Category Archives: Z. Mustahebbat

Imposing Some Penalty Upon the Nafs

Hakim al Umma Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi (Allah have mercy on him) once mentioned the following:

If a person is involved in sins, then one method for him to reform himself is that together with sincerely engaging in istighfaar and towbah, he should also impose some penalty upon himself so that this becomes a cause for him to refrain from falling into the sin in the future. This penalty can either be a physical penalty (e.g. fasting for a period of time) or a monetary penalty (i.e. giving a certain amount of money in sadaqah to the poor).

Our Prophet (Allah’s blessing & peace be upon him) mentioned in the Hadith that if a person says to someone (inviting him towards gambling), “Come, let me gamble with you,” then he should give some sadaqah.

In this Hadith, we see that Prophet (Allah’s blessing & peace be upon him) looked at the cause for one wishing to enter into the sin of gambling. The cause for this is the love for wealth. Therefore, he prescribed giving some sadaqah as a penalty, as this will cause the love for wealth to leave one’s heart (and this will also prevent him from falling into the sin in the future).

(Malfoozaat Hakeemul Ummat 23/378)

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Priorities for a Salik

1. Learning the authentic beliefs (aqaid) as per the pious predecessors.

2. Learning the Sunna methodology (fiqh) of performing worship.

3. Abandoning major sinful actions and repenting on minor ones.

4. Get rid of blameworthy moral characteristics (radhail), adopting praiseworthy moral characteristics (fadhail).

5. Earning & consuming a halal livelihood.

6. Getting married, establishing a home and raising children

7. Learning etiquette of financial dealings for everyday life.

8. Actively making a good intention in permissible actions.

9. Actively making an intention of pleasing Allah and following Sunna in all thoughts & actions.

10. Recitation of Sunna adhkar for different occasions (adiya e ma’sora)

11. Recitation of the litanies (adhkar & ashgaal) prescribed by the Sufi Shaykh.

Qutub al Irshad, vol 1, p 92-3

اصلاح اخلاق

سیدی و سندی حضرت مفتی تقی عثمانی صاحب مدظلہ نے فرمایا،
اصلاح اخلاق کے صرف دو راستے ہیں:
۱۔ صحبت اہل اللہ۔ وہ لوگ جنہوں نے کثرت مجاہدات سے اپنے اخلاق کو معتدل بنالیا ان کی صحبت کی کثرت۔
۲۔ توفیق الہی۔ اس کے لئے دعا کرتے رہنا چاہیے۔ جیسا کے احادیث میں تعلیم کیا گیا ہے۔ (اسئلک خلقا” مستقیما)

درس مناجات مقبول۔ ۷ اگست ۲۰۲۲

Laziness or illness

An individual inquired that how can a person convalescing from a illness differentiate that not doing his daily ma’mulaat (wird) is because of illness or due to laziness.

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

‘One should do the daily ma’mulaat (on trial basis) and see. If there is deterioration in his illness then it is from disease otherwise it is laziness.’

Office, Darul Uloom Karachi, 5/3/2022 after zohar

Gratitude

Hazrat Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi (rahmatullahi ‘alaih) once mentioned the following:

Expressing gratitude over a favour and being pleased with it, considering it to be purely the grace and mercy of Allah Ta‘ala, is the right which the one enjoying the favour owes to the One who bestowed him with the favour – Allah Ta‘ala. It is in reference to this that Allah Ta‘ala says in the Qur’aan Majeed:

قُل بِفَضلِ اللّٰهِ وَبِرَحمَتِه فَبِذٰلِکَ فَلیَفْرَحُوا

Say, “In the bounty of Allah and in His mercy – in that let them rejoice.” (Surah Yunus v. 58)

This form of happiness and joy is actually a form of shukr to Allah Ta‘ala and hence it is praiseworthy and desirable in deen.

However, contrary to this, there is another form of happiness that equates to pride. This is where a person becomes boastful and happy over the bounty, attributing it to his own effort and achievement, and not to Allah Ta‘ala, and this is ingratitude to the One who bestowed the favour. The root cause of this ingratitude is that a person forgets and loses sight of the fact that this bounty and favour can be taken away from him at any moment. It is in reference to this boastful attitude that Allah Ta‘ala mentions in the Qur’aan Majeed:

اِذْ قَالَ لَهُ قَوْمُهُ لَا تَفْرَحْ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ لَا یُحِبُّ الفَرِحِینَ

When his people (the people of Qaaroon) said to him, “Do not be filled with boastfulness (in your happiness), indeed Allah does not like those who are filled with boastfulness (in their happiness).” (Surah Qasas v. 76)

In the case of Qaaroon, he was happy over the wealth itself (not the bounty of Allah Ta‘ala), so look at what an evil end and outcome he met!

When one receives the bounty and blessing, and then reflects that it belongs to Allah Ta‘ala and He may take it away at any time, then the feeling of gratitude that he experiences in his heart at that time is regarded as shukr to Allah Ta‘ala.

(Malfoozaat Hakeemul Ummat 22/176)

Source:Ihyaauddeen.co.za

Pious company

Hazrat Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi (rahmatullahi ‘alaih) once mentioned the following:

The present era that we are experiencing is filled with fitnahs. The fitnahs are so intense that the imaan (and deen) of people is in danger. It is for this reason I regard it fardh-e-ain (obligatory) for people to remain in the company of the Buzurgaan-e-Deen (pious saints, so that they will be able to protect their deen through benefitting from their company).

What doubt can one have that remaining in the company of the Buzurgaan-e-Deen (pious saints) in this era is fardh-e-ain? The reason is that when experience has proven that safeguarding one’s deen and imaan is dependent on spending time in the company of the Buzurgaan-e-Deen, then what doubt can one have that this now is a fardh obligation (i.e. when safeguarding one’s deen and imaan is fardh, then the means through which imaan and deen will be safeguarded will also be fardh, and in these challenging times, this can only be achieved through remaining in the company of the pious).

(Malfoozaat Hakeemul Ummat 22/229)

Source:Ihyaauddeen.co.za

Power of dua

Hazrat Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi (rahmatullahi ‘alaih) once mentioned the following:

Du‘aa is an extremely great ibaadah and is the essence of all other ibaadaat. (The reason is that du‘aa is an expression of humility, and this is what is desired in all ibaadaat). However, from all ibaadaat, it is witnessed that people show the least importance to making du‘aa.

Du‘aa is such a thing that even if it used as a means to beg Allah Ta‘ala to fulfil one’s worldly needs, then too, it is still an act of ibaadah (and one will receive reward for it) – on condition that the du‘aa is made for something permissible in Shari‘ah.

In regard to du‘aa, some people are under the impression that du‘aa is only an act of ibaadah when du‘aa is made for things relating to one’s deen or for works of deen, or when du‘aa is made for seeking success and salvation in the Hereafter. However, this notion is incorrect.

When some people write to me seeking assistance for certain needs or difficulties which they are experiencing, then instead of them requesting me to make du‘aa for their problem, they write, “Please give us some effective amal or some wazeefah to recite for this need or problem.” To such people, I write the following reply, “I do not have knowledge of any such amal which is so powerful that it will alleviate your problem or fulfil your need. However, you should know well that there is no wazeefah or amal that is as powerful and great as du‘aa (hence, you should engage in du‘aa, begging Allah Ta‘ala to remove your problem or fulfil your need).”

(Malfoozaat Hakeemul Ummat 22/230-231)

Source:Ihyaauddeen.co.za

Deceptions of Nafs

Shaikh Ahmed Arqam Balkhi (Allah have mercy on him) narrates that once my inner-self (nafs) insisted that I go and join the battle (jihad). I was surprised. In Quran Allah says that nafs commands to do evil and my nafs was telling me to do something virtuous. How can this be possible?

I confronted the nafs and said that most probably you are sick of staying in solitude and want that I go in the army where people will pay respect to me. However, I am going to fight alone (not join the army). Nafs agreed. I became more suspicious. I told him that I will fight without ammunition and die first. He agreed to it also. I told him many similar things and he agreed to all.

I was perplexed.

I prayed fervently to Allah to show me nafs’ deception.

In a vision (mukashafa) I saw my nafs.

He said that every day you kill me several times by not doing what I command, so if you go for Jihad and are killed instantaneously then it will be easier.

Moreover, no one knows about this daily struggle. It is hidden from all. But if you are killed in battlefield everyone will speak highly about you. All will say Ahmed is a martyr (shaheed).

The deception of nafs are complex and deep. They requires consultation with a mentor (murshid).

Tanveer ul Afaq: Shah Turab Ali Qalandar (Allah have mercy on him)

Keep progressing

A seeker must never become content at a particular spiritual state.

He must constantly desire more progress. This is by worship & spiritual efforts, maintaining focus & firm determination, and sincere humble supplications.

Usool e Tasawwuf, Muqalat e Hakimul Ummat ra, volume 14, page 100