Category Archives: W. Wird & wazaif

Abundant remembrance of Allah

dhikr e kathir

O you who believe, remember Allah abundantly, [33:41]
and proclaim His purity at morn and eve.[33:42]

Sayyidi wa sanadi Mufti Mohammad Taqi Usmani (Allah bless him with a long, healthy and productive life with ‘afiyet, Amin!) said,

‘It must be remembered that if the tongue is not immersed in vocalization of remembrance of Allah the heart (qalb) will never be habitable (to the remembrance of Allah).

This is because the remembrance of Allah by vocalization via tongue is like the first step. If an individual does not climb it, then how can he reach the (real) remembrance, (that is) with the heart.

Therefore, the first step in developing a sustainable relationship with Allah is the remembrance with tongue (dhikr e lisani). This must never be abandoned.

Dhikrullah kay fadhail, page 11

In this discourse Shaikh mentions the various methods of remembrance prescribed by the Sufis, including the dowazdah tasbih that is ~~staple~~ dhikr of Ashrafiya path.

It usually takes 30 plus minus 5 minutes . It is preferably done after tahajjud or fajr salah in solitude with as much concentration as possible.

This is the kickoff.

Sparing time for islah

Leave a reply

In the booklet ‘Manual for those seeking islah‘, sayyidi wa sanadi Mufti Mohammad Taqi Usmani (Allah grant him a long, healthy and productive life with ‘afiyet, Amin!) wrote,

‘For the above mentioned tasks one will have to spare at least an hour daily, though it may be in multiple sittings. If one feels mentally ready for them and can ensure that insha Allah I will do them then only request should be made to this lowly writer for service (of guidance in islah). Otherwise, please excuse me.’ Page 4

It is common practice nowadays that individuals attend the spiritual discourses of a Shaikh and read his books or those recommended by him.They improve somewhat in their outwardly actions and following of Sunna. They consider themselves seekers (talibeen e islah) and pride themselves to be associated with a particular Shaikh.

However, they rarely ask the Shaikh individualized spiritual advice for betterment of their morals and remembrance of Allah. Even if they do this than it is mostly random, disorganized and poorly abided with. Similarly those who are associated with a Shaikh for years are content with the initial tasbihats for remembrance of Allah. They do not yearn for more. As a result they do not progress spiritually. That is, they lack good moral characteristics, persist with the blame worthy ones and do not achieve the state of perpetual remembrance of Allah.

As instructed above one has to take islah seriously and spare time for it. The above mentioned hour is for a beginner, a novice. So what about the intermediate and advanced salik?

Slips of the sincere

Leave a reply

i-failed-my-way-to-success-thomas-edison

Sayyidi wa sanadi Mufti Mohammad Taqi Usmani (Allah bless him with a long, healthy and productive life, Amin!) spoke briefly about the common problem of the slips of a sincere seeker on this path (sulook).

Below is a discussion on this issue from that discourse and teaching of our pious predecessors,

It is often a case that a sincere salik has been trying his best effort and also making supplications to Allah to keep him firm on pious actions and save him from involvement in sinful. But after weeks or months of being successful a dreadful moment comes and he fails and falls into sinful.

On realization of his mistake he is perplexed and disheartened. Thoughts like, ‘this path is not for me’, ‘I’m a failure’, ‘Divine help did not come’, ‘all the effort and supplications went wasted’, etc. plague his mind.

An individual can be so dejected, especially after multiple such episodes that he abandons all the effort and becomes totally heedless. May Allah save us all from this calamity. Amin!

However, a salik consults his Shaikh. He is instructed to repent, reaffirm his determination and move forwards. Moreover, it is emphasized not to ruminate and go into a root cause analysis of the incident.

A sincere salik must trust his Shaikh. As a result this slip becomes a stepping stone for further progress.

There are many lessons learned from the mistakes of the sincere seekers. They are mentioned below. However, they should not be used for rationalization of sinful activities. This discussion is about those who are sincere in their intention and effort but rarely slip. They include,

Their remorse is more genuine, intense and sustained and it leads to immediate repentance
The resulting repentance is more sincere
It leads to increased connection with Allah
There is increased reliance on Allah and being His slave (abdiyet)
They appreciate (shukr) the blessing of Allah in giving them an opportunity to acknowledge their mistake and repent
They appreciate (shukr) the blessing of Allah in the form of the Shaikh’s guidance who encourages them and pulls them out from depths of despair
They see the flimsiness of their own effort and actions so they trust in Allah
They become aware of their true self and are not delusional of self piety (ujub)
They do not look down upon other fellows or consider themselves to be better (kibr)
Their reaffirming of determination and enthusiasm to move forwards is much more
Their effort in doing good actions and avoiding sinful is increased (or at least not decreased than before)
Their supplications asking Allah for assistance are increased and become more heartfelt leading to further increase in connection with Allah
They become more aware and experienced of detecting the hidden traps and deception of nafs and Satan and work to avoid them
They excessively seek refuge (istiaza) in Allah from all that leads to Allah’s displeasure

And many others.

These are the mistakes that sometimes outweigh pious deeds!

(Ramadhan 1434, post-dhuhr talks, paraphrased)

Importance of daily recitations

Leave a reply

13392370802

Shaikh Wasiullah Allahabadi (Allah have mercy on him) said,

‘The pious elders have said, تارك الورد ملعون

It means that the individual who (intentionally) leaves his daily recitations (wird) is accursed.

This is because offering extra (nafil) salah or recitations (awrad) in the beginning (of sulook) is not as detrimental than to initiate and then stop them.

This is extremely bad. Allah’s alienation is for such an individual. This results in the individual becoming absolutely incompetent. He can neither follow the Deen properly nor achieve any worldly success.

Therefore, one should not initiate extra (routine) pious actions, like tahajjud or recitations. If he does initiate them then he should have a firm intention of doing them all his life. Otherwise misfortune will engulf him.

It is mentioned in Tabqat e Kubra (page 142) that on the day the murid leaves his wird the Divine help is cut off from him.’

Wasiyet ul ehsan, Talifat e Musleh al Ummat ra, volume 5, page 56-7

Shara’iah,near Jara’nah, Makkah al mukarramah

The ‘elite’ Sufis

Leave a reply

The second result of introduction of aristocratic class in Tasawwuf was to consider the non-goals to be the objectives (of the path) and absolute negligence of the goals. As a result, ‘the perfected sates’ (kamalat) that were the secondary offsprings of successful achievement of the objective were considered to be the goals themself. Spiritual pleasures and states, material unveiling, powers to do supernatural feats and perform miracles, spiritual ecstasy, true dreams, etc. became the sole objective of a spiritual seeker. They were considered to the salient features of piety (taqwa) and being a pious individual (buzurg).

In order to achieve these ‘perfected states’ means and methods that are not prescribed by Sunna were adopted. In doing so instructions were taken from (non-Muslim) ascetics and philosophers. As a result a complex potpourri of Indian customs and Greek philosophy was born. It was named the Islamic Tasawwuf.

The objective of this was to be an individual with spiritual powers and be able to perform super natural feats.

The purpose of having these superhuman powers could not be anything else other than to establish one’s superiority over other fellow men in order to influence and control their hearts (& minds).

How can the real Islamic Tasawwuf (as has been explained earlier), that teaches deliverance from the trap of lower self (nafs), establishing the vision of Truth (shuhood e Haqq) [ihsan], annihilation (fana) from the creation and being existent (baqa) with the Truth be compared to this pseudo Islamic Tasawwuf?’

Quran aur Tasawwuf, page 23-4

IDSA 2013, San Francisco, CA

Tasawwuf

Leave a reply

‘Quran and Tasawwuf’ is a famous book written by Dr Mir Waliuddin (Allah have mercy on him). In the introduction he mentions all the various definitions of Tasawwuf by the masters of this path and concludes,

‘In view of all these various definitions by the people of the path it is known that Tasawwuf is the purification of the lower self (from all that is impermissible) and acquisition of (good) morals characteristics.’

Quran and Tasawwuf, page 14

People nowadays confuse Tasawwuf with special methods of remembrance, meditations, particular garments, dancing, trance and celebrations, etc..
It has to be made vividly clear upfront to an spiritual aspirant before he embarks on this path what Tasawwuf is and what it is not.

Frankfurt airport, to IDSA 2013

Etiquette of Haramain Sharifain

Leave a reply

Every Muslim desires to visit the blessed and radiant cities of Makkah and Medinah (Haramain sharifain: the noble sanctuaries). At least once in his lifetime.

For many this opportunity comes with the performance of Hajj. Others get this chance when they visit for Umrah. Sometimes repeatedly. Few individuals are blessed to get jobs in these cities and earn their living there.

All of these moments spend in the noble sanctuaries are extremely precious. A virtuous deed done in these precincts can earn a reward of 50,000 to 100,000 times performed elsewhere. An unimaginable bonus!

Each and very second has to be utilized effectively to reap maximum benefit. A challenging task indeed. Especially, for individuals like us who are not organized and motivated. Laziness, apathy and negligence become the major barriers. Moreover, committing sinful acts in these sanctuaries are reciprocally or extra-reprehensible and blameworthy.

It is for these reasons some pious scholars have advised against taking permanent or prolonged residence in these noble sanctuaries. They include our Imam Abu Hanifa (Allah have mercy on him).

Shaikh Haji Imdadullah mohajir Makki (Allah have mercy on him) advised an Indian nawwab planning to migrate to Hijaz,

‘Staying in Hindustan and having a desire to live in noble sanctuaries is better than living here and being occupied in your stately affairs in Hindustan.’

Shaikhul Hadith Mawlana Zakariya mohajir Madani (Allah have mercy on him) use to tell those expressing their desire to migrate to Medinah e munawwarah,

‘Do not make such a decision of migration by observing my example. I have come here (towards the end of my life) to die (and be buried in Baqi).’

In short, the etiquette of the noble sanctuaries are significant and have to be taken very seriously.

The interview: Medinah e munawwarah 19th Ziqada 1434

Love of Prophet

Leave a reply

Sayyidina Abdur Rehman bin abi Qerad (Allah be pleased with him) narrates that one day the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) performed wudhu. The blessed Companions (Allah be pleased with them) took that water and rubbed it on their body and faces.

The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) inquired, ‘What makes you do this and what emotion drives it?’

They replied,’The love of Allah and His Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace).’

On hearing this answer the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, ‘An individual who desires and aspires to really love Allah and His Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) and that Allah and His Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) love him then he should always speak the truth, safely return the things placed in his trust without a bit of embezzlement and treat his neighbor kindly.’

Sh’ubul eman, via Uswa e Rasool e Akram (Allah bless him and give him peace), page 608

For those visiting Medinah e munawwarah

Leave a reply

book1 It is highly recommended that those individuals who are proceeding to the radiant blessed city of Medinah have this book with them.

Thorough reading with intention to follow each and every Sunna must be done. The reading should be organized in such a manner that whole book is completed in their stay. It will bring much blessings and save them from wasting time in idle talk and involvement in suspicious or sinful activity.

As per sayyidi wa sanadi Mufti Mohammad Taqi Usmani (Allah preserve him) the memorization of the Prophetic prayer wordings in Arabic must be done. These wordings have their own barakah and radiance.

Insha Allah, this will increase the chances of their visitation to be accepted.

wa ma taufiqi illah billah!

When in Medinah e Munawwarah

Leave a reply

Shaikh Abdul Qadir khalifa of sayyidi wa sanadi Shaikh Mufti Taqi Usmani (Allah preserve them) usually sits in The Prophet’s mosque (Allah bless him and give him peace) in the first row on the extreme left near the mawajjah sharif between maghrib and esha salah. His time there is very well structured with various acts of worship. After a lengthy awabeen salah he makes supplication (dua) for approximately 20 minutes and then is busy in recitation of Holy Quran. He is observed to be sitting with extreme adab (do zanu) as in salah and never crossed legged.

He instructed an individual,

‘Make sure your stay here is with proper etiquette (adab).

Be vigilant in reciting excessive salutations (durood) on the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace).

May Allah facilitate the stay and make it beneficial. Amin!’

Masjid e nabawwi, after maghrib salah, 4th September 2013

The final abode

Leave a reply

Get organized

Leave a reply

Towards the end of Ramadan a seeker called and lamented about not being able to utilize the precious moments effectively.

Sayyidi wa sanadi Mufti Mohammad Taqi Usmani (Allah preserve him and allow us to benefit from him immensely, Amin!) was obviously annoyed. He replied,

‘For a long duration you have lamented about the same problem.
That is, not being able to do what is instructed and required for a seeker. Until and unless you organize yourself and manage time properly you will continue to do so.

Make a decision. Either you plan and get organized or leave this path (of islah).

Do not lament!’

Ramadan 1434, after dhur, office.

In “Dasturul amal baraay talibeen e islah” it has been made very clear that if an individual is willing to spare the time and follow the instructions (including the daily recommeded recitation, etc.) only then he should commit and proceed for islah. Committing and then being lazy results in great loss of blessings. Also, it wastes time, especially for the Shaikh.

Rules for the Shaikh

Leave a reply

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

‘Even the Shaikh should not sit idle. He should keep progressing in excellence.
Allah says,

‘and say, “My Lord, improve me in knowledge.” ‘[20:114]

He should not make a claim of excellence. However, there is no problem in mentioning the blessings (of Allah bestowed on him).

Allah says,

‘So, do not claim purity (from faults) for your selves.’ [53:32]

And

‘And about the bounty of your Lord, do talk.’ [93:11]

He should be eager on spreading the tariqa
Allah says,

‘who is very anxious for your welfare, [9:128]

He should be very kind and loving with the disciples.
Allah says,
‘and for the believers he is very kind, very merciful.’ [9:128]

He should forgive their shortcomings and mistakes.
Allah says,
‘Had you been rough and hard-hearted, they would have dispersed from around you. So, pardon them, and seek Forgiveness for them.’ [3:159]

He should not ignore them for the the sake of (wealthy or famous) worldly individuals.
Allah says,
Do not expel those who call out to their Lord morning and evening seeking His pleasure. You are not responsible for anything in their account, and they are not responsible for anything in your account, that you should expel them, and thus become one of the unjust. [6:52]

He should not expect any worldly benefit from the disciples.
Allah says,

‘Keep yourself content with those who call their Lord morning and evening, seeking His pleasure, and let not your eyes overlook them, seeking the splendor of the worldly life. And do not obey the one whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance,’ [18:28]
And,
‘ I did not demand any reward from you. My reward is with none except Allah,’ [10:72]

He should remain patient on the afflictions caused by fellow men.
Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said,
‘May Allah have mercy on my brother Musa, who was afflicted more than this (by his Umma) but he remained patient.’

He should maintain serenity and dignity. Otherwise disciple will consider him to be paltry and will not benefit from him (spiritually).
As is said regarding our Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) that whoever saw him from far away was intimated and whoever saw him from close by loved him.

He should not give preference to a disciple over others.
Allah says, ‘He (the Prophet) frowned and turned his face,’ [80:1]
However, if a disciple has more yearning of Allah(‘s pleasure) than it is fine to give preference to him.

He should not do anything that will make people have a bad opinion about him. As this will close the path (tareeq) of seeking instructions and benefiting (irshad).
Allah says,
‘the one who calls (people) towards Allah,’ [33:46]

Taleemud Deen, page 129-31