Commenting on the saying of Masters of Tasawwuf that looking back at the past sins (intentionally) is a veil from remembrance of Allah SWT, Hazrat Hakeemul Ummat Mawlana Ashraf Ali Thanawi ra said:
“This saying is in regards to those individuals who have eliminated their gaflah (forgetfulness) and are engrossed in Allah SWT(‘s path).”
Masail us sulook min kalam Malik ul mulook, page 307
حکیم الامت حضرت مولانا اشرف علی تھانوی رحمۃ اللہ نے فرمای
نسبت کے لغوی معنی تعلق اور لگاؤ کے ہیں، اور
اصطلاحی معنی میں بندہ کا حق تعالی سے خاص قسم کا تعلق یعنی قبول و رضا کا، جیسا عاشق مطیع اور وفادار معشوق میں ہوتا ہے۔
جب ذکر اللہ کی مواظبت اور ریاضت و مجاہدات کی کثرت سے ظلمت نفسانیہ و کدورات طبعیہ کا ازالہ ہو جاتا ہے تو قلب و روح کو حق تعالی کے ساتھ ایک خاص تعلق پیدا ہو جاتا ہے، اس کو نسبت سے تعبیر کرتے ہیں۔
نسبت تعلق طرفین کا نام ہے۔
یک طرفہ تعلق کو نسبت نہیں کہا کرتے۔
پس بہت سے لوگ ایسے ہیں کہ ان کو خدا تعالی کے ساتھ محض یاد کا تعلق ہوتا ہے اور یہ تعلق یک طرفہ ہے۔
تعلق دو طرفہ عمل و اطاعت سے ہوتا ہے۔ جب انسان عمل و اطاعت کا اہتمام کرتا ہے اسوقت حق تعالی کو بھی اس سے تعلق ہو جاتا ہے۔
اور اس کا القاء ایک دم نہیں ہوتا بلکہ رفتہ رفتہ ہوتا ہے کہ دیکھنے والوں کو پتہ بھی نہیں چلتا۔
البتہ اس کی ظاہری علامت یہ ہے کہ حضور اکرم صلی اللہ علیہ و سلم کے ساتھ تمام افعال، اقوال، و حرکات میں زیادہ تشبہ ہو۔
ہر بات میں حضور اکرم صلی اللہ علیہ و سلم کی اتباع کی کوشش کی جاۓ اور یہ اتباع عادت ہو جاۓ کہ بے تکلف سنّت کے موافق افعال صادر ہونے لگیں۔
شریعت و طریقت ص 369 بحوالہ مسائل السلوک ص 503
Maseehul-quloob Hazrat Mawlana Maseehullah Khan sahib ra adviced his mureedeen:
“For growth, development and permanence of niyyah (intention that everything being done is solely for Allah SWT’s pleasure via Sunnah method) holdfast to recitation of blessed durood (salawat).
My routine in zikir-e-lisani (remembrance via tongue) is to recite durood all the time.”
Islah afroze bayyanat, page 199
Hazrat Hakeemul Ummat Mawlana Ashraf Ali Thanawi ra mentioned in relation to the verse 45 of surah al-zumar (39):
و اذا ذكر الذين من دونه اذا هم ستبشرون
[45. 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 claimant of tasawwuf. That is, at the mention of pure/authentic tawheed they are sickened. And (are delighted to) do istigatha (calling for help) with awliya.”
Masail us Sulook min Kalam Malik ul mulook, page 468
Tawheed is one of the essential muqamat (stations) in Tasawwuf.
Hazrat Haji Mohammad Farooq sahib ra said;
“Some individuals say that nothing comes to our mind when we are informing the Sheikh (directly or via mail) about our condition.
Abba-ji (Hazrat Mawlana Maseehullah Khan sahib ra) used to say that this may be due to two reasons. That are;
Either, the person has completed all the muqamats (stations), (that is, understood and practically removed all blame worthy moral traits from and acquired all praise worthy traits in one’s self.) and is in no need (of further instructions regarding changing states).
Or, he is not punctual with his mamoolat (wird). That is, he does not do the zikir (prescribed). If he was engaged in the zikir he would have received ahwal (states/thoughts regarding these praise/blame worthy moral traits). (These require reassuring or reconstructive instructions from the Sheikh.) ”
Islah afroze bayanat, page 484
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
“Hazrat Fudail bin ‘Ayadh ra said that if someone did all the good deeds but did not fulfill the rights of his single pet chicken, he would not be considered to be a pious person.”
Commenting on the verse 21 of Surah al-Ra’ad, Hakeemul Ummat Hazrat Mawlana Ashraf Ali Thanawi ra wrote this in Masail us Sulook min kalam Malik-ul-mulook, page 281.
Maseehul-quloob Hazrat Mawlana Shah Maseehulllah Khan sahib ra said:
“Not every khalifa (licensed/deputy) is a Sheikh. Though he may have been appointed by the ahl-e-haqq.” page 500
“Those who are expert in this field (of tasawwuf) they are the Shuyukh, (plural for Sheikh). Those who do not have this expertise they are the pir (khalifa).” page
“The expert in a field is the one whose mentor (Sheikh) has transmitted that skill from his own heart to him.” page 500 (That is, by prolonged suhba (company), excessive consultation, and both spiritual & physical tarbiyyah in all aspects of life. This leads to the absorbtion of all the states of the Sheikh by the mureed [i.e. the future Sheikh].)
Islah afroze bayanat
A mureed narrated his dream:
“I saw as though I have died and people have burried me”.
Sayyidi wa sanadi Hazrat Mawlana Mohammad Taqi Usmani shaib db replied:
“It seems to be an elucidation of the phrase:
موتو قبل ان تموتو
(Die before the death).”
Islahi khutoot
That is, it is an instruction to work towards this annihilation of all that may result in destruction in hereafter.
An aspirant complained;
“These days I feel very dull and lazy. Nothing seems to be interesting. Moreover, thoughts of immorality and sins plague my mind.”
Sayyidi wa sanadi Hazrat Mawlana Mohammad Taqi Usmani sahib db replied;
“Make this dua a lot:
اللھم اجعل وساوس قلبی خشیتک و ذکرک
(O Allah SWT, turn the stray thoughts of my heart into your fear and remembrance. Munajat-e-Maqbool/Al-Hizb al-A’zam)
Islahi khutoot
Maseeh-ul-quloob Hazrat Mawlana Maseehullah Khan sahib ra said:
“Excessive repetition of an advice leads to loss of its importance for the audience. The spirituality in it dies. Moreover, any effectiveness in it fades out. (Making it useless).”
Islah afroze bayanat, page 187
Hazrat Shah Wasihullah sahib ra read the following;
انما حرمو الوصول لتضييعهم الاصول (رساله قشيريه)
Abandoning the principles makes it is impossible to reach the goal
And tell us
“Tasawwuf is an extremely systematic and structured discipline. It is not what the people consider it to be these days.
یہ وہ جامہ ہے نہیں جس کا سیدہا الٹا
That is, like a garment that does not have an exterior or an interior surface (meaning that it is totally chaotic).
The traveller on the path of Allah SWT has to be very organized and sharp-witted.”
Halaat e Musleh e Ummat ra, page 279
Hakeemul Ummat Hazrat Mawlana Ashraf Ali Thanawi ra said:
“A seeker should not be offended or feel ashamed by any one’s rejection or criticism in the path of his taleb (true desire).”
Irfan e Hafiz, At-Takshuf, page 141
Hakeemul Ummat Hazrat Mawlana Ashraf Ali Thanawi ra writes:
“Few people want to have their objective (i.e. ta’luq ma’Allah) achieved solely by dua (prayers) and wishful desires. They should understand that the methods for achieving an objective which are a norm for it, they are generally required to attain it.
However, dua puts barakah (blessing) and effectiveness in the means adopted.”
Irfan e Hafiz, At-Takshuf, page 139
يا من يرى فى الضميرويسمع
انت المعد لكل ما يتوقع
يا من يرجّى للشدائد كلها
يا من اليه المشتكى و المفزع
يا من خزائن رزق فى امر كن
امنن فان الخير عندك اجمع
مالى سوى فقرى اليك وسيلة
فبالافتقار اليك فقرى ادفع
مالى سوى قرعى لبابك حيلة
فلئن رددت فاى باب اقرع
ومن الذى ادعو واهتف باسمه
ان كان فضلك عن فقيرك يمنع
حاشا لجودك ان تقنط عاصيا
الفضل اجزل والموهب اوسع
ثم الصلوة على النبى و اله
خيرالنام و من به يتشفع
Hazrat Hakeemul Ummat Mawalan Asharf Ali Thanawi ra ends his book “At-Takshuf” on this dua. Page 455.