Category Archives: Z. Mustahebbat

A dream for guidance!

A person wrote the following,

“I saw a dream that I am writing to you. It was the night of 27th Ramadan 1237H. With the possibility that it may be the Night of Power (shab e qadr) I had planned to offer optional salah (nawafil) all night. However, after ‘esha salah when I returned home I laid down on the bed besides the main door (to rest for a while). I fell asleep. Around two o’clock I saw a dream that I have traveled to a place where there is a very large open area, many miles wide. There is organized seating arrangement on the floor. In between there is a table covered with a table-cloth. Millions of people wearing their best clothes and perfume are sitting with reverence (adab). There are few high ranking individuals sitting on the chairs around the table. On the table there is writing board around 2-3 yards in length and 1 or 1.5 yards in breadth. A respected individual dressed in white gown (‘abaya) and green turban (‘amamah) on head is standing besides the table greeting and shaking hands with the crowd. The blessed face in radiant like the sun and with his enlightened and enlightening tongue he is telling them,

“I tell you with much emphasis that you should abstain from all that is impermissible (haram) and be steadfast on that is permissible (halal).”

Observing all this I went forward and greeted the blessed person with ‘as salam o alaikum’. He replied, ‘wa alaikum as salam wa rehmatullah’. I reached forward and shook hands and embraced him also. He told me that it was very good and that I should become a mureed, and he promised to tell me eleven things that he has reserved especially and exclusively for me. This humble guy (myself) stood there with utmost reverence. He gave me the permission to sit. I was going to sit on the floor but he instructed me to sit on one of the chairs. Thanking him I sat on one of the vacant chairs. I was extremely happy in my heart.

On the blackboard I saw numerous names written in elegant and bold white letter. I saw them very clearly. The names that I could read included, Hahdrat Mawlana Fazalur Rehman Ganjmuradabadi, …….., Haji Imdadullah, Haji Ashraf ‘Ali and Molvi Mohammad Ishaq, etc.

As I turned to my side I saw Hadhrat Mawlana Fazalur Rehman Ganjmuradabadi, whom I was blessed to visit as a child. Immediately it flashed to me that this is the scenario of Judgment day. The blessed individual is our Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) and those sitting on the chairs are his Companions, including Sayyidina Abu Bakr, Umar, Usman and ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with them all).

It also occurred to me that I am already a mureed (of a Shaykh) and should not hide it from the blessed Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) and should seek Allah.

Around an hour or later the blessed Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) called for me. I shook hands and embraced him. Furthermore I reminded him of those eleven things he had promised to tell me so that I can follow them wholeheartedly. I also informed him that I am already a mureed but I want Allah. On hearing this, he immediately pulled away his hand from me and said, ‘Indeed you are ………. and you are the mureed of …………., an innovator (bida’ti). Futhermore he took a pencil and crossed out my and my Shaykh’s names from the list on the blackboard. Then the blessed Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) told me to go away. With lots of courage and adab I humbly said that my Shaykh is not an innovator.

The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) replied that he is an innovator and in addition he associates partners with Allah (mushrik).

Humbly and with utmost veneration I said that I have never seen him doing any shirk.

The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said, he is involved in taking out effigies of the tombs of the martyrs of Kerbala (taziyadar), a lover of the worldly things, an idolater prostrating in front of the graves. Didn’t you see him at …….. village, in Lucknow that he bowed his head infront of his Shaykh’s grave and forbade you from visiting the holy sanctuary in Medinah e munawwara.

(I became a mureed in 1893 CE. In 1898 I received khilafa and in 1900 this incident happened. In this 26 or 27 years relationship I attended the death anniversary of a sufi saint (urs/hawl) and listened to the sufi poetry sung with musical instruments (qawwali) only once.)

I cried and begged but the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) did not reply. As the last resort I ran and held the blessed feet of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم). The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) rebuffed my hands and stroked me (with his blessed foot) strongly in my ribs. I fell down and started to tremble. This woke me up. At that time I was crying, feeling the pain in my ribs and I was trembling. I went inside the house and told my son ………. Chatari the whole dream just mentioned. In the morning I wrote this all and send it to my Shaykh. He came in person to my house and listened to the whole incident again. His response was to prepare for Hajj journey this year in order to visit the blessed Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) and ask forgiveness. I did not commit due to insufficient funds and debts.

Since I have seen this dream my conviction towards my respected Shaykh has waned off. Now I am approaching you for my religious betterment (islah). I will be very fortunate if I am considered to be your humble servant.

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

“This dream is absolute guidance. It is essential (wajib) to leave the Shaykh who acts against Sunna and to establish contact with truthful people (ahl e haqq). I have no hesitation in giving instructions regarding the spiritual path. Start acting on the fiqh as outlined in the books, Behashti Zewar (Heavenly Ornaments) and Islah e rasoom. Take the awrad from Qasdus sabil and general advices from my spiritual discourses (mawaiz). The full instructions in detail will be discussed when we meet in person.

Tarbiyet us Salik, volume 2, page 1069-70

The gist of Tasawwuf

Replying to a salik’s letter Hakim al-Umma Mawlana Ashraf Ali Thanwi (Allah have mercy on him) said,

‘All praise is for Allah.  You are aware that the objective of this path (of tasawwuf) is to gain Allah’s acceptance (raza). Now there are two things to be pursued one is the knowledge of the path (tareeq) and the other is to act accordingly.

Surely the path is only one. That is, meticulously carrying out the actions prescribed by Shariah both in physical (zahiri) and spiritual (batini) domain.

Two things are helpful in this effort. Firstly, remembrance of Allah (dhikr) as much is within one’s capability. (This you are already doing and is included in this exposition.) The other is abundant company (suhba) of pious as much as practically is possible. If you can not spare time for this then reading about the pious or their works is its substitute.

Two things are impediment in achieving the goal.  The first of them is involvement in sins and  other is engrossment in useless activities.

And the thing that is a prerequisite for all this to be beneficial is diligently keeping the Shaykh informed about one’s condition.

After this depending on one’s capabilities the objective is achieved sooner or later.

I said it all.’

Tarbiyet us Salik, volume 2, page 1261

Tip on adding something new to our daily routine

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It is a common every day incident that we read or hear something that is virtuous and a blessing to be in-cooperated into one’s daily routine. However, in addition to forgetfulness we find it difficult to spare an additional time slot for this small endeavor in our daily schedule.

Sayyid wa sanadi Shaykh Mufti Mohammad Taqi Usmani (Allah preserve him) instructed,

‘The tip to include something new in your daily routine is to squeeze it between two already established chores.’

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Progress

Our master Shaykh Sayyid Ahmad Kabir Rifa’i (Allah have mercy on him) said,

‘Two things accelerate one’s progress in religion (deen). One of them is to remember Allah (dhikr) in solitude. And the other is excessive remembrance (i.e. acknowledgment, thankfulness) of the bounties and blessings of Allah.’

Hikmet e Rifai ra, Urdu translation of ‘al-Hikam al-Rifai’ by Mawlana Abdul Haleem Sharar ra, (First edition printed in 1916, second reprint 1967), page 35

Chishti sulook

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‘It has always been an outstanding feature of the Chishti masters that they do not have a established or rigid curriculum for the traveler on the path (sulook).

Instead, it is the insight of the Shaykh which is used to diagnosis the spiritual ailment and taking into consideration the disposition of the seeker a treatment is prescribed.

…..

Each seeker is dealt with differently based on his individual disposition and capability.

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Due to this individual consideration the benefit is also achieved very quickly.’

Tazkirah e Suleman ra, page 328

Karachi

The two wings of Tabligh

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Shaykh Mawlana Mohammad Manzur Nomani (Allah have mercy on him) wrote to a disciple,

‘The vigilance in remembrance (dhikr), contemplation (fikr) and spending time alone with Allah (khalwa) is decreasing in those associated with Tabligh. This is a dangerous development. There are two wings (needed) for Tabligh. First is  the effort and striving among the public. The other is having a very special relationship with Allah. It is essential to maintain a balance between them.’

Meyray Shaykh meyray Hazrat Mawlana Mohammad Manzur Nomani ra by Shaykh Qutubud-deen Mullah db, page 38

Spiritual workout

It is a hallmark of Ashrafiya teachings to keep the things at their appropriate level in the hierarchy of Shariah rulings. An overemphasis on an issue can make it bida’ (innovation). Whereas, an underestimation can lead to loss of significant benefit.

There seems to be this kind of controversy regarding certain specific methods of remembrance and concentration techniques in Tasawwuf.

Understanding by means of example may make the issue a bit clearer.

Following extract is taken from an athletic training website,

‘Most of us enjoy watching professional athletes, at the peak of their performance, participate in their sports. Practicing a sport effectively demands a high degree of skill and requires the ultimate in physical fitness. This can only come about with regular training.

A professional athlete will need to plan a daily workout schedule so that they peak at their top performance on the day of the competition. This requires a carefully thought-out regime of cardio workouts, strength training, and stretches; along with strategic rest periods interspersed so that the athlete arrives at the day of the event perfectly trained but not over trained or under trained.

Exercise logs are how they keep track of all the details of their workouts each day. They include information such as the type of workout, the duration and the intensity. This not only keeps them on track to meeting their overreaching goals, but it also helps to motivate them because they can see in writing every day that they are making progress, which is encouraging.’

Months and years of such dedicated effort is needed to achieve the goal.

A spiritual seeker’s goal is to attain the absolute pleasure of Allah.

This can only be achieved by doing what is required and abandoning what is restricted by Shariah. This is his competitive event. It happens multiple times during the day each day of his life. This sounds simple. However, due to lack of knowledge, proper upbringing and regular guidance, corrupt social and financial influences and complicated life styles a overwhelming heedlessness has  developed in us that makes this task practically very difficult. Especial effort and extensive reprogramming of mind is required.

To face these challenge the pious Sufi masters developed spiritual workouts. These are the Sufi forms of remembrance (dhikr), concentration techniques (muraqaba and ashgals) and repetition of various prayers, litanies or actions in certain specific ways. They are not the goal or objective in themselves. They are a means to create the determination, motivation and strength to implement Shariah rules at each and every moment of one’s life. It is futile for this reason to search for an explicit source from Quran and Hadith literature to approve of them. They are neither considered to be more rewarding nor superior to the acts mentioned in Quran and Sunna.

Moreover, it is unnecessary to discuss these issues in public. All of the spectators are focused on the performance of the athlete in the arena. None cares what type, how much or how extensive his routine workout was during his training? The serious athlete need to follow their coach’s recommendations. Sporadic following of such workouts by enthusiastic individuals is futile to bring about the desired results.

Meticulous following of Sunna and abstaining from all that is sinful (actions and thoughts) are the gold standard to measure an individual’s success in attaining the pleasure of Allah.

Million times repetition of the Supreme Name (Allah) with jahr o zarb or habs e dam, vigilant pas anfas, hours of muraqaba or months of khalwah, recitation of litanies, singing qasaid, etc are of no benefit in reality if the above mentioned gold standard is not achieved.

Wa ma taufiqi illa billah!

Alchemy!

Shaykh Mawlana Mohammad Manzur Nomani* (Allah have mercy on him) wrote to a disciple,

‘Considering his action to be of inappropriate standard to be presented to Allah, crying on it and making repentance for the shortcomings in it makes a deficient act of worship worthy of acceptance.’

Meyray Shaykh meyray Hazrat Mawlana Mohammad Manzur Nomani ra by Shaykh Qutubud-deen Mullah db, page 42

*Author of Ma’arif ul Hadith, an authority on deviant sects (especially Baraelwis) and editor of monthly Al-Furqan was a khalifa of Mawlana Abdul Qadir Raipuri. He also benefitted from suhba of Shaykh Mawlana Wasiullah Allahabadi.  He was born in 1323H/1905 and passed away in 1417 H/1997. Allah have mercy on them all. Amin!

He gave ijazet e bayah to two individuals only. Al-Haaj Qutubud-deen Mulla in Balguam, Karnataka,  & Hafiz Mohammad Iqbal in Gonda, UP. May Allah preserve them.Amin!

وَذَرُواْ ظَاهِرَ الإِثْمِ وَبَاطِنَهُ

 

Shaykh Shah Wasiullah Allahabadi (Allah have mercy on him) said,’

These days people have restricted the religion to some external things, like clothes, external appearance of religious individuals, prayers and fasting, etc.  With these they consider themselves to be perfectly religious individuals. Whereas, from within they are just like the open or closeted sinners. They have their sinful morals (ikhlaq), dealings (ma’amlaat) and corrupt life style (ma’sharet). Even then they consider themselves to be religious. This is very strange, indeed. 

It is difficult to draw the attention of individuals towards the rectification of the inner self these days.

Initially an individual tries not to reveal his inner self (batin) to his mentor (Shaykh).However, if by virtue of his intuition the Shaykh recognizes the inner self’s corruption then this individual does not acknowledge it upfront and his lower self (nafs) tries to avoid (the blame).

However, when with proofs and examples of speech and actions committed by this individual over time it is shown to him that his inner self is as the diagnosis done previously only then he acknowledges it and pays attention towards its rectification.’

Taharet e qalb, page 81

Company of the pious

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Shaykh Abdul Haq muhadith Dehlawi (Allah have mercy on him) [d. 1052H/1642CE] said,

‘The most superior form of worship is being in the company of pious (ahl-Allah) and sitting with those who are closer to Allah.

This is because by observing their steadfastness, firm resolve and complete devotion a special motivation and determination develops in the spiritual seeker. This eases the hardship of worship and makes bearable the spiritual struggle which are a necessary component of traveling on this path (tareeq).

Moreover, the observation of their magnificently graceful demeanor (jamal) creates a light in his heart that dispels the darkness of doubts and suspicious (whispering) which are the cause of being far and veiled (from the Truth).’

Halaat Muslih al-Ummat ra, page 328

The spiritual light

In the final chapter of his primer on Hanafi fiqh Shaykh Qadi Thana’ullah Panipati (Allah have mercy on him) [d. 1225 H/1810 CE] said,

‘The spiritual light of Islam or the Messenger of Allah, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, should be sought in the breasts of the true ascetics so that that light may be kindled in your own heart.

When this light enters you, you will be able to recognise, through your faculties of discernment, all good and evil.

One becomes a stranger in this temporal world and is transported to the next world through one’s constant remembrance of Allah.

One begins to seek the company of others who cause one’s love for this world to decrease, and one’s love for Allah and the next world to increase.’

Essential Islamic Knowledge: A Handbook of Hanafi Fiqh, page 256

Absurd Hajj

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A close murid residing in Saudi Arabia was coaxed to perform (nafil) Hajj by some friends without the permit (tasrih: the locals are allowed to perform Hajj every 5 years, provided they make arrangements with an agent and pay him for transportation, lodging, etc). Moreover, he did what the locals commonly do. They intentionally leave most of the Sunna, just focusing on the essentials (wajibat) and do whatever is most convenient to themselves. That is, no staying overnight in Mina, performing rami-e-jamarat after sunset, squatting on footpaths and roads for the time they are in Mina,  hire small buses for transportation that increase traffic congestion, pitch their own tents or stay in others tent without rental payment, etc.

Sayyidi wa sanadi Shaykh Mawlana Mohammad Taqi Usmani (Allah preserve him) was obviously upset to know these details. He reprimanded the individual firmly and commented that’

‘This was an absurd (bay-tuka) Hajj.’

Alhudmdulillah, the tarbiyet worked. 

The murid realized and acknowledged his mistakes. He asked forgiveness from Allah and made a firm decision not to repeat these mistakes. These included,

– disregard for the law set by government.  (Permit is to ensure accountability,  establish arrangements, ease overcrowding and plan for the future.)

– causing problem to other guest of Allah, who paid for their arrangements

– leaving Sunna intentionally, an explicitly sinful action

– acting on emotional desires and enthusiasm, in place of following the Shariah ruling

-acting against the Shaykh’s established viewpoint (sayyidi wa sanadiMufti Taqi Usmani sahib (Allah preserve him) strongly approves the permit system and encourages all to stick to it.

In short the virtuous actions, even a Hajj, has to been done in an proper manner for it to be accepted by Allah and be beneficial in our islah.

This requires tarbiyet (training under supervision).

wa ma tawfiqi illa billah! 

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