Ramadhan: The Month of Taqwa

We as Muslims are encouraged to have a good opinion of others, and we are also encouraged to speak nicely regarding our deceased.  With that in mind, the dominant thought in our minds is that Allah granted our Shaykh, Shaykh-ul-‘Arab wa al-Ajam Hazrat Mawlana Shah Hakeem Muhammad Akhtar Sahib (RA) the highest levels of wilayat of the Awliyaa’ Siddiqeen.  He was blessed with a heart that was restless in the love of Allah, and a soul that was constantly yearning to meet its Master.  The immense love of Allah that rested as a sanctified secret hidden in the hearts of the Awliyaa was made manifest to the world by Hazratwala (RA) through his preaching to the world via his lectures and travels throughout the world.  The  noor of Allah’s love that Hazratwala (RA) internalized manifested itself very visibly on his person externally as well.  It is for this reason that once a person set their gaze on Hazratwala (RA) would forget to look anywhere else.  Anyone who would sit in Hazrtwala’s (RA) gatherings of virtue would forget the route to gatherings of vice.  Whoever would link their sick heart to his sound heart would transform from a sinner to a lover of the divine.    Hazratwala’s (RA) blessed life was spent in this thought that how the entire Ummat of Muhammad (Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wa Sallam) could completely bring to life the Shari’ah of Muhammad (Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wa Sallam) thereby becoming bearers of the noor of Muhammad (Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wa Sallam).  In an effort to transfer this concern within the ummah, Hazratwala (RA) would deliver lectures drowned in the love of Allah, wherein a conscious effort was made to keep the subtleties of tasawwuf were kept secondary while the finer points of the Shari’ah were always made primary.  This can be seen inn his own words, “Tasawwuf is nothing but lovingly executing the laws of the Shari’ah.”  Within Shari’ah, the highest level is that of the Faraa’idh (the obligatory acts), and after prayer, the next important fardh act is that of fasting in Ramadhan.

The following posts are excerpts taken from various lectures delivered by Hazratwala (RA) pertaining to the fasts of Ramadhan and the various rulings related to fasting.  Hazratwala (RA) has eloquently captured the legal and spiritual essence of fasting in these excerpts.

Since Ramadhan is a time when prayers are readily accepted, it is requested from the respected readers to please make special dua’ for Hazratwala (RA).  As thorns are part and parcel of a rose, everyone is requested to make dua for me along with your duas for Hazratwala (RA).  I pray that Allah gather us all under His shade on that day when there will be no shade apart from His shade on the basis of our love for those that are the beloveds of Allah.

The ‘Ulamaa of Deoband and the ‘Wahhabis’

In answer to one person’s question Hazrat Hakimul-Ummah (rahmatullahi alaihi) replied:

“I don’t know how these innovators link us to the Wahhabi’s? First of all, the one whose name they are slandering is not even Abdul Wahab. For no reason they have slandered the poor guy. The actual person is Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab who took to extremes in certain matters, but not to the extent that these people slander him for.

Moreover, our aqaa’id are not even similar to his. If they argue that some of our beliefs are similar to his, then the answer to that is: your beliefs are similar to his also.  For example, ‘Muhammd ibn Abdul Wahab believes that Islam is the truth, and so do you. He believes in the prophet hood of Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) and so do you.’ So what is so bad about that?

And in so many masaa’il we have major differences with him.  So how can we be considered his followers? For example, he considers traveling for the visitation of Rasulullah (salallahu alaihi wa sallam’s) blessed grave to be forbidden, whereas we say that it is mustahab, rather emphasized to do so. Even some of our scholars go to the extent of having the opinion that it is wajib. How then are we Wahhabis?

If they consider us Wahhabis due to the fact that we also don’t send curses on him like they do, then it should be known that Hazrat Rabi’ah Basriah would not even like to send curses upon shaytan.  In actuality, this type of cursing and absolving oneself from others is the practice of the rawaafidh, and has no basis according to Ahlus Sunnah wal Jama’ah. So how is it then that we are labeled as Wahhabis?”

(Malfuzat-e-Hakimul Ummah; 8/253)

Please Explain the Pain

The following is a letter from an aspirant to their spiritual guide, and thereafter, the reply.

“How and when does a person become so close to Allah that nothing or no one else matters? Do you just have to kind of force yourself to think that way or does it actually become a real feeling where nothing hurts you because your sight is on Allah only? And what does it take to get there? I feel a lot of pain and sadness and I want it to go away. Different things make me feel bad and then all that adds up and it makes it hard to keep on going and making effort to get close to Allah. But I know that’s all that really matters in life so I should keep going. But how do we keep the courage to do so? I know it’s “no pain no gain” but how long do you have to keep paining for until you start gaining? I do not mean for the feelings, but when do I get Allah in my heart, that nisbat that everyone keeps talking about? Like Hazratwala’s books always talk about how proportionate to your sacrifice is the noor that comes in the heart, when do I get or feel that noor and happiness or whatever it is supposed to be? And if I’m not doing enough to get it now then how come I feel all this pain is it just for no reason then?”

The reply:

“As far as how and when a person attains nearness to Allah Ta’ala, it is only through and by virtue of complete adherence to the Shari’ah and Sunnah. Pertaining to how one goes about upon this path without being distracted by anyone else, this is a trait acquired from the Saliheen. Reading abundantly from the biographies of the Mashaikh instills this quality within a person with rapidity.

One thing to note is that pain experienced is of two types, one that leads a person to digress from the path of the Shari’ah and the Sunnah and the other that despite its existence, allows one to remain steadfast on this path. This latter type of pain is the pain that is to be expected and in fact welcomed on the path of sulook. This is what is known as Gham-e-Awliya and leads one to the very nearness that you are inquiring about.

Upon associating with the Saliheen, listening to the discourses of the Mashaikh, and reading their writings, one develops himmah to such a level that their practice upon the Shari’ah and Sunnah is not effected by others. After a considerable amount of time has elapsed in this state, then and only then does one’s pain become a means of happiness, sweetness, and noor entering into one’s heart. As you have correctly mentioned from Hazratwala (RA), this noor then enters one’s heart proportionate to their sacrifice.

As far as when this stage is attained and how one knows when it is attained, Hazrat Khawaja Azizul Hasan Majzoob (RA), once posed a similar question to Hazrat Thanwi (RA). Hazrat Thanwi’s (RA) reply to this was that ‘Khwaja Sahib! When you became baaligh, did you have to ask someone to verify this or did you know this on your own?’. To this, Hazrat Khawaja Sahib (ra) replied, ‘I became aware of this on my own.’ Hazrat Thanwi (RA) then concluded by saying ‘Similar is the case with ma’rifah, when one attains it, he becomes aware of that which he has attained.’

To conclude, this pain that you are experiencing is a natural part of this path and the noor that enters one’s heart is in actuality the pleasure derived from this pain. The main goal is to stay steadfast upon the Shari’ah and Sunnah. Striving in this regards and also reading from the lives of the Mashaikh will be an exceptional catalyst to convert this pain into pleasure.”

Why Go To The Masjid

When the world knocks you down, and if you’re spiritually alive, you’re going to love this! If you’re spiritually dead, you won’t want to read it. If you’re spiritually curious, there is still hope!

A Muslim who regularly goes to the masjid wrote a letter to the editor of a newspaper and complained that it made no sense to go to the masjid every Friday. ‘I’ve gone for 30 years now,’ he wrote, ‘and in that time I have heard something like 3,000 sermons. But for the life of me, I can’t remember a single one of them. So, I think I’m wasting my time and the Imams are wasting theirs by giving sermons as well.’

This started a real controversy in the ‘Letters to the Editor’ column, much to the delight of the editor. It went on for weeks until someone wrote this clincher: ‘I’ve been married for 37 years now. In that time my wife has cooked some 32,000 meals. But, for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu for a single one of those meals. But I do know this… They all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had not given me these meals, I would be physically dead today. Likewise, if I had not gone to masjid for spiritual nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today!’

When you are DOWN to nothing…Allah is UP to something! Faith sees the invisible, believes in the Incredible and receives the impossible! Thank Allah for our physical AND our spiritual nourishment!

The Life Of This World As Explained By George Carlin

Now before you start issuing fatwas against me, just a take a moment to realize that a true believer will find ‘ibrah (lesson) in anything. Ali (RA) is quoted to have said, “Look at what is being said, not who is saying it.” So with that in mind, please read and pass on to others. May Allah allow us to realize the reality of this life, and prepare for the next one properly.

 

What a difference a sad event in someone’s life makes.

GEORGE CARLIN (His wiferecently died…)                     

Isn’t it amazing that George Carlin – comedian of the 70’s and 80’s – could write something so eloquent…and so true.

A Message by George Carlin:

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider Freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.

We’ve learned how to make a living, but not a life. We’ve added years to life not life to years. We’ve been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We’ve done larger things, but not better things.

We’ve cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We’ve conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We’ve learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more informa tion, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom.

Remember; spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever.

Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side.

Give time to love, give time to speak! And give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER:

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.