Q 5: What is the ruling on performing Salah (Prayer) behind shaykhs who sit in (Part No. 7; Page No. 351) circles after each obligatory Salah, stretch out a white garment, and sit around it, especially on Fridays and recite their own Wirds (regular remembrances of Allah recited with consistency)?

A: Allah (Exalted be He) orders His Servants to perform Dhikr (remembrance of Allah) and explains that it brings peace to the heart. Allah (Exalted be He) says: O you who believe! Remember Allâh with much remembrance. And glorify His Praises morning and afternoon [the early morning (Fajr) and ‘Asr prayers]. He also says: Therefore remember Me (by praying, glorifying), I will remember you, and be grateful to Me (for My countless Favours on you) and never be ungrateful to Me. And: Those who believed (in the Oneness of Allâh - Islâmic Monotheism), and whose hearts find rest in the remembrance of Allâh: verily, in the remembrance of Allâh do hearts find rest. And many other Ayahs (Qur'anic verses) encourage Dhikr and praise its merit. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "The similitude of a house in which Remembrance of Allah is made and a house in which Allah is not remembered is like that of the living and the dead." (Related by Al-Bukhari and Muslim). According to another narration: "The similitude of someone who remembers Allah and someone who does not remember Him, is like that of the living and the dead." There are many Hadith on the merit of Dhikr that explain what a Servant should recite to remember their Lord along with recitation of the Qur'an, Tasbih (saying: "Subhan Allah [Glorified is Allah]"), Tahmid (saying: "Al-hamdu lillah [All praise is due to Allah]"), Takbir (saying: "Allahu Akbar [Allah is the Greatest]"), learning religious knowledge, sitting in learning circles, and listening to Khutbahs (sermons). This is a general explanation of what is mentioned in the Ayahs and Hadith that order Dhikr and encourage its performance. Furthermore, books of Hadith and the Prophet's biography are full of Dhikr that the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to remember his Lord, but nothing is authentically reported from him or his Sahabah (Companions of the Prophet) that he used to sit in circles performing Dhikr after performing the obligatory Salah or at fixed times. Nor is it ever mentioned that they performed Dhikr in unison, recited just one of Allah's Names, recited the word "Oh" as a form of Dhikr, or made any specific movements or swaying. (Part No. 7; Page No. 352) Similarly, it is not known that they ever used to stretch out a white or a black garment between themselves while they were performing Dhikr. Instead they used to gather to perform congregational Salah, recite the Qur'an, and contemplate its apparent and hidden meanings. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, "If a group of people gather in one of the Houses of Allah to recite the Book of Allah and study it together, Sakinah (peace) will descend upon them, mercy will engulf them, the angels will surround them, and Allah will make mention of them to those with Him (the angels)." (Related by Muslim) Those who sit in circles in the Masjid (mosque) after every Salah, stretch a white garment in front of them, and single out the night of Friday (i.e. Thursday night, as in the Hijri calendar the night precedes the day) for such gathering are all Mubtadi`ah (those who introduce innovations in religion), as they introduce methods of Dhikr that neither the Prophet (peace be upon him) nor his Sahabah performed. And every act of `Ibadah (worship) that is introduced into the Din (religion) is Bid`ah (innovation in religion), which is not permitted. As for the Wird they recite, whichever of them are known to be narrated from the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his Sahabah are permissible, provided that they are not recited in circles in the way mentioned by the questioner nor do they include seeking help from other than Allah or performing Tawassul (seeking to draw close to Allah and supplicating to him by virtue of any of His creations), as in the Burdah poem. They should not also contain any false allegations, exceeding proper limits in glorifying any of those created by Allah, or words whose meanings cannot be understood due to being either foreign or symbolic, as this could lead to Shirk (associating others with Allah in His Divinity or worship). This occurs when they seek help from other than Allah and add false allegations, such as that the world was only created for the sake of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), who they say is the source of the sciences of Al-Lawh-ul-Mahfuzh (the Preserved Tablet) and the Pen of decrees, etc., which are included in the deviations found in the Sufi Wirds and songs. (Part No. 7; Page No. 353)  With regard to praying behind Mubtadi`ah, if the Bid`ah includes Shirk, such as supplicating and vowing to other than Allah, or falsely believing that their shaykhs have attributes befitting only to Allah, e.g. Perfect knowledge, knowledge of the Ghayb (Unseen), and the power to influence natural phenomena, it is not correct to perform Salah behind them. If their Bid`ah does not include Shirk, such as reciting Dhikr narrated from the Prophet (peace be upon him), but they perform it collectively and sway from side to side, then Salah offered behind them is valid. However, Muslims should look for an Imam to pray behind who is not a Mubtadi`, because that will receive a greater reward and avoid Munkar (that which is unacceptable or disapproved of by Islamic law and Muslims of sound intellect).May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.