PRAISING THE AWLIYA?

QUESTION

As-salamu alaikum ya Sidi

I am in a group where the ladies often sing praises to Shaykh Ibrahim (may Allah sanctify his secret) . What is actually sung, I do not know, as it is in wolof. However, it sounds like a nasheed.

So the question is: Is it permissible to sing in praise of the awliya and is the described practise in accordance with Sacred Law?

Fi amaniLlah

ANSWER

Wa Alaykum As-Salam wa rahmatuLlahi wa barakatuh ya Sidi al-Aziz,

You have as asked a few questions.

Firstly, know that this practice you described is not a command of  the Tariqah or of Shaykh Ibrahim Niasse (RA), so you are not obliged to follow it. 

It is just a Senegalese cultural practice. African people, esp women, like to sing. What better to sing about than their guiding Shaykh. In fact, all nations sing about their heroes. The Prophet (SAW) allowed the girls of Medina to sing about their heroes (of Yawm Bu'ath), as in the Sahih books of Hadith.

 

Secondly, praising the Awliya-Allah is the Sunnah of Allah and His Prophet (SAW). In the holy Quran, Allah praised Awliya such as Maryam, Luqman, al-Khidr, Dhu'l-Qarnayn and Ashab al-Kahf (A.S.), and even Surahs are named after them.

The Prophet (SAW) praised many of his Sahabah and even Tabi'in (like Owais al-Qarni), and they are Awliya. Furthermore, he (SAW) said:  "Rahmah descends at the mention of the Pious."

The third issue would be the women singing in front of men. This is discouraged, but not necessarily prohibited if its a group of properly-clad older women singing spiritual songs, in the presence of their mahrams. The Prophet (SAW) once allowed an old woman to beat the Duff in front of him and the Sahabah, in the famous incident.

This should be enough.

Was-Salam

Servant of the Tijani Door

Fakhruddin al-Tijani