[santorio]

Hadhrat Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi (rahmatullah alayh) said that Bid’ah is not confined to meelaad, qiyaam, urs and similar practices in which the Ahl-e-Barelwi sect notoriously specializes. Bid’ah exists even in the ranks of our Ulama of Deoband, and this Bid’ah is on the rise. Bid’ah is proportionately incremental to the decrease of the quality of Ilm and Taqwa.

Whilst the Janaazah of Taqwa has long ago departed from the ranks of the molvis who align themselves with Deoband, the Janaazah of even Zaahiri Ilm (textual/book knowledge) is on its way to the Qabrustaan. It is precisely on account of the demise of Taqwa and Ilm, that the new brand of ‘deobandi’ molvies are groping in darkness, searching for ways out from
the tunnel of darkness. Since they lack the necessary Ilm and Taqwa to combat the deluge of Bid’ah and Baatil in which the
community is submerged, they are now blindly emulating the ways of the Qabar Pujaaris.

It is the long-standing Bid’ah practice of the Barelwi Qabar Pujaaris (graveworshippers) to conduct a flurry of ‘seerah’ and moulood programmes specially in the month of Rabiul Awwal. Molvis aligned to Deoband are now jumping onto this Bid’ati wagon. Bereft of sound Ilm which is an imperative requisite for combating Bid’ah and Baatil, they have clambered on board the Bid’ati wagon, hence they too are now introducing the Rabiul Awwal bid’ah in their ranks.

Bid’ah is the product primarily of jahaalat (ignorance). Ignorance is zulmat (darkness), and zulmat can be dispelled with only Ilm (sound knowledge of the Deen adorned with Noor), for Ilm is Noor (spiritual Light). The Bid’ah of the Bareilwis cannot be combated and extinguished by introducing Bid’ah or by adopting their methods.

The New Brand Ulama of Deoband, i.e. those who are not of the Barelwi sect and who proclaim to be followers of the
Akaabir Ulama of Deoband, but who are not genuine followers of the Akaabireen, have strayed from Siraatul Mustaqeen. The vile process of halaalization of haraam, bid’ah, fisq and fujoor is now a deepseated disease in the molvis of our jamaat. There is no resemblance between them and the Akaabir Ulama of Deoband. There is a difference of heaven and earth between the two groups.

Their self-professed alignment with the Ulama of Deoband is a deceptive canard, They befool themselves and beguile others who cherish respect and honour for the illustrious Akaabireen of Deoband. Their ‘seerah’ jalsahs are either manifestations of their nafs craving for cheap publicity, or the effect of wayward jahaalat which is an attribute of such knowledge whose objective is the dunya. They manipulate knowledge for worldly and nafsaani motives. They are signs of Qiyaamah. Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) commenting on the Signs of Qiyaamah, mentioned that “The dunya will be pursued with the amal (deed) of the Aakhirah.” In other words, under guise of ibaadat, the ‘learned’ men will seek worldly, nafsaani and monetary goals.

It is not permissible to organize ‘seerah’ jalsahs in Rabiul Awwal nor is it permissible to participate in such gatherings of Bid’ah.


The Majlis