Category Archives: B. Praise worthy morals

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

Signs of opening of heart

Once Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) read the verse of Holy Quran:

“So, whomsoever Allah wills to guide, He makes his heart wide open for Islam,….”

[Surah- An’aam : [6:125]

Thereafter, Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said: “When the Light of Islam enters a person’s heart, it opens up for it.”

Someone said: “O Prophet! Is there a sign which indicates this opening of the heart?”

Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said:

‘The aversion of this pretentious worldly life,

the fondness of the everlasting life (Here-after) and

preparation before the coming of death.”‘

[Mishkaat] Maut ki Yaad Hazrat Shaikhul Hadith ra

Prioritizing

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Arif-billah Dr Abdul Hayy Arifi (Allah have mercy on him) said,

‘It is heedlessness (ghaflat) to waste the moments of one’s life in useless activities that are beneficial neither for this worldly life nor in hereafter.

Ponder! The stuff you are doing now: is it urgent and essential or something more important needs to be done now?

What are your prioritizing?

What are you procrastinating?

How are you going to compensate for the  ten minutes you (just) wasted (in useless activities)?

Why did you wasted them (in the first place)?

Come and sit in the company of the friends of Allah (ahlullah) and only then you will learn to prioritize your activities. ‘

Sawanih wa talemaat Hazrat Arifi ra, page 638

How to start good actions?

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Arif-billah Dr Abdul Hayy Arifi (Allah have mercy on him) said,

‘Whenever you get a thought of a good action immediately supplicate (dua) to Allah for facilitation in doing it. By doing so a good action is already initiated.

Then be thankful on making this dua. This is a second good action.

Furthermore, as it has been promised (in Holy Quran) this thankfulness will, inshaAallah, lead to increase in good actions.’

Sawanih wa talemaat Hazrat Arifi ra, page 469

O spiritual aspirant: Be a mullah!

و الذ کر اسم ربک و تبتل الیہ تبتیلا۔مزمل۔۸

Hakim al-Umma Shaikh Mawlana Ashraf Ali Thanawi (Allah have mercy on him) said,

‘In brief it is essential to disassociate completely from all that is created and focus towards the Creator.

It is clear that thorough disassociation is not at all possible without limiting the relations (with others) (Obviously non-wajib).

The Shuyukh and salikeen should be vigilant in decreasing these associations. They should be perturbed by the gathering of people around them and the respect they show, etc..

Develop this disposition, because the achievement of perfect state of harmony (with the Divine:wusool) is not possible without it.

Based on experience my opinion is that one must live like a blunt mullah. There should not be expression of overwhelming emotions or distribution of amulets & charms (ta’weez, ganday). Do not emulate the lifestyle of the (contemporary) dervishes. All these thing lead to gathering of people.

Live like a mullah, so that others get an impression that you are a vapid mullah.

Instruct your associated to do the same. Bestow them spiritually whatever you want to confidentially in such a manner that none is suspicious that you possess something (spiritual wealth). Keep the external means afar and hide yourself as much as possible.’

Waaz: al-wasal al-fasal,Tasleem o raza, Khutbaat e Hakimul Ummat ra, volume 15, page 203

Who are the righteous?

Imam Hasan al-Basri (Allah have mercy on him) said in explanation of the word righteous (abrar) in the Holy Quran,

إن الأبرار لفي نعيم
Surely the righteous will be in bliss [82:13]

‘These are the individuals who would not even harm an ant and never consent to wrong actions.’

Tazkirah Mohammad Ahmad Partabgarhi (Allah have mercy on him), page 202

رضاے یار

سرمد گلہ اختصار می باید کرد
یک کار ازیں دو کار می باید کرد
یا تن برضائے یار می باید داد
یا قطع نظر ز یار می باید کرد

سرمد گلے شکوے کو مختصر کر دے اور

ان دو کاموں میں سے ایک کام کر

یا اپنے آپ کو یار کی رضا پر چھوڑ دے

یا (اگر ھو سکے تو) یار سے قطع نظر کر لے۔

Differentiate between needs & desires


Allah (Most Exalted) says;

‘whereas for the one who feared to stand before his Lord,

and restrained his self from the (evil) desire,[79:40]

the Paradise will be the abode.[79:41]

So, have you seen him who has taken his desires as his god, and

Allah has let him go astray, despite having knowledge, and has sealed his ear and his heart, and put a cover on his eye?

Now who will guide him after Allah? Still, do you not take lesson? (45:23)

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A need is something that is necessary for an individual to live a healthy life.

Needs are distinguished from desires because a deficiency would cause a clear negative outcome, such as dysfunction or death.

Desire is a sense of longing for a person or object or hoping for an outcome.

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These desires may be permissible or impermissible.

The Shariah decides these limits and their rulings. The way of Sunna delineates how to safeguard these limits. Finally, the tariqat ensures how these limits are effectively implemented in one’s life practically.  Hence, a faithful believer is ensured salvation from the above mentioned Quranic admonition.

 

Three basic rights of every Muslim

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‘It is essential that you provide the following three things to every Muslim;

1. If you can not provide any benefit to him, do not harm him.

2. If you can not make him happy, do not make him sad.

3. If you can not praise him, do not condemn him.

Ahzab tahzib un nafus,  Munajat e maqbool, (zamimajat, Saeedi), page 312

Silence

The blessed Companion Jabir bin Samrah (Allah be pleased with him) narrated that,

The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) used to remain silent most of the time.

It means that talking less was a prominent feature of his character. If something important and beneficial was needed only then he would speak otherwise he remained silent.

It is reported in Shahih al-Bukhari, al-Muslim and other books of Hadith: ‘Whoever believes in in Allah and the Here-after he should either speak good or remain quite.’

Our master the leader of the believers Abu Bakr Siddiq ( Allah be pleased with him) said,

‘I wish I was (partially) inarticulate and only had the power of speech to make remembrance of Allah.’

Mazahir al-Haq, sharh Mishkat, volume 5, page 352

Related

Islam is not a religion!

Shaikh Mufti Mohammad Rafi’ Usmani (Allah preserve him) said,

‘It must be explicitly clear that Islam is not merely a religion.

This is especially so as the religion is defined as a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values.

Islam is a Dīn.  That is, religion PLUS a complete way of life. It provides guidance for each and every aspect of human life.

The Holy Quran and the blessed sayings of the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace)  repeatedly mention that Islam is a Dīn and not merely a religion (madhab).

‘Today, I have perfected your Dīn (religion and a way of life) for you, and have completed My blessing upon you, and chosen Islam as Dīn (religion and a way of life) for you.[5:3]

‘Whoever seeks a Dīn (religion and a way of life) other than Islam, it will never be accepted from him, and he, in the Hereafter, will be among the losers. [3:85]

Struggle for (seeking the pleasure of) Allah, a struggle that is owed to Him. He has chosen you and did not impose any hardship on you in the Dīn, the  faith (religion and a way) of life of your father Ibrāhīm. He (Allah) named you as Muslims earlier and also in this (Qur’ān), so that the Messenger becomes a witness to you, and you become witnesses to (other) people. So establish Salāh, pay Zakāh and hold fast to Allah. He is your patron. So, how excellent He is as a patron, and how excellent as a supporter![22:78]

Dīn is the exact correlate of Shari’a.

Therefore we as a Muslim have to live a life following the ways prescribed by Shari’a.

Shari’a rulings have been categorized in five subsections,

1. The article of belief (‘aqaid),

2. The methods of worship (‘ibadaat),

3. The social dealings (ma’asherat),

4. The financial & business dealings (ma’amlaat) and

5. The moral values (‘ikhlaqiyat, including siyasah).

To be a true Muslim we have to follow all these rulings in our life.’

Qari Rafeeq’s residence, Safa distt, Jeddah, bayan after maghrib, 20th January 2012

Unromantic spouse

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The spouses of the seekers on the path to Allah often bemoan about their unromantic partners. Especially, when it comes to verbalization of romantic sentiments.

However, a true seeker is always over cautious to fulfill the rights of their spouse and keeps them happy.

He/she may be tongue tied fearing to be untruthful in making bold claims.

Please, have mercy on him/her and remember:

(Picture: Richard Templar’s Rules of Love)

Criteria for instructing others

Shaikh Shaddad bin Hakim (Allah have mercy on him) used to say:

“Whoever possesses the following three characteristics should instruct people; if not, then he should leave off teaching.

1. He reminds people of God’s favors in order that they give thanks for them;

2. He reminds them of their sins in order that they repent from them; and

3. He reminds them of their enemies (nafs & Shaytan) in order that they beware of them.”

Ikhlaq as-Saliheen, translation Tambih al Mughtarin of of Imam Sha’rani (Allah have mercy on him)

Facebook

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An individual inquired that if it was still inappropriate to keep a face book account.

Sayyidi wa sanadi Shaikh Mufti Mohammad Taqi Usmani (Allah preserve him) replied,

‘Yes indeed one should not have an account on the facebook . It is against the Islamic honor to do so. The desecration they did for our master Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace) was despicable.

However, I do not say that it is impermissible (na-jaiz/haram) to do so.

Some people tell me there is an account under my name also. I do not approve of it. I tell them to delete it if possible. I have no connection with it.’

Medinah e munawwarah, Al-Taiba Suites, 11th January 2011