Category Archives: B. Praise worthy morals

The good moral characteristics that are to be developed within one’s self

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

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

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

اصلاح اخلاق

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سیدی و سندی حضرت مفتی تقی عثمانی صاحب مدظلہ نے فرمایا،
اصلاح اخلاق کے صرف دو راستے ہیں:
۱۔ صحبت اہل اللہ۔ وہ لوگ جنہوں نے کثرت مجاہدات سے اپنے اخلاق کو معتدل بنالیا ان کی صحبت کی کثرت۔
۲۔ توفیق الہی۔ اس کے لئے دعا کرتے رہنا چاہیے۔ جیسا کے احادیث میں تعلیم کیا گیا ہے۔ (اسئلک خلقا” مستقیما)

درس مناجات مقبول۔ ۷ اگست ۲۰۲۲

عید الفطر مبارک

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عید کی حقیقی خوشی!

رسول اللہ صلی اللہ علیہ واہ وسلم نے ارشاد فرمایا، جب عید کا دن ہوتا ہے تو اللہ تعالی ان (روزہ دار مسلمانوں) کی وجہ سے فرشتوں پر فخر کرتا ہے پس فرماتا ہے اے میرے فرشتوں کیا بدلہ ہے اس شخص کا جس نے اپنا کام پورا کر لیا ہو،

وہ عرض کرتے ہیں اے ہمارے رب ان کا بدلہ یہ ہے کے ان کا ثواب پورا دیا جاۓ۔

اللہ تعالی فرماتا ہے میرے بندے اور بندیوں نے میرے فرض کو پورا کردیا جو ان پر (ضروری)ہے پھر نکلے فریاد کرتے ہوۓ(مجھے) قسم ہے اپنی عزت و جلال کی اور اپنے کرم کی اور علو (شان) کی اور اپنے مرتبہ کے بلند ہونے کی میں ضرور ان کی دعا قبول کرونگا۔

پھر اپنے بندوں سے خطاب فرماتا ہے تم لوٹ جاؤ! بے شک میں نے تم کو بخش دیا اور بدل دیا تمہاری برائیوں کو نیکیوں سے۔ (آنحضرت صلی اللہ علیہ والہ وسلم نے ارشاد فرمایا) پس وہ (عید کی) نماز کے بعد بخشے ہوۓ لوٹتے ہیں۔

(بیہقی فی شعب الایمان )

Gratitude

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Hazrat Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi (rahmatullahi ‘alaih) once mentioned the following:

Expressing gratitude over a favour and being pleased with it, considering it to be purely the grace and mercy of Allah Ta‘ala, is the right which the one enjoying the favour owes to the One who bestowed him with the favour – Allah Ta‘ala. It is in reference to this that Allah Ta‘ala says in the Qur’aan Majeed:

قُل بِفَضلِ اللّٰهِ وَبِرَحمَتِه فَبِذٰلِکَ فَلیَفْرَحُوا

Say, “In the bounty of Allah and in His mercy – in that let them rejoice.” (Surah Yunus v. 58)

This form of happiness and joy is actually a form of shukr to Allah Ta‘ala and hence it is praiseworthy and desirable in deen.

However, contrary to this, there is another form of happiness that equates to pride. This is where a person becomes boastful and happy over the bounty, attributing it to his own effort and achievement, and not to Allah Ta‘ala, and this is ingratitude to the One who bestowed the favour. The root cause of this ingratitude is that a person forgets and loses sight of the fact that this bounty and favour can be taken away from him at any moment. It is in reference to this boastful attitude that Allah Ta‘ala mentions in the Qur’aan Majeed:

اِذْ قَالَ لَهُ قَوْمُهُ لَا تَفْرَحْ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ لَا یُحِبُّ الفَرِحِینَ

When his people (the people of Qaaroon) said to him, “Do not be filled with boastfulness (in your happiness), indeed Allah does not like those who are filled with boastfulness (in their happiness).” (Surah Qasas v. 76)

In the case of Qaaroon, he was happy over the wealth itself (not the bounty of Allah Ta‘ala), so look at what an evil end and outcome he met!

When one receives the bounty and blessing, and then reflects that it belongs to Allah Ta‘ala and He may take it away at any time, then the feeling of gratitude that he experiences in his heart at that time is regarded as shukr to Allah Ta‘ala.

(Malfoozaat Hakeemul Ummat 22/176)

Source:Ihyaauddeen.co.za

Golden Advice

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Shaikh Syed Ahmed Kabeer Al Rifai said that I requested Shaikh Abdul Malik Al Herboni (Allah have mercy on them) for advice. He instructed

‘O Ahmed!

1. One who keeps looking left and right never achieves union (wisal).

2. One who has doubts seldom succeeds.

3. One who is not aware of his (spiritual) deficiencies all his time is spent in a deficient state.

Al Bayan ul mushyed, p120-1

Makateeb e Rasheediya

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One of the special deputies (khulafa) of Hakim al Umma Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi, Maulana Shah Wasiullah Allahabadi (Allah have mercy on them) said,

‘In traversing the path (tareeq e sulook) I benefited a lot from Maktubaat e Qudoosiya and Makatabeeb e Rasheediya*.’

Hayat Musleh al Ummat ra, p 134

* Recently a new edition of Makatabeeb e Rasheediya has been published.

It has additional letters, explanatory foot notes, translations of Persian and Arabic quotes, high quality paper and computerized print settings. It is one volume with 520 pages.

May Allah make it beneficial for all of us. Ameen!

Doubtful Seeker: Final

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A seeker wrote, I used to listen to a lot of bayans by arab sufis and Baraelwi’s but I found no good actions (amal) resulting so there must be a problem there
There was a lot of show of love (izhaar of hubb and ishq) and ecstasy(wajd) but no change to the state of heart (haal of the qalb) as I found in the classic books like Ihya al Uloom ad Deen, etc.

So I would like to try the deobandi path which seems mature and well-balanced (mutadil) and closer to the teachings of Quran and Sunna (qareeb to the nusus) but there is still the fire of fervent love (ishq) running through it.

How do I do dowazdah?

Ashrafiya replied,

Dowazdah tasbih is like medicine. It is neither masnoon nor mustaheb. Therefore, no basis other than experience of effectiveness in achieving the cure of heedlessness is required.

Why not try it for 40 days yourself?

Islahi emails:NS

Ajman, UAE

Allah’s decree: Accept or be upset about it

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Our master Shaykh Abdus Salaam ibn e Mashish (Allah have mercy on him) said,

There are two vices that erase all good actions. First is, being upset with whatever Allah decides for us, and second is being cruel and unjust to fellow human beings.

And there are two virtues that wipe out all the wrongdoings. One is accepting the decree of Allah, and second is forgiving the fellow human beings (for their shortcomings).

(Usman Hijazi. 16/1/2021 Stillborn)

Consolation : Long distance relationship

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Sayyidi wa sanadi Mufti Mohammed Taqi Usmani (Allah protect & preserve him) said while consoling a gentleman who lost his son,

‘I remind people who have lost their dear ones to imagine how you manage when you have a child living abroad. You don’t meet him for years. But you are content that he is living happily. You don’t see him all the time or talk to him often but you are satisfied about his well being. Similarly a believer (momin) feels the same about his departed loved ones. Moreover, this separation is temporary. It is not permanent. One day you are going to meet him. This is the meaning of

انا للّٰہ و انا الیہ راجعون۔

We certainly belong to Allah, and to Him we are bound to return. 2:156

When this meeting will happen no one knows. But it will, for sure, occur.

Till that time you can send him gifts 🎁 in form of forwarding the reward of good deeds (esal-e-thawab) as much as you wish. This will certainly benefit him as has been reported in authentic sayings of Prophet of Allah (Allah’s blessing & peace be upon him).

This thinking gives much consolation to the bereaved family members.’

Saturday 2 January 2021, post-zohar, Hazrat residence, Darul Uloom Karachi

Remorse: A milestone

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A seeker wrote,

As for sins of the eyes, I am still not able to stop them. But I can feel an increased feeling of remorse at doing them. I think previously I had less remorse when I did them.

Ashrafiya replied,

This is a step towards its control. InshaAllah.

(Reaffirm your determination and try your best to abstain. Make dua for protection. If you slip, God-forbid then repent and pay the penalty set for it.)

Islahi emails:KN