02.28.07
Substitute for the Suhbat
A person once wrote to Hazrat Thanwi (RA) informing Hazrat Thanwi (RA) about how he finds it difficult to be in the company of the Ahlullah due to financial strains and other factors. This person wrote about how we wants to constantly be conscious of Allah and have control over his nafs. He also mentioned that he realizes that this is difficult to achieve without being in the suhbat of a Shaikh (in his case, Hazrat Thanwi ).
Hazrat Thanwi (RA) replied, “In this situation, study the biographies and works of the Pious. In the absence of the Shaikh, this can serve as a beneficial and sufficient substitute.” Hazrat Thanwi (RA) also advised him to regularly go over the Hazrat Thanwi’s published lectures.
Taken from Tarbiyat-us-Saalik, Vol. 1 page 46
From the above mentioned advice, we can see that reading is a good substitute, but at the end of the day, it is only a substitute which can never truly take the place of the original, in this case, actual suhbat. Unfortunately, we are so caught up in other things that we neglect the study of the lives of the pious. If nothing else, at least the mercy of Allah will descend upon us. Sufyan Bin ‘Uyainah said, “Indeed the mercy of Allah descends upon the mention the pious.” What more can we ask for! If a person is more fortunate and is able to practice what he reads, then Noorun ‘alaa Noor!
02.24.07
Three Stages of Eradicating Lustful Inclinations
Stage 1
The first of these stages is to prevent the heart from tending to its desires by diverting its attention. This is a voluntary matter wherein one has to use their will power. The simple method of doing this is whenever the inclines towards some beautiful woman or man and the desire occurs to gaze and stare, immediately turn one’s attention toward some person or thing that is extremely unattractive, something that is repellent to one’s sensitivity. If no such person or thing is present, draw a mental picture an extremely repulsive person. Someone who has a blighted complexion, face full of zits and pimples, blind, bald, drool dripping down their face, snot coming out of their nose. Instead of attracting people, they attract flies. Even if you have to imagine these things, do it. At least on occasions when confronted with an attractive person, use your imagination to your advantage and divert your attention. The function of one’s mental faculties from one angle is to either bring closer or to cause distaste and distance oneself from the mental picture drawn. Therefore ponder over such an ugly person so the inclination towards beauty that has captivated the heart now departs. If the inclination repeats itself, then repeat this meditation exercise. If this prescription, this form of meditation proves to be insufficient and one is constantly plagued by the slide show of beauty that flirts with one’s mind, then resort to the second stage.
Stage 2
Ponder over the fact that this beloved beauty will die one day and be lowered into the grave. In the grave, the soft delicate body will become a feast for the insects and worms. This meditation should provide an immediate fast acting but temporary cure. The cure for future desires is the abundant zikr of Allah. Along with zikr, one should think about the punishment of Allah. Thirdly, realize that Allah is fully aware of one’s condition and Allah has complete power over us. By regularly meditating on this, these evil thoughts will leave the heart. It will not be an instant exit. Therefore, do not be hasty in demanding its disappearance for a disease that is plaguing a person for decades can not be cured in a few days.
Stage 3
The third stage is when the inclination itself is uprooted and never occurs thereafter. This is that stage which is considered to be the objective by an inexperienced saalik who becomes disturbed when not attained. When assailed by desires, such a saalik considers all his efforts, all his zikr, and mujaahadah to have gone to waste. In fact at times when due to this misconception, he finds himself surrounded by desires, utters such phrases which are the epitomes of disrespect and border on audacity.
As an example, he might say, “I have been making effort for so long on this path, but no mercy is displayed towards me.” Remember such a person is depriving himself, for this is the whispering of shaitaan. It can never be an objective to remove from the root a faculty endowed by Allah for if it is uprooted, there remains no achievement in its abstinence. If a blind man says, “I do not caste evil glances at women.” What is the big deal? If an impotent person says, “I am protected from sexual urges.” What did he achieve? The achievement, mastery, and joy, is to abstain in spite of having these urges, desires and ability. The first two preventative stages have been discussed while the third is not an objective, if fact it is not permissible. One needs to take great care in desisting from this sin. Another prescription that adds strength to the former prescriptions is to on occasions whenever desires assail the heart, make wudhu, pray two rak’ats, make taubah and beg Allah to help you. Whenever the gaze falls on someone or the desire to do so occurs, resort to the above. On the first day, one will have to read many rak’ats but on the progressive days there will be a marked decrease in desire. In this manner, one will succeed in gradually replacing this sin with focusing the heart and the gaze towards Allah. The reason for all this is that the nafs finds it very difficult to offer salaat. Upon seeing the slightest pleasure derived in the wrong way, the salaat will the punishment meted out on the nafs, and the desires will decline.
Taken from a lecture entitled Ghadh-ul-Basr by Hakeem-ul-Ummah Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi (RA)
02.22.07
Taqwa is the Key Wilaayah
Shaikh Tameem so kindly narrates to us some sayings of our Shaikh…
“It is extremely important that there be a site where sin and the remedy to sin is dealt with and explained. It is this obstacle which keeps a person from attaining the love and friendship of Allah Ta`ala.
My beloved Shaikh Hazrat Hakeem Sahib (daamat barakaatuhum) always says: “If a person prays no tahajjud, makes no nafl ibadaat whatsoever, rather he performs all his faraa’iz, wajibaat, and sunan-e-mu`akkadah; but along with this he does not indulge in a single act of disobedience, then he will definitely be a friend of Allah.
But, if a person does a hundred thousand zikrs and overloads himself with nafl ibadaat and tahajjud, but at the same time, casts lustful glances at unlawful women and men, and pornographic sites and pictures, then he will never become a friend of Allah. Rather this person cannot even dream of the friendship of Allah. He will always remain deprived and will be wondering (foolishly) why he has not attained Allah’s love: “Maybe I need to make more ibaadat?”
Rather, to attain His friendship, one needs to abstain from sin as Allah Ta`ala says: “Lo! The friends of Allah, they have no fear, neither shall they grieve. They are those have believed and they fear Him [by abstaining from sins]… (Sura Yunus)”
-Comments from Shaikh Tameem, Khalifah Mujaz-e-Bay’at of Hazrat Hakeem Sahib (DB)
02.20.07
Fantasizing is Worse than Looking
To fantasize about women and men is even worse than staring at them with lust. This is because looking only requires the eyes to sin, but to fantasize requires the heart, which is the king of all the limbs. If the heart is corrupted, the whole body is corrupted. So, many people ponder over the figures, shapes and forms of numerous women and men, deriving a perverted pleasure, all the while they consider themselves to be highly qualified people in the field of Deen. Understand very carefully, this is a deception of the devil! This is a deception of the sworn enemy of every soul desiring closeness to Allah. At times, it may be reprehensible or distasteful, but by the mental conversations that occur, one is further entrapped in this evil. The mere consideration of casting evil glances appears distasteful and repugnant while the heart inclines to continue the mental conversation. This form of conversation is not under any circumstance purged from the heart. In fact, by not looking, the individual considers himself to be a great sahib-e-mujaahadah, a person given to great sacrifice of desires, and thus imagines himself to be even closer to Allah, not realizing that his heart is constantly inclining towards the sin. So, what type of sacrifice is this? Sacrifice has not even been established yet, let alone perpetuated. The termination of this fantasizing is extremely necessary. Sometimes through the ears, such conversations find their way to the heart, thus, a vigilant watch over the ears like the eyes is also necessary. A person must therefore not listen to conversations about such incidents, nor go to places where there is singing or music. The heart perpetrates sins without the participation of the eyes and ears by pondering over figures, shapes and forms that a person has seen previously, and thereby derives a perverted pleasure.
Taken from a lecture entitled Ghadh-ul-Basr by Hakeem-ul-Ummah Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi (RA)
Difference between Evil Glances and Other Sins
A major difference between the sin of lustful evil glances and other sins is the fact that, upon committing any other sin, the effect of that sin after it is committed ends and the heart becomes satisfied. But casting lustful evil glances is such a sin that the more one commits it, the more intense the desire to repeat the sin. One’s eating and drinking is limited. Sooner or later one will not be able to eat an additional morsel, or take an additional sip. One’s hunger and thirst will be satisfied but the lustful evil glance is such a calamity that one is never satiated. Considering this feature of evil lustful glances, it is more detrimental than most other sins.
Taken from a lecture entitled Ghadh-ul-Basr by Hakeem-ul-Ummah Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi (RA)
