IMPORTANT QUESTIONS FOR MUFTI ISMAIL MENK (HAFIZAHULLAH) Esteemed and Respected Mufti Ismail Menk, As-salamu alaikum wa rahmat ’ullahi wa barakatuh We pray you are in the best of iman and health. May Allah Almighty accept the good work of Dawah that you are actively engaged in and may He increase us all in guidance. Ameen. I had the good fortune of attending one of your lectures on your UK tour in mid-February but unfortunately missed you on your second visit. I am sure it has come to Respected Mufti Menk’s attention that a number of texts and emails are being circulated here in the UK regarding the beliefs and manhaj of Respected Mufti Menk, leaving both Ulamah and laypeople extremely confused and dumbfounded. It is an accepted Islamic principle that allegations are not to be taken at face value and certainly not to be propagated. Nonetheless, some of the issues which are being highlighted in these texts and messages are undoubtedly cause for concern, for which reason we are being audacious to pose some questions which we feel require urgent answers. Allah is our witness that this is not a vile, character assassination or a feeble attempt to slander without evidence. The sole purpose is for vital clarification on these issues, both for the sake of Respected Mufti Menk’s colossal work which may be seriously tarnished if these doubts are left to brew and, also for the sake of the Ulamah fraternity from whom clarification is being sought by bewildered laypeople. We are obviously not in a position to endorse the allegations without thoroughly investigating the issues, but conversely, we are not in any better position to totally dismiss it as a cheap attempt to defame your good name. We appreciate that Respected Mufti Menk will provide us with clear answers to these questions for the abovementioned reasons. There is an alleged response from Respected Mufti Menk being circulated, but it does not really contain any substantial answers to the original points. Furthermore, it clearly states Respected Mufti Menk to have said, “I do not know what anonymous is on about at all” which categorically refutes the existence of Respected Mufti Menk’s lecture transcript. But we have seen it and read it ourselves and thus are struggling to reconcile between these starkly contradicting pieces of information. We trust Respected Mufti Menk will provide a satisfactory answer to this. In order to make it easier for Respected Mufti Menk to answer (we understand you will have a busy schedule), we will split the points up into sections. LECTURE IN JOHANNESBURG After hearing about the lecture given in Johannesburg in September 2002, entitled “Obstacles to Dawah Work in Africa and Their Solutions”, we read through a PDF of the transcript and checked the content of the text messages against the contents of the lecture. In all honesty, there does seem to be some credibility and substance to the objections raised, but we cannot pass any judgment until Respected Mufti Menk clarifies the purport of these statements, as he best understands what he intended and meant. We will cite the statements which have been circulated, along with some of our own observations. 1. Respected Mufti Menk says (pg 12): “For the Ahlus Sunnah wa’l Jama’ah, there are not sufficient Madrasahs to fulfil the need, just as pure Islamic content is not available in many Madrasahs in most countries. The references and Islamic books in many Islamic Madrasahs are not according to the methodology of the Ahlus Sunnah wa’l Jama’ah. What has been noticed therein is that they carry dangerous errors in ‘Aqidah (belief) which can sometimes lead to the Greater Shirk (al-shirk al-akbar).” Respected Mufti Menk, the Ulamah who have read these points feel this is an insinuation towards Deobandi-affiliated Madrasahs, which form the major part of the Madrasah framework globally and likewise in Africa. HENCE, WE HUMBLY QUESTION: Which Madrasahs is Respected Mufti Menk indicating towards? Is he referring to Deobandi Madrasahs? And what specifically are the books which bear dangerous errors in ‘Aqidah? Regardless of the particular group which disseminates such content, we consider it a duty upon Respected Mufti Menk to clearly inform us of these dangerous points, to help protect our ‘Aqidah against something which can lead to Shirk, the greatest of sins. 2. Respected Mufti Menk goes on to say (pg 12): “Many of the ‘Scholars of Islam’ in the Continent affiliate themselves to sects or are inclined to some of them, not being prepared to return to the Book and the Authentic Sunnah.” Respected Mufti Menk goes on to say (pg 13): “(Among the causes are) many Ulamah of the opposing sects, their presence since a long time and their good relations with the different governments.” Again, with all humbleness and due respect, we say that many people are taking this to be an indication towards the Ulama of the Deobandi/non-Salafi fraternity, as historically they are the first to establish themselves in the manner that they have. The likes of South Africa, where this lecture was delivered, is adequate to prove this point. Perhaps this deduction on its own would be considered a weak one with shallow roots, but what strengthens the notion that this is in actual fact an allusion towards Deobandi scholars is the fact that Respected Mufti Menk mentioned the following as a solution (pg 13): “(Among the solutions are) continual ties with the big scholars of the major Islamic countries, in particular the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, referring to them in arising issues and for seeking advice, explaining their rank and virtue to the public due to their reliance upon the Book and the Authentic Sunnah.” Respected Mufti Menk, it is a known fact that the majority of scholars in Saudi Arabia ascribe to the Salafi manhaj and they are quite critical of the level of adherence to a Madh-hab which our Ulamah of Deoband firmly believe in and promote. We are sure Respected Mufti Menk would have understood this from his studies of the traditional Dawrah and Ifta courses at Darul Uloom Kantharia, India. Hence, the idea that Respected Mufti Menk is inadvertently, if not advertently, promoting Salafism or in the least, non-adherance to a particular Madh-hab, is one that does seem valid. Again, we would like for Respected Mufti Menk to clarify this issue. 3. Respected Mufti Menk further into his lecture explains another problem (pg 15): BIAS BASED ON MADH-HAB OR PERSONALITY This is a vague statement which everyone, regardless of their understanding with respect to Taqleed, will accept as a problem at some level. But Respected Mufti Menk’s solution to the problem is what has set off a siren for many. “As for madh-hab based bias, it is undoubtedly a big problem. The solution is to explain the history and foundation of these schools in detail to the elite and laymen alike. This is through publications in the native languages, by utilising the media, through open lectures, or conventions under the title of “The Four Madh-habs” to entice the biased to attend. The purpose of all this would be to educate the masses regarding the history of the madh-habs, their real place in the Deen and that the authentic hadith is above what the madh-hab has prescribed, by consensus of the Umma.” Respected Mufti Menk, bias which leads to people of one madhab becoming intolerant of another is unacceptable under any circumstances, but what respected Respected Mufti Menk has suggested as a solution indicates that Respected Mufti Menk’s application of the word bias (ta’assub) has a different connotation altogether, namely the Salafi idea of indoctrinating the masses to investigate the credibility of a hadith and act accordingly, be it against the madh-hab. We are not here to discuss the issue of Taqlid as opposed to non-Taqlid; but the solution Respected Mufti Menk proposed is suggestive of the over-simplistic Salafi approach of encouraging unqualified people to decide between madh-habs based on the authentic hadith. What compounds the issue further is that people see this as masquerading as a Hanafi whilst holding Salafi views, as there are others who insincerely claim to be Hanafi despite heavily criticising the Hanafi madh-hab and Imam Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah) himself. In light of this, Respected Mufti Menk will obviously understand how crucial it is to answer the following questions: 1) Does Respected Mufti Menk advocate that the masses, in particular the laymen, embark on departing from the accepted stances of the Hanafi madh-hab towards authentic hadith? 2) Does Respected Mufti Menk consider strict adherence to a madh-hab as Ta’assub Madh-habi, as suggested by the solution he provided in his lecture? 3) Muta’assib in Salafi terms refers to a strict adherent to a madh-hab. Does Respected Mufti Menk intend the same context in his usage of the word? LECTURE AT DEMONTFORD UNIVERSITY It has also been related that in a Q&A session after a lecture in DeMontford University in 2010, Respected Mufti Menk said at the onset that answers will be given according to the Qur’an and Sunnah (which is not something anyone will disagree with in principle). However, what has raised some valid concern regarding the context of this statement is that when some students went to Respected Mufti Menk and asked for answers to be given according to the Hanafi madh-hab, Respected Mufti Menk made an excuse of shortage of time and that all questions should be forwarded to his email address. We urge Respected Mufti Menk not to be offended by such questions, but we would humbly request for light to shed on this supposed incident. Following from that, does Respected Mufti Menk strictly give fatwa according to the Hanafi madh-hab, seeing as Respected Mufti Menk’s Ifta studies were in the Deobandi-Hanafi seminary of Kantharia? AFTER GRADUATION FROM MADINA UNIVERSITY It is also reported that upon Respected Mufti Menk’s return to Harare, Zimbabwe, Respected Mufti Menk would engage in debate / discussion with students at his father’s Madrasah, against the Hanafi Madh-hab and the Deobandi manhaj. As a result, some of the staff and students at the Madrasah were excluded from the Madrasah as they were accused of “causing fitna”. Respected Mufti Menk is humbly requested to elaborate on this issue. LINKS FROM RESPECTED MUFTI MENK’S TWITTER PAGE Being such an enormous public figure with a following of over 100,000 people on Twitter – mashaa-Allah –Respected Mufti Menk will understand the importance of authenticating and verifying any information or links provided on his website, Facebook page and Twitter page, alongside any other social networking platform Respected Mufti Menk utilises to benefit others. In light of this, we were disturbed to find Respected Mufti Menk to have provided a link to ruqyasupport from his tweet (which leads to a facebook entry) on 14th February. On browsing ruqyasupport, a section entitled “A response to those who defend ta’weez” was discovered, consisting of a vehement rebuttal against ta’weez, but more importantly, ending with another link: ozdawah/2011/10/03/sunnipath-exposed-part-2-sp-claims-that-the-quran-isnot-allahs-word/ This link led us to a page refuting Sunnipath and which contained the following statements: “…..Below is proof that Asha’irah and Sunnipath deny that the Qur’an which was revealed to the prophet Muhammad sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam is really the word of Allah s.w.t….” “….Dear brothers & sisters, the above is very clear, and it demonstrates what we have stated all along, that the Ash’ariah do not believe that the Qur’an we have today is the word of Allah s.w.t,…..” In proposing this claim, which is nothing less than preposterous in our opinion, the author of this article quotes Imam al-Taftazani, Bajuri, and the great Hanafi jurist Ibn Abideen (rahimahumullah). Bearing all of the above in mind, we will be audacious in asking some questions, but appreciate that Respected Mufti Menk will understand why our thoughts on this issue are justified and not just borne out of jealousy or hatred (may Allah protect us all): • Denying the Qur’an to be the word of Allah is tantamount to disbelief, so in essence, the author of this article is calling Ash’aris disbelievers. Would Respected Mufti Menk agree with the conclusion we have deduced? • Referencing these beliefs to Taftazani, Bajuri and Ibn Abideen would thus imply that the author considers them to be disbelievers or proponent of disbelief. Would Respected Mufti Menk agree with the conclusion we have deduced? • What is Respected Mufti Menk’s stance on this article. Are the Ash’aris guilty of denying the Qur’an to be Allah’s word? What does Respected Mufti Menk say regarding the quotes of Taftazani, Bajuri and Ibn Abideen? We appreciate that Respected Mufti Menk is not necessarily responsible for all of the content on that website, nonetheless, we ask these questions because: (a) This website will be accepted by the common layperson to be endorsed by your esteemed self. When Respected Mufti Menk advised people to visit the ruqya support website, the implication is that Respected Mufti Menk checked the content of this website and did not consider any of its content to be inappropriate in the least. (b) Respected Mufti Menk said in his lecture in 2002: The references and Islamic books in many Islamic Madrasahs are not according to the methodology of the Ahlus Sunnah wa’l Jama’ah. What has been noticed therein is that they carry dangerous errors in ‘Aqidah (belief) which can sometimes lead to the Greater Shirk (al-shirk al-akbar). Thus, we cannot help but notice the subject matter of this page on ozdawah seems to be a reflection of Respected Mufti Menk’s abovementioned statement in his lecture, as Sharh al-Aqaid Nasafiyya is one of the core books on Aqidah in Deobandi madrasahs. (c ) Being a graduate of Iftaa at Darul Uloom Kantharia, Respected Mufti Menk will undoubtedly know the status Ibn Abideen (rahimahullah) and his Radd al-Muhtaar hold in the Hanafi Madhab. But this article casts serious doubts on Ibn Abideen’s belief. Thus, in light of your role as a Hanafi mufti, it is all the more pertinent that categorical answers are provided to our question on Ibn Abideen’s statement. With respect to the other points which have been raised, such as the role of Sajid Ahmad Umar and his being your student (which he has since refuted by the way), we do not consider it necessary to discuss them, as they are irrelevant with reference to your esteemed self. To reiterate once again, we hope you will understand the sentiment with which this letter has been written and why answers to these questions are so vital. We are awaiting your answers on these pressing matters, knowing that Respected Mufti Menk will appreciate that silence or indecisive answers to these questions will be against the best interests of all, Respected Mufti Menk and the public alike. We have no affiliation or correspondence whatsoever with The Majlis or Jamiatul Ulama Gauteng, SA, so this letter has no remote connection with them. We are not slandering or forging lies against Respected Mufti Menk. This is solely to get clarification on certain issues, references for which have also been cited. We apologise if any undue offence has been caused; it certainly has not been intended. A humble request for du’aas. Apologies once again. Wassalam Your brother in Islam Imran Ebrahim
Posted on: Mon, 03 Jun 2013 16:36:54 +0000
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