04.25.07
Letters of Distress
The following are random selections of letters from Tarbiyat-us-Saalik of Hazrat Thanwi (RA).
Letter 1:
I happened to undertake a journey to Shimla, India (a famous vacation spot). Coincidentally while journeying that evening, I passed by a woman riding a horse, traveling in the opposite direction. My heart was captivated by her exceptional beauty. Never Have I seen such splendid beauty in my life. Six months have now passed and yet memories of her captivating beauty still haunt my mind. I feel greatly remorseful and guilty. I request you to pray that Allah grants me delivery from this calamity and transforms my love into a burning love for Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam).
Reply1:
Appoint a special time for privacy daily. Recite the first kalimah in such a manner that with “La Ilaha” imagine the love of every created thing being expelled from your heart and with “Illallah” the love of Allah being entrenched within your heart. Thereafter, contemplate upon death, the conditions of death, reckoning before Allah etc…Ponder upon her conditions after death; the corpse will rot and disintegrate; worms and insects will be feasting upon the decaying body. In your spare time, recite Istighfaar in abundance. After two weeks, inform me of your situation.
Letter 2:
My nafs has overpowered me and I continue to commit major sins. I greatly regret my actions and after sincere taubah, I resolve firmly not to go near those sins, but my resolutions are weak and soon I return to my former condition. Please assist me in remedying my situation.
Reply2:
Stipulate a stiff penalty upon the nafs for every misdeed committed, Insha Allah this will prove to be tremendously beneficial.
In my opinion, resorting to a former act after taubah requires a penalty ranging from 40 to 50 rak’ats of nafl salat. After applying this remedy, inform me of your progress.
Letter 3:
I am madly in love with a certain women. I desire to rid my heart of this unlawful feeling-but I find myself helpless in this regard. Both my deen and dunya are suffering its consequences. Please help me.
Reply 3:
Leave the company of this person immediately and distance yourself from her. This separation should be physical and mental.
Physical separation entails that you do not converse with her, nor do you allow her to converse with you. Do not look at her, do not allow anyone to speak about her in front of you, nor should you start a discussion regarding her in front of others.
Mental separation entails that you do not deliberately entertain or introduce any thoughts about her in your mind. Involuntarily if a thought or her image flashes in your mind, engage yourself in some activity to divert your focus at once.
Make dua’ abundantly to Allah for assistance.
Constantly engage in zikr no matter how routine or mechanical it may appear.
Thereafter inform me of your progress.
Follow-up Letter:
Love for her as almost diminished completely from my heart. Whenever her thoughts come to mind, a slight pang is experienced in the heart. I request you to make dua’ that Allah removes All traces of her love from my heart.
Reply to Follow-up:
The remedy is the same as above. Adopt a total separation under all circumstances and all emotions will disappear. If any inclination remains thereafter, do not be concerned about it, for this is harmless.
-Ruh Ki Beemaariyaan Aur Unka ‘Ilaaj
(Note: The above-mentioned letters are not gender specific; the same remedies can be adopted by women.)
04.24.07
Here and There
Once a person asked the following: A person is bay’ah to a Shaikh, and receives ta’leem and instructions from another Shaikh either by the permission or without the permission of the first Shaikh. So who would this person consider to be of more benefit to himself, the first shaikh or the second shaikh? Hazrat Thanwi (RA) replied that he should consider the second shaikh to be more beneficial but should consider the first shaikh to be the means of the benefit one derives from the second shaikh, and should still remain grateful towards the first shaikh.
This is probably the scenario many people find themselves in where they are bay’ah to a shaikh but due to many reasons are not able to directly benefit from that particular shaikh. To fill the void, either their shaikh will refer them to one of the khulafaa’ or this person will seek out someone else. This does not go against loyalty towards the first shaikh provided one still holds the first shaikh in high regard.
-Kashkol-e-Ma’rifat pg. 146
04.22.07
Stay Focused!
Those who come for their own reformation and zikr etc…should not be concerned with anything other than that. He should be occupied with his own business. Neither should he convey other people’s messages nor their greetings to the shaikh. He too should not be focused elsewhere nor should he divert the attention of the shaikh away from himself. In fact, as much as possible, one should try to keep the shaikh focused towards oneself. If this person conveys the salaam of another person to the shaikh, then he himself has diverted the attention he was receiving from the shaikh away from himself towards someone else. This goes against his own personal benefit, and also it is contrary to the loyalty of love.
-Kashkol-e-Ma’rifat pg. 145
Lose Yourself in Your Shaikh
The seeker (talib) should completely disregard his own opinions in front of the shaikh. There are two things that are the requisites for the tareeq: a) Ittibaa’-e-Sunnah, and b) Ittibaa’-e-Shaikh. Until the condition of the mureed does not become such that if the shaikh were to ask for his life and the mureed does not hesitate, no enjoyment will be derived from this bay’ah.
-Kashkol-e-Ma’rifat pg. 145
