A Sister from Madinah Munawwarah writes:

Assalamalaikum

A short audio clip by Maulana Yunus Palanpuri Saheb is being forwarded on a large scale on whatsapp in which he says that tonight on 31st December, instead of going out, take a tasbeeh and at 11.55 pm start doing zikr of Allah and keep doing it till 12.05 a.m. In this way Rahmaan will become raazi (pleased), and shaitaan will be defeated. This is very surprising, I told a lady who sent me the audio that this is a clear bid’at. This was never the way of Rasoolullah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم, the Sahaaba رضی اللہ , the Salf Saleheen or our Akaabreen. She said Maulana Yunus Palanpuri Saheb has said do this. I told her this is a bid’at, but she still said Maulana Saheb has said don’t celebrate the new year. Do this instead to please Allah. Is Maulana Yunus Palanpuri Saheb right?      Wassalaam

ANSWER AND COMMENT

The Maulana Saheb has grievously erred. He has failed to apply his mind. He failed to understand that, despite his good intention, he has advised Muslims to emulate the kuffaar in their custom of celebrating the initiation of the new solar year. This is an evil bid’ah (bid’ah sayyiah).

It is haraam to ‘celebrate’ or observe the kuffaar New Year’s occasion with Thikrullaah. It is indeed an evil bid’ah (bid’ah sayyiah). The Maulana Sahib has fallen into error. He is encouraging Muslims to emulate the custom of the kuffaar with Thikr. Indeed, shaitaan is a cunning ustaadh who succeeds to deceive even the Ulama.

It is not permissible to act according to the advice of the Maulana Sahib. His advice effectively means upholding a shaitaani practice with Thikrullaah. While the kuffaar will be celebrating their new year with raucous behaviour and immorality, the Maulana Sahib advises emulation of the kuffaar albeit with Thikrullaah. This is haraam. Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said:

“Whoever imitates a people is of them.”

It is surprising  that the Maulana Sahib has  so badly slipped and committed the  lamentable blunder of introducing a bid’ah which is tantamount to kufr. The Fuqaha have ruled that if   a non-Muslim asks for the direction of the church/temple, and a Muslim  shows the direction, then he will be guilty of  kufr. Indicating the direction of the church is in fact aiding in shirk.

The Maulana’s advice is not  only Tashabbuh bil kuffaar (imitating the kuffaar), it is  an introduction to a kuffaar practice of fisq and fujoor, and the most dastardly aspect of this new bid’ah is the  use of Allah’s Name and Thikr to justify it. This is  exactly how Iblees operates and how he succeeds to  embed a bid’ah in the Ummah. The  evil of tashabbuh and kufr is adorned with  Deeni colours to deceive, not only the ignorant and unwary masses, but also Ulama who are short-sighted and  lacking in  the correct application of the mind.  Regarding shaitaan’s success in  his ploys of bid’ah and dhalaal (deviation), Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said: “One Faqeeh is harder on shaitaan than a thousand Aabideen (pious worshippers who devote the greater part of their lives to ibaadat).”

Aabideen who are deficient in fiqaahat, are comparatively speaking  easy prey for shaitaan. He is able to  overwhelm their thinking with his ‘deeni’ arguments and inspirations. In this way he succeeds in planting the seeds of bid’ah. All bid’ah customs and practices were introduced by Iblees  by subtle presentation of the haraam acts in ‘deeni’ hues. The Maulana Sahib who has advised  the observance of  the commencement of the  kuffaar  new year has fallen into  the snare of shaitaan.

Firstly, there is no such practice as observing/celebrating the  entry of the new year even if it is the Islamic new year. The beginning of the solar new year which is the kuffaar’s new year is on 1^st January which commences with the passing of   midnight. The Maulana Sahib surprisingly  advises Muslims to join in this kuffaar concept in the Name of Allah Ta’ala. This is the kufr aspect of the bid’ah prescribed by the Maulana Sahib.

Imitating the kuffaar with the added ingredient of Thikrullaah, is not the way of saving fussaaq Muslims from participating in the haraam fisq and fujoor merrymaking  activities of the new year’s occasion. The way is Amr Bil Ma’roof Nahy Anil Munkar. There has to be Ta’leem. The Maulana Sahib should have informed Muslims of the evils of this kuffaar celebration and of the consequence of Allah’s Wrath and Curse. This is the methodology of the Ambiya. They deliver the clear Message of the Deen, Hidaayat is the prerogative of Allah Ta’ala. Our obligation is only delivery of the Message of the Deen. Fabrication of acts and its presentation in the form of ibaadat  are   bid’ah which  gnaws the foundation of Islam, hence the Sahaabah  exercised extreme diligence and caution to prevent the germination of bid’ah. Even acts of the Sunnah were sometimes avoided and  banned by the Sahaabah when they discerned the Sunnah  developing into bid’ah. That is why, Hadhrat Ali (Radhiyallahu anhu) prevented people from performing Salaatudh Dhuha (Chaasht) in the Musjid, and that is why  Hadhrat Abdullah Ibn Mas’ood (Radhiyallahu anhu) branded a group of thaakireen (people engaging in thikrullah) in the Musjid as ‘bid’atis’, and had them expelled from the Musjid for their ‘khaanqah’ type of halqah thikr. And that is why, Hadhrat Abdullah Ibn Umar (Radhiyallahu anhu)  reprimanded a person who added Allah’s Name to the Masnoon  dua at the time of sneezing.

When the Six Sunnah Fasts of Shawwaal assumed the form of Waajib, Imaam Abu Hanifah (Rahmatullah alayh) branded it bid’ah. When this is Islam’s attitude to even established Sunnah practices,  the notoriety of the Maulana Sahib’s introduction of the new year bid’ah  will be  readily understood.

Minus Thikrullaah, the act will be Tashabbuh bil Kuffaar which although a major sin, will not be kufr. But to adopt a kaafir custom in the Name of Allah Ta’ala is kufr. It is like reciting Bismillaah when  consuming pork or any haraam food.  This, the Fuqaha have ruled is kufr.

Kufr destroys Imaan. It is therefore necessary for the Maulana Sahib to repent and renew his Imaan, and if he has a wife, he should also renew his Nikah. This advice should not annoy him. He should not  permit pride to prevent him from  doing  what is imperative for Najaat in the Aakhirah. Furthermore, he should retract his  haraam advice. Retraction of baatil is not humiliating. In fact, it portrays the sincerity and humility of  the person.

Salaam on those who follow the guidance of Allah.

23 Rabiyuth Thaani 1440 - 31 December 2023