Category Archives: B. Praise worthy morals

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

The reason for our poor state

 

Shaykh Mohammad Badr ‘Alam (Allah have mercy on him) [died 1385H, buried in Baqi, Medina al-munawwarah] said,

‘The main reason for our current degradation  (as a Muslim nation) in my opinion is that in our hearts the characteristic of being at ease, love, forgiveness, forbearance and having a good opinion (of other fellow individuals) have been replaced by envy, animosity, having a bad opinion and quarrelling without a reason.

Therefore, it is vital that I clarify this reality that as per Islamic teachings the characteristics of being at ease and having mutual love is not only for fellow Muslims alone. It is  a fundamental requirement for all the fellow human beings.’

Jawaher al-Hikam, page 21

Alchemy

ismezat

Arif-billah Shaykh Dr. Abdul Hayy Arifi (Allah have mercy on him) said;

‘For two minutes talk to Allah any time during the day telling Him,
“O Allah! I am inept, weak, unworthy, and unable to do any thing significant. Please, do have Your special benevolence for me.”
Say this all.

 Can’t you even do this?
You certainly have the power to articulate this.

(And if you do so,) Then you will see how your (spiritual) condition changes (for the better).
This is an alchemy prescription by our Shaykh Hakim al-Umma (Allah have mercy on him).’

(Malfoozat e Arifi 58)

How to develop determination?

salatjamah_Mosque

An individual asked that the pious usually instruct their disciples to develop determination (himmat) for doing good deeds and abstaining from sinful acts. What is the method to develop this determination?

Hakim al-Umma’s khalifa Shaykh Mawlana Khair Mohammad Jalandhari (Allah have mercy on them) replied,

‘The heartfelt acknowledgment of the significance and the importance of a matter instinctively creates the determination (for action).

For example, when one has to travel for an important journey and the train leaves at midnight it is reflexively that one prepares to do so.’

Khair us Sawanih, page 308

تصوف : محبت الھی کا چشمہ

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مولانا سید ابوالحسن علی ندوی رحمة اللہ علیہ نے فرمایا

اگر تصوف اپنی صحیح روح اور سلوک راہ نبوت کے مطابق ھو اور

یقین ومحبت پیدا ھونے کا باعث ھو

اس سے قوت عمل، جذبہ جھاد ، عالی ھمتی ، جفاکشی

اور شوق شہادت پیدا ھونا لازمی ھے

جب محبت الھی کا چشمہ دل سے ابلے گا

تو روئیں روئیں سے یہ صدا بلند ہو گی۔

اے آنکہ زنی دم از محبت

از ھستی خویشتن پرھیز

بر خیز وبہ تیغ تیز بنشین

یا از رہ راہ دوست برخیز

Seeker’s affliction

narcissim

Sidi Ahmad Zarruq al-Barnusi al-Fasi (Allah have mercy on him) [1442 – 1493 CE] said,

I have also seen that the seekers of this age are afflicted with five things:

1.The preference of ignorance over knowledge

2. Being deluded by every spiritual impostor

3. The inability to prioritize important matters

4. Using the spiritual path as a means to inflate the selfish soul

5. Attempting to expedite a spiritual opening without fulfilling its prerequisite conditions.

This has resulted in five other afflictions:

1. Preferring innovations as opposed to the tried and true prophetic practice (Sunna)

2. Following the people of claims and conceit as opposed to the truth

3. Acting on capricious desires in all of their affairs, even the most celestial

4. Preferring fantasies to realities

5. The manifestation of claims without sincerity.

Foundations of the Spiritual Path Translated by Shaykh Hamza Yusuf Hanson

Allah’s love

allahisakbar3

Sayyidi wa sanadiShaykh Mufti Mohammad Taqi Usmani (Allah preserve him) said,

‘The people living in the vicinity of the House of Allah (Ka’ba) have a greater responsibility of following the Shariah commandments. To do so they must develop a strong relationship with Allah.

As per the teachings of my Shaykh Hadrat ‘Arifi (Allah have mercy on him) following three things are helpful in developing this relationship and love of Allah,

1. Recitation of the Sunna prayers (azkar) for the different occasions in once daily life.

2. Making supplications for each and everything.

3. Being abunbdantly thankful of all the blessings Allah has bestowed on us.’

Bayan, Jeddah 16th February 2010, after ‘Asr

Companionship to be avoided

furnace

Shaykh-e-kamil Arifbillah Dr. Abdul Hayy Arifi (Allah have mercy on him) said;

“The companionships (suhba) that do not make one remember Allah or His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), reflect on one’s own debilitated condition and perceive one’s filthy inner-self and lead to increased involvement in dispensable (ghair-maqsood) and increasing desire of fame (hubb e jah) are to be shunned.

Otherwise, tell me what will be the advantage of such supercilious suhba?

A companionship is only useful if it has the property of changing our life for better. It cures our spiritual aliments and makes evident to us our moral deficiencies and spiritual shallowness. “

Sawanih wa ta’lemat e Hazrat Arifi ra pg 584

Precious advice

tresure

Shaykh Syed Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi (Allah have mercy on him) said the following addressing the students of Medina (al-munawwarah) University,

‘A scholar should be more pious and congnizant (of Allah).

Being excessively involved in contraversial issues makes one negligent of his/her own personal improvement.

Focus more on practice of issues that are  held unanimous. For example, khushu in salah. Do not be involved in peripheral minor issues.

You are aware of the scholarly acheivements of Imam Ahmad and Hafiz Ibn Taymiyyah (Allah have mercy on them). However, you are not aware of their high moral character, humility, fear of Allah and being busy in night crying.

It was the practice of Hafiz Ibn Taymiyyah (Allah have mercy on him) that whenever, he faced a difficulty he would go to an isolated mosque, cry and make the following supplication repeatedly,

Ya mu’alim al Ibrahim ‘alimni, ya mufham al Suleman fahimni

The greed and desire of the worldly has made the scholars worthless.

Be an example for others.’

Tazkirah wa sawanih Mawlana Hasan Jan shaheed ra, page 43

Advice to reader of Sufi works!

old-book-shelf

Sayyidi wa sanadi Mawlana Mohammad Taqi Usmani (Allah preserve him and allow us to benefit from him a lot. Ameen!) gives the following invaluable advice to those interested in classic Sufi works:

“A point never to be forgotten when reading the books of venerable Sufi masters is that the things to acquire from them are;

– the special relationship with Allah (ta’aluq ma’Allah),

– remembrance and contemplation of hereafter,

– turning to Allah with humility (inabat),

– recognizing the plots & deceptions of nafs and methods to prevent them,

– methods of cleansing the heart and

– love of Allah and His messenger صلی اللہ علیہ و الہ وسلم.

As far as the fiqh (Shariah juristic rulings) and kalam (science of logic and art of reasoning) issues, historic events and narrations (rewayat) are concerned these are neither their (i.e. Sufi masters) field of specialization nor one can rely on them solely in these matters.

لکل فن رجال”

Tabseray 476

فنائیت

mohar

عارف باللہ حضرت ڈاکٹر عبدالحئی عارفی رحمۃ اللہ علیہ نے فرمایا کہ

فنائیت کا مطلب ہے ترک اعتراض۔

یعنی کسی پر اعتراض نہ کرو۔

ناگوار امر پر صبر کرو اور ضبط سے کام لو۔

اس ترک اعتراض کا آخری مقام یہ ہوگا کہ ہر ناگوار امر کو مشیت ایزدی پر محمول کرتے ہوۓ ناگواری نہیں ہوگی۔

جو کام بھی ہوگا اور جس طرح ہوگا اس کو منجانب اللہ تصور کرتے ہوۓ خوش طبعی کے ساتھ قبول کرلوگے۔

اور یہی مقام فنائیت ہے۔ 

اصلاح حال و سکون قلب، ص 35

حاصل و منتہاۓ طریق

lote tree

علامہ سید سیلمان ندوی رحمۃ اللہ علیہ نے فرمایا 

ہر عمل میں طلب رضا کا شعور پیدا ہونا یہی اس طریق کا حاصل ہے۔

اور جب خدا اوربندہ کے درمیان یہ علاقہ استوار ہو جاتا ہے تو صوفیہ کی اصطلاح میں اس کو ‘نسبت’ کہتے ہیں۔ 

تذکرہ سلیمان رح، ص412

Perfection

mawajjah sharif1

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

‘Perfection (kamal) is that an individual can successfully overcome a state (hal) without the  state causing any change in him.

Great insight (baseerah) is needed to recognize such an individual. His condition is similar to that of the novice aspirant. Common people can not differentiate between them.

To recognize a spiritual-graduate (muntahi) is not an easy thing. It is for this reason that people recognized those who were still traversing the path(mutawassit) but failed to recognized the perfect awilya and Prophets.’

Waaz e Meerut, Khutbat e Hakim al-Ummat, volume 8, page 394

Rights of Fellow human beings!

IlahiAqibat_001

Sayyidi wa sanadiMawlana Mohammad Taqi Usmani (Allah preserve him and allow us to benefit from him a lot. Ameen!) said:

“If someone drank alcohol, he can repent by asking forgiveness from Allah.
If he commits zina (adultery), he can repent by asking forgiveness from Allah.
If he were to eat pork, he can repent by asking Allah’s forgiveness.

BUT,
if he is rude,
arrogant,
hurts some-one’s feeling,
does ghibah (backbiting) or
inflicts material loss on an individual

then the scenario for repentance is different.
He can not repent by asking forgiveness from Allah alone.

He has to ask forgiveness from the  person he has wronged first.
Apologise for the mistake committed.
Compensate for the material loss, if any.
Only then he can fulfill the criteria for tawabah (true repentance).
(And remember Tawbah is the first step of tareeq!)

So be very, very careful with the rights of others!”

Allah SWT give me the taufeeq.
Ameen bi haq e Sayyidul mursaleen.

Giving gifts!

gifts

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

‘Keep up with the custom of exchanging gifts.

This practice cleanses the hearts (from misunderstandings and suspicions) and increases mutual love.

Do not consider any gift to be unworthy of being a present. Exchange whatever is available without any formalities.

Taleem ud deen, quoted via Zad us Salikeen, page 359

Karachi