Qissah 2 -The Thief who Repented
This qissah concerns a person who had become bai’at to Hadhratwala, Hadhrat Ashraf ‘Ali Thanwi Rahmatullah.
One day Hadhratwala spoke to him: It is a long time since u have become bai’at, but, in all this time, you have not related your condition or progress.
The ta’alluq of bai’at is for the purpose of relating your Hal. How can a murid adopt an attitude of independence while his sheikh is still alive? How can he maintain silence and not relate his inner state to his sheikh? Once (I was also present), a Khalifa of Hadhratwala asked him concerning continued correspondence from a khalifah.
This is an important point in Suluk. Hadhratwala replied, with a note of warning: ” If ones contact with one’s sheikh is severed, if one does not maintain this islahi contact, there is a real danger of a change coming in one’s nisbat, in one’s ta ‘alluqma-Allah.
The murderer answered Hadhratwala: ” What is there to say or ask? I am a poor person. I am performing my 5 daily namaz. What is shown to me I do. I keep my roza in Ramadhaan. I do not have wealth, so there is no zakaat to give-and-take the question of Hajj does not arise at all.”
Hadhratwala said: ” Is that so?”
He then proceeded to question the murid concerning his past and his business dealings. From what he said his ibaadat appeared to be in order, but what about his mu’amulat? Then only did the murids eyes open.
” Oho! Then I am tainted from the roots of the hair on my head to the nails on my toes! In what way? Well… before becoming bai’at I used to be a thief! What must I do now? I do not have any wealth as to return the money I had stolen.”
Hadhratwala advised him: ” As far as you have knowledge of the people from whom you stole, go up to them and ask their forgiveness. What else is there to do except to get them to overlook what you stole.”
The murid was a sincere person. He went. His heart had already developed ta’alluqum Allah. The medan of Hashr filled his vision. He went. After a long period of absence he returned, clutching in his hand a piece of paper with a list of names. The names were of the people from whom he had stolen. Next to each name was the amount stolen. What good people they were – they pardoned him and even signed their names to that effect! There was a Hindu person’s name aswell – 500 rupis of his had been stolen. 500 rupis of those days would be equivalent to some 500,000 rupis today!
The Hindu had written: ” Hasbata- lillah, I have forgiven him.”
For the sake of Allah Ta’ala, the Hindu had pardoned him the entire sum.
Having noted all this, Hadhratwala asked,” How can one be sure that you had gone to them and that these are their signatures?”
Murid: ” You may use whatever method you please to confirm it.
Hadhratwala: ” Very well. Go to the post office and get as many reply paid envelopes as there are names on your list. Writing for confirmation will be sufficient.”
Murid : ” Very well “. He went to the post office, bought the envelopes and presented these to Hadhratwala.
Hadhratwala: ” No. No. I had not intention of writing to them l. But seeing that you have bought the envelopes, I will buy them from you.”
Murid: ” I did not bring them to sell to you. I will use them for the mail order business I am doing. Give them back to me.” Hadhratwala returned the envelopes to him.
Huququl-ibad
Qissah 1 – Junaid Baghdadi Rahmatullahi alaihi
An incident : Junaid Baghdadi Rahmatullahi alaih saw a handsome young man, fair in complexion and neatly dressed, begging in the masjid. The thought came to Junaid Rahmatullahi alaih : “ A healthy young man and wearing a good set of clothes and yet he is begging?” That night Junaid Baghdadi Rahmatullahi alaih had a remarkable dream. ( One notes that persons in the class of such people are corrected very quickly by Allah Ta’Ala) In the dream he saw a man approaching him and saying: “ Eat this meat!” He placed in front of Junaid Baghdadi Rahmatullahi alaih a dead body.
Junaid : “ But this is a corpse! To eat it is haram !”
Person : “Oh yes! To eat this is haram! But when you where eating the flesh of your dead Muslim brother, was that not haram?”
Junaid : “ I never did such a foul thing”>
Person : “ Oh no? Let me ask you: Does the Quraan Shareef not state that one should not make ghibat: ` Would any of you love to eat the flesh of your dead brother?`”
Junaid : “ Yes the Quraan Shareef has stated thus.”
Person ; ‘ Well then you have eaten!”
Junaid : “ When did I do so?”
Person : “ When you saw the young man begging, you brought the thought into your heart:` A young handsome man, fit and healthy, yet begging!` Did you imagine ghibat is only when you relate a person`s fault to others and when you think of the faults of others it is not ghibat? You deliberately brought his fault to mind.”
The persons remarks had the desired effect. Junaid Baghdadi`s Rahmatullahi alaih heart was in turmoil and in this anxious state his eyes opened from sleep. He got up, put on his clothes and went out in search of the youth to ask his forgiveness.
It has to be pointed out here that this compulsion of Junaid Baghdadi`s Rahmatullahi alaih to set out in search of the youth to get his pardon was a special state related to Junids elevated status. Where the opposite party is not aware, taubah is sufficient.
Approaching the river, Junaid saw a young man strolling along the river bank and recognized him as the same youth he had seen in the masjid. Junaid greeted him: “ Assalaamu Alaikum .” The youth replied: “ Wa alaikum salaam.” Without a pause, the youth continued: “ Having seen a dream you have now come to ask for forgiveness! Without investigating, you jumped to conclusions: ` A fit young man, dressed in neat white clothes and begging!` You should, at least, have verified the facts first! How many days have I not spent without food! In spite of searching for work, I found no means. It is not permissible, under any circumstances, for me to ask? As for these clothes that you see me wearing, they were handed to me just this morning. Seeing externals only, you jumped to conclusions!”
Who is saying all this? The youth! He is not just anybody. He was one who had some rank! It just goes to show that it is not only old people who attain high spiritual rank. Nay. This youth had also reached an elevated stage, through Ibaadat, taqwa, zikrullah, abstention from sin and talluqm`Allah Ta’ala.
The youth further addressed Junaid Baghdadi Rahmatullahi alaih: “ I had thought that you had attained a very high elevated rank but it appears that you still have some deficiency!”
The youth was addressing whom? Junaid Baghdadi Rahmatullahi alaih – one of our foremost masha`ikh! Do not misunderstand. Do not conclude that this act of Junaids in any way lowered his rank. No. This was a detail, a fine point which had to be brought to his notice to enable him to progress even higher. This was his islah at the pinnacle that he already was on, to enable him to move onto a higher pinnacle. The above point should be well remembered. Students often get confused.
Hadhratjee Moulana Maseehullah Khan Rahmatullahi Alaihi- Bid’ah & Naturism (Urdu)
Hadhratjee Moulana Maseehullah rahmatullahi alaihi draws attention to the following in this audio:
- The harms of Bid’ah (innovations) is much more severe than other sins because one does not consider sins to be part of Dīn but rather understands it to be sin.
- Opposed to sins, Bid’ah is pursued under the false notion that it is part of Dīn.
- نیچریت (Naturism) is worst than Bid’ah. This is due to the fact naturism has absolutely nothing to do with Dīn.
- The difference is, Bid’ah finds its roots in ghulū-fīd-dīn (acts exceeding the boundaries of Islam) and naturism has no Islamic roots.
12. Food of Hazrat Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi (Qaddasallahu Sirrahu)
1.12 Food
His favourite dish was split black grams and meat. Generally, he would have one dish for a meal. He would eat at home, and even with guests he would call them to his home, and with full pardah arrangements they would have meals with him.
At night he would have about two cups of [raw, unpasteurized] milk. He would only eat when he was really hungry. When eating with others, even if it was just a single person, he would not be particular over the amount he ate. Alone he would eat heartily, but he would not overeat.
In accordance with the Sunnat he was not at all inclined to a variety of foods. Whatever was available he would eat and he would be contented. He didn’t have the habit of having breakfast at all. [Lunch in the hot eastern countries is served quite early, before noon, particularly in summer. Hence, he could easily forego breakfast.]
[In Ma’moolaat-e-Ashrafi the following information appears:
Hazrat Wala is particularly fond of consuming things which produce coolness and exhilaration in the body, such as pumpkin, apples, pomegranates, guavas, plums, naartjies (tangerines).
He also likes cheese. Paya [goat or cow trotters] are also one of his favourite dishes. He loves ice cream. At one stage he would like the taste of sour things, but now he does not have such foods as he develops a headache after eating it.]
Hilm (Burdabari) And Zulm – Majlis of Hazrat Moulana Maseehullah رحمه الله
Extract of Majlis by Hazrat Moulana Maseehullah رحمه الله
One quality found in a good character is, for example, hilm, also called burdabari (forbearance).
To illustrate this quality:
Somebody has made a very nasty remark, so much so that it has struck one deeply in the heart. The heart is grieved. It finds the remark most burdensome. But one shows no reaction. It is as if having heard and not having heard are the same. Consequently, one does not say anything.
This is called hilm in Arabic, and burdabari in Farsi, meaning to lift/ bear a burden. The burden placed on the heart is being lifted or borne. Somebody has hurled abuse at one. Ones heart has found it burdensome, but ones reaction is that of indifference.
This is just one quality found in the heart of a person with husne khulq.
Amongst the qualities that Allah Taala has, one is that of Him being Haleem – One Who has Hilm.
So, this earthly Muslim has taken on this quality of hilm, and is also haleem. Why has he taken on this quality of Allah Taalas? Because he is of the ahlullah!
Let us take zulm. Zulm is: to wrongfully usurp somebody elses rights; to wrongfully seize somebody elses rights and to place a burden on his heart; to taunt and chastise others; to take away somebodys goods and wealth and thereby chastise him.
This zulm is contrary to the concept of the nazafat (purity) of Zate Bari Taala. Zulm is a defective quality, and Zate Bari Taala is free of defects. Zate Bari Taala is Nazeef (Pure):
Allah Taala is Pure and He loves purity.
Part and parcel of nazafat is the quality of hilm. Zate Bari Taala is Haleem. He is Sahebe-hilm (Perfect in the quality of hilm).
So, the Mumin should also take on this quality of hilm, and become sahebe-hilm.
On the other side we have zulm. Zate Bari Taala is clean and pure of zulm. The Mumin, likewise, should become clean and pure of zulm.
And if the Mumin is not clean and pure of zulm, what then?
Well… Then, fine… He may be a Mumin, but still very green (kach-cha)! He may be an ahlullah, but still very green!
Do you understand my way of speaking?
Fruit that is still green, unripe, is very bitter, very sour. Ripe fruit is sweet and delicious.
The ahlullah who are ripe are sweet and delicious. They have neither sourness nor bitterness, nor are they half-and-half, half sweet and half bitter. They do not do things that are sweet and then do things which are bitter. Yes, very occasionally, incidentally, they may be involved in doing something which is wrong. This does not negate them being of the ahlullah.
But to be involved in activities that are contrary to the concept of an ahlullah every now and then, time and again, and to be speaking such things which are contrary to the concept of an ahlullah, how can he be said to be of the ahlullah? Yes… Well… He is a Muslim.
Those of you who are studying obviously wish to pass with a first-class pass, and not a third class pass. Similarly, in ones iman and ones Deen also, the desire should be to be in the group of first-class passes.
A true desire (tamanna) is associated with resolve (iradah), and resolve goes together with correct effort. If the correct effort is not there, it shows that the resolve is incorrect. This person is thus deceiving himself and others!
There are individuals here from England and from South Africa. So, these discourses are lessons being given. Slowly, steadily, with examples and illustrations, with careful explanations, an effort is being made for the lessons to settle firmly in your hearts, so that an understanding may dawn within you.
This methodology is essential for an ustad or a lecturer to adopt. Whatever is written in the kitabs has to be explained and expanded on, by using simple examples and illustrations, so that it becomes easy for the students to understand. This is a manifestation of the affection the ustad has for his students. This is his favour on them.
He is taking on a burden on himself in order to bring benefit to others, to bring ease and comfort to their hearts.
To bring ease and comfort can be in several forms: One is to bring ease and comfort physically. Another is to bring ease and comfort and cheer to the heart.
To continue:
Just as it is necessary to leave off zahiri prohibitions, so, too, it is necessary to leave off batini prohibitions.
This person performs his namaz, but he has not eliminated the sickness of the eyes! What is this? The following: The moment something pretty and beautiful, something gorgeous passes by in front of him, his eyes latch onto it. Imagine! He is actually busy looking at it! Whereas it is impermissible that one should gaze at what is prohibited.
Why is he looking at these distractions?
The answer is simple: There is still some deficiency in him. There are still some shortcomings in his being a kamil ahlullah, a kamil allahwala. He is still green – kachchapin!
This is the yardstick he should judge himself on. Whenever such an event occurs he should immediately reproach himself, Oh! Oh! I have fallen into error. I should not have done that! I had thought that I had reached perfection, but it appears that there is still some deficiency in my iman. There is still no perfection in my Deen. I have still not reached top grade. I am still kachchapin!
What would first grade be?
First grade would be where he would have immediately dropped his gaze the moment his eyes fell on the distraction.
Second grade is where he notices the distraction, and his temperament is tempted to gaze at it, and he lifts his eyes to look, but he then quickly drops his gaze again.
Third grade is where he follows his inclination unchecked, and his eyes latch onto the distraction, and he keeps on looking all the time, still unchecked.
REMORSE AND TAUBAH
Here is another situation:
His eyes fall on the distraction. His temperament urges him to keep on looking, which he does. Suddenly he realises his error. What am I doing? He is ashamed. His heart feels contrite. He is remorseful. He is grieved at his lapse. Ive done wrong! Ya Allah! What have I done! He cries inside himself. Astigfirullah! Astigfirullah! I have done wrong! I have done wrong!
This taubah – this grief, this remorse at having done wrong – is a compensation for his lapse. He had dropped to grade three, but this taubah has raised him to the first grade!
He has been given an opportunity. This opportunity is not granted to everybody: it is granted only where the person shows the necessary aptitude, and has had a temporary lapse. Does this situation not arise when students have to write examinations?
This leeway is given because of his showing remorse. Instead of being in the third grade, he has been re-established in the first grade.
He has regained the position of entering Jannat at the first instance. This is because of his taubah, which has removed the obstacles in his way. Entrance has been made easy.
Had he not made taubah, had he not been remorseful, he would have remained in the third grade, with no possibility of being given an opportunity to gain the first grade.
Do you understand these examples?
It is accepted that disobedience to Allah Taala, going against His commands, is a great evil.
However, a greater evil than this is to refuse to make taubah!
Why so? Because there is a very real danger that this persons iman will slip away!
There is security of ones iman in being ashamed of ones wrongdoings, in being remorseful. The result will be that, stage by stage, each time trying to save oneself, trying to avoid the wrong, one will reach that point where one stops oneself completely from that wrongdoing. Now one is no longer involved in that wrongdoing.
Going back:
We had started off by saying that, in order to bring zahiri and batini comfort and ease to others, to bring happiness to others, to bring cheer to others, a person takes on himself such tasks and burdens, such difficulties, which are not beyond his tolerance. He says, It does not matter that I am inconvenienced, as long as he has some ease. I will tolerate the inconvenience.
For example:
There is only one roti in the house. There is absolutely nothing else to eat. I am also hungry, and a hungry beggar also appears at that same moment. (One is aware that this person is genuine, and that he is not a beggar by profession.) I am hungry. For the sake of Allah Taala, may I please have a piece of roti? he asks:
How many rotis are there? Only one. If I eat the roti, my hunger will be relieved. If he eats it, his hunger will be relieved. However, my hunger is not such that, if I do not eat that roti, I will die. I know from past experience that I can manage to stay hungry till the next meal. I have kept fasts. I have kept fasts on long, hot days even. Even on those occasions when I did not manage to eat sehri, I still fasted the whole day. No harm came to me. I did not collapse from weakness. I can manage to miss out on one roti.
So, the roti goes to the beggar! Here, you take it.
A MAS’ALAH CONCERNING ITHAR
Yes, if the hunger is beyond ones capacity to bear, and one may die from hunger, then the situation is different.
If I do not eat that roti, and I will die, then saving my own life takes priority.
You have rights on your life first. To save your own life is fardh. So, you will not give away that roti. Why should you give him the roti and you die of hunger? Yes, come another time, and if I have I will give.
Take another situation:
You and somebody else are in such a predicament that both of you are in the extremes of thirst. Without water both of you will not survive. You have in
your possession just a little water, sufficient for only one person to take a gulp and survive.
If you give him this water, he will survive and you will die.
If you drink the water, you will survive and he will die.
In this situation drink the water yourself: It is fardh for you to save your own life.
Do you now understand the masalah concerning selflessness?
Selflessness means: to give priority to the comfort of others over ones own comfort. Another word one may use is “qurbani (sacrifice). In other words, to place oneself in takleef (inconvenience/ trouble) in order to bring comfort to others, is to make qurbani (sacrifice).
Source: For Friends Part 8
Right Reason vs Right Reasoning – Letter of Maulana Thanvi Rahmatullah Alayh
Right Reason VS. Right Reasoning
Hakim ul Ummah, Hazrat Thanwi (RA) received a letter from a person who requested some spiritual advice.
In reply to this person’s letter Hazrat Thanwi (RA) wrote, “Read twenty of my transcribed spiritual discourses and practice upon them, then inform me of your condition, i.e. whether or not you feel some spiritually elated and or change within your heart…”
After reading twenty lectures, the person replied, “Unfortunately, I have not found any change within myself at all…”
Hazrat Thanwi (RA) wrote back, “Either you have not read those lectures with the intention of spiritual rectification, or the subject-matter of those lectures you read were not spiritually-related…Or there is also a possibility that there is nothing within you which needs rectification…”
The person wrote back and admitted that he did not read the lectures with the specific intention of spiritual rectification, to which Hazrat Thanwi (RA) replied that he should do so.
The last letter of this person came saying, “Alhamdulillah, I have acquired enormous spiritual benefit from those lectures! An amazing change has now taken place from within…”
Hazrat Thanwi (RA) then comments: “Now if I would have merely prescribed some zikr or something, then he would not have benefited so greatly.
Truly, if a person does something the right way, fulfilling its rights and conditions, then Allah Ta`ala will definitely put benefit in that thing.
But our problem is that we do things according to our own understanding and deficient conjecture, due to which we end up frustrated and confused.
Today’s fake peers and money-making, Sufi shaikhs have cheated the people, taking money from them and giving them wazifas to read… Is there such a thing as becoming spiritually rectified through wazifas and awraad? Islaah and spiritual rectification can only come from spiritual rectification.”
(Malfuzaat; 8/317)
Translator’s Note: This in no way is intended to belittle the power of dua’s Azkaar, which also play an essential role in spiritual rectification. Rather this means that if a person does not make an effort on leaving sins and working on changing his evil qualities, and inculcating within himself good character, then simply reading a thousand wazifas and awraad, without a practical effort in abstaining from evil and trying to do good deeds, then these awraad alone will not rectify him.
