Source: Ask Imam
Category Archives: Q. Akabir
A great opportunity: Hadhrat Hakim sahib db
Arif billah Hadhrat Shah Hakim Mohammad Akhter sahib mudazillahu is in Medinah e munawwara these days.
He is one of the most senior shaykh of Ashrafiya silsila. He was in the company of Hadhrat Shah Abdul Ghani Phulpuri sahib for a long duration and has khilafat from Hadhrat Shah Abrarul Haqq sahib of Hardoi (khalifa of Hakim al-Umma) and Mawlana Mohammad Ahmad sahib of Partabgarh(khalifa in Mawlana FazalurRehman sahib Ganjmuradabadi’s silsila) (may Allah ahve mercy on them).
He will be there till June 7th, inshaAllah.
It is a great opportunity for those visiting the Haramain shareefain during this period. Hadhrat db usually goes to say salam at rawdha e mubarak around 9.00-9.30 AM. He is staying at Manazil e Harman, block 2.
A lot of his own khulafa and senior murid are accompanying him. MashaAllah!
May Allah SWT make us benefit from him a lot. Amin!
Adherence to the Sunnah and the Mashayikh Chisht
Some people brand the chishtiyya as being ahl-e-bid`ah (innovators in deen). In relation to this Hakimul-Ummah, Hazrat Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi (rahimahullah) comments:
“The reality of the matter is that the chistiyya have been very staunch adherents to the blessed sunnah. One of the incidents which demonstrates this fact is the incident of Hazrat Kabirul-Auliya Jalalud-Deen Panipati (rahimahullah). When Hazrat Jalalud-Deen became sick, he was bed-ridden and even sitting up was extremely difficult for him.
In this state, when his medicine was brought for him to take, he sat straight up (in spite of the hardship) and told his khadims to bring him down to the ground from the bed. The khuddam had no choice but to fulfil the Shaikh’s orders and they laid him down to the floor. Sitting on the floor, he took his medicine and then remarked: “As far as my knowledge is concerned, it is not established from the sunnah that Nabi (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) partook of any food, or medicine, on a bed.”
SubhanAllah, in spite of the fact, that this is permissible (for a sick and excused person) he still underwent extreme difficulty in order to fulfil the sunnah, and even abstain from doing such an act which has the possibility of not being a sunnah.
Can such personalities (who abstain from even the possibility of opposing the sunnah) be branded as innovators in deen? Unfortunately, the reality of the matter nowadays is that it has become the habit of people, that anyone who is not in accordance to “our” specific style and methodology, then he must be a bid`ati… This is absolutely wrong.”
(Malfuzat Hakimul-Ummah; 9:216)
Source: at-Talib
A great site!
Hadhrat Sufi Mohammad Sarwar sahib (may Allah preserve him) is an outstanding senior Shaykh in Ashrafiya path. He has khilafat from Hadhrat Mufti Mohammad Hasan, Master Sharif and Mawlana Masihullah Khan sahib (may Allah have mercy on them all).
Following site has his biography, lectures and some very beneficial books;
Benefits of suhba
Hakim al-Umma Hadhrat Mawlana Ashraf Ali Thanawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said,
‘There are four modes of benefiting from the Divinely pious individuals (ahl-Allah),
Firstly, you gain beneficial knowledge from their speech.
Secondly, you (try to) follow their actions.
Thirdly, they make supplications (dua) for you.
Finally, you get spiritual blessings (barakah) by being in their company.”
Waaz: As-soq-l-ahl ashoq, Ibqa’ 1981, page 98
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
Beard: No big deal?
Hadhrat Mawlana Faqir Mohammad was one of the senior khulafa of Hakim al-Ummah (may Allah have mercy on them). He was blessed with extreme piety, meticulous adherance to Sunna and lucid unveiling (khashaf). In the later part of his life he used to stay in Medinah e munawwara for prolonged periods of time and occasionally visited Pakistan.
On one of such visits to Pakistan a top ranking clean shaved official greeted and reminded him that they had met in front of the blessed rau’dha (muwajjah sharif:shown in the picture above) in Medinah e munawwara.
Hadhrat replied that he remembered the incident quite vividly because the Blessed Prophet (may Allah’s blessing and peace be on him) after replying to his salutations (salat o salam) had immediately turned away his noble face in displeasure from this clean-shaved official.
Allah, Most High, save us from this. Amin!
Source: Iqra digest’s special issue on Hahdrat ra
Seeing the Prophet of Allah in a Dream
Sayyidi wa sanadi Hadhrat Mufti Taqi Uthmani (may Allah preserve him) writes:
“A gentleman used to visit my father (Mufti Muhammad Shafi Uthmani [may Allah have mercy on him]). Once he expressed to my father his burning desire to see the Holy Prophet (Allah’s blessings and peace be on him) in a dream and asked him for some spiritual exercise for this.
My father said to him: ‘My dear brother, you are indeed a very ambitious man that you have this auspicious desire. I do not have the courage to entertain this desire, because I think that I do not deserve this honor. I. therefore never thought of learning and doing such exercise and disciplines to have a meeting with the Holy Prophet (Allah’s blessings and peace be on him) in a dream. Even if I am graced with such a meeting how can I do full justice to the required etiquettes? That is why I did not aspire for the honor of this meeting. If Allah Himself graces me with this meeting it will be His great favor to me. In that case, He shall teach me the requisite etiquettes also. However, just like any other believer, I too bear a desire for this.’ “
From: at-Talib
Humility
Our master Shaykh Haji Imdadullah mohajer Makki (may Allah have mercy on him) due to his great humility would say that,
“Those who come to me are definitely better than me. This is because they have one thing for sure; and that is a sincere desire to learn. I on the other hand have nothing as definite as their intention. “
From: In Shaykh’s Company
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
Do not be angry!
In a special gathering where several senior deputies (khulafa) of Masih al-quloob Hadhrat Mawlana Masihullah Khan (may Allah have mercy on him) were present an individual asked Hadhrat to name some of his special deputies.
In a powerful spiritual state Hadhrat replied, “I do not have any khulafa! Only those (of whom I have given ijaza) who do not become angry are my deputies.”
As reported by qutub e Makkah e mukarramah, Shaykh Dr. Hasan Imam (may Allah preserve him)
Spiritual benefit (faiz)
Hadhrat Mawlana Abdul-Ghani Phulpuri (may Allah have mercy on him) said,
“Once Hadhrat Haji (Imdadullah) mohajir Makki told my blessed Shaykh (may Allah have mercy on them), ‘Dearest Ashraf Ali! Even when I am talking to others you should remain attentive towards my heart (qalb) aspiring for spiritual benefit (faiz). Do not think that when I am busy talking to others my heart becomes idle (ghafil). Even during these convesations my heart is busy with Allah most High.”
Ma’arifat e Illahiya, page364
Reading the shajara
Regarding the practice of reciting the spiritual lineage (shajara) Hakim al-Umma Hadhrat Mawlana Ashraf ‘Ali Thanawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said,
“The reality of reading the shajara is making supplication (dua) through a means (tawassul). And supplication is a form of remembrance (dhikr). (Hence, reading the shajara will also be included in dhikr).
The meaning of tawassul is, O Allah! Have mercy on us due to (the status of) XYZ-pious person.”
waaz: Akbar al-‘amaal, page 5-8
Ghair muqallid murid
Any seeker, even if he was a ahle-hadith, provided he did not consider following the Imams’ (taqlid) impermissible (haram) and did not speak bad or held ill thoughts for the jurist (fuqha) Hakim al-Umma Hadhrat Mawlana Ashraf ‘Ali Thanawi (may Allah have mercy on him) would not refuse to instruct him (in the spiritual path) or pass on the (sufi) dhikr or even accept him into the silsila (as a murid).
Ashraf us Sawanih, volume 2 269
Deobandi Shaykh are qalander
Following was written in response to a brother’s comment. He felt a rigidity in the maslak of Deobandi Shuyukh in regards to the following of Sunna and avoidance of innovation (bidah).
“You may not be aware that in general Deobandis mashaykhs are qalanders*. Their spirituality is hidden beneath their apparent scholarly demeanor (‘ilmiyet). People see them as molvi, mulla and mufti. Seldom do they conform to the prevalent sufi facade.
I am not aware that any of the senior Shuyukh discuss these controversial issues per se. However, if these topics do come up in their discussion they clarify their stance. In general, their talks are usually free from these issues.
Other unique thing you will notice is their emphasis on Sunna. People nowadays do whatever is permissible (jaiz/mubah). Our mashaykh still insist on Sunna. This is more reflective of their being really the true sufis. Sufis do not look for dispensation. They go the best method possible. Steadfastness (‘azimat) on Sunna is their way.
*In sufi terminology qalander is a person who’s outward appearance does not display his inner spirituality.