Giving instructions to a newly appointed mujaz sayyidi wa sanadi Shaykh Mufti Taqi Usmani (Allah preserve him) said,
The first and most essential thing is,
1. Never to be negligent of one’s own islah.’
Hidayet baraay e mujazeen
This reality has to be realized that islah never ends.
It is an ongoing process.
A murid complained that when people talk negatively about you it hurts me and my heart aches.
Hakim al Umma Mawlana Shah Ashraf Ali Thanawi (Allah have mercy on him) replied;
‘There are a multitude of people who talk badly about Allah, His messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and the scholars (mujtahideen). Have you done any thing to stop that?
If not, then why does it hurt you when poor Ashraf Ali is censured. And you feel concerned about stopping this?
There is nothing in this attitude except kibir (arrogance).
It annoys you when your seniors are censured. You feel humiliated at this. This is a hidden deception of nafs (ego/lower self).
Suppose, even if it is not kibir (arrogance). Then I ask, why did you feel concerned about anyone saying any thing good or bad (regarding my seniors).
What harm did it cause to you?
If you had focused on the goal (of tareeq, i.e. seeking perpetual pleasure of Allah SWT) you could not have time to waste on these petty issues.
Hakeemul Ummat ra kay hayret-angez waqiyat, page 81
اشرف الجواب، حصہ دوم، ص 97
lmam Ghazali has reported from our master Hasan Basri (Allah have mercy on them) a narrative that Satan said:
“I presented sinful deeds in an attactive form to the Muslims, but they nullified my efforts through repentance (istighfar). Then I presented before them vices in the garb of virtues, thus leaving no initiative for repentance.”
Instances of such vices are self-made innovations (bidah) in religious practices.
Vitues of Zikr, page 133
Hakim al-Umma Mawlana Ashraf Ali Thanawi (Allah have mercy on him) used to repeatedly tell the salikeen that if a person gets the idea that he has acquired a praiseworthy trait or state and gotten rid of a blame-worthy one then he should be extremely suspicious of this.
He gave this example to make it easy to understand.
That is, if a person is aware that he is sleeping then his sleep is defective. It is not a genuine sleep. A sleeping person is completely unaware of his sleep.
Similar is the case of a salik.
He should always rely completely on his Shaykh’s instructions and be suspicious of all his activities considering himself to a novice just initiated.
Min ifadat sayyidi wa sanadi Hazrat murshidi db
Like previous masters of the path Hakim al-Umma Mawlana Ashraf Ali Thanawi (may Allah have mercy on him) made it explicitly clear that Tasawwuf is a practical thing which has to be experienced personally.
It is, however, important to clear a misconception which especially plagues those who stress on reading the advanced text of Tasawwuf dealings with higher spiritual realities of experiences and unveilings without proper guidance of a Shaykh.
We mistakenly set an imaginary expected standard for this experiential knowledge.
For example, in love of Allah and His Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) we select Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani or Khawajah Moinuddin Chishti ra’s state of love. And when this not happen within our expected short time frame, we feel at loss.
This is inappropriate. This is the path (tareeq) of slave hood (abdiyat). Our under-par desires, immature wishes and unrealistic standards have no place in this path. They have to be annihilated (fana).
Sayyidi wa sanadi Mawlana Mohammad Taqi Usmani (Allah preserve him) repeatedly tells us that after implementing the requirements of Shariah correctly (with the additional aid of the Shaykh’s instruction) experiential knowledge will be gained by each and every salik. It will develop accordingly to our aptitude and effort. Moreover, with persistence in these spiritual works of body and heart it will, inshaAllah, increase both in quantity and quality over time and become ingrained in us.
mun ifadat e sayyidi wa sanadi Hazrat murshidi db
Shahykh Shah Wasiullah (Allah have mercy on him) said,
‘Are you aware of the reason that why some of the people who come here (for islah &ta’aluq maAllah) do not benefit?
The reason is that this path (tariq) essentially requires propriety (adab) and reverence (aqidat).
People consider this path to be similar to the conditions in secular schools where a tutor teaches and the pupil learn irrespective of having any reverence for him. The student learns even if he does not show any respect to the teacher.
They consider that the teaching in Tasawwuf is also like this and there is no need of reverence and propriety towards the Shaykh.
Shaykh’s instructions are considered to be beneficial and are memorized, however, there is no reverence for the Shaykh in their heart. It is for this reason that they do not benefit.
It is as though Tasawwuf is now considered to be another branch of science and arts. In reality, it is a practical and experiential entity.
Hakim al-Umma Mawlana Ashraf Ali Thanawi (Allah have mercy on him) told us multiple times that if someone questioned Shaykh Haji Imdadullah mohajir Makki (Allah have mercy on him) regarding an issue (mas’ala) of Tasawwuf. He used to admonish the inquirer and tell him that this is not a school (maderasa) whenever (a need is felt and) I find it appropriate I will explain it.’
Taharet e qalb, Nifaq ka bayan, page 83
The honorable Companion Huzaifah (Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said:
“It is not proper for a Believer to disgrace himself.”
It was asked: “O Prophet of Allah ! What is meant by this?”
The Prophet of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “To undertake something which you cannot bear.” (Tirmizi)
Hakim al-Umma Mawlana Asharf Ali Thanawi (Allah have mercy on him) explains,
To assume a task beyond one’s capability is not proper for a believer . The consequence will be failure, disgrace, worry, and shame. Frustration will then overtake one.
This saying of the Prophet (hadith) covers all such acts and tasks which are beyond one’s power. In all such cases of difficulties adopt patience (sabr) and supplicate to Allah for aid.
Hayat al-Muslimeen, chapter 10, Rights of oneself
In his weekly islahi lecture sayyidi wa sanadi Shaykh Mohammad Taqi Usmani (Allah preserve him) reminded us,
‘There are no circumstance under which it is permissible for individuals to take law in their own hand to punish those who commit major sins or turn apostate. It is the task of the government administration to apprehend them.
Killing non-Muslims (dhimmis) living in a Islamic country is as haram (impermissible) as murdering a fellow Muslim.
To emphasize the significance of this it is reported in a saying of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) that the peron who kills a non-Muslim (dhimmi) living in a Islamic country will not even smell the fragrance of Paradise (which is so strong that it can be smelt at a distance of 500 years).
More explicitly he (Allah bless him and give him peace) admonished the Muslims at his last Hajj, to not to become like non-Muslims killing one another.’
بجز تو در ھمہ عالم دگر دلبر نمی دانم
بجز تو در ھمہ گیتی دگر جاناں نمی دانم
سارے جھان میں تیرے علاوہ میں اور کسی دلبر کو نھیں جانتا، ساری دنیا میں تیرے علاوہ میں اور کسی جاناں کو نھیں پھچانتا۔
بجز غوغائے عشقِ تو، درونِ دل نمی یابم
بجز سودائے وصلِ تو، میانِ جاں نمی دانم
تیرے عشق کے جوش و خروش کے علاوہ میں اپنے دل میں کچھ اور نھیں پاتا، تیرے وصل کے جنون کے علاوہ میں اپنی جان میں کچھ اور نھیں دیکھتا۔
مرا با توست پیمانے، تو با من کردہ ای عھدے
شکستی عھد، یا ھستی بر آں پیماں؟ نمی دانم
میرے ساتھ تیرے پیمان ہیں اور تو نے میرے ساتھ عھد کیے، تُو نے اپنے عھد توڑ دیے یا ابھی تک انھی پر ھے، میں کچھ نھیں جانتا، یعنی مجھے اس سے غرض نھیں ھے، عشق میں عھد و پیمان کچھ معنی نہیں رکھتے۔
بہ اُمّیدِ وصالِ تو دلم را شاد می دارم
چرا دردِ دلِ خود را دگر درماں نمی دانم؟
تیرے وصال کی امید سے اپنے دل کو شاد رکھتا ھوں، میں اسی لیے اپنے دل کے درد کیلیے کوئی اور درمان نھیں ڈھونڈتا، یعنی صرف اور صرف تیرے وصل کی امید ھی دردِ دل کا پھلا اور آخری علاج ھے۔
نمی یابم تو را در دل، نہ در عالم، نہ در گیتی
کجا جویم تو را آخر منِ حیراں؟ نمی دانم
مجھ (ھجر کے مارے) کو نہ تُو دل میں ملتا ھے اور نہ جھان و کائنات میں، میں حیران (و پریشان) نہیں جانتا کہ آخر تجھ کو کھاں ڈھونڈوں؟ شاعر کا حیران ھونا ھی اس شعر کا وصف ھے کہ یھیں سے سارے راستے کھلیں گے۔
عجب تر آں کہ می بینم جمالِ تو عیاں، لیکن
نمی دانم چہ می بینم منِ ناداں؟ نمی دانم
یہ بھی عجیب ھے کہ تیرا جمال ھر سُو اور ھر طرف عیاں دیکھتا ہوں، اور میں نادان یہ بھی نھیں جانتا کہ کیا دیکھ رھا ھوں۔
ھمی دانم کہ روز و شب جھاں روشن بہ روئے توست
و لیکن آفتابے یا مہِ تاباں؟ نمی دانم
یہ جانتا ھوں کہ جہان کے روز و شب تیرے ھی جمال سے روشن ھیں لیکن یہ نھیں جانتا کہ تو سورج ھے یا تابناک چاند۔
بہ زندانِ فراقت در عراقی پائے بندم شد
رھا خواھم شدن یا نے؟ ازیں زنداں، نمی دانم
شیخ فخرالدین )عراقی (رحمة اللہ علیہ) کے پاؤں ھجر کے قید خانے میں بندھے ھوئے ھیں، اور اس قید سے رھا ہونا بھی چاھتا ہوں یا نھیں، نھیں جانتا۔
Source:
Someone had written to Hakim al-Umma Mawlana Ashraf ‘Ali Thanawi (Allah have mercy on him),
You have given ijaazat to a particular person but we do not see him to be fit for this position. Must we rely on your ijaazat or on what we see of him?
Hakim al-Umma replied,
‘You should act according to what you have witnessed and you are not bound by my ijaazat. There are various reasons for me giving ijaazat.’
Malfoozat of Faqeeh al-Ummat, page 458
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Q: What is the sign of having acquired the quality of ihsaan?
Shaykh Mufti Mehmood Hasan Gangohi (Allah have mercy on him) replied,
‘ The sunnat is a clear manual. If one’s actions conform to the sunnat then consider him to have acquired ihsaan.’
Malfoozat of Faqeeh al-Ummat, page 448
