When to make baya’?

A seeker asked if sayyidi wa sanadi Hadhrat Mawlana Mufti Mohammad Taqi Usmani (may Allah preserve him) accepts request for baya’.

Following is the response,

Hadhrat (may Allah allow us to benefit from him abundantly) usually does not take baya’ from anyone up front.

It is only when he feels that the seeker has recognized the true meaning of this commitment then he does so. For some this duration is in months for others it may be longer. For example, an individual waited 4 years and his wife 14 years before the ritual of allegiance (baya’) took place.

In the mean duration one is supposed to do what is being told and provide regular feedback. This is the reality of baya’.

Qualities of a murid

A sincere seeker requested to know what are the virtues that a Shaykh looks for in a murid before accepting baya’. 

As per the teachings of sayyid wa sanadi Hadhrat Mawlana Mohammad Taqi Usmani (may Allah preserve him) following reply was given,
In our path (tariq) the qualities a Shaykh looks for in a potential murid are his yearning and desire to gain Allah’s pleasure, readiness for annihilation of self-suggestions/opinions and enthusiasm for following the instructions given to him.

‎Vigilance of a seeker

Sayyidi wa sanadi Hadhrat Mawlana Mohammad Taqi Usmani (Allah preserve him) said in regards to the ihsan, while explaining the the hadith e Jibrael (Allah’s peace be on him),

“Vigilance that Allah, exalted is He, is watching me is more effective, easy and practical for a seeker than trying to contmeplate that I am watching Allah.”

نعت

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الصلوۃ والسلام علیک یا سیدی رسول اللہ

سر رہے یا نہ رہے پر رہے سودا سر میں

عشق احمد صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم کاخدایا یہی ہم چاہتے ہیں

اس حبیب دل خستہ پہ نظر ہو جاۓ

دردمندوں کی دوا آپ کئے جاتے ہیں

 حضرت حبیب اللہ صاحب والد مولانا حسین احمد مدنی رحمۃ اللہ علیہما

 

Reality of Tasawwuf: Sunna

The reality of Tasawwuf has been described as,

“Sincerity in turning to Allah, exalted is He, with that which pleases Him and in the way it pleases Him.”

The Adab of the True Seeker, page 22-3

In addition to sincerity, special attention is to be paid to the phrase, “in the way it pleases Him“.  All actions done as per the Prophet’s manner (Sunna) are for sure guaranteed this pleasure. While, none of the innovated ways carry this assurance.

طاعت کا اثر

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حکیم الامت حضرت مولانا اشرف علی تھانوی قدس سرہ نے فرمایا،

 طاعت وہ چیز ہے کہ جب تک کسی نے کی نہیں جبھی تک وہ علیحدہ ہے، جہاں تھوڑی سی بھی کی پھر طاعت خود اس کو نہیں چھوڑتی۔ وہ چھوڑنا چاہتا ہے مگر یہ اوڑ اوڑ کر اس کو لپٹتی ہے۔

کر کے دیکھو، امتحانا” ہی سہی!

میں کہتا ہوں امتحان کرنے سے تو کیا بھولے سے بھی طاعت اگر ہوگی تو اثر ضرور کرے گی۔کپڑا بھولے سے رنگ میں گر جاۓ تو گو وہ بات نہ آۓگی کہ اگر کوئی قصدا” رنگتا مگر دھبے تو ضرور پڑ ہی جائیں گے۔

مواعظ اشرفیہ:مجموعہ جزہ و سزاء/ طلب الجنۃ، ص 302

Benefits of suhba

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

‘There are four modes of benefiting from the Divinely pious individuals (ahl-Allah),

Firstly, you gain beneficial knowledge from their speech.

Secondly, you (try to) follow their actions.

Thirdly, they make supplications (dua) for you.

Finally, you get spiritual blessings (barakah) by being in their company.”

Waaz: As-soq-l-ahl ashoq, Ibqa’ 1981, page 98

مناجات

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جو مانگا ہے، جو مانگیں گے، خدا سے ہم وہی لیں گے

مچل جائیں گے، روئیں گے، کہیں گے ہم یہی لیں گے

نہیں گو ہم کسی قابل، مگر تیری عنایت ہے

جو تیری شان کے لائق ہے ہم تجھ سے وہی لیں گے

کیا تو نے طلب ہم کو اٹھیں گے ہم نہ اس در سے

نہ جائیں گے، نہ جائیں گے، ابھی لیں گے، وہی لیں گے

ارے بہتر نہ گھبرا، جو مانگے گی وہ پاۓ گی

کہے گی جب تو رو کر ہم اسی دم یہی لیں گے

 محترمہ سیدہ خیرالنساء بہتر صاحبہ

 والدہ حضرت مولانا سید ابوالحسن علی ندوی

 رحمۃ اللہ علیھما

 

Shaykh’s Anger

Imam Abdul Wahab al-Sha’rani (may Allah have mercy on him) said,

“My master ‘Ali al-Mursifi, may Allah have mercy on him, used to say: One of the signs of the novice’s (murid’s) wretchedness in this world and in the next is his taking lightly the Shaykh’s anger with him and not contemplating the urgency of hastening to make up with him and bringing himself under the banner of his obedience. Some people took lightly their Shaykh’s anger with them and they never succeeded after that: neither at the hands of their Shaykh nor at the hands of anyone else.”

Al-Minan al-Kubra

P.S. Two books of Imam al-Sha’rani are included in the Curriculum of Tasawwuf recommended to the seeker’s by Hakim al-Umma (may Allah have mercy on them).

The sama’

Once a Shadhili inidividual invited Shaykh al-Arab wal-A’jam Hadhrat Haji Imdadullah mohajir Makki (may Allah have mercy on him) and his close companion for dinner. Hadhrat Haji sahib accepted on the condition that there must be sama’ (audition) accompanied with it.

Some of his close scholar (ulema) companion were reluctant to go and excused themselves out. However, Hakim al-Umma accompanied Hadhrat Haji sahib without any hesitation. While the companions were discussing this issue amongst themselves, Hakim al-Umma reiterated that he was going to attend this event, indeed. If Hadhrat Haji sahib was going what questions other could have. None of them was more pious then him.

At the event prior to meal being served, the (Shadhili) Shaykh’s companions stood up in a circle and one of them started to recite a Divine Name. Others chanted the same in chorus. The person leading this is called the munshid. After a while all became silent and munshid recited some poetry related to Divine Love. It was in a simple but very pleasant tone. The munshid was an old person. After it they recited another Divine name similarly. In summary, this sama’ was a very fine, pleasant and enjoyable event.

After its completion Hadrat Haji sahib inquired, ‘Did you enjoy?’

Hakim al-Umma replied affirmatively that, ‘Hadhrat indeed it was very enjoyable’.

Hahdrat Haji sahib then said that, ‘This is (in reality) the sama’. Some of our companions were uncomfortable with it for no definite reason. I had purposefully asked for this condition (sama’) just to show what are it limits.”

Ashraf us Sawanih, volume 1, page 262-3

Beard: No big deal?

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Hadhrat Mawlana Faqir Mohammad was one of the senior khulafa of Hakim al-Ummah (may Allah have mercy on them). He was blessed with extreme piety, meticulous adherance to Sunna and lucid unveiling (khashaf).  In the later part of his life he used to stay in Medinah e munawwara for prolonged periods of time and occasionally visited Pakistan. 

On one of such visits to Pakistan a top ranking clean shaved official greeted and reminded him that they had met in front of the blessed rau’dha (muwajjah sharif:shown in the picture above) in Medinah e munawwara.

Hadhrat replied that he remembered the incident quite vividly because the Blessed Prophet (may Allah’s blessing and peace be on him) after replying to his salutations (salat o salam) had immediately turned away his noble face in displeasure from this  clean-shaved official.

Allah, Most High, save us from this. Amin!

Source: Iqra digest’s special issue on Hahdrat ra

الہی

  الہی

دلم را کن ز سر خویش آگاہ

کہ نبود در طریق عشق گمراہ

بحق حضرت اشرف علی شاہ

کہ عبدست اشرف و اعلی وذیجاہ

 مجذوب رح

Seeing the Prophet of Allah in a Dream

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Sayyidi wa sanadi Hadhrat Mufti Taqi Uthmani (may Allah preserve him) writes:

“A gentleman used to visit my father (Mufti Muhammad Shafi Uthmani [may Allah have mercy on him]). Once he expressed to my father his burning desire to see the Holy Prophet (Allah’s blessings and peace be on him) in a dream and asked him for some spiritual exercise for this.

My father said to him: ‘My dear brother, you are indeed a very ambitious man that you have this auspicious desire. I do not have the courage to entertain this desire, because I think that I do not deserve this honor. I. therefore never thought of learning and doing such exercise and disciplines to have a meeting with the Holy Prophet (Allah’s blessings and peace be on him) in a dream. Even if I am graced with such a meeting how can I do full justice to the required etiquettes? That is why I did not aspire for the honor of this meeting. If Allah Himself graces me with this meeting it will be His great favor to me. In that case, He shall teach me the requisite etiquettes also. However, just like any other believer, I too bear a desire for this.’ “

From: at-Talib