Question:
I am a generally tolerant person who believes in acknowledging differences of opinion among the Muslims.
However I am having trouble acknowledging some of the teachings of the Tijani Tariqa which some of the brothers I know have fully embraced without reservation.
See the following quotation from one of the tariqa’s shuyukh:
Al-Khalifa al-Akbar Sidi Ali Harazem Berrada (d. 1212/1797) said in Kitab Jawahir al-Ma’ani, “Sidna Shaykh said: I have asked the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) on the reward of Salat al-Fatih to which he (peace and blessing be upon him) responded, “it is worth six thousand (6000) recitation of the Holy Quran’”.
Now the “Salat al-Fatih“ mentioned here is perfectly fine in its meanings, it being a very nice salawat recitation among the Prophet (saws). However, to put the reward of its recitation above the Qur’an seems incredible, nay shocking.
I do not understand how this can be a point in which “difference of opinion” is respected. What have the scholars of Islam said about such claims, and about the Tijaniya Tariqa in particular?
Also how should this be handled when similar statements get brought up in my presence? I am not trying to be mean to anyone, but how can I stay silent when I see excessive language of this sort?
Best,
Answer:
Alaykum as-Salam wa rahmatullah,
May this find you in the best state.
When Awliya speak of their disclosures (kashf) then one is free to take it or leave it. In the quasi-totality of cases, objections stem from misconstruing and misunderstanding as in this case, since the expression “it is worth six thousand (6000) recitations of the Holy Quran” does not “put the reward of its recitation above the Qur’an” but rather expresses the high merit of its recitation with full belief in its meanings. A basic proof of this is the hadith “Reflection for an hour is better than worship for a year.” One might object that nothing is better than a single obligatory worship, not even a whole lifetime of supererogatory worship; but the hadith shows the importance of reflection in the way of Allah Most High.
Hajj Gibril Haddad
