Teachings of Hakim al-Umma Mawlana Ashraf 'Ali Thanawi & his spiritual successors, particularly 'Arifbillah Dr 'Abdul Hayy 'Arifi (may Allah bless them) and Sayyidi Mawlana Mufti Mohammad Taqi Usmani (may Allah preserve him) regarding Tasawwuf

Love of Messenger صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم

تعصی الرسول وانت تظھرحبھ
ھذا العمری فی الفعال بدیع
لو کان حبک صادقا لاطعتھ
ان المحب لمن یحب مطیع
(ابن مبارک رح)
You disobey the Messenger صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم and claim to love him,
I swear by my life, this thing is impossible,
If you were true in your claim, you would have obeyed him,
For indeed, a lover obeys the one [...]

Seeker’s affliction

Sidi Ahmad Zarruq al-Barnusi al-Fasi (Allah have mercy on him) [1442 – 1493 CE] said,
I have also seen that the seekers of this age are afflicted with five things:
1.The preference of ignorance over knowledge
2. Being deluded by every spiritual impostor
3. The inability to prioritize important matters
4. Using the spiritual path as a means to inflate [...]

الہامی دعا

حضرت حاجی شکیل احمد صاحب مدظلہ کی ایک الہامی دعا

درآبدار جلد 1، ص19۔

Spiritual progress

Shaykh Sayyid Zawwar Hussain Shah (Allah have mercy on him) said,
‘The progress in spiritual path (sulook) is not sudden.  It is gradual and therefore, not appreciated by the spiritual traveller.
For example, if someone has hundred rupees in his pocket the addition of one more does not draw any attention and is, therefore, most of the time  not appreciated.  However, when [...]

Teaching by example

Sayyidi wa sanadiShaykh Mufti Taqi Usmani (Allah preserve him) is in the blessed Medinah these days.
With the Saudi school mid year vacations there is a huge crowd of pilgrims.
Going for the Friday prayers an individual inquired the Shaykh where could he find him in the Haram.  The Shaykh replied that  usually he tries to be in the first row [...]

الإحسان

قال: فأخبرني عن الإحسان
. قال (صلي الله عليه وسلم): أن تعبد الله كأنك تراه 
 فإن لم تكن تراه ، فإنه يراك
5th Feb 2010. Vist Library at Darl al-Mustafa, Tarim, Hadramaut

The aim and spirit of awrād

 
Imam Abdallah ibn Alawi al-Haddad (Allah have mercy on him) (d.1132 Hijri) said,
‘The aim and spirit of awrād is presence with Allah.
Aim for it; you will reach it only if you travel the road that leads to it, which is performing the external activities and striving to be present with Allah during them. When you persevere [...]

Useful Counsel

Imam Abdallah ibn Alawi al-Haddad (Allah have mercy on him) said,
Scrupulously avoid every prohibited thing, whether it be significant or not.
Among the mortal sins which necessarily lead one to the (Hell) Fire are magic, murdering the life which Allah has rendered sacrosanct except in the course of justice, adultery, fornication, homosexuality, the drinking of wine and [...]

Speech of heart.

It is an established principle that when the tongue is busy talking the heart is quietly listening to it. Whereas, when the tongue is silent the heart starts to talk.
Therefore, hold your tongue so that the heart does not listen to its useless speech. Instead make it the organ of remembrance (of Allah). Hence, your heart will become accustomed to [...]

غم کے داغ

غم کے داغوں سے نہ ڈریۓ ان سے پھوٹے گی بہار
 ان گلوں کو طاق ہستی پر سجا کر دیکھیۓ 
 (سیدی و سندی مدظلہ) 

Change for better!

Advicing a couple going through a tough marital conflict sayyidi wa sanadi 
Mawlana Mohammmad Taqi Usmani (may Allah preserve him) said,
“You both need to change for better.
Do not be discouraged by past experiences.
Consider that you are starting a new life together again from scratch.
Pay close attention to each other’s rights and your own obligations.
Keep the envoirnment at home relaxed,  pleasant [...]

Results of involvement in useless activities

Shaykh Mawlana Karamat Ali Jaunpuri (Allah have mercy on him) said,
This lowly speaker has experienced it well that when an individual is engrossed in useless activities his/her previous piety wanes away. Therefore, one should repent immediately if he/she becomes involved in anything useless and not return to that activity again.
Irshad us Salikeen/Aqwal e Sufiya, page [...]

Advice to reader of Sufi works!

Sayyidi wa sanadi Mawlana Mohammad Taqi Usmani (Allah preserve him and allow us to benefit from him a lot. Ameen!) gives the following invaluable advice to those interested in classic Sufi works:
“A point never to be forgotten when reading the books of venerable Sufi masters is that the things to acquire from them are;
- the [...]

فنائیت

عارف باللہ حضرت ڈاکٹر عبدالحئی عارفی رحمۃ اللہ علیہ نے فرمایا کہ
فنائیت کا مطلب ہے ترک اعتراض۔
یعنی کسی پر اعتراض نہ کرو۔
ناگوار امر پر صبر کرو اور ضبط سے کام لو۔
اس ترک اعتراض کا آخری مقام یہ ہوگا کہ ہر ناگوار امر کو مشیت ایزدی پر محمول کرتے ہوۓ ناگواری نہیں ہوگی۔
جو کام بھی ہوگا [...]

Busy life!

Arif-billah Dr. Abdul Hayy Arifi (Allah have mercy on him) said,
‘People often complain that there is no free time and no tranquility in life because of the increasing commitments (at offices and businesses).
I ask them,
 If you get this free time and opportunity what are you going to do with it?  Have you ever thought about [...]