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Third selection of letters pertaining to various spiritual maladies and their replies from the pen of Faqihul Ummah
Bismihi Ta'ala
The writer requested some advice and duas.
Respected Brother
As Salaamu Alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakaatuh
May Allah Ta'ala enable you to fulfil all your obligations and responsibilities with ease. May He also enable many people to benefit from you and assist you in every difficulty from unseen sources (ghalib).
When you departed, I had advised you to be extremely particular of how your time is being spent. Be very vigilant about this. Whatever time passes in a manner that conditions were positive, make shukr to Allah Ta'ala for it. If anybody treats you with love and respect, regard it as the Grace of Allah Ta'ala that He has placed love and respect for you in that person's heart. Otherwise, it was possible that the same person could have been an archenemy who hates you. Hence consider it the Grace of Allah Ta'ala that He has concealed your faults. He forgives all sins and conceals the faults of people.
Do not place total reliance on any person, nor divulge all your secrets to him, nor have any enmity with any person. Treat every person with husne akhlaaq (good character). The one who at present kisses your hands with great love could tomorrow be swearing you. Therefore, always adopt a moderate approach in your dealings with people and be careful in this regard. (Maktoobaat-Vol.1.Pg.111)
Bismihi Ta'ala
Respected Mufti Saheb
As Salaamu Alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakaatuh
My excessive sins have overwhelmed me and I have lost control. I greatly regret this and sometimes wish that the earth must split and swallow me up. Please advise me in this regard.
Bismihi Ta'ala
Respected Brother
As Salaamu Alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakaatuh
Whatever regret and remorse you have expressed over your conditions, may the same remorse be deep down in your heart. Indeed, if a person is truly concerned about his islaah (reformation), his concern in itself is more effective in bringing about his reformation than any wazaaif (recitation of various zikr's, etc). However, the concern that is merely expressed with the tongue but does not exist in the heart does not have this effect.
May Allah Ta'ala assist you.
Bismihi Ta'ala
Respected Mufti Saheb
As Salaamu Alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakaatuh
I recall my previous sins and feel much remorse over them. Please advise me whether it is in order to recall one's sins in this manner.
Bismihi Ta'ala
Respected Brother
As Salaamu Alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakaatuh
It is not sufficient to merely remember one's sins in this manner. Sometimes merely recalling the previous sins very subtly incites the person to commit the same sin again. May Allah Ta'ala save us all. It is therefore necessary to instead visualize the Day of Qiyamah when an account on one's deeds will be taken in front of all mankind. How utterly disgraced would one be! Every deed committed would be clearly recorded in one's book of deeds. In this world we feel greatly embarrassed if what we had done secretly is exposed. One should therefore consider how terribly embarrassing it will be to read out one's sins in front of Allah Ta'ala.
Thus, if anyone wants to be saved from this imaginable disgrace, it is essential that the sins are washed off the book of deeds. The tear of regret and remorse in solitude is the water that washes off the sins from the book of deeds. May Allah Ta'ala grant us such tears that wash off our sins from our book of deeds.
Hence merely recalling one's sins is not sufficient. One must firmly visualize the Day of Qiyamah to gain the desired effect. (Tarbiyatut Taalibeen Pg.122)
Bismihi Ta'ala
Respected mufti sahib
As Salaamu Alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakaatuh
I am overcome by laziness. Often I even fall into sin. Whenever I commit any sin, I sincerely regret it but thereafter I find myself entrapped in the same sin. As for my Ma'mulaat (daily practises such as Salaah, Zikr, Tilawaat, etc.), at times I complete them all. While at times for weeks on end I just do not manage to do anything.
Bismihi Ta'ala
Beloved brother
As Salaamu Alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakaatuh
The practise of sometimes completing one's Ma'mulaat and at other times neglecting them must be completely refrained from. One cannot progress in this manner. Constancy is absolutely necessary. According to the Hadith, the best of actions is that upon which one is steadfast. Without this constancy one cannot achieve the Islaah of one's Nafs (the purification and reformation of the inner self).
As for the sins towards which one is inclined, ponder deeply with regards to the harms of such sins in this world and the punishment in the hereafter. Contemplate upon the end result of committing such sins. Insha- Allah, one will be blessed with the ability to refrain from them. Also, read about the virtues about good actions such as Salaah, Zikr, Tilawaat, etc. keep in mind the benefits one will receive from these actions, both in this world as well as in the hearafter. Insha-Allah, you will gain the Tawfeeq (ability) of fulfilling these actions. (Maktoobat- vol. 1, pg.8)
Bismihi Ta'ala
Respected mufti sahib
As Salaamu Alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakaatuh
Please advise me with regards to the following. Firstly, I do not have the true enthusiasm for the recitation of the Qur`an. Secondly, I am not much inclined Towards Dua.
Bismihi Ta'ala
Beloved brother
As Salaamu Alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakaatuh
It gave me great pleasure to know that you are punctual with your Ma'mulaat. May Allah Ta'ala grant you further progress. When reciting the Qur`an meditate upon the fact that you are reciting to Allah. Be like a student who is reciting to his Ustaad while the awe of the Ustaad has engulfed him. Hence recite the Qur`an with the intention that you are reciting to Allah Ta'ala in such a manner AS IF you can see him. (This will create the desire enthusiasm).
Also remember that Dua is the essence of Ibadah. Whether it is Zikr, Tilawaat or Salaah, the essence of it all is Dua. Keeping in mind Allah Ta'ala favours and His kindness, engage in Dua with much humility. Ponder that only He can accept ones Dua's and solve ones problems. He has commanded us: call unto be, I will accept. whosoever granted the gift of Dua, unlimited mercies are showered upon him. His Dua passes through seven heavens. May Allah Ta'ala help you. (Maktoobat- vol. 1, pg.71)
Bismihi Ta'ala
Respected Mufti Saheb
As Salaamu Alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakaatuh
It is ten years since I have graduated and have become bay'at with you. However, my spiritual condition is as weak as it was in the initial stages.
Bismihi Ta'ala
Respected Brother
As Salaamu Alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakaatuh
You spent approximately ten years to study. For the purpose or acquiring knowledge you left your home for this long duration of time. Your days were then spent in lessons and the nights in studying and revision. You also worked hard and sat for various examinations and waste the year of that your progress must not be hampered. Now consider that in contrast to this how much of time have you dedicated to your spiritual self-reformation? Have you spent at least one year? Have you attempted to curtail your other activities in order to acquire proper devotion? If not , is it then correct to complain that you have acquired spiritual self-reformation and that your spiritual condition is just as weak as it was previously? ( Tarbiyatut Taalibeen pg.140)
Bismihi Ta'ala
Respected Mufti Saheb
As Salaamu Alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakaatuh
You have advised me to meditate upon death. I have not yet understood how to do this. Please explain it to me.
Bismihi Ta'ala
Respected Brother
As Salaamu Alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakaatuh
When you lie down upon your bed at night, imagine it to be the last moments of your life. Hence repent and seek forgiveness for all your sins. Thereafter imagine that you soul is actually leaving you. You are then being given ghusal and your body is being wrapped in the kafn (shroud). Thereafter your salaatul janaazah is being performed and you are being lowered into your grave. In the grave you are being faced with the questions on Munkar and Nakeer (the two angels who question the deceased in the grave). In short, ponder over the aspects that will follow after death until you fall asleep.
When you wake up the next morning, regard it is as an extension in your life that Allah Ta'ala has granted you. This extension is also to enable you to prepare for death. Therefore do not perpetrate any such action which you will find difficult to answer for (on the day of judgement). Also during the course of the day with everything that you do, regard it as the last day of your life until it is finally night. At night repeat the same process. ( Maktoobat-Pg.50 )
NB. In the Ahadith Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wassallam) has exhorted the Ummah to remember death excessively. The above prescription is to induce that required awareness of death. While this particular method of developing the awareness of death can be practised by anybody, it is best if one takes advice in this regard from a spiritual guide. Considering one's personal condition, the guide may prescribe some other method.
Bismihi Ta'ala
Hazrath Mufti Saheb
As Salaamu Alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakaatuh
I am suffering from a (spiritual) illness. Whenever anybody belittles or humiliates me, I become enraged. Please remedy this weakness in me.
Bismihi Ta'ala
Beloved Brother
As Salaamu Alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakaatuh
The remedy is extremely easy provided that you have the courage. Whenever anybody belittles or humiliates you, immediately ponder thus: I have committed various other sins. My character is also poor. I carry much impurity within my body all the time. Hence if somebody belittles or humiliates me, SO WHAT? He has not even close to the reality (of my evils).
Furthermore, whatever happens in this world is first sanctioned from above (by Allah Ta'ala). Only then does it become apparent here. My being humiliated was also sanctioned from above, hence it has occurred. Why then do it become angry??? Besides this, whatever occurrence upsets me takes place as a compensation for my sins. I should therefore be grateful to the one humiliating me that as a result of this my sins are being forgiven. (Maktoobaat-vol.1,Pg.53)
The letter was not published. Apparently it seems that the writer complained about many disputes between the people he works with. The reply contains valuable advice in this regard.
Bismihi Ta'ala
Beloved Brother
As Salaamu Alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakaatuh
Every person should at all times look at his own shortcomings and make an effort towards self-reformation. Become blind to the shortcomings of others. The person who looks towards his own shortcomings and is blind towards the faults of others has been praised in the Ahadith. However pride is a great obstacle in this regard. It prevents one from recognizing one's faults. Pride always engages one in looking for the fault of other. May Allah Ta'ala save us from this serious malady.
Always control your tongue and do not quarrel or dispute with anyone. Study the works of Hazrath Hakimul Ummah Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi (R.A.) and strive to act upon it. If you mould your life according to his advice, Insha Allah Success will be at hand. (Maktoobat-vol.1,Pg.28)
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