Some Statements of Shaykh ul-Islaam Ibn Taymeeyah About the Soofeeyah
Shaykh ul-Islaam Ibn Taymeeyah (d.728) -Rahimullaah- said :
‘This is because every time the people were closer to the time of the Messenger of Allah their Bida’ was less, and this type of Bida’ was (generally) in speech and statements.
Those who committed Bida’ were not from amongst the Tabi’een (those who followed the Companions) and those who followed them, rather it was people who worshipped Allaah by dancing and listening to music. Just as there were people at that time from the Khawarij (those who rebel against the Muslim leader), the Mutazilah and the Shia, there were also amongst them those who belied Qadrhowever, there were not amongst these people of Bida’ those who used Qadr as a justification for their actions.
Thereafter a lot of the Bida’ of action occurred amongst those people who came later, they were the ordinary (ignorant) worshippers and those who abstained from the Dunyaa, the poor people and the Soofeeyah. This Bida’ of actions was not generally present at the time of the Tabi’een and those who followed them, in contrast to the people of Bida’ and their innovated statements. Because this Bida’ of statements appeared at the time of the Companions and those who followed the Companions, due to this it was known, and at that time doubts regarding Bida’ were stronger and their people were more intelligent, as for the Bida’ of the people nowadays who abstain from the Duniya and the Soofeeyah then their people are more ignorant and further away from following the Messenger of Allaah.’
[Taken from ‘Majmoo’ Fatawa’ vol.19/275, ‘Mawqif Ibn Taymeeyah min as-Soofeeyah’ vol.1/240]
2. The Dislike of the Soofeeyah for Knowledge.
Shaykh ul-Islaam Ibn Taymeeyah -Rahimullaah- said:
‘As for the people who worship with Bida’, then the Shaytaan beautifies these acts of worship for them and makes them hate the paths of the Sharia’ until he makes them hate knowledge, the Qur’aan and Hadeeth. So they do not like to listen to the Qur’aan and Hadeeth nor do they like to remember it, and perhaps they are caused to hate books so they do not love books nor the one who has a book, whether it is a Mus’haf or a book of Hadeeth.
Just as an-Nasrabaadthi said, the Soofeeyah used to say: ‘How can you leave the knowledge of (al-Kharq- a type of clothing that is specific to the Soofeeyah) and take the knowledge of the Sharia’and knowledge!’ He said: ‘I used to hide my writing materials from them but when I became older they were in need of my knowledge.’
As-Siree as–Saqtee mentioned that one of the Soofeeyah entered upon him and when he saw that he had a pen and ink he left and did not sit with him…..and many of the Soofeeyah frighten away those who mention the Qur’aan or the Sharia’, or if he has a book with him or if he writes.
This is because they feel that this type of person has in him something that oppresses his Tareeqah(path) so their Shayateen make them flee from knowledge, just as a Jew and a Christian causes his son to flee from listening to the speech of the Muslims so that he does not change his belief of his religion. Likewise, the people of Nuh would place their fingers in their ears and cover themselves up with their garments so that they could not hear his speech or see him.
Allaah Ta’ala said about the Mushrikeen:
<< And those who disbelieve say: ‘Listen not to this Qur’aan, and make noise in the midst of its (recitation) that you may overcome.’>> [Fussilat: 26]
And Allaah Ta’ala said:
< As if they were frightened (wild) donkeys. >> [al-Mudathir: 49-50]
And they are from those people who are most wanting to listen and hear Bida’, like the listening of musical instruments and they are the furthermost to listening to that which is from the Sharia’; like the listening of the Ayaat of Allaah -Ta’ala.’
[Taken from ‘Majmoo’ Fatawa’ vol. 10/412-413]
3. Shaykh ul-Islaam Ibn Taymeeyah spoke about the deviancy of Ahul-Kalaam (the people of theological rhetoric) and the Ahl-ul-Tassawuff (Soofeeyah) saying:
‘So every one of the two deviant groups have two aspects of corruption and evil.
One of which is:
Speech without knowledge- if they are the people of theological rhetoric
Action without knowledge – if they are the Soofeeyah
That is what has occurred from the Bida’ of theological rhetoric and the Bida’ in actions which oppose the Book and the Sunnah.
The second is:
The people of theological rhetoric abandon actions and as for the Soofeeyah then they abandon statements and theological rhetoric.
As for the Ahl-ul-Sunnah their speech and their actions both inwardly and outwardly are with knowledge. And both their speech and actions are connected, and they are the Muslims in truth. They remain upon the straight path, the path of whom Allah has blessed and not the path of those whom incur the anger of Allaah, nor the path of those who are misguided.
As for the deviants of the people of theological rhetoric then they have the resemblance of the Jews, and as for the deviant of the people of the Soofeeyah then they have the resemblance of the Christians, this is why the people of theological rhetoric were overcome with the science of ciphering (using systems and symbols for extracting rules), and what indicates to that from knowledge and belief.
And what overcame the Soofeeyah was whisperings and along with that which rouses them into (al-Wajd) a state where the heart becomes empty.’
[Taken from ‘Majmoo’ Fatawa’ vol.2/41-42 ‘Mawqif Ibn Taymeeyah min as-Soofeeyah’ vol.1/ 245]
Translated & Compiled by Abbas Abu Yahya
