Category Archives: D. Acts of Worship

Various acts of devotion to show our servitude

Studying Quranic tafsir

A spirtiual aspirant wrote,

‘I have placed an order for the Quranic  exegesis (tafsir) ‘Bayanul Quran’ at Dehli (bookshop). Would it be appropriate for me to read from it a quater chapter (juz) daily in a manner such that my wife listens to it also?’

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

‘Yes indeed, it will be most appropriate. However, do not make up personal explanation of the text you do not understand.(You should ask a scholar for its clarification.)’

Tarbiyet us Salik, volume 1, page 403

Essentials of a Salik’s routine

20th Ramadhan 1427

(Before going for Asr)

On my first day, when Hadhrat Mufti Mohammad Taqi Usmani (may Allah preserve him) was going for asr prayer, I asked Hadhrat what should I do while being there (staying in Darul Uloom to be in the company of the Sheikh)?

Hadhrat db told me to do the following:
1. Excessive recitation of the Holy Quran
2. Performance of Tahajjud salah
3. Dhikir of dowazdah tasbeeh (zikir of our tareeqa)

Meraj us Salikeen: Malfoozat Ramadhan 1427

Reading Quran daily


Hadhrat Mawlana Mohammad Taqi Usmani (may Allah preserve him) instructs the spiritual aspirants to read Holy Quran daily. One juz (part) is usually recommended. However, if someone is unable to do this because of his busy schedule he may read half or quarter juz after consultation with the Sheikh.
If at times when even that is not possible then as per ‘Arif billah Dr. Abdul Hayy (may Allah have mercy on him) one should recite sura ikhlas (chapter 112) two hundred times in between or while busy in these activities.

Priority of islah over bay’a

In response to an aspirant’s request for taking-pledge (bay’a), Hakim al-Umma Hadhrat Mawlana Ashraf ‘Ali Thanawi (may Allah sanctify his secret) said,

Rectification of actions (islah e a’mal) has priority over taking-pledge (bay’a), excessive remembrance (dhikr) and spiritual exercises (shugal).

To do this rectification it is essential to study forty or fifty of my printed discourses (mawaiz), the booklets ‘Islah ur rasoom’, ‘Adab ul masharat’ and ‘Tahzib us salikeen’. Without this essential reading all excessive remembrance (dhikir) and spiritual exercises (shugal) are useless. Therefore, complete this before proceeding.

It is best to do things in an organized way. Otherwise, if the foundations of a building are weak it is most likely to collapses easily.

Tarbiyat us Salik, volume 1, page 94

Committing A Sin Doesn’t Decrease Desire for It

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

“Committing a sin thinking it will decrease [or eliminate] the desire for that sin [in the future] is a deception of Satan.

Yes, the desire will decrease temporarily, but the faculty and power of committing sin will be strengthened [in the long term], resulting in the eradication of sin becoming (difficult) beyond one’s power and strength.”

 

Source: An excellent new blog;
at-Talib
Resources for the Seeker of Knowledge

Seeker’s tasks

Hakim al-Umma Hadhrat Mawlana Ashraf ‘Ali Thanawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said in response to an irrelevant question of a spiritual aspirant;

“To ask such question is against the etiquette (adab).

Seeker (talib) has two commitments to fulfill (in regards to self reformation (islahi) correspondence with the Sheikh).

First, is to inform (the Sheikh) of his spiritual condition.

The other is to inquire about the actions to be performed.”

Tarbiyat us Salik, volume 1, page 99

How to perform good deeds and stop committing sins?

An aspirant requested something for recitation (wird) that will assist in performance of good deeds and stop one from committing sins.

Hakim al-Umma Hadhrat Mawlana Ashraf ‘Ali Thanawi (may Allah have mercy on him) replied;

“Performance of good deeds and giving up sins are both volitional things. Recitations have nothing to do with them.

The method to adopt in implementation of volitional things is to use one’s determination and will power. In order to facilitate the use of determination one needs to do spiritual struggle (mujahida). This is by opposing and resisting the desires of one’s lower self (nafs). Doing this regularly will over time eventually result in facilitation (of effective use of determination).

I have summarized the whole art (of tasawwuf in this answer).”

Tarbiyat us Salik, volume 1, page 93

Prayers for nisbet

An aspirant inquired: “Is it inappropriate to make dua for nisbet (strong, perpetual, mutually agreeable relationship with Allah SWT)?

Hakeemul Umma Hazrat Thanawi ra replied: “It is most desired (to make such dua).”

Tarbiyat us Salik, volume 1, page 420

It is not interesting!

Referring to the common complaint by spiritual aspirants, “I do not feel it to be interesting”, when instructed to do the essentials of tareeq (wird, informing their condition regularly to the Sheikh, reading the prescribed texts, etc.) routinely, Sayyidi wa sanadi Hazrat Mawlana Mohammad Taqi Usmani shaib db said:

“Till when will you remain a slave of your feelings?

Irrespective of it being interesting to you, it is essential.

It is like the medicine for the sick. It may taste awful but it has the cure.

Be determined and overcome these feelings!”

Ramadhan 1426, after zuhar majlis

Sign of accepted Hajj

Hazrat Hakeemul Ummat Mawlana Ashraf Ali Thanawi ra said:

“Remember!

One of the signs of Hajj being accepted (by Allah SWT) is that one develops a yearning in his heart to return for Hajj again.

It is suspected that he who returns with a determination never to go again his Hajj has not been accepted.”

Waaz: Hajj al mabroor,Khutbat e Hakeemul Ummat ra, volume 17 Sunnat e Ibraheem, page 268

Hakeemul Ummat ra’s waseeyat # 8

8. I request all those affiliated to me that they routinely recite surah Yaseen (chapter 36, once) or surah Ikhlas (chapter 112) three times everyday and forward its thawab (reward) to me.

However, anything that is against Sunnah and is an innovation (bidah) should not be done either by common or select individuals.”

Ma’asir Hakeemul Ummat ar, page 485, Idarae Islamiyat, Lahore

Hajj advice

Sayyidi wa sanadi Hazrat Mawlana Mohammad Taqi Usmani sahib db instructed his daughter who was proceeding for hajj;

“Firstly, abstain from all la yani (not beneficial here on in hereafter) things.

And secondly, do as much as you can comfortably do. (That is, do not over burden yourself by doing something beyond your capability.)”

Karachi, Zulqaida 1427/Dec 2006

Hajj: Composite mujahida

An individual requested intructions while proceeding for hajj.

Hazrat Mansoor Ali Khan sahib db (senior mureed of Hazrat Arifi ra & khalifa of Hazrat Shah Abrarul Haqq ra) replied;

“In this regards I heard form Hazrat Mufti Mohammad Shafii ra, that hajj is an amalgam of all the mujahidat (spiritual struggles). Especially the four famous mujahidat the sufiya describe; taqleel e kalam (talking less, by not arguing & being busy with Allah SWT’s remembrance), taqleel manam (sleeping less, with the travelling and change of schedule), taqleel ikhtelat ma’alanam (decreasing interaction with others by being busy with one’s Lord SWT) and taqleel ta’am (eating less, by changing schedule, less variety etc.).

If done properly with these mujahidat, hajj has immense spiritual benefits in one’s islah (reformation). Similar to it can not be achieved with years of hard struggles.

(So be aware and act accordingly).”

Jeddah, 16th December 2006, opp-Masjid Sayyidina Abu Ubaidah bin Jarrah ra