Our master Shaykh Sayyid Ahmad Kabir Rifa’i (Allah have mercy on him) said,
‘Two things accelerate one’s progress in religion (deen). One of them is to remember Allah (dhikr) in solitude. And the other is excessive remembrance (i.e. acknowledgment, thankfulness) of the bounties and blessings of Allah.’
Hikmet e Rifai ra, Urdu translation of ‘al-Hikam al-Rifai’ by Mawlana Abdul Haleem Sharar ra, (First edition printed in 1916, second reprint 1967), page 35
The most important thing is to avoid all sins, especially those committed by eyes, ears and tongue.
This requires knowledge (fiqh) and self determination (himmat).
For fiqh the books Bashti Zewar/Heavenly Ornament or Essential Islamic Knowledge (A handbook of Hanafi fiqh by Qadi Thanaullah Panipati, Allah have mercy on him) are fine.
For determination motivation is required. This is gained by being in good, pious company or reading from the books of or about pious. The Path to Perfection by Shaykh Masihullah (Allah have mercy on him) is a good book to start. Also posts on this site are a selection from these kinds of books. Try to read a couple of them daily.
Min fayuzaat e sayyidi wa sanadi damet barkatahum
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Our master the Prophet Of Allah Jesus, Son of Mary (on whom be peace), said:
‘The world is a Bridge,
pass over it,
but build no houses upon it.
He who hopes for a day, may hope for eternity;
but the World endures but an hour.
Spend it in prayer for the rest is unseen.’
Written on Buland Darwaza, Fatehpur sikri.
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Shaykh Mawlana Mohammad Manzur Nomani (Allah have mercy on him) wrote to a disciple,
‘Supplicating for someone in his absence is the most precious gift for him. Moreover, it is their spiritual meeting in Allah’s court.’
Meyray Shaykh meyray Hazrat Mawlana Mohammad Manzur Nomani ra by Shaykh Qutubud-deen Mullah db, page 48
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Shaykh Mawlana Mohammad Manzur Nomani (Allah have mercy on him) wrote to a disciple,
‘The vigilance in remembrance (dhikr), contemplation (fikr) and spending time alone with Allah (khalwa) is decreasing in those associated with Tabligh. This is a dangerous development. There are two wings (needed) for Tabligh. First is the effort and striving among the public. The other is having a very special relationship with Allah. It is essential to maintain a balance between them.’
Meyray Shaykh meyray Hazrat Mawlana Mohammad Manzur Nomani ra by Shaykh Qutubud-deen Mullah db, page 38
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It is narrated from Sayyidina Umar (Allah be pleased with him) that Prophet of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said,
‘The worst thing I fear for my Ummah are the hypocrites who are knowledgeable speakers.’
Allama Munawi (Allah have mercy on him) said, this is the person who is expert in knowledge and can easily speak at lengths but by his heart (qalb) and actions he is an ignorant with corrupt beliefs. However, with his cunning speech he can misguide the public.
Taharat al-Quloob, page 42-3
This is an eye opener for all of us.
[Hypocrisy: a pretense of having a virtuous character, moral or religious beliefs or principles, etc., that one does not really possess.]
We need to check ourselves first, whether we are in this category.
Also, it gives as the clear direction that we should not be misled by speeches alone. The most important thing to see is the action of the speaker.
Is it in conformity with the teachings of Quran and Sunna, as done by our pious predecessors?
If not then it must be clear that ostentatious traditional garb (beards, turban, jubba, tasbih, etc.) or verbose heartrending stories or superb vernacular or expertise in contemporary marketing techniques (like stylish and sleek power point presentations, projectors, top of the line sound system, online state of the art setup, etc.) will not be spiritually beneficial at all.
Moreover, there is a greater chance that the speaker’s hypocrisy will be transferred to us.
Allahuma hafizna!
A considerable research, companionship and sincere advice from pious knowledgeable individuals is required to ascertain the sincerity of a speaker to benefit from him spiritually.
wa tawfiqi ila billah!
Shaykh Mawlana Karamat Ali Jaunpuri (Allah have mercy on him) [d.1290H/1873CE] said,
‘The calamities resulting from being in the company of an innovator (bid’ati) surpass those of being with the infidel (kuffar).
The worst factions among the innovators are those who have hatred for the blessed Companions of the Holy Prophet (blessings and peace from Allah be upon him).’
Irshad us Slaikeen,page 20
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Shaykh Abdul Haq muhadith Dehlawi (Allah have mercy on him) [d. 1052H/1642CE] said,
‘The most superior form of worship is being in the company of pious (ahl-Allah) and sitting with those who are closer to Allah.
This is because by observing their steadfastness, firm resolve and complete devotion a special motivation and determination develops in the spiritual seeker. This eases the hardship of worship and makes bearable the spiritual struggle which are a necessary component of traveling on this path (tareeq).
Moreover, the observation of their magnificently graceful demeanor (jamal) creates a light in his heart that dispels the darkness of doubts and suspicious (whispering) which are the cause of being far and veiled (from the Truth).’
Halaat Muslih al-Ummat ra, page 328
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Mawlana Kalim Siddiqqui (Allah preserve him), khalifa of Sheikh al-Hadith Mawlana Zakariya mohajir Madani and Mawlana Sayyid Abul Hasan Ali Nadawi (Allah have mercy on them) said,
‘In reality the ‘ijazet’ (permission to take murid & instruct others) from the pious are of three types.
Firstly, the permission is granted trusting an individual who has the capabilities to guide and do reformation of others. This is the real ijazet. It is given to the very special and selected individuals.
Second type is when seeing the poor religious state of an area Shaykh gives permission to a relatively more religious person to work for inviting and guiding others in that specific area.
The third type of ijazet is what individuals like us hold. That is, because of it he will abstain from sins. The Shaykh thinks that considering himself to be a mojaz and khalifa he will stay away from sinful activities.’
Arghaman, monthly, June 2010, page 28
Shaykh Ahmad Ali Lahori (Allah have mercy on him) said,
‘The spiritual effulgent blessings (faiz) that a disciple attains by being in the company of a perfect Shaykh can also be effectively accquired from the letter of the Shaykh. This is because when the seeker shakes hand with the Shaykh he derives blessings (tawajjuhat) through touch, when Shaykh observes him he derives benefit from the sight. And when the Shaykh responds to the disciple’s letter, the blessings from his hand, sight and mind all are concentrated in that writing.
Therefore, it is essential that the murid not only reads the letter with full concentration but he should show perfect reverence and full devotion to it in order to benefit from the three fold spiritual blessings.’
Shaykh al-Tafsir kay hairet angez waqeyat, page 277
Shaykh Nawab Eshrat ‘Ali Khan Qaiser (Allah preserve him) instructed,
‘To develop perfect congeniality of this path (tareeq) it essential that senior murid reads the biography of Hakim al-Umma, Ashraf us-Sawanih volume 2, Maasir e Hakim al Ummat and Tarbiyet us Salik. The intention should be to act on the information for his own reformation (islah).
Halaat e Eshrat wa Maktubat e Masih al-ummat ra, page 80
Hakim al-Umma Mawlana Ashraf Ali Thanawi (Allah have mercy on him) wrote supporting the ban on Darul Uloom Deoband’s student involvement in political activities,
‘Assume three friends are traveling. At a certain point in their path they found that three or four wolves are attacking a lion.This is blocking the road. These people did not have any weapons. However, around them there are stones and rocks. These three individuals differed in opinion and hence acted differently.
One opted that he must help the lion. If he is victorious then being affected by my favor he would not bother me and allow me to pass forward.
The second thought that lion is alone and wolves outnumber him. Most likely the wolves will be victorious in the fight. If I help them they will repay my favor by not bothering me and allow me to walk on the path peacefully. Hence, he started to attack the lion with the stones and rocks.
The thrid individual decided that attacking with stones and rocks is neither enough to help the lion nor the wolves. In case if the one I helped is defeated the opponent will unnecessarily become my enemy with this futile effort. Even if he is victorious then what guarantee is there that his animal instinct will not overwhelm his intelligence. And he may harm me whenever he gets a chance. Therefore, until I have satisfactory means to defend myself it is best not to help anyone. Moreover I must ensure my own safety to the best of my ability. Then let whomever be victorious. It is possible that due to the lack of my involvement in this fight none will bother me. And even if he does bother me I would not be troubled that I myself made him an enemy.
Therefore, this third person parted from the other two and got involved in in his own safety measures. He used all his effort to avoid their reach. With calmness and serenity he made a long detour to reach the path ahead. Now it is his bad luck if the lion and wolves follow him there.
These are three disnticnt methodolgies taken by the three individuals. If these individuals did not oppose the established rules of intelligence and their intention was also not corrupt ( to reach their decision) then no one can rationally rebuke them.
However, if it is conveyed to an individual with explicit proof that your decision is dangerous and he can not defend it appropriately but continues to persist on his opinion then it is essential to rebuke him.’
Naqoosh wa tasurat Hakim al-Ummat ra, by Mawlana Abdul-Majid Daryabadi ra, page 272-3
Mawlana Kalim Siddiqui (Allah preserve him) said,
‘It is essential for us Muslims to develop a positive mindset. This is especially required in dealing with non-Muslims.
Always being suspicious of non-Muslims and cooking conspiracy-theories is not from the teachings of Islam.
The way of the the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace): Sunna, is to have a strong yearning and heartfelt effort to benefit them. We need to remind ourselves about the Prophet’s trial in Taif. He was asked to supplicate for the destruction of those who caused him harm. However, he denied that and passionately prayed for them and their future generations’ guidance and salvation.
It is hypocritical that we are benefiting from all the technological advances designed by these non-Muslims and we do pay them back in kind. Moreover, we desire harm to them. This is explicitly un-Islamic.
The best kindness and gift we can present to them is Islam. A pure, dignified and simple life style. To save them from eternal hellfire.’
Waaz, after esha, Jeddah, 22 November 2010
