Category Archives: T. Tarbiyet

Contains principle and guidelines on training and disciplining of the morals (ikhlaq) of murid

Sunna: Criterion for Allah’s proximity 

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Quoting 29 verses of Holy Quran Arif-billah Dr. Abdul-Hayy Arifi (Allah have mercy on him) said,

‘It is distinctly evident from these specifications of Allah that an individual who is closest to the Prophet (Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him) (by emulating his actions and orders) will come closest to Allah and will be from His beloved servant (abd).

Evidently following the Sunna (etiba e sunnat) is the soul of worshiping and climax of absolute servant-hood (abdiyet).   

An action in opposition to Sunna is not an act of worship, but it is pure deviation.’

Uswa-e-Rasool-e-akram sallallaho alehey wa alihi wa salam, page 38

Sunna: Don’t disregard it

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It was a very sad occasion.

 A Veteran of Deen was informing us of his tablighi efforts. Since the previous 42 years he was  actively involved in betterment of Muslim Ummah. However, when he stood to offer his salah it was like an ordinary lay individual. There was no following of the Sunna in the actions performed (like how to raise the hands in takbeer e ihram, how and where to place them in qiyam, sujud, etc.).

Similarly, on another occasion a khalifa of a prominent Shaykh was offering salah exactly like this.

The decades of tablighi effort and all the khilafet & Ijazat are useless if an individual has not realized the importance of following the Sunna and rectified at least his own salah.

Cognizance that I am seeing Allah or I am in front of Allah and He is observing my salah is a later level where salah improves to the stage of perfection.

Each and everyone of us has to make an effort in this regards.

Urdu readers can benefit quickly with ‘Namazain Sunnat kay mutabeq parhain’ online.

Kashef al qaboor

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A seeker wrote,  

Here there is mausoleum of Makhdoom Sheikh Sharaf ud Deen Ahmed Yayha Maneri (Allah have mercy on him). On my weekly visits the grave is no obstacle I see clearly the blessed (dead) body (of the Sheikh) and a garden all around. It is as per the description of a believer’s grave. This vision remains with the eyes open. Similarly I see it at my sister’s grave who recently passed away and another pious person’s grave. Moreover, at some graves I see what has been described of transgressors’ grave. 

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

‘Neither pay any attention at all to these happenings nor consider them to be accurate. All of these are a veil (distraction).’

Tarbiyet us Salik, volume 2, page 1096

Mosque property use

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An individual presented few dates in plastic cup (kept with water coolers) in the Prophet’s mosque (Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him).

 Sayyidi wa sanadi Mufti Mohammed Taqi Usmani (Allah protect & preserve him) inquired,

‘Is this a used plastic cup?’

On receiving a negative response he picked a single date and returned the plastic cup clarifying,

‘It is impermissible to give something that is mosque property to another as a gift.’

Masjid e Nabaawi, exiting Bab Rehmah, after esha, Friday 19 February 2016

Quran recitation: Mobile vs mushaf

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In the Prophet’s mosque (Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) Sayyidi wa sanadi Mufti Mohammed Taqi Usmani (Allah preserve & protect him) instructed a murid who was reciting the blessed Quran  from his mobile phone,
‘In a place where a mushaf (printed text of Quran) is available it is best to read from it.

Reading Quran from a mobile application is permissible. However, the blessings of reading from a mushaf are more. The Quranic picture in mobile are the reflection of the text (not the original text).

Moreover, in reading from the mushaf an individual is more cautious and observant of the proper etiquettes (adaab). He should try to do this even when he is  reading from mobile (when mushaf is not available).

Qari Rahim Baksh (Allah have mercy on him) was a great haafiz and teacher of Quranic recitations (qiraat). He tutored thousands of students. However,  in spite of memorizing the whole Quran he use to do his regular daily recitation by reading from a mushaf and placing his finger on each single word. This was to get the maximum blessings possible. ‘

Masjid e Nabaawi, behind Riyadhul jannah, after maghrib/awaabeen, Friday 19  February 2016

Hadith

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The greatest Imam our master Abu Hanifa (Allah have mercy on him) wrote in his bequest (wasiyet) to his son Hammad that I have chosen five traditions (Hadith) from all the sayings of Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace). These are enough for a person to practice the religion.

Our master Prophet Muhammed (Allah bless him and give him peace) said:

1. Actions are according to intentions

2. It is from the excellence of a person’s Islam to abandon what does not concern him

3. A believer is not a believer until he is pleased for his brother with what he is pleased for himself

4. The lawful is clear and the forbidden is clear, but between the two are ambiguous matters. Whoever guards himself against ambivalent matters has gone to the utmost limit in seeking to be clear in his religion and honour.

5. The Muslim is one whom others are safe from their tongue and hands.    

(Reference 1,3,4&5 are in Bukhari & Muslim, 2 is in Tirmidhi)

Suhbat e ba awliya, malfuzaat of Sheikh al Hadith ( Allah have mercy on him)

Respect for the ‘other side’

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Differences of opinion within madhahib (fiqhi schools) is well established reality.

Scholars (fiqaha)have emphatically stated that that there is no proselytizing or censoring of a follower of a different fiqh for doing whatever his fiqh permits (and is impermissible or disliked in our fiqh). These are in the category of wajib and Sunna.

Moreover, differences in peripheral issues (furu) is even more common. These are all in the category of permissible.

In dealing with differences of opinion among scholars the lay individuals do not differentiate between the hierarchy of the categories involved. In addition they start assuming that the ‘other-side’ is ignorant, arrogant or morally corrupt. This is totally wrong.

The habit of forming unsubstantiated assumptions (su-e-dhan) is a spiritual illness.

We have to respect all scholars and fellow Muslims irrespective of our differences. All of them are trying their best to please Allah. They have the best intentions and are trying to the best of their capabilities. Allah will reward them all.

However, in practice we follow the pious ones we love, trust and benefit from.

For a seeker (salik) the involvement in religious polemics is spiritually devastating. It is imperative for his success on this path to consider all others to be superior to himself. And leave all that does not concern him.

May Allah give us the tawfeeq. Amin!

Islah: Betterment

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Islah is a life long journey.

I  need to assess my condition frequently to determine how am I progressing.

Have I abandoned the sinful activities I was into previously?

Has my involvement in useless decreased?

Are the  good actions being performed according to Sunna with sincerity, concentration and humility.

If yes then, are these increasing effectively?

Are my interaction with others as per the praise worthy morals and manners (sabr, shukr, tawadhu, etc)? 

If I am not able to answer these questions positively then I need to worry. 

I have to ask Allah for assistance in this matter, solemnly reaffirm my determination of islah, chalk out a plan to do so in consultation with my spiritual mentor and effectively implementing it.

A self reminder: I can fool others by sham piety. But if I fool myself with it then I am the most stupid individual indeed.

May Allah save me from this. Amin!

Serving: The 3 conditions

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

‘There are three conditions for effectively serving others and gaining reward in hereafter.  They are,

1. Sincerity . That is seeking Allah’s pleasure in doing it. 

2. Having a close relationship. That is, who is being served does not feel burdened by it.

3. Knowing the task being done.’

Sayyidi wa sanadi’s Weekly dars 10 January 2016

Ghaflah:heedlessness

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Shaikh Umar Birbalwi (Allah have mercy on him) said,

‘Be watchful of development of heedlessness (ghafalh).

Being free from heedlessness (per se) does not mean that a person abstains from all sinful activity (for ever). Humans have their limitation and intentionally or unintentionally sinful acts are committed (occasionally).

Heedlessness is that when an individual loses his/her ability to decipher whether a sinful activity has been committed (hence he acknowledges, amends and repents). It is like developing an internal (spiritual) weighing-scale needle. A minuscule of addition or subtraction is quickly acknowledged by the spiritual aspirant on whether he is receding backwards or progressing forwards.’

Anwar e Umar ra, malfuz 14

Mujahida: annoying spouse

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A seeker wrote,

Please, pray for my wife. She gives me to much trouble.

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

‘Do not be distressed by the troubles from your wife. This is also a (form of) spiritual struggle. You receive reward on it (from Allah if you are patient, neither display anger nor act inappropriately). Let her annoy you more.’

Tarbiyet us Salik, volume 1, page 432

Mujahida e thania: The subsequent struggle

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A spiritual aspirant wrote,

In the previous condition the attention towards Allah was increased and desire to commit sinful was very subdued. Moreover, a sort of spiritual serenity,  calmness and attentiveness was present. However, the condition is not like this anymore. The desire to commit sinful activities becomes very strong sometimes. And the previous serenity is no more.

In this condition I feel miserable, please, pray for me to be steadfast on the right path.

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

‘This is the time of subsequent struggle (against desires of nafs) (mujahida e thania) after the completion of the initial struggle (at the onset of this path). The accomplished seeker (wasil) who in unaware of this suspects returning (to previous heedless state) (rij’at). Sometimes he is so dejected that he gives up (the good deeds and abandons the struggle to resist sinful). In reality, this is an regular essential stage of completion of this path (sulook).

The explanation of this is that in the initial (part of this path) there is excessive enthusiasm and the natural desires are subdued. Towards the middle or the end (of this path) the enthusiasm wanes and the desires resurface. This is because the (sinful) desires are not eradicated (by spiritual struggle) they are only subdued. At this resurfacing spiritual struggle is again required. However, the hardship and effort in this (subsequent) struggle is to a lesser extent. لرسوخ التھذیب فی النفس۔ ., but determination, diligence, willpower and self control are required (to do so).

Based on the signs a sort of perfection is felt in (your) nisbet. Relying on Allah, I give you permission to take allegiance (from spiritual aspirants) (ijazet e bia’yet) and expect from Allah that it will be beneficial for the people. ‘

Tarbiyet us Salik, volume 1, page 467-8

Remedy for missing the daily wird

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Maulana Qamaruz Zaman Allahabadi (Allah preserve and protect him) narrates,

‘The disciples use to report that they are not being consistent with the daily recitations (wird). These were usually three tasbihaat (3 formulas to be recited 100 times each). They asked for a remedy.

Shaikh Wasiullah Allahabadi (Allah have mercy on him) replied how will you do something more (as a remedy) when you are not even doing the very basic things instructed to you.’

Ramadan bayan 16/07/2015