Ruling on the Sufi way of repeating the Names of Allah – Permanent Committee

The Naqshabandiyyah

Q: What is the ruling, in your understanding, on the Sufi Tariqahs (orders) in general, and the Naqshabandi Tariqah in particular?

A: There is a lot of Bid`ah (rejected innovation in religion) practiced among the Sufi Tariqahs, such as holding Dhikr (Remembrance of Allah) circles and gatherings in rows, in which they all repeat the Name of Allah together, saying, “Allah, Allah,” one of His Attributes saying, “Hayy (Ever-Living), Hayy,” or “Qayyum (Self-Subsisting), Qayyum,” referring to Him through the pronoun “Huwa (He), Huwa,” or repeating meaningless sounds, such as “Ah, Ah.”

They also repeat other formulas of Dhikr, in which they beseech help from other than Allah, seek support of the dead, such as Al-Badawy, Al-Shadhily, Al-Jilany, and others.

Their books contain a lot of Bid`ah and scattered evil, especially Al-Naqshabandiyyah.

In their daily Wird (sayings recited with consistency), they repeat the Name of Allah in their hearts, without moving their lips. The Murids (students) evoke their shaykh and his Wird, believing that this will be a means of saving them on the Day of Resurrection. These practices are all abominable acts of Bi`dah; none of these forms of Dhikr were reported from the Prophet (peace be upon him) in what was sent to him in the Qur’an and the Sunnah.

It is, however, authentically narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Anyone who does something that we have not ordered (in worship) it will be rejected.” The Prophet also said, “Anyone who introduces something in this matter of our (the religion) that is not from it, it will be rejected.”

May Allah grant us success! May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family and Companions!

Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta’
`Abdul-`Aziz ibn `Abdullah ibn Baz,`Abdul-Razzaq `Afify, `Abdullah ibn Ghudayyan, `Abdullah ibn Qa`ud