Category Archives: J. Rights

The reason for not benefiting in tariq!

Shahykh Shah Wasiullah (Allah have mercy on him) said,

‘Are you aware of the reason that why some of the people who come here (for islah &ta’aluq maAllah) do not benefit?

The reason is that this path (tariq) essentially requires propriety (adab) and reverence (aqidat).

People consider this path to be  similar to the conditions in secular schools where a tutor teaches and the pupil learn irrespective of having any reverence  for him.  The student learns even if he does not show any respect to the teacher.

They consider that the teaching in Tasawwuf is also like this and there is no need of reverence and propriety towards the Shaykh.

Shaykh’s instructions are considered to be beneficial and are memorized, however, there is no reverence for the Shaykh in their heart. It is for this reason that they do not benefit.

It is as though Tasawwuf is now considered to  be another branch of  science and arts. In reality, it is a practical and  experiential entity.

Hakim al-Umma Mawlana Ashraf Ali Thanawi (Allah have mercy on him) told us multiple times that if someone questioned Shaykh Haji Imdadullah mohajir Makki (Allah have mercy on him) regarding an issue (mas’ala) of Tasawwuf. He used to admonish the inquirer and tell him that this is not a school (maderasa) whenever (a need is felt and) I find it appropriate  I will explain it.’

Taharet e qalb, Nifaq ka bayan, page 83

Not proper for a Believer to disgrace himself

The honorable Companion Huzaifah (Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said:

“It is not proper for a Believer to disgrace himself.”

It was asked: “O  Prophet of Allah !  What is meant by this?”

The Prophet of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “To undertake something which you cannot bear.” (Tirmizi)

Hakim al-Umma Mawlana Asharf Ali Thanawi (Allah have mercy on him) explains,

To assume a task beyond one’s capability is not proper for a believer . The consequence will be failure, disgrace, worry, and shame. Frustration will then overtake one.

This saying of the Prophet (hadith) covers all such acts and tasks which are beyond one’s power. In all such cases of difficulties adopt patience (sabr) and supplicate to Allah  for aid.

Hayat al-Muslimeen, chapter 10, Rights of oneself

Rights of kuffar

In his weekly islahi lecture sayyidi wa sanadi Shaykh Mohammad Taqi Usmani (Allah preserve him) reminded us,

‘There are no circumstance under which it is permissible for individuals to take law in their own hand to punish those who commit major sins or turn apostate. It is the task of the government administration to apprehend them.

Killing non-Muslims (dhimmis) living in a Islamic country is as haram (impermissible) as murdering a fellow Muslim.

To emphasize the significance of this it is reported in a saying of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) that the peron who kills a non-Muslim (dhimmi) living in a Islamic country will not even smell the fragrance of Paradise (which is so strong that it can be smelt at a distance of 500 years).

More explicitly he (Allah bless him and give him peace) admonished the Muslims at his last Hajj, to not to become like non-Muslims killing one another.’

Teen gunah e kabirah,

Phantom of ijazah

Someone had written to Hakim al-Umma Mawlana Ashraf ‘Ali Thanawi (Allah have mercy on him),
You have given ijaazat to a particular person but we do not see him to be fit for this position. Must we rely on your ijaazat or on what we see of him?

Hakim al-Umma replied,
‘You should act according to what you have witnessed and you are not bound by my ijaazat. There are various reasons for me giving ijaazat.’

Malfoozat of Faqeeh al-Ummat, page 458

Sufi’s piety

Someone informed Hadhrat Mianji Nur Mohammad (Allah have mercy on him) of a man who had an exceptionally beautiful voice. The informer suggested to listen to his performance of  a naa’t (poetry in praise of Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace) .

Hadhrat Mianji said:

“Sometimes people ask me to be the Imam (leader in prayers). There is difference of opinion on the validity of singing even without the accompaniment of musical instruments. Therefore,  it is more cautious not to  listen to it. Hence, I shall not listen.”

After narrating this episode Hakim al-umma Mawlana Thanawi (Allah have mercy on him) commented:

“This indicates the degree of his respect and regard for the post of Imam. He abstained from even an ikhtilaaf (an act which some say is permissible and others say is impermissible). This was a real Sufi who cared so much for the Shariah.”

Tarikh Mashaikh e Chisht, page 94

How to spend vacations?

A murid living abroad inquired;

“I have returned  home for my annual vacations. All the time is free. Please, guide me in spending it appropriately.”

Sayyidi wa sanadi Shaykh Mufti Mohammad Taqi Usmani  (Allah preserve him) replied;

“Spend this free time in reading (the recommended material), zikir (remembrance of Allah, as instructed earlier) and appropriate (permissible) entertainment to relax and refresh your mind.”

Islahi khatoot

Ruining the Heart via Tongue & Eyes

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

“Two things completely ruin the heart and destroy its luminosity. One is backbiting (ghiba). And the other is seeing the unlawful (bad-nigahi). Both of them have become widespread these days.”

Sawanih wa ta’lemat e Hazrat Arifi ra pg 382

The four worst sins in Shariah

 


Hujjat al-Islam Imam Ghazali (Allah have mercy on him)  has mentioned following to be the worst sins in Shariah:

1. Associating partners with Allah SWT. Either in His being or His attributes.
2. Considering a sinful act to be within the acceptable limits in Shariah. That is, to consider it halal.
3. Because of failure in one’s efforts, give up performance of  good actions (yaas).
4. Because of being unafraid of Allah SWT, commit the prohibited actions without any reservation (nedar).

We all must ponder over the second crime (in bold).
How many sins prevail in our daily life and how lightly do we take them?

Sayyidi wa sanadi Moulana Mohammad Taqi Usmani sahib (Allah preserve him) tells us to leave all the sins immediately. However, due to our weak determination, non-Islamic surroundings or secular social pressures if we are not able to do so, we should make a habit of repenting for these sins every night, each single day. This will at least keep our balance sheet of deeds clear. And if God forbid, we were to die, there won’t be the huge amount of sins in arrears for punishment waiting.

توبہ میری جام شکن، جام میرا توبہ شکن
سامنے ڈھیر ہے – ٹوٹے ہوۓ پیمانوں کا

Pious Companionship (esp. for the Youth)

Hakim al-Ummat Mujaddid Shaykh Mawlana Shah Ashraf Ali Thanawi (Allah have mercy on him) said:
–
The vital component for reformation (islah) is (companionship) suhba (of the pious), even without formal knowledge. Moreover knowledge without pious companionship (suhba) is useless. An uneducated person who keeps pious company reforms more successfully as compared to knowledgeable person without good company.

It is for this reason I tell that the children attending secular schools should be sent to visit the pious knowledgeable men (awliya). And if their elders also take note of this it will be very beneficial for all.

And I promise that neither will we rebuke them regarding their trousers being below ankles nor discuss the issue of their beard (being absent or being less than a fistful) and nor will we coerce them to pray (salah).

They will sit with us and in the result we will develop a mutual likability and friendliness and they will also develop a congeniality (munasbet) with deen. And this munasbet is the root cause and source of all (necessary) knowledge and actions.

Not all the Sahaba ra (The Holy Companions) were knowledgeable scholars, they benefited via companionship (suhbet) only. And for these reasons Awliya have always emphasized more on being steadfast with pious companionship as compared to acquiring knowledge.

Malfoozat Kamalat-e-Ashrafiya 172

With the summer vacations here, please, consider sparing few weeks, days or even hours from our busy schedule to be in the company of the pious . This will be an investment for us and our children.

May Allah give us the tawfeeq and facilitate its happening.
Ameen, bi-jah-e-Sayyid al-Mursaleen

Become a Human first!

==========

Hakim al-Umma Mawlana Ashraf Ali Thanawi (Allah have mercy on him) repeatedly told people who approached him for reformation (islah):

“If you want to become a saint, a qutub or an abdal go elsewhere. Stay here only if you want to become a human being.”

Lacking the basic qualities of a human being an individual can never even be a true Muslim.

Love, sympathy, wishing well, being honest, sincere, polite and well mannered when dealing with others (even non-Muslims) are the basic rights of all human beings.

How can one gain Allah SWT’s pleasure, (that is being a devout sufi) when he/she is destroying these rights?

Hujjatul Islam Imam Ghazali ra has categorized living creatures in three types:
1. Those, which are always harmful. For example snakes, scorpion, lizards, etc.
2. Those, which are always beneficial. Like sheep, cows, horse, poultry etc.
3. And finally those, that are neither harmful nor beneficial. Like parrots, peacocks, zebra, etc.

Then he poses a question to us: in which category do we fit?

Cynical, acrid, humiliating and arrogant comments that hurt another’s feeling surely without any doubt make us similar to scorpions and snakes!

ع– درد دل کے واسطے پیدا کیا انسان کو

Email: Please, ponder for a moment

__________

www.ashrafiya.com

____________________

A respected reader sent me this email today.

‘Today I was coming towards Tower from Liyari express way. There was a car (written www.ashrafiya.com on rear glass window) in front of my car. It stopped on the intersection (a very dangerous place to stop a car) where a couple of ba reesh people get off loaded and another (non ba reesh) got out of back seat and went to sit in front. It sounds that it does not take any time but,

1. Is not it a sin to stop a car where it is against rules of traffic and create problem for human beings? (huqooqul ibad ka koi darja/ignoring the rights of other-fellow human beings!)

2. When I honked, the (non ba reesh) showed me his anger that lead to further gali galoch as a result of road rage.(apni ghalti pay nadim honay k bajai badtamizi/being insolent, not acknowledging his mistake or having any remorse..)

If the ba reesh driver and his two companions have no sense of huqooq ul ibad and no sense of traffic rules then they must not place ‘www.ashrafiya.com-sticker’ on their cars so that the do not bring disgrace to it.

I think there is a serious requirement that these petty things should be discussed in coming lectures where importance of traffic signals, speed limits, zebra crossing and other things should be taught as not following such rules and creating problems and hassles for fellow human beings is a sin. Kia pata meezan may yahi bhari par jai.

Allah ham sab ki maghfirat farmai (ameen)’

JazakAllah!

Repentance & Sins: Repent again

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

“Hold fast to this advice.

That is, do not be disappointed and become disheartened by the repeated failures of repentance by committing sin.

Confront this failure of repentance by making a solemn determination (never to commit that sin again).

If you fail again, renew your determination again.

This mental struggle and physical effort has to continue until the end of life. Do not be discouraged by the repeated failures in keeping up with repentance. Hence, deciding not to repent. This depressed attitude is not correct.

Repent with a more solid determination (never ever to commit that sin again).”

Islahi majalis, volume 5, page 245

باز آ باز آ ہر آنچہ ہستی باز آ

گر کافر و گبر و بت پرستی باز آ

ایں درگاہ ما درگہ نوامیدی نسیت

صد بار گر توبہ شکستی باز آ

What is Tasawwuf?

Following is a summary of a talk by ‘Arif-billah Dr Abdul Hayy ‘Arifi (Allah have mercy on him) ,

Keep your understanding of Tasawwuf clear.

Do not be misled by those who consider it to be limited to the recitation of litanies and excessive remembrance (dhikr).

Practical application of Tasawwuf in everyday life boils down to paying close attention to the rights of the others. Make sure that you do not become a source of any discomfort for them, however, minute it may be.

And remember, the most immediate, important and best evaluation of your  success in this endeavor will be your dealings, attitude and behavior with your spouse .

(Audio waaz)