Monthly Archives: December 2010

The spiritual light

In the final chapter of his primer on Hanafi fiqh Shaykh Qadi Thana’ullah Panipati (Allah have mercy on him) [d. 1225 H/1810 CE] said,

‘The spiritual light of Islam or the Messenger of Allah, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, should be sought in the breasts of the true ascetics so that that light may be kindled in your own heart.

When this light enters you, you will be able to recognise, through your faculties of discernment, all good and evil.

One becomes a stranger in this temporal world and is transported to the next world through one’s constant remembrance of Allah.

One begins to seek the company of others who cause one’s love for this world to decrease, and one’s love for Allah and the next world to increase.’

Essential Islamic Knowledge: A Handbook of Hanafi Fiqh, page 256

The tarbiyah!

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Shaykh Nizamuddin Aurangabadi (Allah have mercy on him)[d 1142 Hijri/1730 CE] in his instruction to the disciples’ (murideen) used to stress particularly  on thorough following of the Shaykh and maintaining proper etiquette (adab) with him.

He used to tell them that Shaykh Naseeruddin Chirag Dehlawi (Allah have mercy on him) sometimes even did beat his murid (as part of their spiritual training). But none of them abandoned him. However, now the state has come that ‘if a Shaykh utters a single word (reprimanding), the murid develops a strong aversion to the Shaykh.”

Tarikh Mashaikh Chisht, voume 5, page 166-7

جس كو ھو جان و دل عزیز اس كی گلی میں جاے كیوں

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Delayed correspondence

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Shah Kaleemullah Shahjahanabadi (Allah have mercy on him) [d 1142H/1729CE] wrote to a murid,

‘Excuse for delayed (reply to islahi) correspondence from our side is acceptable and explainable. However, if it is from your side then it is unacceptable and unexplainable.’

Maktubat e Kaleemi, letter 5, page 9, via Tarikh Mashaikh Chisht, voume 5, page 112

Ijazet

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Mawlana Kalim Siddiqqui (Allah preserve him), khalifa of Sheikh al-Hadith Mawlana Zakariya mohajir Madani and Mawlana Sayyid Abul Hasan Ali Nadawi (Allah have mercy on them) said,

‘In reality the ‘ijazet’ (permission to take murid & instruct others) from the pious are of three types.

Firstly, the permission is granted trusting an individual who has the capabilities to guide and do reformation of others. This is the real ijazet. It is given to the very special and selected individuals.

Second type is when seeing the poor religious state of an area Shaykh gives permission to a relatively more religious person to work for inviting and guiding others in that specific area.

The third type of ijazet is what individuals like us hold. That is, because of it he will abstain from sins. The Shaykh thinks that considering himself to be a mojaz and khalifa he will stay away from sinful activities.’

Arghaman, monthly, June 2010, page 28

Anger at husband!

The wife of a very close murid (and khalifa) wrote,

‘I have the spiritual illness of anger. This is particularly so for my husband. At times I become very angry at him. Later I regret it and sometimes even cry.’

Hakim al-Umma Hadhrat Mawlana Ashraf ‘Ali Thanawi (may Allah have mercy on him) replied,

“To become angry, especially in intimate relationships, is beyond one’s control.

However, to act inappropriately because of these feelings remains within one’s volition.  The only way this control can be achieved is by being patient and accommodating. This has to be done with firm determination even if it is hard on the lower self (nafs).

Use the following tips to strengthen your determination,

1. Contemplate on your status. That is, I stand at a lower level (in this relationship).

2. Remind yourself of the past remorse on actions done when you were angry.

3. Involve yourself in some other activity immediately.

4. Move away from the scene, so that you do not see each other.

5. Remind yourself that you may jump the limits of justified anger and be held (by Allah) for this.

Keep these instruction-note handy at a place where you can see it at the time of being angry.”

Zikr e Jalil ra, page 90-1