Category Archives: N. Advice

The condition that the Beloved has placed me in is the best condition for me indeed

A high caliber scholar murid complained about his business commitments that were preventing him from teaching at a Darul Uloom.  Due to the huge debt secondary to the embezzlement of the caretaker (who was also an ‘alim) and unavailability of a responsible individual to run his enterprise he did not have a choice.

Sayyidi wa sanadi Shaikh Mufti Taqi Usmani (Allah grant him long, healthy and productive life. Amin!) replied,

یار جس حال میں رکھے وہی حال اچھا ہے

The condition that the Beloved has placed me in is the best condition for me indeed!

(That is, have complete reliance (tafweez) on Allah. He selects for the moment whatever is the best for His servant.)

Ajyad, Makkah e mukarramah, Friday 22 July 2011, after esha. 

Be careful with loans

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Financial dealings are the real test of one’s awareness of Allah (taqwa).

The corrupt financial dealings and bad attitudes of a murid in addition to being major sin for himself lead to negative reputation of the Shaikh and Tasawwuf in public.

It is essential to educate the disciples regarding these issues. It is impossible to step on the pristine grounds of Allah’s pleasure and approval while being soiled in sins.

Taking loan is highly discouraged. However, if due to necessity loan has to be taken then one should keep an intention of paying it back as soon as possible and work for it deligently.

The following Prophetic tradition should be an eye-opener for all of us.

Sayedna Abu Hurairah (Allah be pleased with him) narrates from the Beloved Prophet (Allah’s blessing and peace be upon him),

‘The Prophet (Allah’s blessing and peace be upon him) said, ‘An individual who takes from the wealth of another (as a loan) and his intention is to repay it then Allah will (facilitate & make arrangements for its) recompense for this individual. However, if an individual takes the wealth (loan) with the intention of not returning then Allah will destroy him.’

Bukhari, Ibne Majah

Jamae ul Huqooq, page 9

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Preparing for Ramadhan

vema

 

1. Ask Allah for facilitation (tawfeeq) to benefit from the blessings of Ramadan daily, from now onwards.

2. Make a firm determination to abstain from all sins. Especially those committed by the eyes, ears and tongue.

3. Try to free as much time as possible from work and other commitments for pure worship (ibadah).

4. Reschedule non essential appointmentstill after or before Ramadan. Finish with all Ramadan and Eid shopping prior to the sighting of the crescent.

5. Make special effort to follow as many as possible Sunna in daily activities.
Learn these and memorize the adiya e masnoon (dua) for particular occasions before hand. The book “Alaikum bi sunnati”by Mawlana Abdul Hakim Sukharwi ra is a good, practical and handy resource for this.

6. Review the essential fiqh (rulings) relating to fasting, taraweeh and other Ramadan related issues from “Behishti Zewar” (Heavenly Ornaments) of Hakim al-Umma Hazrat Mawlana Ashraf Ali Thanawi (may Allah have mercy on him).

7. To get motivated and organized, read the discourses of Hakeem al -Umma regarding Ramadan (Mawaiz-e-Ashrafiya volume : Barakat e Ramadan) and listen to the talks of Sayyidi wa sandi db on how to prepare for the holy month.

8. Practice the actions of the Heart. Do not do any action without a proper intention.Abstain from all the blame worthy morals. No anger, arrogance, belittling caustic remarks, etc. It is strange to abstain from otherwise halal (lawful food) and commit an act which is always haram (forbidden). Try to do most of the praise worthy moral actions. Having patience, humility, gratitude, sincerity, etc. Keep a tight grip. Do not slip here.

9. Make a practical and doable time table for daily activities.

The point to remember is that in Ramadan acts of primary form of worships (i.e. salah, dhikr, tilawat, etc.) are to be increased. These lead to an increasing direct relationship with Allah  (i.e. ta’luq ma’Allah).

The tawfiq is from Allah!

Tasawwuf is totally subservient to Quran and Sunna

die-before-you-die

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Shaikh Mawlana Shah Wasiullah Allahabadi (Allah have mercy on him) said,

‘I have made it essential to include in my speech and writings (about the path) the sayings of the scholars of the Divine law and Prophetic traditions ( that is, fuqaha and muhaditheen). This is in order to save Tasawwuf from becoming an independent discipline in itself and to keep it totally subservient to al Quran and al Sunna.

I am observing that in this era people want to make it an independent discipline. I consider this to be the source of (religious) calamities.

Therefore, in addition to my writings  I start my speeches with quotations from Quran and Sunna. Then to support them further  I mention the stories of pious precedent saints and their sayings. And this is the way Hakim al Umma (Mawlana Ashraf ‘Ali Thanawi, Allah have mercy on him)  did in his book ‘Masail e Sulook’.

………..

This approach has benefited me a lot and I hope that it will be beneficial for others to. The first benefit will be the awareness of knowledge of Quran and Sunna. Also, when it will be firmly established in minds that the real obedience is is that of the Prophet (Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him) the desire to traverse the path in accordance with Sunna will develop. The blessings (barakah) of this mode will be axiomatic.  Finally, knowledge of those things that are against Sunna and have crept into Tasawwuf will be acquired. This will save the masses from massive misguidance.’

Halaat e Muslih al-ummat ra, volume 3, page 319

Sayyidi wa sanadi Shaikh Mufti Taqi Usmani (Allah preserve him) has this same style.  In his weekly discourses for the seekers of islah he has given dars of Prophetic traditions from Riyadh us Saliheen of Imam Nawawi, Adabul Mufrad of Imam Bukhari, Kitab uz Zuhd of Imam Ibn al-Mubarak, Tasharuf of Hakim al Umma (Allah have mercy on all of them). MashaAllah!

Moulana Yunus Patel ra

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Death is an inevitable reality.

There is no escape.

The beloved of Allah, our master Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) tasted it to.

The news of the death of Shaikh Moulana Yunus Patel (Allah have mercy on him) is a big shock for all the spiritual aspirants. However, the circumstance under which it occurred  would make any Muslims desirous of such death. That is, in Holy city of Makkah, facing the kaba sharif, immediately after performing tawaf, etc.

May Allah make his complete magfirah and grant him jannat al-firdaus. Amin!

On 5th July 2011 he replied to an individuals request for dua and advice as follows;

‘Bismillahir Rahmaanir Raheem

Wa alaikumus Salaam wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh

Making dua for you. Download and listen to the bayans and talks on the Internet www.yunuspatel.co.za

Inshallah it will suffice for Nasihat.  I am presently in Madinah Sharif and will not be able to respond immediately to emails. Nevertheless making a lot of dua that Allah Ta’ala bless me, bless you and the Ummat at large with complete reformation and change with Afiyyat and best of dunyah and akhirah.

Was Salaamu alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh

Yunus Patel (Maulana)’

Please, try to make dua and esal-e-thawab for him.

JazakAllah.

Related: On Death of the Sheikh!

Time management

 

 – Go to sleep right after Isha salaat and wake up in tahajjud. Complete all your reading and writing tasks at that time. That has been the routine of our akaabireen.

– Never attend any gatherings after 9 pm. If there is a gathering at your place, make sure its ends before 9!

– He further said that nowadays most of the gatherings are not segregated so one can easily apologise the host beforehand for not being able to attend it. Secondly, one could very well visit earlier, give a present and politely inform the host why they needed to leave.

– The biggest ‘calamity’ that has befallen the urbanites is this day and age is that they have stopped sleeping early, and the misfortune (be-barkati) this produces in one’s life, and time, is clearly evident in our messed up daily routines.’

musaafir-e dasht

عبدیت/Servitude-2

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Shah Mohammed Ahl al-Allah (Allah preserve him) a khalifa of Shaikh Masihullah Khan (Allah have mercy on him) explains the signs of servitude,

‘An individual having servitude diligently carries out all the esoteric and exoteric acts of worship considering that they can not be possibly done with his effort alone, unless the Divine help assists him to do so. That is, he attributes (all good works) to Allah (facilitating them for him). Whereas, for any short comings he blames himself.

He tries very diligently not to hurt any other individual, or to cause them any loss or sorrow.

An individual having servitude conscientiously carries out both the exoteric and esoteric acts of worship (especially his wird) irrespective of issues related to health, sickness, hunger, poverty, prosperity, affliction or other non-volitional conditions.

He is diligent in fulfilling the rights of others but does not keep a desire for his own rights.’

Malfozat Shah Mohammed Ahl al-Allah sahib db, page 1,2

An important advice: How to be tolerant?

Shaikh Hafiz Hakim Fakhruddin Allahabadi (Allah have mercy on him) instructed his disciples,

‘Be steadfast on Religion (ad-Deen).

Do not create dissensions.

Hold fast to the principles (usool) and do not denigrate each other for the peripheral disagreements.

Consider this disagreement amongst the truthful scholars to be a mercy.

In regards to those who consider themselves to be mujtahid and disagree with the precedent Imams, scholars, pious saints and concoct meanings of the Holy Quran in a manner that was never done by the blessed Companions, their associates (taba’i & tab’ taba’i), well established scholars and Imams : consider them to be astray. It is essential to stay away from them. However, do not quarrel with them or call bad names. To answer and argue with them is the duty of the pious scholars. Not any or everyone can do this job.

It is essential for an individual to be always cognizant of his actions. Stay away from sins and transgressing your Lord. If by chance a sin is committed immediately repent in front of Allah. This will wipe away the sin.’

Majmua’h award wa wazaif, page 4

Dealing with marital conflicts

Shaikh Mawlana Yusuf Ludhyanawi shaheed (Allah have mercy on him) said,

‘A pious man wrote to his Shaikh the complaints about her wife in detail and requested advice on how to deal with this situation.

The Shaikh replied that, how can an individual who can not be patient on the (mental & emotional) afflictions caused by his wife claim to be superior to her?’

Narrating an incident of a friend Shaikh said,

One day I became fed up of this continuous bickering between my wife and myself and approached Shaikh Arif-billah Dr. Abdul Hayy Arifi (Allah have mercy on him). I told him that I am tired of this situation. I am short tempered and my wife is more short tempered than me. Patience and forbearance is totally lacking in both of us.  Please, guide what should I do?’

Shaikh Arif-billah used to be very succinct in his replies. He avoided lengthy talks. He listened carefully and recommended,

‘Make the traffic one-way.’

That is, let her speak and you remain quiet.

I did as instructed and the situation became better.’#

‘….. In summary in regards to the eccentricities of their spouses men should have forbearance. They should try to improve (islah) them as much as possible and leave the rest to Allah.’*

Momin aurat, # page 43, * 42

Fikr: Self-improvement

Sayyidi wa sanadi Shaikh Mufti Mohammad Taqi Usmani (Allah preserve him) said,

‘The foremost objective in this path is the concern (fikr) for self-improvement.

How can an individual who has no concern for self improvement, considers himself to be living a perfect life, does not have a desire to progress any further or correct his affairs, and is content with the regular routine of daily life traverse this path (tareeq)?’

Waaz: Rah e Sulook, May 15th, 2011