The season of Hajj is about to begin. All the pilgrims are going to depart from their respective countries towards the Haramain Sharifain. We extend our greetings to all of them.
During the Hajj season, camps are set up in every city for the training of pilgrims. Camps are arranged to train the Hujjaj. But it is quite strange—one of our acquaintances sent a message from the city of Udaipur in Rajasthan. His son is preparing to go for Hajj. When he went to the camp for training, the Maulana who had come to provide training gave a very strict instruction among his teachings: “When you go to Makkah Sharif or Madinah Sharif, do not offer Salah there. Do not pray behind the people there. Instead, act as if you are praying. If you do not act, you might get caught. So go there and act, and after the prayer is over, then later offer your prayer alone.”
Just think! How much misguidance Muslims have fallen into. Not offering Salah, acting like praying—this is being taught in Hajj training sessions. Showing off prayer in front of a group of Muslims and then offering it separately later—what kind of Islam is this?
This is exactly what the hypocrites used to do. When they were with the Muslims, they would say:
“Aamana billahi wal yawmil aakhir”
That we believe in Allah and the Last Day. And when they returned to their devils, their leaders (this is mentioned in the Holy Qur’an in the first Juz), they would say that we were mocking them. So this showing off of Salah, acting as if praying, and then offering it separately—this is clear hypocrisy, open hypocrisy. And such hypocrisy is being taught through religious scholars.
This means the entire Muslim community, the Muslims of India, are being pushed into a swamp of misguidance. The people of Makkah are not Muslims, the people of Madinah are not Muslims, the Arabs are not Muslims, and the people of other Islamic countries are not Muslims—this is being formally taught as training. It is being instilled. If Muslims exist anywhere, then only in the city of that particular Maulana and among his followers.
Where have you brought this religion from? What kind of religion is this?
The Holy Qur’an has declared:
“O you who believe! Avoid much suspicion; indeed, some suspicions are sins.” (Qur’an – Surah Al-Hujurat 49:12)
If suspicion itself is a sin, then what about harboring suspicion against the people of Makkah—that Muslims do not live there? That the people of the sacred land of Madinah are not Muslims? And that the people of Islamic countries are not Muslims? So are only the people of India Muslims?
What a wrong message!
The Noble Prophet said:
“La tasubbul Arab”
And in one narration:
“Man sabbal Arab falaysa minna”
Whoever abuses the Arabs is not from us.
What greater insult can there be than saying that the people living in Makkah are not Muslims, the people of Madinah are not Muslims, the people of the Haram are not Muslims, and the people of India are Muslims?
What kind of thinking is this? What kind of mindset is this?
All the scholars remain silent. When Indian clerics go there, they give the same message to the pilgrims they take along: No, no, do not pray there. Then what are you going for? If there will be no Salah in Makkah and no Salah in Madinah according to the Maulana, then who accepts this prayer—the Maulana or Allah?
It is Allah who accepts the prayer. The larger the congregation, the greater the hope of acceptance. Then in Makkah Mukarramah and Madinah Munawwarah—places whose honor and sanctity reside in every Muslim’s heart—to incite people not to pray there, not to follow the Imam there—what kind of message is this?
What are they trying to say?
Such extremism has always been rejected by Muslims. That is why, whenever Muslims from any city go there, their hearts naturally incline towards the Kaaba and turn towards Madinah. The heart does not accept this. They go and pray. I have seen many people of spiritual paths, great scholars from across the world, who go there and pray in the Haram.
These clerics spread suspicion that the people there are not Muslims! If from where Islam spread, there are no Muslims there, then where will Islam be? Just think about it!
Therefore, Muslims—jurisprudential matters and schools of thought have their own place.
Whether according to a particular school of thought prayer behind a certain Imam is valid or not is a separate issue.
But to incite people against Muslims in this manner, to misguide Muslims against the people of Arabia in such a bad way—this itself is severe misguidance,
severe misguidance,
severe misguidance.
Such statements must be completely rejected, and scholars must take a clear and open stance, make a proper public announcement about what should and should not be done. Otherwise, you are leading the Ummah into misguidance.
I pray that when all the pilgrims go there, they also pray for this humble person and remember in their prayers everywhere.
I, Abul Hammad Muhammad Israfeel Haidari, request all of you that when you go to Madinah Munawwarah, if you remember, please convey my salutations in the court of the Messenger.
And the end of our supplication is: All praise belongs to Allah, Lord of all the worlds.
