Category Archives: G. Dreams & Unveiling

Intrepretation of dreams and kashaf o karamat

Karamat e Imdadiya

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صلی اللہ علیہ والہ وسلم 

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Hakim al-Umma Mawlana Ashraf Ali Thanawi (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates,

‘Hadhrat Haji Imdad Ullah mohajir Makki (may Allah sanctify his secret) said,

Apparently my first baya was in Naqshbandi tariqa with Hadhrat Naseer uddin Dehlawi khalifa of Hadhrat Shah Afaq (may Allah have mercy on them). In reality it is without any intermediaries directly with respected Prophet, the Last Messenger (Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him). 

It was in this manner;  I saw Prophet (Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him) seated in a very prominent place. In his blessed hand was the hand of Hadhrat Sayyid Ahmad Shaheed (may Allah have mercy on him). I was standing with humility in their presence.  Hadhrat Sayyid sahib  (may Allah have mercy on him) took my hand and placed it in Prophet’s hand (Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him).

Karamat e Imdadiya, page 44

Dream

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dreams

A seeker reported an unusual pleasant dream.

Sayyidi wa sanadi Shaykh Mawlana Mohammad Taqi (may Allah preserve him) told him,

‘All praise is to Allah!

خيرًا تلقاه و شرا توقاه خيرلنا و شرَ لاعداءنا

Islahi khutoot, xii/1429

The points regarding tarbiyah for the seeker in this simple answer are,

1. Good dreams are a blessing. One should thank Allah for them.
2. It is Sunna to recite this supplication when interpreting a dream.
3. Inculcating the habit of turning to Allah in all conditions.
4. Sometimes the dream does not require an explanation.
5. In spite of being a blessing a balanced approach has to be maintained regarding the dreams.  What really matters are the actions done in the wakeful state.

Beaware of Nafs

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Hakim al-Umma Mawlana Shah Ashraf Ali Thanwi (may Allah have mercy on him) said,

“Always remember this tip.
Never ever provide any occasion or means for your inner-self (nafs) to misbehave.

This is a an essential thing that is being told.

This inner-self (nafs) is the enemy that has ruined the zuhud (asceticism), taqwa( God-fearing) and piety of high-ranking individuals in few moments.
Never consider it to be dead. Sometimes due to unavailability of resources it is hidden (acting dead). But it is lurking for an occasion or a means to act (and attack).”

Sawanih wa ta’lemat e Hazrat Arifi ra pg 382

The fundamental principles

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pillars

 

Understanding these principles thoroughly will remove all the confusion, doubts and abstruseness regarding the spiritual path.

1.  The demands of the religion should be given preference over worldly benefits.

2. The intellect should always remain subservient to the Divine Law (Shariah).

3.  Do not to be negligent in volitional (ikhteyari) actions (that is, within one’s determination and control)[e.g. essential daily worship, recitations, wird, etc.]. Similarly, do not be in pursuit of things that are beyond one’s control (ghair-ikhteyari)[e.g. spiritual states, dreams, uneveiling, etc.].

4.  Abandon all your own planning and schemes (tajwiz), delegate (tafwidh) all this to Allah.

5.  Keep focused on the goals of Shariah and not to be distracted by other things.

6. Consider spiritual states (kayfiyat-e-batiniyah) to be a good and desired phenomenon but do not regard them as the primary goal and objective  of the path.

7.  Do not to be overwhelmed by emotional factors and desires. Act as per the verdict of intellect and remember to keep it subservient to Shariah at all the times.

Ma-asir e Hakim al-Umma ra, page 166

The real karama

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Arif billah Shaykh Dr. Abdul Hayy Arifi (may Allah ahve mercy on him) said,

“Once I inquired a pious person that these days we do not see saints similar to those who performed extra-ordinary feats (karama) anymore.

He replied that saints who had this blessing had always been very few in each era. Most likely you have read a book that compiled many such incidents of pious individuals. And now you are misled to believe that all Shaykhs must have this capability.

Remember in previous days the karama was in matter (maadi) and hence, it was visible to others. Nowadays it is in essence (manawi).

These days any company (suhba) that leads one to do good deeds, cleanse inner self (batin from moral corruption) and make rememberance of Allah is a karama.

A company like this is achieved by true yearning (talub). If you sincerely desire this, than be reassured that individuals like this are always present in each era.”

Khutbat e Arifi, Idarae Talefat e Ashrafiya, Multan, page 164

Some sections of Tasawwuf are dangerous!

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Having a clear perspective of Tasawwuf’s reality is essential from the very start of the spiritual journey.

That is, what is the goal and means to reach it?

Hakim al-Umma Mawlana Ashraf ‘Ali Thanawi (may Allah have mercy on him) made this vividly clear upfront to every seeker who approached him for spiritual reformation (islah).

People with their creative imagination, knowledge of partially correct or interpreted information and especially readers of Sufi hagiographies and difficult classic texts make assumptions and set unrealistic goals.

To dispel these sorts of myths Hakim al-Umma wrote exegesis of some of the Sufi texts that are commonly misinterpreted.  They include explanation of Mathnawi of Mawlana Rumi (in 24 volumes), poetry of Hafiz Shirazi and Fusoos of Ibn Arabi (may Allah have mercy on them).

A very beneficial point he makes in the introduction to one of the text is as  follows,

“From the teachings of Tasawwuf, I always had intellectual interest in the instructive section (uloom e ma’amla) because this deals with the commands and prohibitions and acting on them leads to the proximity of Allah, Most High. In comparison, the section of unveiling (uloom e makashafa) was instinctively attractive but not appealing intellectually. This is because they play no role in gaining Allah’s nearness and have a great inherent danger that some mistakes in them (interpretation and application)  may lead to loss of faith (eman) itself. (May Allah save us all from this calamity.)”

Al-tanbih al-tarabi fi tanzih ibn al-Arabi ra, page 6

A heart warming anecdote (بشارت)

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Few years back a very pious Sindhi student from dowra hadith confided to Hadhrat Mufti Abdur Rauf Sukkharwi that when sayyidi wa sanadi Mawlana Mohammad Taqi Usmani ((may Allah preserve them) is teaching us Sahih e Bukhari I see (in kashaf) that our Master the blessed Messenger of Allah Prophet Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) is sitting beside him.

Narrated by a pious (sahib e nisbet) in ‏Masjid al-Haram, Makkah e mukarramah.

Beard: No big deal?

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Hadhrat Mawlana Faqir Mohammad was one of the senior khulafa of Hakim al-Ummah (may Allah have mercy on them). He was blessed with extreme piety, meticulous adherance to Sunna and lucid unveiling (khashaf).  In the later part of his life he used to stay in Medinah e munawwara for prolonged periods of time and occasionally visited Pakistan. 

On one of such visits to Pakistan a top ranking clean shaved official greeted and reminded him that they had met in front of the blessed rau’dha (muwajjah sharif:shown in the picture above) in Medinah e munawwara.

Hadhrat replied that he remembered the incident quite vividly because the Blessed Prophet (may Allah’s blessing and peace be on him) after replying to his salutations (salat o salam) had immediately turned away his noble face in displeasure from this  clean-shaved official.

Allah, Most High, save us from this. Amin!

Source: Iqra digest’s special issue on Hahdrat ra

Seeing the Prophet of Allah in a Dream

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Sayyidi wa sanadi Hadhrat Mufti Taqi Uthmani (may Allah preserve him) writes:

“A gentleman used to visit my father (Mufti Muhammad Shafi Uthmani [may Allah have mercy on him]). Once he expressed to my father his burning desire to see the Holy Prophet (Allah’s blessings and peace be on him) in a dream and asked him for some spiritual exercise for this.

My father said to him: ‘My dear brother, you are indeed a very ambitious man that you have this auspicious desire. I do not have the courage to entertain this desire, because I think that I do not deserve this honor. I. therefore never thought of learning and doing such exercise and disciplines to have a meeting with the Holy Prophet (Allah’s blessings and peace be on him) in a dream. Even if I am graced with such a meeting how can I do full justice to the required etiquettes? That is why I did not aspire for the honor of this meeting. If Allah Himself graces me with this meeting it will be His great favor to me. In that case, He shall teach me the requisite etiquettes also. However, just like any other believer, I too bear a desire for this.’ “

From: at-Talib

اللہ جل شانہ

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حضرت حکیم الامت مولانا اشرف علی تھانوی قدس اللہ سرہ فرماتے ہیں،

 وہاں تو اس قدر تنزیہ ہے کہ حواس باطنی اور عقل کی بھی رسائی نہیں۔ خیال و فکر میں جو آوے اللہ تعالی اس سے بھی منزہ ہے۔ 

تعلیم الدین، صفحہ 130

اشرفیہ (اردو بلاگ)

Spiritual progress

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

“Do not assume that we are devoid of inner states (kaifiyat e batinah) and spiritual stations (muqamat e ruhaniya). The praise is for Allah, all of these entities, like unveiling (kashaf), miracles (karamah) and spiritual interventions (tasarrufat) are manifested at their appropriate place. However, (the thing to understand is that) in fact all these are still material entities.

Allah has gifted the people of truth (ahl e haq) with something better and more potent. That is, spirituality (ruhaniyat). (It belongs to the non-material world.) It has various degrees in excellence and magnitude. But its progress is totally contingent on following the teachings of Shariah. The inner states and unveilings have no role whatsoever in this (progress).

The ultimate secret of all Tassawuf (tariqat) and spiritual path (sulook) is incorporated in the following verse,

اياك نعبد و اياك نستعين

اهدنا الصراط المستقيم

صراط الذين انعت عليهم

[1:5]
You alone do we worship, and from You alone do we seek help.

[1:6]
Take us on the straight path.

[1:7]
the path of those on whom You have bestowed Your Grace”

(Maasir Hakim al-Umma, page 151)

Arif billah Hadhrat Dr. Abdul Hayy ‘Arifi (may Allah have mercy on him) use to tell us that it is very difficult trying to appreciate and experience a non-material, spiritual entity with our material senses, intellect and mind.

Shaykh’s karama

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

“A sincere seeker (talib) at all times witness’s in himself the real miracles (karama) of his Shaykh. That is, by contemplating about his progress over a period of time from darkness into light.”

Waaz: al’abd ur rabbani,Huqooq o faraiz, Khutbaat volume 4, page 105

Dreams

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An aspirant wrote one of his dreams in detail and its possible interpretation.

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

“I do not consider dreams to be an authoritative thing in this path (tariq).”

Tarbiyet us Salik, volume 1, page 311

Desire to dream of Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم

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An individual wrote,

‘This lowly person has a desire to be blessed with the vision of Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم in dream. Please, for the sake of Allah, I request you to prescribe a prayer or salutation (durood) specific for this.’

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

‘ A more needed prayer than this is that Allah makes you active and attentive towards the the essentials (of deen in knowledge and practice).’

Tarbiyet us Salik, volume 1, page 372