Hazrat Maulana Ilyas [rh] on Usool, Sulook and Dawat March 11, 2008
Posted by fahdk in Islam, Sulook, Tabligh, Tasawwuf, Uncategorized.Tags: dawat, methodology, sufism, Sulook, Tabligh, Tasawwuf, Usool
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Taken from Malfoozat Hazrat Maulana Muhammad Ilyas [rh] by Maulana Muhammad Manzoor Nu’mani [rh].
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He said – the quran and the hadith have proclaimed with emphasis that the religion is easy [yusr], which means, that it is thoroughly easy to follow. Thus those things that have a higher degree of importance in religion will also have a higher degree of ease, accordingly. Now, correction of intentions [tasheeh an neeyah] and purification of intentions [ikhlaas lillah] being extremely important, rather being the soul of all actions and pillars of the religion, are also easy. And since this purification of purpose for Allah [ikhlaas lillah] is the gist of all sulook and tareeq, it follows that sulook is also something very easy. But it should be remembered that things become easy by following its methodology [usool] and ways [tareeqah]. If the wrong methodology is adopted, even the easiest of tasks become hard. The mistake that people make is that they consider the part of following the methodology in itself as difficult and they shy away from it; even though (they do not realize that), even the simplest of tasks in this world can not be completed without following its methodology and its correct way. Ships, boats, trains, motor cars, all run by their methodologies. Even a pot of food and bread are prepared by following their respective methods.
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He said – The special purpose of tareeqat is that the commands of Allah [ahkaam wa awaamir] become beloved to the heart and the prohibitions of Allah [nawaahi] become despised to the heart (this means that such a state develops in oneself so that fulfilling the commands of Allah gives one taste and pleasure and going near the prohibitions of Allah creates agony and dislike). This is thus the purpose of tareeqat. Whatever else exists such as special litanies or actions [adhkaar wa ashghaal] or specific kinds of exercises, so these are just means of obtaining the purpose even though many people consider these means to be the real tareeq even though few of these actions actually fall under bidaah.
Anyways, since these things fall under the grade of means rather than the goal, it is important to cast a second look at them under changing situations and needs; but those things that are part of the shariah, it would be incumbent to act on them in every age.
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He said – The status of faraidh is very high compared to the status of nawafil. In fact it should be understood that the purpose of nawafil is to complete whatever has been left from the faraidh due to neglect. Thus faraidh are real and nawafil are for the faraidh and are secondary [furooi], but the state of some people is such that they are neglectful of faraidh but when it comes to busying themselves in nawafil they are much more persistent. For example, all of you know that inviting people towards good [dawat ilal khair], ordering the good [amr bil maaroof] and negating the evil [nahi an almunkar] (meaning all the branches of tabligh) are from the important faraidh, but how many are there who fulfill these faraidh? However, there is no shortage of people who exert themselves and make themselves consistent in voluntary litanies [adhkaar nafaliyya].
A karaamat of Maulana Qasim Nanotwi [rh] November 25, 2007
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Taken from the book Arwah-e-Thalatha by Hakim Al Ummah, Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi rahimatullah alaih.
Narration 285: Molvi Muhammad Qasim says that he once visited Gangoh to the room of Hazrat Maulana Muhammad Qasim Nanotwi rahimatullah alaih and found a new, unused earthen pot lying in the room. He says; I picked it up and used it to pull water from a well and drank the water. On drinking, I found the water bitter. I mentioned this to Hazrat rahimatullah alaih before the dhuhr prayers. Hazrat mentioned that the water in the well is sweet. I gave him the pot and he drank from it and he also found it to be bitter. Hazrat asked me to keep the pot by the side and proceeded to lead the prayers.
After the prayers, Hazrat requested all those present in the masjid to recite as much Kalimah Tayyibah as possible. Hazrat himself began reciting the kalimah and after that he raised his hands and started making dua with intense humility and devotion. After this, he picked up the pot and drank the water and found it sweet! All those present in the masjid at that time also tasted the water and verified that it tasted sweet. Later Hazrat explained that the pot was made from soil that was taken from a grave which was undergoing the punishment of Allah azza wa jal. Alhamdulillah, due to the blessings of the kalimah, the punishment has been removed.
Narration 288: Molvi Siddeeq Ambethwi’s son Molvi Farooq mentioned that Molvi Ahmed Hasan Amrohwi, who was the teacher of Molvi Farooq, told him that Hazrat Maulana Qasim Nanotwi rahimatullah alaih, when he noticed pride in any of the students, he would sometimes make them pick up his shoes and if he noticed humility in any of his students, he would pick up their shoes himself.
Maulana Nanotwi [rh] and Dunya November 11, 2007
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Narration 250: Taken from the book Arwah-e-Thalatha by Hakim al Ummah, Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi rahimatullah alaih.
My Respected, late father said that Maulana Mahmud Hasan rahimatullah alaih used to say that all our elders were like the sun or the moon. Each one was higher and better than the other. However, when their residences were visited, some or the other things from the basic necessities of life used to be found. In the room of Hazrat Gangohi rahimatullah alaih some basic things from the necessities of life were present. In the room of Hazrat Haji Imdad qaddisallahu sirrahu some basic things could be seen, but in the room of the person who was divorced from the creation and who was ascetic of this world [namely Hazrat Maulana Qasim Nanotwi rahimatullah alaih] there were no provisions to be seen. Yes, there used to be a straw mat but it was also broken, as if he used the single mat all through his life. There was no trunk and no clothes. When these elders used to go on travel then, for example, the close companion of Hazrat Gangohi rahimatullah alaih, Hazrat Abdullah Shah used to carry a trunk and clothes. But in the case of Maulana Nanotwi rahimatullah alaih, there was no such formality. If, sometimes, one or two set of clothes were present, they used to be sent to someone else for safe keeping. However, on most occasions, the entire travel used to be completed in the same clothes that he was wearing when he started. Only one blue lungi used to be with him so that when the clothes became dirty, he tied the lungi, removed his clothes and used to wash the clothes himself. Even this single pair of clothes that he had, were nothing but a cloak [achkan] and pajamas.
When it got cold, he sometimes wore a cheap turban [amamah] but mostly a cap covering his ears throughout the winter. Through his life he never had a button stitched on to any of his clothes saying that it is a sign of the Christians. He instead used to use a cord [bandh].
He never kept anything for himself but used to give a lot to others. Even if someone came to him aspiring dunya, he would not go back empty handed. Many gifts used to come to him but they would all be distributed to others. He did not keep anything for himself and used to say that others have the right.
Haashiya by Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi rahimatullah alaih: The goal in tareeq is settling and firming of the heart which for some people happens by leaving off of means and for others by adopting means while both are done for the beloved…
Also, not wearing buttons is from precaution. Other than this, for normal conditions, if buttons would not create doubts in the mind of persons who see them being worn, it would not constitute similarity with non-Muslims [tashabbih].
