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Category Archives: N. Advice
Way to islah
Hakim al-Ummah Mawlana Ashraf Ali Thanawi (Allah have mercy on him) instructed,
‘Pray two rakah salah with intention of making repentance and then supplicate as follows;
O Allah! I am Your obstinate disobedient servant.
I want to become obedient but nothing happens with my desires. However, everything is possible only with You.
I want to reform myself but I lack the determination to do so. Only You can reform me.
O Allah! I am extremely inapt, severely corrupt and very sinful. I am failing. Please, help me!
I have a weak determination to resist temptations of sinful activities. Please, give me the power to do so.
I do not have anything for salvation. Please, provide me with the means of salvation from Your hidden treasures.’
For ten or twelve minutes make repentance arduously. Then say;
‘O Allah! Kindly forgive all the sins that I have committed till now. Though I do not say that I will not commit them again. I am aware that I will do them again. However, I will ask for forgiveness again.’
In this manner daily ask for forgiveness, acknowledge your weakness, supplicate for betterment (islah) and verbally recount your ineptness, corruption and evilness. In short, debase yourself explicitly in front of Allah daily for ten minutes.
O brothers! Neither take the medicine nor abstain from the harmful, only use small quantity of this elixir daily prior to sleep.
In few days you will observe that from Divine sources your determination will become strong without facing humility and hardships. Overall, things will happen from Divine which you can not even imagine now.’
Waaz: Milat e Ibrahim, Volume 31, page 390, quoted from Majalis e Hazrat Eshrat ra, page 13-4
Our purpose
Shaikh Khawaja Mohammad Ma’soom (Allah have mercy on him) wrote,
‘The purpose of traversing the path (sulook) is not to become a Shaikh and take murids.
The goal is to fulfill the duties of being a slave of Allah without the involvement and resistance of the lower self (nafs).
Moreover, the purpose of this path is to achieve anonymity and ward off rebelliousness of the nafs and being self opinionated. This because the acquisition of Gnosis (marifa) is dependent on these things.’
Maktoob, quoted via Tofah-tush-Shuyuk, page 49
Islahi relationship
Shaikh Mawlana Abdul Hafiz khalifa of Shah Abdul Ghani Phulpuri (Allah have mercy on them) said,
‘Many people develop an islahi (self betterment & improvement) relationship (with a Shaikh). However, few of them fulfill its rights.
The right of this relationship is to consult the Shaikh in every issue and follow his recommendations. There are very few individuals that follow the recommendations (thoroughly). One has to stay away from self opinion (khud-raiy) and self conceit (khud-beini). Otherwise, instead of proximity and pleasure (of Allah) one is distanced (further away) from Him.
This is a very clear but subtle path.
Only the individual who follows the recommendations thoroughly will progress on this path.’
Malfuzaat e Hafiziya, (pdf online) page 50-1
Instruction and own islah
The reviver of Islam Shaikh Ahmad Sirhindi (Allah have mercy on him) wrote to one of his deputies (khalifa),
‘Be concerned about your own affairs (that is, your relationship with Allah), so that you leaves this world safely (with eman).
In the hereafter certificate of authorization (ijazet-nama) or (increased number of) disciples will be of no help.
Indeed! While managing your own affairs if anyone comes (asking for guidance explicitly) with sincere yearning then instruct him about the path. However, do not make the instruction about the path (tariqat) your main goal and management of your own affairs subservient to this. Doing so will be an affliction and loss for you.’
Maktoob 228, quoted via Tofah-tush-Shuyuk, page 48
Pious company
Shaikh Shah Wasiullah Allahabadi (Allah have mercy on him) said,
‘The only way of acquiring the station of perfect faith (eman e kamil) is company of the pious individuals.’
Ifadaat al Wasiya ala Tarse’ al Jawaher al Makkiya, page 18
Controlling sight and tongue
Shaikh Haji Shakeel Ahmad (Allah preserve him) said,
‘Be totally silent. Develop this habit (of keeping the heart attentive towards Allah), especially here in illuminated Medinah. Remain mute, deaf and blind here. Keep your sight focused to ground. Do not look at anything except for the essential, like way towards the door of blessed mosque.
The sight and speech should not be used without an active intention. If this control is achieved one is bestowed with many blessings from Allah. Our sight and speech are irresponsibly out of control. The sight wanders here and there without any restrictions.
Be vigilant about safeguarding the sight especially in the blessed city of Medinah. This is the least that should be done here. By the evening time there should not be a single image of non-mehram in our mind. This can only be achieved if one actively lowers his gaze. If accidentally something inappropriate is seen then turn to Allah immediately, asking for protection and removal of its bad effects.’
Madinah e munawarrah, 3rd Muharram 1434/17th November 2012, after asr
ھدایت براے سفر زندگی
حضرت حاجی شكیل احمد صاحب مدظلہ كی حج ھدایات سے لیا گیا۔
روزانہ بطور معمول صبح و شام سمجہ کر پڑہیں۔
Serve parents
Shaikh Haji Shakeel Ahmad (Allah preserve him) said,
‘I instruct the youth that associated with me for their islah to take special care of their parents. That is, (in addition to be being polite and obedient) they must provide extra care and service to their parent. Like massaging the parents’ legs and feet ( a common practice to sooth tired limbs in subcontinent).
Everyone is eager to massage Shaikh’s feet while they neglect providing this service to their parents. This is absurd. The Shaikh has several people to provide this service whereas your parent’s only have you or few other individuals to do this.
I repeatedly tell them that in hierarchy of Shariah rulings the rights of parents come before those of the Shaikh.
This also reassures the parents about their son’s Shaikh. (That is, they do not feel threatened of being replaced by the Shaikh.)’
Hilton Makkah al mukaramah, 1st Muharram 1434/15th November 2012, after esha.
Our main battle front!
‘These days the main battle front for our nafs is in dealings with spouse.
The closer the relationship more are the chances of blameworthy morals to be manifested in behavior and attitude.
One has to take extra-precautions to avoid this from happening.
As rule one has to suspect him/herself to be the culprit, lacking proper adab and try the best to behave.
We should never ever try to do islah of our spouse!
This is the job of their Shaikh.
We have to focus on our own islah all the time.
Appreciating the contemporary elders
Shaykh al-Hadith Qutub al-aqtab Mawlana Zakarriya Kandhelawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said,
“…there is one very important fact to which I wish to draw attention.
When the Elders passed away many people desired to see those special qualities which were part of their Shaykh (in those who succeeded them). But it is clear that all those who follow the Elders and are in their footsteps will be less gifted than the Shaykh, except in few cases, as Allah pleases.
Those people who do not see the qualities of the Elder in his successors and turn away from their Shaykh’s path of Tasawwuf, are only doing themselves great harm.
I began to see this very clearly since the time of Hazrat (Rasheed Ahmad) Gangohi (may Allah have mercy on him). During the era of the most prominent deputies of Hazrat, I saw many of their contemporaries, who were also attached to Hazrat through Bay’at. They saw that some of the special qualities which Hazrat had were no longer present in these deputies so they did not approach these deputies for spiritual guidance. This caused me a great pain and sorrow because these deputies (khulafa) were near to Allah and possessed ‘nisbet‘ (the perpetual, close and mutually favorable relationship with Allah). If indeed these people had become connected to one of these deputies (khalifa), they would have progressed greatly.
…………….
Hajj advice
An individual proceeding for Hajj requested for special instructions in this regards.
Sayyidi wa sanadi Shaikh Mawlana Mohammed Taqi Usmani (Allah preserve him & facilitate for us benefiting from him) said,
‘Be vigilant in effectively utilizing your time (in virtuous deeds) during these blessed days.’
7th Zil Hajj 1433, Jeddah-Mina
Hajj: Excessive talbiyah
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The reviver of Sunna Shaikh Mawlana Abrarul Haqq (Allah have mercy on him) said,
‘In the state of ihram one should recite talbiyah excessively.
Lot of people are negligent about this.
It should be recited when meeting someone, or bidding farewell to him, on getting on the ride or stepping down from it, on walking uphill or downhill, after the fardh and nafil salah. In the days of tashreeq recite takbeer first and then the talbiyah.
Recite it excessively all the times while walking and doing other stuff. Say it in a low tone. The prevalent way of reciting it in chorus collectively is incorrect.
In Islam there are supplications prescribed to be recited at various occasions. However, in the state of ihram there should be vigilance in recitation of talbiyah at all the times and transitions.
This (ihram) is the dress of lovers. Hence, when dressed like a lover an individual should act like one. Roaming around repeatedly reciting that ‘I am present’, ‘O my Lord! I am at your service’.
This recitation of talbiyah should continue till the stoning (rami) on 10th of Zil Hajj.’
Ma’arif al Abrar ra, page 222
To do!
Managing time
Hakim al Umma Mawlana Ashraf ‘Ali Thanawi (Allah have mercy on him) said,
‘Time management and planning how to to do so are a great things.
It should not be the way to do something in the time allocated for another thing and do that particular thing in some other time slot.
Everything should be done in the time set for it.
This brings great blessings (barakah) in time (more things are done with ease in same duration) and comfort (to all).’
Husn al Aziz, volume 2, page 412