Category Archives: F. Zikir & fikr

Remembrance, comtemplation and spiritual excersises

Reality of love

 

Baba Najam Ahsan (may Allah have mercy on him) said,

“Love increases, eventually to a stage that its sensation annihilates and it is assimilated into the entity of beloved. (That is, our feelings & emotions (hal) undergo metamorphosis and the state (maqam) of keeping the beloved really happy emerges.)

I provide a few simple examples to make it understandable. Perceive it in your self (assuming that you are a perfectly content couple), neither do you verbalize your love for your wife nor does she articulates it for you, whereas in reality you both are true soul mates. (Your attitude and interaction towards each other is demonstrative of this love, more than the speech.)

Similarly, it is not essential for an individual to put into words feelings of love for his/her mother. (Your appreciation and affection are evident by your behavior and interactions.)

The blessed Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) were similarly immersed in the love of Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) to such an extent that its feelings (verbalization and emotional expression) were gone, leaving them only with their awareness of servitude (bandagi). (Their ‘love’ was to perform with utmost sincerity all that is agreeable and abstain from all that is disagreeable to the beloved. Their goal was to keep the beloved well pleased.)

Zikr e Ahsan ra, page 198

We should reflect on this and examine ourselves!

What kind of love, if any do we have for Allah, His Beloved Prophet and friends?

Do our emotional feelings rule this realtionship or the pleasure of one whom we claim to love does so?

Excessive supplication

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Sayyidi wa sanadi Mawlana Mohammad Taqi Usmani (may Allah preserve him) was performing Umrah.

At each and every step he supplicated at length with utmost serenity, humility and servitude.

In the prayers after the tawaf (wajib ut-tawaf) his ruku and sujood were longer than usual. During sai’i he recited the supplications from Munajat e Mabool. However, at stops on Safa and Marwa he made dua at length in Urdu.

At the end of the Umrah rituals he made another very comprehensive supplication audible to those immediately besides him on Marwa.

All praise is for Allah, he did not miss a single moment without being in contact with Allah, Most High during the whole process. Moreover,  numerous individuals and few of his students on recognizing him came to greet him and asked for prayers for themselves. Again providing an opportunity to call upon Allah.

May Allah give us the ability (tawfiq) to learn from this. Amin!

The real karama

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Arif billah Shaykh Dr. Abdul Hayy Arifi (may Allah ahve mercy on him) said,

“Once I inquired a pious person that these days we do not see saints similar to those who performed extra-ordinary feats (karama) anymore.

He replied that saints who had this blessing had always been very few in each era. Most likely you have read a book that compiled many such incidents of pious individuals. And now you are misled to believe that all Shaykhs must have this capability.

Remember in previous days the karama was in matter (maadi) and hence, it was visible to others. Nowadays it is in essence (manawi).

These days any company (suhba) that leads one to do good deeds, cleanse inner self (batin from moral corruption) and make rememberance of Allah is a karama.

A company like this is achieved by true yearning (talub). If you sincerely desire this, than be reassured that individuals like this are always present in each era.”

Khutbat e Arifi, Idarae Talefat e Ashrafiya, Multan, page 164

Beaware of Tongue!

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Imam al-Awliya Amir al-Momineen Sayyidina ‘Ali ibn Abi Taleb (may Allah be pleased with him) said,

“Tongue is like a wild beast.

If you were to leave it unrestrained it will rip open all around.”

Al-Bayyinat-Karachi, 11/1409, page 54

Essential tajweed

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A murid informed sayyidi wa sanadi Shaykh Mawlana Taqi Usmani (may Allah preserve him) that these days he was taking classes with a Qari to improve his recitation of the Holy Quran. Shaykh was obviously very much pleased, highly approved of this effort and made supplication for its facilitation.

Reciting the blessed Quran properly is very much neglected  by most of the Muslims in general.  However, this can not be true for the seeker (salik). He has to try and achieve the best level possible in all acts of worship. This is the reality of truthfulness (sidiq), an essential spiritual charactersitic (maqam).

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

“It is absolutely essential (fardh) to learn tajweed (that is, the science and arts of reciting the Holy Quran). This is so because the Holy Quran is in Arabic language and it is essential (fardh) to recite it in this language. The proper pronunciation and articulation of the Arabic text can not be achieved without tajweed. Hence, it is essential to learn it.”

(at-Tabligh, Tufa tul-Ulema, volume 1, page 487)

Further more he added,

“(In general) there are three subdivisions of this science,

1. Proper articulation of the (Arabic) letters, as much as possible.

2. Paying due attention to the places of pause (waqaf). It means that not to pause at places where there will be confusion and meaning will be changed by doing so.

These two are absolutely essential (wajib al-‘ain) for everyone.

However, a person who tries his best and fails to achieve them is excused (ma’zoor).

3. Paying due attention to the idgam, tafqhim, izhar wa iqhfa. This is recommended (mustehib).

Another fourth subsection of this is the knowledge of different styles of recitation (‘ilm al-ikhtilaf al-qirat). This is wajib al-kifaya on the whole Ummah.

Imadad la-Fatawa, Tufa tul-Ulema, volume 1, page 487.

However, it is important to recognize that tajweed can not be learned by reading books alone. It has to be systematically studied with a qualified teacher. Listening and observing how the pronunciation is done is essential and equally important is that the learner recites it back and the teacher either corrects or amends or approves it. 

As per Hakim al-Umma the real reason for being lazy in learning tajweed is,

“The love and fear of Allah has departed from the hearts.

If today it was announced that whoever corrects his articulation he will receive $5 per letter a large population of Muslims will try to correct their recitation of Quran and claim the prize. But, alas, for the sake of Allah’s pleasure there arises no yearning to do so!

Fazail saum o salat, Tufa tul-Ulema, volume 1, page 490

May Allah give us the tawfiq to recognize this and facilitate it for us. Amin!

Imperative characteristics

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The three imperative characteristics the Shuyukh of Ashrafiya spiritual path (tareeq) try to cultivate in their disciples (murid) are,

1. Absolute following of the Shariah in all situations and under all circumstances

2. Always trying to rectify the lower-self (islah e nafs)

3. A profound conviction that this worldly life is transient and the real and permanent destination is the here-after.

Malfozat e ‘asr e hazera, page 11

Sama’ is not qawwali

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Shaykh Dawud khalifa of Shaykh Mohammad Sadiq khalifa of Shah Nizamuddin (d.1035H) (may Allah have mercy on them) said,

“None of our pious predecessors (mashayikh) indulged in spiritual auditon (sama’ ) accompanied with instrumental music. They did not  even tolerate the clapping of hands in it.”

Iqtibas al-Anwar,  page 836. An ancient classic hagiography of Sufis of India. Originally in Persian tranlated into Urdu by Capt. Wahid Baksh ra. 

Missed wird

A spiritual aspirant wrote that,

“I wish I do not miss my wird any day. However, sometimes due to unavoidable circumstance it is missed.”

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

“Do not worry. There is Divine wisdom in this also. It shows one’s limitation. And is a blockade for prideful claims and cure of self praise. However, try your best not to be lazy and make up for the missed wird. If not complete, incomplete will suffice.”

Tarbiyet us Salik, volume 2, page 929

‎Vigilance of a seeker

Sayyidi wa sanadi Hadhrat Mawlana Mohammad Taqi Usmani (Allah preserve him) said in regards to the ihsan, while explaining the the hadith e Jibrael (Allah’s peace be on him),

“Vigilance that Allah, exalted is He, is watching me is more effective, easy and practical for a seeker than trying to contmeplate that I am watching Allah.”

The sama’

Once a Shadhili inidividual invited Shaykh al-Arab wal-A’jam Hadhrat Haji Imdadullah mohajir Makki (may Allah have mercy on him) and his close companion for dinner. Hadhrat Haji sahib accepted on the condition that there must be sama’ (audition) accompanied with it.

Some of his close scholar (ulema) companion were reluctant to go and excused themselves out. However, Hakim al-Umma accompanied Hadhrat Haji sahib without any hesitation. While the companions were discussing this issue amongst themselves, Hakim al-Umma reiterated that he was going to attend this event, indeed. If Hadhrat Haji sahib was going what questions other could have. None of them was more pious then him.

At the event prior to meal being served, the (Shadhili) Shaykh’s companions stood up in a circle and one of them started to recite a Divine Name. Others chanted the same in chorus. The person leading this is called the munshid. After a while all became silent and munshid recited some poetry related to Divine Love. It was in a simple but very pleasant tone. The munshid was an old person. After it they recited another Divine name similarly. In summary, this sama’ was a very fine, pleasant and enjoyable event.

After its completion Hadrat Haji sahib inquired, ‘Did you enjoy?’

Hakim al-Umma replied affirmatively that, ‘Hadhrat indeed it was very enjoyable’.

Hahdrat Haji sahib then said that, ‘This is (in reality) the sama’. Some of our companions were uncomfortable with it for no definite reason. I had purposefully asked for this condition (sama’) just to show what are it limits.”

Ashraf us Sawanih, volume 1, page 262-3

Effects of Dhikr and righteous deeds

Arif-billah Hadhrat Dr. Muhammad `Abd al-Hayy `Arifi (may Allah have mercy on him) said, 

“When the abundance of rememberance (Dhikr) and persistence in righteous actions start producing stability and fortitude in deeds and their surrounding conditions, one is blessed with an inward connection (with Allah) proportionate to one’s capability, knowledge and comprehension. This tunes one to obey Allah and to worship Him in a natural way.  The result of which is that he finds himself doing so out of love, while at the same time, there emerges a parallel hatred for disbelief and sin in his heart.”

Ma`mulaat Yawmiyyah

Ihsan

Hadhrat Mawlana Wasiullah Shah reports from Qutub e ‘alam Hadhrat Mawlana Rasheed Ahmad Gangohi (may Allah have mercy on them) the reality of ihsan,

“Contemplating on the Absolute Divine Reality in one’s mind all the time, considering it to an actual presence, without any descriptions, and therefore being modestly conscious and accordingly being an obedient servant is the real goal. This is the ihsan. All other things are superfluous.”

Nisbet e sufiya, page 86