حضرت علامہ ظفر احمد عثمانی صاحب(خلیفہ حضرت مولانا خلیل احمد سہارنپوری و حکیم الامت مولانا اشرف علی تھانوی رحمۃ اللہ علیہم اجمعین) نے فرمایا،
رسالہ انکشاف الحقیقہ عن استخلاف الطریقہ، مقالات عثمانی، جلد 2 ص384
Useless questions:kibr
Shaykhul Hadeeth Hadhrat Maulana Muhammad Zakariyya Sahab (may Allah have mercy on him) writes,
For quite some time there has been one question which has been put to me repeatedly in letters: “Why did Shaykh XYZ give permission to initiate murid (ijazat) to so-and-so?”
In reply to foolish questions like these, I always answer: “If Angels Munkar and Nakeer should ask you this question in the grave, then by all means you may answer: ‘I do not not know.’”
[Aap Beeti Part V, pg 657]
at-Tazkirah: التذكرة
Moreover, it is a fact that only a person who considers himself to be superior judges others to be not worhty of what they are. This is crystal clear arrogance (kibr). The mother of all moral maladies (umm al-amradh).
The tricks of Shaytaan
1. The first thing Shaytaan does is, he takes out the importance of obedience out of us and puts the importance of the worldly issues (dunya) within us.
2. The second thing he does is to makes us delay and procrastinate the good actions for now. Like praying in congregation at the appropriate time, abandon following of Sunnah till old age, not acquiring company of pious, and not making immediate repentance (taubah) etc.
3. The third thing he does is that he makes us rush through all good deeds. That may lead to abandoning the essential (wajibat), Prophetic practice (sunna) and desired (mustahibat) components required.
4. The fourth level of his trickery is that he puts ostentation (riyaa’) in the actions being done.
5. The fifth level trickery is that he puts vanity (‘ujb) in us. That is self admiration for the actions already accomplished.
6. The sixth level of Shaytaan’s trickery is that he injects us with the poison of doing things for fame (hubb e jah). That is for the approval and admiration of other people.
7. The seventh level of his trickery is to maximize our self admiration to a level that we start looking down on others. This is arrogance (kibr) – the mother of all spiritual maladies (umm al-amradh).
May Allah save us from these deceptions of Shaytaan. Amin!
Adapted from An-Noor
Imperative characteristics
The three imperative characteristics the Shuyukh of Ashrafiya spiritual path (tareeq) try to cultivate in their disciples (murid) are,
1. Absolute following of the Shariah in all situations and under all circumstances
2. Always trying to rectify the lower-self (islah e nafs)
3. A profound conviction that this worldly life is transient and the real and permanent destination is the here-after.
Malfozat e ‘asr e hazera, page 11
Sunna = Spiritual realisation
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Buzaydi (may Allah have mercy on him) said,
“In fact, the Prophetic practice (sunna) is total spiritual realisation (ma’rifah) itself, nothing more and nothing less, for those who know its value.”
The Adab of Perfect Seeker, page 90.
Signs of annihilation
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Buzaydi (may Allah have mercy on him) said,
“There are three signs that indicate that a person is of those who are annihilated in the Divine Entity (fani fil-Allah).
First, there is complete shunning of this world. inwardly and outwardly.
Second, there is quietude in humiliation by choice.
Third, there is withstanding of all people’s harm with a good disposition of the soul.”
The Adab of Perfect Seeker, page 88.
اسوه رسول اكرم صلى الله عليه وسلم
دعا
مجھے اپنی الفت کے قابل بنا
Sama’ is not qawwali
Shaykh Dawud khalifa of Shaykh Mohammad Sadiq khalifa of Shah Nizamuddin (d.1035H) (may Allah have mercy on them) said,
“None of our pious predecessors (mashayikh) indulged in spiritual auditon (sama’ ) accompanied with instrumental music. They did not even tolerate the clapping of hands in it.”
Iqtibas al-Anwar, page 836. An ancient classic hagiography of Sufis of India. Originally in Persian tranlated into Urdu by Capt. Wahid Baksh ra.
Company of ignorant sufi
Shaykh ‘Ali al-Jamal (may Allah have mercy on him) said,
“Keeping the company of an ignorant (sufi) novice is like swallowing a deadly poison.
The ignorant novice, who is pleased with himself, is farther from Allah than all the common people. The common person is like a new pot: it accepts whatever is poured into it. The ignorant novice, on the other hand, is like a pot filled with tar: it is unwashable and unusable for wholesome things.”
The adab of the true seeker, page 84
لبیک یا عبدی
گفت آں اللہ تو لبیک ما ست
Changing tariqa sequel: adab
A very important thing to observe in this regard is the perfect propriety (adab) towards the ex-Shaykh. One should continue the same extreme humility and politeness, with no backbiting or hard feelings (kinah) at all. These are the rights due for each and every Muslim.
This holds even if he is a false (ghair kamil) or innovator (bida’ti).
It was his company that kept you practicing the essentials of the religion in that period and eventually guided you to the truth.
You owe him some respect for this, at the least!
Related:
Reasons for changing tariqa
These are from the teachings of Hakim al-Umma Hadhrat Mawlana Ashraf ‘Ali Thanawi (may Allah have mercy on him).
It is important to remember that these rules are only valid for genuine (kamil) Shaykh. If by mistake someone has affiliated to a false or imperfect (ghair kamil) or innovative (bida’ti) Shaykh it is essential for him to forsake this relationship immediately and seek a real Shaykh.
They include the following,
1. Death of the Shaykh before completion of spiritual journey (sulook).
2. Shaykh can not be located, either he he has moved or murid has travelled somewhere and no communication is possible at all.
3. God-forbid, the Shaykh has been struck by a spiritual calamity, physical or mental illness and is no more capable of directing others.
4. Shaykh himself instructs the spiritual aspirant to seek another Shaykh.
5. In spite of sincerely following the Shaykh for a considerable period of time no spiritual benefit is acquired.
(Iin # 3 & 5 murid’s has to consult other masters or senior disciples or scholars to guide him through.)
Related:
Changing tariqa
A sincere brother, who is already affiliated to a genuine Shaykh, inquired regarding his desires to change his tariqa.
By the barakah of sayyidi wa sanadi Hadhrat Mawlana Mohammad Taqi Usmani (may Allah preserve him) following reply was sent,
“It is highly discouraged to change one’s tariqa without a genuine reason.
Changing tariqa will just reinforce your lower self (nafs). Your nafs wants to derail you by whatever means possible. For some it does so by making them do sins and for others it is by involving them in less important or lower level permissible activities.
You always have to remain suspicious about your own nafs. Today it is creating doubts about this tariqa, tomorrow it will raise suspicions regarding Ashrafiya tariq.
So beware!”
Related:
جگہ جی لگانے کی دنیا نہیں ہے
جہاں میں کہیں شورِ ماتم بپا ہے
کہیں فقر و فاقہ سے آہ و بکا
کہیں شکوہ جور و مکر و دغا ہے
غرض ہر طرف سےیہی بس صدا ہے
جگہ جی لگانے کی دنیا نہیں ہے
یہ عبرت کی جا ہے تماشہ نہیں ہے
حضرت خواجہ عزیز الحسن مجزوب رحمتہ اللہ