
[17]
Sama’: The "spiritual concert" or audition or listening. This term
refers specifically to the Sufi gatherings where music and song are
employed as a means of opening the heart to inrushes (warid) of
knowledge and awareness. During the Sama' the listener may experience
ecstasy (wajd)
and find Allah, the Real
(al-haqq) within that ecstasy. However, before true ecstasy can be
experienced the listener must be spiritually mature, having been prepared
through discipline (riyada) and perpetual Remembrance of Allah (zikrullah).
Without this initial contraction (qabd) of spiritual endevour the
expansion (bast) of ecstasy will not be real. The sama is not suited for the
novice. True sama is a bird which flies from Allah to Allah. Allah is
the singer and Allah is the hearer. At this Divine Feast, the singer and the
hearer become one.
[18]
A]Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Sa'd al-Baghdadi, Kitab at-Tabaqat (The
book of The Major Classes) B] Shamsuddin Zahbi, C] Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, Fath
ul-Bari fi Sharh Sahih al-Bukhari D] Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Musnad, 1:108,
#860 and many others
[20]
Ahmad ibn Husayn Bayhaqi, also known as Imam Al-Bayhaqi
[21]
Abu `Amr al-Kindi al-Bazzar
[22]
Imam Al-Suyuti (c. 1445-1505 AD)
[23]
Hadra (Arabic:حضرة)
is the term given to the collective supererogatory rituals performed by Sufi
orders. The regular hadra is most often held on Thursday evenings
after night prayer, Fridays after Jum`a prayer, or Sunday evenings. The
hadra features various forms of dhikr (remembrance), including sermons,
collective study, recitation of Qur'an and other texts (especially
devotional texts particular to the Sufi order (tariqa), called hizb
and wird), religious poetic chanting, centering on praise and
supplication to God, religious exhortations, praise of the Holy Prophet e
, and requests for intercession (inshad dini or madih -
the latter term referring literally to "praise") and rhythmic
invocations of Allah, using one or more of His Names (especially
"Allah", "Hayy", "Qayyum", "Hu") or
the testimony of faith and tawhid: "la ilaha illa Allah"
(there is nothing worthy of worship but God). Rhythmic recitation of names
and chanting of religious poetry are frequently performed together. In
conservative Sufi orders no instruments are used, or the duff (frame drum)
only; other orders employ a range of instrumentation. The term in Arabic
literally means "presence". The collective Sufi ritual is
practiced under this name primarily in the Arab world, but also in some
non-Arab Muslim countries such as
Indonesia
.
[24]
Ismail ibn Kathir (Arabic : ابن
كثير) (1301-1373) was an Islamic scholar. His
full name is Abu Al-Fida, 'Imad Ad-Din Isma'il bin 'Umar bin Kathir Al-Qurashi
Al-Busrawi. He was born in
Busra
,
Syria
(hence Al-Busrawi).
[25]
Sulaiman bin Ahmad bin Ayub bin Mutair Al-Lakhmi At-Tabarani [b260
AH] in Al-Mu'jam Al-Awsat
[26]
Abu Da'ud or Abu Dawod, full name Abu Da'ud Sulayman ibn Ash`ath al-Azadi
al-Sijistani, was a noted collector of hadith (sayings of Muhammad), and
wrote the third of the six canonical hadith collections recognized by Sunni
Muslims, Sunan Abi Da'ud. He was born in Sijistan (Sistan or
Sagestan
,
Persia
) in 817, and died in 888.
[27]
Muhammad ibn Ismail al-Bukhari (810-870) He traveled widely throughout the
Abbasid empire, collecting traditions. He is said to have spent sixteen
years writing down those traditions he thought trustworthy.
[28]
Abu Zakaria Mohiuddin Yahya Ibn Sharaf al-Nawawi
(1233 - 1278) (Arabic:أبو
زكريا يحيى
بن شرف
النووي), popularly known as al-Nawawi,
an-Nawawi or Imam Nawawi (631 - 676 A.H. / 1255 - 1300 CE), was a Sunni
Muslim author on fiqh and hadith.[2] His position on legal matters is
considered the authoritative one in the Shafi'i Madhhab. He was born at Nawa
near
Damascus
,
Syria
. As with many Arabic and Semitic names, the last part of his name refers to
his hometown.
[29]
A great Sufi Master of
Gujarat
from the lineage of Allama Kamaluddeen t
and was the nephew and Khalifa of Shaykh Jamaluddin t.
Khwaja Hassan Muhammad t
was known as an ‘alim of deep knowledge and spirituality. He passed
away in 982 AH
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