Ibn Abdillah As-sudaisiy Al-Iloori
13th December 2021
In Sha Allah, we would keep warning ourselves and fellow Muslims to move away from all kinds of bid’ah because of its destructive tendencies. Year in year out, we have been warning ourselves against imitation of Kuffar in whatever form. Despite all the warnings against congregational tahajjud outside Ramadan, we still see that many Muslims are engaging in January 1st and Muharram 1st Cross Over tahajjud.
Alhamdulillaah, some Muslims who used to do the January 1st and Muharram 1st Tahajjud are no more doing it because they have realized their mistakes. May Allaah forgive us all. But a lot of people are still doing it. In fact, they are warming up for another one on the eve of 1st January of the next year. They have started pasting posters here and there. Some people are even telling their ignorant customers to wear white-white. Where is this legislated in the Qur’an and Sunnah?
The way bid’ah keeps growing in our society is not a surprise. The scholars have said, when a bid’ah surfaces and people keep quiet on it and allow it to grow, it will continue to grow till it becomes a monster that will be very difficult to kill. This is the situation of many forms of bid’ah in our society, ranging from “Mawlid Nabiyy”, “Fidau”, “Sunday-Sunday Assalatu” and so on.
This bid’ah of observing tahajjud in congregation outside Ramadan only started in the late 90s. In fact, it was a subject of controversy within the fold of Ansarud Deen Society of Nigeria. Ansarud Deen Society of Nigeria happens to be one of the foremost Islaamic organizations in Yorubaland. Although they have catalogues of bid’ah that they do, they have many enviable achievements that are glaring to a just mind.
When some members of the organization brought up the idea of observing tahajjud (night prayers) in jama’ah, it didn’t go well with its then National Missioner, Alhaji Araazim Alaaya (may Allaah have mercy on him). I am not sure if Ansarud Deen now does the bid’ah, but this was what Baba said at one of the public functions of the organization in April, 2001,
“After we (Alfas) must have discussed it, we would give you (the Executives) our verdict. And we would not give you any verdict from reasoning (ra’y), we would be guided by what is in the Qur’an and hadiths of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم.
I once said this. Even if we are to be envious of them, these towns that I will be mentioning: Iseyin, Iwo, Epe and Ibadan are cities of knowledge (of Islaam). I remember those four (4). Tooh, they said I should add Ilorin (everyone laughed). Please for Allah’s sake, with all these cities I have mentioned, which Mosque at Epe, Iwo, Ibadan (we know Alfa Muhyiddeen, our father Sodiq ‘Ali, or our father Mudaththir or Imaam Oke-Are or Imam Mataala, or the Katibis or the Geges) are they doing this thing we are talking about (tahajjud in Jama’ah), or in Ilorin (Idi-Ape Mosque, Alfa Nda Mosque or Pakata) that they are doing night vigil (tahajjud in jama’ah).
Where are they doing it in Iwo. Even AbdulBaaqi of Iwo as he is, his own (Sunnah) is even strong. Toh, the same thing with Iseyin (the Alkimbas and our father, Taaminu). All of them like that, does it mean they are not learned enough.
I haven’t drawn any conclusion yet. By Allah’s will, we the Alfas would sit and look into books. But for the sake of uniformity, we have seen some of our Alfas (in Anasarud Deen) that are already doing it. You have empowered us, but we need more powers. If we later conclude that we should not do it, any Alfa that does it must be disciplined. As-salaamu alaikum warahmatullaahi wabarakaatuh” [Alhaji Arazeem Alaaya, late National Missioner of Ansarud Deen Society of Nigeria on the Concept of Observing Tahajjud in Jama’ah, April, 2001: Translated by Ibn Abdillah As-sudaisiy Al-Iloori]
From his words, it is clear that he wasn’t comfortable with the idea of observing tahajjud in congregation outside Ramadan. He saw it as something strange in the religion, and that is what is called “bid’ah”. Baba saw it as a way of indirectly saying the past scholars in Yourbaland were not learned enough not to have innovated the bid’ah tahajjud in congregation.
If my memory serves me right, the bid’ah of doing congregational tahajjud on the eve of January 1st of every Gregorian year or Muharram 1st of every Hijriy year was started by NASFAT without any daleel from Qur’an, or Sunnah or both. Then, QUAREEB after the latter had broken away from the former. Many other bid’ah Assalatu organizations took it from them blindly and they now engage in it as a matter of religious obligation. This is saddening. This bid’ah has already become a monster. It is very difficult to eradicate because most of these Alfas have tied their earnings to it. And there is nothing you can say to convince their ignorant followers. They would say you are only envying their Alfas. If you go to any of these bid’ah gatherings, what you will find is ignorance of the religion in its first class grade.
Baba Araazim Alaaya mentioned that in some of those gatherings, what they pack the next morning is condoms. He said tahajjud outside Ramadan is meant to be done at home alone and not to be taken to the masjid or anywhere else and be done in congregation. Even while doing it at home, it shouldn’t be done in a way that would disturb the sleep of those who are sleeping at home. He condemn the fitnah of bringing men and women together at night in the name of tahajjud. He said how can we place fire and petrol beside each other and expect them not to be attracted to each other?
The reason why I have to quote him is for us to let us know that some of these Babas tried their best to save us in this society by telling us the truth in some matters, even though they have their floors due to their level of knowledge and understanding, but many people are attached to shaytān. They don’t want to accept the truth. They are not ready to abide by the Sunnah. They will only follow the Sunnah if it favours their desires. They lie against all these Babas to perpetrate their evils. But Allaah sees everything. Baba Kamal and Baba Adam رحمهم الله both condemned bowing for other than Allaah, but the ruwaibidoot (fake scholars) of our era would still find away of rejecting their words.
The Alfas of all these Assalatu groups have very little or nothing to offer their followers. They offer bid’ah adhkaar, dancing and extortion or obtaining by false pretense. If you go to those gatherings, the kind of people you will find there would surprise you. They are people who ought to know the left from right. But Allaah guides whomever He wishes.
Many in our society think they are educated, but they allow these desperate Alfas to be playing with their intellects. Instead of using their wealth to support the Sunnah, they use it to promote bid’ah and it’s people. Sunnah is the only way that we can use to meet Allaah in peace. Anyone who seeks to meet Allaah with bid’ah based ibaadaat would regret on the Day of Judgment. The Prophet said:
من عمل عملا ليس عليه أمرنا فهو رد
Whoever does an act (of worship) upon which there is no command from us, shall be rejected (Sahih Muslim)
May Allaah guide us aright.
