Question:
Salamalaykum waRahmatulla waBarakatahu
Would you recommend wearing a turban out and about in a completely non-muslim area? Or is it showing off?
Also, I read (Ibn Ata`Allah) that it’s good to do so much tasbih that people think you’re showing-off. Do you know why this might be (the showing-off bit) and would it apply walking about in my non-muslim area?!
Finally, why do Naqshbandis distinguish themselves in terms of dress, as opposed to Shadhilis for example, who, so I’m told, dress to merge in with the Muslim majority?
Thankyou very much
Answer:
wa `alaykum salam,
No one asked you to dress in a turban, or to walk with a tasbih. No one asked you to dress in western dress. Many of Mawlana Shaykh Muhammad Nazim al-Haqqani mureeds dress in western dress or they wear like in the middle east countries. They dress in western style dress and 10% might like to wear loose dress. Also, to identify that they are muslim they put a hat on their head and some like to put a turban following the sunnah of the Prophet (s) as the Prophet (s) has a turban and you can find these hadith about turban in Sahih al-Bukhari and other books. As for carrying beads, you can carry beads or count on your finger or do awrad without counting but by timing. everyone is free in what he likes to wear. And you can merge with the majority of muslims. In Turkey the majority of Mawlana’s mureeds wear western clothing and in Far East 99% are wearing normal clothes and rarely will you see other than that except in mosques or at dhikr that they wear Naqshbandi style. It is not written in any books that you have to dress Naqshbandi style, you like to you may or not.
In Grandshaykh `Abdullah al-Fa’iz ad-Daghestani (q) time Grandshaykh `Abdullah al-Fa’iz ad-Daghestani (q) didn’t wear the same style as Mawlana Shaykh Muhammad Nazim al-Haqqani and he wore a turban on white fez, and the white turban cloth was made in Aleppo. The cap is not pointed nor was the turban pointed and the clothes were not loose pant and shirts but it was white thawb as in Hijazm Egypt, Morocco, or in Africa and a jubbah on top of it.
So Mawlana has his own style as it suits him. He used to travel a lot from country so wearing a thawb would be difficult with many issues. So that is a good question. And as for carrying beads, don’t carry and show off. If you are really pious then do your awrad before fajr and don’t carry beads. It’s better than being lazy and sleepy. Do your awrad from before Fajr Qiyam al-Layl up to Ishraq. The awrad is 1500 and 300 salawat and one juz Qur’an or 100 Surat al-Ikhlas and 300 salawat or one juz Dalail al-Khayrat. How long does that take? One hour? And then you don’t need to carry the beads to show you are someone special, that is showing off.
I don’t understand what you said about showing off, I never read Ibn Ata`ullah said that.
Shaykh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani
Imam tells future events
Question:
Is it right in Islam for any Imam to say he knows the events of the future? Is there anyone but Allah who knows the person we will be married to or end up with or the type of life we will lead? I know there are fortune tellers out in this world but is it not haram for an Imam to claim he knows the future?
Answer:
Past, present and future are equally and indifferently known to Allah Most High and He reveals of that whatever He wishes to whomever He wishes:
أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ وَلاَ يُحِيطُونَ بِشَيْءٍ مِّنْ عِلْمِهِ إِلاَّ بِمَا
شَاءَ
However, it is not the way of the Prophet (upon him blessings and peace) to claim to know the events of the future unless there is a Divine command and wisdom to that effect which is part of his Prophetic mission and therefore exclusive to him:
وَمَا أَدْرِي مَا يُفْعَلُ بِي وَلَا بِكُمْ إِنْ أَتَّبِعُ إِلَّا مَا يُوحَى إِلَيَّ وَمَا أَنَا
{Say: I am no new thing among the messengers (of Allah), nor know I what will be done with me or with you. I do but follow that which is inspired in me, and I am but a plain warner}
When the angel asked the Holy Prophet (upon him blessings and peace) “When is the Hour?” He replied “It is among five things of the unseen which Allah alone knows.” Imam Abu al-`Abbas al-Qurtubi said in his Commentary on Sahih Muslim:
No one whatsoever may aspire to know anything about these five things as stipulated in this hadith. In addition, the Prophet explained that the verse {And He has with Him the keys to the unseen, which no one knows except He} (6:59) means these five things. This explanation is in the Sahih. Therefore, whoever claims to know any of them independently of the Messenger of Allah (upon him blessings and peace) , that person is a liar in what they claim. As for conjecture about the unseen, such is possible on the part of the astrologer (al-munajjim) and others [e.g. geomancers, fortune-tellers] since it is a matter of custom, not knowledge, and Ibn `Abd al-Barr cited Consensus over the prohibition of taking, stipulating, or giving any kind of compensation in exchange for such information.
Hajj Gibril Haddad