A seeker requested further elaboration of the Allah’s fazal mentioned in the previous post.
Sayyidi wa sanadi Mufti Mohammed Taqi Usmani (Allah preserve & protect him) said,
‘It means facilitation (taufeeq) of and persistence on good deeds, attainment of Allah’s pleasure and His acceptance. ‘
Masjid al Haraam, Makkah e mukarramah. Prior to exiting Bab 89. After esah. 9th January 2019
Hakim al Umma Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi (Allah have mercy on him) once mentioned:
The purpose of self-reformation is to acquire the pleasure of Allah. In order for one to gain self-reformation, one requires two things; knowledge of the path and correct application of this knowledge. Self-reformation will be obtained through one adhering to the laws of Shariah in accordance to the Sunnah, regardless of whether the laws pertain to our external actions or internal.
In acquiring self-reformation, there are two things that will assist one greatly; remaining in zikr at all times, and remaining in the company of the pious servants of Allah as much as one is able to. If it is difficult for one to remain in the company of the pious all the time, then the substitute is for one to study the lives of our pious predecessors and their advices.
One should refrain from two things as they are the cause of impeding one’s progress; falling into sins and becoming involved in futile activities.
Together with the above, one will only be able to derive full benefit if one regularly reports his condition to his spiritual guide and sheikh (person under whose supervision he is carrying out his self-reformation).
After adopting the necessary procedures in self-reformation, each person will progress and receive blessings from Allah in accordance to his capacity and the level of commitment and dedication he shows. This is the essence of the path of self-reformation.
(Malfoozaat Hakeemul Ummat 23/56)
Via:Ihyauddeen.co.za
Shaykh Khalid Kurdi (Allah have mercy on him) said that in the blessed city of Madinah he requested a Yemeni Shaykh for dua and advice prior to departing for Makkah mukarramah.
The Yemeni Shaykh made dua for him and instructed,
‘Do not waste time there.
Use it effectively in tawaf, supererogatory salah, recitation of Holy Quran, remembrance of Allah (dhikr) or performing your missed (qaza) salah.
Moreover, under all circumstances avoid all (even in your thoughts), criticism of, and argumentation with, anyone in the Holy precinct of Makkah.
Be busy with your own work. ‘
Khutbat e Mashaheer , volume 2, p 77
Hakim al Umma Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi (Allah have mercy on him) said instructing a seeker,
There are five components of perfect repentance (توبہ کاملہ) ,
1. Acknowledgement of the wrongdoing
2. Feeling remorse for this
3. Asking forgiveness
4. Reaffirming determination not to do it again
5. Planning for rectification(اصلاح) [of the blameworthy morals that led to indulgence in it].
Husn al Aziz, volume 1, part 2, p 152
A spiritual aspirant wrote,
On the death of (my) child his mother is (extremely) disturbed. She cries repeatedly on simple matters and expresses sorrow. Compared to her despair my grief is nothing. Moreover, on hearing from people about losing a child I feel minimal sorrow in my heart. Because of this I fear that my heart has hardened (قساوت القلب) and I have no attachment with my children.
Hakim al Umma Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi (Allah have mercy on him) replied,
‘Having attachment (to children) in itself is not a requirement. Therefore, its deficiency or absence should not be worrisome. Attachment is required to fulfill their rights. There should not be any deficiency in this.
Hardening of heart entails being brave on committing sinful.
Lack of attachment and feelings is not hardening of heart. It is something that is, also, to an extent coveted.
Tarbiyet us Salik, volume 3, p174-5
Hakim al Umma Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi (Allah have mercy on him) once mentioned:
People regard different things to be the sign of a person’s perfection. Some people base perfection on one’s excessive ‘ibaadah (worship), while others base perfection on one’s level of taqwa (piety and abstinence). However, according to the ‘Ulama, the person who has truly acquired perfection is he who, with possessing the qualities of perfection, always keeps his weaknesses and faults before him at all times.
(Malfoozaat Hakeemul Ummat 3/321)
Source:
Grand-Mufti of Pakistan Mufti Mohammed Rafi’ Usmani (Allah preserve & protect him)advised seekers (performing eitikaf) that when returning to their respective cities/countries they should bring some gift for their family members.
Ramadan 1439, malfuzaat collated by Br Kaiser
Nizamani
The Grand-Mufti of Pakistan Mufti Mohammed Rafi’ Usmani ( Allah preserve & protect him) was informed by his secretary that some people had sent him gifts of mangos.
The Shaikh personally called each person who had sent the gifts to thank them, reminding of the Hadith: “He who does not thank people is not thankful to Allah.”
Ramadan 1439, malfuzaat collated by Br KaiserNizamani
Summary of Ramadan 1439 Last 10 days Discourses:
Sayyidi wa sanadi Mufti Mohammed Taqi Usmani (Allah preserve & protect him) said,
Whatever actions we perform, such as prayers, fasting, Hajj, Zakah etc. are like a body. However there is a soul behind these actions without which these actions become useless in the Hereafter. The soul of all actions depends on three things:
1) Eeman, i.e. belief. This means that a person must be a Muslim for any action to be acceptable in the Court of Allah. Alhamdulillah Allah has given us Eeman. We must continue to ask Allah to protect and strengthen this Eeman.
Shaikh mentioned the following duas taught by the Prophet (Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him) related to this:
a) اللهم إني أسألك إيمانا يباشر قلبي
“O Allah! I ask you for Eeman which settles deep in my heart.”
b) اللهم اني أسالك إيماناً لا يرتد
“O Allah! I beg you for the Eeman which will not be shaken.”
c) اللهم اني أسالك إيماناً دائما
“O Allah! I beg you for perpetual Eeman.”
2) Ikhlas, i.e. sincerity. Normally Satan does not openly incite us to do an action just to show to others, as it is unlikely for a normal practicing Muslim to fall into this trap. However Satan attacks a person’s Ikhlas by telling him “What would people say if you don’t do this action”. As a result, the person may do some action to avoid being criticized by people, hence tainting the Ikhlas.
Shaikh mentioned that the reward of a single action can be increased if multiple intentions are made for it. For example, the following intentions can be made for eating or drinking:
a) I will make Shukr (gratitude) of Allah after eating/drinking.
b) I will be following the Sunnah of the Prophet (Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him), as he would eat food when it was brought in front of him.
c) I will use the energy I get from this food in fulfilling the commandments of Allah.
Similarly several intentions can be combined in many daily actions. Since it is normally difficult to remember to make all these intentions each time before doing each action, an easy way of achieving this is to make all these intentions at the beginning of the day. Inshallah all these intentions will be rewarded in this way as well.
Beyond this, Shaikh explained that sometimes a person’s intention can be better than his action. He quoted a Hadith the gist of which is:
“A person will be brought on the Day of Judgment and angels will present his book of deeds. One by one all his good deeds will be rejected as they were not done for the sake of Allah. After all the deeds will be rejected, Allah will command the angels to write so and so good deeds in his record. The angels will remark that he had not performed those good deeds. At this Allah will say that he had made an intention to do them.”
Further, Shaikh explained the following Hadith regarding the benefits of good intentions and the dangers of bad intentions:
“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ‘The likeness of this nation is that of four people: A man to whom Allah gives wealth and knowledge, so he acts according to his knowledge with regard to his wealth, spending it as it should be spent; a man to whom Allah gives knowledge, but he does not give him wealth, so he says: “If I had been given (wealth) like this one, I would have done what (the first man) did.” The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ‘They will be equal in reward. And a man to whom Allah gives wealth but does not give knowledge, so he squanders his wealth and spends it in inappropriate ways; and a man to whom Allah gives neither knowledge nor wealth, and he says: “If I had (wealth) like this one, I would do what (the third man) did.” The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ‘They are equal in their burden (of sin).’”
3) Sidq, which is a comprehensive word which includes the meanings that the actions must be in accordance with Sunnah. Shaikh gave examples that Wudu done with wastage of water would not have complete Sidq as wasting water during Wudu is prohibited even if Wudu is done at a flowing river.
Ramadan 1439, malfuzaat collated by Br KaiserNizamani
Sayyidi wa sanadi Shaikh Mufti Mohammed Taqi Usmani (Allah preserve & protect him) mentioned that his respected father Mufti Muhammad Shafee’ Usmani narrated that Hakim Ul Umma (Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi)(Allah have mercy on them) used to say that it is very difficult to become a (proper) human being. I could not become one but Allah showed us true human beings such that now (a beast like) a bull cannot deceive me saying that I am a human being.
Respected Mufti Shafi added that Hakim al Umma used to say this about himself (i.e. that he could not become a true human being) due to his humility, whereas this statement actually applies to me.
After looking at such people we understood how a human being should be like. If someone else comes and says that a human being should be something different, then Inshallah we would not be deceived.
He would also recite a couplet sometimes:
دل میں سما گئیں ہیں قیامت کی شوخیاں
دو چار دن رہے تھے کسی کی نگاہ میں
Unexplicable pleasures are infused in my heart,
I stayed under someone’s supervision for a few days
He also used to stay: “I have not read to many books. But I have observed men of Allah.” Like Shaikh (Rasheed Ahmed) Gangohi, Shayk al Hind, Hakim al UmmaThanvi, (Allah have mercy on them all).
Meaning I stayed in their company for a long time. Their company created a certain temperament and way of thought. After observing their outstanding demeanor, Alhamdulillah the heart does not get attracted to others.
Books give outwardly knowledge, but man is made by man, i.e. with his companionship. How to act on (and implement) on that knowledge is learnt from men.
Ramadan 1439, malfuzaat collated by Br KaiserNizamani #11
Sayyidi wa sanadi Shaikh Mufti Mohammed Taqi Usmani (Allah preserve & protect him). mentioned that scholars should have complete independence from people, especially the wealth of people.
However, this independence (Ghina) should not be from Allah Ta’ala; rather even after Allah Ta’ala gives sufficient wealth we should still show our neediness to Him.
Thereafter Shaikh quoted the following Hadith:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “While Prophet Ayyub (peace be upon him) was taking a bath, naked, a large number of gold locusts fell on him. He tried to collect them in a piece of cloth, when he heard his Lord (Allah) calling him: ‘O Ayyub ! Have I not sufficed you to care for what you see (the worldly possessions)?’ Ayyub said: ‘Indeed by Your Power, but I can never do away with Your Blessings.”‘
Ramadan 1439, malfuzaat collated by Br KaiserNizamani #10
Sayyidi wa sanadi Shaikh Mufti Mohammed Taqi Usmani (Allah preserve & protect him) was asked a question regarding valid excuse for not being able to fast.
Shaikh mentioned an incident about Baba Najam Ahsan (Allah have mercy on him) who was a pious Sahib-e-Kashf (person with frequent unveiling). Towards the end of his life he was unable to fast during Ramadan. One day he was feeling slightly better so he decided to give it a try. Later during the day he became so sick that he had to break his fast. The entire next day he was seen slapping his cheeks several times saying:
“O Allah! Please forgive me for fasting! I made a mistake!”
Shaikh explained that first it should be verified whether the Rukhsa (leeway) given in Shariah applies to a particular situation or not. If it is confirmed that Shariah has given Rukhsa (leeway) in that situation then the leeway should be acted upon wholeheartedly. We should not show our bravery in front of Allah Ta’ala.
He thereafter mentioned the following Hadith:
ما خير رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم بين أمرين قط إلا أخذ أيسرهما
“Whenever the Prophet (ﷺ) was given a choice between two matters, he would (always) choose the easier one”
He added that when we act upon a leeway the intention behind it is ease and comfort, but when the Noble Messenger (Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him) acted upon an easier option it was to display his abdiyat (slave-hood) towards Allah Ta’ala.
Ramadan 1438, malfuzaat collated by Br KaiserNizamani #9
Sayyidi wa sanadi Shaikh Mufti Mohammed Taqi Usmani (Allah preserve & protect him) said,
“During my early days of studying in Darul Uloom, the the Darul Uloom was located so far away from the city center that it was like an island cut off from the rest of the world. I would go home on Thursdays, which used to be holiday. Our house had 5 rooms out of which 2 contained cupboards filled with books. My holiday routine was to browse through those books. I would open a book, read a few pages then move on to another book. For some books I would only read the author’s name and few pages, some I would read half and some books complete. All praise is for Allah (Alhamdulillah) I read all kinds of books, including about Seerah, Tasawwuf, etc. After reading all those books I say from the depth of my heart that the books which benefited me most were the Spiritual discourses (Mawaiz) of Hakim al Umma Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi (Allah have mercy on him).
My respected father used to encourage me to read the Mawaiz but initially I used to be more interested in literary texts. Also, I would find the language of the Mawaiz too difficult and sophisticated. It wasn’t that I would not understand the language, but I would find it too sophisticated for my taste. I would read them sometimes, but would not find them interesting.
One day I told my respected father the following state of my heart: “Among my elders, the amount of affinity and fondness I find in my heart for respected Shaykh al-Hind (i.e. Maulana Mahmudul Hasan) and Maulana Anwar Shah Sahab Kashmiri is more than for Hakim Al Umma (Allah have mercy on them)”.
It is obvious that all of them are our elders. However, it seemed as if my respected father felt a shock, and replied, (to the near meaning):
“Taqi miyan (میاں), you are still stuck in the knowledge of alfaz-o-nuqoosh (words and designs). You have not even started to have the concern for correction (islah) of your nafs.” He said this with a sense of longing and regret. This is despite my respected father’s deep attachment to those two elders.
When my respected father said these words, it had effect on me and I started reading Hakim al Umma’s Mawaiz with importance. Later on, when I established Islahi correspondence with respected (Shaikh Dr Abdul-Hayy) ‘Arifi (Allah have mercy on him) he instructed me to fix 1 to 2 pages for daily reading. Alhamdulillah now perhaps there is none of the Mawaiz left which I have not read.”
Ramadan 1439, malfuzaat collated by Br KaiserNizamani #6
A senior seeker presented his Islahi letter to sayyidi wa sanadi Mufti Mohammed Taqi Usmani (Allah preserve & protect him).
Shaikh asked him regarding his activities. He replied that he manages two Madrasas, teaches three advanced books, writes Fatwa, and is also the Imam and Khateeb of the biggest Masjid of his country.
Shaikh commented that this is a lot of responsibilities and all are Deen. Even with this busy daily schedule, some time (whatever easily possible) should be taken out for seclusion (Khalwat ma’ Allah). (That is being alone with Allah.)
Ramadan 1439, malfuzaat collated by Br KaiserNizamani #2
Shaikh Saad ud Deen Khairabadi (Allah have mercy on him) said,
My dear, do you know what is the purpose of Islamic rulings (Sharia), Spiritual path (tariqat) and Divine reality (haqiqa)?
(Listen) The purpose of them is that an individual becomes truthful in speech, morally upright, relatively harmless, wise, good mannered and a gnostic (arif).
Mujama as Sulook, volume 1, page 232