Category Archives: F. Zikir & fikr

Remembrance, comtemplation and spiritual excersises

The daily wird & Sunna!

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Stepping out of Masjid al-Haram, Makkah sayyidi wa sanadi  Shaykh Mufti Mohammad Taqi Usmani (Allah preserve him) replied to an individual’s question regarding the daily wird,

‘Keep the amount of the daily wird at the level which you can complete easily.  However, if on some day you have extra time and desire then go ahead and do more. ‘

He further instructed,

‘Read the book ‘Uswa e Rasool e Akram’ conscientiously and check which Sunna actions you are missing and then include them in your life.’

After esha, Monday 8 Feb 2010

Bab Abdul-Aziz, Masjid al-Haraam, Makkah e mukarramah

The aim and spirit of awrād

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Imam Abdallah ibn Alawi al-Haddad (Allah have mercy on him) (d.1132 Hijri) said,

‘The aim and spirit of awrād is presence with Allah.

Aim for it; you will reach it only if you travel the road that leads to it, which is performing the external activities and striving to be present with Allah during them. When you persevere in this you become immersed in the lights of Proximity, and the sciences of gnosis emanate upon you, at which your heart becomes wholly intent on God and presence becomes its nature and well-established quality.’

Risalat ul-Mu‘awanah

Tarim, Hadramaut, Yemen

Speech of heart.

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It is an established principle that when the tongue is busy talking the heart is quietly listening to it. Whereas, when the tongue is silent the heart starts to talk.

Therefore, hold your tongue so that the heart does not listen to its useless speech. Instead make it the organ of remembrance (of Allah). Hence, your heart will become accustomed to this remembrance. (And eventually start to speak this itself).

And tawfiq is from Allah!

Ma’arif e Sufiya, page 334

Precious advice

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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

Dua for steadfastness on Deen

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Our master Shahr bin Jaushab (Allah be pleased with him) says:

“I asked Umme Salma (The Mother of the Believers, Allah be pleased with her) ‘What was the supplication (dua) most often made by the Prophet of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in his house?’

She replied that Prophet of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to recite,

يَا مُقَلِّبَ الْقُلُوْب ثَبِّتْ قَلْبِىْ عَلٰى دِيْنِكَ

O the Controller of hearts! Make my heart firm on Your Deen.

(Tirmizi)

حاصل و منتہاۓ طریق

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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

Benefits of pious company!

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Mawlana Abul Hasan Ali Nadawi wrote the following regarding his first Shaykh Mawlana Ahmad Ali Lahori (Allah have mercy on them),

‘Being in Mawlana’s company created, in the least, a yearning to seek Allah, the sweetness of [uttering] Allah’s name, a love for the people of Allah, recognition of my own deficiency and the need for my rectification and perfection. And for us laypeople this is the greatest fortune and bounty.

Source: Pearls of the Elders

جامع دعا

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عارف باللہ ڈاکٹر عبدالحئی عارفی رحمۃ اللہ علیہ نے فرمایا

بہتر یہ ہے کے صبح کے معمولات کے بعد اس طرح دعا بھی کرلیا کریں

یا اللہ

اپنا فضل و کرم فرمایئے

مجھے اور میرے متعلقین کو ہر طرح کی ظاہری و باطنی پریشانیوں سے محفوظ رکھیۓ،

ہر طرح کی فواحش و منکرات سے، نفس و شیطان کے مکائد سے،

 ارضی و سماوی آفات و سانحات سے، ہر طرح کے سنگین حالات اور بیماریوں سے

 اور لوگوں کی ہر طرح کی ایذا رسانی سے بچا کر اپنی حفاظت عطا فرمایئے، آمین

معمولات یومیہ، ص 23

Most frequent impediments in the path

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

‘From the impediments of the path two are specially so prevalent that it is rare if any of the travelers has escaped not being involved in them. Even the learned scholars are involved in them.

One of them is striving to acquire some non volitional (ghair ikhtiyari) things. That are, things like engrossment, enthusiasm, intense & deep concentration, ecstasy, serenity, blocking of disturbing thoughts, burning desire, overwhelming attraction, emotional love, etc. It is assumed that these are the results of remembrance (dhikr), concentration exercises (shugal) and spiritual struggle (mujahidah). Moreover they consider themselves to be at loss when these things are not achieved.

The other impediment is striving to remove some non volitional (ghair ikhtiyari) thing. For example, spiritual constriction (qabd), overwhelming thoughts, not developing interest, love of an individual, innate love of wealth, sexual desires, excessive natural anger, not having softness of heart, not being able to cry, overwhelming worldly sorrow or fear, etc. It is assumed that theses things are detrimental for the path and are an impediment in achievement of the goal.’

Al-Usool al-wusool, page 20

Salik’s Unlimited progress

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Hakim ul Umma Shaykh Mawlana Ashraf Ali Thanawi (Allah have mercy on him) said commenting on the verse 83 of surah Shu’raa:

“O my Lord! bestow wisdom on me, and join me with the righteous”,

“A salik must not stop at any stage (during his spiritual quest).

He should always strive and aspire for more progress.”

Masail us Sulook min Kalam Malik ul Mulook, page 397

Love of Allah

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Respected Dr. Nadeemul Haq (Pakistanwala) inquired,

‘How can the love of Allah be obtained?’

Sayyidi wa sanadiShaykh Mufti Mohammad Taqi Usmani (Allah prserve him) replied,

‘By,

1. Keeping the comapany (suhba) of those who already have this love.

2. Acknowledging the bounties and blessings of Allah.

3. Excessive remembrance (dhikr) of Allah all the time.’

Sunday, 9th December 1990, between ‘asr & maghrib. Hazret’s residence, Darul Uloom Karachi. Meeeting with Drs. SA Ahmer, Saqib ZH, Saeed Qaiser, etc.

Reminder:Parents & relatives!

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Your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him, and do good to parents. If any one of them or both of them reach old age, do not say to them: uff (a word or expression of anger or contempt) and do not scold them, and address them with respectful words,

and submit yourself before them in humility out of compassion, and say, “My Lord, be merciful to them as they have brought me up in my childhood.”

Your Lord knows best what is in your hearts. If you are righteous, then He is Most-Forgiving for those who turn to Him in repentance.

Give the relative his right, and the needy and the wayfarer. And do not squander recklessly.

Surely, squanderers are brothers of satans, and the Satan is very ungrateful to his Lord.

[Quran, 17:23 – 27]