Sayyidi wa sanadi Mufti Mohammad Taqi Usmani (Allah preserve him) said,
‘There is going to be a downpour of Allah’s mercy (in Ramadan).
Preparation is needed in advance to derive real benefit from each and every moment of Ramadan.
Because an individual may start this month in a state of heedlessness (ghaflah) and (virtuous) activities are then postponed from one day to another.
Therefore, it is essential to prepare for Ramadan in advance.’
Khutbaat e Ramadan, page 54
Sayyidi wa sanadi Mufti Mohammad Taqi Usmani (Allah preserve him) said,
‘In this month (Ramadan) the learned and lay Muslims should spare some time trying to understand from a reliable translation and exegesis (tafsir) of the blessed Quran. This is in addition to its recitation.
This is because, Quran is such a (phenomenal) thing that reading it in an appropriate manner becomes a source of special relationship and increasing proximity with Allah. ‘
Khutbaat e Ramadan, page 49
A spiritual aspirant wrote:
When I perform prayer at mosque, I feel more inclined and khushu‘ (reverence, serenity and presence of mind) in prayers than I have in my prayers I perform at home. Some time a thought comes to mind that it happens due to the people in mosque as I do it for show off. This makes me worried. Please tell me how to tackle this issue? Jazaak Allah
Sayyidi wa sanadi Hazrat Moulana Mohammad Taqi Usmani sahib (Allah SWT preserve him and allow us to benefit from him abundantly. Ameen) replied:
“Not every time it is due to riya (ostentation). The environment of mosque is also a reason for this and it changes the way one performs salah.”
Meraj us Salikeen: Islahi Khutoot #21
Please, check the posts on the blessed month of Sha’ban here.
Comment: “I have been regular with tilawat, monjat e maqbool and other tasbeehat but was not doing the dwazdah tasbihat. When missed during the day, I try to recite a few of that tasbihat but not complete. In this regard please advise if I miss dwazdah tasbihat, should I impose a penalty on myself as now it is almost making a habit?”
Response: “If this happens regularly then look for the reason. Reschedule it at a different time. If that does not work then fix a penalty, like no internet use for personal use that day.”
Meraj us Salikeen: Islahi makateeb #8
Comment: “How do I manage this time? Please advise as this is one of the biggest challenge I am facing now a days. With every passing day, it feels bad when a time is wasted in useless or in a sinful activity.”
Response: “It is indeed a challenge to use spare time effectively.
Try to take up somethings that will be useful in Deen or dunya. Like Reading a tafseer thoroughly, or translating some article or passages that you feel beneficial into English or Pashto or making hifz of sura Yaseen or Yusuf, or completing a nisab (70,000) kalima for a deceased, helping in household chores or art n craft activities with children etc.”
Meraj us Salikeen: Islahi Makateeb #22
Sayyidi wa sanadi Mufti Mohammad Taqi Usmani (Allah preserve him) said,
‘We must be careful while performinf wudhu.
Wasting large amounts of water is sinful.
Our master Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said in regards to wudhu,
‘Don’t waste water even if you are performing it at a riverbank.’
The Sunna amount of water to use in wudhu is approximately 775 ml. (That is less than a liter.)’
Waaz, May 2014
(Mudd:The picture above shows a container of this capacity)
An individual who has been associated with sayyidi wa sanadi Mufti Mohammad Taqi Usmani (Allah preserve him) for more than two decades said, ‘Praying salah with respected Mufti sahib is a lesson itself. The khushu and khudhu is exemplary. I have tried numerous times to emulate his ruku and sujood, however, even if I recite the tasbihat very meticulously with tajweed more than 7 times I can not catch his serene pace.
It is a lesson for us to learn from his example.
Most likely this is also from the benefits of companionship (suhba) of the pious.’
An individual wrote,’ I recite Munajat e Mabool*. However, I have not taken permission (ijaza) from you for this recital. Therefore, please, grant me the permission and inform me of the (specific) procedure of its recital.’
Hakim al Umma Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi (Allah have mercy on him) replied,
‘If the permission is sought with the belief that without (explicit) permission it will not be effective than this belief is wrong.
However, if the permission is asked as per the principles of the Path (tariqat) that is, is it appropriate according to my (specific) condition (to be included in my routine recitations) then the instructor has to utilize his insight (according to his knowledge of your individual condition). Therefore, write to me in detail your condition and routine practices, subsequently I will counsel you as would be appropriate.’
Tarbiyet us Salik, volume via Ahkam amaliyat wa tawizat, page 67
*A collection of over 200 du’as from the Qur’an and Hadith. Divided into seven parts to facilitate daily recital. Adapted from Mulla Ali Qari’s (Allah have mercy on him) Hizb al Azam.
Sayyidi wa sanadi Mufti Mohammad Taqi Usmani (Allah preserve him) said,
‘Leaving sinful activities is an absolute essential (fardh).
Vigilance is required for this. We do supererogatory (nafil) acts of worship with zeal and passion, but are lax in abstaining from sinful.
Our similitude is like a person trying to cool a room with air conditioning but has left the windows open. All the cool air is swept away via the windows. Moreover, hot air is entering the room from outside. How can coolness be achieved? Only when we shut the windows close air conditioning will have its effect in cooling the room.
Our windows are sight, hearing, speech and imagination abilities. Not restricting them from sinful is like keeping them open. Shut them up from all that is sinful.
Genuine effort is required in this regards.’
Weekly waaz 10/5/2014
A learned scholar complained that he had serious doubts about the belief of predestination (taqdeer). He had read extensively on this subject and spoken to top notch scholars of the field. However, his doubts had persisted. Now he wanted to ask some questions from Hakim al Ummah about these doubts.
Hakim al Ummah Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi (Allah have mercy on him) replied,
‘My answers to your questions may suppress your doubts for a while. However, new doubts will arise soon and bother you. Eventually this will become a pernicious cycle of questions and answers.
The way to deal with doubts is not to stop (iskat) or silence them by providing their logical answers. It is by aborting (isqat) the over inquisitive unrestrained intellectual trait raising these doubts. This is achieved by acquisition of love and awe of Allah as taught by the pious Masters of the path.’
Malfuzat, (PS. quoted in meaning, not exact wording.)