The Criteria when selecting a Sheikh

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Hakim Al-Umma Moulana Ashraf Ali Thaanwi (Allah have mercy on him) once mentioned:

In the path of seeking self-reformation, it is obvious that a person will be in need of a sheikh (spiritual guide to guide him through the path). However, since many people are unaware of the procedure to follow and the criteria to look for when selecting a sheikh, they err in selecting the right person for their islaah (self-reformation).

Hakim Al-Umma Moulana Ashraf Ali Thaanwi (Allah have mercy on him) thereafter mentioned that the following criteria should be found in the person one wishes to take as his sheikh (spiritual guide):

1. The person should be well acquainted with the laws of shari’ah, though he may not be an aalim who is an expert in every science of deen.

2. He must have knowledge of the path of tasawwuf and sulook, though he may not be a person who experiences kashf, nor a person from whom miracles or supernatural acts are witnessed.

3. He must have spent a considerable amount of time in the company of a sheikh-e-kaamil (a pious spiritual mentor who has completed his islaah under his mashaaikh)

4. When sitting in his majlis, the general effect that one finds is that one’s love for the dunya decreases and a yearning for the Aakhirah is created (or increases) in one’s heart. Similarly, fear for getting involved in sins and the motivation to carry out good deeds is created in the heart, regardless of whether one experiences any spiritual conditions or not.

Despite the person being a sheikh-e-kaamil, if one does not perceive any benefit through remaining in his company, then one should realize that the reason for this is that one does not have compatibility with the sheikh. Therefore, one should leave this sheikh and seek another sheikh.

Nevertheless, even when one does not find compatibility with a particular sheikh, he should not show any form of disrespect to him. This can be compared to the situation where a certain doctor’s treatment is not proving effective for a person. In such a situation, one will refer to another doctor, but an intelligent person will not run-down or disrespect the first doctor.

(Malfoozaat Hakeemul Ummat 24/323)

Source: Ihyaauddeen co za

وقت کی قدر

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عارف باللہ ڈاکٹر عبدالحئی عارفی رحمہ اللہ علیہ

نے مرض الوفات میں انتقال سے کچھ گھنٹہ پہلے عیادت کے لئے ہوۓ متعلقین سے فرمایا

“اپنے اپنے کام میں لگیں۔

وقت ضائع نہ کریں۔

وقت بہت قیمتی ہے۔”

(البلاغ عارفی رح نمبر ص۱۸)

صحبت اہل اللہ

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عارف باللہ ڈاکٹر عبدالحئی عارفی رحمہ اللہ علیہ

نے فرمایا: میں تاکیدا” وصیت کرتا ہوں کہ دیندار اللہ والوں کی صحبت کا ضرور ضرور اہتمام رکھا جاۓ۔

زندگی کی حقیقت، زندگی کی صلاحیت، زندگی کی عافیت ان حضرات کے فیوض و برکات صحبت سے نصیب ہوتی ہے۔

(البلاغ عارفی رح نمبر ص۳۶)

Maintain Relationships, Speak Truth & Be Good

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Our master Ali (Allah be pleased with him) reported:

When the weapon of the Prophet, (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) had been assembled, I found on the handle or blade of his sword three sayings,

“Maintain relations with those who cut you off,

Speak the truth even if it is against yourself, and

Be good to one who is evil to you.”

Source: Mu’jam Ibn al-A’rābī 1507

Grade: Sahih (authentic) according to Al-Albani

عَنْ عَلِيٍّ قَالَ لَمَّا أَنْ ضَمَّ إِلَيْهِ سِلَاحَهُ يَعْنِي النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ وَجَدْتُ فِي ذُؤَابَةِ أَوْ عِلَاقَةِ سَيْفِهِ ثَلَاثَةَ أَحْرُفٍ صِلْ مَنْ قَطَعَكَ وَقُلِ الْحَقَّ وَلَوْ عَلَى نَفْسِكَ وَأَحْسِنْ إِلَى مَنْ أَسَاءَ إِلَيْكَ

1507 معجم ابن الأعرابي

1911 المحدث الألباني خلاصة حكم المحدث صحيح في السلسلة الصحيحة

Nathia Gali, Richmond Boutique

Imposing Some Penalty Upon the Nafs

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Hakim al Umma Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi (Allah have mercy on him) once mentioned the following:

If a person is involved in sins, then one method for him to reform himself is that together with sincerely engaging in istighfaar and towbah, he should also impose some penalty upon himself so that this becomes a cause for him to refrain from falling into the sin in the future. This penalty can either be a physical penalty (e.g. fasting for a period of time) or a monetary penalty (i.e. giving a certain amount of money in sadaqah to the poor).

Our Prophet (Allah’s blessing & peace be upon him) mentioned in the Hadith that if a person says to someone (inviting him towards gambling), “Come, let me gamble with you,” then he should give some sadaqah.

In this Hadith, we see that Prophet (Allah’s blessing & peace be upon him) looked at the cause for one wishing to enter into the sin of gambling. The cause for this is the love for wealth. Therefore, he prescribed giving some sadaqah as a penalty, as this will cause the love for wealth to leave one’s heart (and this will also prevent him from falling into the sin in the future).

(Malfoozaat Hakeemul Ummat 23/378)

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Priorities for a Salik

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1. Learning the authentic beliefs (aqaid) as per the pious predecessors.

2. Learning the Sunna methodology (fiqh) of performing worship.

3. Abandoning major sinful actions and repenting on minor ones.

4. Get rid of blameworthy moral characteristics (radhail), adopting praiseworthy moral characteristics (fadhail).

5. Earning & consuming a halal livelihood.

6. Getting married, establishing a home and raising children

7. Learning etiquette of financial dealings for everyday life.

8. Actively making a good intention in permissible actions.

9. Actively making an intention of pleasing Allah and following Sunna in all thoughts & actions.

10. Recitation of Sunna adhkar for different occasions (adiya e ma’sora)

11. Recitation of the litanies (adhkar & ashgaal) prescribed by the Sufi Shaykh.

Qutub al Irshad, vol 1, p 92-3

Reading: Be careful

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Hakim Al Umma Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi (Allah have mercy on him) once mentioned the following:

If an irreligious person speaks of something relating to deen, then his speech will contain some darkness in it. Similarly, his writings will also contain some type of darkness in it. On the converse, if a righteous person speaks of something relating to the dunya, his speech will contain noor in it.

The reason is that in reality, a person’s speech originates from his heart. Hence, a person’s speech will definitely contain the effect of his heart. (If his heart is pure, the effect of the purity will be seen in his speech and writings, and if his heart is impure, then the effect of the impurity will similarly be seen in his speech and writings.)

When this is the situation, that the speaker’s inner condition is reflected in his speech, and the writer’s inner condition is reflected in his writing, then one should understand that it is extremely important for one to refrain from sitting in the company of irreligious people (those who are not committed to deen) and nor should one ever read their writings.

Reading the writings of an author is akin to sitting in his company. Thus, the very same ill-effects which one will experience through sitting in the company of an irreligious person will be found through reading his books or writings.

(Malfoozaat Hakeemul Ummat 23/117)

Via: Ihyaaudden.co.za