It is reported that it was the habit of Dadi sahiba that whenever something happened against her desire she used to repeatedly say loudly,
‘I am pleased with the decree of my Lord!’
She would continue to say this again and again for a while.
To the surprised audience she explained that I am trying to make myself listen this so that my mind and heart believes in it firmly.
_________________________
Dadi sahiba* wife of Engineer Zafar Ahmad Thanawi, daughter of Sayyid Sajjad Hussain and sister in law of Shaykh Dr Abdul Hayy Arifi (all khulafa of Hakim al-Umma, Allah have mercy on them) passed away today early morning.
She was in her nineties.
Having lost her mother at very young age she spent long duration at Hakim al-Umma’s house in Thana Bhawan, while her father visited for his own islah. Her nikah was performed by Hakim al-Ummat and she also made bayiah with him.
She use to repeatedly tell us that Hakim al-Ummat had a pleasant friendly attitude and was complete and pure loving compassion (shafqat). She never saw any strictness the people exaggeratedly report.
She also narrated the details of the remarkable Umrah journey her family did via sea with the families of Shaykh Mufti Mohammad Shafi and Dr. Abdul Hayy Arifi (Allah have mercy on them) in 1950s. Especially mentioning the religiosity and maturity of sayyidi wa sanadi Mufti Taqi Usmani (Allah preserve him) who was a teenager at that time. He use to lead the women of the group in tawaf reciting the supplications and guiding them in its rites.
In accordance with tradition of People of truth, she use to ask us (her grandchildren) again and again to make supplication (dua) for a blessed ending of life (khatima bil kahir) for herself.
After informing my beloved wife and loving parents, she was the first family member to know about the ijaza by sayyidi wa sanadi Mufti Mohammad Taqi Usmani (Allah preserve him). She was exhilarated and made lot of dua.
May Allah make complete magfirah, raise her status manifold in hereafter, facilitate the stage of qabr & barzakh and give exemplary patience (sabr-e-jameel) to all her family. Amin!
(*Grandmother of my wife.)
Amir al-Momineen Sayyidina Ali ibn e Abi Taleb (Allah be pleased with him) said,
‘Beware!
1. Absolutely do not keep expectations from anyone except Allah.
2. Do not be afraid of anything except your own sins.
3. Do not be ashamed to learn something you do not know.
4. If you do not know the answer of a question acknowledge your ignorance openly.
Al-Murtaza, by Sayyid Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi (Allah ahve mercy on Him), page 290
Sayyidi wa sanadi Mawlana Muhammad Taqi Usmani (Allah preserve him and allow us to benefit from him abundantly. Ameen!) said:
“Once I was visiting Shaykh Baba Najam Ahsan, khalifa majaz-e-sohbat of Hakim al-Umma (Allah have mercy on them). He was an extra-ordinary personality. Gifted with khashaf-o-karamat (unveiling of secrets and super natural acts). A young man came for an errand. He was like other youths of his age, having no religious desires & inclination. As he completed his work and was about to leave, Baba sahib addressed him and said;
“Son! people think that following deen in very difficult in this day and age.
They are wrong. It is not difficult at all.
Only thing you have to do is to repent for your mistakes daily at night time. That is it!”
I was amazed!
But these ahl-ul Allah are in a quest to bring people to Allah any how and by whatever means. It is impossible that if one develops this habit of repentance daily that he does not develop a relationship with Allah.”
Waaz 3th July 05, Darul Uloom, Karachi
Hadhrat Mawlana Mufti Mohammad Taqi Usmani (may Allah preserve him) said,
“Once my Shaykh Hadhrat Dr. Abdul Hayy ‘Arifi (may Allah have mercy on him) was invited to a dinner. Few of his disciples, including me were accompanying him. After the sumptuous meal Hadhrat addressed us regarding the excessive thankfulness due on each and every blessing.
Hadhrat enumerated that in this single episode how many blessings were incorporated. First blessing was the delicious food itself. Second, the respectful manner in which the host served it to us. Third, our feeling of hunger which made it possible for us to consume it. Fourth, our good general health that allowed us to eat indiscriminately. If we had an aliment we would have to restrict ourselves to specific foods only. Fifth, our being free from overwhelming and disturbing thoughts. If a close family member had been sick it would have been impossible to enjoy the delicious meal. Sixth, the company of friends and pious individuals we had. Rude and irreligious fellows would had made the whole event a miserable experience. So on and so forth the list of blessings will continue. We are aware that it is essential to give thanks for each and every of these blessings. True and real thanks will gush out from the depths of the heart with realization of these things.
Hadhrat Mufti sahib added, the ability to appreciate the blessings in such manner is due to a very close and intimate relationship with Allah (taluq ma’Allah), that is the goal of Tasawwuf.
These are gems to take from Shaykh’s company (suhba). “
Friday 27th July 2007, Masjid Darul Uloom, Karachi. After ‘asr majlis
Arif-billah Dr. Abdul Hayy ‘Arifi (Allah have mercy on him) said,
It is not sufficient enough a goal to become a zakir (one who does excessive remembrance of Allah) and shagil (one who does spiritual exercises) only.
You acquired the nur by praying pre-dawn prayers (tahajjud) and doing remembrance of Allah. This is very good.
However, dear brother, is there a potential use of this nur?
The (nur of) remembrance of Allah makes the darkness go away, the obscurities fade, the rights and obligations become clear in front of you, the filthy and pure things become evident clearly in their appropriate places.
Now, why do you pick up the filth?
If by mistake you did this then remember Allah, throw it away and wash your hands.
(As a example:) Being a human you got angry. Now why do keep a grudge and intention of revenge? Throw away this filth and repent. The use of remembrance of Allah is to be shown here.
Sawanih wa ta’limat e Hazrat ‘Arifi, page 530
Shaykh Mansur Ali Khan (Allah preserve him) said,
‘Every week we gather here to listen to religious discussion. It is imperative that we have a clear objective regarding these gatherings.
These are not lectures of formal religious education. These are training sessions (tarbiyeti) for the spiritual aspirants (salikeen).
Their objectives are, to
1. Create and nurture love of Allah and His beloved Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in our hearts.
2. Develop the habit of turning (ruju’) to Allah in all circumstances via supplication (dua).
3. Emulating the Sunna method of doing things in every aspect of life.
4. Becoming cognizant of here-after and accountability for one’s deeds.
It is essential to have these goals in mind. It makes the journey easier by keeping you on the track and retuning to it if you slip.’
Sunday majlis, Jeddah, 3rd July 2010
Hakim al-Umma Mawlana Ashraf Ali Thanawi (Allah have mercy on him) used to repeatedly tell the salikeen that if a person gets the idea that he has acquired a praiseworthy trait or state and gotten rid of a blame-worthy one then he should be extremely suspicious of this.
He gave this example to make it easy to understand.
That is, if a person is aware that he is sleeping then his sleep is defective. It is not a genuine sleep. A sleeping person is completely unaware of his sleep.
Similar is the case of a salik.
He should always rely completely on his Shaykh’s instructions and be suspicious of all his activities considering himself to a novice just initiated.
Min ifadat sayyidi wa sanadi Hazrat murshidi db
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
Shahykh Shah Wasiullah (Allah have mercy on him) said,
‘Are you aware of the reason that why some of the people who come here (for islah &ta’aluq maAllah) do not benefit?
The reason is that this path (tariq) essentially requires propriety (adab) and reverence (aqidat).
People consider this path to be similar to the conditions in secular schools where a tutor teaches and the pupil learn irrespective of having any reverence for him. The student learns even if he does not show any respect to the teacher.
They consider that the teaching in Tasawwuf is also like this and there is no need of reverence and propriety towards the Shaykh.
Shaykh’s instructions are considered to be beneficial and are memorized, however, there is no reverence for the Shaykh in their heart. It is for this reason that they do not benefit.
It is as though Tasawwuf is now considered to be another branch of science and arts. In reality, it is a practical and experiential entity.
Hakim al-Umma Mawlana Ashraf Ali Thanawi (Allah have mercy on him) told us multiple times that if someone questioned Shaykh Haji Imdadullah mohajir Makki (Allah have mercy on him) regarding an issue (mas’ala) of Tasawwuf. He used to admonish the inquirer and tell him that this is not a school (maderasa) whenever (a need is felt and) I find it appropriate I will explain it.’
Taharet e qalb, Nifaq ka bayan, page 83
The honorable Companion Huzaifah (Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said:
“It is not proper for a Believer to disgrace himself.”
It was asked: “O Prophet of Allah ! What is meant by this?”
The Prophet of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “To undertake something which you cannot bear.” (Tirmizi)
Hakim al-Umma Mawlana Asharf Ali Thanawi (Allah have mercy on him) explains,
To assume a task beyond one’s capability is not proper for a believer . The consequence will be failure, disgrace, worry, and shame. Frustration will then overtake one.
This saying of the Prophet (hadith) covers all such acts and tasks which are beyond one’s power. In all such cases of difficulties adopt patience (sabr) and supplicate to Allah for aid.
Hayat al-Muslimeen, chapter 10, Rights of oneself
بجز تو در ھمہ عالم دگر دلبر نمی دانم
بجز تو در ھمہ گیتی دگر جاناں نمی دانم
سارے جھان میں تیرے علاوہ میں اور کسی دلبر کو نھیں جانتا، ساری دنیا میں تیرے علاوہ میں اور کسی جاناں کو نھیں پھچانتا۔
بجز غوغائے عشقِ تو، درونِ دل نمی یابم
بجز سودائے وصلِ تو، میانِ جاں نمی دانم
تیرے عشق کے جوش و خروش کے علاوہ میں اپنے دل میں کچھ اور نھیں پاتا، تیرے وصل کے جنون کے علاوہ میں اپنی جان میں کچھ اور نھیں دیکھتا۔
مرا با توست پیمانے، تو با من کردہ ای عھدے
شکستی عھد، یا ھستی بر آں پیماں؟ نمی دانم
میرے ساتھ تیرے پیمان ہیں اور تو نے میرے ساتھ عھد کیے، تُو نے اپنے عھد توڑ دیے یا ابھی تک انھی پر ھے، میں کچھ نھیں جانتا، یعنی مجھے اس سے غرض نھیں ھے، عشق میں عھد و پیمان کچھ معنی نہیں رکھتے۔
بہ اُمّیدِ وصالِ تو دلم را شاد می دارم
چرا دردِ دلِ خود را دگر درماں نمی دانم؟
تیرے وصال کی امید سے اپنے دل کو شاد رکھتا ھوں، میں اسی لیے اپنے دل کے درد کیلیے کوئی اور درمان نھیں ڈھونڈتا، یعنی صرف اور صرف تیرے وصل کی امید ھی دردِ دل کا پھلا اور آخری علاج ھے۔
نمی یابم تو را در دل، نہ در عالم، نہ در گیتی
کجا جویم تو را آخر منِ حیراں؟ نمی دانم
مجھ (ھجر کے مارے) کو نہ تُو دل میں ملتا ھے اور نہ جھان و کائنات میں، میں حیران (و پریشان) نہیں جانتا کہ آخر تجھ کو کھاں ڈھونڈوں؟ شاعر کا حیران ھونا ھی اس شعر کا وصف ھے کہ یھیں سے سارے راستے کھلیں گے۔
عجب تر آں کہ می بینم جمالِ تو عیاں، لیکن
نمی دانم چہ می بینم منِ ناداں؟ نمی دانم
یہ بھی عجیب ھے کہ تیرا جمال ھر سُو اور ھر طرف عیاں دیکھتا ہوں، اور میں نادان یہ بھی نھیں جانتا کہ کیا دیکھ رھا ھوں۔
ھمی دانم کہ روز و شب جھاں روشن بہ روئے توست
و لیکن آفتابے یا مہِ تاباں؟ نمی دانم
یہ جانتا ھوں کہ جہان کے روز و شب تیرے ھی جمال سے روشن ھیں لیکن یہ نھیں جانتا کہ تو سورج ھے یا تابناک چاند۔
بہ زندانِ فراقت در عراقی پائے بندم شد
رھا خواھم شدن یا نے؟ ازیں زنداں، نمی دانم
شیخ فخرالدین )عراقی (رحمة اللہ علیہ) کے پاؤں ھجر کے قید خانے میں بندھے ھوئے ھیں، اور اس قید سے رھا ہونا بھی چاھتا ہوں یا نھیں، نھیں جانتا۔
Source:
Someone had written to Hakim al-Umma Mawlana Ashraf ‘Ali Thanawi (Allah have mercy on him),
You have given ijaazat to a particular person but we do not see him to be fit for this position. Must we rely on your ijaazat or on what we see of him?
Hakim al-Umma replied,
‘You should act according to what you have witnessed and you are not bound by my ijaazat. There are various reasons for me giving ijaazat.’
Malfoozat of Faqeeh al-Ummat, page 458
