60th LETTER
This letter, written to Muhammad Taqî, informs that it is necessary to give up superfluous actions and to do what is indispensable:
Thanks be to Allâhu ta'âlâ and salâm to His distinguished, beloved slaves! I have had the honour of reading your valuable letter. You gathered and wrote the documents and witnesses informing that Hadrat Abû Bakr Siddîq's caliphate was rightful and that he was elected the Khalîfa with the unanimity of the good people of the first [Islamic] century, the best century. By the same token, we have been so happy to read your statements explaining that the superiority of the four Khalîfas to one another, who are called Khulafâ-i râshidîn, is in accordance with the sequence of their caliphates, and that we should not be vociferous and keep quiet concerning the disagreements and combats among the Sahâba, who were educated by the Highest of Mankind, Hadrat Muhammad 'alaihissalâm'. Belief so far concerning the imâms and Khalîfas is sufficient. The savants of Ahl as-sunnat wa 'l-jamâ'at state so. May Allâhu ta'âlâ plentifully reward these savants for their work!
My merciful brother! Information about the imâms, that is, caliphates, is not of the indispensable teachings of our dîn. That is, it is not from the usûl-i dîn.It is from the furû'-i dîn. The indispensable teachings, that is, the darûriyyât-i dîn, are a different matter. They are the teachings on belief and deeds. In other words, first of all it is necessary to learn the facts to be believed and the deeds to be done. The former part of the indispensable information is called 'ilm-i kalâm and the latter part is called 'ilm-i fiqh. To give up the indispensable and to busy with the unnecessary will mean to spend one's valuable lifetime on futile pursuits. A hadîth declares: "What signifies Allah's disliking a slave of His is his destroying his time on futile pursuits." If it were from the indispensable usûl-i dîn to deal with caliphates as the Shiites say, Allâhu ta'âlâ would clearly declare in the Qur'ân who would be the Khalîfa after Rasûlullah's death. And our Prophet 'sallallâhu alaihi wa sallam' would command the caliphate of a certain person. Since the Qur'ân or the hadîths do not lay importance on the matter, it is seen that dealing with Khalîfas is not of the usûl-i-dîn, but it is of the superfluous teachings of the dîn. Let those who like to spend their time on futilities busy with the superfluous teachings. The indispensable teachings of Islam are so many that one could hardly find time to be busy with the superfluous teachings. First of all, it is necessary to correct the belief. Of the teachings which our Prophet 'sallallâhu alaihi wa sallam' brought from Allâhu ta'âlâ, we should learn and believe the ones which are indispensable through tawâtur! Thus, it is necessary to believe the hashr (assembling in the place of Judgement) and the nashr (dispersing after the Judgement to go to Paradise or to Hell), to believe the endless torments and rewards and the fact that such teachings are doubtlessly true. Unless one believes these one will not be saved in the Hereafter. After correcting the belief, it is necessary to learn the teachings of fiqh and do them. Thus, it is necessary to do fards and wâjibs and even sunnats and mustahabs, to be careful about halâls and harâms, and not to overflow the limits of the Sharî'at. Thus only can one hope to escape torment in the Hereafter. When belief and deeds have become correct, the turn comes to the way of tasawwuf. Then begins the hope of attaining to perfections in Wilâyat. Compared to these indispensable religious duties of the dîn, such concerns as 'Whom did the caliphate belong to by rights?' are unnecessary and useless. Only, because some corrupt and heretical people have misunderstood these things, behaved excessively and attempted to blemish the Sahâba of the Best of Mankind, it has become necessary to announce the information that will refute them. For, it is of the indispensables of the dîn to prevent faction, chaos in this perfect dîn. Wassalâm.