The Perennial Ahmed Chain Letter

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

A downside to Muslims going cyber, is the ease with which they click the forward button to send on utter falsehood. One understands that those who forward these emails sincerely believe they are doing are a good thing by forwarding "Islamic knowledge." However, they are not excused from failing to fulfill their Islamic duty of first verifying before transmitting. The speed with which this spam spreads risks reducing Islamic cyber info to tabloid status. Shaytaan has never had it easier in distorting the Dien. One of the worst aspects is if one considers that they are many non-Muslims out there, sincerely seeking the truth, who have no access to Islam, other than the net. What a strange picture they might get due these misguided "cyber warriors."

One the most perennial of these unwanted spam, is the Sheikh Ahmed chain letter. I reproduce it below, followed by my response to someone who had sent it to me and a host of others:

From:
Sent: 15 February 2009 11:32 AM
To:
Subject: FW:

I'VE FIVE MINUTES OF TIME TO AT LEAST READ IT TO THE END INSHA-ALLAH
 Subject: DON'T DELETE! IF YOUR A MUSLIM! PLEASE READ THIS!
This is true.From Madina Sheikh Ahmed has sent this news.On a Friday Sheikh Ahmed fell asleep reading the Quraan. Then he dreamt the Prophet Muhammed (saw) standing in front of him and saying that in one week seven thousand people died but not even one was a true Muslim. None did
what ALLAH wanted. He also said now is a bad time. These days Wives don’t look after their husbands,Girls go round without being covered they do not respect parents or others,Rich do not look after the poor,they do not give gifts or money or do not give fulfil zakaat.he also said to Sheikh Ahmed make people understand to give zakaat,To do prayer and to keep fast. The day of judgement is near. When There is a single star in the sky,straight away the path of forgiveness will close. The writing in The Quraan will disappear (vanish). The Sun will lower itself with Earth. The Prophet said whoever reads this news to someone else,
'I WILL ON THE DAY OF JUDGEMENT MAKE HIM A PLACE IN PARADISE, AND IF SOMEONE DOES NOT BELIEVE THIS NEWS TO BE TRUE THEY WILL BE BANISHED FROM PARADISE ' If a poor person gives out this news to other people his/her good wish Will come true. Sheikh Ahmed said if this is not true then my death will Be off a Non-Muslim.

The Prophet said 'KEEP FAST, DO PRAYERS, GIVE ZAKAAT AND GIVE KINDNESS TO THE POOR' Whoever Forwards this will get his/her reward in three days. One Person Forward it to 40 people he had 8,000 thousand, take prophet in his Business.

One Person did not believe this news and his son died. One kept Saying he will forward it today,tomorrow but never forward this News he died as well.


PLEASE DO NOT THINK THIS IS NOT TRUE. PLEASE FORWARD THIS TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE! MyD@!!  REMEMBER ME!...

Sent: 16 February 2009 09:49 AM
To:
Subject: RE: ahmed chain letter

Muhtaram/ah

السلام عليكم

1.       Firstly chain letters and their threats have no basis in Islam and even hold an element of Shirk – one ascribes the power of life and death, wealth, health etc to the chain letter.

2.       This chain letter was circulating from at least the 1980’s (when some of the recipients were not yet born J). Ulama had already investigated and tried to contact the so-called Sheikh. This fabrication was discredited almost 3 decades ago.

3.       The 1980’s version said to make photocopies. Now supposedly that more people have email, Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam had to come out of his grave again to tell the Ummah to forward emails instead of photocopies. Do the original fabricators have no respect and decency at all for the greatest personality in history?

4.         “In one week 7000 people died”  !!!!!!! What was the IQ of the fabricator?

5.       The Hadith as opposed to chain-letters, prohibit taking an oath that if incorrect, the oath-taker declares himself to be a non-Muslim. Even if this Ahmed made this claim, he is ignorant at best, and disobedient to Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam at worst.

6.       Someone died, someone’s son died …. Who, where and when? Why can these fantasies not have a single substantiating fact? If Ahmed genuinely started circulating a sincere message, at which point in time was the information added about these deaths?

7.       Ulama such as al-Imaam an-Nawawi had long written that with the demise of Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, dreams, which previously was  a form of Wahy have now no basis for any new ruling whatsoever in Shariah. The Dien was completed with the revelation of the Quran and Nubawwah ended with him. Claiming otherwise is rejecting the “On this day have I perfected your Dien for you…” Someone who claims that Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam had instructed him with something contrary to the normal understanding of Islam has either misunderstood or is a blatant liar as he is in fact claiming that Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam has contradicted the above aayah!!!

May Allah save us from all superstitions and incorrect beliefs.

و السلام

سليمان الكندي