Category Archives: T. Tarbiyet

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

Irfan

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A spiritual aspirant wrote about the realities (haqaiq) of Tasawwuf that dawned on him after staying in the company of Hakim al-Ummah Mawlana Ashraf Ali Thanawi(Allah have mercy on him).

Hakim al-Ummah approved of them calling it absolute (‘ain)  gnosis (irfan) and added some explanation to each of them (written here in bold).

‘1. The foremost thing is the remembrance (dhikr) of Allah. It is to be in all conditions with involvement of heart and tongue.
This seems limited to the level of superficial thinking and self conversation.  It has to be accompanied with (active) contemplation (fikr). Though in your vocabulary you may consider this to be a branch of remembrance. In Holy Quran contemplating ones (yatafakaron) are mentioned after (yatadhakaron) those who remember Allah.

2. Being honest and cognizant of Allah (taqwa) is all matters.
Both in external (dhahir) and internal (batin) matters. As it says in the Prophetic tradition that taqwa is here pointing towards his chest.

3. Being vigilant in observance of the absolute essential (faraidh) with excellence.
Accompanied with the Sunna and reward-able actions. For excellence in good actions actions can not be achieved without them.

4. Avoidance of all that is sinful. That is both major and minor sins.
This also includes the external and internal actions, as Allah says ‘leave external sinful and internal also’.

They includes from the blame worthy morlas arrogance, ostentation, love of money and fame,etc.

Repent immediately if they are committed (by mistake).

However, the rights of other individuals including the financial dues are not forgiven by repentance alone (one has to recompensate for them or ask forgiveness).

Tarbiyet us Salik, volume 3 page 31

Switch it off yourself

Sayyidi wa sanadi Shaikh Mufti Mohammad Taqi Usmani (Allah preserve him) said,

‘Giving up sin seems to be very difficult task. Sometimes the urges are so strong that it appears one will die if he/she does not indulge in sin. But this is not the reality.

Understand it by an analogy. Suppose an individual has a strong desire to see something inappropriate on television (or Internet). In spite of being aware that this is sinful and wrong not following the desire seems to be impossible. It feels that this is beyond his/ her capability to resist. Death may follow if he/she does not do it. Therefore, he makes all the arrangements to indulge in this sinful activity. However, when everything is ready and in place the supply of electricity (or Internet) is shut off (as it happens frequently these days in Pakistan).

What will he/she do now?

Accept the reality even though with grudge and still a strong desire to do otherwise. However, with means beyond his/her control there is no way to do it. It is not done. This denial of indulgence in sinful though involuntarily does not seems to be impossible or result in death.

All of that strong urge, impossibility and iminent doom on denial to act on it were a deception of lower self (nafs) and Satan.

Now take heed from this analogy.
Voluntarily switch off the means of indulgence in sinful activities yourself. There is reward from Allah on doing this. Whereas, if it happens involuntarily there is no such reward.

Take control of the switch in your hand.’

Ramadan 1432/August 2011

May Allah faciltitate this for all of us. Amin!

Tarbiyah


During the initial period of his islah, Shaikh Dr Abdul Hayy Arifi (Allah have mercy on him) prohibitted Sayyidi wa sanadi Mufti Mohammad Taqi Usmani (Allah preserve him) from giving any lectures, talks and speech.

If anyone pressurized him to do so he was directed to get permission from Shaikh ‘Arifi. This needed lot of courage and was a very good method to excuse.

These types of methods applied in islah are the ones that bring reformation of moral characteristics and finally lead to a firm relationship with Allah.

The awrad, dhikr and wazaif assist and facilitate this process of islah.

Supplicating for the philanthropist

An individual reported that he read that a pious precedent Shaikh use to recite the name of the grand Shaikh of his tariqa eleven times each day in the morning. Most likely this was in a form of supplication which the narrator accidentally omitted to mention. Since then that individual made a routine to supplicate every day mentioning the name of sayyidi wa sanadi Shaikh Mufti Taqi Usmani (Allah preserve him) eleven times. It was like this,

1. O Allah! Protect Shaikh Mufti Mohammad Taqi Usmani db.

2. O Allah! Give Shaikh Mufti Mohammad Usmani db a long, healthy and productive life.

3. O Allah! Give barakah in Mufti Mohammad Taqi Usmani db’s time, work and effort.

4. O Allah! Safe guard Mufti Mohammad Taqi Usmani db and his family, especially from terrorism.

5. O Allah! Forgive the parents of Mufti Mohammad Usmani db and raise their status in hereafter.

6. O Allah! Forgive the Shuyukh and teachers of Mufti Mohammad Taqi Usmani db and raise their status in hereafter.

7. O Allah! Under the guidance of Mufti Mohammad Taqi Usmani safeguard Darul Uloom Karachi from all internal and external strifes and let it flourish abundantly.

8. O Allah! Protect and help the relatives, disciples and admirers of Mufti Mohammad Taqi Usmani db.

9. O Allah! Give me absolute congeniality (munasbet), reverence and love of Mufti Mohammad Taqi Usmani db both intelectually (aqli) and emotionally (taba’i).

10. O Allah! You have made Mufti Mohammad Taqi Usmani db to be the manifestation of Your attribute ‘The Guide’ (al-Hadi) for me. Please, facilitate for me benefiting from him spiritually to the maximum.

11. O Allah! Please, lift me up to the standards of an ideal & perfect murid of Mufti Mohammad Taqi Usmani db.

Amin!

Sayyidi wa sandi Shaikh Mufti Taqi Usmani (Allah preserve him) replied,

‘May Allah reward you for making these precious supplications routinely for this lowly person. Please, add to it that Allah facilitates with ‘afiyet the completion of my esoteric and exoteric reformation (islah).’

Islahi khutoot (qalmi)

Dover, New Hampshire

Educating self & others

Shaikh Sari Saqati (Allah have mercy on him) said,

‘He who is incapable of educating himself is even more incapable of educating others.’

Jawami’ Adab al-Sufiya, page 32

Educating here means to act on the knowledge acquired not mere awareness of the text and information alone.

North Crawford Notch, New Hampshire

Keenness in performing good deeds

Sayyidi wa sanadi Shaikh Mufti Mohammad Taqi Usmani (Allah preserve him) visited the blessed Haram in Makkah for couple of hours after ‘esha prayers. The Hajj season had started. The mataf (the area around Ka’aba) was full of enthusiastic hajjis. Performing tawaf was a challenging task. The local individuals accompanying Sayyidi were reluctant to do so. However, Sayyidi performed three tawafs with agility and enthusiasm in this short duration. He was completely absorbed in making supplications during them. It was difficult to keep pace with him.

It was indeed an example for lazy individuals like us to be keen in performing virtuous acts of worship, especially in sanctified places and times.

October 4th, 2011 Makkah al-mukarramah

North Conway, NH

Intention of islah

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Sayyidi wa sanadi Shaikh Mufti Mohammad Taqi Usmani (Allah preserve him) said,

‘It is essential to have the intention of islah while visiting the pious to benefit spiritually.

My respected teacher Mufti Rasheed Ludhyanawi (Allah have mercy on him) one day instructed me that your father is a very pious individual (Shaikh) however to benefit from him spiritually  make an intention of islah while visiting him instead of keeping the usual son-father relationship.

All praise is for Allah. After this He gave me the tawfiq to do this and the results were amazing.’

Waaz: Sunday 25th September 2011

Khushu: Presence of mind in salah

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Sayyidi wa sanadi Shaikh  Mufti Mohammad Taqi Usmani (Allah preserve him) said, i

It is recommendable that while reciting sura al-Fatiha in salah to stop at each verse for few seconds and bring to mind the response Allah gives to the the praying individuals as it has been reported in the text Sahih al-Muslim. l

Allah the Exalted had said: I have divided the prayer into two halves between Me and My servant, and My servant will receive what he asks.i

When the servant says: Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the universe, Allah the Most High says: My servant has praised Me.i

And when he (the servant) says: The Most Compassionate, the Merciful, Allah the Most High says: My servant has lauded Me.o

And when he (the servant) says: Master of the Day of judgment, He remarks: My servant has glorified Me. and sometimes He would say: My servant entrusted (his affairs) to Me.u

And when he (the worshiper) says: Thee do we worship and of Thee do we ask help, He (Allah) says: This is between Me and My servant, and My servant will receive what he asks for.i

Then, when he (the worshiper) says: Guide us to the straight path, the path of those to whom Thou hast been Gracious not of those who have incurred Thy displeasure, nor of those who have gone astray, He (Allah) says: This is for My servant, and My servant will receive what he asks for.i

قال رسول الله صلى الله علیه وسلم :قال الله تعالى : قسمت الصلاة بینی وبین عبدی نصفین ، ولعبدی ما سأل ،

فإذا قال العبد:{الحمد لله رب العالمین}، قال الله:حمدنی عبدی .

فإذا قال:{الرحمن الرحیم}، قال:اثنى علی عبدی.

فإذا قال:{مالک یوم الدین}،قال :مجدنی عبدی.

وإذا قال:{إیاک نعبد وإیاک نستعین}، قال:هذا بینی وبین عبدی ، ولعبدی ما سأل.

فإذا قال :{اهدنا الصراط المستقیم.صراط الذین أنعمت علیهم غیر المغضوب علیهم ولا الضالین}، قال:هذا لعبدی .ولعبدی ما سأل.

حدیث صحیح امام مسلم

Dars Tafseer -e-Quran, (Being recorded at al-Hira School audio room, Darul Uloom Karachi) Ramadan 1432/August 2011. Please, make dua that this mega project is completed with ‘afiyet. JazakAllah.e

Tarbiyah with affection

A seeker from Iran visited sayyidi wa sanadi Shaikh Mufti Mohammad Taqi Usmani (Allah preserve him) in Ramadan. After office hours at ‘asr salah he informed the Shaikh that he intended to stay in Darul Uloom for few days to be in his company.

The Shaikh was obviously displeased by this casual attitude. He was severely reprimanded for not providing this vital information during the working hours so that the arrangements for his stay and food could be made accordingly with ease. Now after-hours this was a difficult task to perform. He was sternly counseled for this inappropriate behavior.

Shaikh’s personal assistant went out of the way and made these arrangements. JazakAllah.

Next day in office Shaikh sat beside this seeker on the chairs reserved for visitors and explained to him gently and affectionately the importance of proper timely communications to avoid discomfort to other individuals. Shaikh made sure he understood his mistake. The love, affection and sincerity in Shaikh’s demeanor was striking to all those present.

Moreover for heartening the seeker’s spirit the Shaikh presented him a gift and made arrangements for his journey back home to be with his family at Eid in a timely manner.

28th Ramadan 1432/29th August 2011, Office, Darul Uloom Karachi.

 

رمضان المبارك ١٤٣٢ بیان :١

سیدی و سندی حضرت مولانا مفتی محمد تقی عثمانی صاحب مدظلھم العالی

وعظ

رمضان المبارك ١٤٣٢ بیان :١