Fatwa's Insights - Aqidah

THE 73RD MEETING OF THE PERLIS STATE FATWA COMMITTEE / 2025

27–28 APRIL 2025 / 28-29 SYAWAL 1446

FATWA ON SUFI RABITAH

The remembrance of Allah (dhikrullāh) is intended solely for the purpose of remembering Allah. Glorified and Exalted is Allah above all forms of polytheism (shirk) or the imagining of created beings. The practice of rābiṭah as observed by followers of deviant teachings — namely, the visualisation of the face of shaykh during the performance of dhikr — constitutes a deviant practice that may bring grave adverse consequences upon a person's life. This is evidenced by the existence of certain ṭarīqah teachers who have taken undue advantage of their disciples who habitually visualise their faces, particularly among women.

Looking at the face of a person, or at any created thing or event that reminds one of Allah due to an existing and real connection, is different from deliberately attempting to summon the image of someone who is not present into one’s mind. The former occurs naturally as part of the causal relationships that exist in life. The latter, however, concerns something that does not exist in reality but is artificially created in the mind as a result of erroneous belief.

What is more important is that such a practice of rabitah has never been taught by the Messenger of Allah SAW, the Rightly Guided Caliphs, nor the early generations (al-salaf). None of them ever instructed others to imagine their faces while performing zikrullah.

Those who practise this form of rabitah will eventually erase Allah from their remembrance and replace Him with a created being, namely, the shaykh whom they imagine. Thus, it no longer constitutes zikrullah; rather, it becomes the remembrance of a shaykh whom they venerate to the extent of substituting him for Allah in their dhikr. This is a misguiding innovation (bid‘ah dalalah) that can lead to polytheism.

PRESENCE AND CONCURRENCE BY:

1. Sahibus Samahah Professor Dato' Arif Perkasa Dr Mohd Asri Bin Zainul Abidin

2. Sahibul Fadhilah Ustaz Tajul Urus bin Abdul Halim

3. Sahibul Fadhilah Professor Dr. Muhamad Rozaimi bin Ramle S

4. ahibul Fadhilah Dr. Hj. Zaharuddin bin Hj Abdul Rahman

5. Sahibul Fadhilah Professor Dr. Azman Bin Mohd Noor

6. Sahibul Fadhilah Associate Professor Dr. Mohd Akram bin Dato' Dahaman @ Dahlan

7. Sahibul Fadhilah Associate Professor Dr Ahmad Wifaq Bin Mokhtar

8. Sahibul Fadhilah Ustaz Syed Abu Bakar bin Syed Kamal Bharin

9. Sahibul Fadhilah K.H Dr. Zaitun bin Rasmin

10. Sahibul Fadhilah Ustaz Aidil bin Abdul Rahman

11. Sahibul Fadhilah Ustaz Burhanudin bin Lokman

12. Al-Fadhil Ustaz Muhammad Khidhir bin Abdul Ghani – Secretary

ENDORSED at the Meeting of the Council of Religion and Malay Custom of Perlis No. 3/2025 held on 26 May 2025.