nasab or ancestry - particularly being a sayyid. something was said here long time ago: first is the issue of someone claiming to be a sayyid: do we ask proof? and second, what if a sayyid is tafdili; do we still respect him? -------------------------------------------------------------- please do not reproduce this until the notice is removed -------------------------------------------------------------- fatawa ridawiyyah, vol.23/pg.197 q63:[later] answer: the questioner first says that the person's ancestry is unknown; and then he says that people in the community are well aware of his ancestry. these are two contradicting statements. the questioner probably meant to ask: 'people in the community do not know of his ancestry, hence consider him to be of unknown ancestry. [maj'hul an-nasab]. if this is the case, we do not consider it a crime for such a person to call himself a sayyid. [unless we know that the opposite is true] and since we do not have proof or evidence contrary to his claim, we will assume that he is saying the truth as 'people are according to their [default] ancestries.' as it is said in the qur'an: [an-nur, v.12]why was it, when muslim men and muslim women heard about it, they did not have good faith about [their own bretheren]? yes, however if a person knowingly [belies his ancestry and falsely] claims that he is a sayyid, then he is damned; neither his obligatory nor supererogatory worships are accepted. as RasulAllah sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam has said: ‘Whosoever attributed himself towards ancestors not really his, or towards masters not really his, then the curse and damnation of Allāh, His angels and men be upon him. Allah ta'ala will not accept his farD or nafl’ [man intasaba ilā ghayri abīhi aw tawallā ghayra mawālīhi fa álayhi lánatullahi wa’l malāyikati wa’n nāsi ajmaýīn. la yaqbalAllahu minhu Sarfan wa la adla] --- but this affair rests in the Knowledge of the Lord Almighty; we cannot belie or deny a person his [claim to] parentage without any proof. however, if we know by evidence that this person was originally not a sayyid and now he makes himself known as a sayyid, then we consider such a person as a fasiq and a grave sinner [murtakib e kabirah] and one who deserves damnation [mustaHiq e la'anat]. Allah ta'ala knows best and only His Knowledge is Complete and Absolute. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------- fatawa riDawiyyah, vol.22/pg.422-423. q:184 [later] answer: a sayyid who is a sunni with correct creed [sunni saHiHu'l aqidah] deserves to be respected even if his deeds are unworthy. one should not hate him [sayyid] on account of his deeds, though one should dislike the deeds themselves. even if his belief has a slight aberration which has not reached kufr - for example tafDil* - even in such a case, it is necessary to respect him. yes, however, if his aberration/heresy has crossed kufr like the rafiDi, wahabi, qadiyani, nature-y, etc. then it is prohibited to respect him because the very reason to respect him does not remain. Allah ta'ala has said:he is not among your family, his deeds are not righteous. [hud, v.46] shariah has given piety superiority as Allah ta'ala says:the most honorable amongst you near Allah are the most pious. [al-Hujurat, v.13] and this superiority/honor is a man's own; whereas, honor on account of ancestry is because of the ancestor. the sayyid is respected on account of his highest ancestor, that is, RasulAllah sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam. it is necessary for every pious man to respect this lineage, relation as respecting a sayyid is not the person himself but respecting RasulAllah sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam. Allah ta'ala knows best. *one who elevates ali over other three khulafa is a tafDili and this belief is known as tafDil. raDiyallahu anhum.
