Daily Times

Karachi: Any group that calls other Muslims Kafir (infidel), resorts to terrorism and kills any innocent Muslim is misguided and it not the part of Ahle Sunnah (Sunnis), prominent scholars of Sufi order declared here on Monday.

At the end of the Second day of “First International Sufi Conference” organized by the International Center of Sufism at a local hotel on Monday the participants unanimously endorsed a resolution passed in Chechnya last year by leading Sufi scholars.

The resolution declares that only those who disown violence, follow the teaching of Quran and Sunnah are in fact represent the real face of Ahle Sunnah (Sunni-Sufi). “Those who will go against Quran and Sunnah will not be part of the Ahle Sunnah”, they declared.

They invited “those who have been gone astray” to the right path saying any group which labels other Muslims as Kafir and kills them should repent and comeback to the ambit of Sufism which, according to them, is in the right direction.

They also called for Muslims’ self accountability so that they should follow the right teachings of Islam and stay away from violence, they declared.

Religious scholars practicing Sufism have arrived in Pakistan to spread the “real face of Islam”, the Sufism. They declared that the terrorism and killings in the name of Islam have nothing to do with Muslims because Islam has declared that “killing one person is like killing humanity”. Sufism is based on non-violent teachings and is the way of peace and harmony.

The visiting scholars include Grand Khateeb of Syria Shaykh Dr Nasir Mehmood Al Hout, Shaykh Dr Osama Abdul Razzaq Al Rifai from Lebanon, Shaykh Muhammad Keskin from Turkey, Shaikh Faisal Mehmood Ahmed Alamodi from Kenya, Shaykh Dr Muhammad Jarad Al Eesawi from Iraq, Shaykh Dr Idris Fassi Fahri from Morocco, Shaykh Ahmed Mazouz from Algeria, Shaykh Justice Muhaddith Muhammad Al-Kamil Sa’adi from Tunis, Shaikh Al Syed Latif Rauf Rida from Iraq, Shaykh Hamdi Kanjo from Syria, Aala Shumali Yaseen from Syria.

The first event of the conference was held in Nishtar Park on Sunday which was presided over by Dr Abdul Aziz Al-Khateeb Al-Jilani who termed Pakistan “the second caliphate” (capital) of Islam after Makka and Madina. “We have come to spread the true message of Sufism. The some of the visiting Sufis are direct descendants of Hazrat Imam Hussain(RA) and Hazrat Imam Hassan(RA)” & Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani (RA), he informed adding that Pakistan is the land of people who love prophet Muhammad PBUH and Sufis feel proud whenever they visit the country.

He categorically said that music, singing, drugs and dancing has nothing to do with Islam and Sufism. He stressed the need for spreading message of Islam with latest available means of communications including writings. “In current global situation masses would have to be familiarized with the way of life of Sufis in true essence”, he stressed.

Ameer of Jamaat Ahl-e-Sunnat Pakistan Karachi Allama Syed Shah Abdul Haq Qadri at the occasion said that deep rooted conspiracy has been hatched to destabilize the Muslim world. Only Muslim world is facing destruction at such a mass scale. The evil forces after completion of their evil designs in Afghanistan, Libya, Iraq, Egypt, Kashmir and Yemen are now killing Muslims in Syria and Burma, Qadri said.

He noted that organization like Al-Qaida and Daesh (ISIS) are playing in the hands of evil forces while Muslims rulers are enjoying luxurious lives sans any shame. Muslim countries should play their role to defend Islam against these evil forces, he demanded.

Declaring Blasphemy Law “matter of life and death” for Muslims living around the world, he said that any move to amend 295-C constitutional provision will be resisted with full force.

Shaykh Dr Mehmood Nasir Al Hout said that the purpose of Sufi Conference at most turmoil times is to spread the global message of Islam and introduce the role of Sufis they are playing. “At present efforts are being made to distort the real face of Islam through terrorism”, he noted.

Dr Osama Al-Rifai said that some misguided people are making shrines of messengers of peace and their followers are targets of their nefarious terror activities.

Shaykh Muhammad Keskin said that Ulema and Sufis want to show the real face of Islam to the world community and want to spread the spiritual message among the masses. “Islam did not spread with the sword”, he added.

Shaykh Dr Muhammad Jarad Al Eesawi said that due to terrorism, bigotry and destruction the peace loving nations are perturbed. Only following the teachings of Sufism the peace and harmony could only be restored in the world, he noted.

Other prominent Shaykhs also spoke on the occasion and highlighted the efforts of Sufis for the promotion of peace in the Muslim world.