[TheReallyBest]

Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanawi (rahimahullah) mentioned above that many of the present day Mashaikh are lax with regards to what is permissible and impermissible. The sign of a true Shaykh is his abstinence over that which is Mubah, let alone his srupulousness with regards to the Shubuhaat (doubtful matters), and Haraam.

The Great Mujaddid and Mujahid, Shaykh Uthman Dan Fodio (rahimahullah) describes four levels of al-war'a (scrupulousness) with regards to Halaal and Haraam:

"As for what is permissible (halaal) and forbidden (haraam) - showing devout scrupulousness with regard to what is forbidden is apart of the deen. Devout scrupulousness (al-war`a) has four degrees:

[1] Devout scrupulousness which is a prerequisite for being a just person for testimony (`adaalati 's-shahaada). This is what takes a person from the afflictions connected to testimony (shahaada), the judiciary (qudaa) and the government (wilaaya) and it entails guarding oneself from all outward prohibited things.

[2] The devout scrupulousness of the righteous (war`a's-saaliheen) which is showing piety regarding the dubious actions (as-shubuhaat) which are subject to diverse possibilities.

[3] The devout scrupulousness of those fearfully aware (wa`ra'l-mutaqeen) which is avoiding thegenuine permissible things (al-halaal'l-mahdi) which may lead him to commit what is forbidden. And

[4] the devout scrupulousness of the champions of truth (war`a 's-siddiqeen) which is avoiding everything which is other than Allah sub'haanahu, out of fear that even a moment will be expended from his life time which can cause him to lose any increase in nearness to Allah `azza wa jalla - this is even when he knows and is absolutely certain that it will not end up being forbidden. These have their different grades."
How many of the present day claimants to sufism make it past the 2nd stage?

[oranowdenda]

Haji Imdadullah on Mawlana Rashid Ahmad Gangohi

http://deoband.org/2010/06/history/m...gohi-part-two/

...Adherence to the Sunnah is the yardstick for recognising a friend (wali) of Allah. One who adheres to the Sunnah is a wali of Allah, whilst the innovator acts in vain. Even Dajjal will display many unnatural feats. Allah says,

Say (O Prophet): “If you really love Allah, then follow me.” (Qur’an 3:31)

The one who is not a follower of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) and gives custom to innovative practices cannot be a friend of Allah.

The people of knowledge who love this needy servant, it is only so because of adherence to the Sunnah

[apannamma]

Shah Waliullah (rahmatullahi alayhi):

Then the murshid must be one who has remained in the company of the mutaqqi ulama, learned adab from them, and diligently studied halal and haram.

He trembles in fear when he hears the orders and prohibitions from the Quran and Sunnah, and transforms his sayings, actions, and his whole life in accordance with the Quran and Sunnah.

If a murshid is not a scholar it is expected of him to possess that much knowledge as is necessary to ensure he leads his life according to the Quran and Sunnah.

[DJElizardo]

Allama Ibn Qayyim, in Al Waabil Sayyib Minal Kalim Tayyib, states the conditions of being a shaikh. One of them is that if a person wants to take bayah at the hands of a shaikh, he should first see if the person is amongst the people of dhikr and is not amongst the people of ghafla (heedless of Allah). He should be strict on the Sunnah, not a follower of the self, and should be cautious in his matters.

Hakim al-umma Mawlana Thanawi (Allah have mercy on him) commenting on Shaykh Mian who abstained from doubtful matters.

“This indicates the degree of his respect and regard for the post of Imam. He abstained from even an ikhtilaaf (an act which some say is permissible and others say is impermissible). This was a real Sufi who cared so much for the Shariah.” Tarikh Mashaikh e Chisht, page 94

Hadhrat Baayazid Bustami (rahimahullah):

Do not be fooled if you observe a person bestowed with karamaat (ability to perform supernatural feats) even if he flies in the sky unless you see he is strict upon the
commandments, in avoiding the forbidden acts, and meticulous in staying within the boundaries of the Shari’ah. Shaikh-ul-Islam Ibn Taimiyah (rahimahullah) wrote extensively on the actions of the heart in his booklet, Al-Tuhfat-ul-Iraqiyah fil A’malil Qalbia:

The one who surpasses others in goodness, is one who struggles to his utmost to gain nearness to Allah. He is not content with fulfilling the wajibat and avoiding muharammaat only, he strives to perform all the sunnan and avoid all the mustahabat (doubtful matters) and the makruhaat (disliked acts).

[Gymnfacymoota]

The Mujaddid of the second millenium, Mujaddid Alf-e-Thani (rahmatullahi alayhi) extolled the virtues of his elders who would respect the bounds of the Shariah and refrain from doubtful matters:

Also, today's men of tasawwuf should come to reason and, realizing that Islam is so weak and concocted things have turned into faith and worships, they should not imitate those actions of their master Darwishes which are not suitable with the Sunnat. They should not adopt those things that are not in the din as faith and worships for themselves only because their masters did them.

Holding fast to the Sunnat will certainly rescue you and will make you attain blessings and happiness. Imitating the things other than the Sunnat will lead you to dangers and disasters. Our duty is to inform you of what is right. Everybody may do what he likes, and will get the deserts of what he has done.

May Allahu ta'ala greatly reward our superiors who educated us in order to protect us, the ignorant, against bidats. They did not lead us, who were following them, to dark dangers or an abyss. They did not show us any way other than the Sunnat. They guided us to no way but that of obeying the owner of the Shariat and avoiding even the doubtful acts as well as the harams.

For this reason, the blessings of these great people are considerable. The grades which they attained to are very high. They did not even turn to music and dancing, nor did they pay any attention to raptures and ecstasies. They deemed the hals, which others saw and found through the heart and considered great, as far from the purpose and other than what is desired; they expelled and refused the fancies which others fell for. Their deeds are not the kind which can be understood by seeing, finding or learning. They are above knowledge, fancy, tajallis, zuhurs, kashfs and views….

(SECOND VOLUME, 23rd LETTER)



Hadhrat Mujaddid (rahmatullahi alayhi) lamenting the state of the Ulama in his age (four centuries ago):


“As long as man does not abstain from such ‘bid’ah hasanah’ which is in reality ‘bid’ah sayyiah’ evil innovation, he will be deprived of fragrance of this wealth of Imaan. Today, the comprehension of the tenth has become most difficult because the entire world is drowning in the ocean of bid’ah. People are reclining and taking comfort in the darkness of bid’ah practices. Who today has the ability to eliminate bid’ah and revive Sunnah? The majority of the Ulama of this age are engaged in establishing bid’at and eliminating Sunnah….”

[Maktoob 54, Daftar 11, addressed to Sayyid Shah Muhammad]

[Poll Pitt]

Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah discussing the Path of Sufism in his commentary of the futooh

"The upright among the followers of the Path - like the majority of the early shaykhs (shuyukh al-salaf) such as Fudayl ibn `Iyad, Ibrahim ibn Adham, Ma`ruf al-Karkhi, al-Sari al-Saqai, al-Junayd ibn Muhammad and others of the early teachers, as well as Shaykh Abd al-Qadir [Gilani], Shaykh Hammad, Shaykh Abul Bayan and others of the later masters - do not permit the followers of the Path to depart from the divinely legislated command and prohibition, even were that person to have flown in the air or walked on water." Describing true sufism:

"The lawful is that by which one approaches near to Allah. It is the way of Allah. It is righteousness, obedience, good deeds, charity, and fairness. It is the way of those on the path (al- salikeen), and the method of those intending Allah and worshipping Him; it is that which is travelled by everyone who desires Allah and follows the way of self-denial (zuhd) and religious practice, and what is called poverty and Sufism and the like."

"As for the Sufis, they affirm the love (of Allah), and this is more evident among them than all other issues. The basis of their Way (tariqa) is simply will and love. The affirmation of the love of Allah is well-known in the speech of their early and recent masters, just as it is affirmed in the Book and the Sunna and in the agreement of the salaf." And:

"as-Sufi hua fil-haqiqa naw'un min as-siddiqeen. Fahua as-siddiq alladhee ikhtassa bil-zuhadiwal-'ibada."

which translates:

"And the Sufi is in reality a kind of Siddiq (Truthful One), that Siddiq who specialized in zuhd and worship."

He continues about the Sufis,

"some people criticised Sufiyya and Tasawwuf and they said they were innovators, out of the Sunnah, but the truth is they are striving in Allah's obedience[mujtahidin fi ta'at-illahi], as others of Allah's People strove in Allah's obedience. So from them you will find the Foremost in Nearness by virtue of his striving [as-saabiq ul-muqarrab bi hasab ijtihadihi]. And some of them are from the People of the Right hand [Ahl al-Yameen mentioned in Qur'an in Sura Waqi'ah], but slower in their progress. For both kinds, they might make ijtihad and in that case they might be correct and they might be wrong. And from both types, some of them might make a sin and repent. And this is the origin of Tasawwuf. And after that origin, it has been spread and (tasha'abat wa tanawa'at) has its main line and its branches. And it has become three kinds:

1. Sufiyyat il-Haqa'iq - the True Sufis
2. Sufiyyat il-Arzaaq - the Professional Sufis (those who use Sufism for personal gain)
3. Sufiyyat il-Rasm - the Caricature Sufis. (Sufi by appearance only)."

[NewYorkDoctorD]

Izz ibn Abd al-Salam, the Shafi'i scholar and mujtahid Imam, writes:
If one sees someone who can fly through the air, walk on water, or inform one of the unseen, but who contravenes the Sacred Law or Shariah by committing an unlawful act without an extenuating circumstance that legally excuses it, or who neglects an obligatory act without lawful reason, one may know that such a person is a devil Allah has placed there as a temptation to the ignorant. Nor is it far-fetched that such a person should be one of the means by which Allah chooses to lead men astray, for the Antichrist (al-Dajjal) will bring the dead to life and make the living die, all as a temptation and affliction to those who would be misled
Al-Junayd, ìthe master of all the sufis' (Shaykh al-ta'ifah) was once told, There is a group who claim they arrive to a state in which legal responsibility (such as salaat, siyam) no longer applies to them.' They have arrived,' he replied, but to hell'

[Cd9JfGHR]

Salam alaikum,

it is very interesting but how much shuyukhs are hafiz today? and there are a lot of Muslims who want to have daily litanies and to be in a tariqa following a sheikh and his teaching, who are spiritual persons. We are actually a lot who are weak and to perform these litanies are very helpful to keep the love of the religion in the heart. It is normal that all the turuqs should follow the sharia. The point is that most of the muridins are maybe starting or are trying to be good Muslims and this is taking time. We can not be holy or try to be it or at least good Muslims before starting, making mistakes, being weak.

Wa salam

[Knongargoapex]

our scholars have defined tasawuff perfectly. ALLAH bless them. In every field they were balanced and ALLAH took immense work from them.

[Verriasana]

In one of his letters addressed to Mir Muhammed No’man, Mujaddid Alf-e-Thani criticises the misguided mystics in these words:

"... and then, there is a multitude who seeks to assuage its troubled soul through melody and tune and considers whirling and dancing as consummation of spiritual experience. Have these people not heared that God has not endowed the things impermissible with the properties necessary to work a cure. Had they known even a bit of the accomplishments of prayers , they would not have gone after musical recitations or ecstatic sessions”.
( Maktubat, Vol.I.No.261 to Mir Muhammed No’man). Furthermore:

“ No practice of any mystic is authoritative enough to decide which is lawful or unlawful. Will it not be sufficient that instead of reproaching them we pass over their actions and leave them to the judgement of God ?. This is a matter in which the opinion of Imam Abu Hanifa, Imam Abu Yousuf or imam Muhammed should be considered authoritative rather than the practice of Abubakr Shibli or Abul Hasan Nuri. The half-baked mystics of our day have taken to dancing and whirling as an accepted religious rite and raised it to the level of divine service. These are persons who have taken their religion for sport and pastime “ .
( Q.VII : 51. ; Maktubat, Vol.I, No. 266 to Khwaja Abdullah and Khwaja Ubaidullah)

[escolubtessen]

The great know of Allah, Imam Ahmad al-Rifa’i (Allah be pleased with him) explained that,

“The spiritual path (tariq) is to say, ‘I believe in Allah, stand fast to the limits of Allah, exalt that which Allah exalts, and avoid that which Allah forbade.’ There is no spiritual path beyond this, for there is nothing beyond guidance except misguidance”

(Kitab Kashf al-Asrar li Tanwir al-Absar 73)

[ELURNSERB]

Renunciation (zuhd) is to content oneself with the necessary amount of that which is without doubt known to be lawful (halal). Higher than this is the renunciation of those brought close to Allah (muqarrabin), for it is renunciation of all other than Allah Most High, whether in this world, the Garden or anywhere else. One who has such renunciation has no goal but reaching Allah and being close to Him, and makes all his other goals subservient to these (Kashshaf Istilahat al-Funun 1:913)

[poulaMahmah]

Is there any English version of this book " Al-Haraka al-Sanusiyya " ?

Sorry I don't know.

[MoreEndotte]

"Alas! In the present age, customs and innovations are in great prevalence. Nowadays such innovative customs are being regarded as Tasawwuf.

Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said:

“Soon there will dawn an age over people when there will remain of Islam nothing but its name, and of the Qur’an there will remain nothing but its script.”

Shaving and trimming of the beard less than a fist-length and dragging the trousers below the ankles have become a “sign of the times.” Whereas none of the Ambiya or Auliya were clean-shaven nor would they drag their garments below their ankles. It is very unfortunate that people consider themselves treading the path of tasawwuf while they openly oppose the sunnah in their actions and appearance.

The pioneer of tasawwuf, Shaikh ut Tariqah and Imamut-Ta’ifah Junaid ibn Muhammad al-Baghdadi said: All the paths to Allah are blocked except the path of adherence to the sunnah of the Messenger sallallahu alaihi wa sallam."

[From the teachings of Hakim al-Ummat Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanawi ]
http://annoor.wordpress.com/2007/05/...ath-of-sulook/

[epPtsDno]

How can one make criteria for something's quality when even it does not have any proper definition to start with?Thw word Tasawuf, which is completely absent from Quran and Hadiths,is one of the most discussed issues of this Umaa'h now.What an irony.May Allah save the umaah ameen

[ananciguinter]

How can one make criteria for something's quality when even it does not have any proper definition to start with?Thw word Tasawuf, which is completely absent from Quran and Hadiths,is one of the most discussed issues of this Umaa'h now.What an irony.May Allah save the umaah ameen

call it TAQWA", EHSAN, IKHLAS orTazkia e nafs if you don,t agree with term tassawuf.
Yes Brother dr, i agree more discussion on tassawuf ,but no amal. very unfortunate !
Sufi dar Qabr and Tassawuf dar kitab"
The real sufi,s are in their graves,and Tasswuf is limited only to books and academic discussions.

[anconueys]

The word salafi is absent from the Quran and Hadith as well as Ahle hadith (some idiots have written this on masjids)

[sbrthrds]

The word salafi is absent from the Quran and Hadith as well as Ahle hadith (some idiots have written this on masjids)

Two wrongs never make a right.Its the golden rule that whenever a person deprived of reason to prove his stance brings another wrong stance to prove his own wrong stance,in the world of logic,he automatically accepts that atleast his stance is wrong.

[konanoileaski]

Two wrongs never make a right.Its the golden rule that whenever a person deprived of reason to prove his stance brings another wrong stance to prove his own wrong stance,in the world of logic,he automatically accepts that atleast his stance is wrong.

no it could be that the person thinks he is right, but encounters a jaahil who he can never convince bcoz he either is too big a jaahil or the person does not have enough knowledge to convince the other person, so the person tries to save himself from intellectual dishonesty unlike the jaahil that he encounters and points out something in the jaahil's system which he should also ponder upon before raising objections on others hoping against hope that the jaahil would shut up...

[n2Oddw8P]

Sidi Ahmad Zarruq al-Barnusi al-Fasi (Allah have mercy on him) [1442 – 1493 CE] said,

I have also seen that the seekers of this age are afflicted with five things:

1.The preference of ignorance over knowledge

2. Being deluded by every spiritual impostor

3. The inability to prioritize important matters

4. Using the spiritual path as a means to inflate the selfish soul

5. Attempting to expedite a spiritual opening without fulfilling its prerequisite conditions.

This has resulted in five other afflictions:

1. Preferring innovations as opposed to the tried and true prophetic practice (Sunna)

2. Following the people of claims and conceit as opposed to the truth

3. Acting on capricious desires in all of their affairs, even the most celestial

4. Preferring fantasies to realities

5. The manifestation of claims without sincerity.

Foundations of the Spiritual Path Translated by Shaykh Hamza Yusuf Hanson