Easy Way
We should be immensely grateful that Allah subhana wa ta’ala has given us these great moments, and that on the night of Jumu’ah, Allah has saved us from all negligence and laziness, from bad actions, from bad company, and from wrongfulness. And He has not just saved us, rather He has seated us in His home and has bestowed upon us His most beloved action, which is the ability to remember Him and do His Dhikr. Allah has given us the Tawfeeq to do this action whose rewards Allah ta’ala has announced all through the Qur’an, and on the tongue of His blessed Habeeb sallallahu alayhi wasallam; and those rewards and the immense Fadhl of Allah ta’ala were delivered to us from the Sahaba-e-Kiram after they heard them; and due to the company of the pious predecessors, Allah ta’ala has also given us the Tawfeeq to do this Amal.
I spent a good portion of my life with my Hadhrat Sheikh rahmatullah alayh, and I never saw any night of Jumu’ah in the life of my Sheikh when they did not do Dhikr in abundance. On a Thursday night, people would start making their way to the Khanqah from far and wide, because a Khanqah has a different atmosphere and quality. A Khanqah is also a Masjid of course – Salah is prayed there, Qur’an is recited, and everything else – but the bonus on top of that is the large measure of Islah which takes place, which is the coaching of the Nafs; and this is a fundamental part - the spirit even - of our Deen of Islam. If a person does not engage with Islah, his deeds remain hanging in mid-air. From the words and examples of the pious predecessors, we learn the truth which is that Islah lies at the root of all the A’maal that we perform.
There are so many deeds that we can implement, but the basis of those deeds and the success of those deeds depends on whether they are accepted. If I pray so much Salah and get up for Tahajjud and recite so much Qur’an, I can’t say that since I have done it, I will present it to Allah and then I will pass the test – no! However much I do, everything is based upon Allah’s Rahmah, and upon His acceptance. In the Hereafter, the only deeds that will be accepted from the mounds and stacks of deeds will be those that Allah selects and rewards, the deeds performed after doing Islah and rectification and working hard. These are the deeds that are implemented after sincerity has become embedded, even though they may be very small. Very minor-seeming deeds, for example if you pick up and remove a little bit of rubbish or a hair or a twig as you walk out of the Masjid, and no one is looking at you, and you don’t seek anyone to verify or quantify or praise that action, nor to recognise you for it; rather you have a bit of passion within you that for the sake of Allah, without anyone looking, you will remove it as you walk by - then what a good deed that will be. There are no secondary or tertiary reasons involved, but purely for the sake of Allah, you take the dirt from the path feeling that it spoils the environment of the Masjid. This one deed that is done with Ikhlas will lead to salvation while the numerous other deeds are put to one side. SubhanAllah!
This is the message of Islam. This is the message of Deen, that you should work hard on your Islah, on rectifying yourself. If you don’t engage in rectification, you cannot be a complete human being.
{قَدۡ أَفۡلَحَ مَن زَكَّٮٰهَا (٩) وَقَدۡ خَابَ مَن دَسَّٮٰهَا (١٠)}
Allah tells us clearly in the Qur’an. Success does not depend upon quantity. It does not matter if you have only a very few deeds, but if you do them with Ikhlas, they are magnified accordingly. As the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam said, if you give even a date with Ikhlas, it will multiply and multiply until it is higher and wider than the Mount of Uhud, and the reward will be equivalent to that. But shaytan makes a person negligent, lazy and ignorant, and prevents us from reaching the essence of the Amal. So work hard on your Nafs, do Tazkiyyah, and purify your heart using the techniques and methods that Allah ta’ala has prescribed. Do Amal on that and recognise that tomorrow, all our deeds, whether small or big, will be dependent on this. Otherwise, we will regret and say ‘Why did I not do Islah?’
Now Allah ta’ala has said a beautiful thing: {سَعۡيُكُم مَّشۡكُورًا} In regard to the purification of the Nafs, Allah ta’ala doesn’t say that you have to achieve total cleanliness and reach the heights. Allah is not saying that you will necessarily attain that success. But look at how dangerous is this generation in which we are living now. This is the generation that is so dangerous that it amazed the Sahaba, when they sat with the Holy Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam and heard him say that this time would come when doing Amal on just one of his Sunnahs would bring the reward of one hundred martyrs. The Sahaba-e-Kiram were shocked to hear the extent of this reward for practicing just one Sunnah!
As the generations and eras move further away from the time of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam, these actions diminish as the passion disappears, and as Nafs and shaytan overwhelm us. Everything that is whispered into our hearts and minds cools us down and makes us lazy, and we say ‘It’s ok, it doesn’t matter, it doesn’t make any difference, it’s alright, you’re forgiven, you’re this, you’re that.’ These are the signs of the disorder that make a person waste his efforts. Understand the reality of Deen. Understand what we need and understand what we have to work hard on and what we need to focus on.
So the Sahaba-e-Kiram were amazed, shocked and taken aback that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam said that there would come a time in which so much Thawab would be given, more than for Sadaqah, fasting, and so many deeds. He said that in that era, it would be so difficult to follow just one Sunnah of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam that it would be as hard as holding burning coal in your hands. The Sahaba were shocked when they heard this. Now what are the actions that generate Ikhlas in the field of Tazkiyyah? The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam gave us a hint here that this generation would not allow us to do Tazkiyyah, and that a strange face of the Deen would be presented to the people to make them happy. People would be self-praising and giving each other good news, not the good news that the Qur’an presents, mashaAllah, but trying to please themselves with their own prescriptions and methodologies. Shaytan won’t allow people to find the true essence of the Deen, and he will do this by making them too lazy to come onto the right path.
The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam said that this would be such a severe generation, and this is the generation that we are in today. This is absolutely the generation of Dajjal – this it. Just look around you. You can’t see him, but all the effects and the signs show us that this is the generation of Dajjal. Everything is there. The conditions and the factors that are around us are exactly those of the Dajjal generation.
So on the path of Tazkiyyah, even if a person doesn’t become one hundred percent successful, and he commits sins again and does wrong again and again, Allah ta’ala has given us ease. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam has prescribed that ease to us. Don’t worry, start doing the work, then work hard, and Allah says {سَعۡيُكُم مَّشۡكُورًا} – ‘You must try, because it is your trying that I like and favour.’ If you just try and say to yourself every morning ‘I am not going to watch those scenes on the phone anymore. I do Tawbah from now and I am not going to do this dirty action again’, but then you do that action again, don’t lose courage. Turn to Allah again and beg and ask, and never lose heart and hope – remember this point. If a person loses hope and heart and says ‘Oh no, I just can’t do it anymore – it’s too hard. I can’t do these good actions anymore; I can’t leave these sins’, Allah says ‘Who are you speaking to? Don’t you know that your Rabb is so merciful and bounteous and quick to give blessings and Karam? Due to your fear and hard work, when you are close to death, I, your Lord and Rabb, will make you do an action through which you will gain salvation.’ SubhanAllah! This is Allah! He, Allah, is the means to our success.
So we need to keep fighting Nafs and shaytan. We need to try to overcome Nafs and shaytan, and whether we are successful or not, still run back to Allah and don’t leave those actions that are the source of our Tazkiyyah. But the Nafs says ‘Oh, there’s no point in doing Dhikr anymore. You have done this sin today, so what’s the point of doing Dikr and those actions that Hadhrat Sahib has prescribed? What’s the point?’ No! Keep doing those actions and keep fighting the sins. Never cease fighting and opposing the sins, and don’t stop your good actions. And if you come to death in that state, then the Qur’an bears witness that you have departed from the world as a successful person. On the other hand, if you keep cooling off and suppressing the Deen and telling yourself ‘Oh, leave it! If I do this, afterwards this and that will happen and I will go back to sin’, and then you give yourself false good news and praise yourself and feel self-satisfied – don’t do this! Don’t feel self-satisfied – this is a very dangerous generation, remember this. Those who succeed will be those who continue to work hard and make effort, those who set out on the path and keep striving and moving towards the goal, persevering through the difficulties. Why does Allah ta’ala reward those who overcome the Nafs? Because it is hard! Nafs makes you take U-turns.
For example, we have prayed Salah – why did we pray Salah? There is an objective. Why do we do Ibadah? There is an objective. What is the reason we do Dhikr, recite Qur’an, or memorise the Qur’an? Why do we do these actions? There is only one objective, just one, namely, to please Allah so that Allah ta’ala makes us His beloved. Say SubhanAllah! This not a complicated matter. Allah ta’ala Himself states {قُلۡ إِن كُنتُمۡ تُحِبُّونَ ٱللَّهَ} Allah is saying ‘If you want to make Me your friend, if you desire Me as a friend, then you can become My beloved!’ Say SubhanAllah! You can be the Mehboob, the beloved of Allah. It is not hard, not for me or you or Zaid or Bakr – everybody can do this. It is easy to become the friend of Allah; it is not difficult at all. Allah ta’ala is telling us that there is not just one path to become His beloved, not even two or three paths; there are so many paths and ways to get close to Allah subhana wa ta'ala - more than the number of breaths taken by the creatures of the world all put together. Say SubhanAllah! Allah is saying that we need to strive to attain His nearness, and that there are more ways to achieve this than there are breaths from the creatures of the world.
Say, for example, that you want to go to Glasgow. There is only one way to get there by motorway, isn’t there? But there are so many other paths that can be taken to reach there, shortcuts, this route, that route. So if getting to Glasgow is so easy, tell me, why does it seem hard to reach the pleasure of Allah? Allah is saying ‘So many generations have passed, but even when the generation of Dajjal comes, My paths are open, the doors to reach Me are open. Until Qiyamah comes, I want My servants to become My beloved!’ Say SubhanAllah. What a great statement this is, that Allah ta’ala has opened up more paths to get to Allah’s nearness than the total number of breaths of creation - this is amazing, SubhanAllah. And Allah has declared these paths and highlighted them.
Now, understand this point. How useless we are, if after receiving such a big hint and clue from Allah ta’ala from His Mercy, we still don’t attain Allah’s nearness. Tell me, can there be a greater loser than this? How will he be able to show his face to Allah ta’ala in the Hereafter? Allah says that there are so many paths to become His beloved. Allah is saying ‘Forget about Jannah – I am the Owner of Jannah, and I am saying that you will become My beloved!’ Imagine the Maqam of the Jannati, the person who becomes beloved to Allah. And Allah is saying ‘If you look at all these paths that can take you to My nearness, the highest and best of them all is one that leads closer to Me, which is more Ajmal, more Akmal, simpler and easier than the rest. It is extremely simple and is the best and most effective way to get near to Me.’ So which of the paths should we take, these paths that number more than the breaths of all creatures put together? There is Salah, fasting, Nawafil, Hajj, Zakah, reciting Qur’an – A, B, C, D. These are all paths to get to Allah, aren’t they? But Allah is saying ‘Listen clearly! There is a greater, better and more simple way to get closer to Me, and the speciality of that way is unique. It is the best way, it is Ajmal and Akmal, superior, simple, and is the best of all paths to get to Me!’
Listen to these words, my brothers. You are Sufis who want to rectify yourselves, and that is why I am giving you this beneficial prescription and these facts that I have learned through the company of the pious predecessors. I am speaking to you through their Hukm, having been instructed by my Hadhrat Sahib to do so. May Allah ta’ala give me the Tawfeeq and give you the Tawfeeq also, for this is a great and fantastic point. Allah ta’ala is saying that of all the other paths, this is the most beneficial, the simplest, the most beautiful, and the most effective way.
So what is the quality of that way? The quality of this path, which is the simplest and best way to get to Allah, is unique. I would like to present a statement of Qutb al-Arshad, Hadhrat Rashid Gangohi rahmatullah alayhi wa qaddasAllahu sirrahu, because these pious personalities passed through these routes themselves. He was such a great personality, so I would like to share his statement with you, and he announced this. He said ‘I will announce which path it is that Allah ta’ala is speaking about.’ This was Hadhrat Rashid Gangohi rahmatullah alayh, Qutb al-Arshad qaddasAllahu sirrahu – imagine his status. What is this route, the easy way to Allah’s nearness? He said ‘Ittiba Sunnat-e-Rasoolillah sallallahu alayhi wasallam - -this is that path!’ SubhanAllah. Obedience to the Sunnah is the best and simplest way. Who is saying this? Hadhrat Rashid Ahmad Gangohi rahmatullah alayh who had followed and attained that path. Of all the ways and paths to get to Allah, the simplest, best, most effective and beneficial is what? Ittiba-s-Sunnah. Remember this. This is the easiest way.
So why is it the greatest and most beautiful and most complete path which is better than all the other ways? Look, there are two ways. If you want to go to London, what will you do? You will get the car ready for the journey, for it is a long journey; you will be a Musaafir, a traveller. This is called Sulook, journeying. You know this journey that we are on? We are Saaliks, travellers, because we are on a journey. Where is a Saalik going? He is looking for Allah, he is journeying to find Allah. When you pray Salah, you are doing Sulook; you are travelling, you are doing Mujahidah, you are a Saalik on the journey. Every Mureed under the supervision of a Sheikh is a Saalik; he is on the path of Sulook to Allah. He is making effort and working hard. He is defined as a Saalik. This is one of the two paths to get to Allah. The path of the Saalik who follows Sulook is the common way, and the other way is the way of Jadhb – and there is a difference between the two. In Sulook, the path of the normal traveller, the Saalik has to work hard and struggle; he has to work out the way to London himself and get himself there. In Jadhb, however, the destination itself pulls the traveller towards it. It calls him, saying ‘This is me – I am your destination!’ When you take the path of Ittiba-s-Sunnah to attain Allah, Allah says ‘Come towards Me! I am pulling you – you don’t need to work hard. If you do Ittiba-s-Sunnah, I will start pulling you towards Me.’ { قُلۡ إِن كُنتُمۡ تُحِبُّونَ ٱللَّهَ فَٱتَّبِعُونِى يُحۡبِبۡكُمُ ٱللَّه} Allah is saying ‘If you really want to love Me and you desire My nearness, then I will define the path to get to Me. The best path is Ittiba-s-Sunnah!’
So wear the Imamah, for Ittiba-s-Sunnah is the path of the Imamah, and it is the path of having the beard; it is the path of wearing the Izaar or waist-wrap, and it is the path of using the Miswaak. Today, you can say that you are ashamed or that it is not necessary or not important, but Hadhrat Gangohi rahmatullah alayh said that the practice of the Sunnah is a fantastic path. Allah ta’ala said that in this path, He pulls you Himself! ‘My servant becomes so beloved to Me through Ittiba-s-Sunnah that now he is more than a Saalik.’ He is on a different level now. Allah says { يُحۡبِبۡكُمُ ٱللَّه} – ‘You were seeking your Beloved, but now the situation has reversed, for I have started to love you!’ Allahu Akbar! The Qur’an states this – { يُحۡبِبۡكُمُ ٱللَّه}. Before, you were running around seeking Allah’s love, but now, due to you loving the Sunnah, due to you loving and practicing the action of My Mehbob sallallahu alayhi wasallam, you need seek no longer because I have made you Mine!’
Tell me – what a massive difference there is between the two states. In all the other paths, you have to try, and there may be a lack of sincerity and the deeds may be thrown back in your face – this is always possible. What is needed is the certificate, the stamp of approval. But the path of Ittiba-r-Rasool sallallahu alayhi wasallam is automatically approved by Allah in advance. Whoever adopts the path of the Sunnah, SubhanAllah, he will see the fruits on the day of Judgement. In this era when Qiyamah is approaching, this path of the Sunnah will be the hardest path, because people will be put into confusion, into a trance or a mirage, and the true path will not be mentioned. People will talk about other ways and other actions. Do you understand what I am saying? They will say, ‘Try this shortcut, go this route, go that route.’ But Allah is saying { قُلۡ إِن كُنتُمۡ تُحِبُّونَ ٱللَّهَ فَٱتَّبِعُونِى يُحۡبِبۡكُمُ ٱللَّه}. The Qur’an is saying this clearly. But their mouths will not utter these verses and nor will they mention these Hadiths. Their mouths will remain zipped up, closed, and they won’t give Tafseer on this verse, nor mention the Hadiths relating to this verse. You won’t see gatherings and conferences being called about this verse and the importance of the Sunnah. This verse will not be given importance, and they will constantly refer to ‘small Sunnahs’ as if they do not matter.
Listen to what Allah ta’ala is saying. The pious predecessors give great statements about this. I will present the statement of Hadhrat Arifi rahmatullah alayh – a great Sheikh, who was the Sheikh of Mufti Taqi Usmani Sahib, who is the Sheikh-ul-Hadith and Faqih of this day and age. In this respect, you could say that he is the greatest human alive – both Arabs and non-Arabs accept him. Hadhrat Mufti Taqi Usmani Sahib is both the highest authority in Deen and is also the greatest Dervaish today. I would say that Mufti Taqi Usmani Sahib is the greatest Faqir and Dervaish today – so imagine what Tarbiyyah his Sheikh gave him. Who was his Sheikh? It was Hadhrat Arifi, and he said ‘What are you running after, saying that Sunnah is a small matter and is not important or necessary? What a deception shaytan has pulled you into today!’ Such a day and age will come when nobody cares about the Sunnah, and they will say that it is a small matter and is not necessary and they will trample on it, suppress it and sweep it under the carpet. So Hadhrat Arifi stated ‘Remember the Sunnah and be careful to hold on to it!’ Who stated this? A great Wali of Allah who developed the Walis of today through his Sohbat. This is Hadhrat Arifi, Dr Abdul Hayy qaddasAllahu sirrahu wa rahmatullah alayh who was the Sheikh of Hadhrat Mufti Taqi Usmani. SubhanAllah – imagine his company, and how precious and delicate a human being he must have been. Allah has said in the Qur’an clearly that He will make you His beloved. No specific Sunnah is mentioned.
So Hadhrat Arifi said that when you leave the Masjid according to the Sunnah by stepping out according to the Sunnah and putting on your shoes according to the Sunnah, whether you do this consciously and mindfully or not, you have become the beloved of Allah at that time due to following this Sunnah. I have seen many people do this, and once on Jumu’ah in a Masjid in London, a brother came – I used to pray at that Masjid at the time – and just as he was taking his shoes off in the Sunnah way, he passed away. Imagine his status as he passed away – he was the beloved of Allah at that time for taking his shoes off in the manner of the Sunnah! { فَٱتَّبِعُونِى يُحۡبِبۡكُمُ ٱللَّه}
Don’t judge by your own criteria and think ‘No, he was a sinner, he didn’t do this or that, he wasn’t pious’ – no, no. I have mentioned before that if you keep trying until your last breath, it may be that Allah ta’ala will make you do an action that will make you Allah’s beloved at the point of death, at the key time. Don’t look back at the previous decade – forget that! The condition a person is in when he is departing the world is what counts; look at what he is doing at that time. SubhanAllah. Why? If he carried on struggling all his life and would repent and then sin again and wonder why he couldn’t practice the Deen properly, but he never gave up despite going here and there, left and right. Obviously, his situation was a problem as he kept on doing impure things, but Allah subhana wa ta'ala let him do such an action that he became a beloved of Allah before death. So Hadhrat Arifi says that if a person is doing an action of the Sunnah when his death comes, then he is the beloved of Allah at that time. That is what the Qur’an has promised.
So is that era not here today? People say ‘No, the generation of the Sahaba was the best and there is no Deen needed now.’ Many people say this type of thing. Messages come from people when I speak on topics such as I am discussing today – angry messages. ‘What are you talking about? This is not that generation! It is not possible to practice that Deen today. Why are you presenting a strict Deen to the people today, a fundamentalist Deen?’ People say this, imagine! I get messages saying this is extreme - but it is not extreme. Rather, it is very easy! Allah is saying ‘Why are you saying the Deen is hard? Keep trying and making effort.’ And Allah promises that making effort in a generation where it is harder to practice will bring you greater Thawab. That is why Allah ta’ala has created this generation. What guarantee do me and you have?
People say that at the time of the Sahaba-e-Kiram it was easy in that they used to see him, but do you know how hard it was for the Sahaba to maintain the Deen at the time of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam? Allah ta’ala selected them for the propagation of the Deen - it was no minor effort. And there were Munafiqs at that time – perhaps we would have been Munafiqs in that generation, and then what? Allah ta’ala has given us life in this generation now, and the Deen can’t be changed and the Qur’an can’t be changed. It is the same Deen and the same path that Allah has defined, and this path has been clarified for us. Allah ta’ala has made it easier for us, saying ‘You just need to keep trying, and don’t look too far ahead at the end point.’ So don’t say ‘I’m not successful; it’s too hard; there are too many pressures.’ Allah says ‘It is My job to make it easy for you.’
Look, I gave you the example of the brother who passed away on Jumu’ah in the Masjid – Allah selected him. How fortunate he was, because he was taking his shoes off according to the Sunnah, and hence died successful. So let us not be deceived. This is not a generation in which there will be no one to tell you. But don’t wait for someone to come and prescribe everything and tell you in great detail what the Deen is. This is not a generation that will allow you to discard the Sunnah. Don’t think that someone will come and wake you up and shake you. I am telling you the truth when I say this is the generation where there is disorder of the highest level, where there is the highest Fitnah and the highest darkness. Everyone will make his own Deen and definitions and standard, and in this generation there would even be no Wali of Allah; there would be a drought – dryness beyond dryness everywhere. So if an announcement like this comes into our ears, then there can be no one luckier than us in this world. I urge you, generate courage and determination.
{ٱهۡدِنَا ٱلصِّرَٲطَ ٱلۡمُسۡتَقِيمَ (٦) صِرَٲطَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَنۡعَمۡتَ عَلَيۡهِمۡ غَيۡرِ ٱلۡمَغۡضُوبِ عَلَيۡهِمۡ وَلَا ٱلضَّآلِّينَ (٧)}
Allah has said that there’s only one path to adopt, which is that of the Ambiya, the Siddiqeen, the Shuhada, and the Saliheen. There is only one way – and what is that way? Say it loudly! Ittiba-s-Sunnah. This is the straightforward Deen - the definition of the Deen is very simple. Today if I say there is a man who keeps a beard and wears a turban but he is a thief and a fraudster, you should say Alhamdulillah! He is doing Ittiba-s-Sunnah, so at least he is trying. He reflects how bad the generation is, but he is trying and he wants to be saved from those sins that he still commits. He wants to be saved from those sins, but at least in parallel with them, he is still practicing the Sunnah. This is that generation in which Allah ta’ala has promised to take such people from this world as His beloved Mehboob, SubhanAllah.
It is a very big Fitnah today to think that the Sunnah should be annihilated or suppressed and hidden, but unfortunately people are working hard to achieve this. And this is what is being publicised today. Do you understand what I am saying? They say ‘No, no, no, you don’t need to practice Deen like this – it is too hard. Do this instead.’ My brothers, read the Qur’an!
Hadhrat Mujaddid Alf Thani rahmatullah alayh, Imam-e-Rabbani, who was a fantastic, colossal personality, wrote an Ajeeb statement. The pious predecessors have presented this as a Daleel because he was the Mujaddid after one thousand years. No one like him has come, and Allah ta’ala gave him a great status and amazing levels, and he stated himself ‘I have gone to the heights of exterior knowledge such that I have covered all the elements of the Deen’ – and this refers to the knowledge of the physical aspects, the outward aspects of Deen. And he also said ‘I then turned towards Tasawwuf, to the Chishti and Qadiri and Suhrawardi and Naqshbandi ways, and I learned all aspects of these four schools of Tasawwuf, passing through all their levels and all the Maqamaat of Allah’s nearness. Allah ta’ala showed me the realities of these levels with my own eyes, taking me so high that if I was to speak of everything that Allah showed me, people would say I was a heretic. But I attained so much awareness that the levels became crystal clear to me.’ Who is saying this? Hadhrat Mujaddid Alf Thani rahmatullah alayh, in whose order you have arrived. You will rise with him! Say alhamdulillah.
I do Dua for those that have entered this Silsila every day. By the grace of Allah, He enables me to recite the Shajrah al-Mubarakah every morning, and this is a great Dua that relates to all the Mashaykh of this Silsila. And he, al-Mujaddid Alf Thani, said ‘I attained such heights of clarity that I was given recognition by Rasoolullah sallallahu alayhi wasallam himself at that level, in the form of the cloak that he gave me himself.’ Imagine this level of recognition – what an achievement! Allah ta’ala gave him the highest rank of all the Sufi-e-Kiram, of all the pious predecessors. But al-Mujaddid is telling you one clear statement, beyond all these achievements and Maqams. ‘I will tell you the essence of our Deen’, he said, ‘in the form of one Dua. This is the summary. Despite all the Maqams and levels and spiritual achievements, the culmination of all these efforts and the greatest Maqam is what? Ittiba-s-Sunnah!’
And he stated – now listen carefully here, for this message has been given for everyone until Qiyamah, those in his Silsila and those not in his Silsila – that whoever hears the following Dua of his must say ‘Ameen!’ Allah ta’ala presents such Ajeeb statements and experiences to us through His Walis. When a Wali of Allah makes a pronouncement, then it is a fact! Hadhrat Mujaddid Alf Thani said ‘When a woman or a man says ‘Ameen’ to this Dua of mine, then I tell you that their Maghfirah has taken place!’ So what is that Dua? He said ‘Despite all these levels and progressions, oh Allah’ – now everyone has to get ready to say ‘Ameen’ to this Dua – ‘allow me to shape my life according to the Sunnah.’ Ameen! The second Dua: ‘Ya Allah, as long as I live, keep me in obedience to the Sunnah.’ Ameen! The third Dua: ‘Ya Allah, when You give me death, make my death according to the Sunnah.’ Ameen! It is stated that whoever said ‘Ameen, Ameen, Ameen’ to these three Duas, his Maghfirah will take place! SubhanAllah.
Ittiba-s-Sunnah is such a great thing. Someone else has said that destiny comes into your hands by following the Sunnah because you become the Mehboob of Allah. If you ask from Allah, He will give to you straightaway because you are His beloved. This is the status of the beloved, that Allah will give that person whatever they ask for. And how does one achieve this? This Maqam is attained through Ittiba-s-Sunnah. The Naqshbandi Silsila has special grace and blessings because our pious predecessors placed the highest emphasis on what? On Ittiba-s-Sunnah, on the obedience and adherence to the Sunnah. They said that this is the greatest factor and the one path to follow. Others take U-turns and are ashamed and are ready to perform all actions under the sun apart from the Sunnah. When the topic of the Sunnah comes up, you see them taking a U-turn and running away. This is the root cause of all fights and quarrels and disputes. Arguments and quarrels will arise over the following of the Sunnah, and Fasaad and disorder in the Deen will spread due to these disputes. On one side you will see those who emphasise the importance of following the Sunnah, and on the other are those who say it is nothing and that the Sunnah is not important. They will tell people to run away from it, to leave it, to disregard it, to shun it – and they will say that this is the Deen.
Nobody knows the importance of the blessed beard of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam, of the importance of drinking water in the way that he drank, of the importance of the clothing of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam. Nobody cares. Fulfilling the Sunnah details of Wudhu brings so much light, the Sunnah way of sleeping is so important, the Sunnah way of eating is so important – but you don’t hear this discussed anywhere. As a result, these points slowly fade away because nobody cares; in our homes, there is no concern for these points. As for us, we need to grab hold of this path and ensure that every aspect and phase of our lives should be based upon what? Upon the Sunnat-e-Rasoolullah sallallahu alayhi wasallam, upon Ittiba-s-Sunnah, upon obedience to the Sunnah.
You should buy a book on the Sunnah for this purpose. This humble person is also making a book from my talks about the Sunnah, and soon the publishing will take place inshaAllah. It will be very beneficial, so keep it at home and read a Sunnah every day to yourself and your children so that you can learn and follow. See how Allah ta’ala enables His servants to follow His Habeeb sallallahu alayhi wasallam. Very soon this book will come inshaAllah, and it will contain perhaps two hundred Hadiths that have been collated. It should reach us shortly inshaAllah. These are the rules of Allah, so don’t be lazy my friends.
This teaching has been handed down from the pious predecessors, and it is due to the Sadqa and blessings of my Hadhrat Sahib rahmatullah alayh that I am sharing it with you. When he sent me here, he sent me with two instructions to fulfil the objective that he set me. Hadhrat Sahib said ‘Beware! Don’t waste your time in futile actions. Don’t engage in debates and arguments with people or become involved in Fasaad and quarrels. There is no time to be hung up about sects and groups – you are going with one objective.’ This is what my Hadhrat Sahib said to me. He said ‘Just go, and stick to what I am telling you: spread Dhikrullah and Sunnat-e-Rasoolullah sallallahu alayhi wasallam.’ SubhanAllah! He said ‘Beware – don’t you dare spread futile talk or create arguments and disputes among people. I don’t want to hear about any of this from you. Just spread these two things. Deliver Dhikrullah to people’s homes and teach Dhikr in every alleyway and street. Teach two things everywhere - Dhikr and Sunnah - and see what Allah will bring. Share {ٱهۡدِنَا ٱلصِّرَٲطَ ٱلۡمُسۡتَقِيمَ} with the people and all the falsehood will disappear.’ And I have seen this with my own eyes!
That is why you won’t see people in this group talking about Deobandi, Ahl-e-Hadith, Ghair Muqallad, Berelwi and so on. Alhamdulillah, you will see Ajeeb flowers of the Deen sitting here, and they won’t go asking which sect you are in, whether you are Barelwi or Ahl-e-Hadith or whatever - no one cares. Have you ever seen this from the brothers? This from the Barakah of my Hadhrat Sahib, because he gave this instruction not to go talking about splits and sects and quarrels and groups and who is Barelwi and who is in this or that sect – no. He said ‘Who are you to tell people about this? You do one action, and whoever comes, tell them they are welcome and invite them to do Dhikr and to follow the Sunnah.’ How Allah ta’ala opens and expands the hearts and the chests - SubhanAllah. Say SubhanAllah!
This is the great effect of the Wali of Allah, especially in this generation. How can people learn the Deen in this generation? What do people know about Deobandi and Barelwi and Ahl-e-Hadith and this and that? If you go into this, they run away from the Deen when they hear about it. This is what happens at conferences where people shout out about groups and sects. My Hadhrat Sahib said ‘Don’t you dare involve yourself in sects and groups. Just do one thing: teach the true Deen, and then whoever you teach, you will see the effect with your own eyes – that person will run towards the Deen.’ SubhanAllah. I have seen this with my own eyes while doing this work over the course of the seventy years of my life. Alhamdulillah, alhamdulillah, alhamdulillah, this broken-down person is not even capable of doing the work of the Deen – my friends work with me and assist me – but I have seen the truth of this with my own eyes. Is this not the case, my brothers?
You won’t even hear anyone talking about this work which seems so difficult in this day and age. No one talks about it, announces it, or propagates it – no one cares. But if you do go and speak about this aspect of the Deen, people will understand. Sincerity will grow within them and their faces will change, their appearance will change, Imamahs will come, SubhanAllah, beards will come, lifestyles will change, hearts will expand. Everything will come. Our Masjids, our Deen, our prostrations, our Ka’abah, our fasting – everything is based upon Ittiba-e-Rasool sallallahu alayhi wasallam.
How can a person be opposed to the Messenger and seek the path? Impossible. Hadhrat Sheikh Sadi rahmatullah alayh knew this, and he said ‘How can you hope to attain Allah’s nearness if you are not implementing the Sunnah of Rasoolullah sallallahu alayhi wasallam? Who could be so foolish and stupid? Where have your brains gone?’ His was a generation of Fitnah like today, where so many Muslims won’t even listen to you. They close their ears and cannot be bothered to listen. They say ‘What nonsense are you talking about? What Sunnah are you talking about? What Deen are you talking about? Leave this stuff.’ They run away and don’t even want to hear you - and then they give you Daleels and references, saying that the Qur’an says this and that. My brothers, when it comes to Falah, to success, what did Abu Bakr as-Siddique radhiAllahu anh say? What did Hadhrat Umar radhiAllahu anh say? What did Hadhrat Abu Hurayrah radhiAllahu anh say? Follow their references, take their example. What did they do? What did they say about the Sunnah and how did they do Amal? Follow their path. Today, there is only one path, and it will carry on until Yawm-il-Qiyamah, so don’t be lazy. If you do become lazy, then know that shaytan has captured you and trapped you.
To feel safe from Dajjal, today we say ‘Iman , Iman – belief, belief’, but the Iman that counts in this respect is that which encompasses Sunnat-e-Rasoolullah sallallahu alayhi wasallam. There is only one protection from Dajjal, only one. Listen very carefully to what I am saying, otherwise we will all be members of Dajjal’s party. Allah will give him so many abilities – he will kill someone then bring him back to life, he will show people paradise and perform so many miracles, but the one thing that will save you from him is obedience to the Sunnah of Rasoolullah sallallahu alayhi wasallam. That is the only action – remember what I am telling you. He will have powers over everything and will be able to kill off anything else, but the one thing he will not be able to break is what? Ittiba Sunnat-e-Rasoolullah sallallahu alayhi wasallam. Dajjal will not be able to defeat that. This is the path and the route and the way – there is no other way.
In any generation and era, if we do not live our lives according to Ittiba-s-Sunnah, we cannot save ourselves from Fitnah. A stamp and a seal is placed on their homes, on their bodies and on their lifestyles indicating that this is a client of Dajjal. Only Itiba-s-Sunnah will save us, even if we are broken down and are not practicing, but from today we must start to live our lives according to the Sunnah of Rasoolullah sallallahu alayhi wasallam. Are you too ashamed to do this? Is following the Sunnah something to be ashamed about? Astaghfirullah! Is it a minor and insignificant thing to do Amal on the Sunnah of Rasoolullah sallallahu alayhi wasallam? Is it a minor thing if I pray Jumu’ah according to the Sunnah, if I wear the Sunnah Libaas and pray two Rakahs? Allahu Akbar – this is the wealth of the universe and we are leaving it!
I tell you again, there is no comparison to this – but Dajjal will tell you not to take any such action. Whatever action you adopt that is according to the way of the Sunnah, then that is the greatest Ibadah. If it is not according to the style and effect of the Sunnah, then step back from it and say ‘This is not Deen and it is not Ibadah.’ Even if a person stands on top of the Ka’abah and gives Adhan, he is empty and hollow and no better than a monkey if he is not in accordance with the Sunnah. You are seeing the condition that surrounds us today with your own eyes. Where is the Ittiba-s-Sunnah today? Where is the obedience to the Sunnah? Look at the Haram Sharif today, how so much is against the Daleel and Bayanaat. These are the people of the Arab lands, behind whom we used to do Sajdah listening to their nice, eloquent recitation and melody, but Allah says ‘No, no, I don’t require this!’ Where has that Iman gone? What are they talking about today? Tell me. Where are their words?
A very long time ago, fifteen or twenty years ago I told them this at a time when the people of the world were opposing me – but today you can this see with your bare eyes, can’t you? What is happening? What are people at the Ka’abah saying? Such Bayans and statements are coming now from those people. I am not getting into politics – I am not a politician. I am just trying to say that when there is no obedience to the Sunnah, the form of the Deen changes, and then we get upset. We are so weak – our Imaan is so weak. We say ‘Oh Yar, he is a big shot. He is a big personality, so don’t say anything about him. Don’t criticise him.’ This is our biggest weakness. Keep this in mind: the biggest personality is he who is the slave of al-Mustafa sallallahu alayhi wasallam. He doesn’t care about Madina. He is not big due to Madina, or due to the Ka’abah, or due to his position or eloquent recitation. There is only one sign of a big shot personality, which is that he is great in Ittiba of the Sunnah of Rasoolullah sallallahu alayhi wasallam. Say SubhanAllah!
That’s it – there’s only one type of human being who is great in the Sight of Allah. Others may talk of those who do this and that, but we should have no doubt that even if a person seems to be a downtrodden human being with no material worth and external impurities, if Allah is happy with that person, then that person is doing the greatest deed. { قُلۡ إِن كُنتُمۡ تُحِبُّونَ ٱللَّهَ فَٱتَّبِعُونِى}. It doesn’t matter if you are sinful and impure and dirty, if you want to be close to Allah and become His beloved, then why don’t you imitate His Habeeb sallallahu alayhi wasallam? But if you call out to the world and say ‘I am beloved because I do this action and this will bring me Allah’s nearness’, then Allah says that these are false statements. { قُلۡ إِن كُنتُمۡ تُحِبُّونَ ٱللَّهَ} Allah says ‘If you really loved Me, then why did the reality leave your mind? Why was it hard for you to follow the Sunnah? Why were you ashamed of the Sunnah? Why did you consider it to be insignificant? Why did you consider the Sunnah to be below you?’
If you wear the Tehmad, the waist-wrap, today, are you ashamed because you feel that people are laughing at you? They say ‘What is this Tehmad Sharif? What is this Sunnah? What is this method?’ This is a Sunnah that a person should implement often and repeatedly. For reasons and factors known to the Sheikh in regard to his Mureeds, I previously told some brothers to stop wearing the Tehmad Sharif. Well, today, due to the Sadqa of this Bayan today, I now give you permission to wear it, just on Jumu’ah. This is because I want Tarbiyyah of the Ummah, and MashaAllah, I want to do your Islah, but I am giving permission to anyone who wants to that he can pray Jumu’ah wearing the Izar, the Tehmad Sharif. Only for Jumu’ah can the Tehmad Sharif be worn. This is a very big permission that I am giving to you – but keep it confined to Jumu’ah. Revive this Sunnah, my brothers. “مَنْ تَمَسَّكَ بِسُنَّتِی عِنْدَ فَسَادِ أُمَّتِی” – What a great statement for you if you wear the Tehmad Sharif tomorrow! Don’t say ‘I’m ashamed, I can’t do it’, and don’t worry if people laugh. Today they may be laughing, but tomorrow they will be crying – remember this.
Be especially careful about one thing, however. You have Ijaza now within the circle of Tarbiyyah, but beware, beware, beware, for if you have the feeling in your heart that you are better than a person who doesn’t do Amal on this, or that you are better than this or that person, then this deed turns into the biggest sin at that time. You should never have pride and think within yourself ‘Look, I am doing Amal on the Sunnah by wearing Imamah and this and that, and he doesn’t do this.’ Beware of this! If this feeling arises within a person, then he has not attained Islah. Rather, the feeling you should have is one of gratefulness. You should be grateful and think ‘Oh my Maula, through Your Karam and reward, You have given me the Tawfeeq to follow the Sunnah. This person standing next to me is better than me and more pious than me. He may not be practicing this now, but he is better than me and will practice this tomorrow.’ Always lower yourself and humble yourself. When Allah ta’ala gives you a reward, the servant should bow in humility and submit. Allah has given the Tawfeeq for Imamah, so submit. To criticise someone or to laugh about someone because they are not practicing is a big sin. You have been given this permission for Islah. Why did I stop you from wearing the Tehmad? Also for the sake of your Islah. So take the enjoyment of this on the day of Jumu’ah, and whoever desires to and wants to can wear the Tehmad Sharif for Jumu’ah Salah. I am saying this for my Mureeds. It should be white, however, not different colours – only white.
So brothers, so this is Allah’s Karam and mercy in this day and age. There are two things you have to be careful about and beware of: don’t have Takabbur and pride, and don’t look at other people thinking that you are better and they are inferior. Don’t show off – totally not. Humble yourself and lower yourself. The more Allah ta’ala elevates you, the more you should lower yourself. The more you lower yourself, the more Allah ta’ala elevates you and raises your status. SubhanAllah. So have courage and determination, practice upon the Sunnah, and improve your lives.
Everything I have told you is according to the Qur’an, the Hadith and the sayings of the pious predecessors. The easiest, the greatest, the best and most effective path has been clarified from the statements of three great Walis of Allah. I remember a statement from my Hadhrat Sahib, and for me, the greatest Qutb is him! There is no one greater than my Hadhrat Sahib for me. No one is greater in my eyes. Of all the Sheikhs I have referred to, the greatest in my eyes and heart is my Sheikh. Even if Khidr alayhi salam comes, my Sheikh is my Sheikh! SubhanAllah. Why? Because he is the one who taught me the Name of Allah. He taught me everything – there is no one greater than him for me. This is my Aqeedah, SubhanAllah. My Hadhrat gave three Nasihas to me and all his Mureeds. What beautiful Nasihas they were! And we were not of those who let such sayings go in one ear and out of the other. No - we are of those who make effort on what Hadhrat Sahib said. This is the difference, that you take the Nasihas on board. Until today, I remember this Nasiha from Hadhrat Sahib. Whether it is eighty or ninety years, how could it be that those Nasihas did not take effect? If still not, that’s fine, alhamdulillah, keep trying and don’t stop making the effort on whatever Nasiha you receive from Hadhrat Sahib. Just keep trying with all your power, and don’t let it go in one ear and out of the other. Don’t just forget it.
As you return home from the gathering, you shouldn’t be thinking ‘What did Hadhrat Sahib say?’ Repeat the talk for yourself. In this respect, today is a very beneficial generation. In my day, I used to have a little piece of paper or a little book, and I would write down those statements. I still have those Kitabs today – I could show you those writing pads, which cost less than ten Rupees. I used to tell my younger brother to bring me one as well as a broken pen! You wouldn’t believe it if I showed you those booklets. You would say ‘What sort of generation of people had to record the Nasihas in books like these?’ I used to sit at the back and write down Hadhrat Sahib’s words. In today’s generation, these talks go directly into people’s homes. They can sit and listen, and then they are shared afterwards as an audio file – but who will listen? Nobody wants to listen! They say ‘Oh, let’s watch some more programmes on the TV; let’s listen to other things on the phone. What’s the point of this?’ Such a person is never successful, for he has no connection with his Sheikh. Three or four times over he should go over his Sheikh’s words. Every day I go over what I wrote in those books, reading his statements. There has never been a night when I go to sleep without reading some of those pearls from my blessed Sheikh. Never.
What kind of Mureed does not do this? How there be a Mureed if he doesn’t have a link with his Sheikh? Until death you should maintain the Rabtah, the connection, with the Sheikh. All other paths and connections have finished, and just one path remains – the connection to my Sheikh, alhamdulillah. I learned Qur’an from him, I learned Amal on the Qur’an from him, I learned Sunnah from him, I learned following the Sunnah from him, I learned Fiqh from him, I learned to read the Qur’an from him – I learned every aspect of Deen from the dust on Hadhrat Sahib’s shoes. I took his assistance and support, and I didn’t leave it. If you are not linked like this, SubhanAllah, what is the benefit of Halaqahs and gatherings and lengthy Dhikr gatherings? Only those succeed who work hard and are serious and who want to follow the path. This is all due to effort. You have to become Fana and give your all for your Sheikh.
So will give you the summary and will finish my talk with the Nasiha of Hadhrat Sahib, which is very beneficial. Through this Nasiha, Hadhrat Sahib said that Allah subhana wa ta'ala would be pleased and all my actions would become good! SubhanAllah – who is saying this? Qutb al-Aqtab, Sheikh ul-Mashaa’ikh, a person who had reached the highest stations was telling me this, SubhanAllah. He said ‘Allah will become pleased with you and you will attain His Ridha.’ Whatever he said is guaranteed for me – that Allah’s Ridha will be attained, and all deeds will be correct, SubhanAllah. Through this, you won’t become hungry in the Dunya and nor will you be devoid of Jannah in the Hereafter. You won’t go around making false claims, and asking and begging, you won’t be accessing false money, you won’t take interest, you won’t take people’s rights – you won’t need to do any of this. Allah will always fulfil your needs, both in this world and the Hereafter, if you keep to these three points that Hadhrat Sahib mentioned. So listen to this Nasiha that my Sheikh gave me and which I am now sharing with you. These are the very same words, the same teachings.
In the first Nasiha that Hadhrat Sahib gave, he said ‘Look, this life we have been given is a reward, so how should it be spent? Number one: Dhikr of Allah should be consistent and ongoing. So what should you do? Don’t leave Dhikr of Allah. Number two: Whatever action you do in life, do it according to the way of the Sunnah – be obedient to the Rasool sallallahu alayhi wasallam. And the third factor: Don’t go near to the pleasure of the Ghair. In other words, don’t go near the methodology and the ways of the Ghair – keep your distance. If you do these three actions, Allah will be pleased with you, and all your in needs in the Dunya and the Akhirah will be fulfilled.’
What a simple formula! Firstly, can we not do Dhikr? So take hold of Dhikrullah. Number two – do every action of your life according to the Sunnah methodology. Whether eating, drinking, standing, sitting or sleeping, in everything keep on learning and keep on implementing the Sunnah. The third factor of life – do not imitate the Ghair. Our homes should be different, our ways should be different - in all aspects of lifestyle, nothing should be close. Through these three factors, so much Barakah will come. Hadhrat Sahib said that Allah’s Ridha will be attained and that in this Dunya and in the Hereafter, all your needs will be fulfilled – in both Deen and Dunya.
So we make Dua to Allah ta’ala that Allah gives us the Tawfeeq to do this. These are such simple formulas for us in this day and age - may Allah ta’ala give us courage and determination to do Amal on this. Time is short and we are in an age of Fitnah, so take hold of this very simple formula: do Dhikrullah, pay attention to this morning and evening, and join in with Muraqabaat with courage and determination. Dhikr is such a great action, so try to attend when we sit for Dhikr in the morning. This is not a party or a personal group, don’t consider it to be a Piri-Mureedi cult or sect – no. This is Deen! This is one hundred percent, complete Deen; it is not some special, unique practice. Dhikrullah is for everyone! Come, sit in the gathering and recite what I recite, and do Muraqabah when I do Muraqabah. Learn Dhikr, for it is a fundamental part of Deen. In addition, practice Sunnat-e-Rasoolullah sallallahu alayhi wasallam – learn the Sunnahs, all of them. To learn the Sunnah is the greatest part of Deen, so beware of thinking that Sunnah is a minor and insignificant matter. May Allah give us the Tawfeeq to avoid this trap. Also, beware of deviations and doubts and thoughts such as ‘I am better than he is’. If such thoughts of superiority and pride come, it is better to stop that action. But when your Sheikh tells you to do Amal on something, then you have to do Amal on that deed – it is compulsory.
So that is it – that is the Deen summarised very simply. May Allah subhana wa ta'ala give us all the ability to follow this path. Ameen
Recite Durood Sharif
21st Jan, 2021
SubhanAllah heart touching like always
17th Jan, 2021
SubhanAllah heart touching like always
17th Jan, 2021
YAQEEN Payda Kar Aye Nadaan,YAQEEN Say Hath Aati hAI
Woh DARWEESHI Kay Jis Kay Samny Jhukti Hai FAGFOORI
(ALLAMA IQBAL)
16th Jan, 2021
Truly beautiful lesson for us all.
15th Jan, 2021
Mashallah hazrat sahib are unique in their own way
May Allah SWT grant them a long healthy life
Aameen
15th Jan, 2021
سبحان اللہ
15th Jan, 2021
Masha’Allah La howla Wala Quwwata ilaa bilaah, Bayaan was very interesting and helpful, Jazaak’Allah Khair for everything ?
