In reply to a salik’sletter Hakim al- Umma Shaykh Mawlana Ashraf Ali Thanawi (may Allah have mercy on him) wrote,
‘Hardening of heart (qasawet-e-qalbi)is not to feel any remorse after committing a sin.’
Tarbiyet us Salik, volume 1, page 503
May Allah save us all from this. Amin!
New York, USA
My respected father Cdr. Shaukat Kamal (may Allah have mercy on him) wrote,
‘Every friday I gather my family after asr salah and discuss religious matters with them. I am using your books and (Hakim al-Umma’s) Bahishti zewar for assistance. I feel that this activity is most beneficial for myself.
Sayyidi wa sanadi Shaykh Mawlana Mohammad Taqi Usmani (may Allah preserve him) replied,
‘The real intention (in these sort of activities) should be self benefit, indeed.’
Walid sahib kay Islahi khutoot, page 10
سیدی و سندی حضرت مولانا محمد تقی عثمانی صاحب مدظلہم العالی
Hakim al-Umma Shaykh Ashraf Ali Thanawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said,
Nothing happens without determination.
The real treatment to prevent lustful glances is to think at that moment:
“Allah SWT is watching me now and on the Day of Judgment I will be questioned regarding this. And if Allah SWT condemns me for punishment what will happen of me?”
By recalling this repeatedly again and again one will attain success.
Therefore, make strong determination.
This is the only treatment.
Initially for few days there will be some hardship indeed, but eventually, inshaAllah, it will become a habit. And then the gratification and peace you find in it can only be imagined of.
(Basair-e-Hakeemul-e-Ummat, page 369)
Hakim al-Umma Shaykh Mawlana Ashraf Ali Thanawi (may Allah ahve mercy on him) said:
Committing a sin is a very wretched, ghastly and fatal thing.
It is essential to abstain from it completely.
That very moment when a slave in acting against his Lord’s command, is a very ominous and detesting. If he had the capabilities for differentiating between various feelings, he could have felt the darkening effect of sin.
Some wrong actions have the effect of causing the capability of performing good works in future to be taken away. This is a thing to be dreaded.
Another effect of sin is that the individuals under your command start disobeying your instructions.
The worst effect of committing sin is that due to the casual and careless attitude (of a sinner) a minor (saghirah) sin leads to a major (kabirah) sin and eventually to rejecting the truth (kufr).
Thus an individual should never become carefree after committing a sin. He should repent and make amendments.
Basa’ir-e-Hakeemul Ummat 532
A lecture by sayyidi wa sanadi Shaykh Mawlana Mohammad Taqi Usmani (may Allah presrve him) in English.
Hakim al-Umma Mawlana Ashraf Ali Thanawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said,
Committing a sin thinking it will decrease (or eliminate) the desire for that sin (in the future) is a deception of Shaytan. Yes, the desire will be decreased temporarily but the faculty and power of committing sin will be strengthened (long term) resulting in the eradication of sin becoming beyond ones power and strength.
Hakim al-Umma Mawlana Ashraf Ali Thanawi [may Allah have mercy on him] said in reference to the following verse of Holy Quran,
When Allah, the One and Only, is mentioned, the hearts of those who believe not in the Hereafter are filled with disgust and horror; but when [gods] other than He are mentioned, behold, they are filled with joy!
“Similar to it is the condition of some ignorant claimants of tasawwuf. That is, at the mention of pure tawheed they are sickened. And [are delighted to] do istighatha [calling for help] with awliya.”
Tawheed is one of the essential muqamat [stations] in Tasawwuf.
[Masail al-Sulook min Kalam Malik al-Malook, p.468]
Hakim al-Umma Shaykh Mawlana Ashraf Ali Thanawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
“The relationship between a Sheikh and a mureed is exactly like that between a physician and a patient.
If a person acknowledges being a patient of a certain physician and that physician agrees to it, would this contract by itself result in cure of all ailments of that person?
Never!
Therapeutic intervention will be needed.
Its method is to inform the physician of the illness in detail (get diagnosed and receive treatment).
It can not be achieved by just sitting in the company of physician silently for few hours daily without informing him of the illness and getting a prescription.
No one does this.
Moreover, people repeatedly tell the physician in specific details their condition. Even if the doctor acknowledges understanding them, they insist to repeat the details fearing some vital information may have been missed.
But it is distressful for the miserable Sheikh. No one tells him regarding their batini (esoteric) ailments (requesting treatment). It is assumed that he himself will tell what diseases you suffer from and treat them without your request. …….. Even if he were to have kashaf (unveiling) without you asking for treatment specifically, he will never impose it on you. Why would he care if you show such an attitude. You need his services (for cure), he does not need you.”
Waaz: Rahat-ul-quloob; Mawaiz e Ashrafiya volume 22, page 261
It is the third thing in our list of actions leading to creation of ta’luq ma’Allah/Love of Allah swt. Most probably this is the most effective means of achieving it.
Here, pious are those who already posses this ta’luq/Love. First most in them is the Sheikh himself or whom ever he suggests and approves. The benefits of this companionship are to felt and lived. The words can not describe them in the fullest sense. Here we will mention a few.
Once a person asked Hazrat Thanvi qaddas sirrahu, that the famous verse;
Yak zamana suhbat ba awliya
Behter az sed sala ta’et e bay-riya
(Momentary companionship of Friends of Allah swt is better than hundred years of sincere worship) seems to be an exaggeration. How can this be possible?
Hazrat Thanvi ra replied that, “It was no exaggeration at all. Moreover, the message was still not completely conveyed. If the poet had said;
Yak zamana suhbat ba awliya
behter az sed lekh sala ta’et e bay-riya
(Momentary company of Friends of Allah swt is better than million years of sincere worship), it would not have been an exaggeration.”
This is because in the company of pious/awliya you get more than the sincerity. You get this ta’uluq ma’Allah/love of Allah swt. This is the master key for all further good actions.
Another benefit is that in the company of the pious one repeatedly hears useful knowledge and tips for putting this to practice in every day life. This will motivate the clumsiest of the mureed to action.
Additionally, there is the benefit of dua (prayers) of the pious. Seeing a sincere aspirant working diligently they make prayer for him. InshaAllah, there is conviction that their prayer are accepted.
Also by keeping their company, one starts to admire them and imitate them. This hastens the spiritual progress.
Essential to acknowledge is that this company needs to be for considerable duration of time (months/years), with sincerity and total obedience to bear its fruit.Being physically present in the company of the Sheikh as much as possible in different settings is needed. Corresponding with him often via mail, e-mail and telephone can be a substitute if physical presence is not possible.In the tareeq of Hazrat Hakeem ul Ummat ra regular correspondence between the Sheikh and mureed is a must cornerstone of spiritual improvement effort.
Masti kay leyay boay maay tund hay kafi
Maakhanay ka mehroom bhi mehroom nahi hay
According to Hazrat Hakeemul Ummat ra company of the pious is a compulsory obligation (fardh a’yn) in this era for each and every Muslim. It is the vital means of saving ones faith.
Our busy daily schedule and complicated lifestyle does not seem to accommodate company of the pious!It is all about our priorities. Things which we consider important are somehow adjusted in the same busy schedule.Those who are serious regarding the tareeq have to make this their number one priority.
However, the tareeq is not rigid and inadaptable. When genuine reasons for not being physically present exist, there are other means to get some similar benefit if not exactly the same.They are:
1. Reading books of the past Mashaykh of the tareeq.Most important are the sermons (mawa’iz, 30 volumes, 500 pages each) and suhba talks (malfoozat, 25 voulmes, 250 pages each) of Hakeemulummat Hazrat Thanvi ra. Also books by A’rifbillah Dr. Abdul Hayy ra (especially Basair Hakeemulummat). And finally books by Sidi wa Sanadi Moulana Mohammad Taqi Usmani sahib dbt (specifically, Islahi Khutbat 14 volumes, & Islahi Majalis 5 voulmes, 300 page each).
2. Listening to the spiritual discourses of the Sheikh. Alhumdulillah, more than five hundred such discourses delivered by Sidi wa Sanadi Moulana Mohammad Taqi Usmani sahib dbt are available both in audio cassettes and MP3 CDs. Some of them have been posted on worldwide web also.
Continuous effort and trying one’s best to be in the company of the Sheikh whenever possible, even for brief duration will, inshaAllah, lead to the development of this ta’aluq ma’Allah/Love.
Course to lafz hi sekhatay hain
Adami adami banatey hain
Justujo ham ko adami ki hay
Who kitabain abus mangatey hain
(Akbar Allahbadi ra)
A senior disciple wrote,
Frequently a state raptures me on hearing the blessed name of Prophet (Allah’s blessing and peace be upon him) or listening to his narrations. Tears flow for a while and it appear that as if the Prophet (Allah’s blessing and peace be upon him) is sitting in front of me. This happens both in public and in solitude. On these occasions an unintentional desire to stand arises. However, two thoughts come to mind preventing me to do so. Firstly, in public I fear that people will call me an impostor and it will be damaging for the beliefs (‘aqaid). Secondly, the internal state is as described whereas apparently there is nothing visible. I remain perplexed in this situation. Afterwards I feel a sort of disassociation in remembrance (dhikr) and this makes me anxious. What should I do? Stand up or not?
Hakim al-Umma Shaykh Mawlana Ashraf Ali Thanawi (may Allah have mercy on him) replied,
‘This is a blessed state.
If you can not withstand it, then stand up. However, do not disclose to others why are you standing. This way it would not be detrimental to beliefs (aqaid). If someone insists a lot to know the reason tell him I was feeling anxious. Period.’
Tarbiyet us Salik, volume 2 page 730
Masih al-Quloob Shaykh Masihullah Khan (may Allah have mercy on him) said,
‘As you say Allah o akbar (God is great) when starting the prayers (salah) be certain of your own minuteness and insignificance.’
