Sayyidi wa sanadi Mufti Mohammed Taqi Usmani (Allah protect & preserve him) said as he was replying to a spiritual seeker’s letter,

‘One of my friends was experiencing severe qabd (spiritual constriction).

This is a spiritual state. It is an exacting severe condition that may sometimes result in suicide attempts. And if dealt with successfully it leads to extreme proximity (qurb) of Allah.

It is not the laziness people ordinarily feel in doing good works.

I advised him to visit and stay in the company (suhba) of the pious (Ahl al-Allah). This is extremely beneficial in treating this condition. He resides in another city faraway and is adamant that he will take bayah nowhere else. However, when instructed firmly he started visiting someone pious (ahl al-Allah) in his vicinity. In the current letter he reports significant improvement in his condition.’

Addressing the audience in the office sayyidi reiterated the importance of pious company even without any oral communication, for the treatment of spiritual ailments.

Office Darul Uloom Karachi, after zohar 5/3/2022