Category Archives: T. Tarbiyet

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

Worship

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Hakim al-Umma Mawlana Ashraf Ali Thanawi (Allah have mercy on him) wrote in reply to a salik’s letter who had complained of decreasing interest and engrossment,

‘There are various ways of worshipping. Contemplation is also worship, remembrance without counting is also worship, and considering one’s self to be unprivileged, undeserving, deficient and imperfect is also worship. Hence, the objective is always achievable.

However, there are two undesired states, disobedience (ma’asiyet) and heedlessness (gaflah). And all praise is to Allah, you do not have them.

The overwhelming rapture (ghalba) and engrossing interest (shauq) are from the transitional states. The lack of them is not detrimental for the salik. Moreover, these states can not stay at the same level for ever.’

Tarbiyet us Salik, volume 1, page 592

Treatment of skepticism

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An aspirant wrote,

Respected Sir,
I have certain degree of skepticism in my personality. Listening to the criticism of the opponents greatly perturbs me. For this reason I only read your books. All praise is to Allah, whenever this kind of skepticism arises there is no effect on my acts of worship. However, the interest in worship that already existed is lost and I feel sad and depressed.  At the same time I dislike and hate these doubts and suspicions. But they persist. I feel as if I have become a hypocrite. Please, inform me how to get rid of this ailment.

Hakim al-Umma Shaykh Ashraf Ali Thanawi (Allah have mercy on him) replied,
Do not read anything that will create doubts and suspicions.
If inadvertently you hear something of this category and this state (mentioned above) arises then there is no need to take any special measures to rectify it. This is because this effort will result in increasing distress and a permanent involvement (that is, seeking explanation & clarification) will afflict you. Therefore, instead of this effort ignore it actively. Do be bothered at all in spite of recurring random thoughts. However, continue making supplications and showing humility (to Allah).

Consider this to be enough.

InshaAllah, very soon the state (described) will be cleansed.

Once this habit is formed such power will develop in the heart that it will not be perturbed by such things.

This is a hikami (Divinely inspired wisdom) prescription. Bestowed  by Allah’s grace recently and is very significant information.

And all praise is for Allah!

Tarbiyet us Salik, volume 3, page 135

Burying the past and moving ahead

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Recently Shaykh Mawlana Mohammad Taqi Usmani (may Allah preserve him) advised a murid to bury the past and make a fresh start.

Burying the past may sound a simple thing but in reality it is a big spiritual struggle (mujahidah) with many benefits.

For all of us it is a common event to slip and commit mistakes. These mistakes may be in exoteric (dhahiri) or esoteric (batini) works. Sometimes we are cognizant of our mistakes and at others oblivious. However, a true seeker is very much disturbed by these mistakes. He is ashamed infront of Allah, disheartened on his ability to control his desires, disillusioned by the effectiveness of the path in preventing this disaster and anxious about the future similar mishaps.

These are the moments when the need of a perfect spiritual mentor – the Shaykh-e-kamil, is essential to save the seeker from falling further in to the trap of Satan and lower self (nafs).  It is he who guides the murid out of this depressive and self-destructive attitude and puts him back on the path towards Allah.

He does so by,

a.  Giving the seeker hope. That is, it is human to err and Allah is Most Merciful to those who acknowledge their short comings.

b. Instruction to forget the past. Bury it. If this is not done, its dead body will rot and the stench emanating from it will spoil the best aroma of sincere good acts done in future. Also, remembering the sins after sincere repentance is wrong and leads to decreasing relationship with Allah.

c. To be concerned with improving the present condition right now. For this today will tomorrow become yesterday. A thing of past.

If handled in this way each and every mistake and fall of the sincere seeker results in increasing relationship with Allah, enhanced humility and complete dependence on His kindness and mercy. 

A seeker should remember that these falling episodes are not uncommon and continue until a permanent spiritual serenity (tamkeen) is achieved (which usually happens after years of sincere effort by method described above). Until then he/she has to bury the past with sincere repentance and move forwards on the path with renewed vigor.

And its facilitation is surely from Allah, Most High.

Time Management!

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الوقت سیف فان قطعتہ و الا قطعک

و نفسک ان لم تشغلہا بالحق شغلتک بالباطل

Time is like a sword.

If you do not use it appropriately it will sever you.

And

if you do not keep yourself engaged in seeking the truth

your self will seek refuge in evil.

Hakim al-Umma Mawlana Ashraf Ali Thanawi (Allah have mercy on him) said:

Keeping record of time and its organization is a very important thing. It is inappropriate to spend time allocated for one activity in some thing else and then use the other slot to do another thing.

An activity should be done at its scheduled time.

This results in increased barakah (blessing) in time and contentment (of heart).”

HusunulAziz,  #434 pg 412 volume 2

Method of attaining love of Allah & His messenger

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An aspirant wrote:

Please, tell me a  litany (dua), which creates overwhelming love of Allah and His messenger, ever present fear of Allah in my heart, nonexistence or a decrease in the love of the worldly and complete fearlessness from other-than Allah.

Hakim al-Umma Mawlana Ashraf Ali Thanawi (Allah have mercy on him)  replied,

صوفی نہ شود صافی تا در نہ کشد جامی

بسیار سفر بایدتا پختہ شود خامی

(A sufi does not attain purity until after a toil and struggle.

A lengthy journey is required to attain perfection.)

Being firm on the zikr (remembrance), shugal (mental exercise of specific forms of remembrance), reading useful books (i.e. of Tasawwuf) and keeping company of pious (ahlulAllah) for a considerable duration of time leads to attainment of these treasures.

There is no specific dua for it.

(Tarbiyatus Salik volume 1 page 137)

Deadliest Poisons in sulook

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Hakim al-Umma Shaykh Mawlana Shah Ashraf Ali Thanawi (Allah have mercy on him) said:

“Listen and remember, I tell this for your own benefit.

In this path (tareeq) two things are the worst rogue and the deadliest poison.

Firstly, making explanations for one’s mistakes and secondly, criticizing one’s instructor (the Sheikh).”

Maasir e Hakeemul Ummat 406

Acquiring Religious Knowledge

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Sayyidi wa sanadi Shaykh Moulana Mohammad Taqi Usmani (Allah SWT preserve him and allow us to benefit from him abundantly. Ameen!) said:

“After professing faith (emaan) the foremost duty and obligation that befalls an individual is to acquire religious knowledge. This is because until he knows what is required essentials (faraiz & wajibat)) to do and from what things to abstain from, he will not be able to fulfill the requirements of faith.”

Ina’mul Bari (duroos-e-Bukhari shareef) volume 2, page 27

Khilafat?

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Shaykh Haji Imdadullah mohajir Makki gave khilafat to Mawlana Rasheed Ahmad Gangohi (Allah have mercy on them) after eight days and told him: ‘Moulvi Rasheed Ahmed sahib whatever favour (nimat) Allah has bestowed upon me, He has also bestowed upon you. It will be your duty to go develop that nimat and work on it.’

Mawlana Gangohi used to say: ‘I was very surprised. I could not understand what nimat he was referring to, which had been granted to him and also to me. I only managed to understand and realise what it was fifteen years later.’

[Tazkira e Khaleel vol 1]

From: Aap beeti

Shaykh Dr. Abdul Hayy Arifi (Allah have mercy on him) explicitly told his khulafa (Mufti Rafi Usmani db, Mufti Taqi Usmani db, Mufti Sehban Mehmood ra and others) to wait for spiritual puberty & maturity (of wich they will become undoubtedly aware of themselves) before taking the responsibility of being a Shaykh in spite of having recieved permission (ijazet) to guide others.

Express your love

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Advising a couple facing frequent marital conflicts sayyidi wa sanadi  Shaykh Mohammad Taqi Usmani (may Allah preserve him) told the husband,

“Express your love, good feelings and admiration for your wife often.

This is a part of deen.

It is her right (haq).”

7th Decemeber 2007

Suhba of books, magazines, newspaper & internet

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Shaykh Raziuddin Ahmad Fakhri (may Allah have mercy on him) said,

“Similar to the good and bad effects of the company of an individual and the items of his/her personal use, books, magazines and newspapers also have these effects.

One has to be very cautious in deciding which book or newspaper to read. “

Ahl e sulook per achi buri sohbet kay aseraat, page 22

This is also relevant for internet. 

Wasting time by visiting unhealthy sites, engaging in useless discussions, chatting, viewing photos or videos and listening to unreliable audio speeches and nasheeds, etc.  can be very detrimental spiritually for a  seeker.

The path to perfection ………

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……..sometimes passes through rough terrain

A sincere seeker wrote of his declining spiritual condition to one of his close friend. He received the following reply.  Being in sync with the teaching of sayyidi wa sanadi Shaykh Mufti Mohammad Taqi Usmani (may Allah preserve him) it is worth sharing.

In the name of Allah,

as salam o alaykum
JazakAllah for the kind email.
I read it in detail. Be assured that these are the natural up and downs of the path. As the Friends of Allah (awliya) say,

“Truly the fortunate one is he, who is blessed with the ability to recognize his own shortcomings.”

All praise is for Allah, that you have done this. That is, recognized and acknowledged the problem.

Now the second part is at hand. That is, to overcome these short comings. This is the spiritual struggle (mujahida). This will be facilitated by asking Allah sincerely to make it easy to control these unlawful desires (to indulge in sins). At the same time you will have to put all your effort in trying to do so. That is, using self determination (himmat). There is no short cut to success without genuine determination. In absence of sincere effort the likelihood of giving up sins will only be a wishful thinking.

You have already recognized that failure to follow a daily schedule of wird, etc. and loss of regular contact with Shaykh have resulted in this. Try to overcome these. You are smart, intelligent and hardworking. You can do it.

Set your priorities.

Ask your wife or a close friend to remind you of them if they see you slipping.

Set a penalty if you do slip. Like four units (rakat) salah of repentance and/or skipping everything sweet that day, or something similar that is a burden on your self (nafs). This is to remind and ingrain that mistakes have consequences.

It is okay to slip and fall.
However, it is not okay to keep lying flat in dirt for ever.

Saturday 5th July, 2008/1st Rajab 1429

Actions without Enthusiasm!

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A murid wrote:

I do not find any of the daily activities (i.e. salat, dhikr, reading, etc.) interesting. I feel as if all my emotions and feelings are numb. Please, advice!

Sayyidi wa sanadi Hazrat Mawlana Mohammad Taqi Usmani (Allah preserve him and allow us to benefit from him abundantly. Amin!) replied;

This is also one of the (inner) states (hal).

It seems to convey an important message regarding the inner states.

It is emphasizing that the necessary things are to be done even without passion. Having enthusiasm, fervor, dedication is not essential (for action). And in most situations this is more beneficial.

(That is, without emotional involvement actions are done purely for Allah SWT. There is no mixing/partnership of satisfaction of one’s enthusiasm.)

Islahi Khutoot

یکسوئی کے اقسام

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حال: بوجہ کمزوری دماغ بموجب حکم حضور بعد تہجد بارہ تسبیح بلا ضرب کے آہستہ کہ معمول ہے، مگر بوقت ذکر یکسوئی نہیں ہوتی۔

 

تحقیق حکیم الامت مولانا اشرف علی تھانوی رحمۃ اللہ علیہ: یکسوئی نہ ہونے کی جو شکایت لکھی ہے (اس کا علاج یہ ہے کہ) اپنی طرف سے دوسرے خیالات کا استحضار نہ کیا جاوے، اگر اس پر بھی یکسوئی نہ ہو تو مضر نہیں۔

 

جس یکسوئی کا نہ ہونا مضر ہے وہ یکسوئی اعتقادی ہے، ایسے یکسو کو حنیف کہتے ہیں۔ اس کی تحصیل واجب ہے، اور اختیاری ہے۔

 

باقی خیالی یکسوئی وہ نہ اختیاری ہے نہ واجب اور نہ اس کا عدم مضر ہے۔

 

اس بات کو خوب یاد رکھنا چاہیۓ۔

اس کے نہ جاننے سے بہت لوگ پریشان ہیں۔

 

تربیت السالک، جلد 1، ص518

Tafwidh

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Tafwidh is to assign one’s all affairs to Allah.

Allah may do with one as He desires.

One’s aspiration and hope should be on none besides Allah. In addition to employing the means and the methods, the result of all things should be left to Allah.

Tafwid is accquired by immediately reflecting when being confronted with an event which is in conflict with one’s liking that this is from Allah and most assuredly there is wisdom and goodness in it.

In the beginning it will be difficult to acquire this attitude. However, constant reflection facilitates it and then this attitude assumes a natural condition in the Pious (Auliyaa).

Shariat wa Tasawwuf, Mawlana Masihullah Khan ra