Topic
Shariah & the Path
27 entries
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Does silent dhikr count, and is it better than loud dhikr?
Silent dhikr, which even the angel scribes cannot hear, is narrated to be seventy times superior to vocal dhikr on the Day of Resurrection, when Allah will reward it as a good deed of which even the scribes are unaware. Verbal utterance is, however, unanimously considered necessary in certain injunctions, such as the recitation of the Qur'an, in Salah, and in contracts such as marriage or divorce. Depending on the tariqa, the shaykh may teach verbal remembrance or silent remembrance with the heart.
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Where does the Qur’an command dhikr, and why is it necessary?
The Qur'an underlines the importance of invocation in several verses, and the verse of Surah al-Jumu'ah telling the believers to remember Allah often, so that they may be successful, is a command and not a request. The world with all its attractions can easily distract the believer, and its possessions would be of no value on the Day of Judgement; Surah al-Munafiqun addresses the believers with a command not to let their wealth and children divert them from the remembrance of Allah.
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What are the revealed books in Islam, and what does believing in them mean?
It is incumbent to believe in every word Allah revealed to His Prophets and Messengers, and it is our duty to believe in all the Scriptures in general, among them the Torah, revealed to Musa (Moses), the Zaboor, revealed to Dawood (David), the Injeel or New Testament, revealed to Eesa (Jesus), and the Qur'an. Muslims believe that every later Book abrogates the set of laws of the former one, partially or entirely; and since the Qur'an is the last Message Allah sent to mankind, He has promised to preserve it.
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Who was Mujaddid Alf Thani, and what did his letters achieve?
Mujaddid Alf Thani, Ahmad al-Faruqi al-Sirhindi, was a great scholar known as Mujaddid, or reviver. In a time of great trial, the letters he wrote in Persian to his disciples became a movement and brought change from within the society, and they are considered the alchemy of Tasawwuf. He repeatedly emphasised that the only way to achieve the Divine love is through the Qur'an and Sunnah.
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Are there haram states of the heart, as there are haram acts?
The Shariah, which in many Qur'anic verses and Hadith commands states of the heart such as fear of Allah and sincerity toward Him, likewise forbids inward states such as envy, malice, pride, arrogance, love of this world and anger for the sake of one's ego. The causes and remedies for the forbidden states are discussed by scholars such as Imam al-Ghazali, Imam al-Rabbani and al-Suhrawardi, in books of Islamic jurisprudence, which deal with the inner state of a Muslim according to the Prophetic Sunnah.
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How does a woman seeker stay connected to her shaykh?
Female seekers can write to their shaykh and seek guidance, and technology has made it easier to communicate with him. Where women cannot attend the shaykh's gatherings because there is no separate arrangement, they can still get the same benefit as men by listening to their shaykh in their own homes, and those who sincerely listen to his words and keep him informed of their states are not deprived.
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What does the life of a true shaykh look like?
In over thirty years as a disciple of Mowlana Shamsur Rehman and in his company, I never witnessed anything in him except adherence to the Sunnah. He stays in the state of ablution at all times, renewed his ablution in Madinah to have the view of the Masjid al-Nabwi, had never missed his tahajjud even as a child, and performed his isha prayers on the evening of major heart surgery as soon as he regained some consciousness. What each one of those before him in the chain possessed and passed on to the next is love and absolute surrender to the Lord.
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Does being a great shaykh’s disciple save a person?
Some so-called pirs proclaim that they are disciples of the great masters and deem themselves above the Shariah, yet no one is above the law: the Prophet told his daughter Fatimah to save herself from the Hellfire, because he did not have the power to save her from Allah. When Kirkirah, who was in charge of the Prophet's baggage, died, the Prophet said that he had gone to the Fire, and the Companions found among his possessions a cloak he had misappropriated from the spoils of war.
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Can women take the path of Tasawwuf?
The question is often posed whether women can join the tariqa, and the answer is simple: bay'ah, the pledge, is proven from the Qur'an, and women have every right to take the path of Tasawwuf and reach the level of ihsan. Rabia Basri and the mother of Shaykh Abdul Qadir Gilani are among the many great women who reached the level of excellence, and even nowadays there have been women who have taken the path of Tasawwuf and reached the stations of Walaya.
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What is raabta with a shaykh?
Raabta, communication with the shaykh, covers a seeker's attending his shaykh's meetings and informing him of the changes in himself, good or bad. Travelling with the shaykh or keeping a retreat in the mosque with him gives the disciple an opportunity to observe his routines, and attending the meetings or travelling with him gives the shaykh an opportunity to observe the disciple and help him overcome his shortcomings. A seeker must not discuss his spiritual matters with anyone except his own shaykh, and must be concise in reporting them.