Our master Imam Malik (Allah have mercy on him) said,
‘An individual who practices Tasawwuf without acquiring fiqh (knowledge of Shariah rulings), becomes a heretic (zindeeq).
Whereas the individual who acquires fiqh but abandons Tasawwuf becomes a transgressor (fasiq).
He who acquires both, fiqh and Tasawwuf is successful in reaching the reality (haqiqa).’
Eqaz Al Himam, p30
A seeker wrote,
I think I have quite clear in my mind – from the theorical point of view – the status of Kashf, Tawajjuh, Karamat and so on in relation to the true objective of the Tariqah, their not being the goal, and even more, their being a potential fitnah and trap for the murid. But this quote I’ve read on a forum:
“The line of the chisti imdadiyah stopped doing these [] because they became more of scholars. The elders were very high accomplished scholars and sufis. Unfortunately, the 2nd and 3rd generations lost this and the condition is even worse these days amongst the present day mashaikh of the tariqa”. [[] The reference is to certain “particular” practices and ashghal adopted in the past in the Chishti Tariqah].
..raised some doubts in my mind, as I got the impression that some of today’s other Shuyukh propose a “dry”, simplified and just “moral” brand of Tasawwuf, with just its “ethical” part, leaving “metaphysics”, “spiritual stages” and more “deep”, “ruhani” stuff aside. I’d appreciate to read what would you reply to such allegations, so to put clarity and tranquility in my heart.
Ashrafiya replied,
It is essential to have a vivid understanding of the reality of Tasawwuf upstart.
Please, review all the post on the site regarding this.
The greatest sufi having the highest level of marifah possible is our master Prophet Mohammad (Allah bless him and give him peace). His blessed life and ways are a role model for us.
Tasawwuf is to make this happen. It is always subservient to Shariah.
The level of awareness of Allah needed to bring this is relative to the ghaflah (heedlessness) and involvement in worldly affairs of an individual.
The ashgal and azkar used by sufis to do so are therefore adjusted accordingly. They are neither a goal in themselves nor a superior form of worship or supposed to create a state other than required by Shariah.
The khashaf, karamat, etc are just some of the spiritual benefits of the moral purification. The best spiritual thing is a very strong and perpetual connection with Allah. A yearning and overwhelming desire to please Him and abstain from everything that displeases Him. This leads one to follow the teachings of Shariah meticulously.
I have persoanlly met sincere sufis that promise bayiat to the Prophet Prophet Mohammad (Allah bless him and give him peace) in a wakeful state. However, when measured in the scale of Sunnah and Shariah they failed terribly.
Alhumdullilah Ashrafi silaila is blessed with its portion of spiritual blessings. It is seldom mentioned due to their overwhelming state of humility. But you can have a glimpse of it in their poetic expressions. Most of our Mashaikh have dewans of poetry.
I hope I have made some sense. Please, do not hesitate to ask if there remains something unclear.
Islahi emails:UAL
I read about the zikr of the chishti tareeqa i.e. the dowazdah tasbeeh. I have doubts in my mind regarding this. The thought comes to my mind that this is not established by sunnah. I have tried to read many books to clarify this but am not satisfied yet. Although I am ashamed to even think about the likes of Hakeem ul ummah RA or Mufti Taqi Usmani DB involved in any bidah. But I guess the very non-sufi environment that I have been in, gives me these doubts. Any clarification regarding this would be sincerely appreciated. Please forgive me if I offended with this question.
Ashrafiya replied,
There is no offence at all in asking this question.
However, there is a misunderstanding that needs to be clarified.
That is, every one acknowledges that dowazadeh tashib is not a masnun zikr, but it is a prelude or an excercise to develop interest, concentration and sincerity in the real zikr. This is by experience of the past mashaykh. Just like the physicians treating with different medicine. Sayyidi wa sanadi Mufti Mohammed Taqi Usmani (Allah protect & preserve him) tells us that, ‘is is medicine’, ‘you do not need a proof from Quran and hadith to use Tylenol for headche’,.
Similarly the sufic zikr is a medicine.This is clarified to each and every murid at the time of instruction of this tasbih. Not all murid or talibs are instructed to do it.
Also, the daily masnun tasbihat are in addition to this zikr.
I hope it is a bit clearer now.
Islahi emails:TA
Sayyidi wa sanadi Mufti Mohammed Taqi Usmani (Allah protect & preserve him) instructed the attendees at a female burial,
‘The na–mehram should, please, step aside. This a Shariah ruling. ‘
This was in addition to veiling of the grave from all the sides with makeshift curtains.
Darul Uloom Karachi, Old Graveyard, Saturday 2 November 2019. After zohar.
Sayyidi wa sanadi Mufti Mohammed Taqi Usmani (Allah protect & preserve him) reprimanded a student who approached him for handshake saying very firmly,
‘It is an innovation (bida’t) to shake hand (musahafa) without saying the salaam (alaykum).
You did not say salaam and just barged in for handshake. ‘
Darul Uloom Karachi, after zohar-salat e janaza, Wednesday 21 August 2019
Sayyidi wa sanadi Mufti Mohammed Taqi Usmani (Allah preserve & protect him) is asked regarding the recitation of the Qurʾān at graves, whether it should be audible or not. The Salām should be audible and the Qurʾān should be read silently, he says.
I ask Mufti Ṣāḥib regarding conveying Salām at graves on behalf of other people. He answers that this practice is established for the Prophet ﷺ, and suggests that perhaps qiyas can be done upon this for others.
Source: Seven Days in Bukhara and Samarqand
Sayyidi wa sanadi Mufti Mohammed Taqi Usmani (Allah preserve & protect him) addressed the question of tabarruk (taking blessings from the pious or things associated with them) explaining that there are two extremes in this regard. Some people reject it altogether and suggest it is shirk. This is wrong because there are several ḥadīths that affirm tabarruk. On the other hand, some people have total reliance on tabarruk and do not perform good deeds. Citing the example of the hypocrite ʿAbdullāh ibn Ubayy ibn Salūl (d. 9/631), he emphasises that tabarruk is of no benefit to he who performs no good deeds.
Hakim al Umma Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi (Allah have mercy on him) instructed,
‘Following the pious elders is the safest path.
Holding self-opinions (khud–raiy) is dangerous.
Hence, in outward matters it is most appropriate for a scholar to follow the Hanafi fiqh. A common person should follow a Hanafi scholar.
And in internal (batini) matters follow a perfect Shaykh. Do not do anything new worldly or religious without his permission. However, if a scholar or Sufi-Shaykh instructs explicitly contrary to Sharia then do not follow him .’
Ta’leem ut Talib, #6, p23
2. Repentance from all previous sinful activities
3. Completion of repentance. That is, compensating (qaza) the lapsed essential (fardh) and recommendable (wajibaat).
4. Steadfastness in essential (fardh), recommendable (wajibaat) and Sunna action from now onwards
5. Abandonment of all that is useless and sinful
6. Adopting a daily routine of extra good actions (wird) as instructed by the Shaikh. They include,
a. Excessive remembrance of Allah (dhikr)
b. Muraqaba and/ashgal
c. Tilawet
d. Dua
7. Rectifying the blameworthy morals traits by consulting the Shaikh regularly
It is essential to follow this order.
Haphazard activities usually results in waste of time and effort.
May Allah facilitate it for all of us. Ameen!
Hey, Abdallah ! Do not be like a man who used to get up for the night vigil and then he left it.
Sayyidi wa sanadi Mufti Mohammed Taqi Usmani (Allah preserve & protect him) said,
‘Based on this Prophetic saying (hadith) scholars have said that one should not leave the supererogatory (nafil) acts of worship that has been included in his/her daily routine.
However, the meaning of leaving, as I have heard from my Shaykh Dr Abdul Hayy Arifi with reference to Hakim al Umma (Maulana Ashraf Ali) Thanvi (Allah sanctify their secret), is to make an intention to abandon them (altogether and forever).
If there is no intent to abandon them (altogether and forever) but they are skipped for a duration, however, there is an intention that I will continue them (whenever the circumstances are suitable) then inshaAllah it will be not included in this admonishing. ‘
Ina’m al Bari, volume 4, p 320
Shaikh Dr Ghulam Mohammed khalifa of Allama Syed Suleman Nadwi (Allah have mercy on them) wrote the following after performing Hajj in 1971 (1390 Hijri),
‘The number of people performing Hajj is increasing every year due to spreading affluence, ease of transportation and availability of luxuries in Haramain. However, the number of sincere individuals (performing Hajj correctly) is steadily decreasing.
In general the pilgrims are neglectful of the etiquettes (adab), their reverence (ta’zeem) and the requisite knowledge of the procedure (masail of Hajj).
True repentance after Hajj and desire of changing the sinful lifestyle to a virtuous one is nonexistent and has become a meaningless thought. ‘
Jamal e Aagahi, p58
———–
Unfortunately fifty years later the situation is the same.
A scholar requested for advice in regards to his Hajj journey.
Sayyidi wa sanadi Mufti Mohammed Taqi Usmani (Allah protect & preserve him) said,
‘Make sure that time is not wasted. Utilize it effectively in tawaf, tilawet (recitation of Holy Quran) and adhkar.
These are only few days as mentioned in the Holy Quran
Usually people waste time in socializing with friends etc. (This should be avoided.)’
Masjid Darul Uloom, Karachi 28 July 2018, after zohar
Summary of Ramadan 1439 Last 10 days Discourses:
Sayyidi wa sanadi Mufti Mohammed Taqi Usmani (Allah preserve & protect him) said,
Whatever actions we perform, such as prayers, fasting, Hajj, Zakah etc. are like a body. However there is a soul behind these actions without which these actions become useless in the Hereafter. The soul of all actions depends on three things:
1) Eeman, i.e. belief. This means that a person must be a Muslim for any action to be acceptable in the Court of Allah. Alhamdulillah Allah has given us Eeman. We must continue to ask Allah to protect and strengthen this Eeman.
Shaikh mentioned the following duas taught by the Prophet (Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him) related to this:
a) اللهم إني أسألك إيمانا يباشر قلبي
“O Allah! I ask you for Eeman which settles deep in my heart.”
b) اللهم اني أسالك إيماناً لا يرتد
“O Allah! I beg you for the Eeman which will not be shaken.”
c) اللهم اني أسالك إيماناً دائما
“O Allah! I beg you for perpetual Eeman.”
2) Ikhlas, i.e. sincerity. Normally Satan does not openly incite us to do an action just to show to others, as it is unlikely for a normal practicing Muslim to fall into this trap. However Satan attacks a person’s Ikhlas by telling him “What would people say if you don’t do this action”. As a result, the person may do some action to avoid being criticized by people, hence tainting the Ikhlas.
Shaikh mentioned that the reward of a single action can be increased if multiple intentions are made for it. For example, the following intentions can be made for eating or drinking:
a) I will make Shukr (gratitude) of Allah after eating/drinking.
b) I will be following the Sunnah of the Prophet (Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him), as he would eat food when it was brought in front of him.
c) I will use the energy I get from this food in fulfilling the commandments of Allah.
Similarly several intentions can be combined in many daily actions. Since it is normally difficult to remember to make all these intentions each time before doing each action, an easy way of achieving this is to make all these intentions at the beginning of the day. Inshallah all these intentions will be rewarded in this way as well.
Beyond this, Shaikh explained that sometimes a person’s intention can be better than his action. He quoted a Hadith the gist of which is:
“A person will be brought on the Day of Judgment and angels will present his book of deeds. One by one all his good deeds will be rejected as they were not done for the sake of Allah. After all the deeds will be rejected, Allah will command the angels to write so and so good deeds in his record. The angels will remark that he had not performed those good deeds. At this Allah will say that he had made an intention to do them.”
Further, Shaikh explained the following Hadith regarding the benefits of good intentions and the dangers of bad intentions:
“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ‘The likeness of this nation is that of four people: A man to whom Allah gives wealth and knowledge, so he acts according to his knowledge with regard to his wealth, spending it as it should be spent; a man to whom Allah gives knowledge, but he does not give him wealth, so he says: “If I had been given (wealth) like this one, I would have done what (the first man) did.” The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ‘They will be equal in reward. And a man to whom Allah gives wealth but does not give knowledge, so he squanders his wealth and spends it in inappropriate ways; and a man to whom Allah gives neither knowledge nor wealth, and he says: “If I had (wealth) like this one, I would do what (the third man) did.” The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ‘They are equal in their burden (of sin).’”
3) Sidq, which is a comprehensive word which includes the meanings that the actions must be in accordance with Sunnah. Shaikh gave examples that Wudu done with wastage of water would not have complete Sidq as wasting water during Wudu is prohibited even if Wudu is done at a flowing river.
Ramadan 1439, malfuzaat collated by Br KaiserNizamani
Sayyidi wa sanadi Shaikh Mufti Mohammed Taqi Usmani (Allah preserve & protect him) was asked a question regarding valid excuse for not being able to fast.
Shaikh mentioned an incident about Baba Najam Ahsan (Allah have mercy on him) who was a pious Sahib-e-Kashf (person with frequent unveiling). Towards the end of his life he was unable to fast during Ramadan. One day he was feeling slightly better so he decided to give it a try. Later during the day he became so sick that he had to break his fast. The entire next day he was seen slapping his cheeks several times saying:
“O Allah! Please forgive me for fasting! I made a mistake!”
Shaikh explained that first it should be verified whether the Rukhsa (leeway) given in Shariah applies to a particular situation or not. If it is confirmed that Shariah has given Rukhsa (leeway) in that situation then the leeway should be acted upon wholeheartedly. We should not show our bravery in front of Allah Ta’ala.
He thereafter mentioned the following Hadith:
ما خير رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم بين أمرين قط إلا أخذ أيسرهما
“Whenever the Prophet (ﷺ) was given a choice between two matters, he would (always) choose the easier one”
He added that when we act upon a leeway the intention behind it is ease and comfort, but when the Noble Messenger (Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him) acted upon an easier option it was to display his abdiyat (slave-hood) towards Allah Ta’ala.
Ramadan 1438, malfuzaat collated by Br KaiserNizamani #9
A seeker presented a letter to sayyidi wa sanadi Shaikh Mufti Mohammed Taqi Usmani (Allah protect & preserve him) in which he sought advice regarding some worldly matter.
Shaikh excused himself, saying Hakim al Umma Thanwi (Allah have mercy on him) would excuse himself from offering advice related to worldly matters. He would say that you can ask me whether something is permissible or impermissible in Shariah, but don’t ask me whether I should do this or that.
Shaikh related that once someone asked him for advice and, with many related details and conditions. Advice was given to him. This individual later went around telling people that I am doing this with Shaikh’s orders, to the extent that he said the same to Shaikh himself, i.e. I did this with your explicit command.
Soon after, Shaikh clarified to this seeker (who presented the letter), probably to allay his fear that his Shaykh is displeased with him, that this reply does not mean that I am angry with you, rather advice regarding these matters requires detailed knowledge about the matter, the individual’s temperament, preferences, etc, so I’m not in a position to give correct advice.
Ramadan 1439, malfuzaat collated by Br KaiserNizamani #5