Note this is not meant as disrespect of the Sadaat e Kichocha Muqadasa but rather a defense of the view of the elder Ashrafi sadaat like Huzur Sarkar e Kalan رضى الله عنه and Hazrat Makhdum Pak رضى الله عنه Sayyid Hashmi Miyan Ashraf Ashrafi al-Jilani (from India) mentions that while there is a minority of scholars who hold the view of iman of Abu Talib, like Shaykh Ahmad Zayni Dahlan, A'lahazrat Imam e Ahle Sunnat رضى الله عنه is of the view of adm e iman (Note: this is also the view of Hadrat Data Ganj Bakhsh Sayyid Ali Hujweri قدس الله سره ). He states both views are valid and of the same status and so there is no problem of doing tarjih of the view of iman. We respectfully disagree with this mistaken statement of the Sayyid and state that while the one who believes in iman is not a kafir or mubtadi' (an innovator), he is mistaken in his statement and if he believes in iman as the way Ahl al-tashayyu' do (i.e. doing takfir of those who believe in adm al-iman), he is deviated. No one has said ever that those who believe in iman as Sunnis like Imam al-Sha'rani and Imam al-Qurtubi and Imam Zayni Dahlan are disbelievers, Allah forbid. As for the reason we still insist on the majority position, it is because the dala'il for it are stronger than the dala'il for iman as Sayyid sahib himself mentions “in academia, proofs are seen”. For example, it is mentioned that: "It is also related that some of the Ash`ari Imams such as al-Qurtubi, al-Subki, and al-Sha`rani said that Abu Talib was saved, according to Sayyid Ahmad Zayni Dahlan who cites Imam al-Suhaymi and the Hanafi Mufti of Mecca Shaykh Ahmad ibn `Abd Allah al-Mirghani to that effect. They mention, among other evidence, the narration from al-`Abbas ibn `Abd al-Muttalib by Ibn Sa`d in his Tabaqat (1:118): `Affan ibn Muslim told us: Hammad ibn Salama told us: From Thabit [ibn Aslam al-Bunani]: From Ishaq ibn `Abd Allah ibn al-Harith [ibn Nawfal] who said: al-`Abbas said: “I said: ‘Messenger of Allah, do you hope anything for Abu Talib?’ He replied: ‘I hope for everything good [i.e. for him] from my Lord.'” The above narrators are all trustworthy and their transmission is sound, except that the meaning of the hadith is unspecific. Further, al-Qurtubi in his Tafsir (for verses 6:26 and 9:53) and Ibn al-Subki in Tabaqat al-Shafi`iyya al-Kubra (1:91-94) hold different positions than those ascribed to them above. " If the meaning is unspecific, it cannot be used as a proof for or against the position of adm al-iman and this hadith is not nearly as strong as the ahadith in the Sahihayn which is clear regarding adm al-iman. Furthermore, the Sayyid says we should not fight over this issue when we will know on Qiyama if Sayyidina Ali radhiyallahu anhu is with us or with his father (Abu Talib). I agree only with not fighting over this issue, but not with the second part. Furthermore, if we should not be making an issue out of this, then why is Sayyid sahib mentioning this in the Urs of Huzur Muhaddith e A’zam e Hind radhiyallahu anhu?
