Category: Tasawwuf (Spirituality)

This is the Islamic science of self-improvement and spirituality, focussing on one’s relationship with Allah.

Lockdown – One Man’s Blessing is Another Man’s Curse

On By splendidpearlsIn Contemporary Wrongs, Tasawwuf (Spirituality)Leave a comment
Some are looking forward to Ramadan this year. It will give them time to be secluded and just focus on their worship. But it may even turn out that they were unable to carry out their spiritual plans because of too many distractions at home.

Some may not be looking forward to it as they are “secluded” with their wife and kids; praying for someone to save them. But then they may be amongst those who wished that they had spent more time with their families.

Some are enjoying the lockdown as they are able to work-from-home. Others have been made redundant or their profession doesn’t allow them to WFH.

Some are well-off, others are not. Some are healthy while others are not. Some will live on and others may not… What may be a blessing to us, may be a curse to another.

Everything, whether good or bad, blessing or “curse” is from Allah. All that we are expected to do is be content with His Decree by showing gratitude to Him for His blessings and be patient during calamitous times. By complaining and looking at what others have and wishing we had that, too, is just an unhealthy and shortsighted way of looking at things.

What they have is chosen for them by Allah; as it has been chosen by Him for us. If they are showing gratitude for something we find difficult to deal with and have to be patient with, then there is no need to get annoyed that we are not the centre of the universe.

It’s about Him, not us.

The Counsel of Jesus [Part 1]

On By splendidpearlsIn Hadith (Prophetic traditions), Tasawwuf (Spirituality)Leave a comment

Imam Malik relates that Jesus, the Son of Mary—peace be upon him—said:

Do not speak much without remembering God, for in not doing so, your hearts will harden. Surely, a hard heart is far from God, and you are not even aware. Moreover, do not look at the sins of others as if you are masters, but rather look at your own sins as if you are servants. For, surely, humanity is of two types: those afflicted with sins and those who are not. So have mercy on those afflicted with sins, and praise God if you are free of them.

Az-Zurqani comments:

“Looking at our own sins as if we were servants” means to fear that our masters will come to know of the sins. Humanity is either sinful, and thus in tribulation, or sinless, and thus in an innocent state. Having mercy on those tribulated with sin means to pray for them (that their sins are removed), neither to examine their sins nor to expose them, and to counsel them with gentleness and kindness.

Imams of Fiqh and Sufis Aiding Their Followers in The Afterlife

On By splendidpearlsIn Seeking Islamic Knowledge, Tasawwuf (Spirituality)Leave a comment

Imam Abdul Wahhab ash-Sha’rani says:

We have mentioned in Kitab al-Ajwibah on the authority of the Imams of the fuqaha (jurists) and the sufis that all the Imams of the fuqaha and sufis  will intercede for their followers. They (their followers) will witness the presence of each of them at the moment their soul leaves their body, at the point they are questioned by Munkar and Nakir (in the grave), when they are resurrected, when they are gathered, when they are brought to account, when their actions are weighed on the scale, and when they come to the bridge (Sirat). The Imams of the fuqaha and the sufis will not abandon them (their followers) at any stage in the stages of the afterlife.

When our Shaykh, Shaykhul-Islam, Nasir-ud-Din al-Laqqani passed away, one of the righteous people saw him in a dream and this righteous person said to him: “What has Allah done with you?” He replied: ‘When the two angels sat me up in the grave in order to ask me questions, Imam Malik came to them and said, “Does someone like him require his Iman (belief) in Allah and His Messenger ﷺ to be questioned?” Then the two angels moved away from him (Imam Malik) and moved away form me.’

If the scholars of the sufis take care of their followers and mureeds in all of their affairs and difficulties in this world and the afterlife, then how will it be with the Imams of the four schools of thought who are Awtad on the Earth, the pillars of the religion, the trustees of the Lawgiver (who are responsible) for His nation? May Allah be pleased with them all.

So, my brother, gladly follow any Imam from amongst them as you wish—all Praise belongs to Allah.

[Abdul Wahhab ash-Sha’rani, Al-Mizan al-Kubra. Tr. Mohammad Jamili]

 

 

Delaying The Prayers Beyond Their Prescribed Times

On By splendidpearlsIn Contemporary Wrongs, Hadith (Prophetic traditions), Tasawwuf (Spirituality)Leave a comment
Allah says in the Qur’an
“…there came after them generations who neglected prayer and were driven by their own desires. These will come face to face with their evil (Ghayya), but those who repent, who believe, who do righteous deeds, will enter Paradise. They will not be wronged in the least…” [Surah Maryam 19:59-60]
Ibn ‘Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said:
The meaning of ‘neglected’ here does not imply complete abandonment of the prayer but delaying it beyond it time.
Sa‘id ibn al-Musayyab, the Imam of the Tabi‘un, said:
It means not praying Zuhr until the time of ‘Asr; not praying ‘Asr until the time of Maghrib; not praying Maghrib until the time of ‘Isha; not praying ‘Isha until the time of Fajr, and not praying Fajr until the sun has risen. If someone dies persisting in this state without repenting, Allah has promised him Ghayy, which is a deep valley in Hell whose food is disgusting.
Sa‘d b. Abi Waqqas, may Allah be pleased with him, said:
I asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ about ‘those who are forgetful of their prayer‘ (107:4-5), and he said, ‘It means delaying it’ – in other words, delaying it beyond its time.
[al-Bazzar]
Ibn Hazm [d. 465AH] said:
After Shirk, there are no wrong actions greater than delaying the prayer beyond its time and killing a believer without right.
Lastly, Imam adh-Dhahabi says, we find in a hadith:
Whoever presevers in the prescribed prayers, Allah Almighty will grant him five honours:
  1. He will release him from straitened circumstances,
  2. protect him from the punishment of the grave,
  3. give him his book (of deeds) in his right hand,
  4. let him pass over the Sirat (The Bridge over hellfire) like lightning, and
  5. admit him to Paradise without reckoning.

May Allah forgive us for our shortcomings and grant us the strength to worship Him in accordance with the Sunnah of our Master Muhammad ﷺ.

[Shams ad-Din adh-Dhahabi, al-Kaba’ir]

 

“Every Saint has a past and every sinner has a future”

On By splendidpearlsIn Quran, Tasawwuf (Spirituality)Leave a comment

This statement of Oscar Wilde truly summarises the Islamic tradition where sinners like Malik ibn Dinar (d. 130 AH), ‘Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak (d. 181 AH), al-Fudhayl ibn ‘Iyadh (d. 187 AH), and many others, abandoned their sinful lives and lived on to become Saints after a sincere utterance of Astaghfirullah [I seek Allah’s forgiveness].

Many classical texts on Tasawwuf or Islamic Spirituality highlight that one’s spiritual journey begins with Tawbah or Repentance. Allah says in the Qur’an: ‘Believers, all of you, turn to God so that you may prosper.’ [Surah an-Nur 24:31]

Ibn Juzayy al-Kalbi (d. 741AH) comments on the above verse in his commentary Al-Tashil li ‘Ulum al-Tanzil:

“Repentance is an obligation upon every legally-responsible believer according to the evidences in the Book, the Sunnah and the consensus of the [Muslim] nation.

It has three obligations:

  1. Feeling remorse over the sin due to disobeying God, not due to some harm that may have come to one’s wealth or self.
  2. Refraining from the sin as immediately as possible, without procrastination or slackness.
  3. Resolving not to repeat it again; but if one does, then one renews the resolve.

It has three etiquettes:

  1. To acknowledge one’s sin along with feeling utterly broken.
  2. To increase in entreating God and beseeching His forgiveness.
  3. To increase in doing good works so as to erase past wrongs.
It has seven degrees:
  1. Repentance of disbelievers from disbelief.
  2. Repentance of the sincere ones from major sins.
  3. Repentance of the upright ones from minor sins.
  4. Repentance of the devout worshippers from slackness.
  5. Repentance of wayfarers from the defects and vices of the heart.
  6. Repentance of the high-minded, scrupulous ones from doubtful matters.
  7. Repentance of those spiritually witnessing God from being distracted from God.
The causes of repentance are seven:
  1. Fear of punishment.
  2. Hope of reward.
  3. Embarrassment of being held responsible.
  4. Love for the Beloved.
  5. The vigilance of the vigilant one who is near.
  6. Glorifying the station.
  7. Gratitude for numerous bounties.”
[Ibn Juzayy al-Kalbi, Al-Tashil li ‘Ulum al-Tanzil (Hawally, Kuwait: Dar al-Dhiya’, 2009), Vol. 2 pg. 537. Tr. Abu Aaliya]
[Ibn Juzayy al-Kalbi, Al-Tashil li ‘Ulum al-Tanzil (Hawally, Kuwait: Dar al-Dhiya’, 2009), Vol. 2 pg. 537. Tr. Abu Aaliya]