Category Archives: D. Acts of Worship

Various acts of devotion to show our servitude

Why dhikr alone isn’t sufficient to give up sins?

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Sayyidi wa sanadi Shaykh Mawlana Mohammad Taqi Usmani (Allah preserve him) said,

‘Recently a person inquired that is it beyond the capacity and effects of remembrance of Allah (dhikr) that sins are abandoned automatically and no additional determination and effort be required to do so?

I told him that my Shaykh (Arif-billah Dr Abdul Hayy Arifi, Allah have mercy on him) used to tell us that the remembrance (dhikr) and tasbihat (wird) provides a form of energy that makes it easy to give up sins and creates a desire to do good actions.  It facilitates these two provided one uses his determination to act accordingly.

Understand this by an  example.  Suppose there is a student suffering from mental debility. A physician prescribes a tonic for him and instructs him to drink it daily to energize his brain. Now if this student assumes that after taking this medicine he does not have to study the textbooks and only taking the tonic will be sufficient to pass the exam then this is an explicit proof of his stupidity. This is because the medicine was prescribed to cure the mental weakness and lead to facilitation of studying and remembering the course material.

Similar is the condition of these dhikr, tasbihat and other awrad.  One has to use his determination to abandon sins even after doing these activities.’

Bait al-mukkaram masjid, Karachi, Friday waaz 30th November 1990

علوم تصوف و تزکیہ کی تفصیل

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از حضرت حکیم الامت مولانا اشرف علی تھانوی رحمۃ اللہ علیہ ،

 

1۔ مقامات

مقصود اصلی اس طریق میں اصلاح اعمال باطنی ہیں اور ان اعمال کو اصطلاح میں اخلاق و مقامات کہتے ہیں۔

 

2۔ احوال

وہ امور جو بمنزلہ ثمرات غیر اختیاریہ اصلاح مذکور کے ہیں۔

 

3۔ اشغال

وہ امور جو ان ثمرات کے معین و بمزلہ اسباب حصول  ہیں۔

 

4۔ تعلیمات

وہ امور جو کسی اشتباہ کا دفع یا کسی مرض کا علاج یا کسی عمل کا طرز و طریق بتلائیں۔

 

5۔ علامات

وہ  امور اختیاری یا غیر اختیاری جو ان ثمرات کے آثار ظاہری ہیں۔

 

6۔فضائل

وہ امور از قبیل نصوص جو ان اخلاق و صفات محمودہ پر بشارت دینے والے ہیں۔

 

7۔ عادات و آراب

وہ امور جو از قسم افعال اختیاریہ بمزلہ امور طبعیہ اس قوم صوفیہ کے ہیں۔

 

8۔ رسوم

وہ افعال از قسم افعال مباحہ مبنی بر بعض مصالح غیر ضروریہ۔

 

9۔ مسائل

وہ امور جو محض تحقیقات علمیہ ہیں۔

 

10۔ اقوال

وہ امور جو از قسم عبارات ہیں۔

 

11۔ توجیہات

وہ امور جو ظاہرنظر میں حدودجواز سے متجاوز معلوم ہوتے ہیں، اگر واقع میں وہ داخل حدود ہیں تو ان کی نسبت جو تاویل اور تطبیق کی جاۓ وہ۔

 

12۔ اصلاح

اور اگر واقع میں بھی خارج حدود ہیں تو اس میں جو تنبیہ کی جاۓ۔

 

13۔ متفرقات

بہت کم ایسے امور جو ان کلیات میں سے کسی کی فرد نہ ہوں۔

 

التکشف 258

The Goal

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Grand-Shaykh Haji ‘Abd al-Rahim Wilayati Shahid (1246 H)  instructed his khalifa Mianji Nur Muhmmad Jhinjhanawi (1259 H) (may Allah have mercy on them),

‘The main purpose and goal is for one to remain steadfast on the Shari‘a — both outwardly and inwardly — at all times, and abstain from all manners of shirk and bida’. ‘

more…………….

Instructing Good/Amr bil ma’ruf

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Hakim al-Umma Mawlana Shah Ashraf Ali Thanawi ra said:

“There are two prerequesites for amr-bil ma’ruf (instructing good);

Firstly, there should be hope that the individual being spoken to will accept or at least will not harm you (in retaliation).

The other is that the individual must be unaware of that good deed.

Mostly in the cases of lack of knowledge the chance of instruction being accepted are better. Whereas, people already aware of the good deed are often annoyed if instructed to perform it.

Dawat o tablig ki sharaii hasiyat, page 26

The absolute following of the Shaykh

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The issue of complete and unquestionable following of the Shaykh is usually described in such a dreadful manner that makes most of the listeners wary of Tasawwuf in general. This is very detrimental especially in this era of religious ignorance and arrogance. Below is an extract explaining the reality of this following.

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

“This following is neither in beliefs (aqaid) nor in unveiling (kashafiyat), other collective issues (masail) and economic matters. It is only in methods of approach, diagnosis, instructions and treatment of spiritual diseases and issues related to spiritual reformation. Moreover,this following is further restricted to the mutual agreement of murid and the Shaykh on the permissibility of the issue. If there is a difference of opinion then it is against the way of people of the path (tareeq) to indulge in a debate with the Shaykh, when following his advice will be against the Shariah ruling. In this situation the best etiquette (adab) between the two proprieties (adab of Shariah and Shaykh) is to consult the scholars or do research of his own (if he is capable of it) and establish a ruling. He should then inform the Shaykh that I do not consider this particular action to be permissible and it is from the teaching of our path (silsila), what should I do? If the Shaykh still instructs him to do the same then it is best to abandon this Shaykh. However, if he gives the permission to forgo this action then this is also following his instruction in proxy.

This is the meaning of absolute following (itiba’ e kamil).

That is, complete following (of the Shaykh) must be done in whatever diseases of the lower self (nafs) he has diagnosed, the prescription he has provided and the permissible actions he has instructed to carry out, the permissibility of which Shaykh and murid agree mutually upon. Murid should not interfere in these issues at all with his opinions. It does not entail following in matters beside these issues.

Mawlana Abdul Majid Dayabadi ra’s book, Hakim al-Umma ra, page 304, quote taken from Al-‘Itedal fi matba’t ar-Rijal

Daily Routine: A must!

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Hakim al-Umma Shaykh Mawlana Shah Ashraf Ali Thanawi (Allah have mercy on him) used to repeatedly emphasize that one must complete his daily ma’moolat (wird) regularly.

In case of a genuine excuse this may be even without wudhu’ (ablution) or while doing the daily chores . This is because that being absent after fixing a ma’mool (wird) causes loss of barakah (Divinely blessings) excessively.

Maasir e Hakeemul Ummat 233

مسلمانان پاکستان کے نام ایک دردناک پیغام

لَقَدْ جَاءَكُمْ رَسُولٌ مِنْ أَنْفُسِكُمْ عَزِيزٌ عَلَيْهِ مَا عَنِتُّمْ

حَرِيصٌ عَلَيْكُمْ بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ رَءُوفٌ رَحِيمٌ

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حضرت مولانا عبداللہ میمن صاحب مدظلہ نے تحریر فرمایا،

السلام علیکم

حضرت مفتی محمد تقی عثمانی صاحب مدظلہ نے اپنے بیان میں ایک بزرگ کا پیغام ذکر فرمایا ہے کہ انھوں نے خواب میں آنحضرت صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم کو دیکھا۔ حضور صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم نے فرمایا کہ،

“پاکستان پر عذاب آنے کا اندیشہ ہے۔”

٭

سورۃ والشمس اور آیت کریمہ کا 70،000 مرتبہ اجتماعی ختم کرنے کا اھتمام کریں!

(اتوار 24/5/2009 کا بیان)

یہ پیغام ہر مسلمان تک پہچائیں!

جزاک اللہ خیرا و احسن الجزاء

٭(توبہ و استغفار کریں اور گناہوں کو چھوڑیں)


Repentance

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Shaykh Abd al-Ghani al-Rifai’ (Allah have mercy on him) instructed the novice disciples,

‘The rights of other that are due must be fulfilled or forgiveness sought for them.

If one finds himself  unable to do this now, then he should make a firm determination to do so whenever it is possible for him.

In the mean time he should continuously make supplications for the aggrieved individual and ask forgiveness for himself.

For example, he should says hundred times daily, ‘O Allah! I seek forgiveness in matters related to rights of other individuals (huqooq al-ibad).’  This recitation should continue till he fulfills these obligations as outlined above.

This is because repentance (tawbah) is the reality and foundation of this path (tareeq). In fact it is the very first station of the path.

Takhlees Tarsi’ al-Jawahir al-Makkiyah fi tazkiya tal-ikhlaq al-mardhiyah, page 78

Related: Clearing financial matters first!

Tahajjud prayers

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Sayyidi wa sanadi Shaykh Mohammad Taqi Usmani (may Allah preserve him) instructed a seeker who complained of missing the tahajjud salah,

‘Pray four units (rakah) of optional (nafl) prayers (salah) between the sunna and witr of esha with the intention of tahajjud. If you are able to wake up in the last part of the night pray tahajjud again.’

On another occasion he instructed,

‘Special effort should be made to wake up for tahajjud in the last part of the night.  It will be completely fine to make up for the lost sleep after fajr prayers. However, until this habit is established make a routine of offering four units of nafl salah between the sunna and witr of esha.’

Islahi khutoot

Saliks involved in completing their missed (qaza) prayers should also act accordingly. However, they should keep nafil to the minimum (2 rakah) and focus more on their qaza at this time also.

Esha in Helsinki

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Answering a question regarding when should the ‘esha prayers be offered in Helsinki, Finland where there is no complete darkness between sunset and sunrise sayyidi wa sanadi Shaykh Mawlana Taqi Usmani (Allah preserve him) said,

‘The most practical thing to do in these areas is that one should divide the interval between the sunset and sunrise into two halves. Pray ‘esha just prior to the end of the first half and fajar after the commencement of second half.’

Helsinki, ESCMID 2009

Say Ameen!

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Importance of following Sunna!

Sayyidi wa sanadi Shaykh Mawlana Mohammad Taqi Usmani (may Allah preserve him) told us:

“Shaykh Mujaddid Alif Thani (Sheikh Ahmed Sirhindi Naqshbandi, may Allah have mercy on him) said,

‘Allah initially gave me the outward knowledge of Shariah and made me excel in it. Then I turned towards the inner wisdom Sufiya possess. All praise to Allah, He made me do extremely well in them also. And Allah bestowed all His bounties on me and eventually elevated me to such a high station that our lord, the mercy for the universe (Prophet Mohammad, Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him) conferred the royal cloak of honor to me by his very noble hands.

Furthermore, made me move forward additionally to much higher stations to the level that if I speak of it, the scholars of the exoteric Shariah will give a verdict that I am a unbeliever (kafir) and Sufiya will label me to be a heretic (zindeeq). But how can I deny this? It is a fact.

However, after achieving all these exalted stations I make a prayer (dua). Whoever says ameen after it, inshaAllah he will also receive salvation (magfirah).

The dua is:
O Allah! Give me the tawfeeq to follow the example of Prophet Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him (ameen).

O Allah! Keep me (steadfast in) following the example of Prophet Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him till I die (ameen).

This is because, after all this journey I found out that it is due to this following of Sunna of Prophet  (Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him), that this was achieved.’

Therefore, we should make a solemn determination from today onwards that we are going to perform all the Sunna of Prophet ( Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him). Then, inshaAllah, we will observe how bliss, clarity (noor), blessings (barakah) and luminosity is instilled in our lives.

By Allah, the delight of life is not achieved by indulging in transgressions and sins. Ask regarding this pleasure from those individuals who have molded their lives in the example of Prophet (Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him). ”

(Islahi-mawaiz 236-7)

Helsinki, ESCMID 2009