08.12.07
The Descent of Spiritual Blessings Upon the Baatin of the Ahlullah
Once while Hazratwala (DB) was resting in his room where he was staying in South Africa, there were some special Ulama present with him. During his discussion with these prominent Ulama, Hazratwala said the following,
“One who becomes an ‘aashiq, a lover of Allah, finds within himself the combined beauty of all the beauties of the universe, all the love of all the lovers of the universe.” Addressing his special attendant, Hazrat Meer Sahib (DB), Hazratwala, said, “Meer Sahib (DB), these matters are to be understood not only by words. Make a focused effort to with courage by guarding the gaze from being cast onto the beauty, protect the heart from being occupied by beauty, then only will the heart experience this condition. At any given moment one will then experience the descent of Allah’s manifestation, the pleasure of which language falls short in conveying.”
Subhaanallah! Such words can only be said by one who has experienced these types of feelings. We pray to Allah that he grants us the taufeeq to continue to benefit from the barakah of our Shaikh, and to grant us even a drop of the ma’rifat of Allah that he has attained. Aameen!
08.06.07
Why is the Ka’bah so Small?
I was going through a lecture of my Shaikh, Hazrat Hakeem Akhtar Sahib (DB), and came to this issue below which shows the understanding and wisdom the Ahlullah have.
Hazrat says, “Once a person said to me, “The greater the person is, the greater the house they have. Allah is the Greatest, so His house should also be the greatest, but the ka’bah is not so big.” I said, “Allah is All-Powerful. Allah is fully capable of making the Ka’bah go from Makkah all the way to Jeddah, but you would faint and fall after going around the Ka’bah once, let alone seven. Doctors would have to come to your rescue and give you nutrients because you would have become so weak. Allah made the Ka’bah to be small out of His mercy so that it doesn’t inconvenience His guests and those who come for Hajj and ‘Umrah, and those who do tawaaf.”
-‘Azmat-e-Risaalat pg. 14
07.24.07
Munaasabat Explained!
Experience has proven that for gaining spiritual benefit (fuyudh-e-batini), mutual munaasabat (compatibility/congeniality) between the Shaikh and Mureed is a natural condition.
Normally benefit is dependant on affection which is the reality of natural connection (munasabat-e-fitri). Sometimes a Shaikh will refer a mureed to another Shaikh because of the lack of such munaasabat between them.
In doing so the Shaikh establishes either by deduction or inspiration from Allah Ta’ala that the mureed has munaasabat with a certain Shaikh. In this Path it is essential that munaasabat exists between the Shaikh and Mureed otherwise the mureed will not benefit.
Such munaasabat is the basis for getting benefit and passing on faidh (spiritual grace) to the mureed. Munaasabat envisages that there exists between the Shaikh and Mureed compatibility and harmony to such a degree that the mureed discerns no rejection in his heart for any word or act of the Shaikh although the mureed may be afflicted by mental disagreement with any word or act of the Shaikh.
Nevertheless such mental disagreement will not be a source of rejection for the Shaikh in the heart of the mureed.
In short, harmony and compatibility are conditional. It is therefore essential to first inculcate munaasabat. This need is imperative. In the absence of this essential condition, mujahadat (strivings), riyadhat (certain forms of exercises designed to subdue the nafs), muraaqabah (meditations) and mukashafat (intuitive revelations) are all futile.
In the absence of natural munaasabat (tab’i munaasabat), the mureed should endeavor to inculcate intellectual (aqli) munaasabat, because benefit is dependant on it. For this reason, one should refrain from entering into a connection with the Shaikh until total munaasabat has been inculcated.
From the Malfuzaat of Hazrat Hakimul-Ummah Thanwi (rahimahullah)
-Submitted by: Maulana Tameem Ahmad Sahib, Khalifah of Hazrat Hakeem Akhtar Sahib (DB)
“Check Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself”
I have heard Hazratwala daamat baraktuhum say that humbleness is the key to success in this path of sulook. He said, “Apnay aap ko mitaa do, bas…” One should just simply annihilate himself.
In other words, the mureed should just work and self-annihilation, to destroy his ego that ‘I am also somebody’.
If the mureed gets angry when the shaikh reprimands him or becomes annoyed or agitated, then this is a major sign of arrogance. The mureed must check himself before he wrecks himself! Yes… all jokes aside, but it should clearly be said without beating around the bush.
That mureed, which causes the slightest bit of takleef to his shaikh, will be dangerously heading to his own destruction.
Just look at shaytan’s objection to Allah Ta’ala, when the Almighty commanded him to prostrate to Adam (alaihis salam). No one can argue that shaytan did not have a point. He was logically making sense. “You created me from fire and Adam from dust, so how does it make sense for a superior thing (like fire) to prostrate to something inferior (like dust)?” Sounds pretty I.Q. right? WRONG!
Shaytan was making excuses before the command of Allah because he had his own ego and selfish opinions before his eyes. If the zaalim would have annihilated his selfish ego, and would have put the command of the True Beloved before his eyes, then he would have never objected and disobeyed. Thus, he would have never been eternally cursed.
From this we see that objection, rebelliousness, and questioning the order of righteous authority is actually the innate habit of iblees the accursed and this rises from self-conceit.
Hazratwala (daamat barakaatuhum) also said about self-conceit… this disease actually effects the foolish and naive people. The fool who thinks his shaikh is on his case should ponder for a moment and think, “Will the shaikh ever stop him from something beneficial, or will he prevent him from doing something which is detrimental to him?”
What need does the shaikh get out of going behind anyone’s case? Does the shaikh have no other occupation other than trying to make the mureed’s life miserable? If so… then what does he get out of it?
Subhanallah. In actuality, the shaikh should be looked at with the reverence and esteem that he is the inheritor of the Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) who has been described by Allah Ta`ala to be:
حريص عليكم، بالمؤمنين رؤوف رحيم
“Ardently anxious for you (to be guided and to attain everlasting success through spiritual rectification)…”
“Kind and merciful for the believers.” (Surah Taubah)
May Allah Ta`ala grant us such hearts to see.
-Based on comments from Maulana Tameem Ahamd Sahib, Khalifah of Hazrat Hakeem Sahib (DB)
07.23.07
Role Playing
It is important that in the path of sulook, everyone plays their appropriate role. There are three primary roles that a person can play. A.) The role of the Shaykh, B.) The role of the mureed C.) The role of mureeds amongst themselves and with one another.
The role of the Shaykh is only to show the mureeds and those under his islah the right path. It is not the job requirement of the Shaykh nor is it his role to force the mureeds to do certain things or to abstain from certain things. The role of the Shaykh is that of a guide, to put it very simply.
The role of the mureed is to obey the Shaykh unconditionally without objection. The role of the mureed is to tread the path shown to them by the Shaykh. The Shaykh will show the path, and the mureeds should tread the shown path. Ultimately, the decision is up to the mureed whether or not to implement the teaching of the Shaykh. If the mureed obeys the Shaykh, it is only to the benefit of the mureed, and if the mureed decides to disregard the teachings of the Shaykh then it is only to the detriment of the mureed.
The role of mureeds within themselves is to be well-wishers of one another, and to deal with each other respectfully. They should help each other out in treading the path shown to them by their Shaykh. Some mureeds assume the position of the Shaykh and try to make islah of other mureeds. The intention may be good, but the method is incorrect. If one mureed notices another mureed involved in evil, then the Shaykh should be notified in private so that the Shaykh can play his part and rectify the problem.
If everyone plays their part properly, problems will not arise. Problems crop up when lines are crossed, and people assume positions and roles which they are not entitled to. We pray to Allah that He grant us the taufeeq to fulfill the rights of our Shaykhs, mureeds, and fellow mureeds. Aameen!
