A seeker wrote,
When I am asked to lead a salat I notice that I tend to offer it more properly. I feel that I have the responsibility of others. Is this show off (riyakari)?
Ashrafiya replied,
No. It is natural to do so under pressure. However, there should not be any drastic changes. Also, Imam’s salah should be very concise and light.
Islahi emails
Grand Mufti of Pakistan Mufti Mohammed Shafi (Allah have mercy on him) writes,
Read the details of martyrdom from beginning till end, reflect on the correspondence and sermons of honorable (Imam) Hussain (Allah be pleased with him). You will find that his goals were,
1. Implementation of the rulings of Quran and Sunna in the truest sense
2. Reinstating the Islamic system of justice again
3. Continuous struggle (Jihad) against the innovation of monarchy and dictatorship which replaced Islam’s way of khilafet e nabuwat.
4. Not being intimidated by power and wealth when defending the truth (Haqq)
5. Sacrifice one’s life, family and all possessions when defending the truth (Haqq)
6. Not to be distressed in situation of fear and hardship by remembering Allah all the time, having complete trust (tawakul) in Him and being thankful to Him in all situations.
Is there anyone who listens to this message of beloved of Prophet of Allah (Allah bless him & grant him peace), the victim of Karbala, the persecuted martyr?
Is there (someone) ready to fulfill his mission? Follow his footsteps, making his noble morals and praiseworthy actions the goal of his own life?
O Allah! Grant us Your’s , Your Prophet’s (Allah bless him & grant him peace), his noble Companions’ and his perfect families’ comprehensive love and exhaustive following. Ameen!
Shaheed e Karbala, p 6-7
The following is in response to a novice seeker’s many religious daily activities.
‘MashaAllah.
It is great to know about your activities. They are all fine.
However, I want to stress the importance of giving daily quality time to your spouse, daughter, parents and other very close relatives. This is essential and more beneficial then all other nafil activities.
Also, it must be clear that the knowledge of religion that you require for daily practice is essential and a must. Beyond this religious education is not for all. It is for scholars. For lay people like me it is more necessary to be involved in my own islah.
Also, a general advice akabir give to novice in religion is that,
“Walk slow and steady. Do not rush and run.”
Otherwise soon the enthusiasm will be over and a ‘burnt out state’ will come.
It is for this reason having a Shaykh is essential. He directs and tells how much to do
Ishai emails:TA
I read about the zikr of the chishti tareeqa i.e. the dowazdah tasbeeh. I have doubts in my mind regarding this. The thought comes to my mind that this is not established by sunnah. I have tried to read many books to clarify this but am not satisfied yet. Although I am ashamed to even think about the likes of Hakeem ul ummah RA or Mufti Taqi Usmani DB involved in any bidah. But I guess the very non-sufi environment that I have been in, gives me these doubts. Any clarification regarding this would be sincerely appreciated. Please forgive me if I offended with this question.
Ashrafiya replied,
There is no offence at all in asking this question.
However, there is a misunderstanding that needs to be clarified.
That is, every one acknowledges that dowazadeh tashib is not a masnun zikr, but it is a prelude or an excercise to develop interest, concentration and sincerity in the real zikr. This is by experience of the past mashaykh. Just like the physicians treating with different medicine. Sayyidi wa sanadi Mufti Mohammed Taqi Usmani (Allah protect & preserve him) tells us that, ‘is is medicine’, ‘you do not need a proof from Quran and hadith to use Tylenol for headche’,.
Similarly the sufic zikr is a medicine.This is clarified to each and every murid at the time of instruction of this tasbih. Not all murid or talibs are instructed to do it.
Also, the daily masnun tasbihat are in addition to this zikr.
I hope it is a bit clearer now.
Islahi emails:TA
The Prophet of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said,
“On the day of eid (when people gather to offer eid prayers)
Allah says to the Angels,
‘Have these people fulfilled the obligation (of fasting)
and are now gathered for prayers?
I swear by My pride, magnificence, majesty, mercy and elevated status that I will fulfill their prayers.
Tell them to return,
I have forgiven them all
and furthermore
I have replaced their sins with virtuous deeds.
Hence they return completely forgiven.
(Mishkat/Bahaiqi)
On our eid visit to Sayyidi wa sanadi Mawlana Mohammad Taqi Usmani(Allah preserve him) we always found him to be extremely happy and cheerful, repeatedly telling us that Arifbillah Dr Abdul Hayy Arifi’s (Allah have mercy on him) statement regarding Eidul fitr
“We are excessively blessed individuals today.
All our sins have been forgiven.
They have been bartered with good deeds.
We are completely clean and tidy.”
An unimaginable joy!
Muadh bin Jabal (Allah be pleased with them) related that our Master Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said,
“Whoever sits in his home, with the people safe from him and him safe from the people shall enjoy the guarantee of Allah.”
Al-Tabarani, Abu-Dawood (partial phrase selected)
A student complained of annoying recurrent thoughts (وساوس) regarding ritual purity۔ He added that he was spending to much time in restroom and wasting lots of water. Moreover it was giving him headaches and anxiety.
Sayyidi wa sanadi Mufti Mohammed Taqi Usmani (Allah protect & preserve him) replied,
‘Its treatment is to firmly do the opposite of these thoughts. Do not give importance to them. Otherwise they will continue to annoy.
The student requested for a recitation (wazifa) to help him.
Sayyidi instructed him to recite the Prophetic prayer
اللھم اجعل وساوس قلبی خشیتک و ذکرک
And recite surah an naas (Quran chapter 114) often and blow over himself. ‘
Darul Uloom Karachi, office. 26 October 2019. After zuhar.
Sayyidi wa sanadi Mufti Mohammed Taqi Usmani (Allah preserve & protect him) said,
“Duʿāʾ can make the (apparently) impossible possible.”
Narrated Ibn `Abbas (Allah be pleased with him):
When the Prophet (ﷺ) got up at night to offer the Tahajjud prayer, he used to say: Allahumma lakal-hamd.
Anta qaiyyimus-samawati wal-ard wa man fihinna.
Walakal-hamd, Laka mulkus-samawati wal-ard wa man fihinna.
Walakal-hamd, anta nurus-samawati wal-ard.
Wa lakal-hamd, anta-l-haq wa wa’duka-lhaq, wa liqa’uka Haq, wa qauluka Haq, wal-jannatu Han wan-naru Haq wannabiyuna Haq.
Wa Muhammadun, sallal-lahu’alaihi wasallam, Haq, was-sa’atu Haq.
Allahumma aslamtu Laka wabika amantu, wa ‘Alaika tawakkaltu, wa ilaika anabtu wa bika khasamtu, wa ilaika hakamtu faghfir li ma qaddamtu wama akh-khartu wama as-rartu wama’a lantu, anta-l-muqaddim wa anta-l-mu akh-khir, la ilaha illa anta (or la ilaha ghairuka).
(O Allah! All the praises are for you, You are the Holder of the Heavens and the Earth, And whatever is in them. All the praises are for You; You have the possession of the Heavens and the Earth And whatever is in them. All the praises are for You; You are the Light of the Heavens and the Earth And all the praises are for You; You are the King of the Heavens and the Earth; And all the praises are for You; You are the Truth and Your Promise is the truth, And to meet You is true, Your Word is the truth And Paradise is true And Hell is true And all the Prophets (Peace be upon them) are true; And Muhammad is true, And the Day of Resurrection is true. O Allah ! I surrender (my will) to You; I believe in You and depend on You. And repent to You, And with Your help I argue (with my opponents, the non-believers) And I take You as a judge (to judge between us). Please forgive me my previous And future sins; And whatever I concealed or revealed And You are the One who make (some people) forward And (some) backward. There is none to be worshipped but you . Sufyan said that `Abdul Karim Abu Umaiya added to the above, ‘Wala haula Wala quwata illa billah’ (There is neither might nor power except with Allah).
Sahih al-Bukhārī,1120, book19/1
Sayyidi wa sanadi Mufti Mohammed Taqi Usmani (Allah protect & preserve him) reprimanded a student who approached him for handshake saying very firmly,
‘It is an innovation (bida’t) to shake hand (musahafa) without saying the salaam (alaykum).
You did not say salaam and just barged in for handshake. ‘
Darul Uloom Karachi, after zohar-salat e janaza, Wednesday 21 August 2019
5. اَنۡتَ وَلِيُّنَا فَاغۡفِرۡ لَـنَا وَارۡحَمۡنَا وَاَنۡتَ خَيۡرُ الۡغَافِرِيۡنَ
“You are our protector, so forgive us, and have mercy on us, and You are the best among those who forgive.”
Sayyidi wa sanadi Mufti Mohammed Taqi Usmani (Allah protect & preserve him) explained that “wali” is one who knows the interests of someone, and safeguards those interests. Here, before making the supplication which follows, it is being said to Allah that “You are our wali”.
This is common throughout the supplications mentioned in the Quran and Hadith, that they often begin with words of praise for Allah. Why is this so? Some ignorant people think that these words of praise are akin to flattery which is done to people of power in this world. Allah has no need of this! Even if the entire world stopped mentioning His praise, it would not cause the minutest decrease in His Greatness!
Rather there are two reasons for doing this:
a) If a slave mentions his difficulties without words of praise to Allah, it is possible that ungratefulness could be involved in that supplication. To save the slave from into falling into ungratefulness, it is made Sunnah to begin the supplication with words of praise for Allah.
b) The words of praise for Allah, such as SubhanAllah (Allah is pure), Alhamdulillah (all praise is for Allah), Allahu Akbar (All is the Greatest) contain blessings, the reality of which will only be revealed in the Akhirah.Saying these words before supplications is made Sunnah so that the slave is not deprived of these blessings when making supplications to Allah.
Ramadan 1440, post zohar dars, Masjid Darul Uloom Karachi,
Intekhab e Kaiseri
