A Critical Review of Objections to Īṣāl al-Thawāb, Samāʿ al-Mawtā, and the Construction of Mosques at Shrines

ایصال ثواب، سماع موتی اور تعمیر مساجد عندالمزارات پر نقد کا جائزہ

Abstract

Critics of Ṣūfism have raised objections to the practices of Īṣāl al-Thawāb, Samāʿ al-Mawtā, and the construction of mosques at shrines. According to Ghulām Aḥmad Parwez, the belief in Īṣāl al-Thawāb is un-Qurʾānic. From his perspective of divine recompense, every individual bears the consequence of his or her own actions, and such outcomes cannot be transferred to another person, whether living or deceased. This study seeks to examine, in the light of the Qurʾān and Sunnah, whether one person can benefit another in the intermediate or the Hereafter life. Parwez’s viewpoint will be critically analyzed in the light of the Qurʾān and Sunnah, as well as through the perspectives of the Prophet’s teachings, the understanding of the Companions, and the established practice of the Muslim Ummah, in order to determine the juristic and doctrinal status of Īṣāl al-Thawāb. Another significant issue raised by critics is that of Samāʿ al-Mawtā. According to Parwez, the dead do not possess the capacity to hear, whereas the Ṣūfīs affirm this belief. The arguments presented by Parwez regarding Samāʿ al-Mawtā will be examined analytically, followed by a comprehensive evaluation of the issue in the light of the Qurʾān and Sunnah, with the aim of reaching its doctrinal reality.

Among issues related to shrines, a fundamental concern is the construction of mosques near graves. Sayyid Abū al-Aʿlā Mawdūdī regarded the construction of mosques adjacent to the shrines of saints as tantamount to an act of shirk. His arguments will first be analyzed critically, followed by an evaluation of this viewpoint in the light of the Qurʾān and Sunnah. Scholarly opinions of later researchers will also be reviewed to determine the legal status of constructing mosques near graves. After an analytical study of these three issues, the research will conclude by assessing the validity of the criticisms and clarifying the correct position of these matters in the light of the Qurʾān and Sunnah.