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
This question is regarding the spiritual ailments for which a course of action and consequentially a penalty has been precribed e.g. Offering a number of nafl salat. Should I be informing the spiritual mentor (Hazrat) 1) if unfortunately an action was done so that a penalty was applicable and 2) If the penalty was offered.
Ashrafiya replied,
Not all the time.
Inform only if after a considerable period of time there is no change in frequency of these incident. It is a sign that present treatment in not working something else has to be used.
A seeker wrote, I wish to get more detail on one of the reasons “making explanations for one’s mistakes”. Does this refer to explanation in islahi makatib? e.g. if the salik explains why he thinks a certain shortcoming is occurring. Please explain.
Ashrafiya replied, Blame worthy thing is to create an excuse for one’s mistake. The mistakes should be acknowledged and full responsibilty taken. If there are genuine circumstance that led to it they can be mentioned as a matter of fact. The same is true for islahi corrspondence also.
One area that is going weak lately is making up the missed salats. Perhaps any goal in this regard would be helpful inshaAllah. Please make special dua for me in this regard.
Ashrafiya replied, Yes. It is essential to complete the missed salah as soon as possible. Try to pray one qaza salah with each daily salah.
Substitute ishraq, awabeen and tahajud (four rakah between sunna and witr at esha) with qaza salah.
InshaAllah, it will be facilitated by Allah’s mercy.
Islahi emails:TA
Reviewed and approved by sanadi wa sanadi Mufti Mohammed Taqi Usmani (Allah protect & preserve him)
The book (Imam Ghazali’s Tabligh e Deen/Arbain) has criticised saving money too. The point against is very weighty that if a calamity is destined to come, it will come. Saving money can’t change destiny. And that we should expect the best from Allah SWT. So should we not save anything at all?
Ashrafiya replied, This has also changed a little bit since Imam sahib ra’s times. As was the eating issue.
In these days and times it is necessary to have some savings after paying the zakah and some voluntary charity (naflisadqa). Otherwise, in face of a clamity the first thing a person will let go is his deen.
Islahi emails:TA
Reviewed and approved by sanadi wa sanadi Mufti Mohammed Taqi Usmani (Allah protect & preserve him)
Once you have earned a livelihood the next step is how to spend it. A portion is basic necessities. One should definitely make sure that no portion is spent on any outright haram activity.What portion of the leftover (after necessities and the not so necessary expenditures like better clothes, A/C, trip to Pakistan) should one donate? (Besides Zakat)
Ashrafiya replied,
Depends on your financial condition. 1/10th or 1/20th of the income should be allocated for good word (masaref e khair) and kept aside. Whenever there is an opportunity for good it can be spend.
Presents for the family, relatives, donations. etc. can be made from it.
Reviewed and approved by sanadi wa sanadi Mufti Mohammed Taqi Usmani (Allah protect & preserve him)
One thought that comes to my mind is that when you have more money you can give more too for the betterment of humanity and muslims in particular. Please comment.
Ashrafiya replied,
Not necessarily. Many become more miserly and some waste their money on haram.
Reviewed and approved by sanadi wa sanadi Mufti Mohammed Taqi Usmani (Allah protect & preserve him)
Some questions that come to my mind are as follows: How should it translate into the effort that I put into my job. One behaviour that I see people adopting is that they become workaholics, put extra hours, sacrifice their life, family etc. just to go up the ladder. The conclusion that I came to is to work with due diligence from 9 to 5 (because I am atleast accountable in the herafter for this time that I am getting paid for). Please suggest the correct behaviour here.
Ashrafiya replied,
This is correct.
Going out of the way to earn more money or status by comprising one’s deen (taking care of family is wajib) will be blameworthy love of the worldly wealth and status (hubb e maal/jah).
Reviewed and approved by sanadi wa sanadi Mufti Mohammed Taqi Usmani (Allah protect & preserve him)
I feel that I have envy against the religious groups that are flourishing but are not correct according to our ideology. I have discussed this earlier but since I read the topic on Hasad I realized that its perhaps hasad (so I thought I should mention it again). e.g. If I hear about a certain group having a big conference in which many poeple showed up. I will have a feeling wishing that these people don’t show up in such numbers.
Ashrafiya replied,
Make excessive dua for them after each salah and admonish yourself for having these thoughts.
Islahi emails:TA
Reviewed and approved by sanadi wa sanadi Mufti Mohammed Taqi Usmani (Allah protect & preserve him)
I wish to understand the limits of anger. I, like typical people find myself angry at wife and friends, at times. I have noticed that you need some degree of anger to keep the order intact. I will try to explain with an example. Before my wife and I used to be routinely late. If we had told someone that we will get there by 2pm, we would be like 2 hours late. Many times we couldn’t get things done because of being late. I had to display anger at my wife many times to tell her that this is something unacceptable and Alhamdulillah things improved a lot. There is one thing though, I used to (may Allah SWT have mercy on me and my wife) shout at my wife before. Overtime Allah SWT gave me the realization that there are other more civilized ways of demonstrating anger. Now I just try to state my purpose in a firm (not loud) tone and try to appear upset. Please suggest the right behaviour with respect to anger. Is it just for establishing deen. How about establishing an order in your life. e.g. I was listening our Hazrat db’s lecture in which he mentioned an incident where Hakeem ul ummah RA got upset at someone using the toilet’s slipper to get into the masjid. Now this act is perhaps not sinful in Islamic terms but Hazrat RA wanted to maintain an order in his khanqah. Please help me understand the purpose and bounds of halal anger.
Ashrafiya replied,
No anger is halal for inept like us. Anger is a sign of kibr for us. It should be avoided all together.
For maintaining order be firm and clear but polite. Do not be angry. Recite auzobillah, drink cold water and think about Allah’s hilm on one’s self in spite of all the misbehavios. Condone others short coming. Remind yourself that you are not there to do islah of others.
Islahi emails:TA
Reviewed and approved by sanadi wa sanadi Mufti Mohammed Taqi Usmani (Allah protect & preserve him)
I thing I like being praised by others. I get a feeling that I tend to do things so that I am praised. When I am actually praised by others (beshuk tamam tareef sirf Allah SWT ke liye he) it gives me a sense of satisfaction (not sure if its satisfaction or pride) but it does motivate me to do more. And definitely I get an un-easy feeling. But overall I feel that I get a feeling of pride in me. Please suggest a course of action.
Ashrafiya replied,
It is quite natural to feel like this. This is unintentional and so not blame worthy in itself. However, if left unchecked it may lead to ujub and kibr. So at these occasions one should thank Allah that the people only observed and reported the good things about me and Allah hid my reality, mistakes and sins from them by his karam and sattari. Moreover when the marifa is achieved and one comes to realize his actual state this praise will feel like a joke and a mocking.
Islahi emails:TA
Reviewed and approved by sanadi wa sanadi Mufti Mohammed Taqi Usmani (Allah protect & preserve him)
Alhamdulillah I got the Aasan Tarjumae Quran (MashaAllah what a beautiful print) and Ashrafus Sawaneh (the new computer composed edition). Besides this (I just can’t control myself at that bookstore mainly because the shipping cost of the books is so high, might as well get what I like) I got 9 volumes of Hazrat Hakeem ul Ummah RA’s khutbaat (selected topics) and first 10 volumes of Hazrat RA’s Malfoozats. A few books by Hazrat Abdul Hai Aarifi RA (Ma’asir-e-Hakeem ul ummah), Hazrat Hakeem Akhtar db and Hazrat Mufti Shafi RA (Majalis-e-Hakeem ul Ummah and Makateeb e Hakeem ul ummah).
Ashrafiya replied,
Books by all of our akabir are very beneficial. However, one has to exercise balance by giving priority to the essentials and making sure that other wajib activities are not affected by it.
Islahi emails:TA
Reviewed and approved by sanadi wa sanadi Mufti Mohammed Taqi Usmani (Allah protect & preserve him)
A seeker wrote, I really want to hear things about other people. Although I tell others not to tell me but somewhere inside I want to hear it (the exact disease that is mentioned in the book).
Ashrafiya replied,
Being an unintentional desire this is not a disease by itself until some thing extra ordinary and sinful is done to achieve this.Consider it to be wrong and sinful desire and remind yourself of its uselessness.
Islahi emails:TA
Reviewed and approved by sanadi wa sanadi Mufti Mohammed Taqi Usmani (Allah protect & preserve him)
Can you please explain the details about “Dil se gheebat”. How to diagnose it and how to cure it if its present. A lot of the times the thoughts come to mind. I thought just keeping them to yourself and not saying to others is fine. But by this term it seems like even the thoughts are wrong.
Ashrafiya replied,
This is to intentionally think bad about some one. That is, things if he was to be informed of it he will be upset. It is an intentional action and remedy is to use one’s determination (himmat) not to do it. Also, one should develop this habit that on this thoughts one should intentionally think and remind himself of being the most lowly creature on the face of the earth. And admonish one’s self of doing this gheebat and make dua for that individual.
Islahi emails:TA
Reviewed and approved by sanadi wa sanadi Mufti Mohammed Taqi Usmani (Allah protect & preserve him)
I grew up in a family where unfortunately people take pride in cunning jokes and picking on one another. I got this bad habit too and although I am trying my best to avoid such behaviour but sometimes I slip (especially in front of one family of my cousins who are very keen on this and you have to do it otherwise they will pick on you). I feel really ashamed in explaining but I will cite two incidences that happened recently.
I was sitting with my cousin in a gathering. One of the persons was on the phone telling someone that I am coming with 4 people (he mistakenly said 1 extra person). I remarked addressing my cousin “bhai aap ke size ki waja se aap ko 2 count kar diya”.
The the same cousin was telling about an incident on how he got to know some person. Basically he said he slipped on the ice after Fajr prayer and broke his leg and thats how my cousin go to know him. I remarked “kya wo tooti hui taang ke sath Maghrib tak waheen paRe rahe”. My cousin went like “naheen kyun” I replied “tau aap Fajr ke waqt wahan kya kar rahe thay”
Ashrafiya replied,
Not all joking and picking is bad.
If the relationship is so close and open that the other party will not be offended at all then it is fine to do so. However, if this is not the case then this should be avoided all together. And if it is committed then one has to apologize and ask forgiveness. This is itself the treatment.
Islahi emails:TA
Reviewed and approved by sanadi wa sanadi Mufti Mohammed Taqi Usmani (Allah protect & preserve him)
