Can You Throw Some Light on Barelwi School of Thought?

Answered by Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat

Question

I just had a new masjid open in our community. They are from the brothers in our community who belong to the South Asian Barelwi school of thought.

Can you please provide some information as to what are their creedal differences? If it is a widely accepted position in the Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-jamaʻa

I had the opportunity to visit the mosque and had a language barrier in understanding.

The differences I noticed was: First, the crowd kissed their thumbs and applied them to their eyes when Prophet Muhammad’s (Allah bless him and give him peace) name was mentioned. Second, a brief Salam on the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) before the Adhan was given. Can you please comment on these practices?

Answer

I pray you are well.

The school you mentioned falls into the broad scope of Sunni Orthodoxy (Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-jamaʻa), namely the Ash’ari and Maturidi schools.

Kissing the Thumbs

The kissing of the thumbs during the Adhan is a practice that is differed upon. Some scholars consider the hadiths supporting it extremely weak (Shadid al daʻif), rendering the practice impermissible. Others believe the narrations are merely weak (daʻif), which would make it permissible.

The fuqaha have cited the latter as a followable position. In any case, it should not be a cause of difference or looking down on anyone. [Tahtawi, Hashiya Maraqi al-Falah; Ibn Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar]

Salam Before the Adhan

This is also a practice that has a basis. There are rigorously authenticated [Sahih] hadiths about sending blessings on the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) after the Adhan [Muslim]. Doing so before it is not something disliked, let alone impermissible.

It’s best to focus on drawing closer to Allah Most High. Suppose the environment is conducive to that, great. Otherwise, go somewhere where you can draw closer to Allah Most High more easily.

May Allah grant you the best of both worlds.

[Shaykh] Abdul-Rahim Reasat
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat began his studies in Arabic Grammar and Morphology in 2005. After graduating with a degree in English and History he moved to Damascus in 2007 where, for 18 months, he studied with many erudite scholars. In late 2008 he moved to Amman, Jordan, where he continued his studies for the next six years in Sacred Law (fiqh), legal theory (Usul al-fiqh), theology, hadith methodology, hadith commentary, and Logic. He was also given licenses of mastery in the science of Quranic recital and he was able to study an extensive curriculum of Quranic sciences, tafsir, Arabic grammar, and Arabic eloquence.