Category Archives: J. Rights

Some sections of Tasawwuf are dangerous!

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Having a clear perspective of Tasawwuf’s reality is essential from the very start of the spiritual journey.

That is, what is the goal and means to reach it?

Hakim al-Umma Mawlana Ashraf ‘Ali Thanawi (Allah have mercy on him) made this vividly clear upfront to every seeker who approached him for spiritual reformation (islah).

People with their creative imagination, knowledge of partially correct or interpreted information and especially readers of Sufi hagiographies and difficult classic texts make assumptions and set unrealistic goals.

To dispel these sorts of myths Hakim al-Umma wrote exegesis of some of the Sufi texts that are commonly misinterpreted.  They include explanation of Mathnawi of Mawlana Rumi (in 24 volumes), poetry of Hafiz Shirazi and Fusoos of Ibn Arabi (may Allah have mercy on them).

A very beneficial point he makes in the introduction to one of the text is as  follows,

“From the teachings of Tasawwuf, I always had intellectual interest in the instructive section (uloom e ma’amla) because this deals with the commands and prohibitions and acting on them leads to the proximity of Allah, Most High.

In comparison, the section of unveiling (uloom e makashafa) was instinctively attractive but not appealing intellectually. This is because they play no role in gaining Allah’s nearness and have a great inherent danger that some mistakes in them (interpretation and application)  may lead to loss of faith (eman) itself.

(May Allah save us all from this calamity.)”

Al-tanbih al-tarabi fi tanzih ibn al-Arabi ra, page 6

A Curriculum of Study for every Muslim

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Sayyidi wa sanadi Shaykh Mohammad Mufti Taqi Usmani (may Allah preserve him) recommends the following books to gain essential knowledge,  sound understanding and practical application of Islam for every Muslim.

“Section 1: Necessary Beginners Knowledge

“…without which living a life like a true Muslim is not possible.”

  • Hayat al-Muslimin (Mawlana Ashraf `Ali)
  • Furu` al-Iman (Mawlana Ashraf `Ali)
  • Ta`lim al-Din (Mawlana Ashraf `Ali)
  • Behishti Gohar [for men] (Mawlana Ashraf `Ali)
  • Behishti Zewar [for women] (Mawlana Ashraf `Ali)
  • Jaza’ al-A`maal (Mawlana Ashraf `Ali)
  • Sirat Khatim al-Anbiya’ (Mufti Shafi`)
  • Hakayat Sahaba (Mawlana Zakariyya Kandihlawi)
  • Tarikh Islam (Mawlana Muhammad Mian)
  • Usway Rasule Akram (Mawlana `Abd al-Hayy)

Section 2: Broadening the Core

“…by which such vastness and firmness is produced in religious aspects that a person will not be misguided by those who misguide.”

  • Ma`arif al-Quran (Mufti Shafi`) or Tafsir Usmani (Mawlana Shabbir Ahmed)
  • Ma`arif al-Hadith (Mawlana Manzur Nu`mani)
  • Behishti Zewar ke Masa’il (Mawlana Ashraf `Ali)
  • `Ilm al-Fiqah (Mawlana `Abd al-Shakkur Lakhnawi)
  • Aqa’id al-Islam (Mawlana Idris Kandihlawi)
  • Shari`at wa Tariqat (Mawlana Ashraf `Ali)

(Fatawa Usmani, volume 1,  pg. 181-182 ed. Maktaba Ma`arif al-Quran: 2005)

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!

Appreciate the present Shuyukh

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Qutub al-aqtab Shaykh al-Hadith Mawlana Zakariya Kandhelawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said,

“…there is one very important fact to which I wish to draw attention.

When the Elder Shaykh passes away many people desire to see their special qualities in those who succeed them. But it is a fact that all those who follow the Elders will be less gifted.  Except in a very few cases, as Allah may desire.

The people who do not see the qualities of the Elder in his successor and as a result turn away from their path of Tasawwuf, are only doing themselves a great harm.

I began to see this very clearly since the time of Hazrat (Rasheed Ahmad) Gangohi (may Allah have mercy on him). During the era of the most his prominent depuites of, I saw many of their contemporaries who were also attached to Hazrat through bay’ah, but they saw that some of the special qualities which Hazrat had were no longer present in these deputies so they did not approach them for spiritual guidance. This caused me a great pain and sorrow because these deputies (khulafa) were near to Allah and possessed ‘nisbet‘ (the perpetual, close and mutually favorable relationship with Allah). If indeed these people had become connected to one of these depuites (khalifa), they would have progressed greatly.

(………continued at Aap beeti)

It is usually hidden and complex arrogance (kibr) that makes an individual consider his fellow brother (appointed by the Shaykh to lead)  to be deficient and unsuitable for following.

Related: پیر بھائ

Taqlid shakhsi

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

“Our deen is systemized through taqlid.”
(Ashraf al-Jawab, 161)

As for the proofs of taqlid shakhsi, Hakim al-Umma has said,

“There is no need to present any proofs with regards to taqlid shasksi (because it is compulsory due to external factors.) (And when something is compulsory due to external factors), then it itself is not emphasized; however those things which are emphasized in the Qur’an and Hadith usally cannot be practiced upon without it. Therefore, it is also deemed necessary. The pre-necessities of an obligatory is also obligatory .” 

(Tuhfat al-‘Ulama 2/291)
From Darul Iftaa, Madrassah In’aamiyyah

Basis of & wisdom behind the Shariah rulings

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It was early Friday morning. The streets of downtown Jeddah were deserted. The car was traveling at the maximum speed allowed. However, it had to stop at all the red traffic lights for one or two vehicles to pass by and then continue towards Makkah e mukarramah expressway.

Sayyidi wa sanadi Shaykh Mawlana Mohammad Taqi Usmani (may Allah preserve him) reminded us of this situation and said that this scenario brings to his mind the issue of basis (illat) and the wisdom (hikmet) of rules and regulations. That is, there is wisdom behind all rules but observance of it is not contingent on this benefit. The order of regulatory authorities prevails. In our situation the rule is to stop at the red traffic light allowing other vehicles to pass until it turns green and the wisdom of this is to avoid accidents. Even if there are no other vehicles around it is necessary to stop at a red traffic light and whoever violates this law will be charged and fined.

Similarly, Shariah is the Divine law. There is wisdom behind most of these rulings. However, obedience to these regulations is not dependent on their perception.

 For example it is mentioned in the Holy Quran that,

“Satan wishes only to plant enmity and malice between you through wine and gambling, and to prevent you from the remembrance of Allah and from Salāh. Would you, then, abstain?” 5:91

The Shariah ruling is that drinking wine and gambling are unlawful (haram).  Some of the wisdom for this rulings are mentioned in these verses. However, even if an individual claims that indulgence in these activities does not prevent him from the remembrance of Allah and prayers it would not make drinking intoxicants and gambling legitimate (halal) for him.

Nowadays there is lot of confusion is this regards.

This has to be engrained vividly in our minds. That is, the rulings of Shariah are to be observed irrespective of the wisdom and benefits behind them. They are the orders of Supreme Authority.

Friday, 23 Jamadi al-awal 1429/27 June 2008, Jeddah to Makkah

This is absolutely in concurrence with slavehood (abdiyet).

The supreme station an individual can attain.

The tricks of Shaytaan

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1. The first thing Shaytaan does is, he takes out the importance of obedience out of us and puts the importance of the  worldly issues (dunya) within us.

2. The second thing he does is to makes us delay and procrastinate the good actions for now. Like praying in congregation at the appropriate time, abandon following of Sunnah till old age,  not acquiring company of pious, and not making immediate repentance (taubah) etc.

3. The third thing he does is that he makes us rush through all good deeds. That may lead to abandoning the essential (wajibat), Prophetic practice (sunna) and desired (mustahibat) components required.

4. The fourth level of his trickery is that he puts ostentation (riyaa’) in the actions being done.

5. The fifth level trickery is that he puts vanity (‘ujb) in us. That is self admiration for the actions already accomplished.

6. The sixth level of Shaytaan’s trickery is that he injects us with the poison of doing things for fame (hubb e jah). That is for the approval and admiration of other people.

7. The seventh level of his trickery is to maximize our self admiration to a level that we start looking down on others.  This is arrogance (kibr) – the mother of all spiritual maladies (umm al-amradh).

May Allah save us from these deceptions of Shaytaan.  Amin!

Adapted from An-Noor

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

Company of ignorant sufi

Shaykh ‘Ali al-Jamal (may Allah have mercy on him) said,

“Keeping the company of an ignorant (sufi) novice is like swallowing a deadly poison.

The ignorant novice, who is pleased with himself, is farther from Allah than all the common people. The common person is like a new pot: it accepts whatever is poured into it. The ignorant novice, on the other hand, is like a pot filled with tar: it is unwashable and unusable for wholesome things.”

The adab of the true seeker, page 84

Changing tariqa sequel: adab

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A very important thing to observe in this regard is the perfect propriety (adab) towards the ex-Shaykh. One should continue the same extreme humility and politeness, with no backbiting or hard feelings (kinah) at all. These are the rights due for each and every Muslim.  

This holds even if he is a false (ghair kamil) or innovator (bida’ti).

It was his company that kept you practicing the essentials of the religion in that period and eventually guided you to the truth.

You owe him some respect for this, at the least!

Related:

Changing tariqa

The reasons for changing tariqa

Reasons for changing tariqa

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These are from the teachings of Hakim al-Umma Hadhrat Mawlana Ashraf ‘Ali Thanawi (may Allah have mercy on him).

It is important to remember that these rules are only valid for genuine (kamil) Shaykh.  If by mistake someone has affiliated to a false or imperfect (ghair kamil) or innovative (bida’ti) Shaykh it is essential for him to forsake this relationship immediately and seek a real Shaykh.

They include the following,

1. Death of the Shaykh before completion of spiritual journey (sulook).

2. Shaykh can not be located, either he he has moved or murid has travelled somewhere and no communication is possible at all.

3. God-forbid, the Shaykh has been struck by a spiritual calamity, physical or mental illness and is no more capable of directing others.

4. Shaykh himself instructs the spiritual aspirant to seek another Shaykh.

5. In spite of sincerely following the Shaykh for a considerable period of time no spiritual benefit is acquired.

(Iin # 3 & 5 murid’s has to consult other masters or senior disciples or scholars to guide him through.)

Related:

Changing tariqa

Shanging tariqa sequel: adab

Sheikh-Mureed Relationship

Sheikh-Mureed Relationship: Practicality

Changing tariqa

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A sincere brother, who is already affiliated to a genuine Shaykh, inquired regarding his desires to change his tariqa.

By the barakah of sayyidi wa sanadi Hadhrat Mawlana Mohammad Taqi Usmani (may Allah preserve him) following reply was sent,

“It is highly discouraged to change one’s tariqa without a genuine reason.

Changing tariqa will just reinforce your lower self (nafs).  Your nafs wants to derail you by whatever means possible. For some it does so by making them do sins and for others it is by involving them in less important or lower level permissible activities.

You always have to remain suspicious about your own nafs. Today it is creating doubts about this tariqa, tomorrow it will raise suspicions regarding Ashrafiya tariq.

So beware!”

Related:

Reasons for changing tariqa

Changing tariqa sequel: adab