Category Archives: S. Sunna

Being Considerate regarding the Ease of Others

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A person once sneezed and thereafter loudly recited, “Alhamdulillah!” 

Hakim al Umma Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi (Allah have mercy on him) was engaged in writing his correspondences at the time. When he heard this person recite “Alhamdulillah”, Moulana Thanwi replied, “Yarhamukallah,” and thereafter said, “A considerate person will recite ‘Alhamdulillah’ in very low volume voice. On account of you reciting it aloud, I was forced to leave the work that I was engaged in to fulfil the obligation of replying to the duaa that you recited after sneezing.” 

Hakim al Umma then added, “In such situations, when people are engaged in some work, then ‘Alhamdulillah’ should be recited in barely audible voice after sneezing. When I am in public, I always recite Alhamdulillah softly so that I will not inconvenience them by making it waajib upon them to reply”.

 Similarly, Hakim al Umma Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi (Allah have mercy on him) would recite the verses of Sajdah Tilaawah in the Holy Qur’aan  softly so that he would not inconvenience others by causing the Sajdah to become waajib on them. 

(Malfoozaat Husnul Azeez pg.485)

Via: Ihya ad Deen co za 

Clarification about Ijaza

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Ijaza (permission) to initiate mureed is not synonymous with mashikhyet (being a Shaikh). 

Not all mujazeen are Shaikh!

This is especially true for the present day young very fresh mujaazeen (permission holders). 

Both the mujaaz and mureed are confused about this. 

This is because of not understanding the concept of Ijaza. 

Hakimul al Umma Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi (Allah have mercy on him) has explicitly stated that Ijaza is like graduation certificate. It indicates that the individual has completed the very basic course. It does not mean that this individual is a certified expert in this field. However, if continues his efforts to study further he has the capacity to excel. 

Mujaazeen these days consider Ijaza a certificate of excellence (mashaikhiyet) and are eager to initiate mureed to the extent of shamelessly having agents who act like pimps. 

This is in stark contrast to the example of our pious elders (akabir). On receiving ijaza they felt extreme humility and sense of worthlessness. They wished and tried to keep it secret. Even if someone approached them for initiation they would refer him to someone reliable. Only when forced by elders they would take mureed. And even then with the same feelings of humility and worthlessness and usually not within their Shaikh’s lifetime. 

The hallmark of our akabir is extreme humility in addition to the firm adherence to Sunna. 

A fresh mujaaz of sayyidi wa sanadi Mufti Taqi Usmani (Allah protect and preserve him) was instructed in year 2002 by a pious elder in the blessed city of Makkah that the real time to put effort and struggle has just started now. 

We must remind ourselves that graduates working for masters or doctorates can not even think of taking full time jobs or establishing their own setups. Similarly fresh mujazeen should not delve into setting up of khaqahs and enlisting an army of mureedeen.  They should focus on their own self for the time being. 

The naive seekers unaware of these details can not be blamed. However, the awareness of reality has to be highlighted. 

Some of the pious masters of this path (Tasawwuf) have mentioned that an individual should only take up initiating mureed after receiving an explicit  ijaza from Allah and His Prophet (Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him). (And Allah knows its real meaning and may He by His benevolence make us knowledgeable. Ameen!). 

Karachi 

Wird: تارک الورد ملعون 

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A spiritual seeker wrote, I read in many books the saying تارک الورد ملعون (one who abandons his daily wird is cursed).  What exactly does it mean?

Hakim al Umma Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi (Allah have mercy on him) replied, 

‘First of all sayings like this are not an evidence without an explicit reference. 

Even if it is considered to be a testament then ‘cursed’ (here) means deprivation from the special blessings that is associated with (the recitation of) this wird. 

In addition the wisdom of wording it so (dramatic) is to state the repugnance of abandoning the daily routine wird without a genuine excuse. This practice (of abandonment of established worship) being abominable is mentioned in sahih Prophetic saying

یا عبداللہ لا تکن مثل فلان کان یصلی بالیل ثم ترکہ

O Abdullah! Do not be like XYZ who use to pray at night and then abandoned it. ‘

Tarbiyet us Salik, volume3, page 134

Sunna: Leaving it leads to gaflah 

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Shaykh Ibn ‘Ata Allah al Iskandari (Allah have mercy on him) said,

Negligence (gaflah) does not come upon you except as a consequence of your negligence in emulating the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace). 

Moreover (remember) you will never attain honor in Allah’s sight except by emulating him (Allah bless him and grant him peace). 

Taj al ‘Arus p 4

Companionships to avoid 

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Our master Shaykh Haji Imdadullah mohajir Makki (Allah have mercy on him) instructed,
‘Avoid the companionship of,

1. One who contravenes the ruling of Shariah. 

2. One who rejects Tasawwuf. 

3. Innovator (in Religious affairs ). 

4. A Sufi who opposes the Sunna:the way of Prophet (Allah bless him & grant him peace) even though he can perform supernatural feats others can’t do or even he is able to fly in the sky.’ 

Tahseel qasdus sabeel (Shah Lutuf Rasool rehmatullah aleh), page 46

Love of the Prophet (Allah bless him & grant him peace)

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Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) instructed,

‘O Abu Hurairah ! If you desire not to be separated from my company on the Day of Judgement and eventually enter the Paradise along with me then love me in way that you can not forget me. 

And remember that if you love me then you will not abandon three things,

1. Following my example (Sunna)

2. Longing for me 

3. Sending salutations (salwaat) on me excessively. ‘

Fatuhaat Makkiya, volume 37 chapter 560, page 121

Sins: a plea for safeguard

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O Allah! I ask You for such fear which would prevent me from Your disobedience so that I may do, through your obedience, actions which will make me eligible for Your pleasure, and so that I may truly repent before You out of the fear for You, (and) be shameful in front of You, so that I place my trust in You in all matters. And I ask You for good expectations from You. 

You are Perfect, the creator of nur (a faculty to differentiate between bright pious deeds and sinful dark actions). 

O Allah! Do not destroy us suddenly, do not take us to task all of a sudden nor make us heedless of any obligations or advice. ‘
–

Munajaat e maqbool # 170, Wednesday manzil 

‘Abdiyet: Dhikr e qalbi

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waabud2

Sayyidi wa sanadi Mufti Mohammad Taqi Usmani (Allah preserve & protect him) instructed,

‘The highest level (achieveable for a human being) is to be (a true) slave of Allah. (That is, ‘abdiyet.)

May Allah bestow this to us. (Ameen).

In order to facilitate this I suggest doing this excercise.

Tell yourself

‘O Allah! I am Your slave  (abd)  and You are my Master (Rabb)‘.

Do this repeatedly. Make it a routine habit. Continue doing this excessively until it becomes a spontaneous speech of your heart (and mind).’

Waaz, 7/8/2016, Masjid, Darul Uloom Karachi, after asr

Shaikh: image problem 

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Sayyidi wa sanadi Mufti Mohammed Taqi Usmani (Allah preserve and protect him) said,

‘Adopting a life style and promoting an air of being a Sufi Shaikh is wrong (for those who have permission to initiate mureed). 

None of our pious predecessors (akabir) did this. They lived a simple life style (as is the Sunna of our beloved Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace). Their hallmark is the extreme humility (tawadhu). 

Moreover, it is dangerous as it leads to extreme attitudes of reverence by their followers.  (Sometimes excuses are made for noncompliance to Shariah.)’

1st Shawwal 1437/6 July 2016 Wednesday, residence, Darul Uloom Karachi, pre-zuhar 

In his instructions to whom he gave permission to initiate mureed (mojaaz) Sayyidi wa sanadi said,

۔ کبھی مخدومیت، یا مروجہ پیری مریدی کی شان بنانے کی کوشش نہ کریں، بلکہ اس کو اپنے لیۓ زھر قاتل سمجھیں

Never try to adopt the lifestyle of being someone senior and superior or that of contemporary Sufi Shuyukh.  In fact, consider this to be the most potent poison (for your spirituality). 

Islahi khutoot (qalmi)

Reminder: red flag!

Refuge from calamities 

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Shaykh MansurAli Khansb Ali Khan (Allah protect & preserve him) said,

‘In this day and age where there are colossal calamities even in religious affairs around us we should ask Allah excessively for refuge. 

Now I appreciate Arif billah Dr Abdul Hayy’s (Allah have mercy on him) inclusion of asking refuge (istea’za) in the four priceless spiritual actions (char beshbaha mahasen) he so often recommended. This is something outstanding. 

Hakim al Umma Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi (Allah have mercy on him) included a section of Prophetic supplications of asking refuge in every day recitation of Munajat e Maqbool. 

Once Mufti Mohammed Shafi (Allah have mercy on him) instructed me that if you are unable to ask Allah by reciting all the supplications in Munajat e Maqbool in lail al-qadr (the night of Power) then select the sections of asking Allah’s refuge. ‘

Jeddah 28 Sha’baan 1437/4 June 2016

Tasawwuf: Ashrafiya Approach 2

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Tasawwuf-Aur-Nisbat-e-Sufia-250x384

Sayyidi wa sanadi Mufti Mohammad Taqi usmani (Allah protect & preserve him) continued,

‘Similar is the story in all of the Tasawwuf. In some quarters the method of treatment (of spiritual maladies) has  been made a goal in itself.

This is the case of gathering of remembrance done aloud (ijtemai majalis e dhikr bil jaher).  Remembrance (of Allah) done aloud and in a gathering are both per se permissible. However, these days in some (sufi) paths it is considered to be an essential part and without it remembrance is considered to be deficient and less rewarding.

Similarly, as an example is the case of  supplicating in front of the graves facing the qibla. It is permissible per se. Moreover it is proven by Sunna of our master prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace). However, when our pious-predecessors saw that grave-worshipers can misuse it for their benefit then they discouraged doing so

We consider our master Hakim al Umma Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi (Allah have mercy on him) to be the mujaddid (one who revives) of this era.  In Tasawwuf lots of things were done as a means of treatment prescribed by masters, however, gradually (with passage of time) they became an objective in them-self. The revival of Tasawwuf that Hakim al Umma did was to state that the real objective (of Tasawwuf) is the acquisition of praise worthy moral characteristics (fadhail) and riddance of blame worthy moral characteristics (razail) from one’s self.

In reality there are various degrees of crossing the limits in Tasawwuf. Some elders prescribed as a form of treatment something for their disciples, others selected something else to be more beneficial. Then some considered this treatment to be essential (for all), others promoted them to the level of things highly desired (mustaheb) or Prophetic practice (Sunna). The problem starts from here (with this meddling in the fiqhi hierarchy of status of actions) onwards. ’

Albalagh,Urdu, volume 51, publication 6-7, (April 2017) page 71-2