We are now in the final Asharah of Ramadan. Ramadan is immersed in immense mercy and forgiveness.
The summary of Ramadan is kept in the last 10 days. Whoever achieves these final days, achieves the entire Ramadan. These days are the key for the entire Ramadan.
The condensation of these last 10 days is in I'tikaaf.
All the light and benefit of Ramadan is attained in I'tikaaf so how much spirituality and reward there must be in it!
A person who attains itikaf attains the entire Ramadan.
How important is itikaf in this month?
Nabi ﷺ never abandoned itikaf and the beauty of itikaf is in seclusion.
Before revelation came to Nabi ﷺ, he would leave the city of makkah and go to jabl nur (the mountain) and he would go into seclusion.
Nabi ﷺ preferred isolation and he would go and stay in the cave on the mountain. Thereafter, he would descend from the mountain and go back to Makkah. This was his habit before prophethood was given to him.
There was no salah or Quran then but all Nabi ﷺ would do was, focusing on Allah ta'ala and his heart. That is the connection we call today "Muraqabah". This is the real muraqabah and where it came from.
In the Naqshbandi order, Muraqabah is very essential. All the spiritual levels in this silsila are attained through Muraqabah and all the lessons are based on muraqabah. Muraqabah is what makes a person ascend.
It is a state of seclusion and you cannot become a Muttaqi without making a habit of seclusion.
As soon as Nabi ﷺ was given prophethood, he took the name of Allah and the whole universe was unlocked. The colour of the universe changed with the name of Allah. The doors of the heaven opened and all it's light began to descend onto the earth and the Quran was revealed upon the blessed chest of Nabi ﷺ.
So Ramadan has made us practice everything which links to taqwa.
This is when a believer likes to detach himself from glamour and glow and he prefers seclusion.
Allah has given us itikaf and when one adopts the method of taqwa and prefers being in isolation, he will attain that goal. One cannot become a Muttaqi without practically implementing seclusion whilst being connected to one's lord.
Our deen isn't a deen of seclusion, our deen is a social deen. We are required to live amongst others. Our deen teaches us how to live in society. It teaches us mannerism and to fulfil each persons rights.
So one side we are given the lesson of being alone, connecting with our lord.
And on the other hand, deen also requires us to fulfil social rights of wife children etc.
So how can we acquire taqwa whilst adhering to both?
In itikaf, we aren't being taught to detach ourselves from the world and go to the mountain. Nabi ﷺ did embark on this but when he was given the deen, he came back to the creation and spread the deen. He introduced the kalimah; laa ilaha illallah.
So itikaf doesn't mean we sit and worship permanently. The lesson we've been given is that in seclusion we should hold dear being alone and this is the way to progress through muraqabah.
We havent been taught to physically go into hiding, rather the heart should be in hiding(seclusion).
I remember a couplet: "There could be thousands of attractions around us but I stay in seclusion because I have made a relationship with my creator and my heart."
You could be in a shop or present amongst your wife and children, but your heart should always be attached to Allah.
عَنْ عَائِشَةَ رضي الله عنها، قَالَتْ: "كَانَ النَّبِيُّ - صلى الله عليه وسلم - يَذْكُرُ الله عَلَى كُلِّ أَحْيَانِهِ". (رواه مسلم،)
'Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) reported:
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to remember Allah at all times.
[Muslim].
Itikaf teaches us that the heart should be secluded. You should teach your heart (not your body) to be detached from the world. You can go into society but your heart shouldn't be negligent from the remembrance of Allah.
If you focus your heart upon Allah then the dunya, your business, wealth, your wife and children won't give you loss. There should be nothing in your heart besides Allah. This is the summary of itikaf and the entire Ramadan. Hence the condensation of the final days of Ramadan comes in itikaf.
Seclusion is the seclusion of the heart where one detaches his heart from what is around it. That's why we are taught to always remember Allah.
If you want to eliminate the hard heart and sins, then go into seclusion, submit to Allah and your heart will become absorbing of Allah's light. This is the lesson of itikaf.
Itikaf doenst mean focusing on your phone and having conversations. One should also avoid looking at religious things on the phone too. There should be nothing to distract you otherwise you wont recieve the objective of itikaf.
Allah enables one to do muraqabah so imagine the reward Allah has kept for the one who does it in itikaf.
Itikaf is done in the last 10 days of Ramadan but outside Ramadan, the compensation for itikaf is muraqabah. When you desire to do itikaf outside Ramadan, do muraqabah and connect with your Lord and you'll attain all that one recieves in itikaf.
In itikaf there's no specific worship. you can do tasbihat, Quran and any good deed but nothing worldly. The best way to utilise the time in itikaf, is to close the eyes and do muraqabah and connect with your lord. This is for men and women, both.
In itikaf, Allah gives immediate rewards in the form of laylatul QADR. Every mutakif who sits in these odd nights is granted rewards and a nearness descends on them.
Acquiring laylatul QADR means one's heart becomes enlightened and he receives the blessings and mercy from Allah. Moreover, The heart has total capacity and ability to absorb and recieve that blessing from Allah. Seclusion is a great worship and Ramadan has made us practice it.
After ramadan we must continue with these actions otherwise the taqwa will end. We should approach only a kaamil wali Allah and learn muraqabah because one cannot learn it on his own.
Only those shuyookh can teach muraqabah who have learnt muraqabah themselves from a kaamil wali and have done muraqabah in their company.
There's a massive difference in doing muraqabah yourself and in the company of your Shaykh.
Itikaf teaches us that the life of a Muttaqi is that he lives amongst society, fulfils people's rights, gets married, runs his business and earns with his hands.
Our hand should be occupied in the world and our heart should be attached to Allah.
Allah has made this last Asharah so valuable that in these days a person should learn to have his heart connected to Allah.
My Hadhrat sahib would bow his head down and focus and remember His lord. They had this energy without eating and drinking all day as they would look at the magnificence and splendour of Allah!
So, whoever experiences the magnificence and brilliance of Allah that person himself is an example of light and guidance.
Just like we adopt seclusion in Ramadan, we should adopt seclusion of the heart outside Ramadan.
May Allah swt keep our hearts attached to Him always, Ameen!
17th May, 2020
Mashallah
17th May, 2020
Alhamdolillah, Hazrat Sahib brought to life some beautiful points within this talk. May Allah Swt allow students & non students alike benefit from Hazrat Sahib. آمين.
17th May, 2020
MashaAllah
17th May, 2020
اللہ کا نام نامی لے دل کی زباں سے
پھر دیکھ اللہ کا نور اللہ کے نام کا
روشن کرے دلوں کو منور کرے جہاں کو
The summary of Ramadan is kept in the last 10 days. Whoever achieves these final days, achieves the entire Ramadan. These days are the key for the entire Ramadan.
The condensation of these last 10 days is in I'tikaaf.
All the light and benefit of Ramadan is attained in I'tikaaf so how much spirituality and reward there must be in it!
A person who attains itikaf attains the entire Ramadan.
How important is itikaf in this month?
Nabi ﷺ never abandoned itikaf and the beauty of itikaf is in seclusion.
Before revelation came to Nabi ﷺ, he would leave the city of makkah and go to jabl nur (the mountain) and he would go into seclusion.
Nabi ﷺ preferred isolation and he would go and stay in the cave on the mountain. Thereafter, he would descend from the mountain and go back to Makkah. This was his habit before prophethood was given to him.
There was no salah or Quran then but all Nabi ﷺ would do was, focusing on Allah ta'ala and his heart. That is the connection we call today "Muraqabah". This is the real muraqabah and where it came from.
In the Naqshbandi order, Muraqabah is very essential. All the spiritual levels in this silsila are attained through Muraqabah and all the lessons are based on muraqabah. Muraqabah is what makes a person ascend.
It is a state of seclusion and you cannot become a Muttaqi without making a habit of seclusion.
As soon as Nabi ﷺ was given prophethood, he took the name of Allah and the whole universe was unlocked. The colour of the universe changed with the name of Allah. The doors of the heaven opened and all it's light began to descend onto the earth and the Quran was revealed upon the blessed chest of Nabi ﷺ.
So Ramadan has made us practice everything which links to taqwa.
This is when a believer likes to detach himself from glamour and glow and he prefers seclusion.
Allah has given us itikaf and when one adopts the method of taqwa and prefers being in isolation, he will attain that goal. One cannot become a Muttaqi without practically implementing seclusion whilst being connected to one's lord.
Our deen isn't a deen of seclusion, our deen is a social deen. We are required to live amongst others. Our deen teaches us how to live in society. It teaches us mannerism and to fulfil each persons rights.
So one side we are given the lesson of being alone, connecting with our lord.
And on the other hand, deen also requires us to fulfil social rights of wife children etc.
So how can we acquire taqwa whilst adhering to both?
In itikaf, we aren't being taught to detach ourselves from the world and go to the mountain. Nabi ﷺ did embark on this but when he was given the deen, he came back to the creation and spread the deen. He introduced the kalimah; laa ilaha illallah.
So itikaf doesn't mean we sit and worship permanently. The lesson we've been given is that in seclusion we should hold dear being alone and this is the way to progress through muraqabah.
We havent been taught to physically go into hiding, rather the heart should be in hiding(seclusion).
I remember a couplet: "There could be thousands of attractions around us but I stay in seclusion because I have made a relationship with my creator and my heart."
You could be in a shop or present amongst your wife and children, but your heart should always be attached to Allah.
عَنْ عَائِشَةَ رضي الله عنها، قَالَتْ: "كَانَ النَّبِيُّ - صلى الله عليه وسلم - يَذْكُرُ الله عَلَى كُلِّ أَحْيَانِهِ". (رواه مسلم،)
'Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) reported:
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to remember Allah at all times.
[Muslim].
Itikaf teaches us that the heart should be secluded. You should teach your heart (not your body) to be detached from the world. You can go into society but your heart shouldn't be negligent from the remembrance of Allah.
If you focus your heart upon Allah then the dunya, your business, wealth, your wife and children won't give you loss. There should be nothing in your heart besides Allah. This is the summary of itikaf and the entire Ramadan. Hence the condensation of the final days of Ramadan comes in itikaf.
Seclusion is the seclusion of the heart where one detaches his heart from what is around it. That's why we are taught to always remember Allah.
If you want to eliminate the hard heart and sins, then go into seclusion, submit to Allah and your heart will become absorbing of Allah's light. This is the lesson of itikaf.
Itikaf doenst mean focusing on your phone and having conversations. One should also avoid looking at religious things on the phone too. There should be nothing to distract you otherwise you wont recieve the objective of itikaf.
Allah enables one to do muraqabah so imagine the reward Allah has kept for the one who does it in itikaf.
Itikaf is done in the last 10 days of Ramadan but outside Ramadan, the compensation for itikaf is muraqabah. When you desire to do itikaf outside Ramadan, do muraqabah and connect with your Lord and you'll attain all that one recieves in itikaf.
In itikaf there's no specific worship. you can do tasbihat, Quran and any good deed but nothing worldly. The best way to utilise the time in itikaf, is to close the eyes and do muraqabah and connect with your lord. This is for men and women, both.
In itikaf, Allah gives immediate rewards in the form of laylatul QADR. Every mutakif who sits in these odd nights is granted rewards and a nearness descends on them.
Acquiring laylatul QADR means one's heart becomes enlightened and he receives the blessings and mercy from Allah. Moreover, The heart has total capacity and ability to absorb and recieve that blessing from Allah. Seclusion is a great worship and Ramadan has made us practice it.
After ramadan we must continue with these actions otherwise the taqwa will end. We should approach only a kaamil wali Allah and learn muraqabah because one cannot learn it on his own.
Only those shuyookh can teach muraqabah who have learnt muraqabah themselves from a kaamil wali and have done muraqabah in their company.
There's a massive difference in doing muraqabah yourself and in the company of your Shaykh.
Itikaf teaches us that the life of a Muttaqi is that he lives amongst society, fulfils people's rights, gets married, runs his business and earns with his hands.
Our hand should be occupied in the world and our heart should be attached to Allah.
Allah has made this last Asharah so valuable that in these days a person should learn to have his heart connected to Allah.
My Hadhrat sahib would bow his head down and focus and remember His lord. They had this energy without eating and drinking all day as they would look at the magnificence and splendour of Allah!
So, whoever experiences the magnificence and brilliance of Allah that person himself is an example of light and guidance.
Just like we adopt seclusion in Ramadan, we should adopt seclusion of the heart outside Ramadan.
May Allah swt keep our hearts attached to Him always, Ameen!