Whom to Turn To?

Whatever be the trouble turn to Allah Most High. A common mistake that is happening is that we turn to others than Allah Most High when in any trouble. Because of this even the accepted application (the supplications ) are drowned.

(Sitting (majlis) on Friday, December 31, 2010)

European Muslim Population

In 2008 the Muslim population was estimated to be 2 million. There are two aspects of it. For the Europeans this number itself is too large. In Muslim circles usually such numbers are taken as under estimations. If recent history is any guide then it usually happens that Muslim view point gets corroborated. And it was. The population of Muslims in Britain was estimated to be 2.4 million in 2009.  It is difficult to have have an increase of twenty percent in one year by natural reproduction and reversion. Such increases can happen only after mass migration. The obvious conclusion is that earlier numbers were an under estimation. The buck does not stop there. The 2010 figure says that Britain has, in deed, 2.87 million Muslims. Again this can not be explained by usual arguments. The only rational explanation is that earlier figures were both under estimations. 

One problem of under reporting population is that you can not explain the growth in the subsequent years. Naturally the fear of population drowning come to the fore. Muslims have little to do with this state of affairs but the consequence will be growing concern about their population.

Sayings of the Physician of the Generation - 6

Expressions 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, Vol. 7, No.1, p.17

Honourable and kind Prophet (PBUH) said that in the body of a person there is a blob of meat, if this is alright then the whole body remains alright and when it goes bad then the whole body goes bad. Actually heart is the king of the body and if the king is spoiled then the whole kingdom is spoiled. The glorious thing for a believer is that he must avoid both open and hidden sins. Allah Most High has decreed that avoid open as well as hidden sins. Save yourself from open as well as hidden sins. Shaikh will show the way to avoid sins while Baser Self and Satan will try to get a servant of Allah involved in sins. But if the person keeps acting upon Shaikh’s advice then he shall be kept safe from the traps of Satan and Baser Self . And, may God forbid it, if he ends up committing a sin because of human urge and laxity then Satan will mislead the believer away from the right path by making him hopeless. But a Shaikh has love for the servants of Allah and they do not let the servants of Allah fall into despair. They encourage to ask for repenting , they worry about reformation, they propose formulas of reformation.They never give up hope for any patient unlike worldly physicians. Worldly physicians sometimes looses hope for his patient and they give up but the spiritual Masters (Masha-ikh) never give up hope of reformation of spiritual patients because this reformation has been proved by Sunnah of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and the Holy Sunnah have a potential and reliability in them.

The method of reformation of our Elders is derived from the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet (PBUH). However perfect be the method of reformation but its benefits depend upon obedience. Even if a worldly physician writes the best prescription there will be no benefit from it till the prescription is properly acted upon. Proper result depends upon two prefaces. (1) Correct prescription (2) Proper use of it. The situation is similar in case of spiritual healers. The only difference is that there is no doubt about the propriety of the prescription, in case of no benefits only its utilization and following might be faulty. The real duty of the Shaikh is to determine and propose a proper prescription and the duty of the follower is to act upon it properly. Then you just see, Lord willing, what wonderful results will be obtained. People might think: what will be the result ? I say that you’ll get to be firm on religion and love of Allah Most High, this acquaintance and closeness to Him shall be developed, achieved. What can be the riches better than this for a believer?

But this closeness and acquaintance can not be achieved together with blameworthy morals and sins. The glory of a believer is to give up blame worthy traits and to adopt praiseworthy morals. That is why these settings (majalis) are there . One should attend these sittings (majalis) with the intent of reformation of self and the instructions that are given, those should be acted upon. Action is the only thing that leads to progress. The tradition to act upon instructions has come down to us as a continuous chain. Hazraat Pious Caliphs (RA) used to act upon the instructions of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) to the full. They kept serving him and they kept deriving the benefits of his company. The world saw that they become the suns and the moons for guidance such that the light of guidance spread throughout the world. Among the human beings they have the highest status after the Prophets (AS). After that are the stations of other companions (RA) according to their stature. A companion (RA) got that status even if he got the company only for a moment. All stations of Friendship of Allah can not match up with the stature of companionship, even combinely. That is the effect of company. It is the effect of the company of the Holy Prophet (SAW) that the companions (RA) got that status. The Divine injunction is to be among the pious. In that verse it has been ordained to adopt pious company and to learn and adopt pious character. That is the method of the mystics. This is what happens in the monasteries that good morals are acquired by adopting pious company. And this is the Prophetic inheritance. That was the method of the kind prophet (PBUH). The controls of pious morals and avoidance of blame worthy morals are slowly removed and the colour of praiseworthy traits starts dominating.

Hazrat Shah Hardoi(RA) used to say that whenever I need, I go to the physician myself,  I do not call him. Once the physician said that I feed shy of it and therefore I want to come to you myself. Hazrat Hardoi (RA) said that my non-arrival and calling you in stead of that is against justice. The dependent must go to the one upon whom he is dependent. You see? This is praiseworthy moral. People of Allah adopt the same care and subtlety in the rights of the people. After that, as an acknowledgement of a blessing, Hazrat (RA) said that all these habits are by now in my nature. People of Allah say that absorption of injunctions of the Doctrine as actions of  habit is a big charisma. For many people of Allah the Doctrine is exactly their nature.

Sometimes Hazrat Hardoi (RA) used to say that in the Qalandaria order the constant watching of the heart is a very important thing. People of Allah constantly keep an eye on their heart. They do not allow even passage to thoughts against the Doctrine through their heart. Whenever such a thought arises then they are worried about its correction and worry as to why did it occur at all? Hazrat –o-Aala used to say that it is easy to Pray, it is easy to Fast but it is very difficult to keep a watch on your heart. Clearly those people of Allah who have achieved this –how high will be their stature? What a closeness and acquaintance with Allah they might have achieved? This can not even imagined. All these fruits are a result of acting upon, “Be amongst the Truthful”.Without company neither firmness nor progress can be achieved. For perfection of seeking (sulook) company of the pious is extremely important and basic requirement.

Who Said That?

There are the Prophetic sayings, these are the Traditions, the hadees. There are the sayings of our early elders (salaf-e-saliheen). These are two different things. Preparing for Friday beginning with previous day evening has been the habit of early elders. This is not a hadis.

(Sitting (majlis) on Thursday, December 30, 2010)

A Diversion

Since these are not directly related to the present blog the items related to late Dr Syed Muhammed Ahmed have been posted at another blog whose name and link appears just above the Blog Archive on the side panel to the right.

Formula to be Safe from Pain and Sorrow

If a person wants to be safe from pain and sorrow in this world than there is no way except that to have no expectation of a gain from any body. Relation of hope and fear should be kept only with Exalted Being of Allah Most High.

-Divine Imam Hazrat Maulana Rashid Ahmed Gangohi, Allah have Mercy on him.

Etiquette of Recitation

Recitation has some etiquette. We recite with speed in order to finish quickly (and be done with). This is not a correct thing. 

(Sitting (majlis) on Tuesday, December 28, 2010)

Removal of the Rust on Heart

The Explainers (AS) themselves told us that Recitation of Holy Qur'an removes the rust on heart.

(Sitting (majlis) on Monday, December 27, 2010)

Fun at Sunni Forum

The guys at Sunni Forum are having a delicious discussion on Masha-ikh of Hyderabad.

A Great Worship

In conclusion Recitation of the Holy Qur'an is a great worship.  Optional Prayers (nawafil ) are good things (mustahab) but reading the Holy Qur'an is mandatory. We are very particular about optional things (nawafil) but completely ignore the mandatory. (Learn from Elders). Dr Nadir Khan Sahab (Damatbarkatuhum) learned correct recitation of the Holy Qur'an from Qari Ilyas Sahab (DB).

(Sitting (majlis) on Sunday, December 26, 2010) 

Miyan (Dr Syed Muhammed Ahmed) Passed Away

Miyan, Dr Syed Muhammed Ahmed, passed away yesterday evening at 5:40PM, here at Aligarh. He was 74 and retired in 1996 as Assistant Public Relations Officer (APRO) of AMU, Aligarh. Burial is scheduled to take place, Lord Most High willing, today, on Sunday December 26, 2010, immediately after Zuhar Prayers at Minto E.

May Lord Most High grant him forgiveness, ignore his shortcomings and failings and grant him a high place in Jannah.

Verily we are for our Lord and unto Him is our return.

(Related posts : One, two, three, four.)

A Curtain on Our Intellect

The current topic is regarding Recitation of the Holy Qur'an-its benefits, its importance, its excellence and its advantages. But we are deprived of all that because there are curtains on our intellect.

(Sitting (majlis) on Saturday, December 25, 2010)

The Book in Current Use

This is a booklet called Etiquette of Recitation (Aadab-e-Tilawat) that is currently being used by Hazrat Shaikh (DB) to initiate the sitting (majlis).

(Sitting (majlis) on Saturday, December 25, 2010) 

Sinking in Sins

Day before yesterday I had said the the whole Generation today is ignoring Recitation (of Holy Qur'an). There is time for everything else but not for Recitation. The reason for that is that we are sunk deeply into sins.

(Sitting (majlis) on Friday, December 24, 2010)

Observing the Elders

I saw Maulana Shah Wasiullah Sahab (RA)-he used to repeat the words of the Prayer Call and after it was over he would recite the Intercession Supplication (dua-e-waseelah) too.
(Sitting (majlis) on Thursday, December 23, 2010)

Question of Mere Half an Hour

If you calculate the time required to do the Compulsory (Farz) Prayers in a day it comes out to be barely half an hour. We do not do even that. Be it the common people or the elite.


(Sitting (majlis) on Wednesday, December 22, 2010)

Mere Academic Exercise

There something that I said at other places (during Haj excursion). It proved beneficial, to me and to others. This was said in Hardoi too and at other places too. Today whole of the Generation is difficulty because we have stopped acting upon admonitions. Admonitions are limited to tongue only, we do not act upon them. The way out now is to indulge in excessive asking for Forgiveness.

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

(P.S:  Nice to back on the routine.)

Goose Pimples

Ever wondered about the Prophetic Champers of the Prophetic Mosque (Peace and Blessings of Lord be on our Master)? Have a look at the Ilmgate article about it. It is sure to give you goose pimples.

Adabgaah eest zer-e-aasmaan az arsh nazuktar,
Nafas gum karda mi aayad Junaid-o-Bayazid eenja

Inderpat (Actually Fatawa Tatar Khania) Redux

 (We have made our miserable attempts to introduce some historical and geographical  context to Fatawa Tatar Khania. This was for the purpose of introducing following excerpts from an article in December 2010AC issue of Nida-e-Shahi (see here for the contents of a sample issue) p.55. For those of us who do not have the benefit of Dars-e-Nizami this article introduces one of the books beyond Bukhari and Muslim.)

On First Complete Publication of the Rare Book of Hanafi Jurisprudence
“Fatawa Tatar Khania”

A Dignified Function Held at Madarsa Shahi

In the nearly one and the half century long history of the great center of learning, Jamia Qasmia Madarsa Shahi, Moradabad, the date 23 Ziqadah 1431 AH (accordingly November 1, 2010 AC) will surely be written in the golden letters because here today the release ceremony of the remarkable, rare and unavailable book of Hanafi Jurisprudence Al-Fatawa Al-Tatar Khania (authored by Allama Farid-ud-Din Alam ibn Al-Ala Ad-Dehlawi, d. 786 AH) took place in the presence of senior Scholars and Muftis. Remember that this extensive tome based on 23 volumes was till now only available in the MS (manuscript) form in various libraries of the world and was not published in complete form. This has been published by Mufti and Traditionist Hazrat Maulana Shabbir Ahmad Sahab Qasmi after painstaking research and investigations of days and nights for three long years. In this thousands of juristic matters are contained and it is based on references to ten thousand traditions.

Overview of the Book and the References: This dignified function started with the recitation of the Holy Qur'an in the Hameedi Hall of the Jamia. After that introducing Fatawa Tatar Khania and the work done on that Mufti Shabbir Ahmed Qasmi said that the compiler of the book was a resident of Delhi. Earlier this place was called Inderpat which probably was located where we now have the central office of the Jamiat-e-Ulema-e-Hind and Masjid Abd-un-Nabi. A nobleman of the court of King Tughlaq by the name of Tatar Khan requested the honourable Scholar to compile a book which collects the important and essential Jurisprudence. Thus this Scholar collected essential elements, in my knowledge, from 130 books of Jurisprudence to compile this book. He based this book on Al Muheet Al Barhani. In the times of Muslim rulers the second big work was done in the times of Hazrat Shah Aurangzeb Alamgir (RA) which is called Fatawa Alamgiri. That collection is published for around fifty years and Muftis have been benefiting from it but Fatawa Tatar Khania had not been printed and published and is now being published in complete form for the first time in the world. But its importance can be guessed from the fact that inspite of this book being in the form of MS only great authors have given references to it in their books – and they obtained its copies by making long journeys and benefited from it and copied its narration in their books.

In the research and compilation of this book we have taken help of five MSS and one published copy:
1. Constantinople (Istanbul) MS: In our view this is the most authentic MS based on eight thick volumes which had been obtained by the hard work of a learned Maulvi of Madarsa Shahi Inam-ul-Haq of Hyderabad.
2. MS of Raza Library of Rampur: This too is an authentic manuscript which is based on two volumes of large size.
3. MS of Salar Jung Library Hyderabad: This is a MS with very good handwriting but because of missing text in between the places the topics becomes incoherent, therefore it was not followed much.
4. MS Khuda Baksh Library Patna: This manuscript too has many mistakes. So the humble self did not trust this one too.
5. MS An-Nashashbi: This manuscript has very peculiar script which is rather difficult to follow.

Apart from this we have also used a lot the published version by Qazi Sajjad Husain Sahab (RA). He probably had the Salar Jung MS in his pursual.

Apart from clarification of this book we have done two things:
1. We have numbered every problem (mas-ala) whose number goes to 33878 and each number has several problems/matters. This takes the problems addressed to thousands.
2. For matters that are definitive for them numerous traditions and aasar (Sunnah of the beloved Prophet (PBUH) and the statements of the Companions (RA)) have been completely entered in the margins.

Most of the aasar of Companions (RA) and Tabayeen (RA) have been copied from three books:
1. Author Abd-ur-Razzaq: This author is counted among early traditionalists and is a teacher of the
teachers of Imam Bukhari (RA).
2. Author Abi Bakr Bin Abi Sheba: He too is among early traditionalists. Many references have been given from this book because of the fact that the author is a staunch critic of Abu Hanifa (RA) and his jurisprudence. In fact he even wrote a book by the name Kitab-ar-Radd Ala Abi Hanifa. It has ona sided arguments – a thing that is against justice!
3. Similarly we have frequently quoted aasar from Imam Behaqi (RA)’s Sunan Kubra for he too had an orientation against Imam Abu Hanifa (RA).

Today some deprived people make a propaganda for Imam Abu Hanifa not knowing Traditions (Hadis) though more than four thousands traditions are attributed to Imam Sahab (RA). Recently a Darul-Uloom educated colleague of ours Maulana Latif-ur-Rehman Behraichi has published a collected in four volumes entitle “Musnad Imam Abu Hanifa”. In any case we have tried in our attempts on the margins the Hanafi Matters are clarified in the light of the arguments from traditions and aasar to remove the misconceptions. By all Praise to Allah more than ten thousands traditions and aasar have been entered in these references.

First Friday Sermon

 Oh Lord Myself! Oh Lord Myself!

(The cry on the Day of Judgment will be Oh Lord myself! Oh Lord myself. A Friday sermon has brought this to the fore in a very candid manner. Here is that sermon. See here for the Second Friday Sermon that has already been posted some time back.)

 All praise in for that Lord except whom none can be expected to solve the riddles and to remove the afflictions. None is called to remove the troubles but Him. And there is none in both the worlds who is the desire of the lovers but Him. And the there no aim and object of the intercessors in the two worlds but Him. All the creatures are weak and there is no power except Him. All people are dependent – only He is independent. There is no creator and no one with Greatness but only Him. And there is no protector and helper but Him. Forgiver of sins, acceptor of repentance, tough decider, powerful, the one and only worthy of worship is none other than Him. There is no creator except for Allah and only He is the One who gives you sustenance from the sky and the earth. There is none worthy of worship besides Him. There is no creator, no sustainer except Him. Who is the owner of ear and eye except Him? And who is knower of secrets and hidden things except Him?

When Moses (AS) called on Sinai then he too said the same thing – there is none worthy of worship except Him! When Jonah (Hazrat Yunus (AS)) called in the belly of the fish then he too said the same thing – there is none worthy of worship except Him! When Yusuf (AS) called from the depths of the well then he too proclaimed that there is none worthy of worship except Him. When Ibrahim (AS) called in the burning fire then he too said the same thing that there is none worthy of worship except Him and we bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah, He is alone and has no partners, and He is Alive and there is none worthy of worship except Him. And we bear witness that our Leader and our Master Hazrat Muhammad (SAW) is His servant and messenger. May Mercy of Allah descent upon him and his progeny and on his companions, and Blessings and Peace. Know that this world will be over and so will be the joys within it and the obedience done therein will sustain, to spend a life of obedience in this world is the cause of sustenance and endurance of bliss in hereafter. Its (the world’s) gist is to cease and its end is death.

Dear brother the body is weaker and weaker and the journey is longer and longer and the travel allowance is smaller and smaller and the ocean is very deep. And the hell is extremely burning and the path is very complicated and the balance is extremely just and the Doomsday is very near and the Ruler is High and Mighty and the announcer is Gabriel (AS). He declares from Allah that Heaven is my firm promise and Hell is my Pledge and He says that Kaba is my visitation.

 And on the Day of Judgment Adam (AS), who is a great servant of Allah, will say Oh Lord myself, Oh Lord myself! And Noah (AS), the receiver of deliverance from Allah, will say on the Day of Judgment, Oh Lord myself, Oh Lord myself! And friend of Allah Hazrat Ibrahim (AS) will say on the Day of Judgment, Oh Lord myself, Oh Lord myself! And Hazrat Ismaeel – the one sacrificed in the path of Allah will say on the Day of Judgment, Oh Lord myself, Oh Lord myself! And Dawood (AS), caliph of Lord will say on the Day of Judgment, Oh Lord myself. And Hazrat Sulaiman (AS), the ruler will say on the Day of Judgment, Oh Lord myself. And Hazrat Yusuf (AS), the verifier of Allah will say on the Day of Judgment, Oh Lord myself. Hazrat Moses (AS) will say the same thing and so will Hazrat Isa (AS). But our beloved Prophet, our leader, our supporter, our messenger (PBUH) will say on the Day of Judgment, Oh Lord my Generation! (Worrying more about his followers than himself). And the Great, Controller, Most High and Granter of Peace Allah will say Oh My beloved! Oh My beloved! Today there is no fear for you and do not grieve!

 May Allah Most High grant us abundance from Noble Qur'an and may Allah Most High grant us benefit from the verses of the Noble Qur'an and wisdom by remembrance. Verily the Being of Lord Most High is All-Endowing and Merciful and Lord of the world, Acceptor of good deeds and Loving and Kind.

(Arabic to Urdu Translation : Hafiz Fahimuddin, amity be for him.) 

Self-help

Lord Most High helps those who help Him. So go out and help Him. He is Most High and has power over every thing. The easiest route to recognize Him is to adopt the company of his friends. This process culminates in finding a Shaikh for your your-self and submitting all of your desires to him. Thus the most effective way to help your-self will be to find a Shaikh for your-self.

Sayings of the Physician of the Generation - 5

Expressions 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, May 2010, p.17

God Reliance (Tawakkul-Il-Allah)

Imam Ghazali (RA) said that the ignorant think that God Reliance mean to leave work and toil and to give up striving, that you sit idle and without action, if you are sick then do no administration of medicine, to put oneself into danger-with any thinking at all, to enter fire here and in the mouth of  beast there, in that way you’ll be known to be God reliant. In reality this thought is completely wrong and forbidden by the Doctrine (shariat). But it is Doctrine only that is praising God Reliance. Then how is it possible that a thing that is forbidden by Doctrine will be encouraged by the Doctrine? The matter of fact is that human endeavour and efforts are usually made because of four reasons. That is, either the efforts are made to get a thing that is not already available or there is effort to protect the gains that are already available or to stop a possible future loss or to stop a present loss.

The first thing is referred  to as the acquisition of profits and there are three causes of that. Either there is acquisition of profit ensured in adopting the means or there is a overwhelming probability of that or may be merely perceptible. For the definite case the example is of a hungry man who has food in front of him who will not extend his hand to it saying that I am God Reliant and thus I will not use my hand to eat it. Or he wants a son but will not touch his wife or would like a good crop but will not sow the seed. Such a thought is open ignorance because dependence of profit on these causes is complete and obvious. These have been decided by Lord as a principle and there can not be any change or modification in this process. Thus adoption of these means is a must according to the Doctrine. God reliance in connection with adoption of means might be in two ways. Firstly one must think that food and hand are both given by Allah and so is the capacity to eat. Similarly the seed and the ability and knowledge to sow them is provided by the same Lord. Similarly wife and her ability to love and bear child are all the miracles of His power. Secondly the confidence of heart must not be on these means but the confidence of heart too must be on Lord because reliance of heart on means is absolutely wrong. Thus, for example, if the hand is paralyzed or the food falls on the ground or if the seed is eaten by the insects or destroyed by hails or destroyed by heat then the object will no where be in sight.  Thus keeping these two things in mind effort and exertion and adoption of means is not frowned upon by the Doctrine and neither is the adoption of means against God Reliance. Discussion of (God reliance is thoroughly explained in the book Spreading of Religion (Tabligh-e-Deen) by Imam Ghazali (RA) we have copied only one paragraph in the context of the setting (majlis) - Compiler), this book must be kept in perusal.

Remembrance of God 

The sittings (majalis) that are organized on the daily basis their object is to alert the people towards Allah. Attendance in the settings of the people of Allah removes obliviousness. Hearts get life, and the souls get their nourishment. Everybody worries about keeping body active and healthy. They make efforts to this effect and if their is any ailment then  there is concern for that. For the people of Allah the health and purity of soul and heart is more in focus than the perishable body. That is why I motivate towards Remembrance time and again. The different incantations that people of Allah fix for different times,  in that the same object is there on the back of mind . That the servant is not oblivious of Lord in any situation.

Company of people of Allah refreshed the memory of Allah. Remembrance of Lord removes the dirtiness of hearts and hearts are enlightened. Remembrance, however short, has its effect in any case the way in the dark room even if a zero watt bulb is lit then the fear of darkness is removed.That is why I tell my people that begin at least one minutes remembrance. Then keep increasing it slowly. Nowadays people usually complain that we do not get time to complete our rounds of incantation. All they day they table talk about the world and gossip.They get time for that. But for remembrance and incantations they say that we do not get time. The reality is absence of congeniality with Remembrance of Allah, otherwise they would not have said so.

Long Awaited Day

Hazrat Shaikh Hakim Kalimullah Sahab Damatbarkatuhum should be arriving today at Anona House, Lord Almighty willing, on December 21, 2010AC. It is a strange feeling to wait. The associated feeling contains pain and for a believer there is a reward in that. Indeed if you put your money in one pocket and your hand reaches other pocket for money at the time of need then the pain and inconvenience that is felt in this process fetches a reward for a believer. The process of waiting for Hazrat Shaikh (DB) is repeated every year. May Allah All-Pure and Most High give us all who have waited a reward in accordance with His Glory. Ameen.

Sayings of the Physician of the Generation - 4

Expressions 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, Vol. 7, No.1, p.17-18-19.

Honourable and kind Prophet (PBUH) said that in the body of a person there is a blob of meat, if this is alright then the whole body remains alright and when it goes bad then the whole body goes bad. Actually heart is the king of the body and if the king is spoiled then the whole kingdom is spoiled. The glorious thing for a believer is that he must avoid both open and hidden sins. Allah Most High has decreed that avoid open as well as hidden sins. Save yourself from open as well as hidden sins. Shaikh will show the way to avoid sins while Baser Self and Satan will try to get a servant involved in sins. But if the person keeps acting upon Shaikh’s advice then he shall be kept safe from the traps of Satan and Baser Self . And, may God forbid it, if he ends up committing a sin because of human urge and laxity then Satan will mislead the believer away from the right path by making him hopeless. But a Shaikh has love for the servants of Allah and they do not let the servants of Allah fall into despair. They arrange and induce us to repent, they worry about reformation, they propose formulas of  reformation .They never give up hope for any patient unlike worldly physicians. Worldly physician sometimes looses hope for his patient and they give up but the spiritual Masters (Masha-ikh) never give up hope of reformation of spiritual patients because this reformation has been proved by Sunnah of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and the Holy Sunnah have a potential and reliability in them. The method of reformation of our Elders is derived from the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet (PBUH).

However perfect be the method of reformation but its benefits depend upon obedience. Even if a worldly physician writes the best prescription there will be no benefit from it till the prescription is properly acted upon. Proper result depends upon two prefaces. (1) Correct prescription (2) Proper use of it. The situation is similar in case of spiritual healers. The only difference is that there is no doubt about the propriety  of the prescription,  in case of no benefits only its utilization and following might be faulty-not the prescription. The  real duty of the Shaikh is to determine and propose a  proper  prescription and the duty of the follower is true act upon it properly. Then you shall see, Lord willing, what a wonderful result will be obtained. People might  think: what will be the result ? I say that you’ll get to be firm on religion and love of Allah Most High, that is, acquaintance and closeness to Him shall be developed and achieved. What riches can be better than this for a believer?

But this closeness and acquaintance can not be achieved together with blameworthy morals and sins. The glory of a believer is to give up blame worthy traits and to adopt praiseworthy morals. That is why these settings (majalis) are there . One should attend there setting (majalis) with the intent of reformation of self and the instructions that are given there-those should be  acted upon. Action is the only thing that leads to progress. The tradition to act upon instructions has to come down as a continuous chain. Hazraat Pious Caliphs (RA) used to act upon the instructions of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) to the full. They kept serving him and they kept deriving the benefits of his (PBUH) company. Then the world saw that they become the suns and the moons of guidance such that the light of guidance spread throughout the world. Among the human beings they have the highest status after the Prophets (AS). After that are the stations of other companions (RA) according to their stature. A companion (RA) got that status even if he got the company (of the Holy Prophet(PBUH)) only for a moment. All stations of Friendship of Allah can not match up with the stature of companionship, even when the former are combined together. That is the effect of company. It is the effect of the company of the Holy Prophet (SAW) that the companions (RA) got that status.

The Divine injunction is to be among the pious. In that verse it has been ordained to adopt pious company and to learn and adopt pious character. That is the method of the mystics. This is what happens in the monasteries that good morals are acquired by adopting pious company. And this is the Prophetic inheritance. That was the method of the kind prophet (PBUH). When controls of pious morals and avoidance of blame worthy morals are slowly implemented the colour of praiseworthy traits starts dominating.

Hazrat Shah Hardoi (RA) used to say that whenever I need I go to the physician myself I do not call him. Once the physician said that I feel shy of it and therefore I want to come to you myself. Hazrat Hardoi (RA) said that my non-arrival and calling you in stead of that is against justice. The dependent must go to the one on whom he is dependent. You see? This is praiseworthy moral. People of  Allah adopt the same care and subtlety in the rights of the people. After that, as an acknowledgment of a blessing, Hazrat (RA) said that all these habits are by now in my nature.

People of Allah say that absorption of injunctions of the Doctrine as actions of a habit is a big charisma. For many people of Allah the Doctrine is exactly their nature.

Sometimes Hazrat Hardoi (RA) used to say that in the Qalandaria order the constant watching of the heart is a very important thing. People of Allah constantly keep an eye on their heart. They do not allow even passage to thoughts against  the Doctrine through their heart. Whenever such a thought arise then they are worried about  its correction and worry as to why did it occur at all ? Hazrat –o-Aala used to say that it is easy to pray, it is easy to fast but it is very difficult to keep a watch on your heart. Clearly those people of Allah who have achieved this–how high will be their stature? What a closeness and acquaintance with Allah they might have achieved? This can not even imagined.

All these fruits are a result of acting upon the injunction, “Be amongst the Truthful”.Without company neither firmness nor progress can be achieved. For perfection of Seeking (sulook), company of the pious is extremely  important and basic requirement.

Taiwan

Taiwan is among relatively frequent visitors to Thus Spake Hazrat Shaikh. Since most of our visitors are assumed (by us) to be originally from the Indian subcontinent it does not signify much except the fact that Taiwan too has these people. But Taiwan did feature in our consideration some time back. A person who spent several years there told that the state of religious consciousness is not that high there. One will see only old people in the Mosque and those numbers are increased in Ramadan a little bit. The punch line is that the youth can be heard making statements like, "My father is a Muslim". May Lord Most High grant forgiveness. May He open the gates of guidance to that territory. Ameen.

Maulana Qasim Nanotwi (RA) in Aligarh

Late Maulvi Sufiyan Sahab taught Saadi's Gulistan to Miyan. Maulvi Sufyan Sahab's son Mr Ajmal has retired from the workshop of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at AMU. His son is a Qazi in City (that is Aligarh city). Maulvi Sufyan was son of Late Maulvi Usman Sahab of Upper Fort Aligarh.

Maulvi Abdul Jalil Sahab of Aligarh participated in the revolt of 1857AC against the British. He was blown by Gun. The stories of these sacrifices are buried in Urdu and Persian documents of that time and in books of these languages. Only lately some curtain is being lifted from them for the readers of English language.

After the martyrdom of Maulvi Abdul Jalil Sahab the question of the education of his infant son Usman arose. The choice fell upon the then young and brilliant Maulvi Qasim Nanotwi (RA). And he did come to teach the young one. The family still has the big wooden bench (takht) that was used by Maulana Qasim Nanotwi (RA) for teaching.

Source : Conversations with Miyan

Supplications Requested

Miyan (Dr Syed Muhammed Ahmed) is not keeping good health. Visitors of Thus Spake Hazrat Shaikh are requested to make special supplications. May Lord Most High grant you ample rewards. Ameen.

Dr Syed Muhammed Ahmed

Dr Syed Muhammed Ahmed is a well wisher of Thus Spake Hazrat Shaikh. He has retired as Assistant Public Relations Officer of the Aligarh Muslim University nearly a decade ago. He got his doctorate degree from the Faculty of (Sunni) Theology of AMU for a dissertation on Maulana Obaidullah Sindhi. The thesis began in mid eighties of twentieth century but eventually was submitted after his retirement from university services. In the close circle he is called Miyan.

In 1873AC Maulvi Samiullah Khan organized a function at Aligarh for the establishment of an institution of modern learning for Muslims. Many of the participants were the nobles and the Nawabs. Funds were collected. Mr Syed Hasan of Hapur, amongst the biggest food grain Mandies  in northern India, was one of the contributors. A sum of rupees five might look insignificant in today's terms but certainly not in olden days. Mr Syed Hasan Sahab was the great grand father of Miyan. The Madrsa Madinat-ul-Uloom was established in 1875AC at Aligarh. It grew into MAO or Mohammedan Anglo Oriental College in due time. Sir Syed Ahmed Khan participated in that function from Banaras for, though the general secretory of the college fund committee, he was posted there being in British service. As the history has it the college later developed into AMU later on.

Miyan is grand son of Syed Mehmood Hasan who was born at Hapur. Mr Maqsood Hasan, grand son of Mr Syed Hasan and father of Miyan was born in Aligarh and was martyred in 1953. Behind the remnants of an old Seminary (Madarsa) in Hapur there were family houses. Though born in Aligarh Miyan spent his childhood in one of those houses. This Seminary finds a mention in Akhbar-e-Jamal-a book on the history of Aligarh. Though Miyan is a man of happy beliefs but many people from the other branches of the family were associated with Jamiat-e-Ulama.

Miyan is an Aligarian to the core, a man of learning to the effect of being a walking encyclopedia-particularly of Aligarh Movement and the history of Islam as well as India. He had received traditional Arabic and Persian education as well as modern one. All through out his life he has dabbled in journalism including a few years sojourn to Bombay (now Mumbai). Problems of Islam, Muslims and the Ummah seldom far away from his mind. From the point of view of worldly achievements one can only present a wide circle of friends and well-wishers, external achievements are never part of repertoire of a man of mission and more so for a man who lives like the bricks of foundation as does Miyan. A remarkable man indeed.

Orientalism Redux

Redux = returning to

We have seen a brief an succinct summary of orientalism by professor Akhtar-ul-Wasey (see here). Things have not changed qualitatively but quantitatively they have changed in present times. Orientalism is still surviving in the hands of a few furious souls ( see Contemporary Critics ) who, though entertained by the west, are not looked at by their own society with the same confidence as the classic orientalists-whatever be the reason. One field where orientalism seems to be receding is the field of translation of the Holy Qur'an. See this (or here, or here ) article by Dr Abdur Raheem Kidwai, a professor of English at AMU, Aligarh (or by another  author). The former article has developed into a book by now.

Cover Matter -1

What Angels Can't Do

The biggest property that man has is the property of mercy. It is a tear that flows out of man’s eye at seeing the bare head of a widow, cold stove of a poor and at hearing the sigh of a patient. The drop of tear, if dropped in an ocean, then it’d purify it and if dropped in the forest of sins then burn it all to convert it into light. Angels can present everything but this droplet of tear they can not produce.

Hazrat Maulana Syed Abul Hasan Ali Nadawi (RA)

(Armughan, front page of combined issue of July-August, 2005 AC)

Cover Matter

Selected by the Editors of (Famous Magazine).

This is what you see in the magazines about the selections published by them. Indeed the quality of the matter selected by the editors of a magazine is unique. Urdu magazines, particularly the spiritual ones, have some quotations on their cover page. This is usually a gem. Dawat-ul-Haq has such material on its cover. There are others too. We are beginning a series of posts to cover such material.

Pat, Pat, Pat

Once upon a time (or not ) long long ago cousins fought each other. Five on one side and hundred on the other. The Pandavas and the Kauravas. The Kauravas by their craftiness managed to exile the Fivers for twelve years and one more year of exile in hiding. After returning from that the Pandavas demanded their share in the kingdom. The eldest of the Kauravas refused. The Fivers said that just give us five villages: Inderpat, Panipat, Sonipat, Maripat and Baghpat. The resident brother said that he shall not concede the equivalent of a pinhead! Result? Mahabharat, the Great Indian Battle. (Since it is verbal history we have taken only slight liberty in our favour as others take slight liberty in their favour.)

Maripat and Tilpat are both on the outskirts of modern Inderpat, that is, Delhi for you. Maripat is in Uttar Pradesh. It used to be in District Bulandshahr but fell into the newly created district of Ghaziabad in 1975AC. At present it falls into District Gautam Budh Nagar. Greater Noida is the same area. Tilpat is in District Faridabad of Haryana.

Suppose a person from Haryana is writing a MediaWiki. How will he enumerate the five villages? Here it is:

1. Indraprastha इन्द्रप्रस्थ (Purana Qila) - Delhi
2. Panprastha पणप्रस्थ (Panipat) - Haryana
3. Sonprastha सोणप्रस्थ (Sonipat) - Haryana
4. Tilprastha तिलप्रस्थ (Tilpat) - Haryana
5. Vyagprastha व्यागप्रस्थ (Baghpat) - Uttar Pradesh

See how unfair to Maripat?

Remainder of the Predecessors

Remainder of the Predecessors Hazrat Qari Amir Hasan Sahab Damatbarkatuhum should be reaching Delhi tomorrow to take a train for Hyderabad, Deccan. Seeing his age he should not be taking such an arduous journey. At least Mufti Muhammed Usama (ZM) was trying to persuade him to take a flight. Elders as a rule are irreplaceable. A sign of the fact that we value them will be to take utmost care of them. It may not be the case in the present incidence but you do hear comments to effect that these Elders enjoy flying. May Lord Most High forgive. A good rule for life is to ignore the critics. They for sure can make life very bitter, whether they are aware of that or not. Our Elders are a significant blessing from Lord Most High. They should be valued for our own benefit. On a different note just see how difficult it becomes to adjust when an Elder says good bye to this perishable world.

The Fever That Was

Hazrat Shaikh Damatbarkatuhum has become very weak after Haj. Most of the time was spent in fever. He did not inform about it during the Haj time over the phone calls. Only now he has told it when people saw the bony appearance.

May Lord Most High grant him a good, sustained and endurable health. Ameen. May He provide us his shade for a long time to come. Ameen.

He should be here in for or five days, Lord Almighty willing.

Big Beautiful Buildings

Huge constructions are not part of Islam. This activity started in the times of Umayyad Caliphs.

(An earlier sitting (majlis))

Orientalism

The extent to which the participation of orientalists and their work and assertion in establishing Islamic Studies as a separate and serious intellectual discipline is important , in the Muslim World, the terminology orientalist has been disliked to a similar extent. A significant cause for this disliking can be seen in that object and movement that was the reason behind the descent of orientalists into this field. There is no doubt in it that most of the westerners turned to Islamic Studies for the sole purpose of establishing their bias against Islam on the intellectual basis. In the back of this inspiration those anti Islam sentiments were in action whose fortification after clashes of  Islamic and Christian world in crusades required, in 19th century,  not arms but pen. In other words it can be said that in those times orientalists performed the task in the intellectual field that their governments were doing in the political or battle field. This was the same time when the west was out on its neocolonialist mission for subjugating the rest of the uncivilized world and a large part of the people who became its target was based on the people associated with  Islam. According to the famous point of view of Edward Said (S'aeed) neocolonialist mission was not limited to political and economic take over but establishment of intellectual subjugation too was amongst its most important objectives. A large portions of orientalists proved to be an important instrument for practical implementation of this neo-colonial project of intellectual subjugation.

Akhtar-ul-Wasey, Islam and Modern Era (Islam Aur Asr-i-Jadid), Vol. XXXV, No.1&2, Jan-Apr, 2003, p.5

Dancing and Entertainment in a Night Club

The Tiding (An-Naba)

Syed Qutb (see here for a caveat), in  In The Shade of the Qur'an (Fi Zilal il Qur'an) begins the commentary of the thirtieth part of the Holy Qur'an as follows.

This thirtieth part of the Qur'an has a special, distinctive colour. All the Surahs it includes are Makkan, except two, namely, "The Clear Proof" and "Victory". Although they vary in length, they are all short. More significant, however, is the fact that they form a single group with more or less the same theme. They have the same characteristics of rhythm, images, connotations and overall style. They are, indeed, like a persistent and strong knocking on a door, or loud shouts seeking to awaken some people who are fast asleep, or some drunken men who have lost consciousness, or are in a night club, completely absorbed with their dancing or entertainment. The knocks and the shouts come one after the other: Wake up! Look around you! Think! Reflect! There is a God! There is planning, trial, liability, reckoning, reward, severe punishment and lasting bliss.

So forceful! And how subtle to end the argument  with bliss! He continues:

The same warning is repeated time after time. A strong hand shakes them violently. They seem to open their eyes, look around for a second and return to unconsciousness. The strong hand shakes them again, the shouts and knocks are repeated even more loudly. They may wake up once or twice to say obstinately, "No!" They may stone the person warning them or insult him and then resume their position of inattention. He shakes them anew.

Such a nice consideration of human indifference and obstinacy!

Islamic Tasweer Mahal : Algeria

This is a slide show of some pictures from Fotopedia. There might be some unwanted features sometime.


Algeria  

Islamic Tasweer Mahal : Afghanistan

This is a slide show of some pictures from Fotopedia. There might be some unwanted features sometime.

Afghanistan  

Islamic Tasweer Mahal : Pishtak

This is a slide show of some pictures from Fotopedia. There might be some unwanted features sometime.

Pishtak  

Islamic Tasweer Mahal : Muqarnas

This is a slide show of some pictures from Fotopedia. There might be some unwanted features sometime.

Muqarnas  

Islamic Tasweer Mahal : Mashrabiya

This is a slide show of some pictures from Fotopedia. There might be some unwanted features sometime.


Mashrabiya  

Islamic Tasweer Mahal : Mimbar

This is a slide show of some pictures from Fotopedia. There might be some unwanted features sometime.

Mimbar  

Islamic Tasweer Mahal :Minaret

This is a slide show of some pictures from Fotopedia. There might be some unwanted features sometime.

Minaret  

Islamic Tasweer Mahal : Mihrab

This is a slide show of some pictures from Fotopedia. There might be some unwanted features sometime.

Mihrab  

Islamic Tasweer Mahal : Madarsa

This is a slide show of some pictures from Fotopedia. There might be some unwanted features sometime.

Madarsa  

Islamic Tasweer Mahal : Khanqah

This is a slide show of some pictures from Fotopedia. There might be some unwanted features sometime.

Khanqah  

Islamic Tasweer Mahal : Jali

This is a slide show of some pictures from Fotopedia. There might be some unwanted features sometime.

Jali  

Islamic Tasweer Mahal : Aiwan

This is a slide show of some pictures from Fotopedia. There might be some unwanted features sometime.

AiAiwan

Islamic Tasweer Mahal : Fountain

This is a slide show of some pictures from Fotopedia. There might be some unwanted features sometime.


Fountain  

Islamic Tasweer Mahal : Chhatri

This is a slide show of some pictures from Fotopedia. There might be some unwanted features sometime.



(7) Chhatri 

Islamic Tasweer Mahal : Dome and Cupola

This is a slide show of some pictures from Fotopedia. There might be some unwanted features sometime.

Dome and Cupola 

Islamic Tasweer Mahal : Sarai

This is a slide show of some pictures from Fotopedia. There might be some unwanted features sometime.

Sarai 

Islamic Tasweer Mahal : Architectural Ceramic

This is a slide show of some pictures from Fotopedia. There might be some unwanted features sometime.
Architectural Ceramic 

Islamic Tasweer Mahal : Arch

This is a slide show of some pictures from Fotopedia. There might be some unwanted features sometime.

Arch 

Islamic Tasweer Mahal : Islamic Architecture

This is a slide show of some pictures from Fotopedia. There might be some unwanted features sometime.
Islamic Architecture 

Islamic Tasweer Mahal : The Catalogue

This is a list of slide shows of some pictures from Fotopedia. There might be some unwanted features sometime.

(1) Islamic Architecture

(2) Arch

(3) Architectural Ceramic

(4)  Sarai 

(5) Dome and Cupola

(6) Chhatri

(7) Fountain

(8) Aiwan

(9) Jali

(10) Khanqah

(11) Madarsa

(12) Mihrab

(13) Minaret

(14) Mimbar

(15) Mashrabiya

(16) Muqarnas

(17) Pishtak

(18) Afghanistan

(19) Algeria

Talking of Iran and Turan

Where is this place called Turan?

In the classic literature of the world there is a book in Persian called the Shahnamah (alright Shahnameh). It is famous for its grandeur of narration (no, no reference to post modern intricacies of the word narration). King Faridoon is impressed with the bravery of his Toor (Tur) when he fights the dragon that has attacked him and his brothers. Later on the king divides his kingdom and gives Turkistan and China to Toor. That is Central Asia. That is Turan for you.

Question : Considering the services rendered to Islam by Central Asia and the sacrifices made by those people why is it undesirable to talk of Turan?

Fatawa Tatar Khania

This is an early and authentic text on Hanafi Jurisprudence from Delhi. Here are some historical connections.
(1) Old Delhi Connection
(2) Banglapedia
(3) Sultnat Connection
(4) Sonargaon Connection

Books on Muhi-us-Sunnah -1

Hayaat-e-Muhi-us-Sunnah by Hazrat Hakim Syed Afsar Basha Sahab Qasmi. Published by Haqqi Publications, Bangalore Road, Vellore, Tamilnadu, India.

We have already used it here and mentioned it here.

Here is the front cover (click for a larger (and still larger) view):

Here is the back cover (the Book is in Urdu)(click for a larger (and still larger) view):

Public Benefit by Kalim's Sayings - 30

(32) (Water was asked in the middle of the conversation. The talking resumed after drinking water.) Some people complain about gas and flatulence problems. A simple treatment for this is that water should be drank by sucking and not by gulping. Drink it in three, five or seven sips. Drinking by sucking does not allow air to be inhaled. Another thing is that eat the food by chewing a lot. Chew every mouthful thirty two times. (It was added with a smile that you have to appease all the 32 teeth.) And do not drink water at least for two hours after food. If you wish then drink during eating. It is not harmful to drink during eating. After half of the food a glass or a glass and half of water can be drank. But after food a long period is necessary. If these two things are observed in eating and drinking then gas problem in stomach and flatulence will be spared. (Remember that Hazrat Hakim Sahab, may Lord provide us his shadow, apart from a Shaikh of Method is also a Consulting Physician.) (By the Grace of Allah in this sitting of quarter to an hour after Maghrib Prayers many beneficial things were said. The writer had noted down them at that time and there were organized and refined in the night. Next day, in Gulberga, these were presented to Hazrat-o-Aala and permission for their publication was obtained.) And all thanks are due to Allah for these blessings and peace and blessings on the Prophet Muhammed and his descendants and Companions.

Muhammed Abdul Qawi, may he be forgiven. April 4, 2007 AC.

(All Praise is due to our Lord Most High only that posting of the content of that small book let that adores the title of this series has been posted in its completeness today. For a man of Allah it was a work of a single night, for us it got spread over two months. There is sign of blessings of Allah Most High in this. This process, all Praise to Lord Most High, opened up many new aspects of the sayings that were hidden from us so far. By the Grace of Lord Most High it has been a great learning experience.  May Lord Most High reward the compiler from His bounty as well as those who have helped in its presentation here. Ameen )

Murphy's Law : RIP

Murphy's law  says, "Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong".

Lord Most High might have decided not to create the Universe. He did not.  He, Exalted is He, created it.

Murphy's law busted.

You might have born in a family without Islam. Masha Allah you were born a Muslim. Things did not go wrong in this direction.

Murphy's law is dead. All Praise to Lord Most High.

Those who are new Muslims might not have stumbled upon Islam. That would have been a terribly wrong thing to happen. It did not.

Murphy's law is gone.

Question : What about those who are still not in the fold of Islam?
Answer : That is a different question. A single exception is enough to kill a law and that is done. To complete the argument-if you are not a Muslim yet you are invited to Islam from the depths of heart. It is a good thing and we would like to share it with you. It is a sentiment of love, not of superiority or derision. And a sentiment of care and concern.

Back to Murphy's law. But no, it is gone long.

If something unpleasant happens in our life then it is a decision of our Lord Most High. Either it is a test to increase our stature or a reminder of our failings. It is either for cleaning us up or for increasing our faith. Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani (NM) has a very pertinent observation about such things. As is usual it sounds like a final word (after the words of the Companions (RA)) on this matter. That will be presented, Lord willing, later less we stray far off the topic.

Character of Islam

Character of Islam is Assertive, not Reactive.

Maulana Muhammed Kalim Siddiqui (DB), Armughan-e-Shah Waliullah, May 1999, p.8.

Public Benefit by Kalim's Sayings - 29

(31) A big benefit of relationship with the People of Allah and regular letter writing to them is that if they are familiar with the conditions of their associates then they will keep supplicating from heart for their corrections. People of Allah get up in the night and supplicate very humbly in front of Allah, "O! Allah reform this disciple of mine help him". Remember it very clearly that the supplication of Shaikh is the alchemy in the path of Allah and these supplications are obtained as a result of proper relationship with the Shaikh and a constant concern for self correction.  Get connected with Allah and get engaged in the concern of your reformation.

An Early Flight

Hazrat Shaikh Hakim Muhammed Kalimullah Sahab Damatbarkatuhum's flight was scheduled to arrive at 4.00PM today on December 15, 2010AC at Lucknow. At 3.40PM we got the news that the flight has already arrived and Hazrat Shaikh (DB) has already boarded the bus from the plane to reach the terminal of the airport.

And All Praise is for Lord Most High.

Beating Around The Bush

There have been several posts on Thus Spake Hazrat Shaikh about Signs of Allah. Mostly from the perspective of modern attitudes. Why should one beat around the bush and not discuss the Qur'anic perspective directly? Firstly, problem of getting to that needs courage. Secondly that thing is better done by Scholars. See, for example, the take by Ibn-e-Kathir.

Religion and Science

 There are sometimes situations in life when there is a difficulty if you do some thing and there is difficulty when you do not do it. Indulging in philosophy is one of them. Even if it is philosophy of science. It remains true even if you are talking on the topic of religion and science. Make your decision before you read the following post further. It is merely the table of content of a famous book by a famous caliph of Hazrat Thanwi (RA).

 Religion and Science (Mazhab Aur Science)

A discussion on mutual relationship and influence of scholasticism and science from a fresh angle and  establishment of  of Qur’anic facts in the light of philosophy and modern science. 

Maulana Abdul Bari Nadwi
Academy Research and Publications, Lucknow
Formerly professor of Modern Philsophy Usmania University, Hyderabad

1. Preface Material (Brief introduction of author, preface, forward by Maulana Abdul Majid Daryabadi , (1970 AC), forward by author, forward by Doctor Mohammed Raziuddin Siddiqui (1970 AC) (Vice Chancellor, Peshawar University))2. Position of Man (or self recognition)
2(a). Awareness of Unseen
2(b) Types of Unseen
2(c) Depth of Hear only Unseen
2(d) Punishment of Fergetting  God-Forgetting Self
3. Visible Falsehood or Riddle of Matter and Materialism
3(a) Reverse Logic
3(b) Forward logic
4. Science and Philosophy
Summary of the Discussion
5.Sciecne and Religion
5(a) Some Additional and Further Puzzles of Matter
6. Character of Intellectual Creation and Relation of Intellect and Creation
7. Index (Prepared by Ghayasuddin Nadwi)

(Typesetting : Hallmark hand composing by Zahir Ahmed Kakorvi)


It is nearly impossible that a philosophic perspective of science will be in consonance with the perspective held by scientists. If these two are the same thing then why do you need any philosophical perspective?
But lots of opaqueness has been caused in the past by philosophical activities and the air must be cleared. That is the task taken up by Hazrat Maulana Abdul Bari Nadwi (RA) in this book. Just to give a flavour of the type of things that occupy the pages of this book here  is a partial list of the words occuring in the Latin script in the original Urdu book. Alpha and procima (centaury), Andromeda,  billions (of galaxies), body and mind, beta, cosmological creation,  constellation, Cygnus, curved coordinates, counter example, deterministic, disembodied, man the unknown electron, Eddington, emptiness, electric changes,epistemological, extragalactic, expansion,  four dimensional vector, finite, forms, geodesic, higher animal, hypothesis.

The prototype of Science is Physics. Physics is all about empirical reality of inanimate world. Previous statement itself will create two major philosophical problems with the modern practitioners of Physics. In that community empirical knowledge is the sum total of knowledge and reality. To think beyond that is a travesty of truth. Ergo, Physics is the reality, not the empirical reality. Secondly the majority of Science community will insist that there is no additional scientific thing to learn when you pass from inanimate world to animate world. Hence specification of inanimate world in connection is an over specification.

And thus, in the beginning itself we end up in two fissures that can not be patched up. What could be the way out? Look for common grounds of agreement while, at the same time, holding our respective positions. That is what we shall adopt for the time being.

Coming back to Physics connection. So if you want to talk about science then we should begin with Physics. The freshest of it. That is what is happening in the present book as can be seen from the terminology presented above.

But what is the use of talking Physics from the perspective of a non-practitioner? You, anyway, will not reach the real point.

There is a point. You may not reach the real Physical perspective but you do have chance to approach the public perspective of Physics in particular and Science in general. Indeed that is the matter that has to be addressed. To bring public perspective of Science in general and Physics in particular is as much a western concern as it is ours. Indeed it is much more of a western concern than a Muslim or Islamic concern. The unfortunate reason is the fact that in the field of Science Muslims at present are not the equal term participants, let alone the matters of leadership. This is a different problem and we shall not amplify about that here.

One doable thing can be to take up issues with public perspective of science if it is not in consonance with the teachings of Islam, the Islamic perspective. This is the burden of the present book. The book is an old one and established one and does not need our recommendation. But if we want to participate in the task of explaining Science to Muslims, masses or elite, and Islam to the world then it is a significant milestone that can be taken as a point of departure.

To give another perspective here is the Back Matter of the book.

When the spell of the worshipers of materialism and atheism that was established by the materialists
and atheists on the basis of Science broke then for those who pondered over the reality of world new lines opened up-even if on the basis of the dictum: could not be firm on atheism so resigned to faith. And it became impossible not to accept the existence of universal mind. Hazrat Maulana Abdul Bari Nadawi have described this in enough detail in his book (Religion and science). For those people who have been,overwhelmed by the recent extra ordinary progress of science and technology, suffering from weakening of faith, for them it has made available a means  to achieve firm belief and a wherewithal for deliverance in the hereafter. There is no doubt in this that it is an  important and appreciable accomplishment of Hazrat Maulana.

(From the forward by Doctor Mohammed Raziuddin Siddiqui)

List of Grave Sins

Avoid Sins

(This is an addendum to the booklet Public Benefit by Kalim's Sayings  compiled by Maulana Abdul Qawi Sahab)

Out of the benefits of Muhi-us-Sunnah Hazrat Maulana Shah Abrabr-ul-Haq Sahab (RA). Compiler: Maulana Abdul Qawi Sahab Mudazillahu (Manager Idarah Ashraf-ul- Uloom, Hyderabad)

    There is a dictation of Allah Most High: Wazroo zahiral ismi wa batinahu. Avoid open and hidden sins. Holy Prophet (PBUH) said to Hazrat Ayesha (RA): O Ayesha avoid even small sins because on the Day of Judgement you will be asked about them too. Further more honourable Prophet (SAW) has declared avoidance of sins as the biggest worship in one of the traditions.
    Hazrat Abdullah Ibn-e-Abbas (RA) said that I do not consider any good deed equal to avoidance of sins and peace. Maulana Rumi (RA) said that every sin is like rust on the mirror called heart which darkens the world of heart. Hazrat Muhi-us-Sunnah (RA) used to say that sin is like arsenic, that is, poison. And poison is poison-whether it is small or big. Similarly sin is dangerous in any case, whether it is small or big. Hazrat Maulana Hakim Muhammed Akhtar Sahab (DB) says that the joy of Baser Self that a person gets in sins that is just like the pleasure a person having skin disease gets in scratching -when he stops scratching them resulting swelling and the pain too is of the same caliber. Similarly there is some temporary joy and fun in committing a sin but when its punishment will be inflicted upon them (the sinners) its reality will be unraveled. Hazrat Maulana Hakim-ul-Ummat Thanwi (RA) has this written in front of his seat as an admonition the following couplet:

In the mood to sin when you have committed it then nothing remains
This joy is of very short duration, after that it is nothing at all.

(Haz-e-gunah mein jab gunah tu kar chuka phir kuch nahin,
Ek zara si der ka hai yeh maza phir kuch nahin.)

May Allah Almighty save us from all small and big sins by His Mercy. Aameen. In the following some such sins are being listed that are called Major (Grave) Sins (gunah-e-kabirah). These are not forgiven with out repentance:

(1) To share some one with Allah Most High
(2) To kill some body without proper cause
(3) To indulge in magic
(4) To skip prayer
(5) To skip Charity (Zakaat)
(6) To skip fasting in Ramadhan without reason.
(7) To skip Haj in spite of ability
(8) To disobey parents
(9) To misbehave with relatives
(10) To indulge in indecent act
(11) To fulfill physical requirement in unnatural manner
(12) To receive, to give and to use interest
 (13) To use the property of an orphan by force
(14) Atrocity by ruler on the ruled
(15) To attribute falsehood towards Allah (ST) and His Prophet (PBUH)
(16) To runaway from doctrinal struggle
(17) To have pride.
(18) To bear false witness
(19) To drink, to offer and to do business of alcohol
(20) To gamble
(21) To accuse a decent woman of indecency
(22) Misappropriation of the war booty
(23) To steal
(24) To commit robbery
(25) To commit atrocity
(26) False swearing
(27) To use forbidden (haraam) wealth
(28) To commit suicide
(29) To tell a lie
(30) To give wrong judgment
(31) To receive bribery and to give bribe (except in urgency and in later case only)
(32) Man adopting feminine demeanor and women adopting masculine demeanor
(33) Indifference to wife?s fornication
(34) Not to avoid the splattering of urine
(35) To show off
(36) To receive religious knowledge for worldly gain, to hide religious knowledge
(37) To misappropriate trust
(38) To show favour
(39) To deny fate
(40) To search for short comings of other people
(41) To disclose secret talks
(42) To curse people
(43) To visit fortune tellers
(44) To disobey husband
(45) To quarrel
(46) To reduce weighing and measurement
(47) To become fearless to God's Wrath
(48) To skip congregational Prayer without reason
(49) To skip Friday congregational Prayer
(50) To do injustice in will.
(51) To cheat
(52) To spy upon Muslims
(53) To make drawings of living beings
(54) To insult Companions (RA)
(55) To shave off beard and to grow mustache
(56) Not to distribute inheritance
(57) To forget Holy Quran after reading it
(58) To use the wealth that has been transferred
(59) To have evil guesses
(60) To squander
(61) To do backbiting
(62) To swear in the name of others than Allah Most High
(63) To taunt or call some one with bad name
(64) To insult somebody or to laugh with derison
(65) Not to talk with a Muslim for more than three days due to some worldly affair
(66) Begging by a healthy person
(67) To adopt the dress and appearance of non-Muslims
(68) To call a Muslim non-believer without inquiry
(69) To pay less in buying and selling after the settlement of rate
(70) To meet or sit in solitude with non-close person (namehram)
(71) To watch dance and to listen to songs and music
(72) Not to have mercy upon younger people and not to respect elders
(73) To break a promise.
(One of the other printed sheets from Majlis-e-Dawat-ul-Haq, Hardoi has only 71 of them.)

Public Benefit by Kalim's Sayings - 28

(30) Most important thing are Remembrance and Pondering. Both students and scholars must engage in it. Remembrance is a great blessing, this produces lights in the heart (enlightenment of heart). The way even a small amount of light gives at least some benefit similarly even a small amount of remembrance of Allah gives gives benefits. Even if you do not have opportunity then make small amount of Remembrance with regularity and permanence. Similarly Recitation of Holy Qur'an must be regularly established. It should not be the case that sometimes ten Parts of the Holy Qur'an are recited and if it is forgotten then there is no Recitation for weeks. An easy way to do this is that finish your routine first in the morning and do not postpone it. You never know what tasks might appear later on in the day-it will not be certain that there will be any free time till evening. Thus cover your routine in the first shot. After that if you get more opportunity in the day time then do some more remembrance and hoard the treasure (for here after). But ensure that routine is not deferred and that there is no laxity in routine.

Public Benefit by Kalim's Sayings - 27

(29) Adopt purity of intent in every deed, avoid comparison, comparison leads to loss of purity. Keep good relations with each person working for religion. Make the Pleasure of Allah your objective, apart from that nothing else must be aimed for. It is sufficient if Allah is pleased. Hazrat-o-Aala (RA) use to say to the teachers that if you do not work according to the rules and properly then the Seminary will be closed down. Seminary (madarsa) is not the object, proper work is the object. Even before his final moments when some complains were heard about some teachers then he said that if you do not work properly then I shall close down the Seminary. I will take few students and teach them myself. The work must be done properly even if it is rather small.

Errant Child

Go back to childhood. Think of the day when parents went out leaving you alone at home. The only demand on you, implicit or explicit, was to behave yourself. Then switch over to the after noon time just before parents arrival. And suppose, as is more probable, you had not behaved yourself. What will be your state of mind at that time?

Alright there you have the parable for the present situation. Hazrat Shaikh (DB) is scheduled, Lord Most High willing, to arrive on 15 December, 2010AC in Hardoi. And Qari Amir Hasan Sahab (DB) too. Aligarh's turn will come five days later.

Signs of Allah : Reader's Digest

Where will you a get a sign of Lord Most High in a magazine born and issued from the heartland of materialism, that is, the United States of America? Can we really find such things in a periodical whose perception of Islam is anything but positive and where Muslims aren't the heroes that shine? Can you trust the editors who routinely fail to recognize whether a Swedish joke will fall flat in the Persian Gulf or a hilarious Japanese incident will be a damp squib in India, to discern Signs of Allah Most High?

Answer :  Read the matter that describes the origin of the Reader's Digest. The founder is recovering from wounds and :

Reading dozens of magazines, he was impressed by the fact that certain articles had far more enduring appeal than others and that the impact of most articles could be improved by vigorously condensing them, focusing on essentials. He wanted to condense the best of previously published material of enduring appeal into a pocket-sized, non-fiction magazine that would inform, enlighten and entertain. 

That is the philosophy of RD. Now who gives enduring appeal to anything? Only Lord Most High. To recognize Signs of Lord Most High you need a believer-not the editors of a well established magazine. All the courage, perseverance or ingenuity that goes into making a story worthy of RD is a sign of Creator-as is everything else that exists. Hazrat Shaikh (DB) says that we should read newspapers to get admonition for these are full of admonitions. In the present case we should keep in mind the injunction that God created man in best of the molds and whenever a human being shines then it is a revelation of that-a Sign of Lord Most High.

A doubt may come to mind at this juncture. Seeing the fact that by choice the stories under consideration are, as a rule, brimming with, in general, above average levels of praiseworthy traits, even if we try to measure them by standards of Islam, then it should follow that the readers of such stories should be making a beeline for Islam. Both at the time of their original publication as well as after condensation. This obviously is not happening. In other words a Sign of Allah should inspire towards Allah Most High. Why is it not happening?

Guidance becomes common after the group that is calling people to Lord has worked for some time with appreciable amount of sacrifices. "When comes the Help of Allah and the victory and the people are entering the religion of Allah in hoards then...."

What happens in other times? In those times too people enter the religion of Allah but not in hoards. And only they enter who so desire. Guidance is given to those who aspire for it. It is a mighty blessing of Lord Most High. Don't we know the examples of those who read the Holy Qur'an in Arabic but did not reach Allah? Can RD be a better guarantee?

The other thing that can not not be ignored in the context is our duty. You need a believer to spot a Sign of Allah and you need a believer to communicate it to those who have not recognized it yet. That is the way of Allah. That is the method of the Holy Prophet (PBUH). And after cessation of prophet hood that responsibility rests on our weak shoulders. This world is a place where things happen by use of proper means.  The need is to spot a Sign of Allah ourselves and then to communicate it to those who read these stories because they appeal to them.

And why do these stories appeal to people? Because Verily in the Remembrance of Lord is the solace of hearts. These remind them, the people, their Lord. Even if they are not explicitly aware of them. To fill this gap between feeling of God and its proper realization is our Personal Duty (farz-e-ain). Communication of religion preferable to Lord Most High to those who are ignorant of it is a Personal Duty. It comes under the head that those who are present should take it to those who are absent. The Prophetic (PBUH) injunction is rather clear in this matter. The Qur'anic injunction that there should be group among you who calls the people to Lord is for the internal calling of the believers to acts of obedience. That is a Social Duty (farz-e-Kafaya).

Conquering the Unseen

Futooh Al Ghaib
(From Urdu translation of the famous and basic book of mysticism)
Hazrat Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani  May Allah Most High Sanctify His Inner Self

 (Only the Titles of the Admonitions)

1. Things Necessary for Completion of Faith
2. Inducing Good Deeds
3. Trials and Troubles
4. Real Death and the State of Annihilation
5. This World Isn't Worth Attention
6. What is Annihilation from Created Things
7. Give a Place in Heart to None Other Than Allah
8. How to Achieve Closeness With Allah?
9. Premonition and  Observation
10. States of Heart
11. What are Desires?  
12. Punishment for Turning Away
13. Keep Accepting Ordinances of Allah
14. Compete Not with Friends of Allah
15. State of Fear and Hope
16. Destination of God Reliance
17. Reaching Allah with the Help of an Instructor
18. It is Forbidden to Complain
19. Do not Break Promises
20. Get not Involved in Doubts and Uncertainties
21. Dialogue with Satan
22. Tribulations of a Believer, Proportional to Belief
23. Be Thankful on Destiny
24. Leave Not the Doorsteps of Allah
25. Tree of Faith
26. Keep Your Condition Private
27. Well Being and Trouble are Two Fruits of the Same Tree
28. States and Condition of a Seeker  
29. Poverty Pushes Towards  Infidelity
30. Seek not Excuses in Matters of Action
31. Adopt Hatred and Love for Allah Only
32. Share Love of  Allah with None
33. There are Four Categories of People
34. Never be Unhappy with Allah Most High
35. Adopt Detachment and Independence
36. Religion is the Principal and This World is its Benefit
37. Jealousy is a Serious Problem
38. Truthfulness and Admonition
39. Hypocrisy and Consonance
40. The Method for Entering the Spiritual Company
41. State of Affluence and Independence
42. There are Two States of Baser Self
43. It is Objectionable to Ask Others Except Allah
44. Why Are the Supplications of Gnostics Not Accepted?
45. Troubles Through Blessings
46. Excellence of Remembrance Exercises by a Divine Tradition
47. How to Achieve Closeness with Allah ?
48. What Actions Suit a Believer?
49. Sleep is a Big Trouble.
50. What is the Method to be Close to Allah?
51. What is Detachment?
52. Troubles of Faithful
53. Be  Happy with Divine Desire
54. How to Reach Allah?
55. Give up Pleasures
56. Station of Annihilation
57. Be Agreeable to Divine Wish
58. Turn Away Your Attention from Every Directions
59. Be Thankful for Blessings, Patient on Trials
60. The Beginning and the End
61. Adopt Requisite Wait for Everything.
62. Love and Beloved
63. What is Gnosis
64. The Death without Life
65. To be Angry with Lord for Delay in Acceptance of  Supplication
66. Etiquette of Supplication
67. Keep Struggling with Baser Self
68. Allah’s is a New Grandeur Everyday
69. Ask for Forgiveness
70. Thanks and Acceptance of Mistake
71. Seeker and Sought
72. There are Five Types of People of Allah
73. Those People of Allah Who are Aware of Other People's Faults.
74. Evidence of Unity from Intellect
75. Sources and Origins of Mysticism
76. Second Will
77. Annihilation from Creatures
78. Characteristics of People of Determination
79. Will of Hazrat for Children
80. Guess not Others on Me.

Endnote: A doubt may arise in mind regarding the benefits of a mere list of topics. The reality first: it is extremely beneficial. A big problem in life in general and Seeking in particular is familiarizing our self with any environment. Acting upon the demands of the environment comes second. That too is difficult but process of familiarization makes it easy to a very large extent.