Teachings of Hakim al-Umma Mawlana Ashraf 'Ali Thanawi & his spiritual successors, particularly 'Arifbillah Dr 'Abdul Hayy 'Arifi (may Allah bless them) and Sayyidi Mawlana Mufti Mohammad Taqi Usmani (may Allah preserve him) regarding Tasawwuf
My respected mother Kaneez e Mehdi aka Safia Begum D/O Dr. Mohammed Ahsan Farooqi (Allah have mercy on them) passed away on 30th November 2024.
She was 86 years old. Born in Lucknow, UP, British India. Passed away peacefully at her home in Karachi, surrounded by her children and grandchildren all engaged in remembrance of Allah.
She was a mureedah of Sayyidi wa sanadi Mufti Mohammed Taqi Usmani (Allah preserve & protect him) and wife of his khalifa Commander (retd.) Shaukat Kamal (Allah have mercy on him).
Please, try to remember her in your dua and if conveniently possible make esal-e-thawab for her.
Hazrat Moulana Ashraf Ali Thaanwi (Allah have mercy on him) once mentioned the following:
In this path of tasawwuf (self-reformation, the primary effort is upon the heart, and) the heart is extremely delicate and sensitive, like a delicate flower. (Just as a delicate flower is easily damaged by the environment, similarly the heart is easily affected by the wrong environment). Hence, at all times, one should ensure that he safeguards and protects his heart from any type of evil.
(In essence, if the heart is pure and righteous, then the actions which one will carry out will also be pure and righteous, and if the heart is corrupt, then accordingly, the actions which one will carry out will also be corrupt.)
Once, Hazrat Umar (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) was seen carrying a water bag on his shoulder (taking it to give people water to drink). When asked the reason for him carrying the water bag himself and providing water for the people, he replied, “Certain delegations from other lands had come to Madinah Munawwarah, and the atmosphere that was created through their presence with me was one of grandeur and glory. On account of this, I feared that self-admiration and pride should not enter my heart. Therefore, as a remedy and cure, I decided to carry the water bags and provide water to the people to prevent pride from entering my heart.”
Hazrat Shaikh Moulana Muhammad Zakariyya (rahmatullahi ‘alaih) once mentioned the following:
Muraaqabah-e-Du’aa’iyyah refers to where one, while remaining silent, closes his eyes, and turns his attention to his heart and begins making dua with his heart i.e. one does not make a verbal dua with one’s tongue. While making dua with one’s heart, one may make dua for his deen, his dunya, and for whatever needs one has.
However, one should also remember to include the ummah of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) in one’s dua by asking Allah Ta‘ala to bring favourable and good conditions upon the ummah and grant them success.
On account of the ummah being linked to Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam), when one includes the ummah in one’s dua, then this will be a means for one’s duas gaining acceptance by Allah Ta‘ala.
Note: Just as it is permissible to make dua verbally, it is also permissible to make dua in one’s heart, as mentioned above by Hazrat Sheikhul Hadith Moulana Muhammad Zakariyya (rahmatullahi ‘alaih). However, it should be borne in mind that on those occasions where it is established that Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) made a verbal dua (e.g. after salaah, after the azaan, after eating, etc.) then one should recite these masnoon duas verbally in order to practise upon the sunnah. Nevertheless, at other times, one can make dua to Allah Ta‘ala verbally or in one’s heart.
Hazrat Moulana Ashraf Ali Thaanwi (rahimahullah) once mentioned the following:
The reason for me having great confidence in my deeni elders is not because I regard them to be the most learned Ulama in the world, as I know that it is possible that there are other Ulama in the world who may have more knowledge than them.
Rather, the main reason for my confidence in them is that I found them to be people of Allah Ta‘ala. They were not people of the world. Though they lived in the world, but they were not influenced at all by the world and its attractions. They remained distant from the desire for name and fame and wealth and riches.
Their only work in the world was to serve deen and fulfil what deen required from them at all times – even if it meant them sacrificing all their personal benefits and comforts (they were prepared to do so).
Hakim Al-Umma Moulana Ashraf Ali Thaanwi (Allah have mercy on him) once mentioned:
In the path of seeking self-reformation, it is obvious that a person will be in need of a sheikh (spiritual guide to guide him through the path). However, since many people are unaware of the procedure to follow and the criteria to look for when selecting a sheikh, they err in selecting the right person for their islaah (self-reformation).
Hakim Al-Umma Moulana Ashraf Ali Thaanwi (Allah have mercy on him) thereafter mentioned that the following criteria should be found in the person one wishes to take as his sheikh (spiritual guide):
1. The person should be well acquainted with the laws of shari’ah, though he may not be an aalim who is an expert in every science of deen.
2. He must have knowledge of the path of tasawwuf and sulook, though he may not be a person who experiences kashf, nor a person from whom miracles or supernatural acts are witnessed.
3. He must have spent a considerable amount of time in the company of a sheikh-e-kaamil (a pious spiritual mentor who has completed his islaah under his mashaaikh)
4. When sitting in his majlis, the general effect that one finds is that one’s love for the dunya decreases and a yearning for the Aakhirah is created (or increases) in one’s heart. Similarly, fear for getting involved in sins and the motivation to carry out good deeds is created in the heart, regardless of whether one experiences any spiritual conditions or not.
Despite the person being a sheikh-e-kaamil, if one does not perceive any benefit through remaining in his company, then one should realize that the reason for this is that one does not have compatibility with the sheikh. Therefore, one should leave this sheikh and seek another sheikh.
Nevertheless, even when one does not find compatibility with a particular sheikh, he should not show any form of disrespect to him. This can be compared to the situation where a certain doctor’s treatment is not proving effective for a person. In such a situation, one will refer to another doctor, but an intelligent person will not run-down or disrespect the first doctor.
Our master Ali (Allah be pleased with him) reported:
When the weapon of the Prophet, (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) had been assembled, I found on the handle or blade of his sword three sayings,
“Maintain relations with those who cut you off,
Speak the truth even if it is against yourself, and
Hakim al Umma Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi (Allah have mercy on him) once mentioned the following:
If a person is involved in sins, then one method for him to reform himself is that together with sincerely engaging in istighfaar and towbah, he should also impose some penalty upon himself so that this becomes a cause for him to refrain from falling into the sin in the future. This penalty can either be a physical penalty (e.g. fasting for a period of time) or a monetary penalty (i.e. giving a certain amount of money in sadaqah to the poor).
Our Prophet (Allah’s blessing & peace be upon him) mentioned in the Hadith that if a person says to someone (inviting him towards gambling), “Come, let me gamble with you,” then he should give some sadaqah.
In this Hadith, we see that Prophet (Allah’s blessing & peace be upon him) looked at the cause for one wishing to enter into the sin of gambling. The cause for this is the love for wealth. Therefore, he prescribed giving some sadaqah as a penalty, as this will cause the love for wealth to leave one’s heart (and this will also prevent him from falling into the sin in the future).
