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
An individual wrote, As per your respected perspective (maslak) I don’t consider feelings or overwhelming states (kayfiyaat) to be the goal. However, sometimes this random thought (waswasa) comes that my deeds and the way I do them is indeed deficient and it would not be rectified without being in the company of my mentor (murshid).
Hakim al Umma Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi (Allah have mercy on him) replied,
‘This thought (of actions being deficient) is most desired. That day will be inauspicious (na-mubarak) when we assume that our deeds are free of deficiencies.
Therefore, do not aspire for suhba for this purpose (that is, to get rid of it).
However, there are many other benefits of suhba including the immense benefit of this thought of being deficient becoming more stronger and quite obvious.’
Tarbiyet us Salik, volume 1, page 439
Quoting 29 verses of Holy Quran Arif-billah Dr. Abdul-Hayy Arifi (Allah have mercy on him) said,
‘It is distinctly evident from these specifications of Allah that an individual who is closest to the Prophet (Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him) (by emulating his actions and orders) will come closest to Allah and will be from His beloved servant (abd).
Evidently following the Sunna (etiba e sunnat) is the soul of worshiping and climax of absolute servant-hood (abdiyet).
An action in opposition to Sunna is not an act of worship, but it is pure deviation.’
Uswa-e-Rasool-e-akram sallallaho alehey wa alihi wa salam, page 38
It was a very sad occasion.
A Veteran of Deen was informing us of his tablighi efforts. Since the previous 42 years he was actively involved in betterment of Muslim Ummah. However, when he stood to offer his salah it was like an ordinary lay individual. There was no following of the Sunna in the actions performed (like how to raise the hands in takbeer e ihram, how and where to place them in qiyam, sujud, etc.).
Similarly, on another occasion a khalifa of a prominent Shaykh was offering salah exactly like this.
The decades of tablighi effort and all the khilafet & Ijazat are useless if an individual has not realized the importance of following the Sunna and rectified at least his own salah.
Cognizance that I am seeing Allah or I am in front of Allah and He is observing my salah is a later level where salah improves to the stage of perfection.
Each and everyone of us has to make an effort in this regards.
Urdu readers can benefit quickly with ‘Namazain Sunnat kay mutabeq parhain’ online.
A seeker wrote,
Here there is mausoleum of Makhdoom Sheikh Sharaf ud Deen Ahmed Yayha Maneri (Allah have mercy on him). On my weekly visits the grave is no obstacle I see clearly the blessed (dead) body (of the Sheikh) and a garden all around. It is as per the description of a believer’s grave. This vision remains with the eyes open. Similarly I see it at my sister’s grave who recently passed away and another pious person’s grave. Moreover, at some graves I see what has been described of transgressors’ grave.
Hakim al Umma Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi (Allah have mercy on him) replied,
‘Neither pay any attention at all to these happenings nor consider them to be accurate. All of these are a veil (distraction).’
Tarbiyet us Salik, volume 2, page 1096
An individual inquired regarding the ruling of Umrah being necessary (wajib) for a taxi driver traveling frequently to the blessed city of Makkah. If in this particular case an exemption was possible (from Hanafi fiqh ruling).
Sayyidi wa sanadi Mufti Taqi Usmani (Allah protect & preserve him) replied,
‘Yes, due to the hardship involved this individual can act on the non-Hanafi ruling and not perform Umrah on his each and every frequent visit.’
Another individual inquired about acting on the non-Hanafi ruling of trimming few hairs instead of cutting or shaving the whole scalp.
Sayyidi wa sanadi replied,
‘No. Follow the Hanafi ruling (shaving completely or cutting one fourth the length of the hairs on the scalp provided they are longer than the space between two interphalangeal joints of a finger). There is no hardship in cutting or shaving the hairs.’
Masjid e Nabaawi, gate #90, after esha, Friday 19 February 2016
After the congregational maghrib salah Sayyidi wa sanadi Mufti Taqi Usmani (Allah protect & preserve him) went to the older section of the Prophet’s mosque (Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him). Making sure that he was within the limits of the original mosque (near to the blessed raudha just behind the riyadh al jannah). There he prayed the awabeen salah with extreme devotion. The standing (qiyam), bowing (ruku‘) and prostrations (sujood) were exceptionally prolong. This was followed by a long dua.
‘And remember the name of your Lord, and devote yourself to Him with exclusive devotion’Al-Muzzammil : 8
Those accompanying him were unable to keep pace with him and finished their awabeen routine early.
In spite of being a traveler (musafer) Sayyidi completed his routine. Even with more devotion.
It is an example for us to emulate.
Masjid e Nabaawi, behind Riyadhul jannah, after maghrib/awaabeen, Friday 19 February 2016
An individual presented few dates in plastic cup (kept with water coolers) in the Prophet’s mosque (Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him).
Sayyidi wa sanadi Mufti Mohammed Taqi Usmani (Allah protect & preserve him) inquired,
‘Is this a used plastic cup?’
On receiving a negative response he picked a single date and returned the plastic cup clarifying,
‘It is impermissible to give something that is mosque property to another as a gift.’
Masjid e Nabaawi, exiting Bab Rehmah, after esha, Friday 19 February 2016
In the Prophet’s mosque (Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) Sayyidi wa sanadi Mufti Mohammed Taqi Usmani (Allah preserve & protect him) instructed a murid who was reciting the blessed Quran from his mobile phone,
‘In a place where a mushaf (printed text of Quran) is available it is best to read from it.
Reading Quran from a mobile application is permissible. However, the blessings of reading from a mushaf are more. The Quranic picture in mobile are the reflection of the text (not the original text).
Moreover, in reading from the mushaf an individual is more cautious and observant of the proper etiquettes (adaab). He should try to do this even when he is reading from mobile (when mushaf is not available).
Qari Rahim Baksh (Allah have mercy on him) was a great haafiz and teacher of Quranic recitations (qiraat). He tutored thousands of students. However, in spite of memorizing the whole Quran he use to do his regular daily recitation by reading from a mushaf and placing his finger on each single word. This was to get the maximum blessings possible. ‘
Masjid e Nabaawi, behind Riyadhul jannah, after maghrib/awaabeen, Friday 19 February 2016
سید سلیمان ندوی رحمہ اللہ علیہ
The greatest Imam our master Abu Hanifa (Allah have mercy on him) wrote in his bequest (wasiyet) to his son Hammad that I have chosen five traditions (Hadith) from all the sayings of Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace). These are enough for a person to practice the religion.
Our master Prophet Muhammed (Allah bless him and give him peace) said:
1. Actions are according to intentions
2. It is from the excellence of a person’s Islam to abandon what does not concern him
3. A believer is not a believer until he is pleased for his brother with what he is pleased for himself
4. The lawful is clear and the forbidden is clear, but between the two are ambiguous matters. Whoever guards himself against ambivalent matters has gone to the utmost limit in seeking to be clear in his religion and honour.
5. The Muslim is one whom others are safe from their tongue and hands.
(Reference 1,3,4&5 are in Bukhari & Muslim, 2 is in Tirmidhi)
Suhbat e ba awliya, malfuzaat of Sheikh al Hadith ( Allah have mercy on him)
Sayyidi wa sanadi Mufti Mohammed Taqi Usmani (Allah protect & preserve him) said,
‘The correction of the method a deed is (supposed to be) done (appropriately as per Sunna) is (the primary objective of) Shariah.
The correction of the intention (that is, it is done exclusively to please Allah) is (the sole purpose of) Tariqat.
Combination of these two, Shariah and Tariqat is the goal of (real) religion (Deen).’
Waaz 7 February 2016, masjid Darul Uloom
All of us are living to die.
How well prepared are we for this?
How well have we prepared our spouse, children and family to handle it?
Is our state of affairs and a legal will ready ?
Have we made it clear to our physician and next of kin that no heroic measures are to be used in my care? (This is especially so for the elderly >70 years and those diagnosed with a terminal disease.)
A Westerner writes, ‘Dying used to be accompanied by a prescribed set of customs.
Reaffirming one’s faith, repenting one’s sins, and letting go of one’s worldly possessions and desires were crucial, and the guides provided families with prayers and questions for the dying in order to put them in the right frame of mind during their final hours. Last words came to hold a particular place of reverence.’
Sounds Muslim.
Muslims are to be prepared for death all the time.
Our master Prophet Mohammed (Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him) instructed us to remember often -the destroyer of all pleasures :death. (Tirmidhi, Ahmed, Ibn e Majah)
Most of us are not prepared and in the right frame of mind to handle death. In facing, it especially for the elderly and those diagnosed with a terminal disease, all our effort is to prolong life. This is done at at all measures, irrespective of the pain, suffering and financial burden to the afflicted and those around.
We pay no attention at all to a peaceful departure, accepting the decree of Allah wholeheartedly, a farewell as a believer (khatima bil khair), forgiving others and asking forgiveness from Allah and fellow Muslims, recitation of kalima (There is no God except Allah, Mohammed [Allah’s blessings ans peace be upon him] is His messenger) as their last words by the dying and the chapter of Yasin from Quran by those around.
This is also a an issue we have to improve upon.
