06.27.07
‘Ataa and Wafaa’
Maulana Rumi (RA) asks Allah, that O Allah! You are full of Generosity and you love to give (ba ‘ataa) and you are also very loyal and very loving (ba wafaa’). Now the questions arises that what does one have to do with the other? So the answer to that is the reason behind every ‘ataa is wafaa’ and mahabbah. The innumerable gifts and bounties that are bestowed upon us by Allah are out of His love and loyalty to His servants. All the generous and loyal people of this world at one stage or another come to a point where they are majboor (forced) due to wafaa’ but ma’zoor (incapacitated) when it comes to ‘ataa. For example, someone has a very close friend who is in need of some financial aid, and he would like to help his friend out but he himself does not have the sufficient amount needed by his friend so he would fall short when it would come to ‘ataa (giving). Another example is that you see a close friend getting beat up by a bunch of people. You jump in to help your friend and instead you both are outnumbered and both of you get beat up. So despite being loyal, you still fall short when it comes to giving what is needed. So Maulana Rumi (RA) continues his dua’ by saying that O Allah! Only Your Being is such that nothing can be a preventative in Your giving because You are ‘Azeez i.e. One of Great Power. The meaning of ‘Azeez is that Being that has power over everything, and nothing incapacitates Him in executing His power. That is why Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) made the following dua’: “O Allah, there is no preventative for that which You give, and none can give for that which You prevent.” This negation in the mentioned dua’ is a total and complete negation. This means that O Allah, there is nothing of any type or sort from any thing or being, that when You want to give, that thing or being can prevent You. If You want to deprive someone or something, then there is no thing nor is there any being that can give at that time. When Yunus (Alaihis Salaam) was swallowed by the whale, he was under three different types of darkness. The first darkness is of the night, the second of the sea or ocean, and the third of being in the stomach of the whale. He felt very uneasy and uncomfortable. There was no one who would have been there to deliver Your prophet from this test, but there is nothing to prevent Your giving, and in the depths of the sea, he called out saying, “There is no deity except You. You are free from all blemishes, and indeed it was I that was from amongst the wrong-doers.” (Laa Ilaaha Illaa Anta Subhaanaka Inni Kuntu Min adh-dhaalimeen). In the term Subhaanaka, there is an indication that even when the whale had swallowed me, then too You were and are free from any form of oppression because You are not an oppressor. I am the one who oppressed myself. You are so giving, loving, and loyal, that You cause Your mercy to descend upon seven to ten generations onwards of those servants of Yours who lived their lives being loyal towards You. As Allah has mentioned Surah Al-Kahf regarding the wall that belonged to the two orphans. It is narrated is some narrations that the pious father was not their real father but a forefather seven to ten generations upwards. Aaah! How loyal You are O Allah, that whoever becomes Yours, You take care of their seven to ten generations and descend mercy upon them. Allah alone will be with us in this world, in the grave, on the plain of resurrection, and on the bridge of Siraat. Our Master is the Master of both worlds, and only He is the One with Who possesses true loyalty to His servants.
Even if the generous kings of this world decide to forgive criminals, their records are still kept and maintained so that in the future that criminal may not commit the crime again. If he does commit a crime, then the previous records are brought forth as evidence against the criminal. But O Allah! You are so generous and gracious, that whoever You decide to forgive, their slate is wiped clean and no record is kept of their previous wrongdoings, so that Your servant is not embarrassed and put to shame on the Day of Judgment. It is narrated that when a servant of Allah seeks repentance, then Allah causes the Angels who record the deeds to forget, and He causes the limbs of the body to forget, and He causes the places on earth where the sins were committed to forget, and He erases it from their book of deeds, so that when this servant meets Allah, he is in a condition that there is no one to testify against him of any sin.
Maulana Rumi (RA) continues by saying that O Allah! You are so generous and loyal and we are so ungrateful and treacherous. Therefore, O Allah, do not look at our treacheries, and our sins. You are Kareem i.e. very generous and noble. Please have mercy on the life that we have spent in sin.
Maulana Rumi (RA) continues by saying that O Allah! You have given us such a life, that no one knows and understands the value of one day of this life. In one breath, a person can go from being a disbeliever to a believer, a sinner to a pious person, a person on their way to hell to a person on their way to paradise. If the value of this life is not recognized and understood, and this life is wasted, then at the time of death, we will feel remorse and regret. Aah! That moment that we could have spent by pleasing Allah and attaining eternal paradise, we have wasted that moment chasing the fleeing, and temporary enjoyments of this world, and now at the door of death, time has run out.
Allah will never give anyone a chance to prolong their life when their time is up in this world. At this moment the true value of one breath will flash in front of us. If a king were to offer up his whole kingdom to the angel of death to give him just one moment to repent to Allah and please Him, the angel will not be able to, and will not offer the king the much needed moment. This is how valuable this life is. Therefore, O Allah, grant us the ability that we are able to remember You, and please You, and that we are able to derive the maximum benefit from the remainder of our lives thereby earning eternal success. O Allah, I have blown away this valuable life of mine in the pursuit of fun and fantasies.
-Fughaan-e-Rumi pg. 5-10
By: Hazrat Maulana Shah Hakeem Muhammad Akhtar Sahib (DB)
06.24.07
Neglecting Allah
Maulana Rumi (RA) says that O people! You can not tolerate the disappointment and separation of your wife and kids. If your wife goes to visit her family you become restless. If she becomes upset, it is as if the whole world is drowning. So you can not tolerate this behavior when it comes to your wife and kids even though they are not your direct benefactor. How then can you tolerate to upset that Being who has done, is doing, and will continue to bless you with bounties? Does it not cross your mind that I am disobeying such a Benefactor who gives me bread to eat because of which I am alive today? Allah is such a Being, that His benefits are upon us every moment which are innumerable. Such a Benefactor should never be forgotten. Look at how fish behave out of water. They can not tolerate separation from water. Water did not create them, it is just where they live, but see the connection they have with water. Even for one breath if they are separated, they become restless and uneasy. And you being a human being disregard your Real Benefactor, the One, who created you from a drop of sperm into a six foot tall person. In that same drop of sperm He hid the treasure of sight, and now that impure fluid has the ability to see. He hid in it the treasure of hearing, and today that impure fluid can now hear. That same drop of impure fluid can not speak etc. Which artist of the world can form something on the canvass of water? This is only the manifestation of the power of Allah that He can form something so complicated out of a drop of sperm.
O Allah! You can create a beautiful human being out of an impure fluid. You can create art out of liquids, i.e. bodily fluids, and in it there are eyes hidden, ears, a nose, and every limb.
O Allah! In hard and dry sugarcanes, you cause sweet nectar to come forth and from that sugar is created. And from a lifeless fluid, you create the best of creation. This is all the manifestation of Your limitless power.
Such a Being who bestows innumerable favors upon us should never be forgotten. Rather our lives should be sacrificed for such a Being. Our connection with this Being should be such that:
“Your remembrance is my life, and to forget you is my death.”
Our life lies in remembering Him, and we die a spiritual death when we forget Him. But Ah, such a kind Being, our Master, our Creator, our Sustainer, our Caretaker, we bear to neglect Him. Even if we sacrifice our lives for Him, then too we can never fulfill the right of one favor of His, because life itself is his favor, so what is the big deal if we give it back to Him?
-Dars-e-Mathnawi, pg. 17-19
06.21.07
The Ahlullah and Their Status
Sometimes the physical external body (zaahir) of the Ahlullah is so weak that even if a mosquito were to bite them they would be distressed and disturbed. However, their internal condition (baatin) is such that it contains the seven heavens within itself. Therefore, one can not truly estimate the power and the vastness of the internal condition (baatin) of the Ahlullah. In terms of the level of their physical beings, they are with the rest of creation, but in terms of the level their souls, they are constantly in the presence of Allah. So why then would their souls not be able encompass the seven heavens! The average intellect is not capable of truly recognizing the status, position, states, and conditions of those that are in the proximity of Allah.
O person, you have not even seen Sulaiman (Alaihis Salaam) so how then could you ever understand the speech of the birds? What is meant is that the level of proximity that the Ahlullah have with Allah is not something everyone can gauge until a person adopts the company the Ahlullah and learns how to truly love Allah, and learns how to tread the path to Allah (sulook). In other words, with the advice of a Shaikh Kaamil, this person will implement the commandments of Allah, and abstain from His prohibitions, and follow the Sunnah, thus reaching such levels of proximity that at this moment one can not even begin to imagine.
I pray that Allah out of His sheer grace and generosity grants all of us this great blessing. Aameen!
-Dars-e-Mathnawi pg. 350-351
06.20.07
Royal Sulook
Hazrat Thanwi’s (RA) style of ta’leem and tarbiyat was such that he did not stress upon spiritual exercises, nor cutting-off of connections and things that one derives pleasure from. Rather he would say, “Be at ease and live comfortably so that the love of Allah can develop in your heart, and that you feel awaken and fresh. This will aid you in your worship. But remember never ever wander about any act of disobedience. Always be watchful of over your nafs, and use your will-power and courage. As much as you can bear, and as much as time allows, involve yourself in the zikr of Allah. Now Insha Allah, the attainment of the goal will be certain. You neither have to sleep less nor eat less. These two spiritual exercises are out of practice in today’s time because the very nature of people has become weak. However, speaking less and intermingling with people less are still necessary, but not so less that the heart feels depressed. This is royal Sulook” (Ashraf-us-Sawaanih)
Hazrat Thanwi (RA) would meet with his friends and acquaintances in a very casual manner leaving aside unnecessary formalities, and with great simplicity. During his gatherings, he would often narrate interesting and comic anecdotes.
-Basaa’ir Hakeem-ul-Ummat pg. 57
06.19.07
Tasawwuf: ‘Ilm with ‘Amal
1.) According to us, the reality of Tasawwuf is only knowledge accompanied by practice. Acceptable ‘amal is that which is part of the teachings of the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam), and is within the ikhtiyaar (ability) of the Saalik. Apart from this, everything else is extra. If they are granted and the Shaikh validates this, then this is an additional bounty and is worthy of gratitude. If they are not granted, or are granted and then taken away, then to try to regain them and to worry after them, or to feel restless due their removal, all of these are inappropriate in the Tareeq and is extremely harmful for one’s baatin regardless of what the nature of these extra bounties might have been. (Tarbiyat-us-Salik)
2.) To inform the Shaikh of all conditions and situations is a must. To act based on one’s opinion, a dream, or a thought, is impermissible in the Tareeq. After informing the Shaikh, the Shaikh will advise a course of action which is a part of enjoining good, or prohibiting evil. Everything else is not within the realm of the Shaikh’s responsibility. Therefore the seeker should not demand this nor should the seeker be waiting for something of this sort from the Shaikh. Similarly, any ailment, disease, ill effect, mental disturbance, or some internal or external calamity, permanent or temporary, to patch these up is also not part of the responsibilities of the Shaikh. (Ashraf-us-Sawaanih)
3.) To busy the salik with Azkaar and Ashgaal before developing within him the importance of Islah-ul-a’maal has often proved to be harmful because the salik then starts to consider himself to be a pious person. Even more so if coincidentally if he attains focus and concentration due to Azkaar and Ashgaal and undergoes various forms of kaifiyaat, then he thinks that his name has been registered into the list of the Auliya, when in reality, kaifiyaat have nothing to do with sainthood. Such type of “spiritual feelings” can be experienced by fussaaq, fujjaar, and even kuffaar, if they undergo special spiritual exercises. So when this person considers these kaifiyaat to be sainthood, then he does not bother with the Islah of his nafs and the Islah of his a’maal, and he does not feel the need for Islah period. He never pays attention to this and so he remains in his ignorance forever, and is deprived from his actual goal which was to reach Allah. The method of reaching Allah as can be ascertained by textual evidence is through Islah alone. (Ashraf-us-Sawaanih)
Hazrat Thanwi (RA) would say regarding his particular method of tarbiyat that according to the Chishti Mashaa’ikh of the past (the Salaf), the real tarbiyat in Sulook was this that after the completion of one’s Islah of the zaahir and baatin, then only would they start the salik on some zikr and shaghl. The latter-day Mashaa’ikh (Muta’khireen) realized that people’s will-power and life-span both were falling short, so they made some changes in the method of tarbiyat. They would make Islah of the a’maal and also give the salik some zikr to do together. What I have done after examining the situation, is that I have chosen a method in between the method of the Salaf and the Muta’khireen. That means that initially for a short time I only focus on Islah-ul-a’maal. When I see that the importance of Islah has settled within the salik and I see some improvement, then I prescribe some zikr. Now the salik is making sure his Islah is being made along with his required zikr. Point being that the Salaf would make the Islah first, and when it was completed, which may have taken a long time, then only did they prescribe zikr, and the Muta’khireen would prescribe both at the same initially. All I did was focus on Islah first for a short while then I started them on zikr a little bit later. This seemed to me to be the moderate path taking into consideration the times we live in and nature of the lives people live. (Ashraf-us-Sawaanih)
-Taken from Basaa’ir Hakeem-ul-Ummat pg. 56-57
