Category Archives: T. Tarbiyet

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

Treatment for being negligent

A senior murid wrote,

“How should I treat any negligence in my daily wird (ma’molat) and delay in writing to you a letter (regarding my current spiritual state)?”

Hadhrat Mufti Rasheed Ahmad Ludhyanawi (may Allah have mercy on him) replied,

“For being negligent in any wird  pray two units (raka’h) of nafil salah and for delay in writing a letter fast for a day (as a penance).”

Sayyidi wa murshidi, page 138

P.S. Writing a letter/email to the Shaykh is essnetial in Ashrafiya tariq. Hadhrat Sayyidi wa sandi Mawlana Mohammad Taqi Usmani (may Allah preserve him) recommends to write a letter regularly, atleast once a month.

Lessons from al-Kahaf

kahaf

Hakim al Umma Mawlana Ashraf Ali Thanawi (Allah have mercy on him) has mentioned the following lessons that can be learned from the story of our masters Prophet Musa  and Khidhir (Allah’s peace be upon them):

1. Desirability of travel for a student (to pursue his learning).
2. To have respect (adab) when dealing with scholars and shuyuk.
3. To abandon criticism of scholars and shuyuk
4. To find an excuse for their apparently unclear actions, dealings and speech.
5. To fulfill the pact (ahed) made with them.
6. To apologize for any thing committed against them.
7. To keep provision for the way while traveling. It is not against tawakul (reliance on
Allah)to do so.
8. To ascribe forgetfulness and other disliked things to Shaytan. It is from adab not to
attribute them to Allah.
9. For a scholar to refuse teaching a subject to a student whom he thinks is incapable of
understanding it.
10. To give preference to Allah’s command in every thing.
11. For a guide to put some essential criteria to be fulfilled, for his followers.
12. To condone forgetfulness.
13. Three attempts to be sufficient enough to be counted as repetition.
14. Boat ride to be permissible.
15. The ruling to be on the evident matters. Until one comes to know the reality.
16. Asking for food to be permissible, in case of absolute necessity.
17. Not to give up chivalry. Even if it is for those who do not deserve it.
18. To take monetary retribution for worldly tasks done.
19. The condition for being in need to persist even if tools for earning or possession of
insufficient funds exist.
20. Being angry (that is displaying it) is impermissible (haraam).
21. Hiding wealth by burying it in the ground (for protection) to be permissible

And many more lessons can be learned.

Hakim al Umma adds; this incident proves that the best way for islah (reformation) is through physical demonstration (actions) not merely by (admonition via) speech.

Masail us sulook, pages 328-9

Ignoring the Suhba of Ahlul-Allah

 

In a letter Shaikh al Hadith Maulana Zakariya Kandhlawi/Madani (1898 –1982) wrote to Maulana Abdul Majid Daryabadi (1892 –1977) [Allah have mercy on them]:

Suhba (company) of ahul-Allah (the pious) holds a unique position and importance in bringing about firmness in actions, correct understanding of religion and motivation to act on demands of faith.

Ignoring the suhba of pious is one of the tribulations (fitnah) from the many major ordeals of our era.

No doubt, a lot of information can be acquired from reading books. But the effectiveness of accompanying a living (pious) person is totally unique.

I agree it is essential to safe oneself from worshiping the Sheikh. But ignoring the suhba of pious is equally destructive.

Specially, the fatal moral characteristics of u’jub (high regard for self), arrogance, importance of self suggestion and self admiration can never be eliminated without the company of the pious (especially the Shaikh).”

Hakeemul Ummat ra, (by Mawlana Abdul Majid Daryabadi ra) page 568-9

Etiquettes of being a Civilized Individual

The rulings of Shariah have been broadly classified into five categories. They are:
1. those related to the beliefs (‘aqaid)
2. those pertaining to the forms of worship (‘ibadaat)
3. those related to the mutual financial transactions (ma’amlaat)
4. those associated with manners of civilized living (ma’ashrat) and
5. finally, those dealing with the inner morals (ikhlaq)

It is sad to see that most of us, Muslims, only consider a’qaid and ‘ibadaat to be the components of deen and are completely ignorant of the rest.

Few select practicing ones include ma’amlaat to be deen also.

Ikhlaq, all praise to Allah SWT is practiced by those involved in tasawwuf.

The Shariah ruling regarding how to live a civilized life is abandoned by most of us.
However, it is ironic that we brothers/sister who are involved in discussions of higher & lofty realities of Tasawwuf are disregarding the rights of fellow individuals. The fact remains true that the rights of fellow human beings (haqqul ‘abd) can not be forgiven by repentance alone. It require asking forgiveness from the aggrieved individual. Most of us are totally unaware of the rulings of Shariah pertaining to the etiquettes of civilized living. The extent of this ignorance is so great that enemies of Muslims regard Islam to be incompatible with the civilized world life. Post 9/11 western strategy is to modify Islam to make it civilized.Hakeem ul Ummat Mawlana Ashraf Ali Thanawi ra being the mujaddid high lighted the importance of these rulings in most of his discourses and writings. The most beneficial of these is a concise treatise “Aadab ul Ma’ashrat” (Etiquettes of Civilized living).
The importance of this book is evident by the fact that it is the first reading in the nisab e Tasawwuf (curriculum for salikeen) recommended by Hakeemul Ummat ra.
The basic principle underlying the rulings of civilized living is,
“My words, actions and attitude should not be the source of any discomfort or annoyance for fellow human beings at all.”
InshaAllah, quotes from this book regarding some important and common lapses in our every day (uncivilized) life will be posted here.
Allah SWT give us the tawfeeq. Ameen!

The Islahi Correspondence between Mureed & Sheikh

This islahi/self-reformation correspondence is the vital cornerstone of sulook in our path.
–
Mureed writes about his state in regards to observance of Shariah, the wird prescribed, overwhelming thoughts and any questionable moral traits demonstrated in every day life in dealing with self and others. The Sheikh reviews it and diagnoses any ailments, if present and treats as appropriate.

To be definitely effective this has to be at regular intervals, usually once every month or fortnightly.

It is alchemy.

Recognizing its importance, nafs & shaytan try their best to put obstacles for doing it successfully. Mureed becomes lazy & slack, finding numerous excuses for not doing it. Even if he sits down to write a letter, he can not recall anything ‘significant’ to convey.

Once as similar mureed wrote to Sidi wa sandi Hazrat Moulana Mohammad Taqi Usmani sahib (Allah SWT preserve him & allow us to benefit from him a lot. Ameen!) that I can not bring to mind any thing to write in my letter.

Hazrat db replied:
“Writing even this, itself is sufficient.”

This is because; it keeps you in the habit of writing letters to the Sheikh, shows your concern and sincerity for self reformation, is an opportunity to request for dua and informs the Sheikh that at least you are not deteriorating and seeing your effort he makes special dua for you.
–
Hazrat db also said;
“For mureed who do not have the opportunity to be in close direct contact with the Sheikh to discuss their states in person regularly, it is essential to have this islahi correspondence. The mureed and even the Sheikh who do not recognize this are committing a fundamental mistake in Tasawwuf (especially our tareeq/path).”

Islahi/Self-improvement correspondence!

Sheikh for self-improvement is a corner stone in Ashrafi path(tareeq).

Islahi Makatebat/ correspondence with the

Letters (emails) should be written at regular intervals (usually once a month).

They should include details regarding ones spiritual condition.
That is,
– If all the faraiz, wajibat and sunnah are being carried out as prescribed by Shariah. For example, is one unable to perform Fajer salah at time with jam’ah?
– Are the acts pending for completion of taubah (repentance) being fulfilled accordingly, e.g. qaza salah/zikat/saum being done.
– Is one performing the zikr & tasbehats prescribed
– Most importantly details regarding the m’amlats/social interaction. Especially where one notices that a blame worthy moral traits was a driving force or one lacked the praise worthy moral trait. For example, being envy (having hasad) when seeing brother-in-laws new Lexus car.
– Informing about one’s over-whelming or troublesome thoughts
– Requesting dua.
– Informing about any extra ordinary dream (seldom done).

This is the rabitah-e-Sheikh/Getting connected with Sheikh. Without it taking ba’iyet & traversing the sulook is just a dream.

This is the Ashrafi Khanqah/Zawiya!

wa taufiqi ilabillah!

Sheikh-Mureed Relationship

As mentioned earlier, this is a physician-patient relationship.

The mureed tells/writes about his spiritual ailments seeking remedy. He has to be explicit and candid about his condition. Hiding vital information leads to nowhere and eventually mureed himself is the looser.

The Sheikh reviews mureed’s condition, taking into account his spiritual ailments/deficiencies, physical and working requirements and environment. He then prescribes a treatment plan. There may be multiple components of this plan.

The mureed has to follow this plan unconditionally.
If he faces difficulties in doing so he has to inform the Sheikh. And then follow the next advice.

The doctor may be the best in the whole world.
His diagnosis may be 100% accurate.
The treatment prescribed and made available may be the finest.
With all this in place,
if Mr. Mureed decides not to use it or use it partially, (using his brains)
how can a cure be imagined, less achieved?

A sincere mureed’s duty is to inform the Sheikh of his present condition.
That is, he reviews his daily activities, dealings and intentional thoughts. He analyzes them. He looks for any blame worthy traits that may be active in his intentions and actions or any praise worthy states that are deficient. He describes the actual case scenarios and asks assistance from Sheikh for diagnosis and treatment. He follows the recommendations of Sheikh and reports back. Adjustment may be made, treatment fined tuned and tailored accordingly. This process continues for a considerable period of time till a healthy spiritual state is reached, that is, achievement of nisbat-e-batini(a sustainable mutual relationship with Allah swt).

As every patient’s condition is different so is the treatment plan.

It is this individual attention and instruction which gives Tasawwuf a unique effectiveness in bringing about a permanent, durable and wholesome change for a complete Islamic life in its fullest sense.