Sil al-Husam al-Hindi li-Nusrat Mawlana Khalid al-Naqshbandi
- Author died
- 1252 AH
- Editions
- T Istanbul
Sil al-Husam al-Hindi li-Nusrat Mawlana Khalid al-Naqshbandi (The Unsheathing of the Indian Sword in Support of Mawlana Khalid al-Naqshbandi) is a theological and apologetic treatise by the Hanafi jurist Ibn Abidin (d. 1252 AH / 1836 CE), written in defense of the Sufi master Mawlana Khalid al-Naqshbandi (d. 1242 AH / 1827 CE) . The text begins with the praise: «الحمد لله الذي شرع لنا خير شريعة» ("Praise be to God who legislated for us the best of sacred laws") .
Background and Purpose
The treatise was authored to vindicate Mawlana Khalid al-Naqshbandi—the pivotal guide of the Naqshbandi-Mujaddidi order in Damascus and Iraq—against attacks, polemics, and allegations raised by contemporary detractors, specifically singling out an opponent named Abd al-Wahhab . In the work, Ibn Abidin declares his dissociation from anyone who accuses Khalid or his disciples of sorcery (sihr), disbelief (kufr), moral corruption (fisq), or religious innovation (bid'a), praising Khalid as one of the most knowledgeable, scrupulous, ascetic, and upright figures of his age upon the prophetic Sunnah and the path of the righteous predecessors (al-salaf al-salih) .
Content and Key Arguments
Across the treatise, Ibn Abidin addresses several doctrinal, methodological, and legal questions connected to the accusations leveled against Khalid:
- Methodology of Criticism and Praise (Jarh wa-Ta'dil): Ibn Abidin addresses the widespread principle that criticism takes precedence over commendation (al-jarh muqaddam 'ala al-ta'dil) . Citing Abu al-Walid al-Baji, he argues that this rule does not apply to individuals whose uprightness ('adala) and religious standing are widely established and endorsed by the overwhelming majority of scholars; in such cases, isolated criticism stemming from enmity, ignorance, or sectarian bias is disregarded .
- The Nature of Sorcery and Unbelief: Ibn Abidin distinguishes legitimate spiritual phenomena and saintly miracles (karamat) from sorcery and heresy, a discussion he cross-references in his renowned legal commentary Radd al-Muhtar 'ala al-Durr al-Mukhtar .
- Sight and Instruction of the Jinn: In response to claims regarding the jinn attending Khalid's assemblies and learning from him, Ibn Abidin examines the theological permissibility of seeing jinn . He discusses Imam al-Shafi'i's statement on the testimony of anyone claiming to see the jinn, reconciling it by noting that seeing them in altered physical forms is accessible to anyone, whereas seeing them in their original states may occur as a saintly miracle for chosen servants of God .
- Praise of Biographical Sources: In the treatise, Ibn Abidin directs readers seeking further details on Khalid’s virtues to Asfa al-Mawarid min Silsal Ahwal al-Imam Khalid, the biography composed by the scholar and historian Uthman ibn Sanad .
Transmission and Reception
The treatise has been preserved in manuscript form—including copies held at the Zahiriyya Library in Damascus—and was later printed as part of the collected treatises of the author (Majmu'at Rasa'il Ibn Abidin) in Damascus in 1301 AH . Following its composition, Mulla Dawud al-Baghdadi al-Naqshbandi composed an elegy and poetic tribute dedicated to Ibn Abidin in recognition of his defense of their master Khalid .
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