Question:
Asalamu alaikum,
Please ask Allah’s forgiveness for me. I am trying to learn about Islam and from who do I take my religion. I’ve been doing some Naqshbandi practices, but not really knowing where do they come from. I’ve have some doubts about the acceptability and origin of some practices such as: Salatul Janazah al-Gha’ibin, adhan with salawat at the end, Salatu Najat, Salatul Awwabin. In some posts, I’ve read that there are innovations that are good and some are bad. But if we keep innovating new practices, are we not going to end up with a religion completely different from the starting one? Even if somebody brought a good innovation, there must be a reason to why Prophet (SAWS) didn’t add it to his sunna. Please, sayyidi, I’ve being having those doubts, please pray Allah SWT guide me. BarakAllah fikum.
Answer:
wa `alaykum salam
Leave doubts for what is certain: What our master, Mawlana Shaykh Nazim al-Haqqani, teaches is certain. Your understanding of bida`, etc. is what you have heard from those whose entire religion is built on doubt, who do not believe firmly in ghayb.
So don’t start Naqshbandi practices until you have accepted Mawlana Shaykh as your teacher by taking baya`. If you do so, of course you will be confused.
For your specific doubts see:
1) Salat al-Janaza `ala al-ghaibin
3) Salat an-Najat
This is Qiyam al-Layl (Tahajjud), which is an established Sunnah of the Prophet (s). Whether it is in the form of Salat an-Najat, Salat ash-Shukr and Salat at-Tasbih (total 8 raka`ts) or any other 2 raka`ats, repeated 4 times (equalling 8 raka`ts total), as mentioned in a recent post, I believe.
Taher Siddiqui
