Tasawwuf

Q1: Tasawwuf is a controversial term and people have reservations over it. What is your opinion on Tasawwuf?

Answer: As you have said that word tasawuf is controversial however the controversies behind it are not real but based on misconceptions of the people who misunderstood it and therefore denied its significance. In plain words, there are two types of deeds (aamals) including manifested (zahiri) as well as hidden (batini). Manifested are noticeable and includes Namaz, rooza, and zakat but hidden are rooh (spirit) related, known to person himself / herself and are observed by Allah (SWT) only. The beauty of manifested deeds is dependent on hidden deeds but hidden deeds (batani aamals) have their reflection in manifested deeds (zahiri aamals) and if hidden deeds (batini aamals) are not performed with true spirit, the manifested deeds (zahiri aamals) fail to achieve Allah (SWT)’s pleasure (endorsement). It can be inferred from the above narration that manifested deeds (zahiri aamals) are in fact dependent on hidden deeds (batini aamals) and thus training of one’s batin to enable it to draw the desired results is utmost important. The training system to mould batin to act within the dictates of Shariah is called Tasawwuf. Tasawwuf could also be termed as Fiqa-ul-batin as fiqh is the branch of knowledge that interprets Islamic shariah.

Q2: Our Great Sufis have often used the terms like Tareeqat, Haqeeqat, and Maarufat, kindly elaborate?

Answer: Tareeqat: The procedures of hidden deeds (batini aamals) through which good (shariah compliant) manners are developed and bad traits are eliminated is called tareeqat and the procedure to adjust manifested deeds is called fiqh. The procedures adopted by Sufis in tareeqat may change from time to time as per the needs of the time because our purpose is spiritual health for which procedures may vary from person to person and time to time.

Haqeeqat: After attaining batini health (purification of soul) through tareeqat, the batini (spiritual) reality of certain things including attributes of Allah Ta’ala and good or bad deeds become clearer to the sufi, which in turn give new dimensions to the relationship between the sufi and Allah subhanahu Ta’ala. In plain words, like we know that if someone fire a bullet on us, it will harm us and this reality is crystal clear to us but Allah subhanahu Ta’ala is watching us and we still indulge in his disobedience is strange because it simply means that we don’t trust that Allah subhanahu Ta’ala is watching us. Therefore, after haqeeqat of things gets clearer, our belief improves to the level that we are indeed watching it happening which consequently results in improved relationship between the sufi and Allah subhanahu Ta’ala (one of slave and creator in real sense).

Maarafut: The relationship as outlined above is indeed maarafut. The sufi after attaining this relationship stands a better chance to understand / recognize Allah subhanu Ta’ala’s desire / wish in all aspects of life and act accordingly. The sufi who achieves the status through purification of soul of directly understanding Allah subhanahu Ta’ala’s desire without any in between linkage is called Arif (enlightened) and this acquired quality is called Maarafat. The Arif understands what Allah Ta’ala wants from him, the example of which is Hazrat Ayub Alai salam’s incidence, as soon as he realized that Allah Ta’ala is testing his patience, he started exercising full patience, when he realized that Allah Ta’ala wants him to be humble, he exercised humility, and when gold ants started downpouring with the orders of Allah Ta’ala, he started collecting them and then a voice came that, “ Ayub! You still want more”, he said, why would I not want more of your bounties. This is all Marufat-e-Illahi.

Q3: As a muslim we cannot do anything which is not in accordance with Quran & Sunnah, whether tassawuf could be derived from Quran & Sunnah?

Answer: Please look into Answer No.1 in which we have briefly described tassawuf. Is there anything in there that cannot be proven from Quran & Sunnah.

Q4: How could we verify the procedures adopted in tassawuf as already outlined in the Question No.1 from Quran & Sunnah?

Answer: As far as procedures are concerned, if we take them to be simply the means to an end (purpose), then these procedures could not be termed as Non-shariah compliant like someone considers Hajj as Farz however do not take air travel as the necessary ingredient but just a channel, although there wasn’t any air travel in the early days of Islam, but still can anyone regard it as biduat? Off course, not. Because the air travel can best be considered a mean not the real purpose, however, if someone deems it to be the real purpose and call other means to be non-shariah compliant, then it is biduat. Exercising restrain against biduat is necessary. Thus we regard these procedures as means only and not an end.

Q5: OK. Our sufis sometime do things or perform acts that could not be verified from the early days of Islam, then how could we regard these acts as not biduat?

Answer: Clearly and precisely biduat is something which cannot be verified through Shariah but regarded as religious act. If someone considers tassawuf as biduat then he is mistaken because the objectives of tassawuf can easily be verified through Quran and Sunnah like for instance pride, enviousness, self-conceitedness, jealousy, show off is forbidden in Islam and it could be verified through Quran & Sunnah. Likewise, the significance of Trust in Allah Ta’ala, humility, reliance on Allah Ta’ala only is given in Quran & Sunnah. Thus if somebody considers these as his objectives and the procedures to attain these are regarded by him as mere means then how could it be called biduat. For example, religious education systems were different in Hazrat Muhammad sul ila alai wasalam’s time as compared to the present system. But since seeking of religious education is proven from Quran & hadith, therefore nobody objects over the mode of this education. Likewise, there is a clear-cut segregation between the objectives of tassawuf and means to achieve these objectives and if people understand this segregation then there is no room for objecting it and calling it biduat.

Q6: Things have begun to be clarified. You are right but people now-a-days use tassawuf as a scapegoat for doing totally non-shariah compliant deeds including deeds that could be classified as shirk & biduaat. Therefore to avoid being caught up into such things, whether it will be prudent to keep people away from tassawuf?

Answer: Prevention from shirkiah deeds and biduaat is useful but avoiding tassawuf for that purpose is strange. If people start mixing up wrong customs or traditions in the religion and start considering it in accordance with Islam, would we then leave Islam for this matter. It is the same as some ignorant people connotate keeping beard with bad people and thus avoids it. Please note that orders of Allah subhanahu Ta’ala and Rasool Allah Sul ila alai wasalam are if acted upon by bad people to achieve wrong ends then it doesn’t mean that we totally leave it but rather to introduce among the people the right way of implementing the shariah guidelines in our lives. Likewise, we are striving to do the same in tassawuf to take its true form and adopt it due to its usefulness and shun out the bogus material.

Q7: What are the deeds that are mandatory in tareeqat?

Answer: Think little harder. The hidden (batini) deeds could be divided into two. The favourable ones including modesty, devoutness, and trust in Allah Ta’ala and the unfavourable ones including enviousness, pride, self conceitness, show off, and etc. In tareeqat, good manners are developed and bad traits are eliminated, the former is called purification and latter the riddance.

Q8: What does we achieve from Tassawuf?

Answer: Apparently two positive aspects are achieved. i.e.

• Purification of heart, it means that the person willingly tries to do good deeds and bad manners are eliminated from him. In plain words, the person surrenders himself completely to the will of Allah Subhanahu Ta’ala.
• The endorsement of Allah Subhanu Ta’ala for his subject meaning that this person now could be classified as friend of Allah Ta’ala (wali Allah). This is what we call nisbut.

Q9: Whether endorsement of Allah Ta’ala is within our capacity as individuals?

Answer: NO. it is totally based on the grace/kindness of Allah Ta’ala.

Q10: If it is not within our capacity then how could we strive for it?

Answer: Good and timely question but please listen carefully.

As we know that we can only enter Jannah with the grace of Allah Subhanahu Ta’ala and not through our efforts but we are still asked to strive for it. We know that none of the commandments of Allah Ta’ala are baseless, therefore our duty is to only act but the result is to be left with Allah Ta’ala. Like we put our full efforts to achieve Jannah while knowing that it could only be granted with the grace of Allah Ta’ala, likewise, our duty is to correct hidden deeds, which is in our capacity and it is required by us from Allah Ta’ala. The attainment of nisbut based on our deeds is beyond our control but we will still keep on acting with the hope that Allah Ta’ala will grace us with this unparallel bounty whenever he thinks it right.

Q11: Can we achieve the objectives of Tassawuf from just reading books?

Answer: This could be one of the possibilities but experience tells us that without the guidance of a proficient sheikh, it is highly unlikely. This path has many hurdles and no one can gets through it without a guide, it might take ages but still the objectives will remain a far cry. Logically speaking a person who achieves these objectives will be either sincere or not so sincere. If he is not sincere, he will try to find the short cut and will get deceived by the nafs (soul). Please note that through tassawuf, we are supposed to train our souls and training of soul could only be done by acting against the wishes of soul and if someone is acting on the behest of soul then how could he achieve the goal. On the other hand, if he is sincere, he will choose the difficult path to save himself from getting deceived by the soul. The struggle required to clear the difficult path might become unbearable for him and he might abandon the path altogether considering himself not fit for it OR he might face such physical hardships that he forego doing the deeds. Thus he will remain a non-achiever in both cases. In contrast, if he works under the guidance of someone, the guide will have him put his effort but bearable effort. With the experience of the guide, implementation will become easier for the salik and he will also not have to bear the agony of getting into uncertain circumstances.

Q12: What do we mean by supervision and uncertainty?

Answer: Supervision means that every step is taken after complete guidance because soul related ailments are difficult to detect and if gets detected, then it is ever harder cure them. Uncertainty means that if the salik is sincere then how much pressure should he exert on the nafs (soul) and how much is bearable for him.

Q13: Who is entitled to supervise?

Answer: A Proficient Sheikh (guide), some people also calls him the Pir.

Q14: We have heard so much about Pirs but what really is Pir?

Answer: A Pir is a teacher, the guide. As already told that no one can become his own guide because it is very very difficult, therfore, it is impotant that we choose someone as our guide. The salik establishes special relationship with his guide (the sheikh), develops trust in him and starts telling him his intimate details, in turns the sheikh comes to know more of the salik and therefore the advice of the sheikh is more beneficial for the salik as compared to other people.

Q15: Whether this sheikh - mureed relationship allowed in Islam?

Answer: Why not. Like it is allowed to have teacher - student relationship, have doctor - patient relationship, similarly it is allowed to have Sheikh - mureed relationship. Everybody tries to find himself a guide to seek guidance in purifying his heart. Purification of soul is must and the guidance of sheikh to achieve this goal is a channel, thus there must not be any confusion on the role of a sheikh. The mureed is normally spiritually sick and is also the student in the field of tassawuf, since both these conditions are very real, therefore, the role of a sheikh and that of mureed cannot be denied.

Q16: We have heard that behavior cannot be altered but its seems like you consider it possible?

Answer: Yes indeed. You are right that behavior do not change but habits change. Mashaik (guide) identify the behavior of their mureeds and then guide them accordingly by putting them on the right path which ultimately leads to change in their habits. You may agree that all sahabah had different behavioral patterns and after spiritual training, they all had become great guides to lead people towards the right path. Thus behavior cannot change but they could be transformed. In computer terminolgy, the behavior could be termed as hardware and habits could be termed as software. Thus hardware is inherited but software could vary in accordance with the environment, parents, and mashaik.

Q17: Can anyone become Pir / Sheikh?

Answer: No. Like we cannot trust everyone to cure our disease, similarly not every other person could become sheikh. There are prerequisites of a sheikh, which one need to understand and have knowledge of, otherwise instead of a benefit it could instead be detrimental.

Q18: We can consult any doctor to help us cure our disease then why can we not go to any one to cure our spiritual ailments?

Answer: Perhaps my answer is not clear. Off course you can go to any doctor from among that fraternity but you will not go to a non-doctor to cure your diseases. Similarly you can go to any sheikh to seek spiritual guidance but you cannot seek the guidance from a person who is not a sheikh.

Q19: Is it necessary to have one Sheikh at a time? Actually you have compared sheikh with the teacher, like we have many teachers at a time, similarly Can we have more than one sheikh at a time?

Answer: A very good practical question but its answer is not that difficult. As I have told you before that a mureed has two status at a time. He is a patient in which case the sheikh is a doctor and he is student in which case the sheikh is a teacher. In tassawuf the mureed is more like a patient who seeks sheikh’s guidance to heal his ailing soul. Sheikh’s elaboration on certain aspects of tassawuf is not necessary and often times sheikh do not give any explanation. It is the same as in doctors that some doctors highlight certain aspects to their patients and others do not. Thus the most important thing is to heal the patient and withit sometimes patient is also educated by the doctor to an extent. Thus when we consider the sheikh as a doctor then seeking advice from one doctor at a time to treat the disease is considered mandatory and similarly having one sheikh at a time is also mandatory.

Q20: It still is not clear to me. We often change our doctors on and off and thus come in contact with many doctors. Therefore I am not satisfied with the earlier response?

Answer: It is often not consider necessary to change doctors during any particular ailment because as one starts to understand the disease of the patient and if the patient at that junction changes the doctor it might result in worsening of the disease. Also the new doctor will also take his time to understand the disease of the patient and the patient will have to go through the same investigative process all over again.

Q21: Does it mean that we can choose a separate Sheikh / Pir for each spiritual ailment?

Answer: No. It is necessary that we go into details to understand this aspect. Like for example if we are comparing two separate things, it is not necessary that both of them are completely identical, they could both have any single aspect in common but in reality are poles apart. For the sake of understanding let me make it clear that we have witnessed that people get treatment from different doctors for the different diseases because different diseases have separate specialisations. However, for the spiritual ailment the root cause is the Love for worldly things as opined by Hazrat Muhammad Sul ila alai wasalam that “Love for worldly things is the root cause of all evils.” The treatment of all spiritual ailments is only a single thing, which is Love for Allah Ta’ala. Well! Real tassawuf is to take out the love for worldly things from the heart and give place to Love of Allah subhanahu Ta’ala instead, rest all procedures are of secondary importance, therefore, we can have a single sheikh to treat our ailing soul. The fact of the matter is that how could we negate the experiences of hundreds and hundreds thousand people who have walked the same path to attain nisbut thus it is better that we follow our predecessors.

Q22: Let us say that having a link with a single Sheikh at a time is more useful but what if some poor soul gets caught up with a imposter sheikh?

Answer: May Allah subhanu Ta’ala bless you for asking this very important and practical question. It is important that we remain in touch with a single sheikh but only if that sheikh is the real expert in his field and the mureed is fully synchronized with the sheikh, otherwise, this relationship can prove to be fatal spiritually. It is important that we understand the signs of a proficient sheikh and choose him after careful deliberation. Synchronization between the sheikh and mureed is also very important and one should judge it completely before entering into sheikh:mureed relationship. It is fatal to choose a sheikh who is shaky in his faith, do not understand the role of sheikh in providing spiritual guidance, and / or is openly involved in big sins. If someone gets caught up with an imposter then he / she can break this relationship and can form a new relationship with a real sheikh. Please note that being disrespectful to the previous sheikh is not at all desired no matter what others say about him because being respectful is the key of spiritual progress in tassawuf.

Q23: If the previous Sheikh / Pir openly commits sins and becomes a source of spiritual damage for other people even then we need to keep our silence over his acts?

Answer: I have only told not to be disrespectful to the previous shiekh but we need to inform others not to baut a person who openly commit sins, such indirect guidance will prove useful for the people especially if it comes from the mouth of the person who himself was the victim of his fake sheikh. However, do not say anything directly against your previous sheikh without dire need but if someone specifically asks for it then guide them towards the experienced ones in this field.

Q24: If someone cannot develop mental synchronization with his sheikh eventhough his sheikh is neither involved in bad deeds nor has any problem in his faith?

Answer: First of all one should try to develop mental synchronization with the sheikh, often times a mureed is mentally adjusted with his sheikh without even realizing, in such circumstances, he should try to make it transparent, but if after all efforts, he cannot develop mental harmony with his sheikh then with respect the mureed should develop his relationship with some other sheikh but complete caution should be exercised this time so that the same situation does not arise over again.

Q25: Some people consider baut and tassawuf as inseparable, is it so?

Answer: Baut is useful and its status is of sunnan-e-mustahiba but spiritual training of one’s soul is Farz, therefore, the purpose could be achieved if any one establishes link with a sheikh without the baut for spiritual training and starts acting over his advice. In contrast, the purpose would not be achieved if some one does the baut but do not get spiritual training from his sheikh.

Q26: Then what is the need of a baut, just get the spiritual training and that’s it?

Answer: Right. If indeed this happens but no one can deny the usefulness of a baut.

Q27: What are the uses of a baut?

Answer: The mureed gets his sheikh’s attention and sheikh starts caring about him. The mureed gets to undetstand that he whatever he will get in the path of tareeqat will be due to his sheikh only and he thus doesn’t look here and there. The barkaat (divine hidden help) of silsila couldn’t be denied and above all the faith in Allah subhanahu Ta’ala of the mureed gets solidified.

Q28: Is the baut necessary for ladies as well?

Answer: Why not. The reference in Quran about baut is of ladies. The baut of men could be proved from ahadith, however, the baut of ladies could only be done within the boundaries prescribed in Shariah i.e. behind the veil and with the permission of their men.

Q29: Who is the real Pir, please provide guidance in his?

Answer: MashAllah. This is the sign of one’s desire to find the right path. May Allah subhanahu Ta’ala give me the courage to tell the right thing. But first tell me how you choose a doctor.

Q30: We check whether the doctor is expert in this field or not. We further check that whether he attended medical college and if he did, then did he really graduated from there. Can we choose a Pir this way?

Answer: No. we also check whether the mureed and the Sheikh are mutually synchronized with each other, otherwise there will be no use.

Q31: What is this synchronization and what do you mean by proficiency of sheikh?

Answer: Synchronization means that the mureed feels benefited from sheikh’s company, his writings, and his books. If you doubt him in anyways even unintentionally, you want to get rid of your doubts rather than going forward with it. The proficiency of sheikh means that he himself has done baut in a valid silsila and is permitted to train others in tareeqat from a proficient sheikh himself.

Q32: If someone has not done baut and he gets trained in tareeqat somehow, can he be permitted to train others in tareeqat?

Answer: MashAllah. Good question. If tazkia of someone reaches an acceptable benchmark, then, he can be permitted to train others in tareeqat. This permission would signify that this person will not misguide anyone. Thus whatever field may it be politics, teaching, and / or missionary guidance he chooses to work into, he will work with good intentions, however, he will need to learn the rules and regulations of that particular field. There is one additional field and that is spiritual training in tareeqat, which is an art. Thus if he desires to work in this field, he will have to learn this art from an expert in this field. Otherwise, he can make mistakes even with good intentions.

Q33: Is it possible that a person does baut with one sheikh and gets permission to train others from a different sheikh?

Answer: Yes indeed. The people who attain nisbut can only be permitted to train others. Thus a person who gets trained from one sheikh and if some other sheikh considers him fit to train others, he can allow him to train others. But it is important that the person who is permitting should know and understands the person who has trained this person, if this is not the case then one should refrain from such practices. If possible, this person should inform the sheikh of the mureed about his intentions and leaves it on his sheikh to decide. This is just my experience and others may disagree with it.

Q34: Is it possible that a person does baut with one sheikh and gets the training in tareeqat from another sheikh?

Answer: Yes indeed. Hazrat Syed Ahmed Shaheed RAH did his baut with Shah Abdul Aziz RAH but got his training in tareeqat from Hazrat Shah Abdul Qadir Rah and got the premission to train others in tareeqat from Shah Abdul Qadir Rah as well. Likewise Hazrat Moulana Abdul Majid Darya abadi did his baut with Hazrat Moulana Hussein Ahmed Madni Rah but got his training from Hazrat Thanvi Rah and was permitted to train others by Hazrat Thanvi Rah as well.

Q35: If someone does his baut with a particular sheikh but for some reason could not stay in touch with his sheikh, could he then get his training from another person?

Answer: If it is possible to stay in touch with your sheikh and the sheikh is willing to train you, then it is preferable to stay in touch with your sheikh. However, if it is not possible to stay in touch with the sheikh OR sheikh gets too old and cannot possibly train anyone due to his old age problems, then the salik can contact anyone else for the training aspect only. Now the latter sheikh will be considered as his Trainer-Sheikh (or Mentor) and his obligations towards him will stay the same as for Sheikh-e-baut and the former sheikh will be considered as his Sheikh-e-Baut and his respect will stay obligatory on the mureed.

Q36: What is a valid silsila?

Answer: A silsila (continuous stream) of suhbut and confidence from the present sheikh that goes right upto Hazrat Muhammad صلئ الله عليه وآ له وسلم. The mureed right with the baut gets enter into the silsila of his sheikh. These silsilas could be understood by the example of different types of medical treatments i.e. aelopathy, homeopathy, acupuncture, alternative medicine, which means that procedures of each type of silsila like different types of medical treatments might vary but their end result is to attain complete health, be it physical or spiritual (nisbut is spiritual health).

Q37: As mentioned above, all silsilas have originated from Hazrat Muhammad صلئ الله عليه وآ له وسلم, then there should be only one silsila but we evidence a number of silsilas in practice, why is it so?

Answer: As already told that tassawuf is Fiqh-e-Batin (knowledge base to purify soul) and as is common in Fiqh-e-Zahir (Fiqh related to manifested deeds), that all silsilas have orginated from Hazrat Muhammad Sul ila Alai wasalam but these silsilas are remembered by the name of our elders who compiled them. I.e. Hanafi, Maliki, Hunbali, Shafi, and etc. Similarly in Fiqh-e-batin, the silsilas are remembered by the name of the elders who played a major role in the compilation of any particular Silsila-e-tassawuf i.e. Chishtia, Qadiria, Nuksubundia, and Suhrwardia.

Q38: What is the difference between them?

Answer: The basic difference between them are the procedures adopted to train others in tareeqat. These silsilas could be understood by the example of different types of medical treatments i.e. aelopathy, homeopathy, acupuncture, alternative medicine, which means that procedures, means, rules of each type of silsila like different types of medical treatments might vary but their end result is to attain complete health, be it physical or spiritual (nisbut is spiritual health).

Q39: Why there is difference of opinion in the procedures adopted by different silsilas?

Answer: There is a rule that once the heart of the salik get enlightened (lighted), it throws out all the darkness from inside the heart, therefore as salik learns to adopt good deeds, he will automatically refrain from bad deeds. This is an established rule of Nukshbundia, therefore, nukshbundi mashaik stress sternly on the zikr as it helps take out the character weaknesses. The second rule is that the dirty dish can even make milk look dirty if poured in there. This is an established rule of chishtia silsila that they first try to take out pride / self conceitness from the person and once it is done, then it is easier to put salik on track with little concentration and zikr and thus salik attains Allah subhanahu Ta’ala’s endorsement easily. Both these rules are very useful but the point here is that there are varying type of people and some go with the former rule and others with the latter rule depending on their attitudes.

Q40: What is this Awaisi silsila?

Answer: There is no such thing as awaisi silsila, however, there is a type of nisbut called awaisi nisbut. There are varying types of nisbuts depending on person to person and when we classify someone as having a particular type of nisbut, it simply means that this person have the dominant features of members of particular silsila having attained nisbut. Awaisi nisbut means that someone gains spiritual attention from the spirit of a dead Saint. This is possible but it could not be transferred to anyone else. However, if someone has already attained nisbut then his nisbut could be further strengthened with awaisi nisbut. Awaisi nisbut is similar to seeing our beloved Prophet Hazrat Muhammad Sul ila alai wasalam in dream, it will benefit the one who have seen Hazrat Muhammad Sul ila alai wasalam in his dream and he cannot pass it further, even if he heard something from Hazrat Muhammad Sul ila alai wasalam in his dream, it cannot be classified as hadith.

Q41: What is salik and wasil (attained)?

Answer: Saluk means the Path but in the terminolgy of tassawuf, saluk means the procedure of tassawuf. Salik is the one who is traveling the path but in the terminology of tassawuf, salik is the one who has stepped over the path to tareeqat. Wasil is the one who has completed his Sair IllAllah.

Q42: Sair Illalah is a new term. What is it?

Answer: When the heart gets purified from the behavioral weaknesses and attains necessary behavioral strengths, it is said to have completed Sair Illalah.

Q43: Whether all this work and labor ends here?

Answer: No. the labor does not ends here but it starts here. It is simply that when the person regain health, he becomes able to perform work and thus starts working. Similarly, after completion of Sair Illalah, the real work starts, which is to worship with full devotion. Allah subhanahu Ta’ala has created human beings and jin for his worship only and once the salik’s soul gets purified, he / she then begans to worship Allah Subhanahu Ta’ala with devotion. This is called Sair Fillah and it has no boundary.

Q44: Whether mureed can exceed his Sheikh in this path?

Answer: Yes indeed. Anyone can go as far as possible depending upon his capability with the grace of Allah Ta’ala.

Q45: How do we achieve our objectives in Tassawuf?

Answer: Two types of means are utilized here.

• Mujahida (labor)
• Faila (work), some failas are very dangerous and can cause harm while the others cannot.

Q46: If some of the types of faila are harmful then why would anyone adopt it in the first place?

Answer: As already told that tassawuf is like medication and in the beginning we start with simpler treatment and if it works, that’s it. Otherwise, even dangerous treatments are utilized but with care and the physician tries to minimize the harm with his skill like in the case of steroids intake. Similarly in the saluk, if the condition of the salik requires the utilization of dangerous treatment, the sheikh will use it with caution.

Q47: Are there any types of saluk?

Answer: Yes. There are two types, namely; Saluk-e-Nabuat (Prophetic) and Saluk-e-walayat (Saintly).

Q48: The stream of Prophets is over, what do you mean by Saluk-e-Nabuat?

Answer: Yes, the stream of Prophets is over but some people have the instincts to walk over Saluk-e- Nabuat only and they cannot walk over Saluk-e-Walayat.

Q49: What is the difference between them?

Answer: The salikeen walking over saluk-e-walayat first attain the status of Funa fis-sheikh, then Funa fir- Rasool, and then Funa Fillah. They really really fall in love with their Sheikh and stay away from meeting people. They keep their desires at bay and trust their intuitions and hunch feeling. They materially can feel their affection, they often times discard using manifested means because of their reliance in Allah Ta’ala so much so that they even do not pray with attention. They are inspired by Hazrat Ali Razi Allah Anhu and sometimes even leave shariah compliance aside in a particular spiritual state of mind. They are exempted from shariah compliance in this state of mind but cannot be followed by others.they consider raza and fana ul fana as the highest spiritual ranking. However, the one on saluk-e-nabuat is the practical example of La ilaha Illalahu Muhammad dur Rasool Allah. They reach Allah Ta’ala through the sunnah of Prophet Hazrat Muhammad Sul ila alai wasalam. They do not proclaim their sheikh to be superior from others but love their sheikh. Their affection is dominated by reason and they use their brain in order to make sure shariah compliance. They comply with shariah very maturely and do not refrain from desired objects but utilize them in accordance with shariah. They are inspired by all four Khulfa-e-Rashideen. They pray with full concentration considering it the order of Allah Ta’ala but always accept the scheme of things as ordained by Allah Ta’ala. They strive their best in benefiting others but consider themselves as valueless. They consider ubdiat (total surrenderance to Allah Ta’ala-becoming true subject of Allah Ta’ala) as the highest spiritual order to be achieved.

Q50: How could anyone exempted from shariah compliance in a particular spiritual state of mind?

Answer: Good Question. Sometimes a particular spiritual state like fear of Allah Ta’ala or warmth completely holds the mind of the person and person become ineffective to act reasonably for the time being. Since only the sane person is required to comply with shariah and it is possible the the person in a particular spiritual state is unable to comply with the shariah because he has temporarily lost his sanity and thus exempted from shariah temporarily and if he is not following shariah in this phase he would not be sinful but cannot be followed by others either.

Q51: One of the means of tassawuf is also Mujahida (hardship), what is it anyways?

Answer: Nafs (soul) usually create hurdles in complying with shariah because of its aspirations for worldly things, and etc. In order to train our soul to exercise restraint from fulfilling these aspirations for the time until it gets cultured enough not to create hurdles in the way of shariah compliance is called mujahida. It is of two types, one is called the physical mujahida to train one’s soul to get used to resistance like increase in nawafil to get used to saying prayers regularly and exercising abstention to reduce lust for food. The second type is to act against the desire to do sin. The real mujahida is this latter type and the former one is just a measure to achieve the latter type.

Q52: What are the kinds of wishes for which soul create hurdles in performing good deeds?

Answer: There are so many but our religious scholars have divided these into three types:

• Lust for Power or influence.
• Lust to achieve luxuries.
• Lust to be wealthy.

Q53: Normally people accumulate wealth to attain power and lead luxurious life, then how come lust for wealth is classified as separate item?

Answer: Not exactly. This is not always the case and some people even sacrifice their respect in others just to make money and some people fall in love with money to such an extent that they keep on accumulating it and do not spend it even where required.

Q54: Whether the salik is prevented from fulfilling these desires in mujahidaat (self restraint)?

Answer: No. the salik is not completely prevented from fulfilling these desires but is allowed to fulfill it at acceptable levels and this level is different for different kind of people. A person who has not reached a desired level of spiritual purification is sometimes even stopped from fulfilling necessary desires.

Q55: Why a person is prevented from fulfilling necessary desires, is it not like interrupting shariah?

Answer: Not at all. This is just a temporary phase in the process of purification of soul just like in the Armed forces, the soldiers are not even given enough food or even simple food or quality food, eventhough Army is self sufficient to fulfill housing, food and other needs of their men but it is a temporary phase just to train their men in the state of war. The shariah even forbids its followers from eating, drinking, and fulfilling their natural desires for the fixed time interval while fasting so that its followers gain piety. Above all, all these hardships are being forced on muslims so that they can easily implement shariah against the wishes of soul. In other words, when a piece of paper is folded in a certain direction, it cannot be straighten out thereafter unless it is folded back in the oppossite direction. Similarly the people who are completely caught up in the fulfillment of their worldly wishes cannot easily be made to restrain themselves unless they are prevented from fulfilling even rightful wishes for the time being as a treatment.

Q56: When is this mujahida (self restraint) discontinued?

Answer: When training of soul reaches an acceptable level then the salik is prevented from wrong things only and not rightful ones.

Q57: How do we do mujahida (self restraint)?

Answer: We have to control following four things during mujahida:

• Food
• Sleep
• Talking
• Salik is further prevented from meeting such people who are harmful for him in his training phase.

Q58: I cannot conceive how could restraining oneself from inter-communication be mujahida, what is so difficult about not talking?

Answer: Amazing. Can’t you see that telling a lie or grumbling behind somebody’s back is the result of over talking If we restrain ourselves to communicating only when required, we can easily overcome these bad habits. The people who love to talk cannot easily resist the urge to talk similarly as poets cannot abstain themselves from reading their poetry to other people.

Q59: Do we have other mujahidaats (self restraint) as well in addition to the ones already discussed?

Answer: The mujahidaats already discussed are deliberate ones and there are undeliberated ones as well. The undeliberated mujahidaats are far more useful as compared the deliberated ones because the deliberated ones are the proposition of the human beings while undeliberated ones are the propositions of Allah subhanu Ta’ala, who is the creator of us all and the creator knows his creations better than the creation themselves, therefore undeliberated ones are more useful.

Q60: If undeliberate mujahida is more useful then can we pray for it from Allah Ta’ala?

Answer: No. One must pray to Allah subhanahu Ta’ala for his kindness and mercy as it portrays the human character of humility and Allah Ta’ala likes humbleness of his creations.

Q61: If someone is caught up in undeliberate mujahida, then, what should he do?

Answer: If Allah Ta’ala wants to examine some one accidentally, then this person should exercise patience. If it is possible to get out of it, then one must try to get out and also pray to Almighty Allah for it. One must not complain about whatever happened and only say Ina Lillah hae Waina ilahe Rajaoon. Also, if it is not possible to get out of this incident, then it is better to completely exercise patience and not grumble.

Q62: You have mentioned a term called Faila (work) among the measures to put someone on the road to tareeqat, what is it?

Answer: Allah Subhanahu Ta’ala has kept many hidden abilities in human beings and there are deeds which can easily activate these hidden powers I.e. Hepnatism, a person can do a lot with this ability. Similarly repeatedly doing something or concentrating on anything can have dramatically great results as psychologically such acts can help us attain special spiritual states. Zikr, meditation, concentration and etc. are the examples of utilization of those hidden abilities through which a person attains special spiritual states. Zikr, meditation, concentration are intentional efforts and attaining a special spiritual state is beyond anyone’s capacity. But these intentional efforts lead to attaining to these difficult to attain spiritual states. Thus zikr, meditation and concentration becomes the measures to attain special spiritual states and these measures are called faila (work).

Q63: What is zikr?

Answer: Remebering Allah Subhanahu Ta’ala is called zikr.

Q64: Can we say that (musnoon tasbeeh) repeatedly remembering the attributes of Allah Ta’ala as highlighted in Quran and ahadith (as musnoon deed) are also called zikr?

Answer: These musnoon tasbeehs can also be classfied as zikr. However, these musnoon tasbeehs are like diet / nutrition for the person and there is another kind of zikr, which is used to treat an ailing patient. This zikr is called the medicine and we are referring here the same zikr used as the medicine for the salik.

Q65: How can you treat a person with zikr?

Answer: Zikr helps us gain love for Allah Ta’ala and love is the key of all blessings. By continuously discrediting the undesired love relationships with the use of zikr, we are throwing out these undesired relationships from our heart and as we move further, this zikr penetrates deeper into our heart and makes his way into our heart permanently. With this improved status of zikr into our heart, the undesired love realtionships are thrown out and throwing out of undesired relationships automatically helps us gain love for Allah subhanahu Ta’ala and thus the true path bvecomes clearer and clearer in front of salik.

Q66: How should we do zikr?

Answer: It is difficult to answer this question here because it is different for everyone and therefore it is required to take sheikh’s guidance in this regard. One can do zikr with tongue, with heart, while breathing, and in imigination. The sheikh usually advices whatever is useful for a person and then the person is monitored in order to ascertain that he gets the maximum return out of it.

Q67: Some people do their zikr loudly, however, Allah subhanahu Ta’ala listens to even whispers of the people, then why do some people do their zikr loudly?

Answer: When zikr is done for the purpose of sawab, it could be done silently to the extent that the person hears his own sound and it should be made sure that other people do not get disturbed with loud sounds of zikr. Since it is expected from us that we pass our maximum time doing the zikr, therefore, it is practically not possible to always find a place where people do not get disturbed with loud zikr. Recitation of holy Quran has the same status. However, zikr for the purpose of treating one’s spiritual ailments is done out loud to withhold satan from whispering in the heart of the person.

Q68: What is your opinion on whether doing zikr out loud results in show off?

Answer: But this doubt should be set aside. If anyone is not doing zikr to show himself off is fine. The suspicion of show off is not show off. Also, Hazrat Muhammad Sul ila alai wasalam has said that do more and more zikr to the extent that others start calling you a show off and also said that do zikr to an extent that others start calling you insane. Some of our ancestors have said that stop doing zikr for the sake that others may call you show off is itself an exhibition of oneself.

Q69: Doing zikr out loud individually is permissible but can we do it collectively?

Answer: The logic which prevails for doing zikr out loud individually also holds for doing zikr out loud collectively. Think deeply, if it is considered necessary for the purification of heart, then it will be useful whether it is done individually or collectively.

Q70: Collectively doing loud zikr in such a way that everyone is doing it at his own is used to be practiced by our ancestors but collectively doing loud zikr in such a fashion that one person is acting as a coach and he is making everyone else follow him with one voice is not evidenced through the acts of our ancestors. Some people say that such a collective zikr has similarity with collectively offering prayers in which everyone is following one coach (Imaam), therefore, this could be termed as an addition in the religious rituals?

Answer: No. this is not right. Moulana Ahmed Ali Lahori RAH is our elder and this tradition of doing collective zikr with one voice was practiced in his time and it was also practiced by Hazrat Moulana Faqir Muhammad RAH in his time. This is just a channel to achieve an aim. The purpose of this zikr is to effect the heart and no one can deny that doing zikr collectively in this fashion has very positive bearing on heart. Also during jihad, one coach / guide trains every one else with his singular voice. Under this training system the coach is just a channel to impart training to others and he cannot be blamed for it. Similarly if collective zikr with one voice is done by all and is not considered as an objective and people who are not doing it are not blamed for it, then it is fine.

Q71: Is it ok to do zikr out loud in mosque?

Answer: Doing zikr loudly in mosque is like teaching children how to recite Quran sharif in the mosque. Thus if no one is offering prayers or performing any other collective activity at that time in the mosque then it is fine.

Q72: Would it be right to do zikr out loud if any one person is offering his prayers during that time?

Answer: If it is farz prayer, then the people doing zikr should accommodate those offering the prayers and if it is nufl prayer, then the people offering nufl prayers should accommodate those doing collective zikr. Because the best place to offer nufl prayers is home as commonly thought that the best place to teach a child how to recite Quran majid is home.

Q73: You have said that zikr could also be done in the heart, is it really possible?

Answer: Yes indeed and it is very useful and tasteful.

Q74: Can you elaborate on this?

Answer: Yes. There are ways to achieve it. In nukshbundia, it is taught right in the start but in chishtia it is taught after specific training and some people achieve it through keeping their tongue soaked with zikr and this is ever lasting. The best use of it is that it could be done anywhere and all the time. Thus anyone can achieve perpetuality in zikr through zikr at heart. When a person becomes more accustomed to zikr at heart then this thing starts to show its effects on other parts of the body as well and these effects could be felt. This phenomenon is called the beginning of “zikr impression” on parts of the body.

Q75: Can the zikr impresssion be achieved automatically or does it require effort?

Answer: Yes it could be tried because nukshbundi salikeen do it one by one and chishti only consider the zikr impression on heart as the real one and consider the rest as extensions of the zikr impression on heart, which can be achieved automatically through little effort on heart.

Q76: How do we know that zikr impresssion is really imprinted on us?

Answer: There are different points in the body on which zikr impression has its effects. The one on the soul has its point near the heart, the one on the spirit has its point under the right nipple under the field of the heart. In between the spirit and heart is the point of head. There is also a point on the lips and some considers it to be on the forehead and is called the hidden point. There is another point in the centre of the head called the point near the brain and it is also hidden. There is also a point called soul point at the place of naf. There are contradictions about the points of these zikr impressions based on the revelations to different people. The salikeen normally can feel zikr at these points of Allah, Allah or La ilaha illAllah. There are lights (enlightenment) on these points, which could be seen with divine revelations. Therefore some people have written on these lights but these lights cannot be seen by everyone. Because these lights could only be seen through divine revelations and some people are not accustomed to revelations and it is not mandatory either.

Q77: Divine revelations (kashf) is a useful thing then why it is not an objective of tassawuf?

Answer: Our aim is to please Allah Subhanahu Ta’ala for which divine revelation (kashf) is not important. Therefore how could it be an objective. As far as the question of its usefulness is concerned, it is dependent upon its use, for some it is a blessing and for others it is a trial. Therefore who get it without asking for it should use it usefully and who do not get it, should not repent it, thank Allah Ta’ala for it and do not get upset for not getting it.

Q78: What is divine revelation (kashf)?

Answer: Divine revelation is like coming out of something from behind the curtain. There are two types of divine revelations; one is creatory (from the creator-tukveeni), meaning someone comes to know of something from past, present, and future, and/or distant or nearer object, which ordinary people cannot know of through their ordinary senses. The second type is informatory through which one comes to know of correctness or wrongness of some object, this second type is very useful and one should to Allah Ta’ala for it. It is called intuition/insight (sharah-e-sadar). Hazrat Musa Alai salam has prayed for it, which is given in Quran Majid.

Q79: This latter type of divine revelation should be aimed for, then why it is not an objective?

Answer: I have just said that one can pray for it and it is useful but Allah Ta’ala knows the best about everyone and if he gives it, one should be thankful for it and if he doesn’t, then, one should not grumble about it. Since accepting Allah Ta’ala’s decision about oneself as the best of both the worlds is from among the objectives of tassawuf. Since Allah Ta’ala decide everyone’s fate according to their conditions because he knows everyone from inside out better than even themselves. Therefore, everyone will be answerable on the day of resurrection in accordance to their capacity.

Q80: What is this murakiba (Power of concentration)?

Answer: Murakiba is like concentrating on something in the heart. Concentrating on something in such a way that it becomes easier to get it is real murakiba. The power of concentration of a human being is full of wonders and one can achieve a lot through it. Some people consider it as useless because in their opinion how can one get something just by thinking about it. While asserting on their position, they forget that we achieve everything in our religion through our imagination. Our believe system/faith is based on imaginations, which are the pillars of our religion. Falling in love or out of love has to do with imagination, Contemplation of something is a kind of imagination through which deeds gets arisen. Therefore Mashaik use the power of concentration to arrange out thought system. Allah Ta’ala says that people will find me according to their notions for me and through the power of concentration, one can achieve good notions.

Q81: Whether imagination and believe are one and the samething?

Answer: Imagination is like bringing something into the mind with effort and believe is something on which our heart gets satisfied. Thus the first step toward solidifying something into the heart through reasoning is imagination, and the result of this imagination could well termed to be faith. For example, if one starts thinkinh that Allah Subhanahu Ta’ala is watching him, he will after a while will start realizing that Allah Ta’ala is indeed watching him. Hazrat Muhammad Sul ila alai wasalam while responding Hazrat Gibrael alai salam question on “AHSAN” has said that you should worship Allah Ta’ala like you are seeing him, if it is not possible for you, then at least realize that Allah Ta’ala is watching you. It is signalling that through imagination one can acquire complete believe in it.

Q82: Do we have any single meditation (concentration) which is good for all?

Answer: Before performing any deed, nafs (soul) should be persuaded to do the good deed only is called pre-action training. After occurrence of the deed, one should examine whether the deed was of the order or not, it is called post-occurrence examination. If the deed was good, then consider it to be the blessing of Allah Ta’ala and extend your gratitude to Allah Ta’ala, and if the deed is bad, then, apologise Allah Ta’ala for it. This should be done everyday by everyone as it is very useful.

Q83: Whether meditation (concenration) could be proved from Quran and Sunnah?

Answer: Allah Subhanahu Ta’ala says that everyone should extend a second look on whatever he has sent ahead for the day of judgement. This is concentration on this point and it is ordeaned by Allah Ta’ala. In hadith-e-AHSAN, Hazrat Muhammad Sul ila alai wasalam has said that you should worship Allah Ta’ala like you are seeing him, if it is not possible for you, then at least realize that Allah Ta’ala is watching you and also said that consider yourself in front of Allah Ta’ala and you will find him in front of you.

Q84: How many other types of murakibaat (concentration) do we have?

Answer: There are many types and the details of which cannot be given here. Please read “Faham-ul- tassawuf” of the author of this book to find out details.

Q85: You have just narrated pastime (shughul)? What is it?

Answer: Due to augmentation of evil thoughts / suspicions in the heart, the person gets upset and he cannot concentrate, which is very important for the voyager (salik) of tareeqat, therefore, in order to terminate it, the mashaik sometimes teach such procedures through concentration is improved. Such procedures are called pastime (ashghal).

Q86: Once someone gets the ability to concentrate, even then, one can do shughul (pastime)?

Answer: As it becomes evident from the description of this word that shughul (pastime) is itself not an aim but it is just the means to achieve a particular state of mind. If the same state of mind gets attained then there is no use to do it. Although those mashaik who have never encountered these pastimes can do it to teach others.

Q87: Can you tell us a simple shughul (pastime)?

Answer: There are so many types of pastime written in books and they cannot be aimed for, they are just the means to improve concentration. Therefore whenever these are required, they are advised by the sheikh according to the condition of the salik and as per the situation. Therefore sheikh is the best judge to choose a particular meditation for the salik snd it should be left to him to decide. However, just for the sake of information, I can tell one or two mashagul (pastimes) so that everyone understands what really is shughul (pastime)?

Draw a picture of beautiful picture of heart in a piece of paper. Write word ALLAH in it beautifully. Then see it at a set time everyday for sometime so that the picture of word ALLAH gets drawn on one’s heart in imagination and eventually it helps in improvement of the concentration. Also it could also be imagined that word “ALLAH HU” is coming from each and every hair of the body. The details of this could be seen in our book “fahm ul tassawuf”.

Q88: You have mentioned some failaat (work) in certain arai (means), which could be harmful, what are these?

Answer: Masha Allah, well remembered. The failaat (work) which could be harmful includes imagination of sheikh, falling in love with opposite sex, and oration of spiritual poetry without musical instruments, oration to be performed by the same sex, and subject of the poetry is to be religious.

Q89: If these could prove to be harmful, then, why are they used?

Answer: Yes, these should be used with caution. This is a separate issue that these cannot be removed from the list of medicines because these are required to be used in certain special circumstances. The use of these failas is similar to using steroids in which the guidance of very expert physicians is required. In normal situations, physicians (mashaik) are instructed to abstain from it but in certain extreme situations, they might be required, therefore, the information of these is important (Allah Ta’ala knows the best).

Q90: What is imagination of Sheikh?

Answer: As one remembers Allah Ta’ala while in the company of Sheikh and good habits of sheikh are automatically absorbed the mureed, therefore, if in the absence of a Sheikh, one imagines to be with the sheikh, it is useful.

Q91: This is a good thing, why is it harmful?

Answer: It is harmful because the mureed might start considering his sheikh as omnipresent (na uze billah). Since the salik (voyager) consider his sheikh as a heavenly being in loveand when Allah Ta’ala at times helps this salik in need, he considers it from his sheikh and slowly the salik starts moving toward infidelity. Picture is therefore haram (totally banned) as it slowly changes into infidelity (person may start considering the subject in the picture as omnipresent (nauze billah)). Love is always dominate the clear thinking ability of a soul and love with Sheikh is but natural, thus if sheikh’s picture is saved in the heart, it could also become dangerous.

Q92: This is really dangerous. If imagination of sheikh gets into the mind of someone undeliberately, should it be removed?

Answer: Imagination is like bringing something into the mind with effort thus who imagines his sheikh intentionally, it is not allowed, if the thought of sheikh comes to mind unintentionally, it is due to love and it is allowed.

Q93: Whether it is possible to gain these advantages of imagination of sheikh in a better way?

Answer: Yes. Through perpetually following sheikh’s advised daily routines. Through reading sheikh’s bayanaat, mulfozaat, and his books or through talking about sheikh in the company of other salikeen (who did baut at his sheikh’s hand) are the allowed activities through which one get these advantages but there is no harm in it.

Q94: Chanting (samah) is normally practised by Sufis, can you tell us something about it?

Answer: Chanting is the name of hearing good poetry in a pleasant voice.

Q95: Can we use musical instruments with it

Answer: No. Once Hazrat Muhammad صلئ الله عليه وآ له وسلم has specifically mentioned that he is sent for cessation musical instruments then how could it be allowed to use musical instruments in chanting.

Q96: It is popularly known that few of the great Sufis like Khawaja Nizam ud din Uolia used to hear Qawwali?

Answer: We cannot trust rumors, it should properly be researched and if proven, then we can accept it. It is equally possible that truth is on the contrary. In Dur-e-Nizami (Mulfozaat of Hazrat), chapter No. 27, Hazrat Says,

Samah (chanting) is of four types, Halal (allowed), Haram (not at all allowed except in life and death situation), Makru (this act is not punishable but is not liked in Islamic shariah), and Mubah (an act which is neither rewarded (sawab) nor punished (gunnah) in Islamic shariah). If the person in wajd is driven towards reality, then it is halal and if he is driven towards fiction, then, it is haram, if his drive towards fiction is dominated by reality, then it is mubah, and if his drive towards reality is dominated by fiction, then it is makru. He further said, for samah to be within the bounds of shariah, many things are required, if they are there then listen to it. Chanter, listener, poetry, and instrument. The chanter should be a grown up man, women and boys (non grown up man) are not allowed, listener should also be pondering Allah Ta’ala, Poetry should not be rubbish/nonsense, and the instrument should not be musical instrument, then chanting (samah) is mubah (an act which is neither rewarded (sawab) nor punished (gunnah) in Islamic shariah).

Q97: Still we know that some of the Sufis do listen to samah with musical instruments. Can you throw some light on it?

Answer: Incomplete information is no information. You are going through the same phase. May Allah Ta’ala help you get out of it. Hazrat Khawaja Nizam ud din Uolia in one of his sittings has said, “What is haram cannot be made halal by anyone. Even if someone considers it as halal, we have to save ourselves and we cannot dump ourselves in saving others”.

Q98: What do we consider of the sufis who used to listen to samah with musical instruments?

Answer: What! Nothing. We should think highly of them because we don’t know that how reliable is the source of this information. If people can try to include the lies in the ahadith of Hazrat Muhammad Sul ila alai wasalam, then, why could they not tell fabricated stories of our Sufis. In contrast, the ban on musical instruments in music is very evident. Thus formally they might not have done it and if did it, then, they are not to be followed by us as instructed in ahadith. We can easily take guidance from our great Sufis in this regard, who have categorically not allowed it and if someone still wants to go for musical instruments in complying their nafsani (soul) desires, we careless for it.

Q99: We have also discussed love of opposite sex in failaat, is it really possible?

Answer: There are many types of such loves, some are allowed and others are banned.

The allowed types include affection with wife, love with children, and etc. the banned types include love with such members of the opposite sex with whom one can establish matrimonial relationship as per shariah and also members of the same sex. Love for young boys also comes under this banned category, rather it is even more dangerous. All types of allowed loves have their own use and from among the allowed ones, they are moulded towards love for Allah Ta’ala so that they become a source of reward in the life hereafter. Therefore it is said that one should spend their time with Sheikh, if he is not available then we should spend our time our wife or in the Zikr of Allah Ta’ala.

One should not intentionally fall in for opposite sex, however, if it does happens, then one should try to tie the knot with the loved one and if it is not possible, then try to stay away from it. Do not think of that person and if necessary, the salik should seek the help of sheikh. Even if one dies in trying to keep him /herself away from this banned loved one, he will considered as martyred and it is a big martyrdom.

Q100: What do you mean by etiquette/good manners?

Answer: Etiquette is a term used for overall behavior and it encompasses the hidden self of anybody. Thus a person with a good inner self is called a well mannered person and a person with bad manners is called a bad mannered person.

Q101: Normally people consider someone who is good to talk to or who knows speaking manners as well-mannered person. What do you think about it?

Answer: Yes it is a misconception. Normally people consider such types as good mannered ones but it is not a reality. Since soft speaking and sweet talk can be considered as bad manners at times. If a woman is sweet talking with a stranger, she would be considered as a bad mannered one as shariah does not allows it.

Q102: Can you further elaborate on what is good manners? As still there is room for it.

Answer: Ok! You are right. In reality good behavior is the name of having balanced wisdom, balanced knowledge, controllable rage, controlled lust. Imbalance in any one of these traits would termed the person as bad-mannered person.

Q103: What is lust, is it sexual prowess?

Answer: No. This is a comprehensive term having many meanings. Actually lust is an internal desire in every human being to safeguard their own interests. Any imbalances in it is called bad behavior and balance in it is called good behavior. Any intensification in it is called self centeredness, which give rise to greediness and results in snatching other peoples rightful ownership, stealing, adultery, and etc. And any reduction in the level of lust from state of balance can result in depression, hopelessness, deserting worldly things altogether.

Q104: This is good because some people consider tassawuf as deserting worldly objects altogether?

Answer: Right, illeterate sufis and dishonest criticizers think the same way. However, as already told that Tassawuf is the name of total compliance with Shariah from the depth of the heart and deserting worldly things altogether is not allowed in Islam, then, how could tassawuf and deserting worldly objects be the same thing.

Q105: Do you not think that sufis desert worldly things and escapees does the same?

Answer: Yes, sufis do desert worldly things but to the extent that is not allowed in shariah. Quran sharif and ahadith-e-mubarika is filled with instructions not to adopt forbidden worldly things. So, can we now say that Quran and ahadith is teaching us to desert worldly things.

Q106: What is temper/rage?

Answer: This is an emotion to throw away evil from oneself. If it crosses the equilibrium point in the upward direction, it changes into cruelty, which destroys the society and its crosses the equilibrium point in the downward direction, it changes into cowardice. The balance state of temper gives rise to steadfastness, bravery, and etc.

Q107: What is the capability of knowledge?

Answer: Human beings can judge anything through knowledge. Human beings are by nature the seekers of knowledge as compared to other beings. But human beings either use this knowledge to please Allah Ta’ala or to fulfill their worldly desires.

Q108: Whether all types of knowledge is useful?

Answer: No. Not all types of knowledge can be aimed at. Some types are niether useful nor harmful and others are even haram.

Q109: How could seeking any type of knowledge be haram?

Answer: Why not. Don’t you think that seeking knowledge to learn black magic would be termed haram. Similarly, the music studies is also haram and there are various other studies that only fulfill nafsani desires and nothing else are also not allowed.

Q110: But some of the branches of knowledge are in itself useful but they are used to fulfill bad intentions, would we also call them undesirable?

Answer: Yes. We treat such branches of knowledge as undesirable as well. But there are other branches of knowledge that are invented for the purposes of fulfilling haram desires, these types are totally banned.

Q111: What is wisdom?

Answer: This is such an ability through which we can guide our other abilities. If it is low, we call such type of person as fool, brainless, and stupid and if it is on the high side, it can make a person as clever, wicked, and heinous. The balance state of this ability makes a person reasonable, rational, and sensible. Any intensification in it is called self centeredness, which give rise to greediness and results in snatching other peoples rightful ownership, stealing, and adultery. But wisdom warns him that the result of such an act might not be good. All governments take the help of wise people to formulate such laws that restrict the misuse of all other inherent forces in human beings. In other words, through the use of wisdom we maintain the balance in the utilization of other forces otherwise the society cannot function. Islam has heavily stressed on the utilization of wisdom.

Q112: What is the difference between wisdom and knowledge?

Answer: Knowledge is the name of learning something. Like if any two persons learn about the same subject but one can make a good use of it with his wisdom and the other can totally discard it due to his foolishness.

Q113: Is it possible to utilize wisdom disproportoinately?

Answer: Yes. The over utilization of wisdom is to consider our findings as perfect and even negate the findings of other wise people so much so that we dare to revolt against the creator of all. The ancient Greeks were trapped in the same falacy, they considered that they did not had to follow the teachings of Prophets. If we closely analyze it, it becomes crystal clear that their wisdom was flawful because they couldn’t understand that there is only one creator and we are dependent on him for all our needs. The under utilization of wisdom is that it is not even used where we are asked to use it. We call such people as unwise. Allah Ta’ala invites us in Quran majid to use our judgement to reach the right decision about coming of day after the night, sky and the earth, and etc. the person who is not using it to analyze these is but harming himself.

Q114: Quite a number of non-muslim scientists have spent their lives in pondering upon these aspects but to no avail, meaning they did not converted to Islam, although, they contemplated?

Answer: Yes, this is very tragic. Satan does not let anyone go that far and indulges them in non-important issues and do not let them arrive at the right decision. Hazrat Thanvi Rah has given a wonderful example of it that the train is coming and the designated person signals it red and train stops. If there wer many observers witnessing the scene, one of them says that rail is stopped by the brakes, he is right. The other says that train is stopped by the driver, he is right, the thrid one says that train is stopped by the red flag, he is right. The fourth one says that the train is stopped by due to that law which says whenever the reg flag is waved, the driver is supposed to stop the train. He is right too. The only difference is that everyone sees the same thing with a different angle and some can think real deep and some cannot. The Prophets think of the creator, the ultimate resource, while scientists can only think of the immediate resource. If a scientist is blessed with Prophetic knowledge by the Allah subhanahu Ta’ala, then he can also see the ultimate creator otherwise, he remains ignorant. Allah Ta’ala in Quran Majid says that there are signs in the creations of skies and earth, day and night. It is also invited in Quran Majid to ponder upon the signs in this universe. This means that we cannot think clearly without zikr and without clear thinking, we cannot reach the ultimate truth.

Q115: Does good behavior is dependent on these forces?

Answer: Good behavior can be attained at the balancing point of these forces. Such person is said to have good behavior. In tassawuf, the salikeen are taught to utilize these forces including, wisdom, knowledge, anger, lust neutrally. In other words, they learn to use all these forces as practiced by Prophet صلئ الله عليه وآ له وسلم.

Our lingual becomes like the lingual of Prophet Sul ila alai wasalam and our state becomes like the state of Prophet صلئ الله عليه وآ له وسلم.

Q116: Let me ask you a detailed question, Can you tell us about the qulbi (heart) deeds that we require to attain for the purification of soul / heart?

Answer: MashAllah. Good question. Salik is required to exercise patience, be grateful, be modest, should have devotion towards the purpose, should have trust in Allah Ta’ala, should have love for Allah Ta’ala, should love Muhammad sul ila alai wasalam, should have faith in one and only, does not long for worldly desires, should be able to concentrate in his worship and finally the salik should be able to take out the adversary traits inlcuding impatience, non-gratitude, show off, self centeredness, pride, love for worldly things, self praise, polygamy, enviousness, distraction of heart, thinking high of oneself, feelings of revenge, and etc.

Q117: What is patience and how to attain it?

Answer: There are two forces in human beings. The former one guides us toward religion and the latter towards worldly things. Thus we should empower the force that guided us towards the religion over the one that guides us towards worldly things. This is called patience. When a trouble strikes, the latter force compels us to rebel against Allah subhanahu Ta’ala (nauze billah) and complain, however, the former force compels him to diverts his attention towards Allah subhanahu Ta’ala. The same is taught to us through “Ina Lillah ha Wa ina Ilahe Rajioon”. Thus by diverting attention towards the former by subduing the latter and avoid grumbling is caled patience. If we are trapped in a problem, we try to run out of it due to the influence of the latter force but the former force compels us to fulfill us our religious obligations of exercising patience. At this time, exercising patience by listening to the former force is called steadfastness. The other name of steadfastness is patience. To attain this valuable trait, we should follow the teachings of Quran & Sunnah and also through mujahidaat we should try to make our nafs (soul) civilized under the guidance of a Sheikh.

Q118: What is gratitude and how to attain it?

Answer: Considering all bounties to be from Allah Subhanahu Ta’ala thanking Allah Ta’ala for it and use them according to the principles laid out by Allah Ta’ala. Always keep this in mind that everything originates from Allah Ta’ala. He gives everything and things remain in their form as long as desired by Allah Ta’ala. No one can use anything without the will of Allah Ta’ala. Always keeping our eyes on the ones who are less privileged as compared to us in the worldly things and focusing on the ones who are better than us in the religious aspects makes us thank Allah Ta’ala all the times. The awareness of our sins makes us pragmatic and arises in us the consideration that whatever is given to us by Allah Ta’ala is his blessing, otherwise, we did not deserved it at all. Further details could be obtained from my book, “Fahm-ul-tassawuf”.

Q119: What is the true meaning of spreading religious teachings (tableegh)?

Answer: Spreading religious teachings is telling everyone the good deeds we know of and restraining everyone from the bad deeds in which they are either involved or getting involved.

Q120: Whether spreading religious teachings is the responsibility of everybody?

Answer: This depends on how knowlegeable, rational, and influential one is. Thus to whatever extent one knows and if he is in a position to tell others, then he must tell others to adopt good things and refrain from bad things. Even if one is unable to spread somethings but he is ina position to persuade those who can spread these things, he should then bring these things into the attention of those people. If one is not able to elaborate on the relevant issues then he should get in touch with Religious Scholars to do it and for this purpose, we are even motivated to help the Religious Scholars financially and physically because they instead of earning their bread & butter are busy in servicing the general public.

Q121: Whether our present “Tableeghi Jamaat (body that is spreading religious teachings) ” doing this duty of spreading religious teachings?

Answer: As per our information this body is doing the duty of telling others to do good deeds but not refraining others from getting involved in bad deeds.

Q122: Should this Tableeghi body also get itself involved in refraining others from bad deeds?

Answer: It depends on the circumstances. Not everyone can withhold others from doing bad deeds, therefore, general public should only tell others to do good deeds and not become hurdle in the work of expert ones in this field.

Q123: How could these people become hurdle in others’ work?

Answer: Hazrat Sheikh ul Hadith says in the first chapter of Fazail-e-Tableegh that, “Religious scholars invite others toward religion through logic, mujahideen through sword, muazaneen through anaan and this is common in inviting others toward manifested deeds and hidden deeds (soul related deeds). Thus sufis who invite others towards the hidden deeds, this is also called invitation for the better”. But few people think that the only right way to propogate the religious message is through the way of this tableeghi jamaat and thus become hurdle for others to do their work.

Q124: How to treat such problems?

Answer: These problems can only be countered through tableegh. It means to make these people understand that all religious activities are part of the religion and are important. Therefore by helping others do their work will in turn result in strengthening the religious base otherwise by confronting each other will harm the religious foundation. It would be useful if the religious scholars of the Tableeghi Jamaat realize the importance of this task and educate their comrades the need to respect the role of other people doing the religious tasks and recognizing it.

Q125: Do you think that all members of our tableeghi body are under this falacy that only they are righteous and rest everyone are mistaken?

Answer: No. I have only said that only few of them are undeliberately harming the other religious fraternaties and if they realize it, they will certainly not do it. Some members of tableeghi fraternity understand the gravity of this problem and are more disturbed about it as compared to us. They even take guidance from a sheikh and are also involved in the activities of the tableeghi jamaat for the purpose of purification of soul. We consider these people as real tableeghi.

Q126: Does it mean that others are not real tableeghi?

Answer: Yes. They are incomplete tableeghi due to this misunderstanding. Because it is one of the basic rules of Tableegh to consider the one who is being addressed to be better than yourself and unification of Ummah is also one of the basic rules of Tableegh. Hazrat Moulana Muhammad Umer Palan Puri Rah has stressed very strongly on this point in his last sermon in Rai wind. I in the follow up of my ancesters say that unless the members of this group are introduced to tassawuf, they cannot attain these traits and will remain incomplete tableeghis.

Q127: This is right but members of this tableeghi body complain that whoever does baut with a sheikh gets completely disconnected with the tableegh and rather permanently stays with the sheikh and does nothing else?

Answer: Well, what a misunderstanding. May Allah Ta’ala help us get out of it. My brother if we take the religion as a whole it becomes clear that all types of lines are necessary in it. Allah Ta’ala has created everyone with a special ability and it is the duty of the Mashaik to recognize his mureed’s special ability and after he completes his necessary training in tareeqat, he should direct him to play his role in the same line for which he has this special talent. Also if the sheikh considers it right, he can also assign any task to his mureed while he is undergoing the training. Now if in the eyes of a sheikh, a person who belonged to this tableeghi group is useful for some other specific task and after completion of his necessary training in tareeqat, his sheikh assigns him a duty other than tableegh, then can we call it a wrong decision. The purpose of our Tableegh should be to support all religious causes and to please Allah subhanahu Ta’ala. Well if people think that we invite others on the right path for the sole purpose of making them tableeghi, it is same like people say Azaans so that others can learn to give Azaan. How it sounds to you, I mean to say that unless we learn to respect other areas of religious services, we will keep on doing such acts. However, I do not mean to offend anyone and no one should take it personally, the people who belong to tableeghi Jamaat (group) can do baut with a sheikh who is either himself involved in tableegh or has strong ties with this group, then, they would not any complain about such sheikhs.

Q128: Whether mashaik get involved in tableegh?

Answer: Why not. There are so many mashaiks known to me who take active interest in the activities of tableeghi Jamaat, nonetheless, if these tableeghi group members seroiusly make efforts to attain purification of soul under the guidancce of a sheikh, they will only have to go through Failaat like zikr, meditation, and etc. because undeliberate hardships faced by them during tableegh will automatically help them get trained in tareeqat. The same lesson was taught to our Sheikh Moulana Muhammad Ashraf sb Rah by his sheikh Hazrat Abdul Aziz Duajoo Rah that zikr is your way to tareeqat and tableegh is your way to mujahidaat (hardships).

Q129: What do you mean by reflection?

Answer: By getting an insight by keeping two or more aspects in our mind, which were not clear to us before. For example, to infer more information from the initial limited information requires reflection. Quran Majid invites us toward reflection and Hazrat Ali karam Allah Wajhu said that reciting Quran sharif without reflection and offering prayers without maarafut is useless.

Q130: How do we reflect?

Answer: Trying to infer useful information while keeping the reality of this world and akhira in our mind and then judging the inferred information on the basis of Shariah. We can even implement them in our daily lives if they come out to be in line with shariah. Mediation can help us achieve these miles.

Q131: What is humility and how to attain it?

Answer: Considering oneself as of no value in front of the greatness of Allah Ta’ala. The attainment of this state of mind is possible and the way to attain it is already given in its description, meaning to concentrate on the greatness of Allah Ta’ala and to keep on repeating this exercise.

Q132: Is there any deifference between humility and inferiority complex? Psychologists consider inferiority complex as a big illness?

Answer: There is a big difference in both of them. In humility, the person has an eye on the greatness of Allah Ta’ala and he therefore consider himself as of no value and it is a blessing, however, in inferiority complex, the person consider his fellow beings as superior to himself and therefore regards himself as inferior, which is sickness, because having impression of superiority of other beings as compared to oneself is psychologically fatal for us.

Q133: Kindly tell us something about Trust in Allah Ta’ala?

Answer: Having trust in Allah Ta’ala in all aspects of life. One should consider his knowledge as nothing as compared to the knowledge os Allah Ta’ala. Similarly Trust in Allah Ta’ala could also be described as keeping the discretion, kindness, blessing, might, benovalence of Allah Ta’ala in sight, one should perform every act as desired by Allah Ta’ala (in accordance with Islamic shariah).

Q134: Can we abandon the catalyst/means and trust in Allah Ta’ala?

Answer: No. We will have to utilize the means to achieve an end as told to us by Allah Ta’ala. After taking the necessary measures, we leave the result on Allah Ta’ala. In simple words, there is no guarantee that even if we adopt a mean, it will bring the desirous results. For example, we may study very hard, but there is no guarantee every time we study hard, we will obtain good marks.

Trust in Allah Ta’ala means that sharpen your knives
But lay the result of the sharpness on the luck

Q135: It has gotten little tricky, those who trust in Allah Ta’ala employ the means and those who doesn’t trust in Allah Ta’ala also employ the means, then what is the difference?

Answer: Not using the instruments that are allowed to be utilized by shariah is ignorance. As it is commonly known that Hazrat Muhammad Sul ila alai wasalam had said, “Tie the rope of the camel and then trust in Allah Ta’ala”. The difference is that those people who do not trust in Allah Ta’ala, employ the means by ignoring Allah Ta’ala and considering their judgement as authority, in other words, they consider means as the source of making something happen, however, those who trust in Allah Ta’ala employ the means just to fulfill the orders of Allah Ta’ala. He is neither ignorant nor rebellious towards Allah Ta’ala but he employ the means by understanding the authority of Allah Ta’ala.

Q136: What is the role of Judgement in this phenomenon?

Answer: People who trust in Allah Ta’ala consider their judgement as one of the means subject to off course if they make their judgements in accordance with shariah. Judgement / common sense is the gift of Allah Ta’ala, if it it utilized in accordance with shariah.

Q137: What is Self-entrustment?

Answer: Entrusting all your deeds/actions/things to Allah Ta’ala is called self-entrustment. When a person consider someone as his guide and faithful, he tells him that he means everything to him and he will follow his advices. Thus Allah Ta’ala is all-knowing and magnificent, and he is more sincere in wanting whatever is good for us than even ourselves, therefore, we should rely on Allah Ta’ala only and trust that he would do whatever is good for us and obet his orders without any mumbling and leave the consequences to him. If we realize it, it is better for us. The people who entrust their everything to Allah Ta’ala are truly succesful and and lead happy life.

Q138: Does that mean that we should just sit idle and do nothing?

Answer: Strange question. If you really look deep in the previous question, you will find your answer. We will do our work but strictly in accordance with shariah and we will not adopt means that are against shariah and whatever consequence we face, we will accept it as ordained from Allah Ta’ala from the depth of our heart.

Q139: Let’s suppose that we have not employed the means justly and therefore, the result comes out to be not good. Should we consider it to be from Allah Ta’ala as well as it seems disrespectful?

Answer: MashAllah! Good question. Normally our mistakes are due to mis-understanding or improper implementation of shariah, therefore, the result would be unfavourable. Here we will off course look upon our mistake as the cause behind the unfavorable consequence but we know that everything is under the control of Allah Ta’ala and nothing can happen without his wish. But we should understand that sometimes bad things are in actuality good things and good far-reaching results comes out of apparently bad results, therefore, we should understand that a bad result may have some hidden blessings which we do not understand instantly and thus not complain about it. Like if some one eat the poison, he will off course face the bad consequences of it and if he sometimes does not face bad consequences, it will be the blessing of Allah Ta’ala. It means that if we do bad deeds, we will reap the results accordingly but sometimes the results may not be as bad in proportion to our deeds, it is just due to the blessing of Allah Ta’ala. Therefore, if we do bad deeds, we should seek pardon for our deeds from Allah Ta’ala and then do the right deeds as commanded by Allah Ta’ala.

Q140: What is submissiveness and how to attain it?

Answer: Doing all good deeds for the purpose of pleasing Allah Ta’ala only and one should not have any other intentions in mind. The modesty which comes as a result of this is called submissiveness. We can attain it by taking out all the negative things out of our heart that go against submissiveness.

Q141: Does the Skepticism that arise in our heart go against the submissiveness?

Answer: No. Since it is not under our control to stop them, therefore, they do not go against submissiveness but if we act upon our suspicions (as it is through our capability) and do something, then it becomes curable. Therefore, the specialists of fiqh consider painting eye-catching designs on the front wall of the mosque as makru as they can divert the attention of the worshipper and is thus against total concentration and as against this, they allow saying prayers with eyes closed eventhough it is against sunnah, if it is for the purpose of improving one’s concentration during salah. Also, if satan whispers in the heart of someone during salah, and the person gets attentive towards satan’s whispering and starts thinking about it, it goes against full concentration.

Q142: How to take out those things out of our heart, which go against total concentration?

Answer: Getting so involved in worldly things that one cannot loose focus of worldly affairs is not right. One should save oneself from it. We should involve ourselves in zikr and try to improve our concentration through zikr and we should take care of mustahibaat in our prayers because it helps in improvement of out concentration. The concentration on this aspect that Allah Ta’ala is watching us is very useful, one can also concentrate on this point that he is in front of Kaaba sharif, and/or that this might be his last prayer and since no one can concentrate on two things at a time, therefore, soon the bad thoughts will stop coming to his mind.

Q143: Should we continue our concentration even if during concentration the bad thoughts do not stop?

Answer: Here we do not mean to meditate during prayers just little concentration is required that we are in front of Ka’aba sharif. With the passage of time, this concentration will get improved and bad thoughts will die out.

Q144: What does it mean to be fearful?

Answer: Getting frightened from a present or future event is said to be being fearful. There are two sides of it. One is related to common sense and is a requirement to have faith that he could face pinishment in the life hereafter. The other side of it is that one should not commit a sin with the fear of Allah Ta’ala and it is a must. Without it, a person does not become infidel but do becomes sinful. There is yet another side of it in which the person always fear Allah Ta’ala and save himself from his displeasure altogether, this is mustahib, if it is intentional and if it is automatically built-in in someone, it is a blessing. It can even reach such heights that even if one tries to shun it, he would not be able to do it. It is natural in some people but such a fear is also not right in which the person cannot even act. If someone develops such a fear then he must be cured because the purpose of the fear is to do good deeds and not to shun deeds altogether.

Q145: Is it possible that someone reaches such a state of mind?

Answer: If some light hearted person reads a book which is meant for only strong hearted people, he may face such a situation. Therefore every person has varying capacity to digest strong material and it can only be decided by the Sheikh of a particular person to let him read some material and let him read other material. For example, Hazrat Thanvi Rah restrain everyone from reading “AL-KHOOF” a book by Hazrat Imam Ghazali Rah.

Q146: There is a Ayat in Quran sharif in which it is told that friends of Allah Ta’ala (ulia Allah) will not be feared, can you throw some light on it?

Answer: This ayat reflects on the fear on akhira. It means that there will be no fear for such people nor shall they grieve. Such a state is also possible in this life due to dominance of any other spiritual state. But under the influence of even of this state, some other factor may stop them from committing a sin, like for example, love for Allah Ta’ala.

Q147: What is hopefulness?

Answer: Being optimistic about the blessings of Allah Ta’ala is called hopefulness (rajaa). If we strive our best in our deeds and totally avoid indolence within our capacity and have faith that Allah Ta’ala will accept our deeds, then Allah Ta’ala inshAllah will accept our deeds. Because Allah Ta’ala says that I bestow my blessings according to the expectations of my creatures. Therefore we should all hope to be accepted by Allah Ta’ala.

Q148: If someone does not act according to shariah and disobey Allah Ta’a but hopes that Allah Ta’ala will forgive him, could it be termed as hopefulness as well?

Answer: No. This is daring on Allah Subhanahu Ta’ala. Allah Ta’ala has said that Let you dare on me. The logic behind this is that Allah Subhanahu Ta’ala has not ordained anything without use. If it was not required to act on shariah and if it was ok to seek forgiveness after intentionally doing all the wrong deeds over and over again, then tell us that why there is an invitation in Quran Majid for doing good deeds and what does this invitation means?

Q149: It is commonly said that belief/faith is between hopefulness and being fearful, what it means?

Answer: It means that one should not be as fearful as to loose all the hope and stops doing the good deeds. Therefore it is important to keep your hopes alive. Also, one should not be carried away with the false hopes that he gets indulged in open disobedience of Allah Subhanahu Ta’ala, here it is also necessary that this person remains fearful of Allah Ta’ala. To have both these aspects in mind is the equilibrium point of both these aspects and to be carried away by any one of these factors is like tilting the balance toward any one factor.

Q150: What does it mean to be pious and whether everyone should attain it?

Answer: The literal meaning of piousness is contentment on whatever one gets, however, in terms of tassawuf, one should prefer the bounties to come in the life hereafter over this worldly things. Piousness has many grades, one grade is that soul seeks desirous things but one abstain from it forcefully, this is not piousness but mujahida (self restraint). The second grade is that hatred for worldly things gets solidified in the heart to an extent that the person don’t even think of it, this is a spiritual stae of mind. The third grade is that presence or absence of worldly things have no bearing on heart. If one gets it, he extends gratitude to Allah Sunhanahu Ta’ala and if he doesn’t gets it, he don’t even care. In this grade the soul is neither bent towards worldly things nor develops hatred towards worldly things, this is the supreme state of piousness. Piousness is the oppositte of being greedy. Since being greedy is a spiritual ailment and it is the root of many other ailments, therefore, to attain piousness to an extent that the person desist from haram cupidity is necessary. However, piousness to this extent is mustahib that the person does not indulge in even useless things because sometimes useless things can also lead to greediness. At the end, it is important to pointout that piousness that leads to haram is not allowed and that leads to makru is makru.

Q151: Can piousness lead to haram?

Answer: Yes indeed. If someone take the literal meaning of piousness and starts neglecting the rights of other people then it will be haram. For example, if someone marries but does not fulfill the rights of his wife in order to abstain himself from worldly things, this is haram piousness. In one of the hadith sharif, Hazrat Abu Durdah Razi Allah Ta’ala Anhu was said that his wife has her rights over him as well. Similarly, reducing food intake to an extent that the person is unable to even perform necessary things as per shariah is termed as makru.

Q152: What is greed?

Answer: Greediness is accumulate more than everybody else. If the person tries to accumulate good deeds more than anybody else for akhira then it is a good trait, subject to off course if no one else’s rights are not forfeited. Allah Sunahanahu Ta’ala has said in Quran majid that if something is desired due to the lust for worldly things and negligence for the things that will come in the life hereafter is haram covetousness and everyone should refrain from it.

Q153: How can one refrain himself from greediness (i.e. haram)?

Answer: To have faith in the bounties of things that will come in the life hereafter, getting more and more involved in Zikr Allah, remain reminiscent of death, and self restraint in the guidance of Sheikh is the treatment of covetousness.

Q154: We have read eagerness and fondness both in books. What is the difference between them and are they both required?

Answer: If some one loves someone, then his yearning to see and to know about things and aspects that relates to the one who he is in love with is called eagerness. Fondness is the developed form of eagerness, it lacks the zeal that is apparent in eagerness but there is a special bondage that is developed in fondness with the one who is loved that the devotee cannot separate himself from the one he loves and neither can he afford his narazgee. The zeal one witness in eagerness is necessary in the beginning because there is a direct confrontation with the enemy (ghar Allah) and instant power is required for such confrontation and once the solid relationship is established, then only keeping this bondage is required and fervor is not needed. Thus it is necessary to be eager in the beginning and then develop fondness in the divine love.

Q155: We have often came across the word “devoutness” in religious books, can you throw some light over it?

Answer: One should strive his best to Please Allah Subhanahu Ta’ala and not anyone else and neither desire of one’s soul took preference over what is ordained by Allah Subhanahu Ta’ala.

Q156: Whether showing off is contrary to devoutness?

Answer: Yes but partly. Because doing a good deed for the purpose of pleasing anyone but Allah Subhanahu Ta’ala is show off and doing a deed to fulfill the desire of one’s soul is not show off but it could not be classified as devoutness either.

Q157: Whether doing every deed in hidden could be termed as devoutness?

Answer: The deeds which are done in hidden by Hazrat Muhammad Sul ila alai wasalam could be obscured by others as well, but where concealment is not required, but someone doesn’t do it just because he cannot do it in hidden would also be classified as show off, because here too he is being effected by a deity other than Allah Ta’la. Therefore one should do good deeds for Allah Ta’ala only no matter what other think of it and sees it or not sees it. Because our Holy Prophet Sul ila Alai wasalam has said that do as much zikr that others start calling you a show off.

Q158: We have read about acceptance (razaa), total surrenderance, eternal spiritual life from Allah Ta’ala, and reverence, what do they mean?

Answer: These are in reality permanent spiritual states. To accept whatever is given to us by Allah Subhanahu Ta’ala is called true acceptance and is a requisite. If someone does not attain this spiritual state, he can even loose his belief in Allah Ta’ala. This could be attained through divine love whether it is love through reason or by nature. Cleansing of heart from bad behavioral traits is called fana. Belief in Allah Ta’ala only and humility are the by-products of fana and loosing the realization of fana (that one’s heart is cleansed) is called Baqa. In other words, the salik consider himself nothing in front of Allah سبحا ن ؤ تعا لئ and this realization that he has achieved cleansing of his heart fades away. He get attains good traits and reverts back to help other people just to please Allah Subhanahu Ta’ala. The essential result of these elements is true reverence to Allah Ta’ala in which one considers himself valueless and also keeps in sight the magnificence of Allah Ta’ala. He understands the importance of Allah Ta’ala’s decree, realizes his duties, and to fulfill his duties, he strives his best just to please Allah Ta’ala. This is called reverence to Allah Ta’ala only and it is the highest form of spirituality.

Q159: How could one loose belief in Allah Ta’ala by the cessation of state of acceptance?

Answer: If someone has not attained state of acceptance, he may possibly say anything which is utterly against our belief in Allah Ta’ala and could result in cessation of faith altogether. This is why state of acceptance is mandatory.

Q160: What is lust?

Answer: The urge of soul is called lust.

Q161: How does shariah classify lust?

Answer: Nafs-e-Umaara (totally rebellious soul) leads us toward revolt against Allah Ta’ala because it cannot restrain itself within the boundaries drawn by Allah Ta’ala through promulgation of shariah. Thus if someone is totally driven by lust and commits infidelity, then he will be classified as infidel or he would be classified as sinful according to the order of his vice. However, if one fights against his desire for worldly lust and keeps himself steadfast on shariah, then this struggle against the desires of soul would earn him great reward in the life hereafter. Therefore Moulana Room has said, “ lust for worldly things is like garbage”.

Q162: What is vanity (egotism/ujub)?

Answer: Keeping an eye on self-proficiency without any fear that Allah Subhanahu Ta’ala can take it away is called vanity. It quenches our thirst to become peculiar among other people. It is mentioned in hadith sharif that self centeredness is spiritual death and when a person becomes distinctive in his own eyes, he gets downgraded in front of Allah Subhanahu Ta’ala.

Q163: How one could treat this spiritual ailment?

Answer: We should understand that all bounties are given to us from Allah Subhanahu Ta’ala and Allah Ta’ala is all-powerful, needs none of us for anything, and he is not our relative that he will give preference to us over others. Thus whatever is given to us is by the grace of Allah Ta’ala and he can take ‘em away anytime and no one can stop him from doing it. If he wishes, he can make wonders happen out of nothing and similarly make wonders fall to nothingness. This thinking is the treatment of vanity.

Q164: Whether vanity and egocentricity one and the same thing?

Answer: Egocentricity means to have an eye on one’s qualities, this is also a disorder with difficult treatment. Whenever such a person hears something good about other person, he finds it in himself too. Since this person does not have an eye on the day of judgement, because when one keeps the day of judgement in sight, he will not find any qualities in himself but only weaknesses. It is similar to when someone take a look at the books of medicine, he will find that he is affected with all the diseases, because he is health conscious and does not want to get sick. On the other hand, slackness about the life hereafter will make him overlook his weaknesses and satan will make him see his qualities only. Therefore such a person does not work hard for the life hereafter and considers himself to have everything that is required to be successful in the life hereafter.

In Vanity the person considers that he has attained all his qualities through his efforts and in egocentricity he even consider his weaknesses as his qualities. Self conceited person does not have an eye on the greatness of Allah Ta’ala and egocentric person cannot see his weaknesses.thus both of these traits are just an illusion and May Allah Ta’ala save us from these. Ameen.

Q165: What is being proud, isn’t it the same as vanity?

Answer: Considering yourself ahead of others in qualities and traits is snootiness. The difference between snootiness (snobbish) and vanity (self conceited) is that self conceited people consider themselves as people of qualities but in snoobish people on top of it also consider others as inferior to themselves.

Q166: If vanity is considered as fatal, then how dangerous would be pride/snobbery?

Answer: Yes, snobbery is more dangerous than vanity. It is given a hadith sharif that if someone has an iota of pride in him, he will not go to Jannah. But one should not take vanity lightly either because whoever in effected by this spiritual disease is bound to be effected by snobbery as well. In simple words, whoever considers himself superior, he will automatically start considering others as inferior and this exactly is snobbery. Another important factor demanding our attention is that when someone consider himself as superior, he gets demeaned in front of Allah Subhanahu Ta’ala.

Q167: What is the treatment of pride/snobbery?

Answer: The treatment of snobbery is that one should concentrate on the greatness of Allah Subhanahu Ta’ala and it will automatically finish off snobbery from the person. Zikr Allah is the best medicine to achieve this aim but if it is under the guidance of a Sheikh, otherwise, it could also lead to vanity.

Q168: How is it possible to achieve snobbery from Zikr Allah?

Answer: It is strange but any good deed can result in vanity if we do not self examine ourselves continuosly. Please note that satan was detracked due to the same reason because he thought based on his great amount worship, he was superior to humans. The satan can play the same game with humans and detrack them. It is not easy to understand the tricks of satan and how he put an idea in the heart of human beings through whispering and humans would not even know it.

Q169: Whether this knowledge that Allah Subhanahu Ta’ala is great isn’t enough?

Answer: Don’t you think that satan knows that Allah Ta’ala is great, still he revolted against the Almighty Allah. In actuality, the satan had an eye on himself and Allah Ta’ala and humans could be trapped in the same way. Therefore we should always be alarmed about not to lose everything due to these spiritual ailments.

Q170: In tassawuf books, we often come across terms as positions (muqam) and states (haal), can you throw some light over it?

Answer: Allah Ta’ala has created us to worship him and has given us the free option to either go for worldly things and indulge our heart in it or restrict ourselves to the right path, the path of Allah Subhanahu Ta’ala and not indulge our heart in worldly things. Thus who go for worldly things are indeed failures in the life hereafter and those who resist worldly lusts are indeed successful in the life hereafter. Those who resist worldly lusts are the ones who are given good news that they are the ones with sound heart and whoever will meet Allah Ta’ala with sound heart on the day of Judgement will be rewarded accordingly. Now there ae few qualities that are part & parcel of sound heart and these could be achived through cleansing the heart from its contrary traits. These qualities that form the sound heart are called positions and can be achieved through hard work and are called accessible (could be achieved through person’s own efforts).

The salik oftentimes go through strange experiences and varying spiritual states on the road to tareeqat. These states come and go automatically against the desire of the salik, if these states help the salik in achieving permanent position spiritually, they would then be termed as helpful, otherwise, they are useless. Some spiritual states pose no threat while others do. The ones that pose no threat includes, ilhaam, far-sightedness, good dreams, fana wa baqa, wahdut ul wajood with active senses, and wajd. Those that could harm includes istaghraaq, tassaruf, sukr, qabz wa bast, mushahida, karamut and kashf.

Q171: We understand dua and its acknowledgement from Allah Subahanahu Ta’ala but what is ilhaam?

Answer: When the heart get cleansed from bad traits, the realities of different objects is often revealed on it. Such people are directly guided by Allah subhanahu Ta’ala through revelations on their heart, in dreams, guidance through others, or through no means. The revelations on the heart of the salik in which he is signified towards a particular thing is called ilhaam.

Q172: Whether it is necessary to put into practice the ilhaam?

Answer: Whoever is guided through ilhaam should check its validity through shariah and if it is not against the shariah, then he should put it into practice.

Q173: We get a lot of thoughts in our heart, then how could we differentiate them from ilhaam?

Answer: Ilhaam is revealed on the heart similar to istakhara but the difference is that in istakhara it is sought through a guided procedure however in ilhaam the revelation automatically take place on the heart from Allah Subhanahu Ta’ala but the person who receives these ilhaami messages is continuously attentive towards Allah Subhanahu Ta’ala, which in a way is a sought after phenomenon as well. The people who receive these ilhaami messages are also given the knowledge from Allah Ta’ala to differentiate them from other thoughts. The knowledge through which one can differentiate between ilhaam and other thoughts is also given by Allah Ta’ala, however, through repeated experiences, one is enabled to judge ilhaam from other thoughts. Now the question arises that how other people will take the message he is given through ilhaam, here it is important to note that how he conduct himself in his other affairs and what other ulia Allah (friends of Allah – who fully comply with shariah) think of him.

Q174: If the person who is given the message through ilhaam does not put it into practice, would he be considered as sinful?

Answer: No, it is not sinful because it is intuitive, however, one can face worldly loss due to it.

Q175: What type of worldly loss?

Answer: He might face a physical hardship or get upset due to a mishap, etc. Normally such a person losses passion in worship.

Q176: Losing passion during worship is a great deal of religious loss, Isn’t it?

Answer: No. Passion is a feeling through which we feel the taste of our worships to an extent, in other words, since we get worldly benefit out of it, thus it is a worldly thing, but it could prove to be useful in our practice of religion. Thus loss of passion can reduce the fervor in someone in practicing the religion and thus could prove to be harmful but if someone can keep themselves going without passion, then it could not lead to harmful effects.

Q177: What are Good Dreams?

Answer: Good dreams are good dreams but from religious point of view. The salikeen are guided through these dreams but they cannot be objectively followed and thus no one should bother about them. Ahadith sharif classifies dreams into three categories. Some are just thoughts of our brains, others are the influence of satan, while some are meant to give good news, the ones classified as providing th e good news are called good dreams.

Q178: What should one do after seeing a good dream?

Answer: One should share it with a well wisher and/or Shiekh. One should not take it to his credit or start considering himself as have reached a level in spirituality but just extend his gratitude towards Allah Ta’ala.

Q179: What should one do if sees a bad dream?

Answer: He should sputter/spew three times on his left while seeking Almighty Allah’s refuge against satan.

Q180: What should be done if someone sees bad dream too often?

Answer: One should consult his doctors because it could be the result of a mental disease or doesn’t be bothered about it.

Q181: How to interpret dream?

Answer: It is not possbile to teach this to anyone because it is a gifted talent, who has it can only interpret dreams correctly. Actually dreams and its interpretations are the kashf of two individuals, one who sees it and the other who interprets it. Both these tasks are non-intentional, therefore, no matter how skillful the religious scholar is, if he does not have the gift for it, he won’t be able to interpret it. However, the Sheikh has a different affair altogether, even, if he doesn’t know how to interpret it, still Allah Ta’ala give him the kashf of the matter.

Q182: What is true insightfulness?

Answer: This is a special type of wisdom, which is somewhat related to kashf and is usually given to the friends of Allah Ta’ala (ulia Allah) and is considered as among the highest form of spiritual states. After cleansing of heart, the reality of different often hidden things is disclosed upon them, and they come to know of the real situation and is related to intuition. The qibla of the mosques which were constructed during the times of sahaba-e-karam is always comes out to be in the right direction, eventhough, the qibla finder instrument was not developed in their times. Those who regard Allah Ta’ala as their supreme concern and takes care of all related aspects which concerns Allah Ta’ala on priority are accordingly treated by Allah Ta’ala as well. All their worries and problems are taken care by Allah Ta’ala because he is Almighty.

Q183: Some people make to and fro movements during qawwalis, often it is told that they are in wajd, what is wajd?

Answer: Any variation in physical state of a person during qawwalis in which musical instruments are being used is a satanic thing (people are also moved during big musical performances), however, any physical varitaion due to a spiritual state like tears coming into the eyes, trembling, shaking, going unconscious, and etc is wajd. If someone intentionally creates the atmosphere to go in wajd, it is called tawajud and if it is done to show off, then it is prohibited.

Q184: What kind of people often experience wajd and how they experience it?

Answer: Wajd is usually experienced by people who encounter spiritual states more often. The intensity of wajd depends upon more one gets captivated in a particular state. It also depends upon the strength of the person who is experiencing wajd, the more powerful he is, the less the variation will be, and the weaker he is, the more the variation will be. Therefore our predecessors did not face much variation during wajd, if we were to face such spiritual states, we would not be able to bear it.

Q185: What is wahdut ul wajood, please tell us about it as some people create strange suspicions in the mind of other people about this phenomenon?

Answer: Wahdut means one and only and wajood means the presence. Thus the literal meaning of this word is the presence of one only, it is also said that he is everything and he is the only reality in this universe. Now if we take it this way that there is no existence but Allah subhanahu Ta’ala, then for whom the Quran majid was sent and on whom. What is shariah meant for and who are the creatures could not be answered. But if it is taken that Allah Ta’ala is the only real authority everywhere and whatever we do could only be done in reality if desired by Allah Ta’ala. Therefore if someone gets the awareness that there is nothing but Allah Subhanahu Ta’ala, then he will only see Allah Ta’ala in everything and will not witness anything else. In short, it is a spiritual state or a domination of a particular spiritual state, the real thing is just to put into practice the directives of Quran majid. Thus it is desirable if it is kept on the level of a particular spiritual state while complying with shariah fully but by creating new philosophical concepts out of it without even experiencing it will only mislead.

Q186: Whether Wahdut ul Wajood and wahdut ul shahood one and the samething?

Answer: Yes, they are both the same. The former term was popular among our distant ancestors and when misled people used it incorrectly, then to avoid it, Hazrat Mujajid Alf Sani Rah introduced a new term by the name of Wahdut ul Shahood, through which he tried to escape misconceptions.

Q187: What do you mean by Istughraaq?

Answer: Concentration on any one spiritual state of mind while forgetting the rest. It is desirable if it does not lead one to shariah non-compliance. Among our predecessors, whoever experienced it, would request their companions to take them out of this state on the prayer timings. Thus Sheikh Abdul Qadoos Gungoi Rah would be awoke from this state during prayer timings by raising the slogan of “Haq Haq” in his ears. Common people consider it as a big thing but if it was such a big thing then Hazrat Muhammad Sul ila Alai wasalam would not have said that I wish to say long prayers but after hearing children crying, I shorten them to keep their mothers from getting upset. It could be interpreted in the same manner as wajd.

Q188: If a Imam of a mosque (the one who regularly leads the prayers) undergoes the state of Istughraaq, how should he be awaken up?

Answer: Such person, who often experiences this state should not become Imam. However, by chance if someone underwent this state during prayers, then, followers can remind him during prayers. If reminding does not work, then someone else should lead the prayers.

Q189: Can a human being effects other human being by focusing his attention on that person called tassaruf?

Answer: Yes, it is possible. Often in hypnotism, one person effects other person, which give rise to strange phenomenons often times. Similarly, Sheikh can effect his mureed through his concentration. Thus hypnotism and tassaruf have the same power base but the former has a bad use and the latter has a good use.

Q190: If this is the case then people who often claim that spiritual enlightenment takes place as per the desires of a Sheikh, he can do whatever he wishes and it is not required of a salik to do anything himself?

Answer: Such tassaruf is for the time being only and temporary. The example of this thing is that a car gets entrapped in a location and people therefore push it to get out of it, once the car get out of it, then whether you think that the driver can shut off the engine and ask other people to continue pushing it and help it reach its destination. What would you think of that driver? Similarly the Sheikh through his concentration can take someone out of a particular state and bring into another state but the continuity of it will depend on the effort of the mureed himself.

Q191: We have heard that our ancestors used to avoid such concentrations?

Answer: Yes, our ancestors do not indulge in such tassarufaat because it means to divert one’s attention from Allah Subhanahu Ta’ala and focus it on the mureed, therefore they did not get into it. They would rather pray for the mureed and instruct him in accordance with the sunnah. But Hazrat Sul ila alai wasalam also used to do it occasionally, thus our ancestors has kept the same practice. Some people even take the same benefit out of Loud zikr in a group.

Q192: What is the research of our ancestors on Sukr?

Answer: The dominance of a spiritual state on someone in such a way that he losses the realization of the manifested and hidden deeds is called sukr. The coming back of this realization is called sahv. Hazrat Umer Rah when atold Hazrat Muhammad Sul ila alai wasalam that you are leading funeral procession of Abdullah bin Abi despite knowing the reality, this was due to the dominance of state of enviousness for Allah Subhanahu Ta’ala only while being under the influence of sukr. He himself was surprised on his daring after he came back to normal condition. Imperfect sufis are more often caught up in this situations, however, perfect ones could also be occasionally caught up in such situations depending upon the strength of a spiritual state.

Q193: If a salik says anything which is prohibited in shariah while in sukr, then what should he do once he comes out of it?

Answer: After getting out of sukr and coming into suhv, he should regret it and ask forgiveness from Allah Ta’ala. In normal conditions, it is important to bound oneself within the shariah limits. Although under sukr, shariah limits cannot be enforced on a person because he is not in his senses but it is difficult to prove that person has totally lost his senses, therefore, he should seek forgiveness on account of any probability of mistake.

Q194: What is Qabz and bast?

Answer: The spiritual divine states that are imparted on one’s heart from Allah سبحا ن ؤ تعا لئ are called Wardat-e-Qulbi (batini states). The presence of these states is called Bast and absence of these states is called qabz. When wrathful lights impart on the heart of a salik, it terrifies the salik and he looses the calmness of his heart feeling rejected and totally disinterested in life. Because he feels that for whom he left everything has sacked him. He feel anguished and after loosing heart, often times the salikeen even experience suicidal tendencies. During these testing times, a proficient Sheikh is needed, who can make salik feel relaxed and easy until he comes out of this spiritual state.

Q195: Whether Qabz has some utility as well?

Answer: It could have many utilities but due to space constraint these could could not be elaborated here. But to be precise, we should understand that we are sent to this world for assessment and Allah Ta’ala can test anyways he wishes. Salik can consider himself to be something after doing other good deeds because physical worships are considered good deeds and whoever does it considers himself elavated. While in qabz, the salik is supposedly facing the wrath of Allah Subhanahu Ta’ala and he understands that Allah Ta’ala is besought of none, which totally cut the roots of self centeredness, vanity, and pride. Hazrat Imdad ullah Mahajir Makki Rah considered qabz as delight in the form of rage.

Q196: Whether state of qabz is based on these reasons only?

Answer: No, often times this state is the result of bad deeds, haram income, or any other moral sin. Only through istaghfaar can one get out of it.

Q197: How can one tell that whether it is qabz or punishment?

Answer: This is why one is required to be guided by a proficient Sheikh. One should exercise patience by considering it to be qabz and should also ask forgiveness of Allah Subhanahu Ta’ala on the probability of a punishment.

Q198: What is mushahida?

Answer: Domination of the consciousness of an act on one’s heart is the literal meaning of mushahida (observation). Attainment of spiritual affiliation with Allah Ta’ala is called mushahida. It is also called the state of attentiveness towards Allah Ta’ala. It is very difficult to be attentive all the time towards Allah Ta’ala due to our physical and spiritual limitations and therefore we are made to be occupied by other matters as well.

Hazrat Hunzula Raz says that when they remain in the company of Hazrat Muhammad Sul ila alai wasalam, Hazrat Sul ila alai wasalam used to remind us of Jannat and Hell and we would feel that we were seeing them with open eyes.

Q199: What is karamat?

Answer: The happening of such events / acts that cannot be explained through normal natural laws & principles on the hand of a pious person, who is fully shariah compliant and is follower of the Prophets. It would not be karamat if such an act occurs on the hand of a non-muslim, sinner, and etc., but rather be called istujraaj.

Q200: What is the difference between karamat and Muhjaza (miracle)?

Answer: There is no difference of form and intensity in Muhjaza and karamat because the real activator behind both of these things is Allah Ta’ala because they occur at the hand of the subject. Miracle is the indication of a Prophet while karamat is the recognition of the Friends of Allah Ta’ala by Allah Ta’ala.

Q201: Whether people on the hands of whom the karamat occurs are higher in status as compared to the ones on whose hands no karamat could be witnessed?

Answer: No. otherwise the sahabah who are not known to have a single karamat would have to be ranked below the ulia Allah on whose hands people have witnessed karamaat.

Q202: If this is the case then what karamaat are for?

Answer: Karamaat establish the credibility of the friends of Allah Ta’ala by Allah Ta’ala. Some do not need them for their signification, thus no karamaat are evidenced at their hands. As far as ranking of such saints is concerned, the karamaat themselves are ranked below even zikr with tongue, therefore, how could these saints be superior to the ones with no karamaat. Let us for example consider that there is a person on whose hands, a karamat is witnessed and there is another who says SubhanAllah. The one who says subhanAllah would be closer to Allah Ta’ala as compared to the one on whose hand a karamat is witnessed.

Q203: Whether karamat is intentional?

Answer: Not necessarily. Often times not even firend of Allah Ta’ala would himself know of the occurrence of karamat and sometimes he would know it. It all depends on how Allah Ta’ala wants it to happen.

Q204: What is kashf (divine reflection)? Can we try to achieve this milestone?

Answer: Kashf (divine reflection) is the emergence of a hidden thing. Allah Subhanahu Ta’ala has created many hidden things, there are many incidents that have occurred, will occur or are occuring but are hidden, if Allah Ta’ala desires to manifest them to someone, whether he is muslim or non-muslim, it would be called kashf-e-kooni. Similarly there are many secrets and facts, which are out of reach of common people but are given to some people, these are called divine kashf. This is a great bounty but no one can have it through his efforts and also acknowledgement by Allah Ta’ala depends on how shariah complied life one leads. Thus one should seek necessary shariah knowledge within his reach and leave the rest which is beyond his capacity on Allah Ta’ala.

Q205: Can we put into practice the fact which came to our knowledge through kashf (divine reflection)?

Answer: One should only practice on shariah whether it is through kashf or not because shariah is based on wahi against which our kashf has no value. Our kashf could be right or could not be, thus what is the value of a vague thing against certain thing.

Q206: Is kashf (divine reflection) a deliberate thing?

Answer: Not necessarily. Allah Ta’ala could give it to anybody but often times even the person who is given the hidden reflection would not know it until it happens. Case in point is of Hazrat Umer Raz and Hazrat Saria Raz.

Q207: If the divine reflection (kashf) is shariah compliant but two individual reflections (both shariah compliant) are conflicting, then which of the one would be preferred?

Answer: If both reflections are of the same person then the latter will be preferred. If both reflections are of two separate persons then the one who is in his senses will be preferred. If both persons are in their senses, then the one whose reflections are normally shariah compliant will be preferred. If the reflections of both of these are equally shariah compliant, then the reflection of the one who is seemingly more closer to Allah Ta’ala would be preferred. If both of these people are seemingly closer to Allah Ta’ala on equal grounds, then the reflection of the one which is acceptable to one’s heart will be preferred. However one of the reflections is of an individual and the other is of a group, here the one which is of a group will be preferred. But if the individual is seemingly more closer to Allah Ta’ala as compared to the whole group, then his reflection will be preferred. May Allah Ta’ala Knows better.

Q208: What should one do when facts and truths are revealed on his heart?

Answer: According to Abu Suleman Durrani in sahria, it should be brought about against Quran and Sunnah and if it is in accord with these, it should be accepted otherwise it should be rejected.

Q209: How one can gain these facts and truths?

Answer: If one starts following the Shariah and Sunnah, the reflections of these truths and facts will automatically be revealed on his heart.

A verse: You will automatically notice within yourself the knowledge of Prophets without any books, academia, and teachers.

Q210: What do you mean by walli (friend of Allah Ta’ala)?

Answer: Walli means friend of Allah Ta’ala.

Q211: How many type of Ulia Allah are there?

Answer: There are two types of ulia Allah. Tashrehi and tukveni ulia. Tashrehi have the duty to propogate the message of Islam to other people and to show them the right path, the one on the highest status among them is called Qutab-e-Irshad. While tukveeni ulia are like angels who just perform their assigned duties, they are normally in a very ordinary shape, therefore, cannot be recognized by others. The highest rank among them is qutab-e-tukveen. Some of the friends of Allah Ta’ala are reserved for the worship of Allah Ta’ala, they are lost in the love of Allah Ta’ala and are not bothered about anything else. They are hidden from general public and cannot be recognized by others.

Q212: It is said that some of the friends of Allah Ta’ala are Mujzoob as well, who are these mujzoob?

Answer: General public consider that mujzoob are those who do not comply shariah but they are very high ranking ulia, therefore, people are after them. This thing should be corrected. Mujzoob are those who are enticed by Allah Ta’ala. Some of these totally loose their senses and are mentally not in a position to comply with shariah. The have a status in front of Allah Ta’ala but are not to be followed by other people. They are in love with Allah Ta’ala and are loved by him as well, therefore, we should not disrespect them. Thus to please Allah Ta’ala, we should extend our assistance to them but should not follow them. Because following them will mean going against the shariah, which is not allowed. Some of these do not loose their senses but they have covered their distance in a single jump, therefore, they cannot guide others on this way. However, some of these are made to go through the road to tareeqat are well aware of this road. Such people are called mujzoob salikeen and following them is not without barkat (hidden divine help), because they are acknowledged by Allah Subhanahu Ta’ala and they understand how to please Allah Ta’ala also.

Q213: Whether it is possible that some people are enticed (jazb) after getting through the road to tareeqat?

Answer: Yes. Some people cover the whole distance in tareeqat and after their soul attain a minimum benchmark level of purification meaning that bad manners like self conceitness, jealousy, enviousness and etc. are diminished to an acceptable level. In other words, his tazkia reaches acceptable level as signified in Quran sharif whoever cleanse his soul is the one who will succeed in the hereafter. The salik’s qulb (it signifies the spiritual heart on the side of physical heart) attains behavioral qualities like devoutness, simplicity, trust in Allah سبحا ن ؤ تعا لئ , warmth for Allah سبحا ن ؤ تعا لئ , and etc. After attaining this spiritual level, the enlightenment to entice (tajuli-e-jazb) salik takes him to great heights. Such people are called salik mujzoob, they also have the ability to guide others on the way of tareeqat and mostly salikeen pass through this method.

Q214: Can some one make efforts to become mujzoob or can desire to attain this status?

Answer: Mujzoob salik is chosen by Allah Ta’ala himself and often times even salik himself would not know up until enticement (juzb) has already happened. Salik mujzoob also make efforts to clear the road to tareeqat and thereafter, they are enticed by Allah Ta’ala, sometimes at the earlier stage and sometimes at later stage. We are only required to follow the path of Hazrat Muhammad Sul ila alai wasalam and through it everyone aotomatically gets acknowledged by Allah Ta’ala.

Q215: Whether Mujzoob can tell us the hidden facts, can we ask them for prayers (dua)?

Answer: Hidden facts are only known to Allah Ta’ala and if Allah Ta’ala gives the knowledge to anyone about the hidden facts, he can do so and the person who is given the knowledge comes to know of these hidden facts. This is also called kashf (divine revelation). Thus often the mujzoobs who have lost their senses are more prone to kashf (divine revelation), thus asking them for prayers is strange because they themselves are not in their senses, thus no one knows what they will do. However, often times when they are divinely revealed the truth of the matter, they will instead of praying against the revealtion will just tell it to the one asking for prayers.

Q216: This will be beneficial in a way that we at least will come to know of our future?

Answer: Yes, what good would that do, I mean they will tell us the reality whether good or bad and no one can change it. However, the saints who remain in their senses are beneficial in a way that they train and even pray for us.

Q217: Ok, Lets say that there is no use of going to a Mujzoob but what is the disadvantage of doing it? It seems like that you do not like going to Mujzoob.

Answer: Good Question. Since Mujzoob are not in their senses therefore they might tell or give something, which take our senses away as well. The other thing is that doing to a mujzoob is like walking on a sword. Because if we listen to them, they might ask us something totally against shariah, it will harm us in the life hereafter but if we intend not to listen to them, this is difficult because not everyone knows how to evade oneself from such situations and we undeliberately disrespect them, which will cause worldly harm.

Q218: If we loose our senses, it seems like a good deal because we will also become mujzoob?

Answer: We have not come here to become mujzoob but rather to please Allah Ta’ala. The life we are given is to implement shariah in our lives. Once a person become mujzoob, his deeds stop getting registered and he is comparable to a dead men. Whats the big deal that other people get advantage or disadvantage from us, our practical life stops, which cannot be temed as a good deal in anyways.

Q219: Are there any other types of Ulia Allah (Friends of Allah) as well besides the ones we have discussed above?

Answer: This was a short description, the full details on this subject are given in Shariat Wa Tareeqat and also in Fahm ul Tassawuf of the author of this book.

Q220: We have also read about Qalundur in our books, is qalundur and mujzoob one and the same?

Answer: Qalundur is a figure who is more involved in hidden deeds as compared to manifested deeds like naful prayers & etc. It means that his link with Allah subhanahu Ta’ala always remain active and in the right direction despite the fact that he might not be overly involved in naful prayers.

Q221: We understand qulbi (hidden) deeds but what is this deeds of Qalib?

Answer: Deeds of Qalib are manifested deeds like prayers, fasting, zakat, and other philanthropic activities. Thus Qalundur keeps himself more occupied with the hidden deeds as compared to the manifested deeds. It is equally possible that he is involved in manifested deeds like the other normal ulia Allah but is particularly involved in the hidden deeds like high ranking ulia Allah. This topic is more expressively covered by Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi Rah in “Tareek-e-Qalandur”.

Q222: Who are these Malamatis?

Answer: Malamati is a type of ulia Allah who do deeds but would conceal them from others. Therefore they will do everything in such a fashion that others will consider him a bad person however in actuality he is doing a good deed. For exammple, Hazrat Bayazeed Bustami was once coming back from outside travel that huge crowd came outside to receive them. It was Ramazan and he brought out a piece of bread and started eating in front of everybody. Everyone took back step and gone away without holding for reception because he was openly disrespecting the fasting month of Ramazan. Hazrat bustami Rah later told someone that how simple the general public is that they don’t even understand that fasting is not necessary for the traveler.

Q223: Why do they hide themselves? This way the general public would not be able to take benefit of their company?

Answer: The spiritual benefit of some people is limited to few selected ones, therefore, they save themselves from others to avoid wastage of their time by being caught up with general public.

Q224: We have read words like amateurs (mubtudi), experts (muntahi), and mutawasut in books, what do they mean?

Answer: Amateurs are those who just started their journey on the road to tareeqat, they are aspirants but are unaware of the road ahead, mutawasut are those who have covered some distance, they normally understand and have experiences varying spiritual states but are imbalanced, general public consider them experts because their example is of green fields. They often experience different states and their spiritual experiences are noticeable as compared to muntahi, therefore, people are attracted towards them. Muntahi are experts and their spiritual states are balanced. They know the art of dominating various spiritual states and therefore they often times keep their experiences secret and at other times, even let it be noticed by others. General people do not understand them and therefore do not value them.

Q225: What do you mean by nisbut?

Answer: It means link and it is both sided, which simply means that such an affiliation is established between person and Allah سبحا ن ؤ تعا لئ that he always considers himself to be answerable to him and all his actions are guided by this feeling. This makes it easier for him to fully comply shariah principles and it becomes his spiritual need. Only very experienced salikeen can judge whether someone has established link with Allah Ta’ala or else, even the ones who have attained nisbut have no value for themselves in their own eyes but to obey the orders, they perform the duties imposed on them.

Q226: What is Nafs (soul)?

Answer: It is an arabic word with vast meanings. It is an animal instinct in human beings through which desire sprouts, in other words, it is the erupter of desires.

Q227: What are the aspects through which one should restrain himself in saluk?

Answer: Few things that are fatal in saluk includes hastening, impostering, beauty worshiping, opposing sunnah, and opposing sheikh. It is very important to save oneself from these things, otherwise, everything gets wasted.

Q228: What is impostering?

Answer: Posturing oneself to be very spiritual person or undergoing a spiritual state is called Tassanu. The aspects which are allowed in shariah are exempted from it.

Q229: Whether impostering of few things are allowed in shariah?

Answer: Yes. For example, it is ordained that if one cannot sob during prayers, he should at least act like that he is sobbing. If is however impostering but it is allowed.

Q230: If someone is not allowed by a sheikh to train others in the field of tareeqat and he begins making mureed of his own, would it be considered impostering as well?

Answer: Why not. It would be the height of impostering. It is given in hadith sharif that if someone acts to have achieved something which he hasn’t, he is just like he has worn both clothes of deceitfulness. Thus making mureeds without the permission to do so is open deceiving. May Allah Ta’ala save us all from it.

Q231: What if the mureeds of such person are benefited from such person, even still it is not allowed?

Answer: Yes. Still not allowed. It is given in hadith sharif that Allah Ta’ala often times even spread his religion through wicked people. Thus it is not impossible that mureed gets benefited from even such people. It is even possible that due to the devoutness of these mureeds, even sheikh gets acknowledgement from Allah Ta’ala but such Sheikh will have to answer Allah Ta’ala for his act on the day of Judgement. Sheikhdom is not the only way to perform religious duty, there are many other ways as well. If someone likes to serve the religion, they can contact religious scholars and they will guide them according to their capacity. If the person desires, he can also join tableeghi group and can serve the religion.

Q232: We have read in books that some people called abul haal can endure any spiritual state on themselves and they are called to have perfected their nisbuts, so would it also be considered as impostering?

Answer: No. because impostering means that someone pretends to have attained a spiritual state which he hasn’t. However, abul haal people have attained these spiritual states but they have the quality to maneuver these spiritual states as per their desires, therefore are called abul haal.

Q233: What do you mean by hustling up?

Answer: It means to speed something up. Here it means those people who wants to achieve the results of their labors on the raod to tareeqat in a speedy way.

Q234: It is a good quality to try to achieve good things speedily, then why is it bad?

Answer: If someone rushes to get the results in a speedy way on the aspects which are within their reach, it is desirable but we should not hurry up in the things which are out of our control but should accept it as ordained. Thus doing a deed is within our capacity but asking for reward is out of our control, thus desiring to be rewarded immediately is hustling up and not rushing to do a deed is hustling up. It is given in hadith sharif that prayers of everyone are acknowledged except until someone rushes for it. Hence, we should pray immediately and expect its acknowledgement from Allah Subhanahu Ta’ala yet do not rush for the acknowledgement of his prayers. Moreover, we should do as much zikr Allah as possible but should not keep our deeds as sufficient to be rewarded from Allah Ta’ala but rather trust in Allah Ta’ala to be rewarded with his grace. A person came to Hazrat Imdad ullah Rah and said that I have done zikr of First Qalama on Faith for One hundred and twenty five thousands times but nothing happened, Hazrat replied isn’t it enough that Allah Ta’ala has given you the privilege to do so.

Q235: It is understood that we should not haste but what consequences one will face if he has done it?

Answer: Such person lose faith in his Sheikh and hence gets deprived of his spiritual benefit. He therefore even discloses his spiritual state in front of other people which could prove to be harmful for him. This phenomenon leads to untrustworthiness and he even become hostile against Allah subhanahu Ta’ala (nauze billah) and faces loss in this life and the life hereafter.

Q236: What is beauty worshipping, is it like having bad eye for opposite sex and immature boys?

Answer: Yes. Staring / gazing the members of opposite sex or immature boys, whom we cannot look at as per shariah restrictions and/or falling in love with these people is beauty worshipping.

Q237: But it is within our instincts that we go after such things, then how come they are banned in shariah?

Answer: Yes, it is in our instincts but since we are sent here to be examined by Allah Ta’ala, therefore, we have to control our instincts. The whole tassawuf is based on not to indulge our heart/soul in anything else but Allah Ta’ala or in anything else if permitted by Allah Ta’ala. Hence to have inclination towards opposite sex is permitted but to act on this inclination and getting involved in keeping company or communication with them without protective measures is not allowed and we should keep ourselves away from such aspects. Sheikh Wasti Rah said that when Allah Ta’ala wants to relegate someone from his status, he leaves him to go after opposite sex and waste their time in them.

Q238: Some people say that they do not get effected by opposite sex in their company, thus they need not to be careful about it.

Answer: Everyone is supposed to exercise full shariah compliance, whether it effects them or not. Hence it is also necessary to avoid places where it is possible to earn a bad name and it also points toward old people’s argument that since they are no more vibrant, therefore, they need not to be cautious about it. Because adultery is haram but also staring at ghar mahram (whom we cannot see as per shariah obligations) is called adultery through eyes. Thus it also implies on watching members of opposite sex and boys on television as well.

Q239: Some people say that we are so used to staring at opposite sex that now we cannot restrain ourselves from it, we have tried it but in vain.

Answer: They might have tried but not hard enough. If we strive under the guidance of a Sheikh, inshAllah, it will bring fruit. Let us suppose if one of oue elder is watching us or the elder of the person we are staring at is watching, would we still stare at them? If this is the case then why couldn’t we keep this in mind that Allah Subhanahu Ta’ala is watching us. If someone is lacking in conceptualizing that Allah Ta’ala is watching us then under the guidance of someone, he should strengthen it and then the results will be favourable. If we look at the history, we will see that big robbers, gamblers, and etc. could be diverted towards the right path, then why couldn’t it happen now. There is no need to be disappointed, when there is a will, there is a way.

Q240: Some people consider it permissible by treatment through haram deed, what do you have to say about them?

Answer: Such people could have become infidels. We should not even come closer to such people. Hazrat Sul ila alai wasalam has told a sahabi that as no one would like anyone to commit adultery with his sister and mother, thus it is also the prerogative of others not to let others to commit such an act with their mothers and sisters. Hence when one does not like anyone to stare at his mother and sister then how could he do the same himself with others.

Q241: If someone does not mind anyone to stare at his mother and sister as is common now-a- days among the westernized people, then could he also stare at others’ mothers and sisters?

Answer: We are addressing the noble people and not dishonored. Dishonored are what they are, when we come in contact with any such person, we should take them out of it first, before we began to teach them the lessons of tareeqat. I think it is clear enough.

Q242: If someone is caught up in staring up at the opposite sex, how should it be treated?

Answer: Get in touch with Ulia Allah (friends of Allah Ta’ala) and listen to them and act upon their advices. This is real treatment, in addition, one should always keep in mind that what if the elders of the ones I am staring at come to know of it, and on top of it, Allah Ta’ala is watching us all the time. One should also bear this in mind that if this is my last moment on earth, what kind of a death would it be, I mean a death while disobeying Allah Ta’ala. May Allah Ta’ala save us from it. Ameen. Staring at opposite sex is such a harmful thing that it finishes all the earned spirituality of weeks in minutes. We should keep ourselves away from it.

Q243: There are few procedures in tassawuf which could not be traced back from Sunnah, would it be considered as adversary to sunnah?

Answer: If any of the procedures go against the Sunnah, they would considered to be adversary to sunnah, however, those procedures which are not in compliance with Sunnah but are also not adversary to Sunnah, meaning they are not forbidden in shariah and are used as mere means and not an objective and as long as they are not considered as objective would not be treated as adversary to Sunnah.

Q244: It is difficult, we cannot understand it, Can you please elaborate your answer with examples?

Answer: Yes, We can try it. Lets suppose that someone does not keep a beard or his beard is not upto the required shariah level, it would be adversary to Sunnah and is forbidden. If someone with a small beard hopes to make spiritual gains it would be tantamount to false hopes but procedures of loud zikr or meditation, which are not proven through Sunnah but are used to establish lost link with Allah Ta’ala are not considered adversary to Sunnah but just a treatment and treatments vary from time to time.

Q245: What should a sufi do?

Answer: A Sufi should follow the footprints of Sahabah-e-karam because shahabah were the true heirs of Hazrat Muhammad Sul ila alai wasalam. We should not step an inch here and there from their path in not only the manifested deeds but also the hidden deeds. As Sahabah used to self-examine their inner selves similarly a sufi should do the same. Following the Sunnah is real progress. Hazrat Noori Rah has said that if you see someone making a claim to have link with Allah Ta’ala is closer to him in a condition that he is not complying with shariah, don’t even go closer to him.

Q246: You have said that progress in tareeqat gets halted due to the opposition of Sheikh, what does it means?

Answer: Following of Sheikh is the fundamental point in the spiritual training process, hence, the opposition of sheikh would be a great impediment in the spiritual progress and no one can even expect to make any progress in the presence of such a impediment. It is a common knowledge that without acting upon the advice of your doctor, one cannot expect to get well, then how could one expect to be healed spiritually without following the advice of Sheikh.

Q247: Whether opposition of a Sheikh can damage us in the life hereafter?

Answer: The spiritual progress of a person stops by intentionally opposing his Sheikh and he becomes a loser in this line. Thus without the treatment of hidden batini diseases, we can be harmed in the life hereafter, however, due to unintentional opposition of sheikh, one can face worldly losses like cessation of spiritual states, which can further lead to religious losses.

Q248: Could the lethargic attitude in implementing the advice of the Sheikh OR choosing a hardship (mujahida) without the advice of a sheikh be harmful?

Answer: The lethargic attitude in implementing sheikh’s advice will lead to unsatisfactory results in the tareeqat. If someone does not inform his sheikh of his laziness, he might cause damage to his trainning process, because sheikh would think that his treatment did not work and he will inadvertantly look back into his investigation and might advice something in the dark, which could further lead to a loss. Doing a hardship (mujahida) without the advice of Sheikh can be very harmful and it should be taken in this purview that due to the disability of the salik to bear the hardship he has choosen for himself, he can loose whatever he has gained thus far due to a lighter mujahida. Once a salik do not succeed in his self-advised mujahida, he will get disappointed and it will negatively effect his ability to do further mujahidas (hardships).

Q249: If someone does baut at the hand of a fake Sheikh, even then his opposition can lead to spiritual damages?

Answer: It is haram to do baut with such a person and if someone has done it, then keeping it intact is also haram, therefore, it is important to discontinue baut with such a sheikh.

Q250: But we have heard that even if a sheikh is not perfect, our faith in him will make him perfect?

Answer: This does not mean that even a misguided sheikh can benefit us in tareeqat. It actually means that a sheikh who is on the right path and his beliefs are in compliance with shariah, even if he is not sound in tareeqat, the faith his mureeds place in him will make him effective as a perfect sheikh for his mureed and this saying does not hold true for misguided sheikhs.

Q251: We have even read in history that some of the salikeen did baut at the hands of robbers, but due to devoutness of the mureed, the mureed got benefited by them and those mugger sheikh himself got benefited as well.

Answer: But such incidents are not common and happen once in a great while and are therefore not to be followed upon. The wrong interpretation of such incidents lead these misguided people to make other believe that even they can be beneficial for others despite their shortcomings. Therefore we should take these incidents in true perspective.

Q252: If someone’s sheikh dies, should he again perform baut at someone else’s hand?

Answer: No. This is not necessary but in the eyes of some people doing baut with someone else having mental synchronization with is useful. As already told that baut is not important but trainning in tareeqat is the actual thing. Therefore if someone has not completed the whole trainning process in tareeqat, then he should contact other existing sheikhs for guidance to take him further on this road safely.

Q253: If Urs rituals are being performed at the grave / tomb of someone’s sheikh or other biduat (an act which is done as part of the shariah for the purpose of reward in the life hereafter but is not proven through shariah) are done in his presence, what should he do?

Answer: We should not participate in such activities and if possible, we should try to stop it. Please note that Urs ritual was started with good intentions and the only purpose of this ritual was that the followers of that Wali Allah gather once a year to reinvigorate the mission of that wali in his lifetime and and to formulate a strategy on how to move ahead to fulfill his mission. Also, those who have completed their spiritual trainning among the followers of that wali can further train the ones who are in the middle of the road to tareeqat but some people in their self interest have used it for wrong purposes and thus now-a-days it is difficult to differentiate between the Urs and other fun processions. The worst thing is bad thing is anyways bad but doing it at the holy sites is even terrible. Therefore such sinful acts on the tombs of Ulia Allah is even worst and May Allah give us the courage to avoid it.

Q254: Often we heard people saying that such an such person is acknowledged by Allah Subhanahu Ta’ala, what does it means?

Answer: When our heart attains a higher spiritual level that it remains disinfected by the materialism and it gets fallen in love with the righteousness to an extent that it always tries to find such a path that enables him to please Allah Subhanahu Ta’ala and he cannot divert his mind from this aspect, he is called to have established a link (spiritually) with Allah Ta’ala. In short, a person who always remain cognizant of the subject matter of Surah Fateha is such a person. The establishment of link does not mean that a drop becomes part of the ocean as it is the property of an object having mass but Allah subhanahu Ta’ala is free of such an attribute. Please keep this in mind that creator is creator and he is way way beyond our wildest imaginations and his creations are creations.

Q255: Some people say that they are acknowledged by Allah Subhanahu Ta’ala and therefore they do not need to follow normal worshipping practices.

Answer: Such people are infidel and would be punishable severely under a Islamic form of government. Someone has asked Hazrat Junaid Baghdadi Rah of such people and he responded that they off course are choosen but choosen for hell (jahannum).

Q256: Some people are called Mujtabaheen, are they a type of friends of Allah Ta’ala (ulia Allah)?

Answer: A type of people who spiritually get vitalized without any hardship or deed, meaning they are choosen by Allah Ta’ala with his kindness are called mujatabaheen. Such people do not consider themselves worth anything but have everything.

Q257: It is said that everyone is equal in front of Allah Ta’ala but some people have to go through hardships and others do not have to do so in tareeqat, can you explain it?

Answer: Alas! No one who loves Allah Ta’ala can ask such a disrespectful question. Look! Is it in our capacity to be born in the syed family? Is it a earned right? But those who love Allah Ta’ala respect the syed family eventhough the syeds might take undue advantage of it. Angels have no soul and when paradise (jannat) would be empty, a special creature would be created by Allah Ta’ala to fill empty heaven. If we consider Allah Subhanahu Ta’ala as omnipotent, then he has the right to do anything as he desires and if we think deep, we will automatically deduce that the right to do anything by the creator with his creatures is a justified right. Let us for example think of the rights of our parents. Can we justifiably fulfill their rights, if we cannot meet the rights our parents then how can we fulfill the rights of our creator. Also, whatever is given against hardship has no correlation with our hardships because our struggles are limited and heaven is unlimited with unlimited bounties, thusif we see heaven, we wont even think of our hardships in comparison. Similarly if one gets all the As in A-Levels as a result of very struggle-some study sessions of months, he would be so happy that he would not even think of those hard prepared sessions.

Q258: What is Tajjuli (spiritual enlightenment)?

Answer: Tajjuli means descent. There are many types of tajjuliat with distinct significations.

One of the types of tajjuli is called core tajjuli (zati), meaning the descent of particular tajjuli of Allah Ta’ala, which cannot be amulgamated with the physical body of humans, thus even if the slightest indication of physical body are prevalent, the person on whom this tajjuli is descented goes unconscious, the example in this regard is of Hazrat Musa Alai salam at Mount Toor. However, Hazrat Muhammad Sul ila alai wasalam was gone to the infinity outside the bounds of this universe and this is a great mark not achieved by any human beings or living object from the beginning of times to the end of times. In the life hereafter, all believers will be blessed with this unmatched bounty.

The other form of tajjuli is attributive and it is of two types; one is intensive and the other is delightful/pleasant. If the salik descended to the intensive tajjuli, he becomes humble, modest, and resprectful, however, if he is descended to the pleasant tajjuli, he becomes more affectionate and develop tenderness.

The third form of tajjuli is operative, meaning to consider Allah Subhanahu Ta’ala as effective in all spheres of life. The indication of this Tajjuli is that salik do not get effected by his praise/criticism, by acknowledgement or dishonoring of his efforts, because acknowledgement from Allah Ta’ala is beyond the control of salik.

The fourth form of tajjuli is of spirit, the effect of this tajjuli is that salik consider himself worth something and he sees his qualities.

Q259: What is the effect of tajjuli-e-haq (core tajjuli)?

Answer: Under the impression of tajjuli-e-haq, the salik observes the reality of unpretentiousness and modesty but he is not under the influence of these elements.

Q260: What does it mean by having enlightenment and darkness in the heart?

Answer: With the effect of zikr & obedience of Allah Ta’ala, the heart gets enabled to differentiate between the right and the wrong. It starts to like the good deeds and dislike the bad deeds, which is a special knowledge gifted by Allah Ta’ala for the pious ones called spiritual enlightenment. This spiritual state resembles the enlightenment because we can distinguish between different things during the light. On the contrary, the heart gets hardened and it does not easily accept good things due to sins and ignorance. It is given in hadith sharif that a black/dark spot is made every time we commit a sin, which can only get erased with the seeking of forgiveness from Allah Ta’ala, this thing is called darkness. Occasionally some people feel enlightenment of heart is an unusual phenomenon and has to do with kashf.

Q261: Whether it is necessary to acquire such enlightenment?

Answer: Yes indeed. It is necessary to acquire this trait because it guides us on the path to tareeqat. As long as it is not acquired, one should follow such a guide who has himself acquired it. As it is common knowledge that we require two sorts of guiding lights to sort out our way, one is the external day light and the other is internal eye light and without the help of both these lights, we will remain clueless. Similarly to be able to properly judge the right path in our religion, we need two type of lights, one is the light of knowledge and the other is the light of the heart. Thus a person who possess only the light of knowledge will be incomplete without the light of the heart and the person with the light of the heart is imperfect without the knowledge light.

Q262: Would the light of the heart fulfills the insufficiency of the light of the knowledge?

Answer: Good question. The answer to this question will inshAllah clear many other aspects. The basis of the light of the heart is the link one has established with Allah Ta’ala. The knowledge one can gain through this link still prevails and this is called the gifted knowledge by Allah Ta’ala. It is habitual of Allah Ta’ala that he normally hides the gifted knowledge under the garb of acquired knowledge and this is basic reason why the knowledge of religious scholars is very deep and voluminuos as compared to others. The examples of Imam Ghazali Rah, Shah Wali Allah Rah, and Moulana Ashraf Thanvi Rah are reflection of this aspect, however, ocassionally, Allah Ta’ala even grant more knowledge to the uneducated people so much so that their knowledge even exceed the knowledge of religious scholars. This is although a rare phenomenon.

On the contrary, the knowledge of shariah is based on the affiliation of the Prophet with the Allah Ta’ala and is undoubtedly more than the knowledge of the friend of Allah Ta’ala (ulia Allah). It includes the knowledge of Quran (direct revelation) as well as ahadith (indirect revelation). Therefore those who earn the gifted knowledge are forced to respect the ones who really acquired the knowledge and they do not hesitate in following them. If it was possible to earn everything only through the exclusive link of an individual, then there was no need of any messenger or Prophet from Allah Ta’ala. The Prophets are sent for the guidance of the masses and it also tells us that without the guidance of Prophets, we cannot find the right path.

Q263: It means that religious seminaries have deep linkage with the Khankahs?

Answer: Off course. All sufis are required to acquire religious education because sufis implement shariah on themselves from the depth of their heart and if they are ignorant of shariah then how would they implement shariah on themselves. Therefore religious seminaries and khankahs go hand in hand and we cannot separate them out from each other. As long as both these institutions back each other up, they will both keep on playing the role of safeguardians of religion, otherwise, there would be damage everywhere.

Q264: It is the opinion of some of the religious scholars that in the presence of the religious knowledge, we do not need to go for other things?

Answer: MashAllah, it is a good question. Excession and deficiency is possible in any aspect. The former question relates to excesses of tassawuf and the latter relates to deficiency of it. It is clearly given in Quran Majid that it is a guidance for the pious. Shariah is derived mainly from Quran sharif and it is the original source of shariah and derivation from it is not possible without piousness and if derivation from original source is not possible without devoutness then how could it be possible from other secondary sources. It proves that guidance from Quran majid is not possible without piety and the end result of tassawuf is piousness. Piousness is the light of the heartand it is the basis of guidance.

Q265: Hazrat Umer Raz was converted to Islam through hearing recitation of Quran Majid and similarly many infidels have accepted Islam the same way and this linkage is still continued, doesn’t it deny your earlier statement?

Answer: Indeed difficult question. May Allah Ta’ala help me reply this question correctly. Even non- believers have some hidden good qualities from birth. Somehow they have roots of originality deep down in their heart but surroundings have covered that ingrained goodness with dust. All they need is a sharp stabbing to go across their heart. Quran majid has this natural quality, therefore, as soon as it is presented in front of such a person, it becomes the fundamental source of guidance for them. Furthermore, in order to progress ahead, we need to exercise piousness to obtain the total guidance from holy Quran. Otherwise, it is likely that a person converts to Islam through holy Quran and reverts back to infidelity for fulfillment of haram desires of soul.

Q266: There are very few people who have attained both the light of knowledge as well as piousness. In such a scenario, what should be done?

Answer: It is not right that such people in scarcity. Alhumdulillah, quite a number of religious scholars have attained purification of heart either through training in tareeqat or in the company of ulia Allah (friends of Allah Ta’ala) and a large number of sufis have acquired necessary religious knowledge to act fully upon shariah in their daily lives. In addition, a person who has one thing but not other should strive hard to attain the other one by seeking guidance from the people who have the other one, which is missing in him. Imam Shafi Rah used to go to an ordinary rural person to attain the light of the heart and whem someone asked him that you are such a big religious scholar and why do you seek to get something from this ordinary man, he said that he has something which I do not have. Similarly, Hazrat Mujjajid Alf Sani Rah has said that in shariah related matters, we need to refer to the research of Hazrat Imam Abu Hanifa Rah and Imam Shafi Rah and not Hazrat Junaid Rah or Hazrat Shibli Rah. This statement is similar to the earlier statement.

Q267: If religious scholars try to enter the path of tassawuf, would they need to come to khankah as well? Don’t you think that it will negatively effect the religious seminaries?

Answer: Only two things are required to enter the path of tassawuf. The intention to purify the soul and to seek the guidance of a proficient guide. If a religious scholar does both of these, he has established a link with the khankah as necessitated. If his attendance at the khankah is harmful for the seminary then why would his sheikh require this of him. But the question is that does these scholars do other things as well in addition to teaching at these seminaries or not? Why is that other things do not bother us? Now he question arises that whether coming of Moulana Gangui Rah, Moulana Qasim Naunotuvi Rah, and Hazrat Thanvi Rah made religious seminaries go barren or become more productive and plentiful. If we carefully look now we will see that most of the present seminaries are managed by either their close allies or those scholars who have gained their confidence to run the silsilas.

Q268: Some of the sufis think that since they are involved in the big jihad (struggle) called jihad against illegitimate desires of soul, therefore, they need not to worry about the smaller jihad (struggle)of taking sword in the field and some people also give this logic that since sufis do not hurt anyone’s feelings and are peaceful people, therfore jihad is not necessary for them?

Answer: This is all deception of satan and is due to the ignorance from the reality. All muslims are required to follow the track of sahabah of Hazrat Muhammad Sul ila alai wasalam. since they have physically taken part in jihad then how could we avoid itand no one. The big jihad is against the illegitimate desires of soul and since this is all-time activity and not a single moment is spared from it, however, the real jihad is rare. What really needs to be remembered is that even during the field jihad called smaller jihad the bigger jihad against soul is at full swing. Let us suppose that if it is against the desire of our soul to go in the battlefield for jihad that it would be bigger jihad to go to battlefield against the wishes of one’s soul, thus ignorance from such activity is against the dictates of shariah. As far as not hurting the other’s feelings element is concerned, is it possible that sufi would not even hurt satan’s feelings, although the enmity with satan is necessitated by Allah Subhanahu Ta’ala. As satan is our open enemy then the people who follow satan are also our enemies and jihad is fought against these enemies.

Q269: Can a sufi play a role in the politics of the country?

Answer: Why not, in fact it is often the most useful activity for some sufis. The politics in Islam means to make efforts to implement shariah law in the country, so could it be given the wrong meaning? It is important that one must get trained in tareeqat before taking active part in the politics due to its apparent dangers. Hence, religious politics is the duty of sufis. Hazrat Mujajid Alf Sani Rah, Hazrat Sheikh ul Hind Rah, Hazrat Moulana Hussein Ahmed Madni Rah, and Mufti Mehmood Rah were and many more of the same type were all sufis and were all famous political leaders.

Q270: We have read about the rise and downfall in books, what does it mean? They refer

Answer: The meaning of rise and downfall is little different, therefore, it needs little careful consideration. Rise is meant to be a spiritual state for fana in which the salik is continually considering himself as worthless so much so that he is constantly making progress in his observations of attributory / core tajjuli. At the time, the salik wishes to do further progress in it but Allah Ta’ala deals everyone separately. Allah Ta’ala sometimes keep some of the salikeen lost in the same state and give them further progress to keep them to himself. These people are not meant to train others but are left unoccupied to profoundly appreciate the bounties of Allah Ta’ala. While others are given different sort of progress, they become totally selfless and do not watch their self-interest in relation to matters relating to shariah, therefore, they are sent back to masses to help them find the right path. The difference is that in the beginning they were interested in people to boost themselves and now they are serving others just to please Allah Ta’ala. This diversion of attention towards masses is called downfall. Although it is apparently a downfall but in reality it is upgradation because the salik is here assigned duties and this is also called Baqa.

Q271: In the books of tassawuf, we have often heard about Sakr and sahv. What does both these term means?

Answer: The state of consciousness is called the sahv and the state of unconsciousness is called the sakr. If a person during a spiritual state of mind is maintaining his consciousness and he is performing all his acts in accordance with shariah, he is said to be undergoing sahv state. If a person during a spiritual state of mind is not maintaining his consciousness and he is doing things against the dictates of shariah, he is said to be undergoing sakr state. He is considered vulnerable and during this state he may do something not in accordance with shariah, he would not be blamed for it but no one should follow them during this state.

Q272: Whether we consider the acts of these people as shuthiat?

Answer: The sayings of these people under the state of sakr which are against the manifested shariah are called shuthiat. These sayings are not considered credible but they would not be sinned for it either. However, whoever copy these sayings watchfully by considering them legitimate would become sinful if these are vices and would become infidel if these sayings are infidelity related. Hazrat Bayazeed Bustami Rah under the state of sakr has said this, “I am purified and how wonderful I am”. When he returned to normal state, he said that I became unfaithful and he sought forgiveness from Allah Ta’ala and reiterated qalma tayaba, if now someone says these words consciously, would he not lose his believe.

Q273: What is Alam-e-Khalq, Alam-e-Misaal, and Alam-e-Umr?

Answer: Allah Ta’ala has made few of his creatures with matter and others with mass. These things are called material and all bodies have matter. Allah Ta’ala has made few of his creatures free of mass and matter. They are called spirits. Material things are called alam-e-khalq and things free of mass and matter are called alam-e-Umr. Alam-e-Misaal is in between both these forms. The qualities of this form include no matter but mass. A thing without mass is unlimited and a thing without matter is free of weaknesses and is thus more powerful.

Q274: Sufis are popular for their hospitality but other people consider it as sycophancy. What is the difference between hospitality and sycophancy and which one os these is preferred by sufis?

Answer: To understand the answer correctly, one needs to identify the difference between hospitality and sycophancy. To be sweet with the ignorant ones is important to attract them towards religion and to disregard the evil ones to save oneself from their harm is called hospitality and it is a pure sufi characteristics. Sufis cling to their experiences in choosing the right means to obtain maximum advantage out of it but some peoples just to make others aware of the right shariah interpretation take undue hardship in telling the others correct solution as per shariah which does not benefit the ones whom are told because they are not ready for it and they in turn put themselves at danger due to their incorrect methods. Suifs normally wait for the right time and when it arrives, they strike while the iron is hot. The method of their communication is friendly and the easiest solution is told so that others can easily grasp it. Hazrat Muhammad Sul ila alai wasalam has said that he wants to build Kaaba sharif the way it was built by Harat Ibrahim Alai Salam but I left it due to the ignorance of the masses, this style was adopted for the religious benefit of the people thus was included in generosity. In contrat, if someone leaves the right thing due to his personal benefit or calls the wrong thing right, he would be considered to have exercised adulation. The real sufis do not exercise adulation because they do everything for Allah Ta’ala only. If a sufi does not have this trait, he wont be considered the real sufi in terms of tassawuf.

Q275: What does it mean by effort/endeavor?

Answer: To concentrate our attention towards something so vigorously that nothing can divert it at anything else is called focusing and through it we can do many things.

Q276: Whether mystical deeds has anything to do with tassawuf?

Answer: No. Not at all. This is our misconception that we consider spiritual guides as mystics (Aamil) and mystics as spiritual guides (peer/sheikh).

Q277: But we have seen many a sapiritual guides giving taveez to the masses, how is it possible?

Answer: If a religious scholar obtains the medical knowledge alongwith the religious knowledge, can you generalize this on everyone that everyone should have both these forms of knowledge. Similarly if some of the mashaik have obtained mystical knowledge alongwith tassawuf knowledge to serve the ailing humanity, it does not bring any bad fame to tassawuf nor does it make it mandatory for every sheikh to obtain mystic knowledge.

Q278: We have heard that Hazrat Ahmed Ali Lahori Rah has instructed his offspring in his will neither to waste time in medicine or mystic knowledge?

Answer: Yes, it is possible. This depends on the experience of Hazrat Lahori Rah. Mysticism sometimes harm the nisbut and it could also nisbut is occasionally confiscated due to it. The reason behind this harm is often times wonder happen due to mystic deeds, which make masses think that these mystics are the originator of these wonders and if such feelings find their way in the heart of the mystic, it would cause permanent harm to the nisbut of the mystic. Hazrat Lahori Rah might have stopped his offspring from it for this reason.

Q279: In this scenario, whether it would be right to obtain mystic knowledge?

Answer: No. This does not mean that obtaining mystic knowledge is against the shariah but obtaining it is harmful. This is harmful for two reasons, the formally because the methods of acquiring this knowledge is itself dangerous and laterally because its utilization as per shariah is difficult. But if someone after its acquisition, utilizes it within the bounds of shariah and save masses from the wickedness of bad mystics, it would be a great service and if it is utilized with devotion, it will become cause of great reward in the life hereafter. InshAllah. It is just an art the goodness or wickedness of which depends upon its utilization.

Q280: Some people consider mystic knowledge as infidelity, doesn’t this make it necessary to avoid it?

Answer: It is not possible to say something about it upfront. Because some of the forms of mysticism is haram, others allowed, while others are makru (allowed with dislikeness, meaning preferably should not be attempted).

The acquisition of mystic knowledge which is not against our believe system or its method of instruction is shariah compliant is allowed. The from of mysticism which leads one against our basic belief system leads to infidelity. It includes the acknowledgement of the effects of stars and planet and their movements. The mystic knowledge which is acquired through non-shariah compliant methods or are utilized for wrong objectives is toally banned in our shariah. The mystic deeds or taveez which are made in the form of a appeal from jins or other mystic objects are severely objected in Surah JIN, Ayat No. 6.

Q281: What is called the tulveen?

Answer: The ever changing batini haal (spiritual state) is called tulveen. The mureed during his training is exposed to strange and new spiritual states on a continual basis, which result in varying haals all the time. This is the sign of spiritual immaturity of the mureed, therefore, he/she seeks a permanent condition rather than ever changing spiritual states. The tulveen ultimately leads to tumkeen (permanent spiritual state) and mureed while going through tulveen are not to be followed by others because at times they might be overtaken by a strong temporary spiritual state and do some totally out of line act. The variation in spiritual state is not dangerous as long as we are in touch with our sheikh are we completely abide by the shariah standards.

Q282: What is Tumkeen?

Answer: The salik (one who chooses to travel the road of tassawuf to attain nisbut) travels from temporary spiritual state to a stable one and his conditions stabilizes on any state and coming and going of different states fades away. Now he / she tries to fully adhere to the standards of shariah and this is also called the neutral state. The one who achieves tumkeen with the grace of Allah سبحا ن ؤ تعا لئ truly understands his duties to Allah سبحا ن ؤ تعا لئ and therefore he can be handed over the duty to train other fellow beings and become sheikh.

Q283: We have read about shield (hijaabat) in books of tassawuf, what does it mean?

Answer: Through kashf, it has come to known that every point (lateefa) has about ten thousand shields attached to it which bars our clear sight or bars us from seeing the real picture, reality, or which is hinderance between us and the ultimate reality (Allah Subhanahu Ta’ala). The inclusion of the point near the spiritual heart makes it seven points, which makes the toal number of shields to be precisely seventy thousands. Zikr takes away the ill-effects of sins and enables salik to see the light of the points, which is a sign of removal of the shield. For example, lust and desire are the shields of the soul and having the hope of getting something from someone other than Allah Ta’ala is the shield of the heart, the shield of wisdom is get lost in philosophical aspects without realizing its truth, the shield of spirit is to get lost in the revelations of Alm-e-Misaal. We should keep ourselves away from all these and remain attentive towards our objectives and keep ourselves away from non-objectives and remove all hurdles from our way with the help of love of Allah Ta’ala and reach our destination.

Shields have four status; the first one is Lahoot, the next one is Jubaroot, the further next one is Mulakoot, and the final one is Nasut. The status lahoot and jubaroot are non-entities while status mulakoot and nasut are real shields. The status nasut is related to shields existing in our real life and are not very dangerous and we should not worry about them much but the shields of status mulakoot are enlightening (light) and to save ourselves from these shields is very difficult except with the help of a sheikh.

Q284: What is Shajra?

Answer: Allah سبحا ن ؤ تعا لئ has quoted four purposes in Quran of sending the greatest human being Hazrat Muhammad صلئ الله عليه وآ له وسلمon earth. These are; How to properly read Holy Quran, to spiritually purify the sahaba-e-karam, to introduce people with the teachings of Holy Quran, and to teach divine knowledge about Islam, also called hikmut. After Hazrat Muhammadصلئ الله عليه وآ له وسلم, the responsibility to teach ummah the ways to truly recite Quran sharif (called tajveed) is taken over by Qari sahibaan, the spiritual purification training is being imparted by Sufis, and to spread shariah knowledge has become the responsibility of religious scholars (ulema sahibaan). Among ulema, Muhadiseen sahibaan have taken over the responsibility to safely deliver ahadith-e-Nabavi صلئ الله عليه وآ له وسلمto the Ummah in a way that not a single word or its grammatical symmetry is altered to a minute level right from the time of Hazrat Muhammad صلئ الله عليه وآ له وسلمand also the muhadiseen give a great importance to the person quoting the hadith and quote it further in the same way that they have been quoted. The art of “surf wa nahu” is developed for this purpose. Likewise, the Sufis safeguard the nisbut of their salasil in the same manner in which they have received it and even quote it in the same order. This quotation of nisbut in order form from top to bottom is called Shajra. Some people get their shajra printed in a particular manner in the form of dua and read it out on and off for the sake of seeking barkat of the whole silsila from Allah سبحا ن ؤ تعا لئ.

Q285: We have seen people reciting shajra, what is the reality of this aspect?

Answer: As our sheikh is the most useful resource of hidaya knowledge for us among all the creatures. Similarly the silsila (linkage) through which the salik’s link reaches Hazrat Muhammad Sul ila alai wasalam is very essential. Because we are benefited from our sheikh and our sheikh is benefited from his sheikh and so on and so forth. Thus when a salik recites his silsila, he is trying to establish his link with all the big saints in his silsila upto Hazrat Muhammad Sul ila alai wasalam, who have pleased Allah Subhanahu Ta’ala through their shariah compliant deeds all their lives and salik is asking for the love of Allah Ta’ala and nisbut trough that relation of saints after saints, who have devoted their lives to please Allah Ta’ala. In simple words, this linkage serves as means for him to put him on the right path and to seek Allah Ta’ala’s acknowledgement.

Q286: But this relates to means (wasila), is it allowed in our shariah?

Answer: Yes. Everyone of us muslims understands the importance of seeking Allah Ta’ala’s help through the means of good / acknowledged deeds. It is normal in our culture ask Allah Ta’ala to enable us to do good deeds through the means of the good deeds of those ahead of us. Hence, when we sought the acknowledgement from Allah Ta’ala through that linkage that our ancesters enjoyed with Allah Ta’ala with their devout deeds, we can hope that Allah Ta’ala will accept our prayers with these means. It is modesty as well because we consider our deeds as meaningless and seek Allah Ta’ala’s favors through the deeds of our ancestors. In hadith sharif, Hazrat Muhammad Sul ila alai wasalam has asked a blind to make prayers through his wasila (means), which a big credential in favor of wasila. Hazrat Umer Raz also made prayers through the wasila of Hazrat Abbas Raz, which is another evidence in favor of wasila. Hazrat Thanvi Rah has written a complete handbook on this topic, which could be consulted for this purpose.

Q287: What is your Shajra?

Answer: My shajra reaches Hazrat Muhammad Sul ila alai wasalam through many links. Our linkage with Hazrat Muhammad sul ila alai wasalm through Haji Imdad ullah Muhajir Makki Rah is given as follows:

Chain of Shajra (linkage)
O! Allah! Please accept my prayers with your grace
For the sake of your friends (ulia) of sabari family
Delight my spirit with your bounties and your acknowledgement
In your company, in your companionship, award us your eternal closeness
Purify and enlighten my heart with your grace
From the sea of Iqbal, a pious and pure Saint
Give me zikr at heart, O! My Almighty Allah
From the sea of Moulana Zikria, through enlightenment of Holy Prophet
From the sea of Moulana Khalil Ahmed, our magnificent guide
With Rashid Ahmed, the virtuous and the leader
From the sea of Imdad, Nur and lights of Abdul Rahim
Ubd Bari, Ubd Hadi, UZh uddin, Makki Saints
With Muhammadi, Mohib ullah, and Shah Bu Saeed,
With Nizam uddin, Jalal, and Ubd Qudoos Ahmedi
With Muhammad, Arif, and with Ubd Haq, Sheikh Jalal
Shams ud din Turk, and Ala uddin, Fareed Johduni
Qutb uddin, with Moin ud din, Usman and Sharif
With Modud, Abu Yousaf, Muhammad, and Ahmedi
Bu Ishaq, with Mumshad, Habaira the famous
With Huzaifa, Ibn-e-Udham, with Fazeel the guide
Ubd Wahid, with Hassan Busri, Ali the pride of Islam
Syed ul Konain صلئ الله عليه وآ له وسلم, the pride of all Universes, the one who gives good news
Purify my heart from the thought of everything but Allah
O Allah! Heal my spiritual ailments

Q288: How can we tell someone about tassawuf briefly?

Answer: Tassawuf is a technique to heal spiritual ailments and its fundamental purpose is to please Allah Ta’ala. It is impotant to act upon the manifested shariah for tassawuf. Through tassawuf, we gain good hidden qualities like patience, gratitude, trust in Allah Ta’ala, acceptance, devoutness, self surrenderance, Love of Allah Ta’ala and his Probhet Sul ila alai wasalam, and to take out bad traits like pride, self centredness, show off, love for worldly things, ill-feelings about other people, and etc. Through tassawuf, a person becomes the true subject of Allah Ta’ala and gets acknowledged by Allah Ta’ala, which is called attainment and nisbut. It has two types of means. One is called the hardship (mujahida) in which we control the desires of our soul through our efforts, it includes control on speaking with others, less sleep, controlled diet, and to control meeting with other people. The other is Faila (Work): are of two types including those that are useful and involves no danger consisting of zikr, muraqiba (concentration / meditation), etc. AND those that are useful but are full of danger including concentration on sheikh, falling in love with opposite sex, and oration of spiritual poetry without musical instruments, oration to be performed by the same sex, and subject of the poetry is to be religious. We encounter few things in tassawuf in which we have no control to acquire or not acquire them and some of them contain harm and others don’t. Those that can harm include sakr with wahdut ul wajood, kashf, istughraaq, tassaruf, qabz wa bust, marvels, and observation. Those that do not harm include wajd, good dreams, acceptance of prayers, ilhaam, fana wa baqa, wahdut ul wajood without sakr, intuition. There are few things that can wash away all our efforts, they include beauty worship, rushing for rewards, imposition, opposition of sunnah, and apposing sheikh. May Allah Subhanahu Ta’ala save us from these things. Ameen.

Q289: You have included Mustarshid Moulana Muhammad Ashraf Rah with your name, what is Mustarshid?

Answer: Mustarshid is used for the mureed (who is seeking spiritual guidance). It means that one who seeks guidance from someone is called Mustarshid and the one who guides is called the guide. Thus I am the Mureed of Moulana Muhammad Ashraf Rah and he is my Murshid (Sheikh).

Q290: You have included with your name that you are Khalifa Mujaaz (the one who is given permission to accept mureeds himself) Hazrat Sufi Muhammad Iqbal Rah, what is it? Similarly the word Majaaza-e-Suhbut is also used, is it different than the above?

Answer: If a Sheikh permits someone to accept baut of the salikeen, then he becomes his khalifa and if the Sheikh permits him to train others but could not do baut himself or allow others to do baut or train others, he is called the Majaz-e-suhbut. In other words, the majaz-e-suhbut provides others the pious company, he can preach others, and one can hope that his company will even benefit others.

Q291: Can you tell us which of the mashaiks have permitted you to accept baut?

Answer: I am authorized by Hazrat Sufi Muhammad Iqbal Madni RAH via Hazrat Sheikh ul Hadith Moulana Zikria RAH and Moulana Faqir Muhammad Rah in all four silsilas, and also by Hazrat Sufi Sahab via Hazrat Moulana Abul Hassan Nadvi RAH in Qadiria Rashidia and by Sufi sahib RAH via Hazrat Ali ul Murtaza RAH in nukshbundia, by Hazrat Tanzim ul Haq Halimi sahib via Hazrat Moulana Faqir Muhammad sahib RAH in all four silsilas, and also through Hazrat Halimi sahib via Hazrat Saif ur Rehman Gul Badshah RAH (commonly known as Makh bund baba jee) in Qadiria, Nukshbundia, and Mahsumia Mujjadidia, and by Doctor Fida Muhammad sahib via Hazrat Moulana Muhammad Ashraf sahib RAH in all four silsilas. May Allah سبحا ن ؤ تعا لئ give me the ability to perform accordingly, accept their good feelings about me, and cover my stigmas in both of the worlds and forgive me and in the company of these ulia karam and in the company of Hazrat Muhammad Sul ila alai wasalam grace with the bounty of his sighting. Ameen.

Q292: You have used the word via quite a number of times in your reply, what does it mean?

Answer: Via/through means those relationships that these ulia Allah have been given. Because this is one of the way to differentiate between the different nisbuts of these ulia Allah (Friends of Allah Ta’ala).

Q293: How can we contact you?

Answer: The details of my programmes is given on our books, after going through the details one can come to any of the programmes in accordance with their schedule. The Address of the present khankah is also given in there. My Cell No. is 0092 300 5010542. Anyone can contact me on mobile from one hour after Isha Prayer timings to one and a half hour after isha timings.

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