Question

Aslamualikum warahmatuahi wabarakatuhu

Sheikh Saab I have a question regarding the great scholar of Deoband, maulana Rasheed Gangohy (Rahmatullahi alayh), he has written in his book that if one is performing Salaah and if a thought of a nabi has come to his mind then his Salaah is broken however if he has a thought of a donkey then his Salaah is not broken?

I understand that Maulana Rasheed Gangohy (Rahmatullah alayh) was a great scholar however I do not understand this concept, if you have the time sheikh saab then please may you enlighten me with your knowledge so I can understand this concept as well, Jazakallah.

Answer

Walaikumussalam w w

When you know someone is a good Alim and you don’t understand something they have said you should not think bad about them. Rather you think good about them that they must have meant something which is beyond my grasp.

Hazrat gangohi did not say that Namaz is broken.Hazrat was trying to explain the gravity of shirk that when a person is going in sajdah and he thinks about Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi WaSallam, he might feel he is doing sajdah to him, whereas he will not get this feeling of doing sajdh to a donkey.

So in sajdah you should only focus on Allah. Get rid of all other thoughts. However some thoughts are shirk while others are not shirk, even though they are both wrong.

Hazrat mufti Mahmudul Hasan gangohi was asked a similar question to which he replied, ” if your mind goes towards rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wasallam while reciting durood shareef, then this is good for you as it shows being focused”.