Solutions to Your Spiritual Diseases

We are very pleased to announce that by the taufeeq of Allah Ta`ala, through this An-Noor blog, Allah Ta`ala has helped us start up this Q&A section which allows people who are connected to this Silsilah, who would like to get connected, and/or those who would like to take on the path of sulook to Allah Ta`ala, to express their spiritual ailments and get remedy and advice from mujaazeen—scholars who have been given Khilaafah and Ijaazah (license and permission) in the path of spirituality by Hazrat Maulana Shah Hakeem Muhammad Akhtar Sahib (DB), who was the special attendant of Maulana Shah Muhammad Ahmad Sahib Pratabgadhi Naqshbandi (RA), and Shah Abdul Ghani Phulpuri (RA) and the khalifah of Maulana Shah Abrar-ul-Haq (RA), the latter two were Khalifahs of Hazrat Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi (RA). Hazrat Thanwi (RA) was a khalifah of Hazrat Haji Imdadullah Muhajir Makki (RA), who had Ijaazat and Khilaafat in all four silsilahs/tareeqahs.

Alhamdulillah, this legacy of Hakim ul Ummah Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi (RA) is still being carried on through the blessings and efforts of our Shaikh, Hazrat Maulana Shah Hakeem Muhammad Akhtar Sahib (daamat barakaatuhum).

Many a time, people who decide to tread the path of sulook and tasawwuf by connecting themselves to a shaikh have the notion that they will magically reach the status of wilayah (friendship and closeness to Allah) merely through their connection and link with their shaikh. This is an absolutely erroneous and misleading notion because the duty of the shaikh is simply to show and be a guide to the path, not to carry the mureed on his back. The mureed must traverse the path to Allah Ta`ala himself and get guidance from the shaikh along the way.

Our beloved Shaikh, Hazrat Maulana Shah Hakeem Muhammad Akhtar Sahib (daamat barakaatuhum) has said that there are two main foundations of this path of tasawwuf (derived from the Qur`an):

1.) Suhbat: Adopting the company of the pious:

واصبر نفسك مع الذين يدعون ربهم بالغدوة والعشيِّ يريدون وجهه…

“…And withhold yourself (in the company) of those who remember their Lord, morning and evening desiring His Sublime Being…” (Surah Kahf: 28 )

2.) Mujaahadah: Struggling to Fight the Nafs:

والذين جاهدوا فينا لنهدينهم سبلنا…

“And (as for) those who strive hard (struggle) for Us, We will most certainly guide them to our paths….” (Surah Ankabut: 69)

Thus, the essence of tasawwuf is to struggle to acquire islaah-e-nafs (rectification of the character) through the company of a qualified shaikh.

Rectification of one’s character consists of beautifying oneself with akhlaq-e-Muhammadiyya (the prophetic characteristics and morals), and ridding oneself of akhlaq-e-radhilah (evil, satanic traits).

Thus, if a person wants to acquire the essence and objective of tasawwuf he must endeavor to rectify his character more than anything else. The method for this is to have an islaahi ta`alluq (a reformative connection) with one’s shaikh.

Someone wrote to Hazrat Hakimul Ummah saying, “I do not know the way to rectify myself and acquire “islaah-e-nafs”. I am totally ignorant of this matter. Please, for the sake of Allah, advise me in this matter.”

Hazrat Thanwi’s reply: “The method is that you should write to me your spiritual ailments one by one and ask me for their remedies. I will prescribe the appropriate remedy and after practically implementing that remedy you must inform me of your condition.”

(Tarbiyat us Salik; Vol.2 Pg. 20)

The islaahi-letters are letters which a mureed writes to his shaikh to inform the shaikh of his spiritual state and, in turn, get remedy and advice from the shaikh to rectify his condition.

There are four conditions which Hazrat Hakim ul Ummat Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi (RA) mentioned that one needs in order to benefit from having a Shaikh, otherwise making an islahi connection is just another custom for the sake of name or show.

And you will hear people proudly boasting, “I’m bay’ah to such and such Shaikh…” or “I have an islahi ta`alluq with so and so..” but when you see their akhlaaq and a’maal and life, there is no special difference in their life in comparison to someone else’s life who is not linked to a Shaikh…The reason for this is that there is no islaahi activity taking place, whether it be suhbat or islaahi letters or mashwara of one’s condition via letters, email, or on the phone, etc.

Those 4 conditions are:

(1) (اطلاع) TO INFORM THE SHAIKH OF YOUR SPIRITUAL CONDITION. This is mainly done through the islaahi letters, etc.

(2) (اتباع) TO FOLLOW THE SHAIKH’S ADVICE.

(3) (اعتماد) TO RELY UPON THE ADVICE AND COUNSEL OF THE SHAIKH.

(4) (انقياد) TO FIRMLY ADHERE AND IMPLEMENT WHATEVER THE SHAIKH ADVISES ONE TO DO FOR ONE’S REFORMATION.

All these points are directly connected with suhbat of the Shaikh and/or the islaahi-letters.

Some people make the excuse of not writing to the Shaikh saying they have a difficult time “expressing” themselves in writing. The solution to this is easy, and that is: you don’t need to “express” yourself and write your entire autobiography; all you need to do is write your spiritual condition, i.e. what is wrong with you and what wrong you are involved in, similar to the manner in which you tell a doctor how you are feeling, or what is bothering you.

Here is an example:

HAAL (spiritual condition):

Respected Shaikh, Assalaamu alaikum…