Category Archives: W. Wird & wazaif

Dowazdah tasbih

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Demonstrating the method of dowazdah tasbih (Sufi dhikr of the Chishtiya) to a group of seekers sayyidi wa sanadi Mufti Mohammed Taqi Usmani (Allah preserve & protect him) reiterated about the jaher (audibly) and zarb (beat) that,

‘It must be clear upfront that these methods in remembrance of Allah are neither Sunnah nor more meritorious than those mentioned in Quran and Hadith. These methods have been found by experience to create a desire (shauq) of remembrance of Allah. This desire is beneficial in facilitation of pious actions. 

Even without these jaher and zarb the mere recitation of Allah’s name has a effect on an individual. 

Maulana Gangohi (Allah have mercy on him) use to say that the remembrance of Allah has its effect even if it done without full concentration. ‘

Office Darul Uloom Karachi, pre-asr majlis

24 Ramadan 1437/30 June 2016

Refuge from calamities 

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Shaykh MansurAli Khansb Ali Khan (Allah protect & preserve him) said,

‘In this day and age where there are colossal calamities even in religious affairs around us we should ask Allah excessively for refuge. 

Now I appreciate Arif billah Dr Abdul Hayy’s (Allah have mercy on him) inclusion of asking refuge (istea’za) in the four priceless spiritual actions (char beshbaha mahasen) he so often recommended. This is something outstanding. 

Hakim al Umma Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi (Allah have mercy on him) included a section of Prophetic supplications of asking refuge in every day recitation of Munajat e Maqbool. 

Once Mufti Mohammed Shafi (Allah have mercy on him) instructed me that if you are unable to ask Allah by reciting all the supplications in Munajat e Maqbool in lail al-qadr (the night of Power) then select the sections of asking Allah’s refuge. ‘

Jeddah 28 Sha’baan 1437/4 June 2016

Shaykh’s job

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

‘A genuine (muhaqqiq) Spiritual mentor’s  (Shaykh) job is to inform the disciple of his shortcomings.

That is what I (personally) practice.  And then I evaluate how much sinful involvement has he (the disciple) abandoned.

I do not inquire about the litanies (wird) recited.  Brother! If you recite the wird you will for sure get inspiration (warid). This is an affair between you and Allah. Your reward will be according to the effort you put in. ‘

Majales Musleh al Umma ra, volume 6, page 129

Tasawwuf

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Tasawwuf1

Maulana Professor Sayyid Suleman Ashraf Bihari (Allah have mercy on him) said,

Tasawwuf has two sections,

  1. Knowledge of spiritual endeavor (ilm e ma’amlah)
  2. Knowledge of revelation (of spiritual secrets) (ilm e mkashafa)

The  knowledge of spiritual endeavor fulfills the purpose of scared law (Shariah). It entails that an individual develops within his soul a faculty that if he commits something sinful or is lax in performing a pious deed he feels a subjective pain similar to the one he experiences in physical sickness or with monetary loss.  It is like the extreme (mental) suffering a noble, respectable and well known person feels if he has to beg for money.

After developing this ability even the thought of committing something inappropriate is spiritually distressing to this individual.

The second section, knowledge of revelations, consists of performance of specific pious actions and bearing hardships on one’s self (nafs) to develop in one’s spirituality special (malakuti) powers . This is to become worthy of receiving the hidden secrets of the sacred law (Shariah).

Al Sabeel 33-4

It is the first section that is the most important for novices like me and you.

The way to develop it is the islah (betterment) training done under the supervision of a spiritual mentor.

 

Tasawwur e Shaikh: Ashrafiya Approach 1

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Mufti of Kazakhstan  inquired, ‘The inclination towards purification (tazkiya) of soul and moral characteristics (ikhlaq) is arising in our youth. However, the mentors they approach (for this) instruct them  ‘tasawwur e Shaikh‘ with much emphasis. This is to the extent that they are told to contemplate all the time that I am seeing the Shaikh. Please, guide us on this. Isn’t this  an  overstatement (gulu)?’

Sayyidi wa sanadi Mufti Mohammad Taqi Usmani (Allah protect & preserve him) replied,

‘Tasawwur e Shaikh’ was a form of (spiritual) treatment used by some of the ancient master of Tasawwuf. Its was for the the individual’s who found it difficult to keep the contemplation of Allah (‘s presence, especially) initially. For them some masters prescribed as a form of treatment (of this difficulty) to contemplate about their mentor (Shaikh). This is because the relationship, love and reverence for Shaikh is solely to gain Allah’s pleasure and it easier to imagine an entity one has seen than what he has not seen. Then gradually the masters will guide him to the real objective, that is, contemplation of Allah. Hence, tasawwur e shaikh is not an objective in itself. (It is a stepping stone to the real objective.)

The pious righteously-guided masters (ahle-haqq) who did use this did not make it an integral part of their path. They instructed it individually as needed for a disciple for whom it was suitable paying due considerations to its  conditions and limitations.

Even so, the masters of our path, the pious-predecessors of Deoband did not encourage ‘tasawwur e Shaikh’. This is because sometimes its limits are not maintained and it leads to shirk (associating partners with Allah). However, at the same time they do not castigate the rightly guided masters who did instruct it with its conditions and limitations.

Once Sayyid Ahmed shaheed prescribed ‘tasawwur e shaikh’ for Shah Ismaeel shaheed (Allah have mercy on them).  Shah Ismaeel apologized saying that if I was ordered to do something  even inappropriate (sinful) I would have done it and then repented. But in ‘tasawwur e shaikh‘ I smell shirk. Therefore, I will not do this.

The way of our pious predecessors of Deoband (akabir e Deoband) was that the contemplation of Allah that develops by observing the Sunna practices is sufficient (for a seeker). This is because following the Sunna is the most effective way of gaining Allah’s proximity (acceptance & pleasure).

These days the problem has developed that some mentors consider ‘tasawwur e shaikh’ an essential part of their path (tareeq). They instruct this to all the disciples uniformly even if there is no need for it.  Similar is the story in all of the Tasawwuf. In some quarters the method of treatment (of spiritual maladies) has  been made a goal in itself.

This is the case of gathering of remembrance (ijtemai majalis e dhikr bil jaher)………..’

to be continued

Albalagh,Urdu, volume 51, publication 6-7, (April 2017) page 70-1

Dhikr or muraqaba

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A seeker requested for a meditation (muraqaba).
Hakim al Umma Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi (Allah have mercy on him) replied,

‘Meditations (muraqabaat) are less beneficial these days. Remembrance with contemplation,  either verbally or by reading books is more suitable for the nature of people these days.’

Tarbiyet us Salik, volume 1, page 473

Remedy for missing the daily wird

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Maulana Qamaruz Zaman Allahabadi (Allah preserve and protect him) narrates,

‘The disciples use to report that they are not being consistent with the daily recitations (wird). These were usually three tasbihaat (3 formulas to be recited 100 times each). They asked for a remedy.

Shaikh Wasiullah Allahabadi (Allah have mercy on him) replied how will you do something more (as a remedy) when you are not even doing the very basic things instructed to you.’

Ramadan bayan 16/07/2015

Ma’mulaat: The daily practices

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Sayyidi wa sanadi Mufti Mohammed Taqi Usmani (Allah preserve & protect him) stresses the need for being consistent with the daily recitations (wird) as instructed. To do so effectively, he advises that one should have a practical daily schedule. The time and place for routine practices should be fixed. Both of these have spiritual benefit (barakah) of their own.

The failure do so results in missing the wird. This is unacceptable for a seeker.

It must be remembered that consistency in daily practices is the path to spiritual progress.

May Allah grant us the tawfeeq. Amin!

Islah: Intention & action 

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An individual inquired, ‘I’m being told that going out in the path of Allah (with Tablighi jamat) is sufficient for islah. There is no need for contacting a musleh (Shaikh). Is this correct?’

Another individual told that many years back he made bayiah to a Shaikh. At that time he was instructed to make daily dhikr which he is still doing. However, he never consulted the  respected Shaykh for any islah related issue. Is dhikr sufficient for islah?
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As explained before islah and tazkiya are active processes. How can they be expected to occur passively?

Steps required for them are,

1. Intention,

2. Awareness of one’s deficiencies,

3. Consulting a spiritual physician,

4. Concurring with his diagnosis,

5. Meticulously following his instructions and then

6. Providing feedback on improvement of the condition

7. Being watchful for relapse

Accepted good actions, like going out in the path of Allah and remembering Allah (dhikr), provide illumination (nur). This illumination must reveal to us the real inner condition  of ourselves. This should provide us the insight to correct our deficiencies : Islah. However, if this is not happening then we should be very much concerned and look for the reason behind it.

Reading: essential for a salik

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islahi majalis2

During the last ten days of Ramadan a senior scholar and a salik presented a letter informing about his daily schedule. He had come to stay for 3-4 days.

Sayyidi wa sanadi Mufti Mohammad Taqi Usmani (Allah protect and preserve him) asked him to tell it verbally as they walked towards home.

He informed in detail about his daily recitations, etc. They included reading of Dalail al Khayarat.

After he was done Sayyidi instructed,

‘Include recitation al Hizb al Adham, at least for the length of stay here.’

And what about reading books?’

He informed that he had read parts of Islahi Khutbaat.

Sayyidi instructed, ‘Start reading Islahi majalis now regularly.’

Ramadan 1436/July 2015 Darul Uloom Karachi

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This high lights the importance of regular reading of text recommended by the Shaykh.

This is essential for a seeker. It increases his knowledge, provides motivation and insight into his/her own deficiencies. All of these facilitate his progress.

 

Daily recitations (wird): being lazy

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priority

In the last ten days of Ramadan he salikeen were all gathered around their Sheikh in the office. It was a khanqah.

Sayyidi wa sanadi Mufti Mohammad Taqi Usmani (Allah preserve and protect him) read aloud from a letter of a seeker,

‘He writes: I am lazy in performance of the daily recitations (wird/ma’moolat) instructed to me.’

Addressing the audience sayyidi disapprovingly asked,

‘What can be done for this?’

Ramadan 1436/July 2015, Office, Daul Uloom Karachi

It means, that a seeker who has not recognized the importance of being punctual in his/her daily spiritual work is a hopeless case. No one else can help him do what he/she is supposed to do him/her self.

Moreover, it is reflective of his poor decision making in prioritizing daily actions and having a practical daily schedule.

May Allah give us the insight of recognizing the importance of the daily routine spiritual works, etc. instructed to us. Amin!

Steadfastness in them is the way towards success on this path.

Recitation in hardship 

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Sayyidi wa sanadi Mufti Mohammad Taqi Usmani (Allah preserve and protect him) said,

‘The pious predecessors have mentioned that when an individual is in hardship and there are no obvious means of alleviating it then recitation of this part of the Quranic verse 

 
1000 times is very effective.’

Tafseer Al Imran verse 173, Al Hira recording studio, Dar ul Uloom Karachi, 17 Ramadan 1436/5 July 2015

Dowazdah tasbih in Ramadan

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A seeker inquired,

In Ramadan I recite the dowazdah tasbih as per my regular routine after fajar/tahajjud. Is it okay to do so? The restrictions of not doing it on a full stomach or after drinking cold water (for an hour prior) do they apply here also?

Sayyidi wa sanadi Mufti Mohammad Taqi Usmani (Allah preserve and protect him) replied,

‘No they do not apply here. Do as your regular routine.’

Office, Darul uloom Karachi 10 Ramadan 1436/28 June 2015. After zohar.