Bara imam

[raisa]

Assalamu 'Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu Imam saheb,

I have a friend in Ajmer Sharif and he sent a taweez for which you have to read fateha to bara imam (12 imams) and bara Khwaja. I was a bit confused, becoz I thought Sunni muslims don't recognize bara Imam. When I asked him if he was Shia, he said he was not. Does the Chishti Silsila/Sufism recognize something like bara imam? Or he just not wants to admit that he is Shia? Is is even lawful to read fateha only to bara imam and not mentioning our beloved Prophet Muhammad Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam at all!!

Thank you very much in advance!!

Allah Hafiz

[Imam]

Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem

Wa'alaykum 'Assalam wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu


All Praise be to Allah who is the Lord of the Worlds, and may Endless Blessings be showered upon His Most Beloved, and Final Messenger of Islam, Hadrat Muhammad Mustafa Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam

The twelve imams are haqq. The ahl-as-Sunnah also recognise the 12 imams. The Ashrafi silsila, which this website is affiliated to also recognises the 12 imams in it's shijrah. Reward can be conveyed to the 12 imams, but it must be conveyed to the Beloved Messenger of Allah Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam, and to the whole ummah as well.

However, we do not have fundamental beliefs in relation to the 12 imams. Fundamental in the sense that we do not place them at a status where they do not belong. Nor do we declare that they have preference over other Ennobled Companions. This is a propaganda, similar to the Shi'ite.

It is therefore permissable to know who the 12 imams are, to commemorate them, and to send reward to them also. The ahl-as-Sunnah wal Jama'ah has more recognition to them than the Shi'ites, but we simply do not go too far with them, in relation to our belief.


Jazak'allah for your question.





Wallahu A'lamu Biththawaab


M. Waseem Ashrafi