“The sixty-fourth âyat of Sûrat al-Anfâl means ‘Allah
is sufficient for you and for those who follow you. We do not need anybody other
than Him.’ Ibn al-Qayyim and Ibn Taimiyya interpreted this âyat so. They said
that it was wrong to interpret this âyat as ‘Allah and those who follow you are
sufficient for you.’ Nobody other than Allah can be sufficient. The two âyats
before this âyat state, ‘Allah will of course suffice for you when they attempt
to deceive you. He has strengthened you both with His help and with the
believers’ help.’ He made a distinction between the words ‘suffice’ and
‘strengthen.’ He used the word ‘suffice’ only for Himself, while He used the
word ‘strengthen’ both for Himself and for His human servants. And believers
say, ‘Allah will suffice for us; He is sufficient.’ no one has said, ‘Allah and
His prophets will suffice for us.’ Allah alone is sufficient and
to be trusted.”
Al-Imâm al-Baidâwî (rahimah-Allâhu ta’âlâ), the
“Crown” of the scholars of tafsîr who passed away in Tebriz in
[1] Al-Imâm al-Baidâwî, Tafsîr. Also the Tafsîr Husainî and Tafsîr al- Jalâlain write the same.
wa ’t-taslîmât) had requested Allâhu ta’âlâ to
strengthen and disseminate Islam through Hadrat ’Umar’s help. And Allâhu ta’âlâ
helped His beloved Prophet through Hadrat ’Umar and declared in Sûrat al-Anfal, ‘Oh My Prophet! Allah and those who follow you will suffice for you as
helpers.’ ’Abdullâh ibn ’Abbâs
reported that this âyat descended upon Hadrat ’Umar’s embracing Islam.”[1]
Al-Hâdimî wrote: “Imâm Muhammad (rahimah-Allâhu
ta’âlâ) declared in his book Jâmi’ as-Saghîr that
praying by saying ‘for the Prophet’s sake’ or ‘for the sake of [such and such] a walî,’
was makrûh tahrîma. On this statement the book Al-hidâya comments, ‘Because, creatures have no rights on Allâhu ta’âlâ.’
However, it was also stated that it was not makrûh to pray so thinking of the
right bestowed on a beloved servant of His by Allâhu ta’âlâ. Rasûlullâh (sall-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’alaihi wa sallam) prayed by saying, ‘Oh my Rabb! For the sake of those who pray
to You and for the sake of Muhammad,’
(’alaihi ’s-salâm) and the fatwâ of Bazzâziyya, too, stated
that it was permissible to pray so.”[2]
Similarly, Allâhu ta’âlâ alone suffices for everyone in every affair everywhere
everytime. There is no other Helper and it is polytheism to ask others for
help, yet, it was permitted to pray with these words thinking of the right
given by Allâhu ta’âlâ, who uses prophets, pious people,
scientists, various substances and powers, owners of wealth, businesses and
high positions as means or media for His creating. It is permissible to hold
fast to these means and to expect Allâhu ta’âlâ to create through them. It
would be good to say, “They, as causes for Allâhu ta’âlâ’s creating, are
sufficient for us.” For this reason, the profound ’ulamâ’ of tafsîr explained
the above-mentioned âyat al-karîma as “Allâhu ta’âlâ and the believers around
you are sufficient for you.”
The hadîth
ash-sharîf related by Imâm Ahmad and
Muslim (rahimahuma’llâhu ta’âlâ) on the authority of Abu Huraira (radî-Allâhu
ta’âlâ ’anh) and which is also quoted on page 381 of the Wahhâbite book,
declares, “Rubba ash’asin
madfû’un bi ’l-abwâbi law aqsama ’ala’llâhi la abirrahu.” (You see many a person who are dismissed from doors
and not listened to for their hair and beard are uncombed and clothings
patched; if they take an oath with Allah’s Name, Allâhu ta’âlâ, for the sake of
these beloved servants of His, immediately creates and grants
[1] Maktûbât, II, 99th letter.
[2] Barîqa, p. 1053.
their requests.) This hadîth sharîf is one of the proofs of the fact that the knowledge of tasawwuf and seeking for a rehber (guide) and trying to gain his heart is right. Taking this hadîth sharîf as a reference, he books Barîqa and Al-hadîqa comment on the twenty,third of the sixty prohibited statements: “It is written in the fatwâ of Bazzâziyya that such prayers as ‘Oh my Rabb! I ask for the sake of the value that You have bestowed upon Your [such and such] prophet or servant who is a walî, ’âlim or sâlih,’ are permissible, that is, halâl. As understood from Munya and many other books, it is mustahab to pray so. It is written in valuable books that many ’ârifs told their disciples: ‘You ask me when you will ask Allâhu ta’âlâ for something! I am the mediator between Allâhu ta’âlâ and you now.’ Hadrat Abu ’l-’Abbâs al-Mursî (rahimah-Allâhu ta’âlâ) advised his disciples, ‘When you ask Allâhu ta’âlâ for something, ask for the sake of Imâm Muhammad al-Ghazalî (rahimah-Allâhu ta’âlâ),’ These are written in many books, for example, in Al-hadîqa and Hisn al-basîn.”