Tasawwuf: Proponents and Opponents
In his magnum opus Ihyā as sunnah, Shehu Usmanu bin Fuduye' dedicates the last chapter to tackling innovations having to do with Ihsan—what is otherwise referred to as tasawwuf.
He cautions against the following:
• Denying the miracles of Awliya.
• Falsely claiming miracles for one's self.
• Reading the works of people of unveiling (kashf).
On the first point:
ومن ذلك: إنكار كرامات الأولياء، وهو بدعة محرمة إجماعا. قال العلماء: ويخشى على من ينكرها سوء الخاتمة، والعياذ بالله!
"Among these [innovations] is denying miracles of the awliyā. By consensus, this is a forbidden innovation. The scholars say, 'For the one who denies these, an evil ending is feared.' We seek refuge with Allah!"
Right after establishing this, he touches false claimants of spiritual positions and miracles for a balance.
He says:
ومن ذلك: ادعاء الإنسان لتلك الكرامات، وهو ليس من أهلها، وهو بدعة محرمة إجماعا. قال العلماء: ويخشى على من يدعيه وهو ليس من أهلها سوء الخاتمة والعياذ بالله!
"Among these [innovations] is people falsely claiming these miracles while they are unfit for them. By consensus, this is a forbidden innovation. The scholars say, 'An evil ending is feared for the one who falsely claims these miracles without being fit for them.' We seek refuge with Allah!"
He then moves on to address our penchant for reading books of the people of unveiling—and I'll add to this the penchant for "teaching" them on social media:
ومن ذلك: النظر في كتب أهل الكشف لمن لم يفرق بين الذرة والفيل، وهو بدعة محرمة.
والنظر في كتب أهل الكشف لا يجوز إلا للعالم الذي يعلم كتاب الله، وسنة رسوله ﷺ ، يأخذ منها ما بان رشده، ويدع ما لم يتضح له مسلما له غير عامل به، لا لنقص في قائله بل لعدم الوقوف على علمه، إذ لا يكلف أحد بما لم ينته إليه علمه؛ بل لا يجوز اتباعه (ولا تقف ما ليس لك به علم).
"Among these [innovations] is searching in the books of the people of spiritual unveiling (kashf) by those who cannot differentiate between an atom and an elephant. This is a forbidden innovation. Reading the books of people of spiritual unveiling is not permissible except for the scholar who knows the Book of Allah [Qur'an] and the Sunnah of His Messenger ﷺ. He should take from these books that which is of clear guidance and leave that which is unclear to him. Surrendering to it without acting in accordance with it. This is not done due to a deficiency found within the sayer, but because he [the scholar] has been unable to make meaning of his [the sayer's] knowledge. This is because no one is held responsible for that which his knowledge does not encompass. On the contrary, it is not permissible for him to even follow it.
(Do not follow that which you have no knowledge)."
Allah Ya sa mu dace.
