Category Archives: D. Acts of Worship

Various acts of devotion to show our servitude

The thing to take from The Sheikh

tasbih

Sayyidi wa sanadi Shaykh Moulana Mohammad Taqi Usmani  (Allah preserve him & allow us to benefit from him abundantly. Ameen) said:

“The thing to acquire from the Sheikh is the fanayiat (self-annihilation).

People consider taking wird, azkar, ashagals and litanies etc. from him, all of which can be acquired from books. The essential thing to take from him is this fanayiat. That is total effacement of self suggestions, opinions, planning, expectations and complete submission to the commands of Shariah.

This is acquired ONLY by accompanying the Sheikh for considerable duration of time.
His suhba is essential:
To observe him practicing Shariah in different settings.
To learn from his attitude & behavior. Where is he firm and when lenient.
To correct yourself by his upright way of practice and implementing Shariah.
To happily bear his chastisement, in hope for self-reformation.
To be ready for his trials and testing, in order to check your sincerity.
To submit to all of his instructions wholeheartedly.
To do each and every major action in your life with his consultation and approval. And,
Finally, to copy, imitate and absorb his all esoteric & exoteric states enthusiastically.

And if this suhba is not readily available then it is essential to correspond with him via letters, mail, phone etc. to acquire this. (As explained in earlier posts.)

Also, important and perhaps most beneficial for this is the detail and extensive study of the malfoozat (suhba talks/utterances) of Hakim al-Umma Hazrat Mawlana Ashraf Ali Thanvi quddus sirrahu. Reading them regularly will allow you to absorb the style/disposition of Hakim al-Umma, who had absolute fanayiat!

Equally significant is the study of the biography of our pious elders. Books like: Ashraf us sawanih (Hakeemul Ummat ra’s biography), Tazkirat ur Rasheed (Moulana Rasheed Ahmed Gangohi ra’s bio), Tazkiratul Khalil (Moulana Khalil Ahmed ra’s bio), etc..

If all of these are done sincerely and seriously, inshaAllah, gradually this fanayiat will eventually develop and grow to the optimum level required.”

Helsinki, ECCMID, 2009

Islah by Tawajjuh, Wazifah & T’aweez?

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

“I observe that lot of people are expecting that their self-reformation (islah) will happen by the spiritual attention (tawajjuh) of a pious person. They also expect that by reciting special litanies (wazifah) or by using an amulet (t’aweez) their lower self (nafs) will be fixed to act on Shariah, and they will not have to do anything (that is, use self determination, courage and act appropriately).

Remember! This is a very big mistake.

Your nafs and Satan are misleading you!

The islah-e-nafs (reformation) does not happen without struggling and striving (using self determination, courage and acting appropriately against one’s desires and wishes).

The spiritual attention (tawajjuh) and litanies (wazaif) are for increasing the luminosity of a reformed nafs. They open the path in forward direction. “

Mawaiz-e-Ashrafiya vol. 11: Taqwa wa Tasawwuf

The art of giving a gift

gifts

Hakeem Mohammad Mustafa Bijnori, a senior khalifa of Hakeem al-Umma (Allah have mercy on them) said;

Giving a gift being a Sunna is an act of worship  (ibadah). And the soul of worship is sincerity(ikhlas: doing solely for Allah’s pleasure). Therefore, one who is giving the gift should try his best to preserve this sincerity.

The best way to do so is to contemplate presenting this gift to Allah, considering the person to whom it is being handed to as a carrier or an agent.  By doing so automatically all the requisite conditions and etiquettes required for giving a gift will be fulfilled.  Moreover, one will never even think of boasting doing a favor. His condition will be as per the following verse

منت منہ کہ خدمت سلطان ہمی کنی
منت شناس از و کہ بخدمت بداشتت

(Do not take pride in serving the King! Be content that He has tolerated your services!)

Ma’moolat e Ashrafi,  page 56

Using Time appropriately

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Yesterday a former student asked sayyidi wa sanadi Shaykh Mawlana Mohammad Taqi Usmani (may Allah preserve him) for some advice (nasiha). 

The Shaykh told him:

“Recognize the importance of time.  That it is an invaluable wealth.  Spend it very wisely and precisely in virtuous actions.”

Next day while the Shaykh was sitting in Masjid al-Haraam facing the holy Kab’a (‘s Rukun-e-Yamani) an individual requested some elaboration on this advice. That is, as how to practically incorporate it in to one’s daily life.

Obviously pleased on the question, Shaykh replied;

“Firstly one has to recognize the importance of time per se.

Secondly, one has to organize one’s schedule to fully maximize the benefit of available time, such that not a single moment is wasted. Being wasted meaning that it is not utilized appropriately even for a worldly purpose, may it be sleeping or moderate lawful entertainment or being busy in helping another fulfill his essential obligations, etc.

Wasting time includes indulging in activities having no benefit for this life or here-after (akhira).”

The Shaykh continued:

“Develop the habit of planning.

That is, plan for the future.

If I was to get 5 or 10 minutes break between my tasks how will I spend it?

For example, while commuting to work.

Think and decide in advance.

How I am going to spend these 15 minutes besides doing the driving?

Only if one has thought of these in advance he will be able to utilize this time appropriately.

My father (Grand Mufti of Pakistan, Hazrat Mawala Mohammad Shafi’i ra) used to inform us that, “Even the time I spent in toilet I try to make use of it. If there is nothing else I scrub and clean the water jug (lota) kept in there.”

All praise to Allah, due to his training I also try to enact on this advice. When I come home from my classes I know there will be at least a 5 minute interval before the lunch is served. I have planned in advance the use of this time. Such as, to return someone’s telephone call, etc.

When a person develops this habit of utilizing the time precisely, Allah facilitates immense actions for him and also puts blessing (barakh) in time. (That is, in short duration a lot is achieved.)

Remember, heedlessness (gaflah) is a bane!”

Makkah e mukarramah, November, 7th 2005

The objective of sulook

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Khawaja Mohammad Ma’soom Sirhindi (may Allah have mercy on him) said,

The objective of travelling on the path (sulook) is not to become a Shaykh and accept murid.  In fact its aim is to fulfil the duties of slave-hood (abdiyet) without the involvement and resistance of the lower self (nafs).

Tohfa tush Shuyukh, page 49

When in trouble?

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Sayyidi wa sanadi Mawlana Mohammad Taqi Usmani (Allah preserve him and allow us to benefit from him abundantly, Ameen) said:

“When in trouble or in a perplexing situation immediately repent (make tauba) before asking Allah for help & assistance.

There are definitely many sins we are not even aware of committing. Moreover, our worship itself is full of faults. Repenting from all these is a must.

An aftermath of sin (ma’seyat) is that it causes your decision making abilities to become cloudy/muddy. You forget things and make wrong judgements. Repentance will remove these and making your thinking and decision making clearer.”

Waaz 26th June 2005, Darul Uloom Karachi

Marital Relationship & Taqwa

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Sayyidi wa sanadi Shaykh Mufti Mohammad Taqi Usmani (may Allah preserve him) said:

“My respected father Hadhrat Mufti Mohammad Shafii’ (amy Allah have mercy on him) used to say that the healthy and happy relations between husband and wife are not at all possible unless they have taqwa: the fear of Allah, in their heart.

The degree of intimacy between them can never be found in any other relationship. Both are sharing one another’s secrets and are so close to each other that a closer relationship can never be imagined of. These relations are such that they can not be known to others in detail. Under such conditions, when they are in private and intimate, if one partner decides to hurt the other or disregard his/her rights who is going to stop him/her?

There are many rights if they are not executed, one can report to the police or claim them through the court. But most of the rights of husband and wife are such that they can not be reported to the police or be demanded via court. The judicial system at the most will make it possible to claim for wife’s monetary allowance and meher but what about the husband’s arrogant attitude and bitter speech? Which court or police is going to reimburse for these hurtful things?

There is only one thing that can prevent these hurtful things from happening. It is the fear of Allah (taqwa).

That is, when the husband realizes that Allah by uniting his wife to him (via nikah) has imposed some rights for her. These are obligations for me to fulfill. I am bound to undertake them. If I do not comply with them I will be accountable before Allah.
Until this realization arises one can not discharge other’s (marital) rights thoroughly.

(Marry but Fear Allah SWT: Islahi Khutbat 73-73 Volume 11)

Be intelligent!

alim

Shaykh Shah Wasiullah (may Allah have mercy on him) said,

Imam Abdur-Rehman Ali al-Jauzi (may Allah have mercy on him) has stated in his book ‘Kital al-azkiya’ that,

From all the bounties of Allah bestowed on human beings the most phenomenal is the intellect. This is because it is the instrument of acquiring the  knowledge of Allah (ma’arifa). It helps in the organizing the demands of religion and this world.  It enables one to focus on the eventual outcome. It leads to understanding of complicated things. It drives one to go for the the beneficial things and accumulate them.’

Mawlana Shah Ahlullah, brother of Shah Waliullah (may Allah have mercy on them) stated this in his booklet “Chahar bab’,

‘Intelligence, prudence and far-sightedness are innate qualities but they grow and improve with increase in experience, company of the wise individuals, reading of books of knowledge and listening to tales of wisdom and general advice. Therefore, one must try constantly to improve his mental capabilities.

Furthermore, physical and mental struggle must be done to establish one’s self as intelligent and not being  in the category of stupids.

Intellect is a unique entity. It must be utilized appropriately and not wasted.’

I remind you, that we do not utilize it appropriately and hence we destroy the benefits of both this world and the here-after. As though, we have kept our mental abilities on hold. This in particular I find in the religious individuals. They are totally handicapped in this regards.

Tazkira e musleh al-Umma, page 134

Mawlana Hanif Jaunpuri db

 mashaikh

Mawlana Mufti Mohammad Hanif Jaunpuri (may Allah preserve him) a khalifa of Shaykh Wasiullah (may Allah have mercy on him) is almost hundred years old.  He has been teaching for the past 63 years. Presently he is the Shaykh al-Hadith at Baitul Uloom, Sara-i-Mir, UP, India.

He is, mashaAllah, very active, alert and mentally sharp even at this age.

He was in Jeddah yesterday. In an informal talk  he informed us about himself. In my own words I will post some excerpts from it. May Allah make it beneficial for us. Amin!

‘I worked as a porter initially. I had attended school till fourth grade only. Then I became a famous ‘amil.People used to call me ‘Hanif Shah’. It was in 1942 or 43 that I recognized the importance of Tasawwuf and wrote a letter to Hakim Al-Umma Shaykh Mawlana Ashraf Ali Thanawi (may Allah Have mercy on him) asking for guidance. It was the period of Hakim al-Umma’s terminal illness. In response Hakim al-Umma excused himself from being able to do so but provided a list of 25 khulafa to select from based on one’s congeniality (munasbet).

I consulted with sincere friends and selected Shaykh Wasiullah (may Allah have mercy on him) as a Shaykh. I moved to his khanqah. In spare time I tended to the goats kept at his home. There I had a desire to formally study Islam. And in four and a half years I completed the basic curriculum.  It was  in the blessed month of Ramadhan at the tahajjud time that Shaykh Shah Wasiullah initiated the dars of Sahih al-Bukhari for us. We were 20 or 25 students. Thereafter, for the subsequent 11 years I attended this dars for my own benefit.

Once Shaykh Wasiullah for some tarbiyyah reason banished me from the khanqah. Shaykh had a jalali demeanor of tarbiyyah. We were apprehensive approaching him. It took me two years to gather courage and visit him again. During this period I moved to Banares. There I studied homeopathic medicine and established a clinic. It was on the eve of eid al-fitr that I decided to return to Shaykh. Travelling hundreds of miles by train I reached Gopaganj (a small town near the village of Shaykh) early morning on the eid day. There were festivities all around. People were celebrating eid. Each and everyone of them knew me from before. But no one even greeted me. They were all aware that I had been banished by the Shaykh. I greeted them and asked them to mediate for me and inform the Shaykh of my arrival. No one agreed. They said that they did not want to spoil their eid by upsetting the Shaykh. Eventually, I mustered the courage to go by myself.

My feet were trembling and the heart was racing amok as I climbed the stairs leading to the Shaykh’s room. On seeing me Shaykh said, ‘Oh! you have returned eventually.’ I dropped on his feet and started crying. Shaykh consoled me. He instructed others to make me comfortable at khanqah. He had siwayian(sweets made especially on eid) from his home brought for me and moreover presented me 30 rupees as eidee (eid gift). Thereafter he instructed me to stay at the khanqah as long as he was alive. (Mawlana was emotionally overwhelmed at narating this). ‘

Jeddah, Qari Rafique sahib’s residence, after ‘esha, 10th April 2009

Useful knowledge

Imam Abu Hamid al-Ghazali (may Allah have mercy on him) said,

‘Useful knowledge is that which,

makes you grow in the fear of Allah,

increases you in awareness of your defects,

deepens your knowledge of worship of your Lord Most High,

decreases your desire for this world and increases your desire for the life to come, and

opens your eyes to the defects of your actions so that you can guard against them.’

Ihsan

allah-avacado

An individual enthusiastically informed Arif-billah Dr. Abdul Hayy Arifi (may Allah have mercy on him) that by Allah’s grace he had attained the station of Ihsan. That is, worshipping Allah as though you see Him and if that is not possible then as though He sees you.

Shaykh Arifi (qaddas sirrahu) congratulated and encouraged him. And then inquired that if this ihsan was attained only in prayers (salah) or it was also present at other times, like dealing with house hold members, especially wife.

The individual looked in bewilderment at Shaykh and informed that he thought this ihsan was only meant to be limited to prayers and ritual worship.

Shaykh Arifi explained to the audience in detail that this is a common mistake. We tend to limit deen to formal acts of worship (Ibadaat). Our all other activities seem to be independent of the fact that each and every moment of our life we are as much a slave of Allah as in prayers and other worship.

The genuine ihsan is perpetual. The slave is aware that he is being watched and he will be accountable for whatever he does. Hence, he has utmost respect and does not do any thing inappropriate. Remember this is an intentional and a voluntary act of thinking.

As per instruction of Sayyidi wa sanadi Shaykh Mawlana Muhammad Taqi Usmani sahib (Allah SWT preserve him & allow us to benefit from him abundantly. Ameen) setting aside an allocated time every day to think repeatedly that: ‘I am in front Allah SWT & He is watching me’, is essential for achieving it. It becomes a habit in second nature only by doing it repeatedly. Practice makes perfect. Gradually it becomes almost like an instinctive performance, like breathing or drinking.

Wa ma taufiqi ilabillahi!

Tips to Alleviate Hardships

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Hakim al-Umma Shaykh Ashraf Ali Thanawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said,
‘Actions that diminish sufferings and hardships include:
– Recalling your transgressions (sin)
– Reminding yourself of the reward/compensation on hardships
– Reflecting that in hardship there is test of  faith(’eman). That is, it analyzes if there is faith present or not.
– Remembering, it causes a state of overwhelming slave-hood (abdiyat). The dirt of self-assertion, arrogance and pride is cleansed. The reality of one’s being is revealed and the person realizes not to make any boastful claims.
– Bringing to mind that it causes one to perceive the supremacy and grandeur of Allah’s actions and one’s own feebleness.

Hence, hardships result in increasing slave hood(abdiyat).
And the abdiyat is a very distinguished state (maqam).”

Ma’asir Hakeemul Ummat, page 390-1

North Myrtle Beach, SC