Critique of the book Fadaa’il al-A‘maal by Muhammad Zakariyya al-Kandahlawi
Question

                Is it true that the book Fadaa’il al-A‘maal by Muhammad Zakariyya al-Kandahlawi contains a number of things that imply shirk?
Praise be to Allah.
      The book Fadaa’il al-A‘maal – the original title of 
      which was Tableeghi Nisaab – by Muhammad Zakariyya al-Kandahlawi is 
      a collection of chapters about various virtuous deeds. It was written by 
      the author to be a reference for the group Jamaa‘at al-Tableegh. This book 
      became of great importance for them, which they read in their gatherings 
      and study in their schools and mosques. It is written in Urdu, which is 
      why it did not become widespread in the Arab countries; rather it is 
      widely known in the countries in which Jamaa‘at al-Tableegh is widespread, 
      such as India, Pakistan and Afghanistan. 

    Shaykh Hammood at-Tuwaijri said in al-Qawl al-Baleegh 
    (p. 11): 

    The most important book among the Tableeghis is Tableeghi 
    Nisaab (also known as Fadaa’il al-A‘maal), which was written by one 
    of their leaders whose name is Muhammad Zakariyya al-Kandahlawi. They pay a 
    great deal of attention to this book, which they respect as Ahl as-Sunnah 
    respect as-Saheehayn and other books of hadeeth. 

    The Tableeghis have made this book the most important 
    reference work for the Indians and other non-Arabs who follow them. It 
    contains a great deal of matters of shirk, innovation (bid‘ah), myths, and 
    fabricated (mawdoo‘) and weak (da‘eef) hadeeths. In fact it is a book of 
    evil, misguidance and confusion (fitnah). End quote. 

    Shaykh Shams ad-Deen al-Afghaani said in his book Juhood 
    ‘Ulama’ al-Hanafiyyah fi Ibtaal ‘Aqaa’id al-Qubooriyyah (2/776): 

    The leading imams of the Deobandis have books which are 
    venerated by the Deobandis, but they are filled with the myths of 
    grave-worshippers and Sufi idolatry, such as – and he mentioned a number of 
    books, including Tableeghi Nisaab, i.e., Nisaab at-Tableegh, and Manhaj 
    at-Tableegh. These Deobandis did not openly disavow these books or warn 
    against them, and they did not put a stop to the printing and sale of these 
    books. The markets of India and Pakistan and elsewhere are full of them. End 
    quote. 

    It says in Fataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa’imah (vol 2, 
    2/97): 

    Question: I am a Muslim man living in Britain, and I want to 
    follow the path of Ahl as-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa‘ah in all aspects of my life. On 
    that basis I am trying to read religious books in Urdu. Whilst reading some 
    religious books written by the famous and prominent Indian scholar who 
    belongs to the Deobandi Jamaa‘at at-Tableegh, whose name is Shaykh Muhammad 
    Zakariyya Kandahlawi, the shaykh of hadeeth, I found in his book 
    Tableeghi Nisaab (p. 113), in Chapter 5, a story quoted by the author 
    from a book entitled Rawnaq al-Majaalis. This is the story of a 
    merchant who died and his estate was shared between his two sons. In 
    addition to a great deal of wealth, the deceased had left behind a hair from 
    the head of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). The 
    younger son kept the hair from the head of the Messenger (blessings and 
    peace of Allah be upon him) and gave up the wealth to which he was entitled 
    from his father’s estate, giving it to his older brother. What happened was 
    that the one who took the wealth soon became bankrupt, whilst the one who 
    took the hair became rich. After the death of the younger brother, in whose 
    possession was the hair from the head of the Prophet (blessings and peace of 
    Allah be upon him), one of the righteous saw the Prophet (blessings and 
    peace of Allah be upon him) in his dream, and the Prophet (blessings and 
    peace of Allah be upon him) said to him: “Whoever has any need should go to 
    the grave of this younger brother and call upon Allah, may He be glorified 
    and exalted, at his graveside so that He might answer his prayer.” This is 
    quoted from the book Tableeghi Nisaab. 

    I also read another book called Tareekh Mashaayikh 
    Juththat by the same author, Shaykh Muhammad Zakariyya Kandahlawi. On p. 
    232, he mentions Shaykh Haji Imdaadullah Muhaajir Makki, when he was in his 
    final illness and was visited by one of his followers who was grieved by his 
    state. The shaykh realised that he was feeling sad for him and he said: “Do 
    not grieve, for the ascetic (zaahid) worshipper does not die; rather he 
    moves from one place to another, and he meets people’s needs when he is in 
    his grave as he used to meet their needs when he was alive.” This is quoted 
    from the book Tareekh Mashaayikh Juththat. 

    I would like to hear your wise opinions about the above and 
    also about the following matters: 

    (a)Is he – the author – and the 
    one who narrated this story still a Muslim in the light of this belief which 
    is reflected in his books and his words? Please explain to us with evidence 
    from the Qur’an and Sunnah.

    (b)If he is no longer a Muslim, 
    what is the evidence from the Qur’an and Sunnah that he is beyond the pale 
    of Islam?

    The answer was: 

    What is quoted in these books, such as the example mentioned 
    in the question, comes under the heading of reprehensible innovation and 
    myths that are not based on any sound Islamic principle and have no basis in 
    the Book of Allah or the Sunnah of His Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah 
    be upon him). No one says or believes this except one who is confused and 
    blinded to the truth, and has gone astray from the straight path. 

    The claim that a hair of the Prophet still exists, and brings 
    riches to the one who keeps it, and the claim to have seen the Prophet 
    (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in a dream telling people to 
    offer supplication at the grave of this man – all of that is lies and 
    fabrications for which there is no evidence. It is narrated in a saheeh 
    report that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: 
    “The Shaytaan cannot appear in my form.” Agreed upon. So how could the 
    Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) instruct people to call 
    upon Allah at gravesides when he forbade such actions during his lifetime 
    and warned against it in the strongest terms, and he forbade exaggerating 
    about the Prophets and righteous people and seeking to draw close to Allah 
    (tawassul) by virtue of them after their death? He (blessings and peace of 
    Allah be upon him) did not die until Allah had perfected His religion by 
    means of him (the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)) and 
    completed His favour or blessings. So nothing can be added to or taken away 
    from what He prescribed. The belief that supplications offered at gravesides 
    will be answered is an innovation for which there is no basis in Islam, and 
    it may lead a person to major shirk if he calls upon the occupant of the 
    grave instead of Allah or alongside Him, or if he believes that the occupant 
    of the grave has the power to bring benefit or cause harm, because the only 
    One Who can bring benefit or cause harm is Allah, may He be glorified. 

    Similarly, the belief that the ascetic (zaahid) worshipper 
    does not die, rather he moves from one place to another, and that he can 
    meet people’s needs from his grave as he used to meet their needs when he 
    was alive, is also a false belief; it is one of the beliefs of the deviant 
    Sufis. There is no basis for that; rather what is indicated by the verses 
    and saheeh hadeeths is that every person in this world will die. Allah, may 
    He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

    “Verily, you (O Muhammad SAW) will die and verily, they 
    (too) will die”

    [az-Zumar 39:30]

    “And We granted not to any human being immortality before 
    you (O Muhammad SAW), then if you die, would they live forever?”

    [al-Anbiya’ 21:34]

    “Everyone is going to taste death, and We shall make a 
    trial of you with evil and with good, and to Us you will be returned.”

    [al-Anbiya’ 21:35]. 

    The saheeh hadeeths also indicate that when a person dies, 
    all his deeds come to an end except three: beneficial knowledge, a righteous 
    son who will pray for him, or ongoing charity (sadaqah jaariyah). The 
    deceased in his grave has no power to harm or benefit himself, and it is 
    more apt to say that one who is in this state has no power to do that for 
    anyone else. It is not permissible to seek to have one’s needs met by anyone 
    except Allah alone with regard to that over which no one has any control 
    except Allah; seeking such needs from the dead is major shirk. Anyone who 
    believes anything other than that has disbelieved in the sense of major kufr 
    and has gone beyond the pale of Islam – Allah forbid – because of his 
    rejecting the proven evidence to that effect from the Book of Allah and the 
    Sunnah of His Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). He has to 
    repent sincerely from that, resolve not to go back to that evil deed, and to 
    follow the path of the righteous early generations of Ahl as-Sunnah 
    wa’l-Jamaa‘ah in order to attain the pleasure of Allah and His Paradise, and 
    to be safe from His punishment. End quote. 

    It says in al-Mawsoo‘ah al-Muyassarah fi’l-Adyaan 
    wa’l-Madhaahib wa’l-Ahzaab al-Mu‘aasirah (1/322): 

    In their gatherings in Arab countries they – i.e., Jamaa‘at 
    at-Tableegh – focus on reading from Riyadh as-Saaliheen, but in 
    non-Arab countries they focus on reading from Hayat as-Sahaabah and
    Tableeghi Nisaab; the latter book is full of myths and da‘eef (weak) 
    hadeeths. End quote. 

    To sum up, the scholars continue to warn against the book 
    Tableeghi Nisaab, otherwise known as Fadaa’il al-A‘maal. It is 
    not permissible for any Muslim to read it; rather they should focus on the 
    books of the saheeh Sunnah, books whose authors follow the path of Ahl 
    as-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa‘ah. As for books that contain myths and lies, they 
    should not have any place in the heart or mind of the Muslim. 

    And Allah knows best.