Is the Khatm of Koonde for Imam Jafar Sadiq or Amir Muawiyah Exploring the Permissibility

Darulifta Ahlesunnat

(Dawateislami)

Question

   What do the scholars of Islam say regarding the following matter: is the khatm of koonde carried out for Imam Jaʿfar Ṣādiq رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ or Amīr Muʿāwiyah رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ? Is it permissible to conduct such a khatm? Some people claim that Amīr Muʿāwiyah رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ passed away on the 22nd of Rajab, not Imam Jaʿfar Ṣādiq رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ, and carrying out such a khatm is the way of the misguided. Meaning they celebrate the passing ofAmīr Muʿāwiyah رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ by means of this. Therefore, we should avoid it lest we resemble them. However, it is mentioned in Sunni Behishti Zewar that it is permissible to conduct the khatm of koonde. Please give guidance as to what is correct.

بِسْمِ اللہِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ

اَلْجَوَابُ بِعَوْنِ الْمَلِکِ الْوَھَّابِ اَللّٰھُمَّ ھِدَایَۃَ الْحَقِّ وَالصَّوَابِ

   Muslims generally prepare food, etc., and recite Quran etc., on the 22^nd of Rajab, in particular so that they can transmit its reward to Imam Jaʿfar Ṣādiq رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ. This is known as koonde. This is totally permissible according to the sharīʿah. The erudite Ḥanafi jurist, Mufti Amjad ʿAli Aʿẓami رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه states the following regarding koonde:

   Similarly in the month of Rajab, in some places pooriyan[1] for koonde are made in order to transmit the reward to Imam Jaʿfar Ṣādiq رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ. This is also permissible but some people insist that they must be eaten in the same place; this is a baseless restriction.”[2]

   He further writes:

   Filling koonde for Imam Jaʿfar Ṣādiq رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ, reciting Fātiḥa, etc., and transmitting the reward is permissible. The basis for this action lays in the fact transmitting reward is permissible. Its permissibility is established through hadith and jurisprudence, unless prohibition is established in specific cases. To label it impermissible is to invent a lie against Allah, His Messenger and sharīʿah.[3]

   Mufti Aḥmad Yār Khān Naʿīmi رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه explains regarding the koonde of Rajab,

   On the 22^nd of this month within the Indo-Pak Subcontinent, koonde takes place. Meaning, new koonde (clay basins) are ordered, and pooriyan are prepared from flour, sugar and ghee. Fātiḥa is then performed for Imam Jaʿfar Ṣādiq رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ.”[4]

   He further mentions, “The practice of koonde on the 22^nd of Rajab is good and full of blessings. However, you must do away with the restriction that the food upon which Fātiḥa is recited cannot be taken outside, and that a particular story of a carpenter must be narrated.[5]

   This khatm cannot be deemed forbidden if Amīr Muʿāwiyah رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ passed away on the 22^nd of Rajab, along with the fact Imam Jaʿfar Ṣādiq رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ did not pass away on this day. Firstly, it cannot be said with certainty that the 22^nd of Rajab is the day that Amīr Muʿāwiyah رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ passed away. This is one opinion from many that have been narrated regarding the date of his passing. Historians agree that Amīr Muʿāwiyah رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ passed away in 60 AH, but there are four opinions regarding the date in the month of the Rajab; 1^st, 4^th, 15^th or the 22^nd.

   On page 21 of volume 1 of al-Muhabbar, his date of passing is mentioned as the 1^st of Rajab. On page 86 Mashāhir ʿUlamā al-Amṣār’s first volume, it is the 15^th. On page 226, volume 1 of Tarīkh Khalīfa bin Khayyaṭ, the 22^nd. In volume 5, page 324 of Tarīkh Ṭabari, all three of the above dates are given. In Al-Bidāyah wa al-Nihāyah, all four opinions are mentioned.

   It is written in Al-Bidāyah wa al-Nihāyah:

لا خلاف أنہ رضی اللہ عنہ، توفی بدمشق فی رجب سنۃ ستین.فقال جماعۃ:لیلۃ الخمیس للنصف من رجب سنۃ ستین. وقیل:لیلۃ الخمیس لثمان بقین من رجب سنۃ ستین.قالہ ابن إسحاق وغیر واحد.وقیل:لأربع خلت من رجب.قالہ اللیث.وقال سعد بن إبراهیم:لمستهل رجب

   There is no disagreement that Amīr Muʿāwiyah رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ passed away in Damascus, in 60 AH. One group says it was on the night of Thursday the 15th of Rajab 60 AH. Another opinion is that it was a Thursday night on 22th of Rajab 60 AH; this is the view of ibn Isḥāq and others. One opinion is the 4th of Rajab, as held by Layth. Saʿd bin Ibrāhīm said the 1st of Rajab.[6]

   Even if we assume that the 22^nd of Rajab is the day that Amīr Muʿāwiyah رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ passed away, it still cannot be deemed to be prohibited to transmit reward to Imam Jaʿfar Ṣādiq رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ on this day because of this. This is because the passing away of a pious predecessor on a certain day, cannot be a reason to prohibit transmitting reward to another on the same day. Likewise, Imam Jaʿfar Ṣādiq رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ not passing away on this day does not mean that reward cannot be transmitted to him on it, for transmitting reward is unrestrictedly proven from hadith. It is valid whenever it is carried out. Regardless of whether it is the day of his passing or not; this matter is absolutely clear.

   Additionally, labelling the khatm of koonde to be the way of the misguided, deeming it forbidden, and considering it resemblance of the misguided is also false. The reason for this is: the rule in relation to imitating disbelievers and the misguided, is that the person carrying out the action has the intention of resembling them, or that thing is a specific hallmark of those misguided people or that thing involves something that is forbidden by the sharīʿah. Besides these cases, there is no reason for its prohibition.

   As mentioned in Durr al-Mukhtār and Baḥr al-Rāiq:

والنظم للثانی)’’التشبیہ بأھل الکتاب لا یکرہ فی کل شیء وإنا نأکل ونشرب کما یفعلون إنماالحرام ھو التشبہ فیما کان مذموما وفیما یقصد بہ التشبیہ کذا ذکرہ قاضی خان فی شرح الجامع الصغیر‘‘.[7]

   ʿAllāmah Mulla ʿAli Qāri writes in Minaḥ al-Rawḍ:

اناممنوعون من التشبیہ بالکفرۃ واھل البدعۃ المنکرۃ فی شعارھم لامنھیون عن کل بدعۃ ولوکانت مباحۃ سواء کانت من افعال اھل السنۃ اومن افعال الکفر واھل البدعۃ فالمدار علی الشعار.[8]

   In any case, it is apparent that there is no intention of imitation nor did the claimant mention this as a reason for its prohibition, and there is no intrinsic dislike according to the sharīʿah in transmitting reward.

   Thus remains the matter of whether the khatm of koonde is a hallmark of the misguided. The response to this is that it is not a specific hallmark of theirs; rather, carrying out the khatm of koonde on the 22^nd of Rajab is the practice of Sunni Muslims in many places. It is necessary upon the one who claims that the khatm of koonde is a specific practice of the misguided to present proof, as it is not forbidden to imitate every action of the misguided.

   In responding to an objection made regarding the impermissibility of hugging after Eid salah on the basis of “the practice of  shaking hands after Eid salah being the way of the Rawāfiḍ”, the Imam of Ahl al Sunnah, Imam Aḥmad Razā Khān رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه said:

   Similarly if the shaking of hands after fajr and ʿasr was invented by the Rawāfiḍ of a particular time and remained a specific sign of theirs, and the scholars of that time considered it disliked for the Ahl al-Sunnah, then why will the hugging after Eid salah be forcibly compared to this? First provide proof that this is something invented by the Rawāfiḍ and a specific hallmark of theirs. Otherwise, a permissible matter will not become impermissible or makrūh merely if it is carried out by the misguided. There are countless things that the Ahl al-Sunnah and Rawāfiḍ, in fact the Muslims and disbelievers at large, all take part in. Will they become forbidden for this reason?

   Baḥr al-Rāiq, Durr al-Mukhtār, Radd al-Muḥtar and others mention that it is prohibited to imitate the misguided in a matter that in itself is condemned by the sharīʿah, or is a specific sign of that group, or if the one carrying out the action has the intention of resembling them. Otherwise, it is by no means a reason for prohibition.[9]

وَاللہُ اَعْلَمُ عَزَّوَجَلَّ وَرَسُوْلُہ اَعْلَم صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم

Answered By: Mufti Muhammad Hashim Khan Attari

Ref No: Iar-3879

Date: 21 Rajab al-Murajjab 1441 AH/17 March 2020 CE