THE REALITY OF NAZR O NIYAZ

Reciting the Holy Qur'an over that food which is kept in front of you and making Dua (during this time) is proven from the Hadith Shareef. It has been mentioned in Waqaar ul Fataawa with reference to Muslim Shareef in the

answer to a similar question as follows: According to the Ahle Sunnat, it is permissible to recite some Surahs from the Holy Qur'an over that food which is kept in front of you and to thereafter convey the rewards of it (i.e. to make Esaal e Sawaab) and to make Dua. This is because reciting the Holy Qur'an over that food which is kept in front of you and making Dua, and then distributing it amongst yourselves, so that it may be eaten, are all proven from the Hadith. There is a lengthy Hadith which has been reported in Bukhari and Muslim in which it has been mentioned that when the Beloved Master visited the house of Umme Sulaim (Radi Allahu Anha), she broke the bread (into pieces) and spread ghee (clarified butter) over it and then presented it before the Holy Prophet . A little further, the words of Muslim Shareef are as follows:

ء In other words, The Holy Prophet said some words of Dua over that food and He continued reciting whatever Allah Almighty Willed. On the same page there is another Hadith, the words of which are as follows:

then

In other words, The Holy Prophet

made Dua for abundant blessings (Barkat) over that

food. It is this which is the meaning of Faatiha and Niaz. In other words, you should recite something (Qur’anic verses etc. over it) and Dua should then be made whilst the food is kept in front. This is why it has been customary for a long time amongst the Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat to offer Faatiha and Niaz. (Waqaar ul Fataawa volume 1 page 200) In response to a similar question, it has been mentioned with reference to Bukhari Shareef, on page 244 of the First Volume of Fataawa Hanafiyah, which is also known as Fataawa Utra Khand as follows: Reciting something over that food which is kept in front and distributing it is proven from the Hadith of Bukhari Shareef. When the Holy Prophet married Hazrat Zainab Radi Allahu Anha then Umme Sulaim Radi Allahu Anha sent Halwa (a sweet dish) made from dates, ghee (clarified butter) and paneer (cheese) as a gift through Hazrat Anas Radi Allahu Anh to the Holy Prophet . When Hazrat Anas Radi Allahu Anh brought that Halwa (sweet dish) in the Blessed Court of the Holy Prophet , He commanded him to call all the people. When all of them came, Hazrat Anas says:

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I saw that the Holy Prophet placed his Blessed Hands over that food and He then recited over it whatever Almighty Allah Willed. He then called people in groups of ten to partake in the meal and said to them, All of you, take Allah’s Name and all of you should eat from that which is in front of you. (Bukhari Shareef volume 2 page 776, Chapter of Nikaah) It is in Fataawa Sadrul Afaadhil: Food is something which is always kept in front. So if it is proven by someone that the food should be kept at the back (behind you) then he can oppose it. Whenever anything is brought forth (placed in front) to be given (distributed) in the way of Allah, then this bringing it forth (in front) is for Tamleek and Tamkeen (to show custody and dignity). In other words, so that the custody over it is established, as this is necessary for the completion and validation of Sadqah and Hibah (gifting). It is in Durr e Mukhtaar:

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It is also mentioned in Durr e Mukhtaar:

c T#d e`0 c T#d fH g- ghNFGH Therefore bringing it forth (keeping it in front) is for the completion and validation of the Sadqah. A person who has knowledge of Jurisprudence cannot object to it. (Fataawa Sadrul Afaadhil page 203, Maktabah Ala Hazrat Lahore) Now observe the detailed discussion on the reality of Nazr-o-Niyaz (offerings and dedications). It must be noted that we have two types of Niyaz fundamentally: (1) Shar’ee or Fiqhi (i.e. A Jurisprudential Submission or Offering) (2) Urfi (A Customary or well-known norm) (1) Nazr-o-Niyaz Fiqhi or Shar'ee is to make the responsibility (fulfilment) of something necessary upon yourself for Allah Almighty. For this, there are certain conditions. If these conditions are met, then it is Waajib (compulsory) to fulfill that Mannat (vow) and by not fulfilling it, one becomes a sinner and Nazr-e-Shar'ee is forbidden to take for anyone other than for Allah. (2) Nazr-o-Niyaz Urfi is when people undertake to do such and such Nazr-o-Niyaz (i.e. to make such and such offering), such as by saying that if my certain work gets done, then I will place a Chaadar (Covering) on the Mazaar of such and such Wali of Allah or I will present myself there or I will make Faatiha or Esaale Sawaab on his name. This is Nazr-o-Niyaz Urfi and it is not compulsory (Waajib) to fulfill (discharge) it, but rather it is better to do so. It must be noted that according to Shari'ah, apart from Allah, it is permissible to intend Nazro-Niyaz Urfi for any Prophet or Wali of Allah and it is also permissible for the rich, the poor, the Saadaat e Kiraam (Sayyids) and for everyone to eat from it, and this is called Nazr-oNiyaz Urfi. (Bunyaadi Aqaa’id Aur Ma’moolaat e Ahle Sunnat, Page 108 with reference to Fataawa Razviyyah Shareef, New Edition Volume 9, Page 522) It must also be noted that the common practice of Nazr-o-Niyaz in our society is this very Nazr-o-Niyaz Urfi, wherein the food is cooked for the sake of Esaale Sawaab of any Wali of Allah, after which the Faatiha, in other words, some Verses of the Holy Qur'an are recited over it and that food is then fed to everyone, including the rich and the poor. However, Nazr-o-Niyaz Shar'ee which is Nazr e Fiqhi (i.e. A Jurisprudential Submission or Offering) is not allowed for other than Allah as Huzoor Ala Hazrat Alaihir Rahma writes in Fataawa Razviyyah Shareef:

Nazr e Fiqhi is forbidden for other than Allah Almighty. Those Nazr (i.e. offerings) which are undertaken in the lifetime or after the passing away of the Awliya Allah is not Nazre Fiqhi (rather it is Nazre Urfi). In the language of the common folk, that which is gifted in the court of the pious ones is known as 'Nazr' (i.e. an offering). (Fataawa Razviyyah Shareef volume 22, page 611, Imam Ahmad Raza Academy Bareilly Shareef) On the permissibility of Nazr-o-Niyaz Urfi for the Awliya Kiraam, it is mentioned in Fataawa Razviyyah Shareef as follows: Imam Arif Billah Sayyidi Abdul Wahab Sha'raani Alaihir Rahma states in the distinguished book Tabaqaat Al Kubra regarding Hazrat Sayyidi Abdul Mawahib Muhammad Shaazili Radi Allahu Anh:

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wx yS\# P . In other words, Hazrat used to say, I saw the Beloved Nabi

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said to me if you

have any need, and you wish for it to be fulfilled, then make the Niyyat of an offering for Sayyidah Taahira, Sayyidah Nafisa Radi Allahu Anha, even though it may be just one cent, and your need will be fulfilled. (Fataawa Razviyyah Shareef volume 22, page 616, Imam Ahmad Raza Academy Bareilly Shareef) Some people consider the food of Nazr-o-Niyaz and Faatiha to be Haraam, by saying that it is for other than Allah and (they present the) following Ayat of the Holy Qur'an:

"$ze 6# 7u (An animal slaughtered in the name of other than Allah Almighty is Haraam) and they mislead the people by reciting the above Ayat. In fact they are Jaahil (ignorant). Concerning the meaning of this verse of the Holy Qur'an, it is written in the Tafaseer (commentaries of the Holy Qur'an) that at the time of slaughtering, if an animal is slaughtered when proclaiming a name other than the Name of Allah Almighty, then it becomes Haraam. No Muslim does this. In fact, every Muslim slaughters his or her animal by proclaiming the Name of Allah Almighty. In other words, they slaughter the animal by saying,

Thereafter he feeds it to the people, and conveys the rewards of it to the souls of pious people and to his forefathers. This has no connection to this Ayat. Hazrat Mulla Jeewan Alaihir Rahma writes in his Tafseer, "Tafseeraat e Ahmadiyyah" under the same verse, as follows:

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The cow which is offered for the Esaale Sawaab of Awliya e Kiraam, just as it is customary in our time (era), is Halaal and pure after slaughtering. (Waqaar ul Fataawa Volume 1, page 200) And Huzoor Ala Hazrat Alaihir Rahma says that: to include the Nazr meant for the Awliya in the category of

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is futile (i.e. baseless). If this were the case then why would the

Awliya e Deen have accepted these offerings, and why would they have eaten and fed from it? In fact

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refers to that animal which was slaughtered by invoking a name other than

Allah at the time when the Takbeer should be proclaimed. (Fataawa Razviyyah Shareef volume 22 page 616) Apart from at the time of Zibah (slaughtering), if it is Haraam to take the name of anyone else at any other time, then the one who says, "this goat is mine", "this Qurbani is on my name", "this food is for my mother", "this is my wife", then all these things will also become Haraam. It has thus been ascertained, that if an animal is slaughtered in the name of other than Allah Almighty at the time of slaughtering, then it would be regarded as being Haraam, but if someone only keeps his animal with the intention of Nazr-o-Niyaz of a Wali, for example, if he says that this animal is for the Niyaz of Sayyiduna Shaikh Abdul Qaadir Jilaani then that animal does not become Haraam, but it remains Halaal. Similarly, if someone says that this is the food of Ghaus e Paak’s Niyaz, then by taking the name of someone other than Allah Almighty on that food, will not make that food Haraam, but it will remain Halaal and Pure.

The Summary: According to the aforesaid Hadith of Muslim and Bukhari, reciting the Qur'an over that food which is kept in front of you, supplicating (i.e. making Faatiha) and Niyaz, and then sharing and eating it with one another, are all actions which have been proven from

the Hadith of Rasoolullah

. Further, the explanation of what is meant by the method of

Nazr-o-Niyaz which is prevalent in our society, has become very clear in the light of the books of Fataawa. For further details regarding Nazr-o-Niyaz of the Awliya e Kiraam, one should study the edict of Huzoor Ala Hazrat Alaihir Rahma which is present in "Fataawa Africa."