How not to miss Fajr?

A seeker wrote,

– Fajr salah is going very weak, may Allah forgive me. I haven’t prayed with Jamah in ages and even at home I am missing some of them in the past 2 weeks. One thing or the other delays going to bed and even though I put an alarm, sometimes I just can’t wake up in time. I should make more effort to correct this laziness (“susti”). Yes something needs to be done for this right away.

Ashrafiya replied,

Praying fajr on time is essential. Moreover, eventually one has to aim for tahajjud prior to fajr.

Read thoroughly the book: Namaz e fajr aur hamari kotahi, on this topic. Then do the following,

1. Go to sleep early.

2.Eat dinner early.

3. Make dua prior to going to sleep for waking up at fajr

4. Make a firm determination. Tell yourself in a audible voice to wake up at ____am

5. Recite the last 4 ayah of sura kahaf (18th sura)

6. Set two or three alarms. (I usually use 2- 3 alarms on my mobile phone and one on a clock kept at a far distance from the bed, so I have to get up and switch it off.)

7. Ask a family member or a friend who gets up regularly to wake you up or call you to do so.

8. Even after these measures if salah is missed then skip breakfast for that day. (Only take tea, coffee or milk)

Islahi emails:TA

Reviewed and approved by sanadi wa sanadi Mufti Mohammed Taqi Usmani (Allah protect & preserve him)

Islahi adab

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A seeker wrote,

I tried to search for proper etiquettes of writing islahi email (khutoot) to one’s Shaykh (especially in English). Please do forgive my shortcomings and reprimand me for lack of adab, for my own good. As I have read that surely one can not travel any distance in this path without adab.

Ashrafiya replied,

If the need so arises be reassured that attention will be drawn to it. For now be at ease.

Sayyidi wa sanadi Mufti Mohammed Taqi Usmani (Allah protect & preserve him) tells us repeatedly that not correcting the faults of an individual who has associated for his Islah is a betrayal (khiyanet) of the trust of Shaykh-seeker relationship.

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Reviewed and approved by sanadi wa sanadi Mufti Mohammed Taqi Usmani (Allah protect & preserve him)

Postpone Tablighi excursion

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A novice seeker wrote,

I would like to seek for permission for Tablighi Jama’at activity.

Ashrafiya replied,

For time being postpone this for a while.

It is essential to firmly root yourself in the daily ma’moolat, reading, islah,etc. before you proceed to activities that are going to change your routine drastically.

Do assist them (nusrat) for few hours and sit in their book–reading sessions (ta’leem only. Not lectures) for the time being.

Islahi emails:TA

Islah

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A seeker wrote,

Assalam-u-Alaikum wr wb ,I do apologize in advance as I am new to this world and lack the adab required, definitely appreciate your patience.I made lots of dua to Allah SWT, thought about it in detail, and Hazrat, I would like to request you to accept me into an islahi talluq.There are many reasons behind my request.- Alhamdulillah your instructions really benefit me and I would consider it a huge privilege to be able to continue to work under your guidance and advice.- Your website has tremendously benefited me and Alhamdulillah its continuing to do so. And primarily it was ashrafiya.com that really inculcated a desire in me for islah and showed me the means to do so.- You are Hazrat Taqi Usmani db’s mujaz and Hazrat db also advised the same.- I absolutely love the fast communication with you and find it extremely beneficial too. May Allah greatly bless you for the attention I have gotten so far.- After lots of istikhra and dua, I find my heart inclined towards this.

Ashrafiya replied,

I read this in detail.

InshaAllah this is also from Allah and there will be something better for both of us in this.

banday ko apni awqat ma’loom hay. husb e hukum khidmet kay kiya hazir hay. jitna mumkin ho sakha zaroor karayga, inshaAllah.

The truth is that we both are in the same boat headed towards the same destination. It is a magnanimous blessing of Allah SWT that He has given this tawfiq. May He further give us the insight to recognize this blessing and allow us to use it appropriately. InshaAllah, we will be companions assisting each other with our knowledge, experience, state (hal) and dua.

Islahi emails:TA

Islahi details

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A seeker wrote,

My close friends and family members (whom I consult for my major decisions) are aware of my pursuing this path. I get a feeling that they expect more as if I am going to change overnight (perhaps it was a mistake to let some people know about this effort). Subsequently I get a feeling that I am trying to improve myself to show off in front of others. And it makes me really doubt the ikhlas that is a pre-requisite for all a’mal to be accepted i.e. they should be solely for pleasing Allah SWT. Please advise.

Ashrafiya replied,

1. The details of the islah are individualized. They are personal and private. It is inappropriate to share the details with others. Even if they were to ask the details answer very humbly that I have been asked not to tell others. I am doing whatever is being instructed.

2. There is no problem in informing them in general that you are trying to establish a islahi ta’luq.

3. Be aware that islah is a life long process. The change is gradual. Our akabir compare it to the growing of a child.

4. The blame-worthy moral trait of show-off or riya is a ikhteyari action. That is, you have to have an intention and then do it. It does not happen by itself without your control.

5. Also, as a established principle it is stated that the real show-off never ever doubts his own ikhlas and mukhlis is always in doubt. So do not worry. Continue what you are doing. MashaAllah, you are travelling and distance is being covered.

Islahi emails:TA

Reviewed and approved by sanadi wa sanadi Mufti Mohammed Taqi Usmani (Allah protect & preserve him)

Involvement in Tabligh

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A seeker wrote,

I spend some time with Tablighi Jamat for company with the pious. I try to go once a week in the weekly gusht and go out for 3 days every 2,3 months.

Ashrafiya replied,

Tablighi activity must be under the supervision of a Shaykh only. One should explicitly tell him about one’s family, job and other commitments and whom is he going to delegate these when he is off for tabligh. Otherwise, it will be detrimental for him and his family.

Islahi emails:TA

Reviewed and approved by sanadi wa sanadi Mufti Mohammed Taqi Usmani (Allah protect & preserve him)

Quality Family Time

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The following is in response to a novice seeker’s many religious daily activities.

‘MashaAllah.

It is great to know about your activities. They are all fine.

However, I want to stress the importance of giving daily quality time to your spouse, daughter, parents and other very close relatives. This is essential and more beneficial then all other nafil activities.

Also, it must be clear that the knowledge of religion that you require for daily practice is essential and a must. Beyond this religious education is not for all. It is for scholars. For lay people like me it is more necessary to be involved in my own islah.

Also, a general advice akabir give to novice in religion is that,

“Walk slow and steady. Do not rush and run.”

Otherwise soon the enthusiasm will be over and a ‘burnt out state’ will come.
It is for this reason having a Shaykh is essential. He directs and tells how much to do

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Dhikr

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Abū Bakr al-Kattānī (Allah have mercy on him) said, “were it not that recollection of Him was required of me as a religious duty, I could not mention Him out of awe for Him. How can one like me recollect Him without washing out his mouth a thousand times as a required penance, so great is His recollection and so awesome His name!

The Principles of Tasawwuf, p 83

Chishti dhikr

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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

Tasawwuf: Fistful beard & trousers above ankles

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A seeker inquired,

‘Is keeping a fist length beard an absolute requirement (I do have a beard but not fist length)?

Is keeping your pants (or shalwar) above the ankle another absolute requirement?

Following answer was given by Ashrafiya,

Tasawwuf deals with the ailments of the heart which are the root cause of all sins (actions against Sunna are sins). That is the reason most Shyukh do not instruct their disciples on fiqhi issues and direct them to muftis.

In simple words, it not a rerequirement to have these prior to becoming a murid/talib e islah. When the disease causing this will be treated there will be no resistance in doing the Sunna acts.