Like previous masters of the path Hakim al-Umma Mawlana Ashraf Ali Thanawi (may Allah have mercy on him) made it explicitly clear that Tasawwuf is a practical thing which has to be experienced personally.

It is, however, important to clear a misconception which especially plagues those who stress on reading the advanced text of Tasawwuf dealings with higher spiritual realities of experiences and unveilings without proper guidance of a Shaykh.

We mistakenly set an imaginary expected standard for this experiential knowledge.

For example, in love of Allah and His Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) we select  Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani or Khawajah Moinuddin Chishti ra’s state of love.  And when this not happen within our expected short time frame, we feel at loss.

This is inappropriate. This is the path (tareeq) of slave hood (abdiyat). Our under-par desires,  immature wishes and unrealistic standards have no place in this path. They have to be annihilated (fana).

Sayyidi wa sanadi Mawlana Mohammad Taqi Usmani (Allah preserve him)  repeatedly tells us that after implementing the requirements of Shariah correctly (with the additional aid of the Shaykh’s instruction) experiential knowledge will be gained by each and every salik. It will develop accordingly to our aptitude and effort. Moreover, with persistence in these spiritual works of body and heart it will, inshaAllah, increase both in quantity and quality over time and become ingrained in us.

mun ifadat e sayyidi wa sanadi Hazrat murshidi db