Mufti Taqi Usmani’s Du’a: A Critical Analysis

A Critical Examination of Mufti Taqi Usmani’s Du’a for the Third Friday of Ramadan

There has been an audio circulating on WhatsApp for several days, particularly among women, regarding a du’a for the third Friday of Ramadan. This audio is from a renowned Islamic scholar in Pakistan, Mufti Taqi Usmani, who is referred to as “Shaykh-ul-Islam” among his followers. In the audio, Shaykh-ul-Islam Mufti Usmani mentions:
“Regarding the third Friday of Ramadan, there is a du’a that has been tried and tested by the elders. The virtue of this du’a is that if it is recited at any time on the third Friday of Ramadan, Allah will remove even the most severe diseases from the body. Therefore, everyone should recite this du’a, and it should be shared with family, relatives, and those in the Ashrafiya and Imdadiya Sufi orders. The method is: recite Durud Ibrahim eleven times, Surah Al-Inshirah twenty-one times, Surah Al-Qadr twenty-one times, and then recite Durud Ibrahim eleven times again. After this, one should make du’a, and Allah will remove all kinds of diseases, whether major or minor, from the reciter.”

This audio has reached me multiple times for verification purposes, and I have given a brief response that this is an innovative practice (Bid’ah) because, as mentioned in the audio, Mufti Taqi Usmani is from the Deobandi sect, which is associated with Sufism. In the audio, he also refers to the Ashrafiya and Imdadiya orders, which are known for creating specific du’as for various needs. This practice of fabricating duas for specific purposes, such as for marriage, employment, or even illness, is a common tradition in Sufism. No scholar from this group, who claims to be knowledgeable in the Qur’an and Hadith, dares to criticize these fabricated du’as. Meanwhile, the common people, who are unaware, spread these du’as simply because they see the title “Shaykh-ul-Islam” and think it is a divine revelation. This is how both the common masses and scholars in this community have become misled.

Now, I ask: Ramadan is a blessed month, and the right to declare any actions and their virtues belongs to Allah and His Messenger. How can any scholar invent a specific practice for the third Friday of Ramadan and attribute virtues to it on his own? This is truly astonishing.

I remember that at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, another audio from Mufti Usmani went viral, where he claimed that a person from the Tablighi Jama’at, whom he considered a pious individual, frequently saw the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in his dreams. The person claimed that in a recent dream, the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) gave him a message: “Tell the people to recite Surah Al-Fatiha three times, Surah Al-Ikhlas three times, and 333 times ‘Hasbunallahu wa ni’mal wakeel,’ and they will be protected from the current crisis.” This is the level of knowledge and understanding that Mufti Usmani, as a scholar, supports, where he believes in the frequent visions of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) by a person from the Tablighi Jama’at. Further, the message was passed on by the scholar to the public.

What is this? Can such statements be endorsed by such a prominent scholar? Is it a common practice for someone to claim frequent visions of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) when even the Companions did not claim to see the Prophet (PBUH) repeatedly in such a manner? How can a common person, especially from the Tablighi Jama’at, make such claims, and why would a scholar validate these claims publicly?

The truth is that such beliefs are utterly false. Since Sufis are accustomed to fabricating du’as for all kinds of issues, including crises and challenges, they develop a new du’a every time an issue arises and circulate it among the public. A common practice among Sufis is the claim of seeing the Prophet (PBUH) and receiving messages through these visions. This, in reality, is a technique to sell made-up du’as in the name of the Prophet (PBUH) to gather followers and establish a business of such “spiritual services.” This is the reality of the matter. The Ummah has become so engrossed in such fabrications, and the true teachings of Islam are fading away.

I do not have any personal animosity toward any sect’s scholars, but it becomes distressing when they spread misguidance and promote false practices. I feel a responsibility to inform people and make them aware of such misleading ideas. Mufti Taqi Usmani is, by all means, a respected scholar, but it is distressing when such ideas are propagated by him. My first discomfort arose when he issued a fatwa against Sister Farhat Hashmi, causing confusion among the people. I addressed this fatwa in a blog post. Then, during the COVID-19 pandemic, he endorsed a fabricated du’a, claiming it was from the Prophet (PBUH). Everyone knows that attributing lies to the Prophet (PBUH) is a grave offense, and it has serious consequences in the Hereafter.

Now, Mufti Usmani has again caused distress by promoting a fabricated du’a related to the third Friday of Ramadan. Recently, I came across a new audio from him, in which he denies the earlier audio and says that it was not his. The just approach for a true scholar would be to retract if he realizes a mistake. This would not diminish his status but rather enhance it.

In this clarifying statement, Mufti Usmani also mentions that du’as like reciting Durud Ibrahim and the two surahs (Al-Inshirah and Al-Qadr) always bring reward. However, the fact remains that this is a subtle defense of the du’a for the third Friday of Ramadan, and one might even suspect that the COVID-19 phone call was used as an excuse to promote this du’a. It is clear that Mufti Usmani is trying to avoid the criticism and responsibility of promoting this du’a, which is unsubstantiated.

In conclusion, I would like to remind Mufti Usmani that Allah has blessed you with knowledge and given you a position of respect in the community. These blessings will be most beneficial if you spread the true teachings of Islam, otherwise, they can become a burden. I, a humble individual from Ta’if, ask you to convey the message that Allah and His Messenger have already given to the world and to the people of Ta’if. This is the path to success in the Hereafter. I pray to Allah that He grants you and all of us the ability to speak the truth and follow it. Ameen.