Invitation and Dawah

The Holy Prophet (PBUH) used to entertain the people with edibles too. This is also a Sunnah. That is what is being followed by the Elders continuously.

(Tea time on Monday, January 31, 2011)

The Designated Chair

The holder stand (rahal) for the Holy Qur'an is specific and dedicated for it. Even religious books will not be kept on it. Even Tradition (hadis) books will not be kept on it.

(Sitting (majlis) on Thursday, January 27, 2011)

What is Not Even Wrong?

There was a famous theoretical physicist his name was Wolfgang Pauli. Like Winston Churchill he is famous for making memorable statements. Obviously his statements are concerned with the life in physics. Another famous theoretical physicists Rudolf Peierls tells a story in which a budding young physicist went to Pauli and discussed his theory or proposition. After listening to him Pauli give his candid opinion. He told this young man that his theory is not even wrong. Meaning thereby that the ideas were really absurd. This statement has become a sort of catch phrase. Research, in theoretical physics or otherwise, is about unknown things and wrong ideas and false leads and incorrect steps are part of the game. To use such strong words will only put down a budding researcher. Clearly the assessment by Pauli leaves out not only humility but compassion too. When research is not guided my humane values there is no way of discouraging this type of actions. But this is not the main point of the present post.

A quotation from a blog called Not Even Wrong has been used in an earlier post here. It would have been out of place to go on a detour to say a few words about that blog. That blog itself is a negative blog about a theory in theoretical physics called the (super) string theory. String theory is the most fundamental description of theoretical physics and incorporates all of the most basic theories of physics at the smallest level of size of objects. Smallest sizes can be studied by highest of energies only. What ever we know at the highest available energies is already incorporated by string theory. The problem starts when question is asked whether string theory is falsifiable, that is, can we do experiments that can test whether string theory is true or not. It turns out that such experiments will require very large amount of energies, larger than the energies that are available to us today. Such energies may never be available to experimental physicists.

Can we trust a theory that has no direct experimental test? This is the point that divides physicists. String theorists believe that internal structure of string theory will be constrained enough to make it reliable. Others demand experimental verification. Among the later type of people is Peter Woit. He says, following Pauli, that string theory is not even wrong. That is, it is absurd. He wrote a book, that became a best seller, with same title and later on started the blog Not Even Wrong.

But where are the Signs of Allah here? Every where. He created the world that people are trying to describe in theoretical physics. He created these people who are trying to describe the world He created. He created their minds and brains. If the structure of string theory is wonderful then it is so because it was made so. The minds that understand it, they too are creation of Lord Most High.

How to Do Mathematics?

Dr Peter Woit is a permanent Senior Lecturer at the Mathematics Department of Columbia University, New York. He has a blog, a powerful one-getting more than five hundred thousand hits per month, called NEW, that is, Not Even Wrong. Here is a comment from that blog from a recent post,

In an odd way, mathematics has often been somewhat of an oral tradition, since the impenetrability of much of the literature often meant that the only way to learn about something was to find an expert and get them to explain it to you. 

This quotation is relevant for us. A pitfall of modern education is to do the things in a self-help, do-it-yourself method. The Sufi way, the Path, the Method, the Journey is opposite of this fad. It consists of handing over yourself to your spiritual guide. Now this concept is the basis and the root of the mystic way. And this is difficult to accept for those who have got the modern education. They would like to reduce their dependence on others completely. That is understandable. Dependability is debilitating. Hence we do not like. We did not like dependability on parents, it was constraining and hence we were desperate to grow up. This was the route to escape dependability. So this is all true and part of our experience.

And it is incomplete. Like after raising one of your legs you can not lift the other one also above the ground there are somethings that can not be done alone. You are bound to take help. It is unpleasant but a fact of life.
But this is also not the right way to think about mysticism, the Method, the Path, the Journey. The Companion (RA) completely handed over themselves to the Holy Prophet (PBUH). To do the same, to perfect your Islam, in modern times will be an act of Sunnah. Do-it-yourself route does not seem to be effective. There is a self-taught theoretical physicist who writes papers but the matter of fact is that there are very scathing assessments of his efforts. What is the use of reaching there when people only make fun of you. There is another incident that is relevant for the present point that is being made. Among the popular book publications, and there are loads of them, there is a fad to publish books for Learning English by self-help. The names are like XYZ English Speaking Course. For each publisher their version of this book is a best seller. But how many people have you seen who claim that they learned their English from such a book? there is no dearth of English speakers but one still has to meet a person who is product of one such book.

To conclude above comment from a current working  Mathematician would give us a clear idea about the process to learn research level Mathematics. We suppose similar things can be said about other modern disciplines. Do we get an idea about the most efficient way to learn anything? Should we not follow that about spirituality? Yes? Good, go find a Shaikh. That is the first step.

"My Desire"

It has always been my endeavour and desire that the biographies of the eminent ʿulama of the Indian subcontinent be written in English for the benefit of the English speaking masses who would otherwise be unable to realize the lofty status of these eminent scholars directly from their Urdu and Arabic works.

Maulana Muhammad Saleem Dhorat

Source : Deoband.org via At-Tahawi

Just a Single Glance

Today we are very particular about getting a glance of People of Allah and you can hear the requests that please just open the door so that we get just a momentary view of the Shaikh but what about the view of the Holy Qur'an? (No thought of that comes to our mind.)

(Sitting (majlis) on Monday, January 24, 2011)

A Thorough Cleanup

If you indulge in excessive asking for forgiveness then your heart will become very clean (saaf-shaffaf).

(Sitting (majlis) on Monday, January 24, 2011)

Not Innocent

Though the Elders (Masha-ikh) are not innocent but they are protected (from committing sins) by Allah Almighty.

(Sitting (majlis) on Monday, January 24, 2011)

An Humble Person

This is about Aslam Sahab from Haram. He used to bring food for High Hazrat (RA). He will come with folded hands and will say that Hazrat please do not deprive me (Hazrat mehroom mat kijiyega). High Hazrat (RA) too used to take this into consideration. When it was meal time his packet was the first one to be opened.

Now something about his stature. Once he said to High Hazrat (RA), when later was about to make a journey to Madinah the Shining, for presenting his Peace Salutation (Salam) to the Holy Prophet (PBUH). High Hazrat (RA) did that and was surprised to get an answer (by what ever mode of communication) that why did he not come himself?

(Sitting (majlis) on Monday, January 24, 2011)

Servant of Money

Even the people of religious seminaries have become servants of money. Why did you turn him away-he was coming to my seminary (madarsa). (This is the type of bickering that we get to listen today).

(Sitting (majlis) on Monday, January 24, 2011)

Where is the Urge to seek?

Today the urge to seek is not arising inside us. We are merely responding to pull and push by others. This urge to seek has to be cultivated. Go to some body and hand yourself over to him.

(Sitting (majlis) on Monday, January 24, 2011)

Finished Education But!

Though we have finished our education from a Religious Seminary but neither we are maintaining the attendance in the early moments of Prayers (takbir-e-oola) nor is our attire and look proper nor any thing else. The reason is that we have not got our reformation done. A common man will Pray seventeen units in Isha Prayers while well barely manage nine.

(Sitting (majlis) on Monday, January 24, 2011)

Price of Learning Qur'an

(1) A person got interested in learning the Holy Qur'an after retirement. He contacted a friend who had religious education for teaching him the Holy Qur'an. The former asked about the stipend he has to pay to his friend for his teaching. The later told that I shall take one hundred thousand red dinars-that too only as a special consideration for you. 

(2) Then there is the story of the Qur'an teacher of a Vizier's son. The Vizier gave him a significant amount of money as a gift after his son finished Surah Baqrah. The teacher said that this is too much of money-what have, anyway, I done? The Vizier did not like this. After the function and in privacy he told the teacher that please do not come for teaching from tomorrow onwards-you are not aware about the value of Surah Baqrah. The teacher was ashamed by this observation.

The Lesson : Those worldly people had such a regard for the Holy Qur'an in their hearts and we who are in the religious education do not have any value of the Holy Qur'an. Even in Religious Seminaries the same worldly orientation is being manifested that one sees in Coaching Centers for competitive examinations.

(Sitting (majlis) on Monday, January 24, 2011)

On Recitation

The current discussion is on Recitation of the Holy Qur'an and many things have been told about that. There are some Conditions of Recitation. The way there are Conditions of Prayer and even if a single condition is not fulfilled then Prayer is declared null and void similarly conditions of Recitation have to be fulfilled. Today our attention is not there to this side. The reason is that our whole attention is focused on worldly education. For every topic of that knowledge we have fixed a tutor for our children. Our hereafter is getting destroyed in this process. The solution to this problem is to inculcate the respect for Holy Qur'an in our hearts. Go to somebody who knows its Recitation.

(Sitting (majlis) on Monday, January 24, 2011)

From Sansarpur

As we know Maulana Abdul Rauf Sansarpuri (DB) is the deputy manager/principal/rector/muhtamim of Ashraf-ul-Madaris, Hardoi. He is around in Anona House and so is Mufti Shabbir Sahab Qasmi of Allapur, Lakhi Sarai, Bihar. And so is Pyazu Baba. Dr Nafees Farooqui, the osteologist,  too was around and Janab Qari Ilyas Sahab (DB) too has come back after his annual one month leave. And the goody-goody is that there is the news of Qari Amir Hasan Sahab (DB) impending visit, visit that got postponed because of his changed programme owing to some dental consultations in Mumbai.

Representative of God

Obeying the Prophets (AS) is like obeying Lord. Today we obey the worldly governments but we do not obey Lord.

(Sitting (majlis) on Sunday, January 16, 2011)

Small but Effective

On the face of it these things (etiquette of the Holy Qur'an)  look insignificant but these are the things that will take to Jannah.

(Sitting (majlis) on Sunday, January 16, 2011)

What is on Top?

(Hazrat Shaikh (DB) will not use the Qur'an holder stand, the rahal, for putting any other book. Similarly when a religious book was used to make a base for note taking during the sitting (majlis) the following words were said.) It is against etiquette to make a religious book a base for note taking-the religious books have the Qur'anic Verses in them.

(Sitting (majlis) on Sunday, January 16, 2011)

Signs of Allah : The Holy Qur’an – 12

    Made Clear by Lord Most High

    In 2:219-220 Lord Most High say that He has made His Signs clear so that we may understand them and take them into consideration. This is a blessing.
  This is a Sunnah that if there are two routes to do a work then follow the easier one. But there is no complete avoidance of effort when we are faced with obedience.
  To implement Doctrine in our life requires efforts and hard work. Some of us might take the route and indeed many do take – may Lord forgive and guide us, to avoid implementation of the Doctrine by saying that we do not understand this – the Doctrine, the religion. This is not an excuse and that is what Lord is telling us in 2:219-220.
    One example should illustrate the point. A person asked that if Islam is a natural religion then why we should keep our feet parallel during Prayer (qiyam) standing – the natural position is to keep an angle between them.
    It is true that natural and comfortable position to keep our feet is not parallel but at an angle. And that is how we keep them normally and naturally – when we are not Praying. This is acceptable in Islam. Prayer is a special position, as compared to non-praying position.  Prayer is an endeavour that fetches reward and reward is fetched by (hard) work. It is natural thing to work when you want reawrd. We understand this philosophy. Thus if we expect reward we should be ready to work for it – like keeping our feet in a position that fetches reward. To expect reward for natural position, in non-praying times, is an idle thought. Indeed Jannah has been surrounded by hard work. Lord has made it clear – perchance people may consider.
    Another example of human stubbornness in accepting Sign of Allah is the carping sacrifice of heifer by the Jewish people as mentioned in the Surah Baqrah – the story that gives the name to this Surah. In that story these people ask so many questions about the heifer that it becomes clear that they were in no mood to offer the sacrifice but God made the signs clear in a series of answers.
    Finally the fact that many things are repeated in the Holy Qur’an and some of them are repeated many times. This all serves the purpose of clarifying the Sings of Lord. Lord makes His Signs very clear so that those who can take heed have no excuse left over for not accepting the truth.

Not understanding something is not an excuse to avoid obedience. It is incumbent to learn when you do not know something. If you do not understand Signs of Allah then it is incumbent to learn them. Allah has explained His Signs, made them clear so that not knowing or not understanding them does not become an excuse to escape obedience.

Signs of Allah : The Holy Qur'an – 11

Purpose of Life

    The Verse (3:190) tells us the purpose of life and also tells us that it is a Sign of Allah.
    When a believer says that O Lord ! you have not created all these (the heavens and the earth) for nothing then he is declaring that there is a purpose behind this all.
    And what is that purpose? Indeed that purpose is to recognize Him. The final aim of that direction is to get protection from hell. That is what is asked at the end of 3:190.
    This is a rather pertinent point in the context of understanding, appreciating and accepting Signs of Allah. Mostly the objections to God come from western people but even they agree that the line between faith and disbelief is drawn by the fact whether you believe in a purpose of life or not.
    This  Verse also tells us the shortest route to cross that divide from unbelief to belief. It has two parts (1) celebrating the praise of Lord Most High, in every condition and (2) to ponder over the wonders of creation.
    A question may be asked that the problem of crossing the divide is faced by an unbeliever and being an unbeliever how can he celebrate the Praises of Lord ? The answer is that such a person has to celebrate the Praises of Lord just mechanically. If he is a true seeker then however weak are his efforts he shall end up on the other side of the divide, Lord willing. Like creation from nothing, that is the Glory of God.
   

Fake Sites

Brother Siraj has a list, here, of fake websites portraying themselves to be Islamic or trying to obliterate the message of Islam in other ways.

Signs of Allah : The Holy Qur'an – 10

    The Change of Winds

    We are discussing special Signs of Allah. But as Lord Most High has already told us that there are asked by people without knowledge otherwise everything in the universe is a sign of its creator.
    When we come to think of it we realize that special signs are demanded by those who think that they are knowledgeable for they do not accept anything just like that. Lord Most High tells us that in fact these people lack knowledge. Strange thing indeed. Strange but true – why ? The reason is that those who believe – they who do not insist upon special signs. To them the signs are obvious. They know them and they understand them. Ergo they are knowledgeable. On the contrary who demand special signs are accepting their lack of knowledge – for only he who does not know a thing seeks its knowledge.
    Seeking knowledge is a preferable thing and Lord Most High has not disappointed even those who seek special sings. Hence there are so many special signs scattered all over – in the Holy Qur'an and in the world around us. Every beast, for example, must remind us of Lord Most High.
    In this post we are concerned with the changing winds that kick the clouds like slaves (2:164).
    We shall mention two categories of changing winds that kick around the clouds like slaves. One, the Monsoon winds and the others are the cyclones, tornedos or the hurricane winds. Both are changing winds. In the Indian subcontinent the winter as well as summer winds are western. The monsoon winds are eastern and hence are changing winds. Indeed changing wind is the sure sign of monsoon – more potent than the scientific weather forcasting, at least till now.
    For Indian subcontinent Monsoon is the life line and hence there should not be any doubt about it being a Sign of Allah. Coming to the other class of changing winds that kick around clouds like slaves we take the storms – cyclones, tornedoes and hurricanes. These are the same things except for their geographical locations. An awesome thing like these can be a Sign of an Awsome Power only. One subtle thing that can be said about them is their large angular momentum that appeared out of nowhere. What even happened to the conservation of angular momentum? Scienficially we can gave ourselves consolation that if we add up various causes than we can recover out favourite conservation law. That is in deed the miracle – the special Sign lies in the very fact of appearance of large angular momentum out of smaller once going into it. Normally big and large things get dissolved into smaller once – as does a cyclone by dissipation. The reverse should remind us of the creator.
   

Signs of Allah : The Holy Qur'an – 9

    Beasts Scattered on Earth

    In 2:164 Allah Most High tells us about His Signs in beasts of all kind that He has scattered all through the earth. Let us take the grizzly – the polar bear – as white as snow but a beast nevertheless.
    Next take the snow leopard – very swift and sleek but a beast again.
    Then take the lions, Indian or African, very majestic but beastly. Then the tigers – white or brown. Very slim and agile but again beasts.
    Then the jackals, the hyenas, the hippos, the rhinos, the black bears. Or take the whales and the sharks.
    Most of them lie on the highest level of the so called food chain as envisaged in the context of the Darwinian theory of evolution. The struggle for life and survival of the fittest is suitable only for explaining some features of the animals in the middle of the food chain. The once at the highest and the lowest levels must be taken as exceptions.
    This statement should not be controversial even in the circles of evolutionary biology. Taking that as an input one is left wondering as to why there are so many exceptions to the rule of evolution? All the beasts are showing a funny face to evolution. It is strange that Lord Most High talks about beasts specially in above verse though each and every animal is a Sign of His miracles.
    To conclude a word must be said about the lowest rank in the food chain. Since the lowest rank is the most disadvantaged of all living things, believing in evolution, one must conclude that it, the lowest link in the food chain, must be extinct long back – killing the whole chain by induction. But that is not so. The lowest link in every food chain, no exceptions admitted, is alive and kicking  and so is the whole chain. Evolution is debunk. Moreover giving up evolution does not change anything about science except an entrenched mindset – but we digress.

Signs of Allah : The Holy Qur'an – 8

Rain That Revives the Dead Earth

    Occurrence of rain is a Sign of Allah but, in addition to that, in 2:164 Lord Most High mentions another aspect of the rain that will help us recognize Him, understand Him, to connect to Him. This is the life giving aspect of rain.
    In the equatorial environment it rains every day and it is sunshine everyday. The monotony of it obliterates that striking aspect.
    Europeans are surprised when people of Indo-Pak subcontinent talk about a rainy season. There rain is a common regular phenomenon. Again monotonous.
 Thus life givng aspect of the rain can be understood best in the context of tropical environment more easily.
    Make a journey just before onset of monsoon, from Nasik to Mumbai through the Kasara ghat area by train or by road. Or from Pune to Mumbai. Or any similar location. The hills look all barren and black having at the most dried vegetation – its brown colour clearing announcing lifeless landscape. Make the journey again merely a week after the onset of Monsoon. The same hills will present a breath taking view – full of greenery full of life.
    We are used to see live things turning into dead. Our modern scientific thinking has conditioned us to think in that direction only. The rains in the monsoon turns the clock in the opposite direction. They do that every year. Do we notice? We do enjoy the greenery every year but just think that this is how the things are and that is how they should be. Obliterating a Sign of Allah by consigning it to monotony.
    Is that how they must be? What about droughts? Ah ! In that case we only think in the direction of desperation – it does not enter our minds that we might have forgotten to thank our Lord Most High for rains.
    Anyway turning a dead earth in living by rains is done by our Lord Most High – perchance we may recognize Him by this Sign and be thankful.
    So when you see the post rain greenery next time thank Lord Most High profusely for sending the rains that created that soothing greenery – this should, Lord willing, increase your relation and connection with Lord.

Lighter Than Cotton

One day, in a famous religious institution of Karachi, I accepted Islam on the hands of a Mufti Sahab. Those were unforgettable moments of my life, words are helpless in expressing them, Mufti Sahab asked : How are you feeling ? I said, "Open your hand". He did that. I asked if cotton is put there how much will it weigh?  Nearly nothing, he said. "Mufti Sahab! That is my condition", I said. I am feeling lighter than cotton. This was the twitter. I was feeling that all weights have been lifted from my body, I have got a new life. (Description of personal feeling after returning to Lord Most High)

Armughan-e-Phulat, January 2011, p. 20-21.

E Punto! (A Point)

They are not tired of their calumny ( a negative thing ) then why are you tired of your beautiful preaching (a positive thing)?

- Unknown

87.9 (The Most High : Al-Aala) Therefore, give admonition in case the admonition profits (the hearer).
87.10 The admonition will be received by him who fears (Allah).

To Make It Convenient

Make a connection with some man of Allah. This is neither a duty nor a an obligation but reforming yourself is. The object is to make your passage to Jannah a smooth one.

(Sitting (majlis) on Sunday, January 23, 2011)

Difference in Words and Deeds

When a believer indulges in sins then Allah Most High says that what kind of a person is this servant of mine? He claims to love me but he is indulging in sins. Because of this type of situations only these sittings are organized so that we get a reminder about our religion.

(Sitting (majlis) on Sunday, January 23, 2011)

Hope and Fear

In the Holy Qur'an at some places lots of fear has been created while at some other places a lot of glad tidings have been given.

(Sitting (majlis) on Sunday, January 23, 2011)

Miracles of Recitation

The effect of Recitation is that big calamities are made ineffective.

(Sitting (majlis) on Sunday, January 23, 2011)

A Disappearing Trend

Today this interest is disappearing but earlier it used to be the case that after Prayers people will sit in the Mosque for listening to an exegesis (tafseer) of the Holy Qur'an. Today whole night can be spent in listening to poetic meets (musha-ira) or qawwalies or music but there is no turning towards exegesis.

(Sitting (majlis) on Sunday, January 23, 2011)

The Same Book Everywhere

 The Holy Qur'an is the same every where, whether Germany or Japan.

(Sitting (majlis) on Sunday, January 23, 2011)

Supplication for Understanding the Holy Qur'an

One should also supplicate to Allah for granting an understanding of the Holy Qur'an.

(Sitting (majlis) on Sunday, January 23, 2011)

Being Absorbed in Practice

Those who value Recitation they practice its correct Pronunciation (tajweed). For example Professor Abdul Wasay Usmani practices it even while driving.

(Sitting (majlis) on Sunday, January 23, 2011)

Regard and Respect

Allah Most High has made some of the things for respect (ikram). For the Holy Qur'an for different adjectives have been used, Qur'an-e-Kareem, Qur'an-e-Hakeem, Qur'an-e-Majeed and Qur'an-e-Azeem. Kareem-Hakeem-Majeed-Azeem all of them demand respect. For calling it a single name was sufficient but to make the respect clear four names were given. Take the example of a guest coming to a house. Nobody makes him sit on the ground while sitting himself on the carpet. The guest is given a proper place to sit because of the respect for him. Sometimes some ignorant people put the Holy Qur'an on the carpet. This is against respect. Similarly the Recitation of the Holy Qur'an is done, if sitting on a cot, by putting it on the head side not the leg side. Hazrat Thanwi (RA) told similar three stories of due respect. He said that he never hanged his loincloth on the peg because other more respectable things might be hanged there. Similarly he said that I do not remember ever receiving money by the left hand or carrying the foot wear in right hand. We are indulging in some things that betray lack of proper respect. For example a teacher teaching literature is called Shaikh-ul-Adab while a teacher teaching the Holy Qur'an is called Miyanji.

(Sitting (majlis) on Sunday, January 23, 2011)

Thus Spake Hakim Akhtar

Hakim Akhtar Sahab (DB) says that the Prayer Call is the declaration that o my servants be present!

(Sitting (majlis) on Saturday, January 1, 2011)

A Glorious Thing About Islam

A specialty of Islam is that after the Prayer Call every body is there in the Mosque.

(Sitting (majlis) on Saturday, January 1, 2011)

Prayer in Congregation

As far as possible try to do your Prayers in Congregation. High Hazrat was very particular about it and used to emphasize it a lot.

(Sitting (majlis) on Saturday, January 1, 2011)

How Much Did You Back Bite?

Make the recitation of asking for forgiveness in the same amount in which you have indulged in back biting.

(Sitting (majlis) on Saturday, January 1, 2011)

A Lovely Parable

What a beautiful parable Allah Most High has furnished about back biting-it is like eating the meat of your own brother's dead body.

(The object mentioned here is a cause of extreme revulsion. the example is still beautiful in the sense that it brings out the reality of back biting very graphically. Any one who thinks about this example will be enormously repulsed by his action in case there is any urge to do back biting.)

(Sitting (majlis) on Saturday, January 1, 2011)

Where Physicians Fail

The things like enmity (bughz) and hatred (keena) both are part of heart but an X-ray can not catch it. For this one has to go to the spiritual doctors.

(Sitting (majlis) on Saturday, January 1, 2011)

Parallel Between Physical and Spiritual Ailments

The way there is treatment for physical ailments there is treatment for spiritual ailments too. For this type of treatment you have to go to the spiritual doctors-the Masha-ikh. If a person finds his vision clouded then he visits an ophthalmologist similarly when having spiritual problems one must visit the Elders.


(Sitting (majlis) on Saturday, January 1, 2011)

Abundance, Spacewise and Timewise

(During stay at Haram in Haj) the space was bit less but even then many people will come for the sitting at 4.00PM. At 4.35PM the sitting (majlis) was over.

(Sitting (majlis) on Tuesday, December 21, 2010)

During Illness

Hazrat Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi (RA) was ill. He said that this is a miserable life because I can not communicate the Religion (deen) in such a condition.

(Sitting (majlis) on Tuesday, December 21, 2010)

No Stipend for Religion

Some people organized for Sermon at Haram. After that they had some arrangement of refreshments. We said that it was the habit of our Shaikh (Muhi-us-Sunnah (RA)) not to accept such an invitation. Thus four people including Qari Amir Hasan Sahab (DB), Maulana Shahood Alam Sahab and Maulvi Abdul Muqsit were declared non-participants in that part of the programme.

(Sitting (majlis) on Tuesday, December 21, 2010)

Meeting a Scholar

There was also a meeting with a big Scholar who is a retired professor. It was stated by them (either Shaikh Hizaifi (DB) or the Scholar) that in Arab world we have a lot of literature but we lack two things, as compared to the sub-continent: the letters (maktoobat) and the sayings (malfoozat). This is peculiar because both of these things are part of Sunnah.

(Sitting (majlis) on Tuesday, December 21, 2010)

Meeting Shaikh Huzaifi (DB)

This time got the opportunity to have a meeting with Shaikh Huzaifi (DB), the Imam of Haram. It was a meeting for about forty five minutes. (Later on Hazrat Shaikh (DB) said that no other meeting would have given more pleasure. Hazrat Shaikh (DB) also told that shaikh Huzaifi (DB) too was worried about the fact that today our Prayers are mere exercises in sitting and getting up.) In his presence too I urged the same things that I keep repeating here that today the Complete Generation is not paying attention to quitting sins.

(Sitting (majlis) on Tuesday, December 21, 2010)

The Dangerous Door

The largest amount of punishment will be fetched because of tongue.

(Sitting (majlis) on Tuesday, December 21, 2010)

Sermon of Pain

Do not waste your time.

(Sitting (majlis) on Tuesday, December 21, 2010)

What a Supplication!

The Holy Prophet (PBUH) went to Makkah the Honourable and, during Haj, made supplications of Hazrat Ibrahim (AS). Later is a friend of Allah (Khalilullah (AS)). The person making supplications is Beloved of Allah (Habiballah (PBUH)). Obviously this should increase the reward too (if we make the same supplications).

(Sitting (majlis) on Tuesday, December 21, 2010)

For Ease in Your Tasks

More will you do the recitation of asking for forgiveness (astaghfar) more you'll get ease in your tasks.

(Sitting (majlis) on Tuesday, December 21, 2010)

A Simple Remembrance

While sitting or standing keep reciting o my Lord forgive me and have mercy on me (Allahummaghfirli warhumni).

(Sitting (majlis) on Tuesday, December 21, 2010)

Routine for Asking for Forgiveness

Make it a routine to recite a round (tasbih) of Asking for Forgiveness (astaghfar), both morning and evening. If it is possible (that is manageable) then increase it later on.

(Sitting (majlis) on Tuesday, December 21, 2010)

Spoted Shroud

Mufti Abdur Rauf Sakkharwi too asked for proper Recitation. A wrong Recitation is like a shroud with spots.

(Sitting (majlis) on Tuesday, December 21, 2010)

The Focus in Prayers

During Prayers other elements are suspended. If somebody is sneezing then also you can not reply to his supplication during Prayers. Lord Most High will ask that you were communing with me why did you reply to others?

(Sitting (majlis) on Tuesday, December 21, 2010)

Photo Shooting at House of Lord

Another painful thing that came to be seen this time was photography at the House of Allah. Wife is standing, family is standing, poses are being given, hands are being raised (in supplication but for pose only), there is House of Lord in the background and photographs are being taken. This is something that has to be criticized.

(Sitting (majlis) on Tuesday, December 21, 2010)

Distracted by Luxury?

After reaching at Haram turn your thoughts to the fact that these people are among the progeny of the Prophet (PBUH), then your attention will not wander to their luxuries.

(Sitting (majlis) on Tuesday, December 21, 2010)

Make This Intention

Those who intend to go for Haj next year they should make an intention now itself that we shall reform our habits before leaving.

(Sitting (majlis) on Tuesday, December 21, 2010)

Back Biting at Haj

It is very disconcerting that in Mina whole night is spent in backbiting and criticizing others. We should have worried about reforming our habits before embarking on Haj but there is no attention to this side. A single Haj of earlier people used to be equal to one hundred thousand.

(Sitting (majlis) on Tuesday, December 21, 2010)

Returning Rewardless

Our dealings are not reformed and we perform Haj. In such a situation it is true that our duty remains discharged but will fetch no reward.

(Sitting (majlis) on Tuesday, December 21, 2010)

Taking Your follies to the Haram

This is regretful situation that the habits that we have cultivated at home we follow the same in the Haram too. Earlier people used to change their habits before going for Haj, today they go for tourism and for entertainment. 

(Sitting (majlis) on Tuesday, December 21, 2010)

Why Should You Be a Muslim?

I'll say that be on the side of the angels and do not leave it for a later age.

Brother James (Scottish-American who came to Islam at the age of 85).

Those Who Value Religion

A person who values religion (deen) will never deprecate it (like saying o these mullas).

(Sitting (majlis) on Tuesday, December 21, 2010)

Signs of Allah : The Holy Qur’an – 7

    Sailing of Ships

    Out of six Signs of Allah mentioned in Surah Baqrah 2:164 we have covered only two by now. Next one is sailing of ships across the ocean for the benefit of mankind. To understand the Signs of Allah in this case the route is the same as earlier. Praising of Lord in every condition and pondering over His creation – in the present case the sailing of the ships.
    Utility of sailing of ships is again obvious. But where are the Signs of Allah there? Answer : Every useful thing is from Lord Most High and it is obligatory to thank Him for that. Thanking Him is also a route to recognize His Signs. Not impressed? Would you like to imagine the situation where the ships stop transporting, say oil, across the world? Or suppose you are in ship and in the open waters and the captain declares that the ship can not sail anymore. Isn’t the sailing a blessing – blessing from Lord Most High? A blessing should remind about who is bestowing it on us. How a heavier thing like a ship sails on lighter thing, the water is the main Sign here and it too belongs to science. The science of it is rather simple and that too should remind us about the wonderful design of the matter around us-that a material which should sink is not sinking but sailing. It is there because it has been made so. There is a Creator behind its creation.
   
On the spiritual side there is this wonderful story of a person asking Khwaja Faridudding Ganj Shakar (RA) about the Great Name (ism-e-azam) of Lord Most High. On his persistence  Khwaja Sahab (RA) took him, together with two wrestlers, on a boat ride. In the middle of the waters he ordered the wrestlers to drop the man.into water who, dutifully, did exactly the same. Then they sailed away from this man. He yelled and begged and cried for being rescued but to no avail. Finally he concluded that Khwaja Sahab (RA) must have been hating him secretly and today he got a chance to act upon his designs and so he is taking revenge for some unknown grudge.  The person started supplicating to Lord Most High very sincerely. When Khwaja Sahab (RA) heard that the man has completely turned to Allah and disappointed in them then he ordered for his rescue. He told the person that the Great Name of Allah (ism-e-azam) is any name out of beautiful names of Allah that you shall use in utmost distress. That is the life line.
    And this life line is from Lord Most High. Sailing of ships is a life line. It should remind us of our Lord who gave us life and maintains it.

Signs of Allah : The Holy Quran – 6

    Alternating of Day and Night.

    Modern scientific training might put a curtain on our eyes about the sky and the earth or alternatng of day and night being Signs of Allah. Science obscuring Signs. Science as it is practiced now. Atheism, in the name of objectivity and the vague thing called secularism, has been made a part of science. It need not be and it should not be. The reason is not very difficult or too deep to understand. Modern science, though started by Muslims, has been shaped in the western world. The western world has its own history of religion in which an essential period consists of atrocities committed by the church in the name of religion. This lead to reaction of western society towards religion in general, not merely the church, that consists of revulsion towards it. The main manifestation of this attitude is the dictum of separation of the church and the state. It is in this milieu that western science has been shaped. One simple effect of this is that people with scientific background, that is modern scientific background will have a strange feeling and attitude towards religion. Since western science has developed in the state sector, not the religion sector, of their division of society the dominant western attitude towards religion is bit hostile.

No wonder Lord Merciful gave us the Book of Signs (the Holy Qur’an) before science. And beloved Prophet (PBUH) asked for Lord’s refuge from that knowledge that does not benefit. For example the knowledge of the following type : What do you mean by the heavens or the sky ? There is no roof like thing there. Earlier there is atmosphere and then slowly the empty space takes over.

    Good point. Let us say that Lord did not create the atmosphere in which we breathe and that protects us from ultraviolet and other cosmic radiations, for nothing.This much can still be said even if there is no roof like thing. And only this type of thing is implied in the verses where one is exhorted to ponder over the creation of sky and earth.

    Next to realize that Lord did not create the alternating of day and night for nothing we must take the same route as earlier – this is demanded by the verse 3:191. And Lord willing we shall reach the same conclusion that there is a purpose behind the creation of alternating of day and night. Purpose is always associated with a being – here the Supreme Being. Ergo alternating of day and night is a Sign of Allah. If you understand that then you are a man of understanding.

Otherwise? Answer : (1) Praise Allah Most High standing, sitting and lying and (2) ponder over the alternating of day and night – till you become a man of understanding – something that we have seen to be voluntary.
But this is rather easy to understand. If there was no night you’ll get no rest. Life will not last for long without rest. And if there was no day how will you earn your livelihood? Utility of alternating of day and night is rather obvious.
    Again a question might arise in mind : Alright it is useful that they alternate but they just do that. Where is the Sign of Allah in that ?
    Counter Question : Are you denying Lord Most High ? If yes then the presentation is not for you. How did you come this far?
    If you say that you are seeking then good. Keep going on. The alternating of day and night is an effect. It has been created by Lord. There is a creater behind them. There is no doubt about their utility. They serve a purpose. Where there is Being behind that purpose that is the only doubt. And if any one has this doubt then, by the Grace of Lord Most High, he or she is at the right place because the Holy Qur'an is the only thing where there is no doubt. This is the place where all of the doubts will be cleared and all of the doubts will be melted. Hold on fast to this rope of Allah.

To square up the things we must address a feeling that might arise that are we giving an argument that to have faith we should have faith, to recognize a sign you should recognize a sign? Not in the least. To have faith you should be a seeker. To understand Signs of Allah you should ponder over His creation.

Signs of Allah : The Holy Qur’an – 5

    Who Recognizes Signs of Allah and How?

    Let us take Surah Nisa 3:190:

    Behold ! in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the alternation of Night and Day – there are indeed Signs for man of understanding.

    This seems like a tough game. One may ask that do I have to be conceited enough to declare myself a man of understanding to understand Signs of Allah?
    Now will you not be a man of understanding if you understand Signs of Allah?
    But this counter question does not square up the things. We must turn to our Lord Most High for guidance. Who are these men of understanding?

    Let us look at Surah Nisa 3:191:

Men who celebrate the praises of Allah standing, sitting, and lying down on their sides, and contemplating (wonders of ) creation in the heavens and the earth (with the thought): "Our Lord! not for nothing you have created (all) this ! Glory to you. Give us salvation from the Torment of the Fire:"

    Now looking at the first part we see that  to be a man of understanding one has to praise Lord standing, sitting and lying on side. Now this is voluntary. Thus we get two conclusions. To understand the Signs of Allah we must be men of understanding – though this does not help much on the face of it. Secondly to be a man of understanding we must praise Lord in every condition. This might be difficult but it is doable. Thus to understand Signs of Allah is indeed voluntary.
    To wind up – when we praise Lord in every condition and ponder over the heavens and the earth then we are sooner or later bound to get the thoughts that these have not been created in vain.
    When you reach this conclusion you have taken a significant step. This indeed is a matter of guidance and is in deed from Lord Most High. This is the result of your efforts but a nevertheless a favour of Lord – a blessing for praising Lord and pondering over the creation of the heavens and the earth. This is an achievement that is significant because in the beginning you were taking the heavens and the earth for granted  there were just there – that is how they must be, you thought. On the other hand your new thinking is that the heavens and the earth are not created for nothing – there is a purpose. You have picked up a Sign of Allah.

May Lord Most High grant us the facility and the felicity  to recognize His Signs.

Signs of Allah : The Holy Qur'an – 4

    Creation of the Sky and the Earth

    We have in Surah Baqrah 2:164 :

Behold ! In the creation of the heavens (the sky) and the earth; in the alternation of the night and the day; in the sailing of the ships across the ocean for the benefit of mankind; in the rain which Allah sends down from the skies, and the life that He gives therewith to an earth that is dead; in the beasts of all kinds that he scatters through the earth; in the change of the winds, and the clouds which they treat like their slaves between the sky and the earth – (here) indeed are Signs for a people that are wise.

    This is a long list of Signs. It is an overwhelming list except for those whose hearts have been locked. The parting shot makes it clear that to ignore Signs of Allah is an unwise thing to do. A very pertinent observation in present times where to be religious is considered a naive thing. May Lord Most High provide protection from such things.
    The Verse begins with an exclamation Behold! What does it mean? Our attention is demanded by every verse but here it is clear that something extremely important is being said. Something that might be missed if we do not pay proper attention. In short we are being prepared to take those things seriously that we take for granted.
    After that is the following list of signs:

1. Creation of sky and the earth.
2. Alternation of the night and the day.
3. Sailing of the ships across the ocean for the benefit of mankind.
4. Rain sent by Allah from sky – rain that gives life to earth that was dead.
5. Beasts of all kind scattered by Allah across the earth.
6. Changing winds kicking clouds like slaves.

There are six different Signs here. Now the question arises as to how to understand and recognize the Signs of Allah in all these cases. This isotopic of different post and Lord willing we shall take them one at a time later on.

Signs of Allah : The Holy Qur'an - 3

People Without Knowledge vs. People With Faith

    Those who are without knowledge demand special signs of God. For those who have faith these signs are absolutely clear. We have in Surah Baqrah 2:118:

Say those without knowledge : “Why speaks not Allah unto us? Or  why comes not unto us a Sign?” So said the people before them words of similar import. Their hearts are alike. We have indeed made clear the signs unto any people who hold firmly to faith (in their hearts).

    We notice one thing immediately about this verse. It is not about people of knowledge and those without it. It is not about people of faith and without it. From the first set it chooses the latter while from the second set it chooses the former. Clearly people of knowledge are left out of this verse. And so are the people without faith. What about them ? Answer is simple. The people of knowledge are those for whom the Signs of Lord are clear – they are knowledgeable about it , they are the people of knowledge.
    As far as the people without faith are concerned there are anyway excluded from our discussion as has been made clear in the beginning of this series of posts.
    Now both of above two points may leave something to be desired in the mind of an alert reader. Let us take the second point first. So the question is about a person who does not have faith but would like to have it. This is a very good case indeed. The reality is that this person is a seeker. The favour of Lord Most High on mankind is that a seeker ends up getting it – the faith. So there is a good news here.
    To complete the argument it might be asked as to how will this person get his faith. This is a matter of guidance and it is not voluntary. Lord has kept guidance with Him. We can only seek  it, ask for it and pray for it. As said above Lord Most High guides a seeker. (As a related observation ) It is also incombant upon every believer to call people to Lord Most High with beautiful preaching.
    Finally the question may be asked as to why the knowledgeable people have been kept out of this Verse. The simple answer is that it is not required. Peopleof knowledge are already fortunate. Lord Most High is showing His Mercy to those who do not have the knowledge – perchance they may hear.

Place of More Caution Then the Throne

My  Shaikh Dr. Abdul Hayy (Allah have mercy on him) instructed to keep the salutations in front of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) concise and this is what I have found to be the recommendation of most of the scholars.

Mufti Muhammed Taqi Usmani (DB) 

Source : Ashrafia

The Recent Visitor

There is a person who, though a later entrant, but has started attending the sitting (majlis) very regularly. Hazrat Shaikh (DB) noticed it and remarked that religious talk has lots of sweetness in it. This (sweetness) is not temporary. Even the angels listen to it, though they are innocent. They are always in search of these sittings (majalis).

(Sitting (majlis) on Saturday, January 22, 2011)

The Voluntary Common Living

Hazrat Thanwi (RA) belonged to a rich family, in deed he was from a noble family. But he did not take anything from the ancestral property. He had so many associated from all over the world that if he wanted then he would have got the monastery walls built in gold.

(Sitting (majlis) on Saturday, January 22, 2011)

A Strange Thing About Statures

A person who has been given high stature in this world may get high stature in the hereafter too. (If the person has been obedient to Lord Most High.) This is true in spite of the fact that poor will reach the Jannah five hundred years earlier.

(Sitting (majlis) on Saturday, January 22, 2011)

Deceiving Whom?

A person came and said that this world is the place of deception. (So far so good. But he continued with the following statement.) Earn it with deception.

What kind of statement is this? This is a sure recipe for failure (in the hereafter). (May Lord Most High forgive.)

(Sitting (majlis) on Saturday, January 22, 2011)

Misuse of the Method

A disease is becoming common. People will enter into Correctional Relationship with a Pledge (bayt) and receive Permission (Ijazat). Then they will turn this into a worldly business-hands are being kissed and all that. The reason that some of the servers (khuddam) fail in the Method is that they have this world in mind. A caliph of a Shaikh starting indulging in these type of worldly things. The Shaikh called him and during the sitting asked him why was he given Permission? For indulging in worldly activities? Why did your sight turn to this world?

(Sitting (majlis) on Saturday, January 22, 2011)

The Royal and the Physician

There is a person who is a Raja as well as a physician but he comes here for treatment. Even a physician can not treat himself. Similarly for learning one has to go to some body. People do not do that because of pride. Those who indulged in pride ended up learning nothing.

(Sitting (majlis) on Saturday, January 22, 2011)

Responsibility of Correctional Relationship

The way the deniers will be asked whether no Warner came to them similarly people associated with the Elders will be asked whether you implemented their instructions or not.

(Sitting (majlis) on Saturday, January 22, 2011)

Recitations in the Heavens

After assignment of Heavens (Jannah) Allah Most High will ask Hazrat Dawood (AS) to do the Recitation. His Recitation is famous. After listening to that the dwellers of Jannah will say that this is great, we never heard a Recitation like that! After that beloved Prophet (PBUH) will be asked to do the Recitation and he shall do that. On listening to that all present will be further surprised and will declare that the earlier Recitation was nothing as compared to this one. Finally Lord Most High will do the Recitation. He, Exalted is He, will not say in the name of Allah but will say that I am Allah Most Merciful. That will be the pinnacle. After that most of the Holy Qur'an will be taken away except a few Surah. The dwellers of Jannah will Recite them only.

(Sitting (majlis) on Saturday, January 22, 2011)

Credit Bangladesh

Regarding Correct Recitation of the Holy Qur'an, the Prayer Call and the Prayers the credit must go to Bangladesh. The Scholars from there came to Hardoi and accepted with open heart that yes our Recitation had some failings. They learned it. Then they practiced it. And then they also presented their learning for checking and scrutiny. After that they went back and implemented it. They said that we shall give the Prayer Call. There were Traditionists (Muhaddiseen) too among them. Even Traditionists discharged the duties of Prayer Caller.

(Sitting (majlis) on Saturday, January 22, 2011)

It was Learned

Since at our place Correction (of Recitation of the Holy Qur'an, Prayer Call and Prayer) related training is done therefore the experience showed that at many places these things are not being recited properly.

(Sitting (majlis) on Saturday, January 22, 2011)

Importance of Conditions

The Compulsory Duties (after their execution) (fara-iz) are not acceptable if they are not done by fulfilling the Conditions (shara-it) first.

(Sitting (majlis) on Saturday, January 22, 2011)

Recitation in Lahore

There is a monastery in Lahore where you can see that Recitation is going on all the time. It might be the second place after Haram Sharief regarding the volume of Recitation. This is happening even after the Shaikh (RA) has left this world. He must have been doing a lot of Recitation in his life and after him Allah Most High has continued his action.

(Sitting (majlis) on Saturday, January 22, 2011)

Lack of Attention

The current running topic concerns Recitation of the Holy Qur'an. The Muhammeden Generation is paying little attention to it. Turn to it yourself and and call others attention to it. Today one is a Hafiz but even then there is not much Recitation, why? This is because of lack of attention and inclination. The Masha-ikh tell us to start paying attention in small amount. It is like this that when somebody has got stomach upset then the person is advised to intake some very light food in small amount for few days. If the heavy food is taken then the patient will relapse into the same ailment. Similarly the return to Recitation should be implemented in small amounts first.

(Sitting (majlis) on Saturday, January 22, 2011) 

May Be This Is Time

Many people has expressed the experience that they do not find discussion of the matters (masa-il) occurring in their life in Heavenly Ornaments (Bahishti Zewar). Many problems have disappeared, not because of mass reorientation in the direction of Right Path but because of the pressures of modern life. Similarly too many new problems have appeared. Thus while reading some of the matters one gets the feeling that the point being discussed is not so urgent anymore. May be the Scholars should compile a new volume for addressing new problems arising. If you feel connected with the problem under discussion then may be this is time to put the situation before the Elders for consideration.

Check Your Source

I have been repeating about the Holy Qur'an. The first thing is that learn it from some body. Reading exegesis too may not be beneficial (unless taught by a scholar). Also inquire about the writer of exegesis. Even Vinova Bhave wrote an exegesis but he did not declare faith. Writing exegesis is not a simple task. Even Ali Miyan (RA) did not try his hands on it.

(Sitting (majlis) on Friday, January 21, 2011)

Signs of Doomsday

Today we get palpitations in the Mosque. We can stay for hours in the market but in the Mosque if the Imam is late by a few minutes then we start criticizing him.

(Sitting (majlis) on Saturday, January 15, 2011)

Service with Ablution

A person said that till I was in the service of Hazrat-o-Aala I remained with Ablution.

(Sitting (majlis) on Saturday, January 15, 2011)

Incompetence and All

Today our reformation is incomplete. Today when we go (to the People of Allah) then we do not return with any gain, nay, we return with loss only.

(Sitting (majlis) on Saturday, January 15, 2011)

The Proud People

Those people who indulged in pride, they all went to the bad destination. Today nobody says that we are among the generation of Abu Jahl.

(Sitting (majlis) on Saturday, January 15, 2011)

A Religious Man in Debt

A man was caught in debt. He had a religious orientation. He said to the family that the amount of milk for the family will be reduced and meat will be cooked only once in a weak in the house. very soon his debt got repaid.
(Hazrat Thanwi (RA) said that people talk about and try to increase the earnings which is not voluntary at all. They do not resort to reducing the expanses which is completely voluntary.)

(Sitting (majlis) on Saturday, January 15, 2011)

Coarse Grain

Times keep changing for people. Once a relative (of Hazrat Shaikh (DB)) told that many years ago the situation became so constrained that they could not afford wheat flour for the family. When the bread made out of coarse grain flour was used then it will just not hold the gravy of the curry-it was hear breaking.

(An earlier saying)

Debt as a Hobby

If a person takes debt more then his necessity then the blessings of the money are lost.

(Sitting (majlis) on Saturday, January 15, 2011)

Maulana Mehmood Hasan (RA)

To Maulana Mehmood Hasan too people sad very bad things but, like Muhi-us-Sunnah (RA), he too tolerated all that.

(Sitting (majlis) on Saturday, January 15, 2011)

You Are Bad

A person wrote a letter to Muhi-us-Sunnah (RA) in a very intemperate language. The language could give red face to a very patient person too. Shah Hardoi (RA) wrote in the reply that you are my elder and you have the right to admonish me and bring my shortcomings to my notice. I hope, in future too, you shall keep me reminding me of my grave faults.

(Sitting (majlis) on Saturday, January 15, 2011)

An Errant Relative

 A person told Muhi-us-Sunnah (RA) that Hazrat there is a relative of ours. He used to say bad things about you. Now he is sick. I am requesting you to make supplications for him. Hazrat (RA) said that alright I have forgiven him.

(Sitting (majlis) on Saturday, January 15, 2010)

Defaming a Scholar

There has come a letter from a person. He is a Scholar. Some one is trying to defame him and making wild allegations. People take this kind of actions as common activity. (They do not understand the gravity of their actions.)

(Sitting (majlis) on Saturday, January 15, 2011)

Loss of Integrity and Trust

Why is integrity and trustworthiness disappearing today? The reason is that our actions are becoming filthy, dirty and contaminated.

(Sitting (majlis) on Saturday, January 15, 2011)

From Bandipura, Via Delhi and Back

Maulana Rehmatullah Sahab (DB) of Dar-ul-Uloom, Bandipura, Kashmir will be arriving today on Tuesday, January 18, 2011AC around Isha Prayers, from Delhi and then leave back in the night itself.

Amazing that the People of Allah just obliterate the difference of day and night.

Wisdom Over Authority

When correcting some one younger or junior use wisdom (hikmat) and avoid authority (haakimiat).

(Sitting (majlis) on Tuesday, January 18, 2011)

Beat Him

The directive that if your son does not Pray even in the age of ten years then get him to Prayers by beating is not a declaration about using rulers and sticks. This is merely an admonition. Once a professor from Lucknow wrote to Muhi-us-Sunnah that after an altercation my son banged me on the ground and sat on me. Why did this happen? We did not teach our children Religion (deen) and therefore such things are appearing. When you admonish your children then the approach must be delicate. You might say, in soft tones, that son you should not ignore your prayers, this is not a nice thing to do. Once there was a Principal who will take rounds in the college. If there was a teacher who was ignoring his class he will find him and tell him very softly that his students were waiting for him!

(Sitting (majlis) on Tuesday, January 18, 2011)

Benefit as a Side Effect

If you make your self busy in the Recitation of the Holy Qur'an then you'll save yourself from the worldly troubles during that time.

(Sitting (majlis) on Tuesday, January 18, 2011)

Teach Them Science

Some people insist on teaching the so called modern things to the Seminary (madarsa) people, like computer and internet, to make them more advance. I say that if you do your Prayers with wrong pronunciation then you are in a much graver danger.

(Sitting (majlis) on Tuesday, January 18, 2011)

On Significant Seminaries

Once Shah Hardoi (RA) was in Dar-ul-Uloom, Karachi. After delivering the admonitions he asked the students to show their Recitation of the Holy Qur'an. It turned out that there were problems of Pronunciation (tajweed). He told the teachers that in all probability you are not responsible for this wrong pronunciation because this is some thing that the students must have learned some where else before coming to the Dar-ul-Uloom but, remember, that even then this student will be said to be a product of Dar-ul-Uloom, efforts should be made to get their pronunciation right. After that he wrote letters to Dar-ul-Uloom, Deoband as well as Nadwa, Lucknow too regarding the same.

(Sitting (majlis) on Tuesday, January 18, 2011)

Delivering Prayer Call for Forty Years

A person visited a city near Aligarh and after the Prayer Call he contacted the Prayer Caller about some wrong emphasis in his Call. This Caller said you are a boy born just yesterday, I have been delivering the Prayer Call for last forty years. (Though this person later admitted his mistake but at another occasion Hazrat Shaikh (DB) advised that if there is a possibility of a turmoil (fitnah) getting created then avoid making any admonition. For example if the Imam make wrong Prayers then revise your Prayers at home.)

(Sitting (majlis) on Tuesday, January 18, 2011)

What is Pronunciation?

 What is pronunciation (tajweed)? It is correct delivery of words. Today we see that some people give the Prayer Call in a singing tone. Mufti Mehmoodul Hasan Sahab (RA) used to criticize this. He said that the Prayer Call is like royal announcement and that is how it must be delivered.

(Sitting (majlis) on Tuesday, January 18, 2011)

Object of Knowledge

 There was a big (great) Mufti. He used to say that I have gathered knowledge for the sake of acting on it and not for gaining worldly things from it. And I do not have a formal certificate of my knowledge. Today we are busy declaring our selves Qasimi, Mazahiri and Nadwi.

(Sitting (majlis) on Tuesday, January 18, 2011)

Do Some Practice

 When you learn the correct pronunciation of a word of the Holy Qur'an then do some practice of pronouncing it.

(Sitting (majlis) on Tuesday, January 18, 2011)

Reform Your Dealings Too

 One should reform his dealings too. Today we indulge in optional good deeds but then commit sins too. Whenever a few people gather immediately the talk turns to those words that are not preferable.

(Sitting (majlis) on Tuesday, January 18, 2011)

How Does It Give Trouble?

Even in worldly matters when we make a wrong pronunciation of a word then the people who know that language feel the pain of that. (We demand impeccable accent for temporal matters. Should we not do the same for the Holy Qur'an?)

(Sitting (majlis) on Tuesday, January 18, 2011)

The Route to Correct Recitation

Even if you start by correcting the recitation of a single word daily even then  the whole of your Holy Qur'an will become correct.

(Sitting (majlis) on Tuesday, January 18, 2010)

Some Rights of the Holy Qur'an

The learning to read the Holy Qur'an, to do its recitation and to act upon its directions are our duties. If there is laxity in even one of them then there is the danger of being guilty.

(Sitting (majlis) on Tuesday, January 18, 2010)

A Wake Up Call Intime

Wont it be nice to get your wake up call while there is still time to make amends? Here at Ashrafia  we have one such example.

The New Amir-ul-Hind

Maulana Qari Syed Muhammed Usman Mansoorpuri chosen as Amir-ul-Hind

New Delhi (SNB) In the representatives election session of the Amarat-e-Sharia Hind held at the Madni hall at Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, New Delhi. Maulana Qari Syed Muhammed Usman Mansoorpuri, President Jamiat-e-Ulama-e-Hind and teacher of Hadis at Dar-ul-Uloom, Deoband was selected Amir-ul-Hind in the presence of more than a thousand scholars (ulama) from all over the country. According to the constitution of Amarat-e-Shariah 19 names were decided whose separate meeting was held in Kifayatullah Hall. The selected members choose the name of Maulana Mansoorpuri by majority opinion whose formal announcement was done by Maulana Abdul Aziz, Andhra Pradesh, Member, Advisory Board (Majlis-e-Shoora), Dar-ul-Uloom, Deoband. After that the participants took a Pledge at the hands of Amir-ul-Hind.

A condolence message was read in the session for late Maulana Marghoob-ur-Rehman. Maulana Salman Bijnori, teacher Dar-ul-Uloom shed light on his life and called it worth following for the coming generation. Shedding light on the importance and necessity of Amarat-e-Shariah Mufti Salman Mansoorpuri said that for the success of collective system a central power dominant on all others is a must and we get its verification in the idea of monotheism of Islam. He said that a person taking his matters to worldly courts looses even if he wins on the contrary a person taking his matters to Shariah Courts wins both in victory as well as defeat because he had submitted himself to the Doctrine.

 Mufti Abdul Qasim Numani said in his address that this is not a formality but today’s election carries importance for our complete doctrinal guidance and collective life of Muslims. Newly selected Amir-ul-Hind Maulana Qari Syed Muhammed Usman Mansoorpuri said that it was not even my dreams that such an important responsibility will be imposed on me. But now that you have shown such a good faith in me then, respecting your wishes, I shall try to dispose my responsibilities in the best possible manner. After that the session ended with supplications by Maulana Azhar, Caliph Shaikh-ul-Islam Madani. The compering of the representatives session were done by Maulana Matin-ul-Haq Usama Kanpuri.

Roznama Rashtriya Sahara (Urdu), New Delhi Edition, 01-01-2011, p.9

Painful Every Time

The initial phase of Islam, the pre-Migration (Hijrah) period, is painful in the extreme. It is painful every time you go through it. And one should go through it if not daily or weekly then at least monthly. Brother Ahmed at Haq Islam has a very succinct presentation of the events in a post there. This can be used with profit for our regular refreshing of the events. May we add a wish that it would have been nice if the first martyr of Islam Hazrat Sumaiyya (RA) was mentioned with name.

The Preaching of Islam

The Preaching of Islam is a book by T.W. Arnold and it is a must read. Here is some background on it.
First Edition :    Aligarh, 1896
Second Edition :    London, 1913
Here are the Chapter titles :

Muhammed (PBUH) As A Preacher of Islam
Spread of Islam Among Christian Nations of Western Asia
Spread of Islam Among Christian Nations of Africa.
Spread of Islam Among Christian of Spain
Spread of Islam Among Christian Nations of Europe Under The Turks
Spread of Islam in Persia and Central Asia
Spread of Islam Among the Mongols and Taters
Spread of Islam in India
Spread of Islam in China
Spread of Islam in Africa.
Spread of Islam in Malay Archipelago

To write it he benefited from libraries all over the world and particularly the personal libraries of the Nawabs. The references include books in more than a dozen languages including English, French, German, Russian, Greek. Though the author says that this is not a book about the conquests and battles but anyway he ends up thoroughly demolishing the popular belief that Islam was spread with the power of the sword. For every region in which Islam is found the only mode of spread is either preaching by the pious or the character and the way of life of Muslim traders. The Theory of sword is dead, for long. Only if we new it!

Signs of Allah : The Holy Qur’an - 2

The Holy Qur’an Itself

    Once a non-Muslim friend asked a question which be began with the words this book by Muhammed Sahab, the Qur’an …… (may Peace and Blessing be upon the Holy Prophet).
    Now there is the first rub. The book descended on the blessed heart of the Holy Prophet (PBUH), he did not write or create it. This is Lord’s book. There is no other way to make sense of it.
    Any number of evidences can be given from the book that the Holy Prophet (PBUH) is not its writer. Jewish and Christian writers have been hinting for 1432 years that, may Lord forgive us for saying these things, that the Holy Prophet lived among Jewish and Christian people and borrowed from their ideas and beliefs. Present set of posts are not aimed at refuting these claims. The aim of these posts is to present Signs of Allah.
    Verily Lord Most High has said that those who deny (Signs of Lord and hence Lord Himself) it is same whether you warn them or not. Thus when one is writing to refute the Jewish and Christian claims about Islam even then your audience is really Muslim. In the present context we are anyway focusing on those people with an open mind.
    Thus the Holy Quran is not a book written by the Holy Prophet (PBUH) because he said that it is from his Lord-our Lord. It is a book of Lord because that is what Lord Most High says in it. Ergo it is a Sign of Allah.
    It was revealed over a period of 23 years. Humans change continuously. The message of the Holy Qur'an  remained the same in those twenty three years. Thus it can not be human creation.
    And so on. This line of argument can be continued with profit for nearly every Verse of the Holy Qur’an. We shall have a look at few of such things in this series.

   We are talking about faith. Faith is a personal decision for whom a person is responsible in this life and the hereafter. This fact should be kept in mind to profit from Signs of Allah that are being described in this series.

Signs of Allah : The Holy Quran - 1

    Creator is recognized by his creation. Thus this world, everything in it, is a sign of Allah Most High. But things we see around us belong to this world. And this world has the characteristic of making us forget the reality, the hereafter and even our Lord. Thus, as a result, we start taking the world for granted. We have to come out of that and get into the frame of mind in which we ask about the attributes of the Creator of the world. Even in this world we come across such things that can not be taken for granted and we are forced to ask the question as to who created that. Take the parable of a nightly journey in a forest where it is raining. Then you see a straight line about the horizon, during lightening. You’ll conclude that it must be a building, an old fort or some thing. It is not usual. It a sign of its builders. It is not a natural feature it is man made. A sign of man's presence, at least in the past.
    Similarly we come across things that force us to ask questions about their creator, Lord Almighty. They wake us up out of our slumber. As if bringing us out of sleep.
    The Holy Qur’an is one such thing. It is tangible. When you read it there is no other way to make sense of its subject matter accept to think of our Lord Most High.
    Except for those on whose eyes and minds Lord Most High has put a curtain because of their bad deeds. We, anyway, are not talking about them.
    We have talked about Signs of Allah in the context of scientific situations. We shall continue that. Here we are beginning a new series of posts where we shall look at Signs of Allah as mentioned in the Holy Qur'an.

Editorial: Editor's Word (Armughan, Jul-Aug 2005AC)

In the name of Allah, most merciful, most Benevolent.

The towering personality of Muhi-us-Sunnah Hazrat Maulana Shah Abrar-ul-Haq Sahab(RA) was, particularly for Muslims of North India, a shade of mercy and minaret of light, that provided a thick shade to the travelers of the Method and the humanity scorched by the heat of waywardness, his whole life illuminated knowledge and art, thought and action, education and training, mysticism and spirituality, worships and incantations together with many other corners of Islamic affairs. After the adoption of final journey by a large number of high caliber Elders of this area, in last few years like Hazrat Maulana Syed Abul Hasan Ali Nadawi (RA), Hazrat Qari Siddique Ahmad Bandawi (RA), Mufti Mehmood Hasan Gangohi (RA), Mufti Muzaffar Husain Saharanpuri (RA), one after another, like the beads of a rosary (tasbih) the personality of  Muhi-us -Sunnah had become the last reference and the support in the field of mysticism and method, correction and training where the fans from all over the country used to quench their thirst, both intellectual and spiritual. Regretfully, after his demise, this spiritual support too is lost.

Though from the Exalted Being of Allah Most High no period of time remains vacant from the reformers for
guidance of humanity, therefore no doubt the work of correction and training will continue and even after being abandoned by thousands of nightingales this garden will not be deserted but who will bring the personality that is bearer of acceptability (among the people) and affection (for the people), epitome of scholarly dignity, announcer, declarer, demand-er and follower of Sunnah, opponent of deviations and a corrector, full of Prophet (PBUH)'s love, herald of Relation with Allah and countless combined properties like Muhi-us-Sunnah? Particularly after him we will not get any one who had benefited directly from and had the seal of getting the training in the Thanwi-court.

Hazrat’s home place was relatively unknown district Hardoi of the state of Uttar Pradesh (in India). In past innumerable towns of this place have produced many outstanding personalities. Among them  the town of  Bilgram single handedly had lit the lamps of knowledge and blessings, history and literature and a whole series of scholars, intellectuals and writers belongs to this town. Among them a prominent student of Shah Waliullah, writer of Crown of Bride (Taj-ul-Uroos)-a compilation of famous explanation of Imam Ghazali’s book Revival of Religious  Knowledge (Ahya) and a high level scholar of his times, a Traditionist and dictionary compiler Allama Syed Murtaza Zubedi Bilgrami (RA) are specially on the top of the list. About the former the famous author of modern times Hazrat Maulana Syed Abul Hasan Nadwi (RA) used to say that in my knowledge no dictionary has such a detailed explanation the way Crown of Bride is the explanation of Qamoos. This book was weighed in god in the life time of the author and prominent rulers and kings invited him to their countries and got certificates from him. In the same town the writer of tens of books like Subhat-ul-Marjan Ghulam Ali Azad Bilgrami and translator of Gustawli’s famous books Arab Civilization and Indian Civilization Syed Ali BIlgrami too were born. Apart from Bilgram-the locality of pious people, this district has the towns like Sandila, Shahabad and Gopamau to which some important personalities of history have been associated and this area is not barren still.
    But in the immediate past no world level personality of world level actions was born in this whole district. And, like other historical towns, for a long time this whole area remained submerged in religious and intellectual ignominy. And then in the last period when the Generation was in a state of unease Allah Most High gave this glorious land of past the personality of Maulana Shah Abrar-ul-Haq in face of whose achievements the achievements of big people of knowledge and inspiration become dull. And for the first time in history this district got introduced with the name of Hazrat Shah Sahab. So much so that Hardoi that is merely a town and a district became a part of his name. Thus in the religious community of Islam he was remembered as Hazrat Hardoi (RA). Set aside other specialties of Hazrat Shah Sahab (RA) for, from the point of view of capabilities of knowledge he was among the first pass outs of Mazahir-ul-Uloom, Saharanpur and had passed through that hands of the mystical reformer Hazrat Thanwi (RA), the tasks that give him world fame and that introduced him to the continents of Africa, America and Europe, was his revival of Sunnah, that is, reminding Muslims of scores of forgotten Sunnah like correction of several common failings of Prayer Call and  and Prayer, intellectual training of generation through seminaries and schools and training of teachers and its practical demonstration. And criticism of objectionable things with courage and fearless attitude and the same things dominated his life in the context of Self Correction and training.
    These are few clear and main points that became a speciality of this great personality – for which Hazrat-o- WalaJamiat-e-Shah Waliullah and its President Muhtaram Hazrat Maulana Kalim Siddiqui and the way the basic tenants of Waliullahian thought to connect the Generation to Quran, he spent the whole life in struggle it was his right that Armughan should bring out a special number on his personality with a comprehensive introduction. In this connection it is an insignificant tribute to a benefactor of ours. This contains articles by many of his significant caliphs and the people who benefited by his company. This presentation neither encompasses his total specialities nor it is a step in the direction of complete deliverance of that right. But through it a sketch of Hazrat (RA)’s achievements and a map of his greatness can indeed comes to the fore.
    Though less endowed,
        The travelers aren’t lax!
    (Kam Kosh to hain lekin,
                   Bejauq nahin rahi)
Wasi Sulaiman Nadwi,  Armughan, Combined Issue of July –August, 2005 AC

Honourable Wife of Hazrat Muhi-us-Sunnah (RA)

 Talking and Pondering

    On 16 Ramadan-ul-Mubarak, 1430 AH (as counted in Madras, Chennai) accordingly Sunday, September 6, 2009AC wife of our instructor and helper Hazrat Muhi-us-Sunnah Maulana Abrar-ul-Haq Sahab Hardoi, may Allah fill his tomb with light, who the people connected with Muhi-us-Sunnah, may Allah purify his innerself, used to call with the title of Ammi Jaan) passed away from this perishable home and met her real Lord and King. Verily we are for our Lord and unto Him is our return.
    Hazrat Ammi Jaan, may Allah have Mercy on her, belonged to a cultured, high class and rich family. She was decorated with religious and worldly education. Her honourable father belonged to the circle of Hazrat Healer of Generation Ashraf Ali Thanwi, may Allah have Mercy on him. Because of this blessing she had very kind desposition and high character. On Hazrat Thanwi (RA)’s advice her marriage took place with Hazrat Muhi-us-Sunnah (RA). She was very liberal benefactor. She had a rather easy (spending) hand. Many widow and poor women used to come to her, whom she would help with broad heart. With poor and helpless students studying in the seminary too she dealt with love and kindness and used to fulfill their needs. So much so that she used to cajole the hearts of the wives of the seminary teachers also by occasional gifts and presents. Apart from this an appreciable amount of her money was spent on the seminaries attached to the Majlis-e-Dawat-ul-Haq, Hardoi. She was very honouring to the guests and for entertaining the scholars, Shaikhs, Elders visiting the monastery she used to prepare food herself. So much so that she’d get appropriate food for sick visitors. This continued till her last days.
    These are some qualities that we have observed on our own. About her other qualities we have heard this that she was a wholesome and worth quoting model of patience and thankfulness, detachment and control, donation and kindness, supplication and prayers, fear and purity and relation with Allah.
  Hazrat Ammi Jaan, may Allah have Mercy on her, was ill for quite sometime. Treatment was done initially in Lucknow and then in Delhi. Finally, before Ramadan, she was taken to Mumbai. In Mumbai only her preferred time came to pass. The news of her expiry reached all over  India and abroad within a short time. Many of the associates and attached people of Muhi-us-Sunnah (RA) reached Mumbai for Funeral Prayer. Hazrat Aqdas Arifbillah Qari Amir Hasan Sahab, may Allah Most High provide his high shadow, was in confinement (aitikaaf) in Melvisharam (Tamil Nadu). Hearing this news he reached Mumbai by plane and he lead the Funeral Prayer and she was buried in Mumbai only – though neither Mumbai is her native home nor she had relatives their. This was so because Hazrat Muhi-us-Sunnah acted firmly upon the Doctrinal ruling that wherever one expires that person should be buried there. So much so that whenever the situation arose in case of associated scholars or Elders then he arranged to implement this ruling. Thus his son-in-law Physician of the Generation, Arifbillah Hazrat Aqdas Hakim Kalimullah Sahab, may Allah sustain his thick shadow, acting and upholding the tack of  Hazrat Muhi-us-Sunnah (RA) ordered that Ammi Jaan will be buried in Mumbai only.
    May Lord have Mercy on Hazrat Ammi Jaan and provide her continuous progress in His circle of Mercy and a beautiful patience to the grieved people. Ameen. It is a request to the readers that as much as it is feasible make transfer of reward for Ammi Jaan (RA) and supplicate for her high stature. 

Dawat-ul-Haq, October 2009, p. 3

Sayings of the Physician of Generation - 9

Marks of the Alchemical Company of 

Physician of the Generation, Reference of Scholars

Hazrat Shaikh Hakim Muhammed Kalimullah Sahab Damatbarkatuhum

in Service of the Readers of Dawat - ul - Haq 

(Now Readers of Thus Spake Hazrat Shaikh)

(Compiled by Hazrat Mufti Khwaja Masoom Saqib Sahab Zeedmujdahum)

Dawat-ul-Haq, October 2009 AC, p. 17

Good deeds of father are useful for children. Similarly decent children are big continuous charity for parents. Similarly errant and spoiled children are a source of pain in this life and source of recurring punishment in the hereafter. If the parents try for education and training of their children upto their capacity and even then the children do not adopt proper ways then probably there might be a way out in presence of Allah (for the parents). But dis-obedient and errant offspring is any way a source of trouble in both worlds. Thus we must pay attention.
    Some people have Permission (for taking up reformation of people who desire self correction) from seniors (akabir). I say that the permission is given for self correction. Reformation of people is indeed very blessed thing but its turn comes after self correction and correction of one’s own children. Hazrat Maulana Shah Wasiullah Sahab, may Allah have Mercy on him, used to love the children of Seniros (akabir) a lot and used to give them special honour. In general too it has been seen to be the habit of elders to give honour to the children of the Elders. Because of this these children should not be proud and should not get involved in any mis-understanding in their own context. If they will not give due regard to the connection because of which they are receiving the regard and if they will not turn to their own reformation then they will ultimately will end up deprived of the benefits of the chair (order, silsila). It is must for everybody to avoid sins but those who are special in someways for them the requirement to avoid this is more necessary. It does not make any difference to the dirtyness of a sin whether a person is somebody’s son, relative or a disciple.
    I say it repeatedly that sins have the character of attracting punishment and good deeds have th character of fetching forgiveness. Today by His Favour and Mercy Allah Most High has brought a strange topic to (my) heart. You see that sins take place-they take place inspite of not wanting to commit them. But look at the pure kindness of Allah Most High that even for sinners of the Generation he provides  four rewards : (1) He does not cut off sustenance of the people inspite of sins. Sinners livelihood continues and sometimes it continues with affluence. (2) Health is not destroyed. Men indulges in revolt and disobedience of Allah using the health given by Allah but Allah does not take away his health and strength. So inspite of sins livelihood continues and the health too remains sound. In fact sometimes a person becomes more strong after commiting sins. (3) Allah hides the negative things of the sinner and Allah Most High saves him from shame and indignity. The shame and indignity that follows a sin-if even a fraction of that becomes apparent in this world than the sinners wont remain hidden and will face ignominy owing to their sins. This will constrain the world on the sinner greatly. But Allah Most High does not disgrace the sinner publicly. Like sustenance and continuous health his cover up too continues. (4) The end result of a sinner is punishment and wrath. It is a strange treatment with a sinner on part of Allah Most High that rather than punishing him and subjecting him to wrath he is given time and opportunity to repent and make amends. Hazrat Rasoolallah, may Peace and Mercy be on him, has given the method to repent and avoid the trouble in this and the next world once a person ends up sinning. Correction and repentance should be of the same type as has been the disobedience of Lord Most High. Holy Prophet (PBUH) also taught the way to deliver the rights of the people and Rights of Allah. This is the benefit of having connection with  the people  of Allah that they suggest appropriate formulae for reformation. In deed, in the first place, by the blessings of their company hatred of sins is produced in hearts. Then if there is some shortcoming and there is a failing in delivering the rights of people or Rights of Allah then these people of Allah suggest simple methods for compensating for them.    
    Satan is very crafty. He tries to get slaves involved in sins and after that he tries to push him into despair by making them suspicious of Allah. Thus nobody is exempted from his self-correction. But you cannot reform yourself on your own. It is necessary to contact a reformer, to hand over one’s self to him and to act upon his advice.

Not a Simple Matter

If a Muslim, having succumbed to his Baser Self and Satan the cursed accepts a proposition against the Nation and the Generation and harms it by his actions then he is a hypocrite by action. Whatever punishment he gets in the hereafter, for selling out Generation, that he shall get but in this world too he will be called J'afar and Sadiq and every Muslim will look at him with disdain :

J’afar in Bengal, Sadiq in Deccan,
Wretched of Generation, Religion and Homeland.

( J’afar az Bengal,  Sadiq az Dakan,
Nang-e-Millat,  Nang-e-Deen,  Nang-e-Qaum.)

Maulana Shams-ul-Haq Nadwi, T’amir-e-Hayat, July 10, 2010 AC, Editiorial

(The original wordings are nang-e-mulk, nang-e-qaun, nang-e-deen.)