Category Archives: E. States

Haal.

Sunna: Criterion for Allah’s proximity 

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Quoting 29 verses of Holy Quran Arif-billah Dr. Abdul-Hayy Arifi (Allah have mercy on him) said,

‘It is distinctly evident from these specifications of Allah that an individual who is closest to the Prophet (Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him) (by emulating his actions and orders) will come closest to Allah and will be from His beloved servant (abd).

Evidently following the Sunna (etiba e sunnat) is the soul of worshiping and climax of absolute servant-hood (abdiyet).   

An action in opposition to Sunna is not an act of worship, but it is pure deviation.’

Uswa-e-Rasool-e-akram sallallaho alehey wa alihi wa salam, page 38

Sunna: Don’t disregard it

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It was a very sad occasion.

 A Veteran of Deen was informing us of his tablighi efforts. Since the previous 42 years he was  actively involved in betterment of Muslim Ummah. However, when he stood to offer his salah it was like an ordinary lay individual. There was no following of the Sunna in the actions performed (like how to raise the hands in takbeer e ihram, how and where to place them in qiyam, sujud, etc.).

Similarly, on another occasion a khalifa of a prominent Shaykh was offering salah exactly like this.

The decades of tablighi effort and all the khilafet & Ijazat are useless if an individual has not realized the importance of following the Sunna and rectified at least his own salah.

Cognizance that I am seeing Allah or I am in front of Allah and He is observing my salah is a later level where salah improves to the stage of perfection.

Each and everyone of us has to make an effort in this regards.

Urdu readers can benefit quickly with ‘Namazain Sunnat kay mutabeq parhain’ online.

Kashef al qaboor

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A seeker wrote,  

Here there is mausoleum of Makhdoom Sheikh Sharaf ud Deen Ahmed Yayha Maneri (Allah have mercy on him). On my weekly visits the grave is no obstacle I see clearly the blessed (dead) body (of the Sheikh) and a garden all around. It is as per the description of a believer’s grave. This vision remains with the eyes open. Similarly I see it at my sister’s grave who recently passed away and another pious person’s grave. Moreover, at some graves I see what has been described of transgressors’ grave. 

Hakim al Umma Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi (Allah have mercy on him) replied, 

‘Neither pay any attention at all to these happenings nor consider them to be accurate. All of these are a veil (distraction).’

Tarbiyet us Salik, volume 2, page 1096

Shariah & tariqat

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Sayyidi wa sanadi Mufti Mohammed Taqi Usmani (Allah protect & preserve him) said, 

‘The correction of the method a deed is  (supposed to be) done (appropriately as per Sunna) is (the primary objective of) Shariah. 

The correction of the intention (that is, it is done exclusively to please Allah) is (the sole purpose of) Tariqat.

Combination of these two, Shariah and Tariqat is the goal of  (real) religion (Deen).’

Waaz 7 February 2016, masjid Darul Uloom 

The Lost Art of Dying 

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All of us are living to die.

How well prepared are we for this?

How well have we prepared our spouse, children and family to handle it?

Is our state of affairs and a legal will ready ?

Have we made it clear to our physician and next of kin that no heroic measures are to be used in my care? (This is especially so for the elderly >70 years and those diagnosed with a terminal disease.)

A Westerner writes, ‘Dying used to be accompanied by a prescribed set of customs.

Reaffirming one’s faith, repenting one’s sins, and letting go of one’s worldly possessions and desires were crucial, and the guides provided families with prayers and questions for the dying in order to put them in the right frame of mind during their final hours. Last words came to hold a particular place of reverence.’

Sounds Muslim.

Muslims are to be prepared for death all the time.

Our master Prophet Mohammed (Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him) instructed us to remember often -the destroyer of all pleasures :death. (Tirmidhi, Ahmed, Ibn e Majah)

Most of us are not prepared and in the right frame of mind to handle death. In facing, it especially for the elderly and those diagnosed with a terminal disease, all our effort is to prolong life. This is done at at all measures, irrespective of the pain, suffering and financial burden to the afflicted and those around.

We pay no attention at all to a peaceful departure, accepting the decree of Allah wholeheartedly, a farewell as a believer (khatima bil khair), forgiving others and asking forgiveness from Allah and fellow Muslims, recitation of kalima (There is no God except Allah, Mohammed [Allah’s blessings ans peace be upon him] is His messenger) as their last words by the dying and the chapter of  Yasin from Quran by those around.

This is also a an issue we have to improve upon.

 

Reality of Deen: Concern for Hereafter

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لامخل

Musleh-al-Umma Maulana Wasiullah Allahabadi (Allah have mercy on him) said,

” Deen (religiosity) in reality is the name given to the life of the heart.

This life sprouts by having concern for the hereafter (akhira).

These days in spite of increasing outward acts of religiosity like prayers (salah), fasting,  religious gatherings and discourses, religious teachers and students, even more than before, the (religiously cognizant and) savvy (ahle ahsas) individuals realize that all these activities are lifeless.

Now only the (outer) form of Deen exists. The (inner form, the) spirit has become extinct.

The reason for this (calamity) is that in places where there are no spiritually cognizant and capable mentors then how would the people of that locality know about the spiritual and esoteric matters. If they are unaware of these matters then it will be impossible for them to practice them. Without practice a (spiritual) state (that is, concern for the hereafter) will not develop. In these areas only the outward form of (religious activities like) prayers and fasting will exist and the reality and spirit (of Deen) will be corrupted. This will lead to spread of (religious) deviance and corruption in that locality.’

Majalis e Musleh al ummat,  Wasiyet al Irfan Aug/Sept 2008 issue, page 18 (Translated originally by Shaikh Dr. Danish Ahmed sahib db UAE. Edited)

Sign of spiritual benefit 

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Imam Abdul Wahab al Sha’arani (Allah have mercy on him) said,

‘The Masters of this path have stated that the signs that a disciple is benefiting from his Shaikh are,

– He keeps a good opinion about all the people except for himself.

– He does not see the deficiencies of others.

-Moreover, he is not perturbed at all by anyone saying bad things about him and considers it to be correct.

Imam adds that it is imperative (wajib) for whoever reads quotes of Sufis like this that demand action to look into their own self.

If he finds himself acting accordingly then he must thank Allah. And if he lacks it then he should repent and strive to incorporate it into his life.’

Lataif al minan, page 44

Ghaflah:heedlessness

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ghafil

Shaikh Umar Birbalwi (Allah have mercy on him) said,

‘Be watchful of development of heedlessness (ghafalh).

Being free from heedlessness (per se) does not mean that a person abstains from all sinful activity (for ever). Humans have their limitation and intentionally or unintentionally sinful acts are committed (occasionally).

Heedlessness is that when an individual loses his/her ability to decipher whether a sinful activity has been committed (hence he acknowledges, amends and repents). It is like developing an internal (spiritual) weighing-scale needle. A minuscule of addition or subtraction is quickly acknowledged by the spiritual aspirant on whether he is receding backwards or progressing forwards.’

Anwar e Umar ra, malfuz 14

Smypathy & kindness for sinful

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 Imam Abdul Wahab al Sha’rani ( Allah have mercy on him) said,

‘It is from the morals of the pious that they have sympathy for those involved in sinful activities. They do not look down upon them. They are ready to sacrifice their own life for them.  Some of them in their kindness, desired that their skin be peeled off with scissors but the sinful stop their indulgence in disobeying Allah. Moreover they prefer being kind for them instead of making supplications (dua) against them.’

Ahwal us Sadiqeen, page 207