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Nazim Kabbani Habashis

Bismillâhi walHamdu lillâhi waçalla-llâhu ^alà rasûlihî wasallam

I was very surprised to find in the sunniport.com/masabih/ forum, a violent text filled with terrible slanders against the respected scholar of Qur’ânic sciences, Hadîth, fiqh and the Arabic language, Shaykh ^Abdullâh allHarari. I would have appreciated from those who felt they had to add more criticism of Shaykh ^Abdullâh allHarari or his disciples, that they should have raised some objections to such obvious enormities. Since what seems obvious to me does not seem to have raised many eyebrows, I shall try and point to the very serious problems of such a text, ‘in shâ’a-llâh.

This text was produced many years ago by disciples of Mr Muhammad Nazim Adil al Qubrusi, in an attempt to discredit disciples of shaykh ^Abdullâh alHarari who had exposed with evidence the true nature of Mr. Nazim Adil’s teaching and his representative Mr. Hicham Kabbani. Do notice the nature of their accusations against shaykh ^Abdullâh alHarari and his disciples: they are enormities which reasonable people who find very hard to believe, they were also meant to push their gullible disciples to violence, which is exactly what happened.

Mr. Nazim Adil himself confirmed this slanderous pamphlet was produced by his disciples when a brother showed it to him during one of his visits to Oxford, in England, he said something to the effect of: “this was written by my disciples after some of your people wrote something against me”. A major former disciple of Nazim related to me how he heard himself Mr Hicham Kabbani telling them “Habashi” women considered it lawful to go around in a bikini as long as their head was covered! He thought Mr. Hicham Kabbani himself was the author of the pamphlet.

There is the text and clarifications:

Abu Nibras posted this on sunniport/masabih :“Bismillah ir-Rahman ir-Raheem O Muslims! Beware of a man who calls himself Abdullah Habashi and of his followers. They are a group of extremists who are busy accusing all Muslims who don't follow their teachings and beliefs, of being kaafir and mushrik."This is what the shaykh actually says a section which mentions cases of kufr: “Saying to a Muslim ‘O kâfir’, ‘O Jew’, ‘O Christian’ or ‘O you atheist’, meaning that the religion of the addressed person is kufr, but not with the purpose of likening him to those non-Muslims in behaviour.”

The motivation of the authors of the pamphlet is the great number of followers they have lost over the years, as a result of the evidence brought by "Habashis" against them. It has reappeared now in the sunniport/masabih forum because since then it has only become worse for them, in places like Birmingham and Bradford.

Notice in the following quotes of Abu Nibras how « respectful » the authors of these enormities are. They could not find the strength to type «çalla-llâhu ^alayhi wasallam”, not even “peace be upon him” they had to resort to a miserly “(S)” each time they mentioned the Best of Creation, çalla-llâhu ^alayhi wasallam .

they added:""Abdullah Habashi" (a.k.a. Abdullah al-Hariri) has been trained to poison the minds of Muslims, and he was sent to Damascus. There he began his activities by visiting Muslim scholars and attending their lectures, in order to analyze their personalities. However, after much effort to spread his poisonous beliefs, he found that Damascus was too spiritual and Islamic a place for him, as he was unable to poison the minds of people. Therefore he was ordered by his masters to move on to Lebanon. There he sought asylum from the Secretary General of the Religious Affairs Department in Lebanon, Mukhtar Alele. He was given shelter on condition that he only stay in the mosque of Ziqaq al-Bilat in Beirut, and the condition that he in no way spread his teachings to people."

Where did he get this imaginary “training”? was it as part of his role as mufti of Ethiopia, or as part of the education which led him to become mufti in all four Sunni schools? Who are “his masters”?

Then they wrote: "Unfortunately, "Abdullah Habashi" broke his promise to the General Secretary who had sponsored him. The Prophet (s) said, "al-Muslim idha wa'ada wafa.'" Which means "the Muslim when he makes a promise, fulfills it" The first action that he did was to break his promise."

What promise was that? I had never heard of that before I read this slanderous pamphlet.

Then we find this made up story for which they have not manage to bring any evidence for more than 12 years. There it starts: "He began to spread his teachings through Lebanon at that time, and has continued until the present day. During the Lebanese crisis the so-called "Abdullah Habashi", gave a fatwa that his followers could rob any house left empty by tenants who had fled the fighting. He also permitted them to kill any person who carried an identity card which identified them as Christian or non-Muslim. This is not accepted in Islam.During the crisis moreover people were pressured to become followers of the "Habashi" group by blackmail, phone threats, and by placing bombs near their homes and their cars, until this day."

The irony of it is that the “Habashis” are one of the rare groups in Lebanon which actually did not have a militia and refused to get involved in the civil war. At the end of this war, all the organisation who had fire power were given so governmental representation, the disciples of the Shaykh never got any for this very reason. The only thing they had left were the charitable and educative institutions they had build while others were busy slaughtering.

The slanderers carried on, saying:“Here we will present some of the fatwas "Abdullah Habashi" made up for his followers.1. Anyone is considered an unbeliever unless they take initiation with their shaykh. Everyone else is considered kaafir.”

Empty accusation, not only is there no evidence of that, but many admirers of the Shaykh do not take initiation with him, many of those who support and follow him did not take initiation of him and eventually, even if you want initiation into one of the Sufi orders he conveys, don’t take for granted that he will give it to you.

Next slander, they wrote:"2. They marry only within their group. They trade, buying and selling only among themselves."

Same as the previous point, baseless slander. Many of us marry outside the circles of the shaykh’s disciples and our spouses don’t necessarily follow us in our commitment. My own wife received Tarîqah about twenty years after me, twenty years of marriage with a “non-initiate”.

As for trading, buying and selling, so many of us would starve to death if we restricted ourselves to trading with fellow disciples. That is definitely the case with me. The only reason for the slanders on this point 2 is the same as in point 1: to deceive the reader into believing the Shaykh’s disciple are a sect which will have nothing to do with the Community.

Next slander, they wrote: ”3. They gave a fatwa that a man can sleep with any woman that is not a member of their group, because she will be considered jaariya, as they consider themselves at war with those who do not follow them. They are even permitted to use force for this purpose, thereby condoning rape.”

Same as the previous points: shameless and baseless. Let them come with evidence for once.

Next slander, they wrote: “4. They destroyed families by demanding that wives leave husbands and husbands leave wives, based on their claim that if one spouse took initiation with the so-called "Habashi," he or she must leave the other, unless the other spouse also take initiation. By this means, they have broken up thousands of families, in Lebanon, Europe, in America where they have some small groups.”

Same as the previous points. Given that so many of our spouses and relatives remain unlinked to the Shaykh by initiation or otherwise, where is this pure invention from. It looks like a description of Wahhabis copied and pasted about the Shaykh with a malicious intent to harm at any cost. The authors and those who spread such libels will have to answer for this on the Day of Judgement.

Readers, come and see us, talk with us, read what we publish, you might indeed disagree with us on some points but you will quickly discover what blatant lies these are.

Next slander, they wrote: “5. They have given a fatwa to the effect that wives forcibly separated from their husbands, remarry, though they are still considered married by sharia; moreover they force them to remarry one of the members of their group.”

Same as the previous points. How on earth would we forcibly separate wives from their husbands? What means would we have to force them to “remarry” members of the group. When the father of a woman who had been married before cannot force her to any marriage, how would we have any authority to do that? What power would we have to enforce such an unlawful procedure?

Next slander, they wrote: “6. They gave a fatwa that as long as the woman is covering her head, she can go swimming in a one-piece bathing suit or bikini, even in front of strange men. Their special beaches are infamous in Lebanon.”

Same as the previous points. This was heard from the very mouth of Mr Hicham Kabbani by a former disciple of Mr Nasim Adil al Qubrusi in 1995 approximately. These are all slanders which tell more about the slanderers than the slandered and their terror to be exposed which pushed them to try and intimidate us by such methods.

Next slander, they wrote: “7. They say that women can go in front of any man wearing all types of cosmetics, fragrances, eyelashes, rouge and makeup, and wearing tight trousers and alluring clothes, as long as she is covering her head.”

So, is that a milder version of the previous point? Still shameless but less rude?

Next slander, they wrote: “8. Now they are finally studying the possiblity of a fatwa to allow mut'ah to take place. “Well I discovered this list of gross slanders around the year 1995, when it seemed to have been in circulation for some time already. has any progress been recorded on our alleged “studying the possiblity of a fatwa to allow mut'ah to take place”?

Given that everybody in the Shaykh’s circles seems to be blissfully unaware of these “studies”, would the disciples of Nazim who are the authors of this list kindly inform us where we stand.

This pamphlet was generously being distributed among Nazimites in our town then, but they could stop them from hearing a few arguments from us, until eventually, after gratifying me with a good beating, 50 to 60 of them left the sect, leaving only a handful. They are indeed trying to make their way in again with the same method.

Next slander, they wrote: “9. They permitted mufakhadha, which means a man may sleep and commit any sexual act with other than his wife, as long as no penetration occurs.This is only a small sample, a drop in the bucket, of what they have permitted their followers to do which is contrary to Islam.”

WHAT?

That is the very opposite of what I was taught and what I teach. But how would I know, I have only been working with the disciples of the Shaykh for a few 23 years.Shaykh ^Abdullâh alHarari said: “I advise them in avoiding laziness and anger, and exercising steady patience for enduring the hardship of da^wah. Lessen enjoying the mubâh or quit it completely.”

Next slander, they wrote: “O Muslims, the same ones who are spreading these fatawa, from this so-called "Abdullah Habashi," have cursed and charged many Muslim scholars with kufr.”

Muslim scholars? You mean like the founder of the group now led by Mr Nazim Adil, adDaghestani? He could not understand Arabic, never displayed any knowledge of fiqh that I know of and was excommunicated by the very Naqshbandi order of Daghestan he claimed to have taken Tarîqah from.

Mr Nazim Adil and his disciple Mr Hicham Kabbani could certainly not boast of any scholarly achievement, the closest thing to scholarly writings they have produced were written by Mr; Jibril Fouad Haddad as far as I know, and he seems to lose any common sense when presented with any of their many blunders.

May Allâh protect us from harming in any way Muslims at all, let alone Muslim scholars! May our Lord protect us and you from impostors who pose as Sufis!

then the threat, and here the real aim of the pamphlet appears

they wrote: “To sum up, if the "Habashis" are not going to keep quiet and repent, and offer an apology to all those they accused of kufr and called unbelievers, we are going to expose the dealings of their rank and file with the Nusayris, who are a radical sect of Shi'ites who live in Syria.”

“Habashis” do not even have an official representation in Syria, unlike some people who slander us.

The Nusayris now, what about the worshipers of the onion while they are at it?

One slander abu nibras did not dare copy and paste from this pamphlet is the disgusting claim that is actually a Falasha Jew of Ethiopia and a Free Mason, which is a bit like accusing a square of being a circle, not very credible. Anyway, the Shaykh’s genealogy is well known in his homeland where his Qurashi ancestors settled long ago.

Shaykh ^Abdullâh alHarari said: “Avoid rushing into judging a Muslim with kufr or accusing him with committing a major sin just because you relied on the news delivered by only one trustworthy person. One may become sceptical when just one trustworthy individual tells him that another person has done so and so. That doing of the latter can be kufr or harâm (like a major sin). It is possible that He has done one of these two possible doings. In this case, one does not belie the informer nor does he believe him to become certain about what the former person has said. Let them have good thoughts about the person who is apparently a Muslim until what either strengthens that, or strengthens its opposite, until it becomes clearer to them. Let them not humiliate others because they are not of our jamâ^ah. Allâh made the 'awliyâ' of Allâh unknown to his slaves. There may be 'awliyâ' in a bad village and those 'awliyâ' are not known to the people. I advise them to love each other, stretch ties to each other, and visit one another.”

Then Abu Nibras's quote included this quote of Nazim's disciple: G.F Haddad, who is reported to have said: "Take, for example, the Habashi sect based in Beirut, Lebanon (aptly known as the “Association of Islamic Charitable Projects”: the Association itself being neither). They may protest day and night that they are “Ash`ariyy, Shafi`iyy, Rifa`iyy” but as surely as the sun rises in the sky, they are the same brand of insipid Kharijites as their arch-enemies the Wahhabis."

Surely some evidence of our alleged “kharijism” is going to come up isn’t it?In the meantime this is what shaykh ^Abdullâh alHarari teaches: “Make yourself used to being patient on the harm with which people inflict you. Don't inflict your harm on them. Treat people with good manners- those who treat you with good manners and those who treat you with its opposite.”

His conscience still safely packed away, Mr G.F. Haddad carried on saying: “Imam al-Shafi`i, Imam al-Ash`ari, and Imam al-Rifa`i, Allah be well-pleased with them, are innocent of anyone that wags their tongues against the Companions of the Messenger of Allah upon him and them blessings and peace, while the Habashi leader known as `Abd Allah al-Harari is the proud author of a booklet declaring thousands of Companions corrupt.” !!!!! ?????

Section on the Sins of the body in the MukhtaSar of Shaykh ^Abdullâh alHarari: “48. To rebel against the Imam, like those who rebelled against ^Aliyy and fought him. AlBayhaqiyy said: “All those who fought ^Aliyy were aggressors.” AshShâfi^iyy said the same after him, even though some of the best Companions were among those aggressors because it is not impossible for a waliyy (saint) to commit sins, even great ones. The faqîh and mufassir 'Abû ^Abdillâh Muhammad ibn 'Ahmad alQurtubiyy (the Mâliki scholar) reported the 'ijmâ^ of the jurists of Hijâz and Iraq from scholars of hadîth and opinion, that ^Aliyy was right to fight people in Siffîn and that those who fought against him were aggressors, unjust to him.”

Now that is not Shaykh ^Abdullâh alHarari’s opinion, this is the classical pronouncement of Sunni scholars against rebels, whoever they are. Then they dare call us “khârijis”? Who here is condoning rebellion against the khalîfah, the fourth best companion?As for Shaykh ^Abdullâh alHarari, he abridged a book written by a respected scholar and Sufi, Shaykh ^Abdullâh ibn Husayn ibn Tâhir, from Hadramawt in Yemen.

Mr Haddad also said: “The Habashis also distinguish themselves for attacking the Awliya and Ulema of Ahl al-Sunna in our time and declaring them apostates right and left.”

This is what “Habashis” or “Ahbâsh” have had to put up with for years. The worst, meanest and most baseless slanders come from disciples of Mr Nazim Adil al Qubrusi and from Wahhabis, both motivated by a desperation to stop us displaying actual evidence of their deviations and the teaching of their leaders.

Not only do we accuse with reference, we also provide the evidence, the copies of their books and whatever is necessary, this is what they are trying to bury. this is what they are trying to keep people away from. Don’t be deceived, the real message is “please don’t listen to them for you will turn against us!”.

“attacking awliya and scholars”? It is true that Shaykh ^Abdullâh alHarari is only Hâfiz al Qur’ân , I mean of all the readings of the noble Book, Hâfiz alHadîth, mufti in all four Sunni schools, mutakallim and linguist, shaykh in the Rifâ^i, Qâdiri and Naqshbandi Tarîqah. Is it not enough to inspire respect to those who spread such slanders?

The AICP itself is only a branch of al’Azhar, that certainly makes us a group of dangerous excommunicating revolutionary bandits and some people’s eyes.

The Sheikh said: “One should not rush in praising a person or another. One may not also rush in dispraising a person or another. Be aware from labelling a person with sainthood (al-wilâyah) because his talk is a little and his food is a little. Alwilâyah has a prerequisite which is righteousness”.If the authors of this pamphlet and Mr Haddad are really faced with such a merciless bunch of head-scarved, bikini-dressed , fanatical khariji Habashis, they have managed to remain remarkably cool.

they have made sure in the meantime, through through such provocative writings and speeches, that their disciples would see us as evil incarnate, that blinded by fury they would be ready to do almost anything.

I was myself severely beaten of by the entrance of a mosque and threaten to be killed, others have undergone the same treatment. A sunni shaykh in Leicester, who left them when he discovered the reality of their beliefs and practice, as seen been beaten of also the object of deaththreats. Last time I saw him he told me he was not using e-mail anymore because Nazimites flooded his in-box with threats and insults.

There are 2 things the reader can do, let him or her come and see the reality of what we are and probe beyoond the wishy-washy Sufi appearances Nazimites offer the world.