Download responding to rufaqa`s deviation in aurad, al

RESPONDING TO RUFAQA’S DEVIATION IN AURAD, AL-MAHDI
AND BANI TAMIM
The result of the 17th Muzakarah by the Fatwa Committee of the National Council for
Islamic Affairs, on 6th October 1986, has decided that the distribution of the book ‘Aurad
Muhammadiah Pegangan Darul Arqam, Sekaligus Menjawab Tuduhan’ by Asaari
Muhammad must be restrained because it contains the teachings and beliefs contrary to
the tenets of Islam and misleads the Muslim community. In the book, among others, Asaari
said that Syeikh Muhammad al-Suhaimi is not dead and shall be sent by Allah s.w.t. as
Imam al-Mahdi.
The book proves Asaari’s deception in a meeting with the Federal Territory’s Mufti at Pusat
Islam on 19th July 1979. At that meeting, Asaari denied that he held on to such belief and his
denial was published in al-Arqam’s official newspaper in December 1979.
However, after seven years of concealing his heretical faith, Asaari washed his dirty linen in
the public by stressing that Syeikh Muhammad al-Suhaimi shall be the Imam al-Mahdi. It
was stated in the book on pages 176 to 186. Does Asaari adopt the principle of taqiyyah
(dissimulation) as believed by the Shiites too?
Amongst the bizarre things written in the Aurad Muhammadiyah was the additional
declaration in the syahadah (testimony of faith) fabricated by Asaari. Asaari was seen as
being too obsessed to become the right-hand man to Imam al-Mahdi that he would not stop
short of fabricating a new declaration that said “Muhammad al-Mahdi, khalifah Rasulillah”.
Does Asaari know the dangers of adding this declaration onto the syahadah of the Muslims?
The biggest danger is that, this addition contravened the excerpts of a sound hadith by
Rasulullah (peace and blessings be upon him) who narrated that syahadah is “I testify that
there is no true god (deity) but God (Allah), and that Muhammad is a Messenger (Prophet)
of God”. Thus, Asaari’s impious act of adding another declaration in the syahadah is bida’ah
1
munkarah (heresy) which is similar to the Shiites practice of adding the declaration “I
testify Ali waliyullah”.
Do Asaari and al-Arqam know that the declaration of syahadah being pronounced by
Muslims around the world is the consensus of Islamic scholars without any exaggeration?
Unless Asaari was inclined to follow the Shiism who rejected the consensus but made their
imam infallible. If so, this means that Asaari has claimed himself as the infallible imam, thus
making him no difference than the Shiites.
Secondly, whom did Asaari refer to as Imam al-Mahdi that he was willing to violate the
consensus by adding the additional declaration in the syahadah? Undoubtedly, the person
that Asaari referred to was Syeikh Muhammad al-Suhaimi who died in Kelang in 1952,
whom he said will reappear as Imam al-Mahdi after his disappearance. How deprave was
Asaari’s cerebration and belief that once again, because of his bigotry to be a noble leader,
has destroyed the creed of the people of Ahlus Sunnah Wal-Jamaah in this country.
Do Asaari and his followers know that the thought of ghaibat al-imam (occultation of
imam) does not exist in the creed of the Ahlus Sunnah Wal-Jamaah except for the Shiites. In
fact, they have made the belief in al-ghaibah (occultation) as the basis of their faith.
Unfortunately after the death of the Shiites’ eleventh imam, Imam al-Hasan al-Askari in
260H, the Shiites are still waiting for the reappearance of their twelfth imam. The Shiites
have forgotten that Imam al-Hasan al-Askari actually did not have any descendants as cited
in the history scriptures. But because of the Shiites’ bigotry, they created a story that Imam
al-Hasan left a child by the name of Muhammad who disappeared at the age of four and will
reappear as Imam al-Mahdi at the end of the epoch. However, after thousands of years,
until today, Imam al-Mahdi (according to the Shiite’s version) is still lying low.
Is this the belief that is followed and cultivated by Asaari Muhammad to his followers? If
this is true, this means that Asaari’s faith is more ghastly than the faith of the Shiites
2
because the Shiites have decided that the genealogy of the imam shall be from the
descendents of Imam Alul-Bayt, but this is not so for Asaari Muhammad.
Thirdly, does Asaari know the characteristics of Imam al-Mahdi as narrated in Rasulullah’s
(peace and blessing be upon him) hadiths? In fact, the main question that would clam up
Asaari’s claim of his version of Imam al-Mahdi and the Shiites, is the references that show
Imam al-Mahdi will not emerge from occultation but will be born just like any other babies.
If Asaari had read and studied the narrations, there is not even a single narration that
stated he is originally the imam in occultation.
It should be understood that the coming of Imam al-Mahdi happens unnoticed by him that
he is the would-be Imam al-Mahdi. This is based on the hadith of Rasulullah (peace and
blessing be upon him): “al-Mahdi will be from the descendants of Alul-Bayt. No doubt Allah
will islah (enforce) his appearance within a night”1. Islah here means Allah s.w.t. will
prepare him to be the Khalifah to lead the Muslims in encountering chaos and wars within
a night. He then, will be acknowledged in front of the Ka’abah, even though he himself will
not like it2.
Besides that, we need to understand why Allah s.w.t. deliberately conceals the direction of
which al-Mahdi will appear. According to scholars who carried out studies on history, there
is no single strong evidence or dalil that could prove the direction from where al-Mahdi will
appear before he is acknowledged at the Ka’bah. However, there are three opinions
debated by them.
The first opinion said that Imam al-Mahdi will come out from the east as mentioned by
Ibnu Kathir3. Secondly, al-Mahdi will emerge from the west or maghrib. This is the opinion
1 This is a sound hadith narrated by Ahmad in his Musnad and Sunan of Ibn Majah from Ali r.a. It was verified
by Syeikh Ahmad Syakir while giving a commentary in Musnad of Ahmad.
2 This can be seen via athar by Nu’aim bin Hammad from Abdullah bin Mas’ud in the book al-Fitab, Chapter:
“The Gathering of People in Mecca and Their Initiation Towards al-Mahdi”, case. 214.
3 Refer to the book al-Fitan Wa al-Malahim regarding The Story of al-Makdi.
3
of Imam al-Qurtubi4. The third opinion said that al-Mahdi originates from the people of
Medina who had fled to Mecca as mentioned in another hadith, but there were some flaws
in the sanad (chain of reporters)5.
Through these simple exposé, we can conclude that there is a blessing in disguise that Allah
s.w.t. dissimulates the place from where al-Mahdi will appear. Probably it is meant not to
be disclosed in order to preserve and protect the birthplace of Imam al-Mahdi so that he
will be protected against the intrigue of the enemies of Islam. We are fully aware of how the
Zionist under the disguise of the orientalists always conducts continuous researches onto
Islamic resources to find ways to stop the course of Islam.
It seemed that the concept of Imam al-Mahdi as understood by the Ahlus Sunnah WalJamaah through authentic stories is totally different from Asaari Muhammad’s version of
Imam al-Mahdi. Asaari had long enthroned Syeikh Muhammad Suhaimi as Imam al-Mahdi,
so to speak. In fact, Asaari added that the so-called Imam al-Mahdi had sought audience
with Rasullullah (peace and blessing be upon him) in yaqazah (state of awake) in order to
be granted the aurad inside Ka’bah. The truth is that all these are just Asaari’s fabrications
to upgrade himself among his followers. There is no such history, authentic or false, clear
or ambiguous, which indicates that Muhammad al-Suhaimi is Imam al-Mahdi, who received
the aurad as foretold by Asaari.
After understanding Asaari’s deviant teaching who named Syeikh Muhammad al-Suhaimi
as Imam al-Mahdi, he had contributed another deviation of which he regarded his existence
surpassing the Imam al-Mahdi himself even though at first he regarded himself as Imam alMahdi’s aide. Had he forgotten Imam al-Mahdi’s actual responsibility? Rasullulah (peace
4
Refer to the book al-Tazkirah, Chapter “From Which Direction Will al-Mahdi Appear and the Signs”.
The hadith was narrated by Imam Ahmad and Abu Daud from Ummu Salamah. The narration of Ibnu Abi
Syaibah and Tabrani in al-Ausat . Al-Haithami mentioned in his book Majma’ al-Zawai’d”, its rawi (reporters)
were the reporters of sound hadith. They were verified by Ibnu Qayyim. However, according to al-Albani, the
chain or reporters were weakened by more than one ulama of hadith.
5
4
and blessings be upon him) said: “Al-Mahdi will come from amongst my progeny, he will
have a broad forehead and a pointed nose. He will fill the earth with justice as it is filled
with injustice and tyranny. He will rule for seven years6”.
In short, Imam al-Mahdi’s duty is to fill the earth with justice and equity. It has nothing to
do with Asaari’s illogical illusion who claimed that he is from the Bani Tamim. He also
regarded himself as the prince of Bani Tamim. Does Asaari know who Bani Tamim is? In
Sahih Muslim, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “These people (of the
tribe of Bani Tamim) would stand firm against Ad-Dajjal7.”
This means that the last commitment of Bani Tamim at the end of the time is to face the
Dajjal. There is no narration that foretells Bani Tamim will be the sahibuz zaman,
fortuneteller, God’s planner, mujaddid, God’s men, receiver of revelation and et cetera.
These are just exaggerations by Asaari and have nothing to do with the true concept of Bani
Tamim. Surprisingly, the appellation of sahibuz zaman as being adopted by the Rufaqa’
today, is not based on the Ahlus Sunnah Wal-Jamaah but copied from the title given by the
Shiites to their Imam al-Mahdi, who is still unseen!
Asaari’s doctrine claims that he has a direct relationship with Imam al-Mahdi, Syeikh
Muhammad al-Suhaimi, which is obviously imitated from the doctrine of the Shiite. The
Shiites said that their imam has direct and continuous relations with the much-awaited
Imam al-Mahdi. The centuries-long waiting caused many of the Shiites to make false claims
of having direct relationships with Imam al-Mahdi. These are fabricated by the Shiites in
order to approve the al-aqidah al-mahdiyah created by them. This belief existed in both the
Twelve Imam of Shiah (al-Ithna al-‘Asyriyyah) and the Syiah Ismaliyyah.
6
Hadith Hasan narrated by Abu Daud and Hakim from Abu Said al-Khudri. Quoted by Ibnu Qayyim alJauziyyah in the book al-Manar al-Munir : the Chain of Narration (Sanad) is Reliable”. This hadith was
classified as “good hadith” by al-Albani in the books Takhrijul Misykat and Sahihul Jami.
7 Sahih Muslim , hadith no 2525, Book Fadha’il al-Sahabah.
5
Clearly, the basis of such faith is based on the doctrine of batiniyyah (seekers after the inner
or spiritual interpretation of revelation) that said: “every apparent state of things (zahir)
has an inner, allegorical, hidden or secret meaning (batil) and for each verse has its own
takwil’. Asaari likes to create his own takwil (elucidations) and the hidden predictions
(batil) that stemmed from this doctrine.
In conclusion, Asaari Muhammad has made a significant mistake in his faith. It started with
the deviation in Aurad Muhammadiyah, the misunderstanding of the concept of Imam alMahdi and the misinterpretation of the real concept of Bani Tamim. All these are the results
of his abysmal ignorance for not adopting religion from its definite sources like the alQur’an, hadith, ijma’ of ulama’ and al-Qiyas (correct analogy).
Wallahu’alam
Aqidah Branch
JAKIM Research Division
6