FIRST LETTER
Assalam-u-alaikum Shaykh Abdul-Hadi,
Shaykh Samir has written a small book against Shaykh Nazim al-Qubrusi. Shaykh Samir has proof from Shaykh Nazim's own books that he is an "innovator." I am confused on this issue. Shaykh Samir's refutation is on the world-wide-web. PLEASE read it and tell me your opinions about it. Shaykh Hisham Kabbani hates Shaykh Samir and his organization. Here is the web-site:
http://www.aicp.org/html/preface.htm
I look forward to hearing from you about this refutation against Shaykh Qubrusi by Shaykh Samir al-Kadi. According to Shaykh Samir, Shaykh Qubrusi is a "fake" follower of the Naqshbandi sufi order. Is this true? Please verify this for me.
BarakAllahu-fik. Assalam-u-alaikum-wa-Rehmtullah.
ANSWER
Wa 'alaykum salam wr wb dear Brother.
Until now, I have always abstained from criticizing Nazim al-Qubrusi, out of two main reasons: he was in the Naqshbandi silsilah, and his organization has converted to Islam many non-Muslims, especially in Europe and the US. It is a well-known fact that he is not a real 'alim in Islamic sciences, and some explanations about the Shari'ah I personally heard from him are at least questionable.
Decadence and deviations in tariqahs are a generalized situation, and that is the main reason why I do not tell Muslims, "Enter this or this other tariqah". The Sufi path is effective when the Shaykh is a real murshid, that is to say, a wali, and a wali is always, by definition, an 'alim. When you follow a tariqah whose shaykh, although not a wali, is a Sunni 'alim, you can at least increase you hasanats and your knowledge. Many of today's shuyukhs are not even ulemas, but having a shaykh who is only a pious Muslim could in some cases be enough.
The problem is - as always - that most of non-learnt shuyukhs can fall victims to kibr and pride, and Shaytan can influence them in creating bid'ahs and preaching strange doctrines. Imam Rabbani restored Sufism to a 100 % concordance with the Shari'ah, and the Naqshbandi tariqah has been for centuries a warranty of correctness in 'aqidah, fiqh and kalam. What I know is that high-level Naqshbandis in Istanbul (at least ten years ago) were fearing that Nazim would fall in dalalah: the project of "creating a form of da'wah for Western disciples" was quite hazardous, and the sentences quoted in Shaykh Samir's paper are enough to show that Nazim has already crossed the border that separate Sunni Islam from Batinism. The real risk is that his disciples will loose their iman and became another misguided sect. After Qadiyyanis and Bahais, we will have Nazimis, too! May Allah protect this Ummah from such a opportunity!
Unfortunately, finding Nazim's books in Italy is difficult. But there is no doubt that his local organization is quite strange. Most of his followers are completely unlearnt, and think that studying Islamic sciences is useless, since the "correct" way to approach Allah is not "reading the Koran, studying hadiths, studying fiqh, etc", but only "living with the Shaykh and attending his lessons". Some of them converted years ago, and are yet unable to read Arabic letters. I know a person that is called "Shaykh", claims to be Nazim's representative in Italy, but is not able to read from the Koran... I forwarded him a copy of your study on Mawalids, and he answered me, "Writing about the Shari'ah is dangerous and must be avoided. One risks committing mistakes..." When a Muslim start thinking, "I must accept everything that comes from my Shaykh, even in cases it contradicts the Shari'ah", he is separating himself from Ahl as-Sunnah and becoming a batini. On the contrary, as Shaykh Samir remembers, the Sahabahs used to discuss even Omar's ijtihad! Can Nazim, or someone else, be better than Omar al-Khattab in understanding the Shari'ah? Insha Allah Ta'ala, if you are able to find some of Nazim's books, please try to send me them by mail. I will study them accurately and - insha Allah - will ask the Board here to discuss the opportunity of a fatwa. May Allah always bless you and increase your science, wa-s-salamu 'alaykum wr wb.
Abdul Hadi Palazzi
SECOND LETTER
Assalam-u-'alaykum-wa-Rehmatullahi-wa-Barakatuh Shaykh Abdl-Hadi,
BarakAllahu-fik for your prompt replies to my messages. You are
never fatigued to bid the "ma'roof" and forbid the
munkar fi-SabiLillah. JazakAllahu al-khair! Hisham Kabbani's Nazimist
organization replied to the refutation by Shaykh Samir against
Nazim at the following web-site:
http://naqshbandi.org/frmteach.htm
After reading it, I was not absolutely convinced because Kabbani's organization didn't answer to every single point that Shaykh Samir made against him. The bottom line is, if what Shaykh Samir al-Kadi quoted is true or not. The books are available over here in the United States. I'll buy his books and mail them to you InshaAllah. A Fatwa from your Association would be beneficial indeed after much circumspection of proof and claims from both sides. On a personal level, I have not heard or read anything in Hisham Kabbani's homepage that is incorrect (to my knowledge). About Nazim, I haven't read his books, but I have a very trustworthy and reliable friend over here who has, and he says that what Shaykh Samir quoted from his books was absolutely true. In fact, Shaykh Samir has named Hisham Kabbani as a deviant too since he heard him say: "Muhammad is Rahman." Furthermore, Shaykh Samir has named Nazim's Shaykh, Daghistani, a deviant also! Here is more of what Shaykh Samir said: "Also be warned against a faction known as ad-Daghistaniyyah who claim to follow the Naqshabandiyyah tariqah. They follow a man called Abdullah ad-Daghistaniyyah, who claimed he died and 124,000 prophets came and brought him back to life. He said he would not die again until the mahdiyy appears, and that he would live for seven years with the Imam al-Mahdi. Allahu akbar; he died about four months after he made that claim! Among his misguided sayings is: "He who recites the Fatihah will receive merits and benefits that no one among the waliyys or the prophets of Allah will receive--even if the person who recites the Fatihah was openly a blasphemer or a hypocrite who conceals his blasphemy." Abdullah ad- Daghistaniyyah's successor is a man named Nadhim al-Qubrusiyy, also known as Nadhim al-Haqqaniyy. His group is present in this country represented by a misguided man by the name of Hisham Qabbaniyy and in other countries represented by his brother, Adnan Qabbaniyy. They have several followers who follow them in ignorance."
The aforementioned is what is written in Shaykh Samir's organization's website (AICP) at:
http://www.aicp.org/html/sufism_part_2.htm
To see the main-page of AICP, go to:
Believe me shaykh, it seems to me that Nazim's followers follow him even when he is wrong. For instance, Shaykh Samir quoted from Nazim's book that if a Muslim goes to a guest's house, he should not be rude. If he is not sure that the meat he is eating is halal or not, he should say shahada a certain number of times, say something else a certain number of times, and then eat the meat. This is completely absurd. If you can solve this dilemma for us, it would be great. On the AICP homepage, you will see Shaykh Samir's contact information. You may contact him in case you have specific questions about Nazim.
Also, there have been refutation web-sites against Shaykh Samir's organization by wahhabees (and ikwan) web-site: amazingly, it is also posted on the Nazimist homepage! Here is the web-site URL:
http://www.islam.org.au/articles/older/AHBASH.HTM
It was surprising to me that the Nazimist homepage included this article in their homepage, when it is quite obvious that it was written by a wahhabi or ikhwani. I wrote a message to Kabbani's organization asking them to verify WHO exactly the author is, but they didn't reply. As to whether those quotes are true or not, I don't know. Shaykh Samir can shed some light on that. That's all for now. May Allah bless you for your efforts and propagation of Truth. Ameen.
Assalam-u-alaikum-wa-Rehmtaullahi-wa-Barakatuh.
Your brother and student
As-salamu 'alaykum wr wb dear Brother.
Obviously, the most terrible aspect underlined in Shaykh Samir's paper is Hisham Kabbani's declaration according to which "the Prophet (sall-Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam) is ar-Rahman". According to the Arabic grammar, the name ar-Rahman can be used for Allah only, and saying, "a created being is ar-Rahman" is kufr al-zahir (explicit unbelief); there is no difference between this form of kufr and the doctrine of those Christians who say, "Inna Allaha Huwa al-Masih ibnu Maryam". Even Jews are using this name for Allah only. If Kabbani has already said so, (and there is no reason to doubt about Shaykh Samir's words), that means he is ignoring the basic knowledge of sifat ad-Dhatiyyah and at-Thubutiyyah. Ulemas of 'ilmu-l-kalam regard this knowledge as fard 'ayni! Some Divine names can be used for created being, too.
We can say, for instance, Zayd is a just person ('adil), is learnt ('alim), or ready to forgive (ra'uf), or even merciful (rahim). That means that is created nature participate (in a partial and limited way) of this attribute. Allah Himself says the Prophet (sall-Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam) is "bi-l-mu'minina ra'uf-ur-rahim". On the contrary, there are other attributes that, in His science, Allah Ta'ala reserved for Himself only, and using them for created beings is kufr. None can be called "Quddus", "Maliku 'l-mulk", "Dhu 'l-jalali wa-l-ikram", etc. These Names only refer to the One Who is "Alladhi la ilaha illa Hu". Ar-Rahman is one of these names, and it is the closest one to the Dhat ilahiyyah express by the name "Allah". For this reason Allah says, "Supplicate Allah, or supplicate ar-Rahman...", and the Prophet (sall-Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said, "The most beautiful names (for a Muslim) are 'Abd-Ullah and 'Abdu-r-Rahman".
It is quite hard to think that someone who ignores all this is a legitimate heir of the silsilah of Shaykh an-Naqshbandi and Imam Rabbani. Words attributes to Shaykh Daghestani are really dangerous, too. The Sunni 'aqidah is "A Ulu-l-'azm is closer to Allah than a Rasul, a Rasul is closer than a Nabi, a Nabi is closer than a Wali, and a Wali is closer than a non-Wali". This doctrine is so generally accepted that even Ibn Taimiyyah repeats it in its traditional formulation. A single 'ibadah cannot make a person better than a Wali or a Prophet, while those who say, "A Wali can reach a higher degree than a Prophet" are Imamiyyah, Ismailiyyah or Batiniyyah. Please, if it is possible for you, forward a copy of this message of mine to Shaykh Samir al-Kadi. I want of express my support for his jihad, and tell him "Jazak-Allahu khayra". In the meanwhile, insha Allah Ta'ala, I will read Kabbani's answer. In my opinion, a real Sunni 'alim would never quote a wahhabi-salafi document to support his point of view. Al-Haqq cannot be supported by al-batil, since al-batil disappears when al-Haqq comes. May Allah bless you again and again, and reward you for your precious work. I am always remembering you in my du'ahs.
Abdul Hadi Palazzi
APPENDIX
On August 13, 2000, another murid wrote:
Salaam, sheikh palazzi what do you say about sheikh kabbani and nazim of the naqshabandiyyah?
ANSWER
Wa 'alaykum salam wa rahmat-Ullahi wa barakatuH.
Dear Brother,
I think it is necessary to make a distinction between Tariqah an-Naqshbandiyyah and the cult lead by Nazim al-Qubrusi, and also to make another distinction between Nazim al-Qubrusi himself and his disciple Hisham Kabbani.
As for the Naqshbandiyyah, it is one of the blessed and venerable orders of Tasawwuf, and to it belonged many Awliya' and outstanding Ulema, like Imam Ahmad ar-Rabbani as-Sarhindi, Shaykh Waliyyu-Llah Dehlawi, Imam Ibn Abidin, Shaykh Khalid al-Baghdadi, and many others, may Allah Ta'ala be pleased with all of them.
As for the Nazimi cult, it is an evident caricature of Tasawwuf, a new age American sect which is unjustly appropriating the name of the authentic Naqshbandiyyah (which exists in many countries, and whose Shuyukh are not connected at all to Nazim al-Qubrusi). In my opinion, there are plenty of proofs which permit to say that Nazimi cult is outside of Tasawwuf, and outside of Islam, too. Nazim al-Qubrusi, who claims to be a Sufi Shaykh and a Mufti, (and who is even described by his blind followers as a "Wali", and even as "the Sultan of Awliya") is an ignorant charlatan who frequently quotes hadith which do not exist, introduces claimed "rules of fiqh" which have no base in the Shari'ah, and makes many declarations which involve evident kufr. His cult is a creation the US intelligence, and is openly backed by important sectors of the Western ruling class. While authentic Sufis run away from the company of politicians (even when those politicians are good Muslim rulers) Nazim is fond of be photographed with Clinton, with prince Charles, etc. His sect represents the counterfeit version of Islam and Sufism which is offered to Caucasian intellectuals. In a certain sense, Nazimism is the imitation of Islam which is offered to white Americans, while Farrakhanism is the imitation of Islam which is offered to black Americans.
A Sunni scholar who lives in Washington, Shaykh Samir al-Kadi, has studied in details Nazim al-Qubrusi's papers and speeches, and refuted them in an essay bearing the significant title of "The Irrefutable Proof that Nazim al-Qubrusi Negates Islam". It can be read at
http://www.aicp.org/html/nazim_al-qubrusi_negates_islam.htm .
I personally witness that what Shaykh Samir writes in that essay is in line with the 'aqidah of Ahlu-s-Sunnah w-l-Jama'ah.
You can also visit the related correspondence reproduced on the Web [this same page].
While Nazim al-Qubrusi writes and says many absurdities, and gives repeated proofs of ignorance of the basic principles of Islam, Hisham Kabbani is on the contrary learnt in Islamic sciences, and what he writes is generally in line with the 'aqidah of Ahlu-s-Sunnah. He has written good books, like "Salafi Unveiled" or "The Encyclopedia of Islam", and also contributed to denounce the role of Wahhabism as the root of contemporary pseudo-Islamic extremism, and to unveil the plans of the Wahhabi organizations in the United States. Were not for his connection to Nazim al-Qubrusi and for some problematic declarations of his, one could suppose that Hisham Kabbani is a Sunni scholar.
It seems that they are dividing the job between themselves: Nazim attracts those who are new-age oriented and ignorant of Islam, while Hisham Kabbani tries to represent the supposed "orthodox face" of the sect.
How it is possible for a learnt Sunni Muslim to become a follower of an ignorant charlatan? We cannot see inside Hisham Kabbani's heart, and cannot give an exact answer. Even so, we cannot avoid noting that is simply impossible for a man who wrote the five volumes of the "Encyclopedia of Islam" not to realize the deviances contained in Nazim's books and speeches. If Hisham Kabbani accepts to follow Nazim al-Qubrusi, it is simply impossible that this happens in good faith, and that he is not able to realize the fraud that Shaykh Samir and many other Sunni Ulema realized very well. The probable answer, w-Allahu a'lam, is that Hisham Kabbani sold his Iman out, and accepted to put his science at the service of a notorious heretic out of the uncontrolled desires of his nafs. By becoming his disciple, Hisham Kabbani acquired a high status in mundane life: he lives with all the comforts in Beverly Hills, became the "official chaplain" of the White House, is beloved by those Western politicians who have created and funded Nazim's false cult. The Glorious Qur'an deals with those who exchange the error with the right direction, and the punishment with forgiveness, and Allah Ta'ala says that they will not benefit from this exchange. The history of Islam knows many examples of scholars who sold their science and their reputation out because of their exaggerate love of wealthy and power. Probably Hisham Kabbani is just another similar case. Were he making tawbah, separating from the wicked charlatan and coming back to Islam, we would be among the first ones to congratulate with him and to thank Allah Ta'ala for this. We ask Allah Ta'ala to guide Hisham Kabbani to a sincere repentance, so that he stops putting his science at the service of a false cult, and put it at the service of Islam.
Praise be to Allah and Allah knows best.
Wa-s-salamu 'alaykum wa rahmat-Ullahi wa barakatuH.
Abdul Hadi Palazzi
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