Islamic Obligation in How to Treat Others

Category: SOUND

All are from Mufti Taqi Usmani's oral lectures in Urdu.

The religion is based on these five parts:

1. Belief - Belief must be along the proper lines
2. Worship - Prayer, fasting, pilgrimage and zakah must be observed diligently
3. Dealings - Buying and selling transactions must respect the Commands of Allah. Improper and unlawful means must be shunned.
4. Mutual Living - One must observe the Commands of Allah in day to day living and mutual, social affairs.
5. Character - One's personal character and morals, feelings and thinking must be correct.

Today, we are Muslims in our behaviour only as long as we are in the Mosque but when we step into the practical field, we hasten to cheat other people, we betray trusts and cause inconvenience to other people and hurt them. This is not entering into Islam because while one-fourth of it is made up of worship, as much as three-fourths of Islam concerns rights of other people.

It is un-Islamic to hurt anyone

The Holy Prophet(saw) has said about a Muslim that he is one from whose hand and tongue other Muslims are safe. It is a grave sin to hurt other Muslims and it is forbidden. It is as grave a sin as consuming wine, being immodest or eating pork. Every kind of hurting another or causing him inconvenience is a grave sin. It is the duty of a Muslim that they should not hurt anyone. For instance, if anyone parks their car in a way that blocks people's passage and they think of it as no more than a traffice offence, then they are really offending religion and committing a sin...

The sin still counts even if the Muslims offending each other are hardly religious or already engaged in other sin. Sins don't cancel each other out, they add up, even simultaneously.

This principle is applied through the other principle of people's rights over you (as to what constitutes an offense). I mention this because men and women freely interact when that's not a part of their rights over one another. If a strange woman pisses you off, tough luck, you have no rights over her. If a wife fights with her husband, that's a different story as he does have rights over her. It also depends on the situation. Though a man has no rights over the woman, if she goes out of her way to hurt the man (anything beyond what Islam says is allowed or required interaction would be considered going out of her way) then she will incur the sin for that (on top of the sin for the interaction). Men have no leeway, even a strange woman has some rights over you because of the position of men in society and whatnot. While everything involving women gets iffy when it's a situation of self-defense or revenge or something, men do not have that right even in principle over women. Men have to respect women while a woman's priority is to safeguard her modesty so she can do pretty much anything within that context. Just a warning to the guys, do not offend women, do not be mean to them, or any of that. As I'll paste in a second, you are held liable for breaking another Muslim's heart and a woman's might not break according to your own logic.

We are not fully entered into Islam

This is enough to tell us how grave the matter of rights of fellow men are. But, we do not even consider it to be a part of religion. The noble Qur'an calls upon believers to enter Islam completely - with all of our existence, our living, our worship, our dealings, our social life, our manners, every part of us must enter into Islam. Only then will we be true Muslims and it was only this thing that spread Islam. Islam did not spread by propagation but through the example and character of men. Whereever they went, Muslims were distinguished by their example and character and this attracted men to Islam. However, today other people observe our living and character and are repulsed by Islam.

Ironic twist here is that if you fix their perception of Islam, they will instead be repulsed by Muslims.

Sincere friends are missing

...we do not find such a friend in this world whose friendship follows the friendship of Allah. We cannot find anyone whom we can call a true friend whose friendship is subservient to Allah's and who proves true in trying times. It is difficult to find such a one. When my elder brothers spoke about their friends in the presence of our respected father, he would remark that they had made many friends in his life while he, at the age of sixty, could not make any friends. All his life, he had only a friend and a half. One could not find anyone easily who would measure correctly to the standards of friendship.

True friendship is technically impossible in this world except with Allah, what we can have is companionship. A matter of semantics, but then again... linguistics and language are serious business.

Intentions

Suppose if anyone intends to go to Lahore but boards a train that is bound for Quetta, will their intention take them to Lahore?

The Devil is clever

The Devil of a scholar is a scholar. Shaitan misguides Ulema in a scholarly way. This applies to all other fields as well, if you're a whatever, Shaitan will be in your head as an equal or superior whatever with the aid of your Nafs using every trick you know to decieve you.

Doing Everything For Allah's Sake

Category: SOUND

The Holy Prophet(saw) has said, "If anyone gives something to someone else for the sake of Allah, forbids something to someone for Allah, loves someone for the sake of Allah and hates someone for the sake of Allah, then he will have perfected his faith." (Tirmizi, Sifat ul Qiyamah, Chapter 61)

"What is worldly from one angle becomes religious when seen from another angle."

Turn every love for Allah

There is a form of love in the life of every man. There is love between mother and child, father and child, husband and wife, etc. There is fraternal love and love between relatives. If the angle of view is aligned properly, these forms of love can be described as love for the sake of Allah. For instance, if anyone heeds the directive of Allah and His Messenger (saw) that one should love their parents then their love for their father and mother is regarded as love for the sake of Allah. We are told that if anyone casts even a glance towards his parents with love, they are regarded as though they have performed a Hajj and an Umrah. On the face of it, the person fulfills their natural tendencies in loving their parents but with proper alignment of their intention, they are credited with doing that for the sake of Allah.

Let a husband love his wife for the sake of Allah

A man's love for his wife is a part of his sexual instincts. However, he can gain credit for loving her for the sake of Allah if he forms an intention of obeying Him and His Messenger (saw) and if he tells himself that he follows the sunnah of the Prophet (saw) in doing so. Thus, if we have the case of a man who loves his wife because of his sexual instincts and another man who loves his wife for the sake of Allah, the two of them seem to be doing the same thing but actually, there is a wide difference in their respective behaviour.

Who is an 'Arif

An 'Arif (knower) is one who recognizes Allah and the Shari'ah as well as the path and knows them well. According to the Sufis, an 'Arif is a collection of paradoxes. His personality and his deeds seem to be contradictory for he is in constant link with Allah and remembers Him all the time, yet he mixes along with his family and other people talking to them and laughing with them.

Differences between the beginner and the graduate

Among the Sufis, one who is in the incipient stages is known as a Mubtadi, a Beginner, and one who has passed through all stages is a Muntaha, a Graduate we may say. The former has his foot on the road to Tariqah, the Sufi path in search of inner reality of religious and spiritual life. The obvious status of both of them is similar and their behaviours look alike, while one who is between them seems different.

For example, there is a man like us who is a Mubtadi, a novice, just beginning to tread the religious path. He does everything that is worldly. He eats, drinks, converses with other people, buys and sells, spends time with his wife and children, etc. At the other extreme is the Holy Prophet (saw) who also buys and sells in the market, does manual labour, and spends time with his wives but he is a Muntaha, in the final stage, the Teacher. The apparent condition of the two is alike but there is much difference between them. There is a third man who is a little ahead of the Mubtadi and in-between the two stages. His behaviour is different. He does not go to the market and does not spend time with his family but he is ever occupied in remembering Allah and seeking His forgiveness. He has nothing else to do from morning to evening and he is on a third and middle stage.

The example of a Mubtadi and a Muntaha

Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanawi (ra) has explained the three categories through an example. There is a river and a man is standing at its bank while another has crossed over it and is at the other side of it while a third is swimming in its midst using his hands and feet. To one who sees them, the two men at either side of the river are alike; each is standing at the bank of the river although the one has yet to cross over the river and to endure the waves while the other has gone through the river and the tests involved in swimming before arriving at the other side. The third man is grappling with the waves and going through the tests in his attempt to arrive at the other side.

Paraphrasing the rest:

The reason that this is so is because like the person inbetween the two extremes, a person needs to practice before they can effectively transform their lives. The reason I bolded/italicized the word 'intention' above is to show that the fundamental principle throughout here is remembrance. Like I said earlier, sometimes things just remind you of Allah, whether its things, people, activities, whatever. It's a good idea to stick to them. On the other hand, most of our passing lives can be spent completely oblivious of Allah and that's why effort is needed to transform ourselves so we remember Allah, the Shari'ah (divine injunctions), and the Prophet(saw)'s Sunnah in everything we do.

One of the other effects of this is that it allows you to more effectively love something (by tapping into the most unselfish type of spiritual feeling at your core, your God-consciousness) and also to disengage if necessary... meaning you will be able to give up the love for the cause of Allah, whether for the rest of your life here or while temporarily rearranging priorities depending upon the demands on you. It prevents attachment of the psychological sort, the bad kind. Too much love is never a bad thing, but worldly love (not for the sake of Allah) can foster some unwanted phenomenon like attachment and other things.

Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanawi (ra) related an incident in which he got into an argument with his wife and she spoke with him harshly. He told her if she wanted, he'd go live in a khanqah (where disciples undergo spiritual training and do dhikr all the time, etc.) for the rest of his life because he can't live with hearing her tone that way (lol, btw). He wondered to himself if he could follow up on this threat and remove himself from his wife and his love for her and realized that if the love was for Allah, of course he could, provided he was disengaging for Allah as well.

It takes some time. If you love kids, it's difficult to intercept yourself when you come upon one and be like 'WAIT! don't like the child YET. remember Allah first' and the same for everything else, like your spouses (obviously for most all of us, Allah is not being remembered before the sexual instinct kicks in... because that can't happen without an islamically sanctioned marriage, and often when it kicks in under this cultural mindset, the idea of marriage itself becomes unpleasant).

That analogy is also good for telling apart fakers. Consider the shores as the limits of Shari'ah and Sunnah. You wouldn't believe someone standing on the shore telling you "Whoa dude, I'm swimming like hell right now, you should totally check it out, it's cool."

Rumi on Love

Category: SOUND

When the Lover saw the dagger of Love in the hands of the Beloved,
Without fear and oblivious of danger he ran towards it.
And when the Lover saw the dagger aimed at him,
He felt it compulsory to offer his head towards the knife.
O truly Beloved, in Your remembrance Love seems good to me
And till Qiyamat I want to continue uttering this cry in madness.
When the self has claimed to be a wild duck,
Then when the storm of calamities descended what complaint could it have?

0 Foolish One, do not command the nightingale towards silence For when it remembers the garden, its complaints
will come on the lips.

When Love pulls the strings of its bow,
Many are the souls that become sold for a small price.

From afar love seems like being bloody
So that insincere lovers do not tread this path.
This bloody appearance is a guard
Against insincere and half-baked lovers, not to come this way.

0 Beloved, let it not be the good fortune of your enemy, to be destroyed by your sword,
May the heads of friends remain safe, for you to try your sword on them.

For the sake of the love of my Beloved,
I am in love with suffering pain and sorrow.

This is what is called True Love. What a sad state of affairs that today people look at sensual love and call it love. That is not love. The love that comes from metaphorical beauty is not really 'ishq'. It is jisq' (transgression), which is caused by overeating. If a person has to go without food for a few days he will forget his love and ask for bread. But the Divine Love, because it is placed within the essence of man, even if no worldly needs are acquired, no change comes about in the Lover and his Love does not decrease. Love is actually a name for that kind of surrender that Allah, the truly Beloved is the Doer of everything and the servant is he who is pleased and satisfied with all that He does.

-Hakim Akhtar

Following the Sunnah of dress

Category: SOUND

All are from translated oral lectures in Urdu of Mufti Taqi Usmani.

It is not lawful to give up a Sunnah for fear of being ridiculed

[paraphrased]If by following a Sunnah example it is likely that you will make Muslims turn against the Sunnah or commit an act of disbelief, then it's okay to refrain. It is not okay to stop if only you are going to be ridiculed. It is also not okay to stop if it is unbelievers who are ridiculing as they will ridicule the Sunnah anyway.[/paraphrased]

The effect of dress on character (Inside vs. Outside)

It has been narrated about Hazrat Umar (ra) that once when he came to the Prophet's mosque to deliver a Khutbah, he was wearing a very magnificent gown. After having delivered the Khutbah when he went back home, he put off that gown with the resolution that he would not wear it again, because it created in him a sense of pride and superiority. The gown in itself was something neither prohibited nor unlawful. Those who have been granted by Almighty Allah crystal-clear hearts are able to realize the slightest of vice in their inner selves. We do not at all realize in our hearts the bad effects of the sins we commit from time to time. Contrary to this, the hearts of the righteous are like spotless cloth. If a spot appears on it, it is clearly visible. The incident of Hazrat Umar (ra) demonstrates that the dress-style of man does have an impact on his conduct, character and trend of thought. One should, therefore, realize the importance of dress and obey the injunctions of the Shari'ah about it.

The notion that it is not necessary to take care of the outside as long as the inside is alright is a Satanic deception. The outside requiring amelioration consists of your dress, food, conduct and character in the society. Their soundness has a bearing upon the soundness of the inside which is the soul. Those who do not think on these lines have no real understanding of Deen. If matters had been as these ignorant persons presume, the Holy Prophet (saw) would not have issued so many injunctions about dress, etc. as he has done. In principle, he has issued his kind injunctions in matters which people are likely to go astray.

One of our saints used to give an example to illustrate this point. When a fruit gets rotten in its inside the effect of this rottenness appears on its outside in the form of ugly spots. If the fruit is not rotten in its inside, the outside remains sound and sightly. Similarly, if the outside of a man is unsound (un-Islamic, not necessarily unhealthy), it is a sign that his inside is also unsound to a certain degree. It is therefore, not correct to claim that our inside is alright, no matter what is the condition of the outside.

The narrow-mindedness of the English

People say that it is narrow-mindedness to stop them from using the dress of the disbelieving English people. Do you not know or have you forgotten the narrow-mindedness of this English community when they occupied India? They made the flowing gowns, shalwars and turbans of the Mughal rulers and kings a uniform for their menial servants, like gate-keepers, peons, butlers, and waiters. Why did they do so? They did so only to disgrace the people and to show them that they attired their low-grade servants in the dress of their former Kings.

Dr. Iqbal elaborates in a couplet: 'The secret of the power and supremacy of the West lie in their hard work in the field of art and science. Their advancement, progress and superiority all are due to their devoted research and experiment.' In the end he has said: 'Wisdom, art, and science do not depend on any particular style of dress. The eastern dress consisting of the gown and the turban too is not the cause of backwardness. It is nothing but hard work in the field of knowledge and science which is needed.'

You did not acquire from the West what would have really helped you viz. knowledge and technology, but you relied on imitating their dress, life-style, etc. In this way you disgraced yourself. The world honours and respects those who have regard and love for their own way of life. So the world shall accord no credit to you for this habit of mimicking others.

Protect Your Glances

Category: SOUND

All are translated from Mufti Taqi Usmani's oral lectures in Urdu.

"(O Prophet!) Tell the believers to lower their glances and protect their private parts. This is purer for them. Indeed, Allah is aware of what they do!"
(24:30)

Casting evil glances is a deadly disease

In this verse Almighty Allah has mentioned a deadly disease. This is a disease fraught with many vices. Many have become addicted to this sin from among those who sit in the company of Ulama and godly persons, also religious people regular in their prayers and fasting. Today the situation has deteriorated to such an extent that when you go out, you find it very difficult to protect your eyes from evil glances. Wherever you turn, you will find captivating scenes from which it is difficult to shield the eyes.

The reality of 'evil glances'

'Evil glances' means casting glances at those of the opposite sex who are not closely related to you, particularly when the glances are amorous and lustful or are intended for enjoyment. It is also a sin to cast such covetous glances even at the pictures and photos of those, gazing at whom falls within the definition of 'evil glances'. The sin of casting evil glances is a great hindrance in reforming the human soul. Of all the conceivable sins it is the most damaging to man's spiritual and inner soundness. The reform of the inner self of man is almost inconceivable, unless control on glancing is attained. The Holy Prophet (saw) has said in a hadith: 'The glance is one of the poisoned arrows of Iblis.' If anyone is hit by this poisonous arrow and fails to ward it off, it becomes very difficult for them to ameliorate their inner self. Of all the factors of destruction, the evil glances of the eye is the most destructive.

You shall have to take this bitter dose

I have heard my Sheikh Dr. Abdul Hai Sahib (ra) saying: An evil glance is a fatal poison. If anyone desires to reform their inner self they will have to protect their glances from being misdirected. This is, however, a very difficult task, as you cannot find refuge anywhere. Wherever you turn you find violation of modesty, hijab/purdah, nudity, lewdness, etc. It is very difficult for anyone to protect their eyes from forbidden glances. However, you have to take this bitter dose, if you want to taste the sweetness of Iman and establish nearness with Almighty Allah and win His love to purify your inner self. You can make no headway in this field without taking this bitter dose. The dose is bitter only in the beginning. When you get used to it, its bitterness turns into sweetness which you cannot afford to miss.

You will find it sweet and tasteful

Just like the coffee of the Arabs which tastes very bitter in the beginning, but becomes very tasteful when one has become used to its exhilirating effect.

In the same way, casting evil glances is also a very formidable task in the beginning, but when one gathers courage to protect himself, the task becomes easy and enjoyable. The taste of protecting the eyes from this sin becomes more enjoyable than that of polluting them by casting evil glances on forbidden scenes.

Right use of the eyes

If you put this blessing of the eyes to its right use, Allah has promised to reward you. For example, if you cast on your parents loving glances, you will, according to a Hadith, get recompense equal to that for performing one Hajj and one Umrah. It occurs in another Hadith that when a husband enters his house and he and his wife both cast on each other loving glances then Almighty Allah casts on both of them His glance of mercy. When the eyes are put to the right use then not only does Allah grant joy and happiness, but He also grants them reward and compensation in the Hereafter. On the other hand, if they use their eyes in looking at forbidden scenes and objects then the torment for this is also very severe. In addition, this evil act destroys the integrity of man internally.

Hazrat Maulana Thanawi (ra) has said: If a man comes across a woman and the 'self' incites him to cast a glance at her, because you will not go beyond this glancing, it should be understood well that this is a deception of the 'self'. Safety lies in the 'self' not being obeyed.

Remedy for lustful thinking

Once Hazrat Dr. Sahib (ra) advised us to banish from our minds lustful thoughts in this way. When a very strong urge is born to cast an evil glance on some forbidden scene or object, imagine that your father is watching you. Would you dare to commit this sin even then? Or would you commit this sin, if your Sheikh or your own children are watching you? Certainly you would not do that, despite your urge to commit the sin.

These persons whether watching or not watching you at that moment do not affect your life in this world or the life in the Hereafter. You should think that Allah, the King of all Kings, is certainly watching you Who has the power to punish you for this sin. By virtue of this trend of thinking, there is every hope that Almighty Allah will protect you from this sin.

What will happen if the film depicting your life is shown?

I also remember a speech of Hazrat Dr. Sahib (ra) in which he asked us to imagine Allah making this proposal:

'Alright, I shall save you from Hell on one condition. I shall run a film depicting the details of your entire life, of your childhood, your youth, your old age till death which will be shown to people including your parents, your spouses, your brothers, sisters, your own sons and daughters, your pupils, your teachers and your relatives, friends and acquaintances. If you approve this proposal I shall spare you from Hell.'

In such an awkward and humiliating situation said the Sheikh, a man will probably tolerate the punishment of Hell instead of the disclosure of the secrets of his life before all his near and dear ones.

The Heart's insistence on, and inclination to sin, is not a sin

In another speech, Hazrat Dr. Sahib (ra) has said:

'Casting an evil glance is a matter of inclination which is an unintentional act and is not accountable. The next stage is to act upon the demand of this inclination and it is accountable.' (Anfas-e-Eesa)

If a person's glance falls on a forbidden object or scene unintentionally, but they intentionally let their gaze remain fixed on this sight, this becomes a sin and they are accountable for it.

It is forbidden to seek pleasure through imagination

To seek pleasure, in imagination, from a forbidden member of the opposite sex is as unlawful as to cast a glance at that person with sinful intention. To get rid of this evil it is suggested to control your 'self' and keep looking downwards. Do not look all around [as it becomes easy to glance again] rather keep your eyes low towards the ground.

This distress is less severe than the distress of Hell

Hazrat Thanawi (ra) has further said:

One should pluck the courage to act upon these injunctions, though they may prove very distressing. This distress will, however, be less severe than the Distress of Hell.

The severity of the distress of Hell cannot be imagined which is endless and eternal, but the trials and tribulations of this world, however severe, are shortlived.

People wrongly think that some Shaykh shall prescribe for them some formula of secret words or blow over the patient after rehearsing something that will bring cure to them of this disease. You should all know that firm resolution accompanied with unyielding courage while turning to Allah for assistance is the only solution to this problem.

Adopt the character of Hazrat Yusuf (as)

We are well aware of the story of Hazrat Yusuf (as) as related in the Holy Qur'an. When he (as) was caught in the severe trial, he (as) too took resort to the formula of using his courage and resolution. When Zulaikha, the King's wife, locked all the doors and invited Yusuf (as) to sin, he (as) saw that there was no way out. However, he (as) ran towards the doors which had been locked. He did whatever he was able to do and become entitled to pray to Allah to help him out of his difficulty and distress, as he himself could do no more. Allah then did His part of the job by breaking the locks and opening the doors.

Maulana Rumi (ra) has expressed this incident beautifully in his Persian couplet: [You are not getting a way out of the vices of the world, nor a refuge from them. You should try to the best of your ability to save yourself from them, just as Hazrat Yusuf (as) had done to save himself].

Take the course of Hazrat Yunus (as)

When Hazrat Yunus (as) was in the belly of the fish he besought Allah in the following words: Qur'an 21:87 (memorize this). When you pray to Allah in these words, He shall rescue you from whatever darkness you may have fallen into.

So when you are surrounded by the darkness of the demands of your 'self', and of the environments, etc. Then call Allah for help against these darknesses and for rescue from their evils. If you make such a supplication with sincerity and from the core of your heart, your supplication is sure to be accepted by All Compassionate Allah.

What to do if a sin is committed after prayer?

[paraphrased]If someone prays for something and doesn't get it, it is because Allah knows what's best for them and shall give them something better. If you pray for protection from sin and wind up committing it anyway, don't forget you have the opportunity for sincere and true repentence which sometimes raises a servant's rank to hardly conceivable heights. The poetry of Rumi (ra) and many others is filled with couplets about servants turning to Allah with broken hearts and tears asking for forgiveness. That initial remorse is very valuable, don't let it slip away without acting on it.[/paraphrased]

The branch of Deen dealing with Social living

Category: SOUND

All from Mufti Taqi Usmani's oral lectures in Urdu.

There are five branches of Deen

I have repeatedly stated earlier that the injunctions that have been imposed on us can be divided into five branches, viz., basic beliefs, worship, business transactions and dealing with people, social living, and ethics (ethical conduct and character). These five branches make up what is called Deen. If any of these five branches is omitted then Deen is incomplete. Therefore the demands of each of these branches should be fully met.

Deen is incomplete without reforming the social life

So far we have discussed and studied the subject of ethics. Imam Nuwawee (ra) has framed a new chapter "Mu'asharah" (co-living with other people) and has cited Ahadith concerning this branch. This considers how we should eat, drink, live in the house or the neighborhood with others. All these activities form part of "Mu'asharah" i.e, social life.

Hazrat Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanawi (ra) used to say: Nowadays people have excluded "Mu'asharah" from the definition of Deen. They do not accept that the injunction concerning Deen also applies to this important subject. This is the stand even of those people who are very punctual and sincere in other activities of Deen, e.g. prayers, fasting, Tahajjud, remembrance, etc. As a result, their Deen is incomplete.

It is, therefore, necessary to know and act upon the injunctions and teachings which Allah and His Prophet(saw) have issued on the subject of "Mu'asharah". May Allah help us all to act upon these injunctions and teachings.

The Holy Prophet(saw) has taught us everything

Allama Nuwawee (ra) has commenced the first chapter on "Mu'asharah" with the etiquettes of drinking and eating. The Holy Prophet(saw) has given us very important directions on drinking and eating as he has given direction on other areas of life. Once a polytheist raised an objection to Islam and said to Hazrat Salman Farsi (ra): "Your Prophet(saw) teaches you everything, even the way of easing yourself in the latrine."

The polytheist said this by way of finding fault with Islam that the Prophet(saw) taught the Muslims such insignificant things of life like the use of the latrine. Hazrat Salman (ra) replied to him saying: We consider your objection as insignificant. In fact it is a matter of pride for us. Our Prophet(saw) has taught us everything of life, including the etiquettes of sitting in and using the toilet. He has taught us just as the parents teach their children every big and small thing in life. If children were not taught these aspects of life, they would never know them to become polished and civilized members of society. Being kinder to us than our parents, the Holy Prophet (saw) has taught us such nice etiquettes about drinking and eating that by following them our drinking and eating become an act of worship entitled to recompense.

Change the viewpoint at the time of doing every act in order to transform it into worship

Hazrat Dr. Abdul Hai Sahib (ra) used to tell us that he practiced this principle for years and years and explained by saying:

'I am sitting on the dining clothing. The food is there. I am hungry too. I refrain from eating for a moment and think that I would not eat the food. The very next moment I realize that the food before me is only Allah's bounty and not the result of any effort on my part. It was the practice of the Holy Prophet(saw) that when food was placed before him he ate it with Allah's thanksgiving. I, too, will eat the food placed before me in compliance with the Prophet's Sunnah. Thereafter, I begin eating with the name of Allah (bismillah).

I entered the house and felt happy to see the playful, lovely baby. I felt an urge to take the baby in my lap and play with him with love. Yet I kept back for a moment and thought that it was not good to take the baby only for the sake of my liking. The very next moment I remembered that the Holy Prophet(saw) loved children very much and took them in his lap. Now following his Sunnah I will also pick the baby up in my lap. With this notion, I picked up the child.'

After relating to us this practice, he recited this couplet: This means: 'It is not an easy job to make oneself used to grief and distress (in love). This is achieved by putting up with the tensions of grief and pain for a long period.'

He went on saying: I have attained this by the grace of Allah, by constant practice and I hardly miss the opportunity. Whenever some blessing of this kind comes before me, I feel at once that it is from Allah and thank Him after pronouncing 'bismillah' I do the job. I have now become used to it. This is what I call a 'change in vision'. As a result of this change, a worldly act becomes an act of Deen and an act of worship.

Compensating for an optional act

Being that Dr. Abdul Hai (ra) was a Sufi Shaykh and his pupils, including Mufti Taqi usmani (ra) were mostly Maulawis (fiqh jurists) that came to him to learn tasawuf, he often had to deal with their ingrained view of things. For instance, jurists will say no compensation is required for optional (Nafl) acts of worship, only for Fardh or Wajib. Yet, the Shaykh points out, the Prophet(saw) said in a Hadith that if you forget to pronounce Allah's name when beginning to eat, you should pronounce it when you remember it. Likewise, he recommends to make up any missed Nafl acts or prayers, whether you call it Qaza or whatever.

Right way of shaking off the dining cloth (emptying the dinner plate)

We usually just empty the plate right into the garbage. Mufti Usmani relates that he learned from his father who learned from Sayyid Asghar Husain Sahib (ra) that it's better to sort out the plate so nothing goes to waste. The bones with some meat still attached were put in a special place for the cats. The bones with no meat were put in a place for the dogs of the area. The pieces of bread were put on a wall outside for birds. The tiniest pieces of bread were placed near ant-holes. So nothing was wasted of Allah's sustenance.

The Non-Muslims have adopted Islamic principles of living

Once I had the opportunity to accompany my respected father on a journey by air to Dacca (Bangladesh). During the flight I felt the need to use the toilet. You may have seen a notice above the washbasin to this effect: After having used the wash-basin, kindly clean it with the cloth and dry it so that those coming later may not feel disgusted.

After I returned from the toilet my father said to me: The notice written above the wash-basin means the same warning which I have been giving you off and on that it is a part of our Deen to save others from distress and inconvenience. The non-Muslims have adopted this principle and Almighty Allah has bestowed upon them success and progress in this world. We, on the other hand, have excluded these principles from Deen and have confined Deen only to prayers and fasting, etc. We have totally ignored the rules and etiquettes of social living or "Mu'asharah". The result is that we are going back to deterioration and failure. Allah has planned the affairs of the world on the principle of cause and effect. Therefore, the results, good or bad, depend on man's deeds. This is a law of nature which according to Allah's Decree, applies to all, whether they are believers or non-believers.

An incident relating to an English lady

Last year I had to go to London. From there I was going to Edinburgh by train. On the way I felt the need to use the toilet. When I reached the toilet I saw that an English lady was standing there. I concluded that the toilet was engaged and the lady was waiting for her turn. I came back to my place. A long time passed neither anyone came out of the toilet nor the lady went in. I again went and saw the sign of 'vacant' on the toilet door. I asked the lady to use the toilet if she wants to. The lady told me that she was waiting for the train to move. It is the law to neither flush nor use the toilet while the train is stationed. No sooner than the train leaves the platform she will flush the toilet which she forgot earlier.

Now think about how this lady was waiting only to flush the toilet which she could not do earlier. She is not flushing it presently because the law of the railway stands in her way. At that time I remembered the advice of my father that it is a part of Deen to take care of such small matters as flushing toilets and latrines, so that you may not be a cause of inconvenience or disgust to those who come to use the facility later. Our behaviour in such matters is just the opposite. We have formed the habit of looking to our own comfort and convenience, leaving others to mind their own business.

Why are non-Muslim nations making process

Bear in mind that Almighty Allah has, in His wisdom, planned the affairs of this world on the principle of cause and effect. Following this divine principle, the non-Muslims began to work hard and reap the benefit of their labour according to the divine law of nature. They have no share in the blessings of the Hereafter because of their disbelief, yet by following the principles and etiquettes taught by the Prophet of Allah, Muhammad(saw), they have made themselves entitled to the blessings of success and progress in this world. Being Muslims and believers we feel jealous of them for their success and progress in this world, but we do not compare our way of dealings with theirs. These non-Muslims do not tell lies in business, nor do they betray trusts, nor are they lovers of ease and comfort. They work hard with honesty and self-sacrifice and reap the fruits of their labour according to Allah's dispensation. The Muslims have given up these manly traits of conduct and have confined Deen only to the four walls of the mosques and madrasahs. We have excluded from Deen other areas of life. In this way we have suffered a double loss - remoteness from Deen as well as disgrace and humility in the worldly life. In spite of the fact that the Holy Prophet (saw) has taught us all the principles and formulas effective in attaining success in matters relating to this world as well as to the Hereafter. If we find ourselves backwards and disgraced, the fault is our own. May Allah help us see things with the right perspectives. Aameen.

The influence of food on the inner self of man

Whatever has been discussed in the foregoing pages belongs to externally palpable effects of food. People whom Allah has granted inner insight can look into things much farther and deeper. They can easily find out by the light of their spiritual intuition which foods have salubrious effect on the emotions and thoughts of man and which darken the inner soul of man leading to the birth of bad thoughts and urging him to commit sins. Some foods are so full of blessings (barkat) that they please and elate the inner personality of man and provie nourishment to the soul which induces him to do good deeds. We, however, do not perceive this fine difference between one food and another and their enlightening or darkening effects. During these days of material race we have become blind to the real qualities and inner properties of things.

An incident illustrating the influence of food

This incident relates to Hazrat Maulana Muhammad Yaqoob Nanotawi (ra) who was the Rector of Dar ul-Uloom, Deoband (India) and a teacher of Hazrat Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanawi (ra). Once a man invited the Sheikh to dinner. He went to the place of invitation and began eating. After putting only one morsel into his mouth he realized that the income of the man who had invited him was not lawful. He at once left the food and came back. He said that he felt for about two months the darkness of the one morsel he had swallowed. He felt during these two months an urge to commit sins. The experience related by the Sheikh appears to us to be incredible, because our chests are filled with darkness. Take the example of a white sheet of cloth full of spots. If one more spot is added it will make no difference. On the other hand even if a small spot is put somehow on a spotless white cloth sheet, it can be easily seen from a distance. Such is the similitude of the hearts of saintly men. So it is not at all surprising that Maulana Nanotawi (ra) instantly felt the adverse effect of the unlawful morsel which created in his pure heart an urge to commit sins. This was due to the darkness spread by that unlawful morsel. There is something which is called inner "Barkat" by virtue of which man develops in him spiritual integrity and ameliorates his conduct, character, and thoughts.

These are the conquerors of Iran

It was the custom of Khosran's court that, while he was sitting on his throne, the rest were standing in their respective places. Hazrat Rub'ee bin 'Amir (ra) told Khosran that they followed the teachings of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) who had forbidden that one man should be sitting and the rest standing before him as is the custom in his court. They were, therefore, not prepared to take part in the negotiations that way. So, either they should be provided to sit down or the Emperor should also stand before them. Khosran felt his insult in meeting this demand. He refused to talk to them and ordered that they should be sent back with a basket full of earth placed on their heads. Hazrat Rub'ee bin 'Amir (ra) placed that basket on his head. While leaving the court, he said: 'O Khosran! Remember that you have bestowed upon us the earth (i.e, land) of Iran.' The Iranians were very superstitious people who took this event as an ill omen. Khosran, therefore, sent some of his men to overtake them and get back the basket of earth. They could not find Hazrat Rub'ee bin 'Amir (ra) who quickly escaped with the basket of Iran's earth.

Refer to the Prophet Muhammad (saw)'s Hadith: "After this Khosran has perished there will be no Khosran again."

Stories of the Sahaba - 'Umar (ra)

Category: SOUND

"It is said about Hazrat Umar (ra) that as a Caliph, he made rounds of the city at night to learn about the problems of his people. He helped the poor and needy and aided the grief-stricken. If he came across anyone doing something wrong, he reformed that person. One night, he was on his usual rounds at the time of Tahajjud, he heard two women in a house speak to each other and he pictured that one of them was an old woman while the other was young. The former said to the latter who was her daughter, "Mix some water into the milk to increase the quantity before we sell it." The young woman said, "Mother, the Aamir-ul-Mumineen, Umar (ra), has prohibited every milkseller from doing so. We must not do it." "The aamirulmumineen is not here. He cannot see you. No one can see you in this hour of the night if you put some water into the milk." The young woman replied, "Mother! It may be true that the Aamir-ul-Mumineen does not watch us but what about his Lord. Is He not watching us? We must not do the wrong thing." Hazrat Umar (ra) heard all that they had spoken and in the morning enquired about them. Then he sent a proposal of marriage of his son for the young woman and Abdullah bin Umar (ra) was married to her. His grandson, Umar bin Abdul Aziz (ra) was born from this family and became to be considered the fifth rightly-guided Caliph."
-Mufti Taqi Usmani