Category Archives: H. Whispering & random thoughts

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Dealing with lustful thoughts

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An individual (blind, physically weak and financially challenged) complained about the (lustful) attraction towards women and young men that was driving him crazy. He elaborated that this engrossment is to the extent that I am negligent of food consumption. I pray but sometimes I’m unaware of what was recited in prayers. I am very much afraid of this condition. I request a remedy for it.

Hakim al Ummah Mawlana Ashraf Ali Thanawi (Allah have mercy on him) replied,
There are two levels of being attracted towards something.
One is mere attention towards it and the second is love that is attention accompanied with a desire.

The first level is a natural thing. Allah has placed (sexual) attraction in men (for women). It can neither be eliminated by any means nor it is required from us to do so.
The second level is within one’s control (ikhteyar). It means that one has control to some extent in keeping it or annihilating it. An individual can increase his involvement in a thing to such an extent that that he is engrossed in it completely all the time. On the other hand he can avoid a thing to the extent that he no more desires it. Hence being volitional it is binding (to be acquired).

First treatment is use of determination (himmat). Allah has placed the performance of volitional acts on the determination of an individual. He has promised assistance after determination.

The second treatment is diverting thoughts. The attention has to be diverted away when there are overwhelming thoughts (of this nature). It is an axiom that lower-self (nafs) can not be attentive towards two things at one time. Therefore, at times of excessive desires be busy with something else. This may be religious activity like offering prayers, making remembrance or reciting Holy Quran, or it may be worldly activity like visiting someone, etc, etc..

The third treatment is to ignore these overwhelming desires completely. This is with the understanding that these feelings are not going to harm me at all. This is the most effective treatment.
The individual said that how was it possible to ignore these thoughts. They have spoiled my prayers, dhikr and shugul. Not for a moment these thoughts leave me.

Hakim al Ummah replied,
These thoughts are from the first level. They are not sinful. You are responsible for your actions. You are responsible for implementing these thoughts into action. Until then it is neither sinful nor are you accountable for them. These thoughts are not going to harm you even if they continue for your whole life.

The fourth treatment is to make supplication.
The individual requested for some special prayer formula recitation (wazdhifa) to ward away this calamity.

Hakim al Ummah replied,
Wazdhifa can not do this. The treatment is as mentioned above. Instead to wazdhifa make supplications (dua).

(In summary) use your determination, become busy in something else, cry and make heartfelt supplications showing extreme neediness that O Allah! Save me from these calamities.

Indeed supplication is effective and leads to facilitation in difficulties.

Malfuzat e Hakimul Ummat, volume 29, page 131

Difference between a scholar & a Shaikh

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‘There is difference between the duties of a scholar and a Shaikh.

The duty of a scholar is to recite from the holy Quran and Prophetic sayings, explain them and give beneficial advice to people. Then it is up to the people if they listen or snooze, accept or become hostile, act on the advice or criticize it. The scholar does not care about these attitudes. He did his job. That was to convey the message.

Whereas, the Shaikh gives religious instructions to the audience and in addition demands actions from them accordingly. He gives guidance to the people, mentors them and then evaluates their progress (or failure).’

Halaat Musleh al Ummat ra, volume 4, page 253-4

Admit the wrong and ask forgiveness

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Shaikh Mufti Ebrahim Desai (Allah preserve him) the Ameer, Darul Iftaa said,

“When you have done something wrong, be ready to admit it and ask for forgiveness”

Click the above link to the new website.

Signs of sincerity

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‘There are three signs of sincerity (ikhlas),
1. The praise and censuring of people becomes immaterial.
2. The action being done is not looked upon (as something extraordinary).
3. Becoming oblivious of the reward of this action in hereafter.’

Ahzab tahzeeb un nafus, page2

Concern for Muslim benefit

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Jeddah airport

Shaikh Dr Hafizullah mohajir Madani (Allah have mercy on him) was sitting in the blessed Masjid al Haram in Makkah. It was the Hajj season. Seeing the massive crowd struggling to perform an essential rite of their faith, he commented that I have been contemplating that how can steps be taken to accommodate the increasing number of pilgrims and ease this process.

Clarifying it to the perplexed disciples sitting around worshiping diligently he added, contemplation about things that will benefit Muslims is also a form of worship.

Shaikh was in touch with an individual who would convey to senior officials in charge at Masjid al Haram about possible things for improvement.

 (The picture shows the new Jeddah airport. It is under construction.)

Things that soften the hard-heart

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Imam al Qurtubi (Allah have mercy on him) said,

Understand it very clearly that following things soften the worst hardened hearts,
1. Visiting the graves
2. Listening to the discourses of pious scholars
3. Reading about the past obedient ascetics and scholars
4. Remembrance of that which will uproot all pleasures, ward off all desires, separate one from others, make existence detestable, and orphan the children who were adored by their parents. That is, death.’

Ebrat ka saman, page 27-8, Urdu translation of Imam Sha’rani (Allah have mercy on him)’s Mukhtaser Tazkirah al Qurtubi,

Remembrance of death

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Shaikh Mohammed al Daqqaq (Allah have mercy on him) said,

‘A person who reminds himself of death often is honored with three gifts,
1. Early facilitation of repentance
2. Being content with one’s provision
3. Having the desire to and delight in worship’

Ebrat ka saman, page 25, Urdu translation of Imam Sha’rani (Allah have mercy on him)’s Mukhtaser Tazkirah al Qurtubi,

Wishful desires

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Our master Shaikh Abdul Qadir Raipuri (Allah have mercy on him) repeatedly mentioned this warid from his Hajj journey,

I saw individuals clinging to the house of Allah, holding it’s cover and crying profusely. They were supplicating for things for which they had done nothing at all in this world of taking means to achieve objectives (that is from the possible means within their reach).

Seeing their state it bolted out of my heart that these supplications (that are without taking the necessary means of achieving a goal within one’s reach) can not make a car run without fuel or a driver than how can they bring a drastic change in the affairs of our world.’

Sawanih, page 18

These are wishful desires (tamanna). They have to be differentiated from aspirations that are accompanied by effort within one’s means.

Persistence in daily wird

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Shaikh al Hadith Mawlana Mohammed Zakariya Kandehlawi mohajir Madani (Allah have mercy on him) instructed a seeker,
‘Persistence in daily routine of good works (wird) is the way to spiritual progress.

Be vigilant in completing the daily wird!

Do not pay attention (to the thoughts) that my condition is not changing with remembrance (dhikr).

It is an established principle according to the pious preceding masters of this path that blessed remembrance of Allah even if done with extreme heedfulness does not remain without a (spiritual) affect.’

Monthly Ihsan o sulook, Safar 1410, page 63

The stages of nafs: Nafs e mulhimah / part 3

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The Inspired Nafs

Allah Almighty says,

(9)ونفس وما سواها ( 7 ) فألهمها فجورها وتقواها ( 8 ) قد أفلح من زكاها

[91:7]
and by the soul, and the One who made it well,

[91:8]
then inspired it with its (instincts of) evil and piety,

[91:9]
success is really attained by him who purifies it,

In this stage of development the nafs is gifted with the ability to distinguish between good and evil. Moreover,the performance of good actions and abstinence from evil is facilitated for him by the Grace of Allah.

This Grace is manifested as immense desire to please Allah. And at this stage nafs remains drowned in intense love of Allah (‘ishq illahi).

This is possible by following the recommendations of the Shaikh and excessive remembrance of Allah as instructed by him. In fact it is mandatory (wajib) to follow the recommendations of the Shaikh at this stage to be successful.

This is both a phenomenal and a challenging stage.

Any heedlessness here will pull the nafs to its initial stage. (May Allah protect us all from this disaster. Amin!)

Its characteristics include; self restraint (hilm), philanthropy, contentment, humility, repentance, patience, forbearance, forgiveness, maintaining a good opinion about others, acceptance of others’ excuses, etc.

In addition to the excessive remembrance of Allah and following the instructions of Shaikh meticulously one has to repeatedly remind himself of meeting Allah and His perfections. He has to be vigilant in following the Shariah and be compliant to his daily wird. He must efface his ego by purposefully doing permissible humble actions.

Here the individual observes that everything is from Allah (tawhid e afa’li). He abandons all criticism. He cries often and is deeply effected by the crying of others. He withdraws from all the creation and finds solace with Allah. He is attracted to beautiful audition.

In short this stage is marked by intense love, lofty desires and high aspirations to please Allah.

Daily recitations

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A seeker inquired about some of his daily recitations (authentic recommendations of pious masters) he started on his own and has been persistently doing them for years now. He was having doubts about them being beneficial for him on the path.

The Shaikh replied,
‘The authentic recitations that a seeker has been able to be persistent on observing for a considerable period of time are blessed (mubarak) and certainly spiritually beneficial,

If you are not going to replace them with something equally or more beneficial than consider this thought to be a distraction from nafs and Shaytan.
May Allah protect us all from their deception. Amin!’

Waridaat, page 9
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Dover, DE

Change

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Being unsatisfied with our present condition we contemplate about a change, for example in career, environment or relationships, etc. We assume that the change will be better for us.

Shaikh Abdullah Gangohi (Allah have mercy on him) explained,

Whoever desired for a condition other than the condition in which Allah has created him at any given time, has left no stone unturned in the demonstration of his ignorance and imbecility.

It is imperative for the Believer to confront every situation which is not in conflict with the Shariah, with acceptance (radha) and submission (tasleem), whether the situation is a calamity pertaining to life and property or whether it is a state (emotional or spiritual) of the heart. The attitude of radha and tasleem is the demand of Allah’s esteemed status, comprehensive knowledge, Gnosis and being The Lord.

If a person wishes that the condition which Allah has imposed on him be substituted with another condition, e.g., adversity with prosperity or despondency with elation, then he displays complete ignorance and imbecility of the mind. The basis of such wishes and regrets is the ignorance of his nafs. If he had truly possessed the ma’rifat of Allah, he would have understood that these predestined conditions can never be displaced, hence regret and wish would not have occurred to him. He would have been contented with every circumstance and have observed respect. Now by these wishes he is clashing with the pre-ordained Divine Decree.

Ikmal us Shiyam
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Kissimmee, Florida