Category Archives: E. States

Haal.

After Ramadhan

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Shaykh Wasiullah (Allah have mercy on him) said,

‘The effect of real acts of obedience is that an individual does not observe any virtue (kamal) in him/herself at all.

If there in no development of  humility, abasement, feeling of inability and lowliness after an act of worship then one should consider that this worship lacked sincerity.’

‘Iteraf e zunoob, page 99

The reason is that true worship illuminates the inner-self which in turn reveals the actual state within.

For example, it is like switching on the light bulb in a dark room. The illumination will reveal all the defects that were concealed by the darkness.

Cognizant of all the deficiencies an individual is now better equipped for attempting their rectification.

Similar should be our condition after Ramadhan.

Burying the past and moving ahead

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Recently Shaykh Mawlana Mohammad Taqi Usmani (may Allah preserve him) advised a murid to bury the past and make a fresh start.

Burying the past may sound a simple thing but in reality it is a big spiritual struggle (mujahidah) with many benefits.

For all of us it is a common event to slip and commit mistakes. These mistakes may be in exoteric (dhahiri) or esoteric (batini) works. Sometimes we are cognizant of our mistakes and at others oblivious. However, a true seeker is very much disturbed by these mistakes. He is ashamed infront of Allah, disheartened on his ability to control his desires, disillusioned by the effectiveness of the path in preventing this disaster and anxious about the future similar mishaps.

These are the moments when the need of a perfect spiritual mentor – the Shaykh-e-kamil, is essential to save the seeker from falling further in to the trap of Satan and lower self (nafs).  It is he who guides the murid out of this depressive and self-destructive attitude and puts him back on the path towards Allah.

He does so by,

a.  Giving the seeker hope. That is, it is human to err and Allah is Most Merciful to those who acknowledge their short comings.

b. Instruction to forget the past. Bury it. If this is not done, its dead body will rot and the stench emanating from it will spoil the best aroma of sincere good acts done in future. Also, remembering the sins after sincere repentance is wrong and leads to decreasing relationship with Allah.

c. To be concerned with improving the present condition right now. For this today will tomorrow become yesterday. A thing of past.

If handled in this way each and every mistake and fall of the sincere seeker results in increasing relationship with Allah, enhanced humility and complete dependence on His kindness and mercy. 

A seeker should remember that these falling episodes are not uncommon and continue until a permanent spiritual serenity (tamkeen) is achieved (which usually happens after years of sincere effort by method described above). Until then he/she has to bury the past with sincere repentance and move forwards on the path with renewed vigor.

And its facilitation is surely from Allah, Most High.

Love of Allah

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Respected Dr. Nadeemul Haq (Pakistanwala) inquired,

‘How can the love of Allah be obtained?’

Sayyidi wa sanadiShaykh Mufti Mohammad Taqi Usmani (Allah prserve him) replied,

‘By,

1. Keeping the comapany (suhba) of those who already have this love.

2. Acknowledging the bounties and blessings of Allah.

3. Excessive remembrance (dhikr) of Allah all the time.’

Sunday, 9th December 1990, between ‘asr & maghrib. Hazret’s residence, Darul Uloom Karachi. Meeeting with Drs. SA Ahmer, Saqib ZH, Saeed Qaiser, etc.

Method of attaining love of Allah & His messenger

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An aspirant wrote:

Please, tell me a  litany (dua), which creates overwhelming love of Allah and His messenger, ever present fear of Allah in my heart, nonexistence or a decrease in the love of the worldly and complete fearlessness from other-than Allah.

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

صوفی نہ شود صافی تا در نہ کشد جامی

بسیار سفر بایدتا پختہ شود خامی

(A sufi does not attain purity until after a toil and struggle.

A lengthy journey is required to attain perfection.)

Being firm on the zikr (remembrance), shugal (mental exercise of specific forms of remembrance), reading useful books (i.e. of Tasawwuf) and keeping company of pious (ahlulAllah) for a considerable duration of time leads to attainment of these treasures.

There is no specific dua for it.

(Tarbiyatus Salik volume 1 page 137)

The criteria for a wali!

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Hakim al-Umma Mawlana Ashraf Ali Thanawi (Allah have mercy on him) said,

‘The real criteria for being pious (buzurg) is that as one progresses  in spirituality the more he resembles the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace).

This is because the friendship of Allah (wilayet) is a derivative of the Prophethood (nubuwat).’

al-Rafiq fi suwa it-Tareeq, Malfuzat e Hakim al-Ummat volume 27-28, page 89

Khilafat?

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Shaykh Haji Imdadullah mohajir Makki gave khilafat to Mawlana Rasheed Ahmad Gangohi (Allah have mercy on them) after eight days and told him: ‘Moulvi Rasheed Ahmed sahib whatever favour (nimat) Allah has bestowed upon me, He has also bestowed upon you. It will be your duty to go develop that nimat and work on it.’

Mawlana Gangohi used to say: ‘I was very surprised. I could not understand what nimat he was referring to, which had been granted to him and also to me. I only managed to understand and realise what it was fifteen years later.’

[Tazkira e Khaleel vol 1]

From: Aap beeti

Shaykh Dr. Abdul Hayy Arifi (Allah have mercy on him) explicitly told his khulafa (Mufti Rafi Usmani db, Mufti Taqi Usmani db, Mufti Sehban Mehmood ra and others) to wait for spiritual puberty & maturity (of wich they will become undoubtedly aware of themselves) before taking the responsibility of being a Shaykh in spite of having recieved permission (ijazet) to guide others.

مسلمانوں کا اس وقت مرض

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مولانا سید ابوالحسن علی ندوی رحمۃ اللہ علیہ فرماتے ہیں، 

میرے نزدیک مسلمانوں کا اس وقت مرض نہ کفر ہے نہ جہل ہے

 اور نہ عمومی و عالمگیر فسق۔

ان کا مرض ظاہر و باطن کا اختلاف،

 عقیدہ و عمل کی عدم مطابقت،

 دعوے اور عمل کا تضاد،

 عبادت اور اخلاق میں نہ صرف عدم مناسبت بلکہ بعد،

 دنیا کو آخرت پر ترجیح،

 اپنے حقیر و موہوم مفاد کے لئے دوسروں کے حقوق کی پامالی اور حق تلفی،

 شریعت کو زندگی کے تمام شعبوں میں جاری و ساری نہ کرنے کی عادت،

 رسوم و مظاہر کو حقائق و جواہر پر مقدم رکھنا اور ان کی احکام الہی کی طرح تعمیل کرنا ہے۔

 

(حیات مصلح الامت رح، ص3)

The path to perfection ………

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……..sometimes passes through rough terrain

A sincere seeker wrote of his declining spiritual condition to one of his close friend. He received the following reply.  Being in sync with the teaching of sayyidi wa sanadi Shaykh Mufti Mohammad Taqi Usmani (may Allah preserve him) it is worth sharing.

In the name of Allah,

as salam o alaykum
JazakAllah for the kind email.
I read it in detail. Be assured that these are the natural up and downs of the path. As the Friends of Allah (awliya) say,

“Truly the fortunate one is he, who is blessed with the ability to recognize his own shortcomings.”

All praise is for Allah, that you have done this. That is, recognized and acknowledged the problem.

Now the second part is at hand. That is, to overcome these short comings. This is the spiritual struggle (mujahida). This will be facilitated by asking Allah sincerely to make it easy to control these unlawful desires (to indulge in sins). At the same time you will have to put all your effort in trying to do so. That is, using self determination (himmat). There is no short cut to success without genuine determination. In absence of sincere effort the likelihood of giving up sins will only be a wishful thinking.

You have already recognized that failure to follow a daily schedule of wird, etc. and loss of regular contact with Shaykh have resulted in this. Try to overcome these. You are smart, intelligent and hardworking. You can do it.

Set your priorities.

Ask your wife or a close friend to remind you of them if they see you slipping.

Set a penalty if you do slip. Like four units (rakat) salah of repentance and/or skipping everything sweet that day, or something similar that is a burden on your self (nafs). This is to remind and ingrain that mistakes have consequences.

It is okay to slip and fall.
However, it is not okay to keep lying flat in dirt for ever.

Saturday 5th July, 2008/1st Rajab 1429

Actions without Enthusiasm!

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A murid wrote:

I do not find any of the daily activities (i.e. salat, dhikr, reading, etc.) interesting. I feel as if all my emotions and feelings are numb. Please, advice!

Sayyidi wa sanadi Hazrat Mawlana Mohammad Taqi Usmani (Allah preserve him and allow us to benefit from him abundantly. Amin!) replied;

This is also one of the (inner) states (hal).

It seems to convey an important message regarding the inner states.

It is emphasizing that the necessary things are to be done even without passion. Having enthusiasm, fervor, dedication is not essential (for action). And in most situations this is more beneficial.

(That is, without emotional involvement actions are done purely for Allah SWT. There is no mixing/partnership of satisfaction of one’s enthusiasm.)

Islahi Khutoot

یکسوئی کے اقسام

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حال: بوجہ کمزوری دماغ بموجب حکم حضور بعد تہجد بارہ تسبیح بلا ضرب کے آہستہ کہ معمول ہے، مگر بوقت ذکر یکسوئی نہیں ہوتی۔

 

تحقیق حکیم الامت مولانا اشرف علی تھانوی رحمۃ اللہ علیہ: یکسوئی نہ ہونے کی جو شکایت لکھی ہے (اس کا علاج یہ ہے کہ) اپنی طرف سے دوسرے خیالات کا استحضار نہ کیا جاوے، اگر اس پر بھی یکسوئی نہ ہو تو مضر نہیں۔

 

جس یکسوئی کا نہ ہونا مضر ہے وہ یکسوئی اعتقادی ہے، ایسے یکسو کو حنیف کہتے ہیں۔ اس کی تحصیل واجب ہے، اور اختیاری ہے۔

 

باقی خیالی یکسوئی وہ نہ اختیاری ہے نہ واجب اور نہ اس کا عدم مضر ہے۔

 

اس بات کو خوب یاد رکھنا چاہیۓ۔

اس کے نہ جاننے سے بہت لوگ پریشان ہیں۔

 

تربیت السالک، جلد 1، ص518

Tafwidh

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Tafwidh is to assign one’s all affairs to Allah.

Allah may do with one as He desires.

One’s aspiration and hope should be on none besides Allah. In addition to employing the means and the methods, the result of all things should be left to Allah.

Tafwid is accquired by immediately reflecting when being confronted with an event which is in conflict with one’s liking that this is from Allah and most assuredly there is wisdom and goodness in it.

In the beginning it will be difficult to acquire this attitude. However, constant reflection facilitates it and then this attitude assumes a natural condition in the Pious (Auliyaa).

Shariat wa Tasawwuf, Mawlana Masihullah Khan ra

Humility of the Prophet

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 Following is an extract from the supplications of our master, the mercy to the Universe Prophet Mohammad (Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him). It is very much reflective of his slavehood (abdiyet).

 

اللهم إنك تسمع كلامي

وترى مكاني وتعلم سري وعلانيتي

لا يخفى عليك شيء من أمري و

أنا البائس الفقير

المستغيث المستجير , الوجل المشفق

المقر المعترف بذنبه

أسألك مسألة المسكين

وأبتهل إليك ابتهال المذنب الذليل

وأدعوك دعاء الخائف الضرير

دعاء منخضعت لك رقبته 

وذل لك جسمه , ورغم لك أنفه

 

O Allah! You hear my speech and behold my situation.
You know my secret and open matters.
None of my affairs is concealed from You!
And I am the miserable, needy, suppliant, succor seeking,
fearful and anxious person who confesses and recognizes his sins.
I beg you – the begging of a destitute.
I implore you – the imploring of an abased sinner.
And I make dua to You – the dua of the fearful afflicted person,
whose neck is bowed down before You,
whose eyes pour out tears before You,
whose body is humbled before You and
whose nose touches the ground for You repeatedly.

(Munajat-e-Maqbul, manzil #3 (Monday) , Supplication #108)

May Allah bless us with some degree of this humility. Amin!