Category Archives: T. Tarbiyet

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

The condition that the Beloved has placed me in is the best condition for me indeed

A high caliber scholar murid complained about his business commitments that were preventing him from teaching at a Darul Uloom.  Due to the huge debt secondary to the embezzlement of the caretaker (who was also an ‘alim) and unavailability of a responsible individual to run his enterprise he did not have a choice.

Sayyidi wa sanadi Shaikh Mufti Taqi Usmani (Allah grant him long, healthy and productive life. Amin!) replied,

یار جس حال میں رکھے وہی حال اچھا ہے

The condition that the Beloved has placed me in is the best condition for me indeed!

(That is, have complete reliance (tafweez) on Allah. He selects for the moment whatever is the best for His servant.)

Ajyad, Makkah e mukarramah, Friday 22 July 2011, after esha. 

Excessive good works

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After ‘esha salah walking towards the hotel from Haram sharif a murid informed about a  state to use time effectively. He said that in addition to the ma’molat (daily wird) prescribed he does more stuff, like reciting Holy Quran, tasbihat, durood sharif, etc.. However, he felt uneasy about this because this was not done with your consultation.

Sayyidi wa sanadi Shaikh Mufti Mohammad Taqi Usmani (Allah grant him a long, healthy and productive life.Amin!) was obviously pleased and replied,

‘The daily ma’amolat should be those that you are able to do consistently. However, doing more is fine, especially if you have time to do so.’

Al-Ajyad, Makkah e mukarramah

Be careful with loans

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Financial dealings are the real test of one’s awareness of Allah (taqwa).

The corrupt financial dealings and bad attitudes of a murid in addition to being major sin for himself lead to negative reputation of the Shaikh and Tasawwuf in public.

It is essential to educate the disciples regarding these issues. It is impossible to step on the pristine grounds of Allah’s pleasure and approval while being soiled in sins.

Taking loan is highly discouraged. However, if due to necessity loan has to be taken then one should keep an intention of paying it back as soon as possible and work for it deligently.

The following Prophetic tradition should be an eye-opener for all of us.

Sayedna Abu Hurairah (Allah be pleased with him) narrates from the Beloved Prophet (Allah’s blessing and peace be upon him),

‘The Prophet (Allah’s blessing and peace be upon him) said, ‘An individual who takes from the wealth of another (as a loan) and his intention is to repay it then Allah will (facilitate & make arrangements for its) recompense for this individual. However, if an individual takes the wealth (loan) with the intention of not returning then Allah will destroy him.’

Bukhari, Ibne Majah

Jamae ul Huqooq, page 9

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Preparing for Ramadhan

vema

 

1. Ask Allah for facilitation (tawfeeq) to benefit from the blessings of Ramadan daily, from now onwards.

2. Make a firm determination to abstain from all sins. Especially those committed by the eyes, ears and tongue.

3. Try to free as much time as possible from work and other commitments for pure worship (ibadah).

4. Reschedule non essential appointmentstill after or before Ramadan. Finish with all Ramadan and Eid shopping prior to the sighting of the crescent.

5. Make special effort to follow as many as possible Sunna in daily activities.
Learn these and memorize the adiya e masnoon (dua) for particular occasions before hand. The book “Alaikum bi sunnati”by Mawlana Abdul Hakim Sukharwi ra is a good, practical and handy resource for this.

6. Review the essential fiqh (rulings) relating to fasting, taraweeh and other Ramadan related issues from “Behishti Zewar” (Heavenly Ornaments) of Hakim al-Umma Hazrat Mawlana Ashraf Ali Thanawi (may Allah have mercy on him).

7. To get motivated and organized, read the discourses of Hakeem al -Umma regarding Ramadan (Mawaiz-e-Ashrafiya volume : Barakat e Ramadan) and listen to the talks of Sayyidi wa sandi db on how to prepare for the holy month.

8. Practice the actions of the Heart. Do not do any action without a proper intention.Abstain from all the blame worthy morals. No anger, arrogance, belittling caustic remarks, etc. It is strange to abstain from otherwise halal (lawful food) and commit an act which is always haram (forbidden). Try to do most of the praise worthy moral actions. Having patience, humility, gratitude, sincerity, etc. Keep a tight grip. Do not slip here.

9. Make a practical and doable time table for daily activities.

The point to remember is that in Ramadan acts of primary form of worships (i.e. salah, dhikr, tilawat, etc.) are to be increased. These lead to an increasing direct relationship with Allah  (i.e. ta’luq ma’Allah).

The tawfiq is from Allah!

Tasawwuf is totally subservient to Quran and Sunna

die-before-you-die

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Shaikh Mawlana Shah Wasiullah Allahabadi (Allah have mercy on him) said,

‘I have made it essential to include in my speech and writings (about the path) the sayings of the scholars of the Divine law and Prophetic traditions ( that is, fuqaha and muhaditheen). This is in order to save Tasawwuf from becoming an independent discipline in itself and to keep it totally subservient to al Quran and al Sunna.

I am observing that in this era people want to make it an independent discipline. I consider this to be the source of (religious) calamities.

Therefore, in addition to my writings  I start my speeches with quotations from Quran and Sunna. Then to support them further  I mention the stories of pious precedent saints and their sayings. And this is the way Hakim al Umma (Mawlana Ashraf ‘Ali Thanawi, Allah have mercy on him)  did in his book ‘Masail e Sulook’.

………..

This approach has benefited me a lot and I hope that it will be beneficial for others to. The first benefit will be the awareness of knowledge of Quran and Sunna. Also, when it will be firmly established in minds that the real obedience is is that of the Prophet (Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him) the desire to traverse the path in accordance with Sunna will develop. The blessings (barakah) of this mode will be axiomatic.  Finally, knowledge of those things that are against Sunna and have crept into Tasawwuf will be acquired. This will save the masses from massive misguidance.’

Halaat e Muslih al-ummat ra, volume 3, page 319

Sayyidi wa sanadi Shaikh Mufti Taqi Usmani (Allah preserve him) has this same style.  In his weekly discourses for the seekers of islah he has given dars of Prophetic traditions from Riyadh us Saliheen of Imam Nawawi, Adabul Mufrad of Imam Bukhari, Kitab uz Zuhd of Imam Ibn al-Mubarak, Tasharuf of Hakim al Umma (Allah have mercy on all of them). MashaAllah!

Time management

 

 – Go to sleep right after Isha salaat and wake up in tahajjud. Complete all your reading and writing tasks at that time. That has been the routine of our akaabireen.

– Never attend any gatherings after 9 pm. If there is a gathering at your place, make sure its ends before 9!

– He further said that nowadays most of the gatherings are not segregated so one can easily apologise the host beforehand for not being able to attend it. Secondly, one could very well visit earlier, give a present and politely inform the host why they needed to leave.

– The biggest ‘calamity’ that has befallen the urbanites is this day and age is that they have stopped sleeping early, and the misfortune (be-barkati) this produces in one’s life, and time, is clearly evident in our messed up daily routines.’

musaafir-e dasht

Signs of humility

Shaikh Dhul-Nun al-Misri (Allah have mercy on him) said,

‘There are three signs of humility:

1. Considering one’s self (nafs) to be the lowest of all the creatures. This is in order to find out its faults.

2. For the sanctity of Oneness of Allah (tawhid) respect and serve other people.

3. Accepting the truth and beneficial advice from any one (irrespective of his piety, faith, status, etc.)’

Awarif al-Ma’arif, page 415

Shara’iah, Makkah al-mukarramah

 

Beware before bay’ah!

 

In reply to an aspirant’s request to be accepted as a murid Hakim al-Umma Shaikh Mawalan Ashraf Ali Thanawi (Allah have mercy on him) wrote,

‘1. In this path (tariq) the demeanor of every Shaikh is unique.

2. The essential criteria to benefit is the mutual compatibility with this demeanor (i.e.  between Shaikh & murid).

3. Rushing to select a Shaikh is a (major) contraindication in this path.

4. The demeanor of an individual can only be ascertained by keeping his company for a considerable duration, (…..) or by visiting him repeatedly and corresponding with him for a long period.’

Tarbiyet us Salik, volume 1, page 37

Rusty Heart

Noble Prophet (Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him) said,

“Listen carefully! There is a piece of flesh in man’s body, if it is healthy then the whole being is healthy and if it is corrupted then the whole being is corrupted. Beware! That piece of flesh is the heart (qalb).” (Bukhari)

He also said,

“Just as iron catches rust on contact with water, so are the hearts rusted.”

People asked, “How to remove the rust of the heart?”

The Noble Prophet (Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him) said, “By remembering death and by reciting the Qur’an.” (Baihaqi)

Living a heedless life in an un-Islamic environment makes our heart rusty. Parts of the machinery inside clank, crank and move grudgingly. Acting on Shariah laws seems extremely difficult. The heart mechanic (Shaikh) using the Prophetic medicines removes this rust by prescribing contemplation of death and here-after (muraqaba e maut) and oils it with the of remembrance of Allah. (This is in a systematic and individualized manner. The daily compliance is an essential component for the aspirant’s success.)   Once this rust is removed and the parts well lubricated the machinery of the qalb starts to function properly. Then there are no hardships in observing the laws of Shariah. Actually it becomes an innate calling.

May Allah facilitate this for us. Amin!

A good state

 

A spiritual aspirant wrote his condition to Hakim al-Umma Mawlana Ashraf Ali Thanawi (Allah have mercy on him),

‘These days this lowly individual recites ten thousand times ‘istegfar‘ and 24,000 times ‘ism e dhat’ daily.  Occasionally there is deficiency or excess in these amounts secondary to  impromptu demanding circumstances.

However, my condition is that after any virtuous deed I feel extreme degree of shame, similar to that felt on committing sins. The reason for this is that in all the virtuous deed performed I recognise many shortcomings and deficiencies. Moreover, I am cognizant of the multitude of blessings of Allah showering on myself all the time.

If a mistake is committed then the only respite is to cry, repent and beg.  Additionally, it leads to extreme humiliation in front of Allah.  

From few days I feel this condition of aloofness from all that is worldly in my heart. …………….

Hakim al-Umma replied,

‘It extremely delighted my heart. May Allah give multiple folds increase in blessings and progress.  Moreover, by the grace of pious associates (like yourself) may He grant a pleasant end to this invalid writer. I expect this supplication from my friends also.’

Tarbiyat us Salik, volume 1, page 761-3 

An important advice: How to be tolerant?

Shaikh Hafiz Hakim Fakhruddin Allahabadi (Allah have mercy on him) instructed his disciples,

‘Be steadfast on Religion (ad-Deen).

Do not create dissensions.

Hold fast to the principles (usool) and do not denigrate each other for the peripheral disagreements.

Consider this disagreement amongst the truthful scholars to be a mercy.

In regards to those who consider themselves to be mujtahid and disagree with the precedent Imams, scholars, pious saints and concoct meanings of the Holy Quran in a manner that was never done by the blessed Companions, their associates (taba’i & tab’ taba’i), well established scholars and Imams : consider them to be astray. It is essential to stay away from them. However, do not quarrel with them or call bad names. To answer and argue with them is the duty of the pious scholars. Not any or everyone can do this job.

It is essential for an individual to be always cognizant of his actions. Stay away from sins and transgressing your Lord. If by chance a sin is committed immediately repent in front of Allah. This will wipe away the sin.’

Majmua’h award wa wazaif, page 4

Dealing with marital conflicts

Shaikh Mawlana Yusuf Ludhyanawi shaheed (Allah have mercy on him) said,

‘A pious man wrote to his Shaikh the complaints about her wife in detail and requested advice on how to deal with this situation.

The Shaikh replied that, how can an individual who can not be patient on the (mental & emotional) afflictions caused by his wife claim to be superior to her?’

Narrating an incident of a friend Shaikh said,

One day I became fed up of this continuous bickering between my wife and myself and approached Shaikh Arif-billah Dr. Abdul Hayy Arifi (Allah have mercy on him). I told him that I am tired of this situation. I am short tempered and my wife is more short tempered than me. Patience and forbearance is totally lacking in both of us.  Please, guide what should I do?’

Shaikh Arif-billah used to be very succinct in his replies. He avoided lengthy talks. He listened carefully and recommended,

‘Make the traffic one-way.’

That is, let her speak and you remain quiet.

I did as instructed and the situation became better.’#

‘….. In summary in regards to the eccentricities of their spouses men should have forbearance. They should try to improve (islah) them as much as possible and leave the rest to Allah.’*

Momin aurat, # page 43, * 42

Fikr: Self-improvement

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

‘The foremost objective in this path is the concern (fikr) for self-improvement.

How can an individual who has no concern for self improvement, considers himself to be living a perfect life, does not have a desire to progress any further or correct his affairs, and is content with the regular routine of daily life traverse this path (tareeq)?’

Waaz: Rah e Sulook, May 15th, 2011

Blame worthy morals

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‘The strongest impediment in receiving the spiritual blessings from the Most Merciful (al-Rehman) is the defilement of the heart (qalb) with the blame worthy moral characteristics.

The pious precedent mentors gave foremost priority to the cleansing (tazkiya) of these blame worthy morals.

Moreover, if in an individual even after traversing the various stages of this path (sulook) the special blessings do not appear it would definitely be because of the remaining traces of these blame worthy moral characteristics in him.’

Halaat e Muslih al-Ummat ra, volume 3,  page 86