Question

Could you explain what a Chilla is? We hear that the great Awliyas did Chilla and the current day Tableegis/Wahabi deviant sects do chilla for 3-7-21-40 days.

JazakAllah khair

Answer

Chillah is a word that refers to the seclusion of a person in order to become increasingly conscious of Allah and to defeat the desires of his nafs. The Sufi Scholars have practised seclusion from worldly affairs for many years; they meditate and constantly remember Allah during these periods. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ practised this in the cave of mount Hira, before the first revelation was revealed. Thereafter, he peace and blessings be upon him became engaged in the propagation of the one and only true religion of Allah.

Allah knows best why it is specifically forty days; however, there are indications in the Quran and Sunnah regarding the significance of forty days in the development or occurrence of change in a human being.

For example, in the Saheeh of Imam Bukhari, it says that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

“Indeed, one of you (a human being) is collated for creation in his mother’s womb in forty days; then he is a clot of thick blood for the same period (forty days) and then a piece of flesh for the same period (forty days) and then Allah sends an Angel who is ordered to write four things. The Angel is ordered to write his deeds, provision, death and whether he will be fortunate or unfortunate. Then the rooh is blown in to him.”

This indicates the significance of forty days in the development of a human being in the very beginning of his/her existence.

In the Sunan of Imam Al-Tirmizi, it says that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ:

“He who sincerely performs Salah for forty days for Allah in congregation with attaining the first ‘Takbeer’, two freedoms are written for him: freedom from the fire and freedom from ‘nifaaq’ (hypocrisy).”

This also indicates the significance of forty days playing a role in the change of one’s character and spirituality. After forty days of continuous worship, the Honest and Truthful Messenger of Allah ﷺ gave glad tidings of the removal of hypocrisy from his/her heart and thus, from his/her character.

In Nuzhah Al-Majaalis, there is an incident of a man who fell in love with a pious married lady. She advised him to perform Salah for forty days continuously without missing the first Takbeer, for the sake of Allah. This resulted in the man falling in love with Allah upon completion and leaving the Dunya (worldly pleasures).

When the All-Wise, Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’aala, promised Sayyiduna Musa (upon him be peace) with divine revelations, it was a promise of forty nights. Sayyiduna Musa (upon him be peace) left all the worldly affairs and secluded himself in the mountain for forty nights. It is said that in this period, he never spoke to anyone but Allah.

In Surah Al-Baqarah, it says:

“And remember when we promised Musa forty nights”

In Surah Al-A’raaf, it says:

“And we promised Musa thirty nights and we completed it by adding ten. So his Lord’s promise became a complete forty nights”

These are some of the indications for the significance of the number forty in our development and change. As for the numbers three, seven, eleven and twenty one, they possess significance from the Quran and Sunnah; they are witr (odd numbers) numbers and Almighty Allah is witr and loves the witr.

As for the Tableeghi Jamaa’at and Wahaabis, they are deviants; many of them have reached the boundaries of kufr and surpassed them. The Wahaabis are now widely known for their extremism and blasphemous comments against the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and other great personalities from amongst our pious predecessors. The Tableeghi Jamaa’at are a deceitful group that propagate the ideologies of the Wahaabis and Deobandis behind a veil of false Sufism.

The instigators of this movement are the leading scholars of the Deobandi school, who have written in their books that: there is nothing special in the knowledge of the Prophet; knowledge like this is possessed by Tom, Dick and Harry and by all animals; the knowledge of shaytaan is far more than the knowledge of the Prophet; if there is another prophet after our Prophet then it will not affect the finality of our Prophet, even if the new prophet appears here (in India); Muhammad and Ali have absolutely no power or authority at all;  to think of our Prophet in Salah is worse than thinking of an ox or a donkey; if one thinks of the Prophet in his Salah then it will break, but if one thinks of a donkey then it will not break; Allah can lie and all Prophets and Messengers are worthless; a follower can apparently excel the Prophet in deeds, and it is fine to change the Kalimah to - ‘there is none worthy of worship but Allah and Ashraf Ali is Rasool-Allah’ – (referring to Ashraf Ali Thaanwi, one of their leading scholars known as Hakeem Al-Ummah).

The above reveals just a few statements from the many blasphemous and filthy comments, statements and beliefs made by their leading scholars, which are being published to date by themselves - may Allah protect us from such blasphemous beliefs! If one does not believe it, (it is hard to believe how one can be so hypocritical and foolish, but shaytaan knows no boundaries) then one should go to an Aalim of the correct Ahl Al-Sunnah Wa Al-Jamaa’ah and he will show you from their books. These Deobandis and Tableeghies are more than happy to celebrate Christmas, Easter, Diwaali etc with all the other religions, but they refuse to celebrate the Mawlid of the Master of All, Muhammad peace and blessings be upon him.

There are many from amongst their general public who do not hold such beliefs, but they do hold highly and dearly respect the leading Scholars who made these statements. This is just like holding highly Abu Jahl and yet claiming to be a Muslim. In order to believe in the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, one must renounce Abu Jahl in the same way as one must renounce shaytaan to believe in Allah. How can one highly respect shaytaan, Abu Jahl, Ashraf Ali Thanwi etc and yet claim Islam?

The founder of this deobandi movement Tableeghi Jamaa’at is Ilyas Kaandhalwi, who throughout his life supported the beliefs of the Deobandi and Wahaabi school - and why wouldn’t he? - For he was from amongst them! His mission in this movement was to propagate the ill-beliefs of the Deobandi School but behind the veil of Sufism. This was simply because the whole of the sub-continent was Sufi and would not accept such deviant and blasphemous beliefs very easily, if stated openly. If one wishes to know the truth about the Tableeghi Jamaa’at, then he should refer to the book Tableeghi Jamaa’at written by Allamah Arshad Al-Qadiri (may the mercy of Allah be upon him).

The significance of their Chillah being forty days or three, seven, eleven or twenty one days is part of the deceitful veil of false Sufism. One must stay away from these people and must not fall vicitim to their false calls towards their false ‘salah’ and congregations. How can one compare the Chillah of the great Sufi Scholars - who abstained from all worldly affairs and engaged in the remembrance of Allah - with those people who gather in a Masjid and use the sources of energy that has been Waqf in the path of Allah and eat, drink, urinate, excrete, sleep and at times, sit in circles of education where the teacher is a Jaahil from amongst them?

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ warned us of such groups that will roam the earth and invite to good, whereas, in reality, they will be calling towards the fire of Hell - as has been recorded by Imam Bukhari in his Saheeh and narrated by Sayyiduna Huzayfah (Allah is pleased with him). The Messenger of Allah ﷺ also warned us that they will be good speakers; they will recite the Quran, but it will not go below their throats and the beliefs (which they falsely claim) will not go below their throats;  their Salah will make true Muslims look down at their own Salah; they will exaggerate in worship and in following the Sunnah; they will be weak in understanding (so when you confront them or question them, they will claim ignorance); they will deeply absorb religion but in reality will have nothing from it; and they will label the true Muslims with shirk, using the verses Allah revealed against the idols and idol worshippers etc.

Therefore, it is necessary upon all Muslims to stay away and keep their family away from such false movements. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

“Indeed, this knowledge is religion, so be careful who you take your religion from.”

And Allah knows best.

Zahid Hussain Al-Qadiri
(Beggar at the doorstep of Scholars)
15th Ramadan Al-Mubarak 1436 AH