In our community there is a new imam appointed and his views are these, kindly Guide us that he can be our imam or not. Kindly provide your Fatwa as soon as possible before Sunday we’ll be very appreciate it.
الجواب وبالله التوفيق
If a person makes the statements or holds such beliefs which are like the ones mentioned in the question, then such a person is considered a kafir in light of some of those beliefs and a fasiq in light of the others. Therefore, it is impermissible to keep such a person as imam unless he repents from the statements which have become the source of his fisq and kufr. It is necessary to remove such a person from the imam’s position and all the prayers performed in his imamat must be repeated. Now we shed some light on the issues described in your question in light of the exalted Islamic Shari‘ah.
- A person who keeps the belief that Hazrat Īsā Alyhissalam has died, is without a doubt a kafir, because this belief is an absolute denial of Quran which is considered kufr. It is a verse of the Quran:
وَمَا قَتَلُوۡهُ وَمَا صَلَبُوۡهُ وَلٰـكِنۡ شُبِّهَ لَهُمۡ ؕ
Translation: While in fact they did neither kill him, nor crucify him, but they were deluded by resemblance.
- The dream of Hazrat Ibrahim Alyhissalam is considered wahee(revelation) from Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta‘ala, even Hazrat Ismaeel Alyhissalam, who was a little kid at the time knew this much, he stated to his father:
يٰۤاَبَتِ افۡعَلۡ مَا تُؤۡمَرُ(الصَّافات،102
Translation: O my dear father, do what you have been ordered to do.
The Quran has mentioned it without any denial thus confirming it as a fact.
Therefore, it is a belief of Alhus-Sunnah Wal-Jama’atthat the dreams of the prophets are wahee.
- In hadith number 3364 of Saheeh al-Bukhari, there is a sentence as follows:
ولیس بمکۃ یومئذ أحدٌ
Which means there was no on in Mecca at that time (i.e. Mecca was not inhabited). When such an authentic and reliable narration from Saheeh al-Bukhariexists, then on what basis would one have the audacity to deny and oppose such a hadithof Rasulullah Sallallaho Alyhi Wasallam?
- When it is concluded in the light of a reliable, authentic and clear hadith, that Mecca was uninhabited at the time, then from whom should Hazrat Hajrahave inquired?
- The sacrifice of Hazrat Hajra was such an important one that her actions have been made a part of the Manasik-e-Hajjand a portion of the teachings of Islam to be taught to the Muslim Ummah. Considering such an important sacrifice as illogical is an act of sheer recklessness and audacity. How can the speaker forget about the fact that this is a teaching of our religion and a commandment of Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta‘ala, before making this statement. These are not trivial issues from the books of philosophy and intelligence that every tom dick and harry can be given the authority to interfere with it. Such objections about the teachings of Islam bring such a person closer to kufr.
- The portion of the divine verse which the mufassir has attributed as the “figurative additions” of Abdul-Jabbar Al-Mu’tazily, seems like the misunderstanding on the mufassir’s This is due to the fact that in the reputable books the thing which has been mentioned with respect to Qadhi Abdul Jabbar Al-Mu’tazily is that:
- He considers this ayah as a verse of Quran
- He takes its meaning in a figurative manner, which means that through his interpretation, the ayah is still considered part of the Quran
- He does not deny its existence in Quran.
As opposed to the mufassir’s case in which his interpretation denies the existence of this ayahas part of the Quran, which is considered kufr. In other words, the mistake is in his own flawed understanding, while he is trying to associate his flaw and kufrtowardsQadhi Abdul Jabbar Al-Mu’tazily.Performing rujufrom such incorrect association is mandatory.
- A woman can never become imamof the men, in any circumstance whatsoever. It has been forbidden explicitly as per the hadith of Rasulullah Sallallaho Alyhi Wasallam.
(ألّا لّا تَؤُمَّنَّ إمْرَأَۃَ رَجُلًا (سنن ابن ماجہ، باب فی فرض الجمعہ
Accepting any possibility of a woman leading the men’s jamah is against the hadith of Rasulullah Sallallaho Alyhi Wasallam and an absolute opposition of the jamhoor-e-ummat(consensus of the ummah). Regarding the opposers of such jamhoor-e-ummat, Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta‘alahas sent rebuke on them by stating Jahannamas their final destination.
وَ يَـتَّبِعۡ غَيۡرَ سَبِيۡلِ الۡمُؤۡمِنِيۡنَ نُوَلِّهٖ مَا تَوَلّٰى وَنُصۡلِهٖ جَهَـنَّمَ ؕ وَسَآءَتۡ مَصِيۡرًا (النساء،115
- Although some people have taken the meanings of this Jannahas the Jannah on earth, however the jamhoor(majority of scholars) have not given any value to this interpretation, and a person who opposes the jamhoor even after establishment of proof, the rebuke from Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta‘alaon him has been stated in number 7.
- Denying the narrations and the ahadith of Rasulullah Sallallaho Alyhi Wasallamwhich have a sound and accepted chain of authentication, just because one’s mind does not accept it, is a serious sin. Immediate repentance is mandatory.
- It is true that not everyone’s every statement can be accepted, but this allegation on mufassireen is incorrect that they perform tafseer with their own mind. Such a statement is equivalent of accusing them of performing tafseer bil-raeay, and tafseer bil-raeay(interpreting Quran in the light of one’s own opinions) is haram. In the light of some of the ahadithof Rasulullah Sallallaho Alyhi Wasallam, the result of doing tafseer bil-raeayis Jahannam.
(من قال فی القرآن بغیر علم فلیتبوّأمقعدہ‘من النار(سنن الترمذی
- There are some fundamental conditions for becoming eligible to do tafseer, the tafseer from a person who exhibits those conditions will be considered valid given that after fulfillment of those conditions his tafseer should not clash with the rules of performing tafseer. Otherwise neither the mufassir will be considered eligible nor his tafseer will be considered valid. In addition, making such statements in the name of tafseer, through which denial of the existence of mo‘jizat(miracles) of ambiya alyhimussalam becomes a must, will obviously be considered as an act of abomination. In such a case, if the miracles have been proven through consecutive occurrences e.g. through the verses of Quran then such denial is considered as kufr.
واللہ اعلم بالصواب