Merits of Sha’baan and Nisful Sha.baan

 

 

Merits of Sha’baan and Nisful Sha’baan Shaabi Baraa’at
From Ghunyat lit-Taalibi Of Sayyidinaa El Sheikh Muhyuddin Abdul Qadir El Jilani

{Quddusus Sirruhoo}

 

The Sixth Discourse

On the special merit of the month of Sha’baan, and the divine forgiveness [maghfirah] and good pleasure [ridwaan] sent down on the middle night of that month.

 

Sayyida A’isha, the wife of the Prophet (Sall Allahu ‘alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallim wa Rahdiyallahu anhaa), is reported as having said:

Allaah’s Messenger (Sall Allahu ‘alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallim) used to fast until we would say he was never going to stop fasting, and he would go so long without fasting that we would say he was never going to fast, but I never saw Allaah’s Messenger (Sall Allahu ‘alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallim) continue a fast from the beginning to the end of any month except the month of Ramadaan, [apart from which] I never saw him do more fasting in any month than he did in Sha’baan.

Sayyida ‘Aisha (Radhi Allahu anhaa) is also reported as having said:

Allaah’s Messenger (Sall Allahu ‘alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallim) used to fast until we would say he was never going to stop fasting, and go so long without fasting that we would say he was never going to fast. The fasting he liked best was that he did in Sha’baan, so I said to him: “O Messenger of Allaah, how is it I always see you fasting in Sha’baan?” and he said (Sall Allahu ‘alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallim):
“O ‘A’isha, it is the month in which the Angel of Death has to note down the name of anyone whose soul he must take before the year is out, so I would rather he did not record my name except while I am fasting.”

Sayyidinaa Umm Salama (Radhi Allahu anhaa) is reported as having said:

In no other month, apart from Ramadaan, did Allaah’s Messenger (Sall Allahu ‘alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallim) fast more often than in Sha’baan. And that was because, each Sha’baan, all who must die in the course of that year have their names transcribed from the list of the living onto that of the dead, and a man may embark on a journey even while his name is listed among those about to die.

Sayyidinaa Anas [ibn Maalik] (Radhi Allahu anhu) once said:

When asked about the most meritorious fasting, the Prophet (Sall Allahu ‘alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallim) said: “Fasting in Sha’baan in honor of Ramadaan.”

Sayyidinaa ‘Ubaidu’llaah ibn Qais once heard ‘A’isha (Radhi Allahu anhaa) say:

“The dearest of months to Allaah’s Messenger (Sall Allahu ‘alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallim) was Sha’baan, which he would link to Ramadaan.”

According to Sayyidinaa ‘Abdullaah (Radhi Allahu anhu), Allaah’s Messenger (Sall Allahu ‘alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallim) once said:

Anyone who fasts on the last Monday of Sha’baan will be granted forgiveness. -meaning the last Monday that falls within it, not as the very last day of the month, for it is forbidden to anticipate the month [of Ramadaan] by one or two days.

Anas ibn Maalik (Radhi Allahu anhu) is the authority for the report that Allaah’s Messenger (Sall Allahu ‘alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallim) once said:

“It is called Sha’baan simply because it is juxtaposed [yansha'ibu] to Ramadaan, containing many blessings, while Ramadaan is so called because it scorches [yurmidu] sins.”

Allaah (Exalted is He) has said:

Your Lord creates and chooses what He wills. wa Rabbuka yakhluqu maa yashaa’u wa yakhtaar. (Holy Qur’an, 28:6

Thus Allaah (Exalted is He) has selected four out of each kind of thing, then He has chosen one of the four:

From among the Angels, He selected Gabriel [Jibriil], Michael [Miikaa'iil], Israafiil and Azraa’iil, then He chose Gabriel from these four.

 

From all the Ambiyaa (Salawaat Allahu alayhim ajma’een), the four He selected were Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad (Allaah bless them all, and give them peace), then of these He chose Muhammad (Sall Allahu ‘alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallim).

 

The four He selected from among the Companions (Radhi Allahu anhum) were Abuu Bakr, ‘Umar, ‘Uthmaan and ‘Alii, and His preferred choice was Abuu Bakr (Radhi Allahu anhu).

 

The four mosques: The Sanctuary Mosque [by the Ka'ba in Mecca], al-Aqsaa Mosque [in Jerusalem], the Mosque of Medina the Ennobled City, and the Mosque of Mount Sinai. Of these He chose the Sanctuary Mosque [al-Masjid al-Haraam].

 

The four days: The Day of Breaking Fast [Yawm al-Fitr], the Day of Sacrifice [Yawm al-Adhaa], the Day of ‘Arafa, and the Day of ‘Ashuuraa.’ Of these He then chose the Day of ‘Arafa.

 

The four nights: The Night of Absolution [Lailat al-Baraa'a], the Night of Power [Lailat al-Qadr], the Night of Friday Congregation [Lailat al-Jum'a], and the Night of the Festival [Lailat al-'Id]. Of these He chose the Night of Power.

 

The four sites: Mecca, Medina, Jerusalem, and the Mosques of the Tribes [Masaajid al-'Ashaa'ir]. Of these He chose Mecca.

 

The four mountains: Uhud, Sinai, Likaam, and Lebanon [Lubnaan]. Of these He chose Mount Sinai.

 

The four rivers: Jaihuun, Saihuun, the Euphrates [al-Furaat] and the Nile [an-Niil]. Of these He chose the Euphrates.

 

The four months: Rajab, Sha’baan, Ramadaan, and al-Muharram. Of these He chose the month of Sha’baan, and made it the Prophet’s own month (Sall Allahu ‘alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallim). So, just as the Nabi (Sall Allahu ‘alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallim) is the most excellent of Ambiya, his month is the most excellent of months.

 

According to Abuu Huraira (Radhi Allahu anhu), the Prophet (Sall Allahu ‘alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallim) once said:

“Sha’baan is my month, Rajab is Allaah’s month, and Ramadaan is the month of my Community. Sha’baan is the expiator, while Ramadaan is the purifier.”

He also said (Sall Allahu ‘alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallim):

Sha’baan is a month between Rajab and Ramadaan. People tend to neglect it, but that is when the deeds of His servants ascend to the Lord of All the Worlds, so I would rather mine rose up while I was fasting.

According to Anas ibn Maalik (Radhi Allahu anhu), the Prophet (Sall Allahu ‘alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallim) once said:

“The excellence of Rajab over other months is like the excellence of the Qur’aan over all other speech, while the excellence of Sha’baan over other months is like my excellence over the rest of the Prophets, and the excellence of Ramadaan over other months is like the excellence of Allaah (Exalted is He) over all His creatures.”

Anas ibn Maalik (Radhi Allahu anhu) is also reported as having said:

“When the Companions of the Prophet (Sall Allahu ‘alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallim) beheld the new moon of Sha’baan, they would immerse themselves in reading their copies of the Qur’aan. The Muslims would pay the alms-due [zakaat] assessed on their wealth, thereby providing the means for the weak and the poor to fortify themselves in preparation for the fasting of the month of Ramadaan. The governors would summon the prison inmates, to carry out the sentence on those convicted of major offences under Islamic law, and to set the rest free. Businessmen would set about paying their debts and collecting their dues. Then, when they beheld the new moon of Ramadaan, they would bathe themselves and devote themselves to worship.”

On the meanings of the five Arabic letters of the word Sha’baan.

 

The word Sha’baan [in the Arabic script] is spelled with five letters:
shiin, ‘ain, baa’, alif and nuun. The shiin stands for sharaf [nobility], the ‘ain for ‘uluww [sublimity], the baa’ for birr [piety], the alif for ulfa [harmonious intimacy], and the nuun for nuur [radiant light].

 

These are the gifts from Allaah (Exalted is He) to His servant in this month. It is a month in which treasures are laid open, in which blessings are sent down, in which faults are forsworn, in which sins are expiated, and in which benedictions are multiplied upon Muhammad (Sall Allahu ‘alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallim), the best of human creatures.

This is the month of blessings upon the Chosen Prophet. Allaah (Exalted is He) has said,

Inna ‘llaaha wa malaa’ikata-hu yusalluuna ‘ala ‘n-Nabiyy: yaa ayyuha ‘lladhiina aamanuu salluu ‘alai-hi wa sallimuu tasliimaa. (Allaah and His angels shower blessings on the Prophet. O you who believe invoke blessings upon him and salute him with a worthy salutation.) (Holy Qur’aan 33:56)

The blessing from Allaah is mercy; from the angels, intercession and petition for forgiveness; and from the believers, supplication and appreciation.

According to Mujaahid (Radhi Allahu anhu):

“The blessing from Allaah is prosperity and virtue; from the angels, help and support; and from the believers, compliance and respect.”

It was Ibn ‘Ataa’ who said:

“The blessing on the Prophet (Sall Allahu ‘alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallim) from Allaah (Exalted is He) is conjunction, from the angels it is tender care, and from the believers it is following with affection.”

As someone else put it:

“The blessing of the Lord (Blessed and Exalted is He) upon His Prophet (Sall Allahu ‘alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallim) is the enhancement of respect. The blessing of the angels upon him (Sall Allahu ‘alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallim) is the display of gracious favor. The blessing of his Community upon him (Sall Allahu ‘alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallim) is the request for intercession.”

As he himself (The Holy Last Messenger, Sall Allahu ‘alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallim) has told us:

When someone pronounces a single blessing on me, Allaah blesses him ten times.

Far from being negligent during this month, therefore, every conscientious believer is obliged to exert himself in preparation for the coming month of Ramadaan, using the days that remain to get clear of sins and repent those committed in the past. One should beseech Allaah (Exalted is He) in the month of Sha’baan. One should appeal to Allaah (Exalted is He) through the owner of the month, Muhammad (Sall Allahu ‘alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallim), until the corruption of one’s heart is corrected, and the sickness of one’s inner being is cured.

 

This must be done without delay and not put off until tomorrow, for the days are three: yesterday, which is a date in history [ajal]; today, which is a time for action ['amal]; and tomorrow, which is a hopeful expectation [amal], for whether you will get there or not is beyond your ken. Thus yesterday is a caution, today is an opportunity, and tomorrow is a risk.

 

The months are likewise three: Rajab, now past and gone beyond return; Ramadaan, awaiting in a future you may not live to see; and in between we have Sha’baan, so let us seize this opportunity for worshipful devotion.

The Prophet (Sall Allahu ‘alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallim) once said to a man (some say it was ‘Abdu’llaah ibn ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab, Radhi Allahu anhu) by way of stern advice:

Make the most of five before five: youth before old age; health before sickness; wealth before poverty; ease before business, and life before death.

Concerning the Night of Absolution [Lailat al-Baraa'a], its special mercy, grace and merits. Allaah (Almighty and Glorious is He) has said:

Haa-Miim. Haa-Miim: wa ‘l-Kitaabi ‘l-mubiini innaa anzalnaa-hu fii lailatin mubaarakatin.

By the Book that makes plain; We sent it down on a blessed night. (Holy Qur’an 44:1-3)

According to the greatest Faqih in al-Islam, Sayyidinaa Ibn ‘Abbaas (Radhi Allahu anhu, and with his father),

” ‘Haa-Miim’ means that Allaah has predetermined everything in existence till the Day of Resurrection. ‘The Book that makes plain’ is the Qur’aan, which is also the object referred to in ‘We sent it down.’ The ‘blessed night’ is the night of mid-Sha’baan, which is the Night of Absolution.”

In the Qur’aan, Allaah (Exalted is He) calls many things ‘blessed,’ including the Qur’aan itself, of which He has said:

Wa haadhaa dhikrun mubaarakun anzalnaa-h.

This is a blessed Reminder that We have revealed (Holy Qur’an 21:50).

Part of its blessedness is that one who reads it and believes in it enjoys right guidance and salvation from the Fire, and these benefits are also passed by extension to his ascendants and descendants. As the Holy Nabi (Sall Allahu ‘alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallim) has said:

When someone reads the Qur’aan from the written text, Allaah (Almighty and Glorious is He) alleviates the torment of his parents, even if they were unbelievers.

One of the things Allaah (Almighty and Glorious is He) calls ‘blessed’ is water, for He has said:

Wa nazzalnaa mina ’s-samaa’i maa’an mubaarakan.

And down from the sky We have sent blessed water. (Holy Qur’an 50:9)

Part of its blessedness lies in the fact that all life depends on it. In the words of Allaah (Almighty and Glorious is He):

wa ja’alnaa mina ‘l-maa’i kulla shai’in hayy: a-fa-laa yu’minuun.

And We made every living thing from water Will they not then believe? (Holy Qur’an 21:30).

Water is said to contain ten subtle properties: delicateness, suppleness, energy, fluency, limpidity, mobility, moistness, coolness, humility and vitality. Allaah (Exalted is He) has imbued the conscientious believer [mu'min labiib] with these same properties, namely, refinement of the heart, flexibility of temperament, energy in obedient service, politeness of the personality, purity of behavior, movement in good works, moistness in the eye, coolness toward sinful transgressions, humility toward fellow creatures, and vitality in heeding the truth.

The olive tree is another thing called ‘blessed’ by Allaah (Exalted and Glorious is He):

Min shajaratin mubaarakatin zaituunatin.

From a blessed tree, an olive (Holy Qur’an 24:35)

This was the first tree from which Adam (peace be upon him) ate when he was cast down to earth. It contains nourishment and enlightenment. In the words of Allaah (Exalted is He):

Wa sibghin li’l-aakiliin.

“And relish for the eaters.” (Holy Qur’an 23:20)

Some say the ‘blessed tree’ is Sayyidinaa Ibraahiim (Alayhis-Salaam), some say it is the Holy Qur’aan, and others say it is true faith. Still others say it is the tranquil soul of the believer, insistent on good conduct, obedient to commandment, restrained by prohibition ,submitted to destiny, conforming to the Lord in what He has decreed and ruled.

Sayyidinaa Jesus (Alayhis-Salaam) is also among those Allaah (Almighty and Glorious is He) calls ‘blessed’:

Wa ja’ala-nii mubaarakan aina-maa kuntu.

[Jesus said]: “And He has made me blessed wherever I may be.” (Holy Qur’an 19:31)

His blessedness (peace be upon him) includes the sprouting of the fruit from the date palm for his faithful mother, Sayyidinaa Maryam (The Blessed Mother Mary, peace be upon both mother and son), and the gushing forth of water beneath him.

In the words of the Almighty and Glorious One:

Fa-naadaa-haa min tahti-haa allaa tahzanii qad ja’ala Rabbu-ki tahta-ki sariyyaa: wa huzzii ilai-ki bi-jidh’i ‘n-nakhlati tusaaqit ‘alai-ki rutaban janiyyaa: fa-kulii wa ’shrabii wa qarrii ‘ainaa.”

Then [a voice] cried to her from below her, saying: “Grieve not, for your Lord has placed a rivulet beneath you. And shake the trunk of the palm-tree toward you: It will cause ripe dates to fall upon you. So eat and drink and be consoled. (Holy Qur’an 19:24-26) .

Among other good deeds and miracles, he healed the blind and cured the leper, and brought the dead to life by his supplication.
The Ka’ba is one of the things called ‘blessed’ by Allaah (Almighty and Glorious is He):

Inna awwala Baitin wudi’a li’n-naasi la-’lladhii bi-Bakkata mubaarakan.

The first House appointed for mankind was that at Bakka, a blessed place. (Holy Qur’an 3:96)

Part of its blessedness is that one who enters it, bearing a heavy load of sins, will come out having been forgiven. Allaah (Exalted is He) has said:

Wa man dakhala-hu kaana aaminaa.

And anyone who enters it is safe. (Holy Qur’an 3:97)

So if someone enters the House as a believer, aware of his sins and repentant, Allaah waives his punishment, accepts his repentance and forgives him. It is also said that anyone who enters it is immune to wrongdoing, as long as he remains within the Sacred Precinct. It is therefore unlawful to kill the game there, or to fell the trees.

 

The sanctity of the Ka’ba is due to the sanctity of Allaah, the sanctity of the Mosque to the sanctity of the Ka’ba, the sanctity of the Mecca to the sanctity of the Mosque, and the sanctity of the Sacred Precinct to the sanctity of Mecca. As it is said: “The Ka’ba is a Qibla [direction of prayer] for the people of the Mosque, the Mosque is a Qibla for the people of Mecca, Mecca is a Qibla for the people of the Sacred Precinct, and the Sacred Precinct is a Qibla for the people of the earth.

 

The Night of Absolution has also been called ‘blessed’, because it is a vessel for the mercy, blessing, benefit, pardon and forgiveness descending for the people on earth.

According to Abuu Nasr, the Holy Nabi (Sall Allahu ‘alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallim) is reported as having said:

On the night of the middle of Sha’baan, Allaah (Exalted is He) descends to the heaven of this lower world and forgives every Muslim, excepting only the idolater, the bearer of malice, the breaker of family ties, or the woman who is sexually promiscuous.

Again from Abuu Nasr, we learn that Sayyida ‘Aisha(Radhi Allahu anhaa) once said:

“When it was the night of mid-Sha’baan, the Prophet (Sall Allahu ‘alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallim) had removed a garment of mine.” Then she added, “By Allaah! That garment of mine was not of silk, nor of raw silk, nor of linen, nor of silk and wool, nor of wool.” [The reporter said:] “‘Glory be to Allaah!’ I said to her, ‘So what was it made of?’” She replied: “Its warp was of hair and its weft was of silk. I reckoned that he (Sall Allahu ‘alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallim) might have gone to one of his [other] wives, so I got up and searched for him in the [darkness of the] apartment. My hand made contact with his feet, as he was prostrate in worship. Of his prayer (Sall Allahu ‘alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallim), I remember these words:
Prostrate before You are my form and my spirit, and my heart is in Your safekeeping. I acknowledge Your favors, and to You I confess my sin. I have wronged myself, so forgive me; surely none forgives sins but You. I seek refuge with Your pardon from Your punishment, with Your mercy from Your vengeance, with Your approval from Your displeasure. I seek refuge with You from You. I do not tell Your praises, for You are as You have extolled Yourself. She continued: “So he did not cease from worship, now standing and now sitting [on his heels], until morning came. Then his feet were put up, and as I massaged them I said: ‘My father be your ransom and my mother too! Surely Allaah has forgiven your former and your latter sins? Surely Allaah has dealt with you? Is it not so? Is it not so?’ “He replied (Sall Allahu ‘alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallim): ‘O ‘A’isha, shall I not therefore be a grateful servant? Do you know what happens during this night?’ ‘What happens?’ I asked, and he said: ‘This is when all births are recorded for this year, and every death is registered. This is when provisions are allotted to mankind, and their deeds and actions are gathered up.’ “‘O Messenger of Allaah,’ said I, ‘Will no one enter Paradise except by Allaah’s mercy?’ ‘No one will enter Paradise except by Allaah’s mercy,’ he told me (Sall Allahu ‘alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallim) . ‘Not even you?’ I asked. ‘Not even I,’ said he (Sall Allahu ‘alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallim), ‘unless Allaah envelops me with His mercy.’ Then he rubbed his hand over his head and his face.”

The following account, which I also received from Abuu Nasr, tells how Sayyida ‘Aisha(Radhi Allahu anhaa) related that Allaah’s Messenger (Sall Allahu ‘alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallim) once said to her:

“O ‘A’isha, what night is this?” She replied, “Allaah and His Messenger know best.” Then he said: “The night of the middle of Sha’baan, during which worldly actions and the deeds of mankind are carried aloft. As numerous as the wool on the flocks of the tribe of Kalb, are Allaah’s slaves emancipated this night from the Fire of Hell. So will you excuse me tonight?”
She said: “I said yes, so he performed his prayer like this: He held the upright position only briefly, and recited al-Hamd and a short Suura; then he stayed in prostration till the middle of the night; then he stood up to begin the second cycle with a recitation similar to the first, and then his prostration lasted until dawn.”
‘A’isha (Radhi Allahu anhaa) went on to say: “I watched him till I thought that Allaah (Exalted is He) had taken His Messenger (Sall Allahu ‘alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallim), then, after a long time had elapsed, I got close enough to touch the soles of his feet. He stirred, and I heard him say in his prostration: ‘I take refuge with Your pardon from Your punishment. I take refuge with Your approval from Your displeasure. I take refuge with You from You. Glorious be Your praise! I do not spell out praises upon You, for You are as You have extolled Yourself.’
“I said: ‘O Messenger of Allaah, tonight I have heard you utter something, during your prostration, that I never heard you mention before?’ ‘And have you learned it?’ he asked (Sall Allahu ‘alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallim). When I said yes, he (Sall Allahu ‘alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallim) told me: ‘Study those words and teach them, for Gabriel (peace be upon him) instructed me to repeat them during the prostration.’”

According to another report, of which Abuu Nasr informed me, Sayyida ‘Aisha(Radhi Allahu anhaa) once said:

“I could not find Allaah’s Messenger (Sall Allahu ‘alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallim) one night, so I went outside and there he was in the grove, his head turned up toward the sky. Then he said to me: ‘Were you afraid that Allaah and His Messenger would treat you unfairly?’ I replied: ‘O Messenger of Allaah, I thought you had gone to one of your [other] wives.’ He said (Sall Allahu ‘alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallim): ‘On the night of mid-Sha’baan, Allaah (Exalted is He) descends to the lowest heaven and forgives more than the number of woolly hairs on the flocks and herds of [the tribe of] Kalb.’”

Dhikr Jalli fi al Masaajid

As salaamu ‘alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakaatuhu

In an effort to present evidence supporting the Ahl as Sunnah wal Jamaa’ah consideration as to sources being either Barelvi or Deobandi schools should not be an issue. If the evidences found are correct we may opt to present them. Any objections should be addressed to hunafaa@al-adaab.org.

AN ANALYSIS OF THE EVIDENCE SUPPORTING THE PERMISSIBILITY OF MAJALIS (GATHERINGS) OF DHIKR IN THE MASAJID
Written and submitted by Shaykh Ashraf Dockrat

The subject of this paper, which analyses the permissibility of loud DHIKR gatherings in Masajid, is a subject that has become a matter of substantial interest and discussion in the recent past. The visit of Mashaikh (Sufi Shaikhs) and their disciples to this country in the recent years, particularly the visit of Maulana Shaikh-al-Hadith Muhammad Zakariyya Saharanpuri (R), has given a great impetus to the establishment of Majalis-DHIKR in various Masajid throughout the country. These Sufi Shaikhs have placed great emphasis on the importance and need for the establishment of DHIKR gatherings in every Muslim locality and Masjid. The sources of the Qur’an and Sunnah, as well as the writings of the scholars of Islam, past and present, will be studied to understand their position on this issue. As many of the relevant texts of Qur’an, Ahadith and the practice of Sahabah (RA) and the Salaf-as-Saliheen (pious elders) as possible would be presented on this subject. Whilst it is conceded that some scholars have raised objections against the Majalis-DHIKR, this paper sets out to review the subject of loud DHIKR Majalis (gatherings) in the Masajid in the light of Shari’ah-based evidence.

الحمد لله وحده والصلوة والسلام علي من لا نبي بعده وعلي اله و ا صحابه اجمعين - اما بعد

All praises belong solely to Allah Ta’ala and salutations and peace be upon the final Messenger and upon all his family and companions. Amma-b’adu:

VERSES OF THE HOLY QUR’AN RELATING TO DHIKR

Many verses in the Qur’an exhort towards the DHIKR of Allah, and they are Mutlaq (unrestricted). They encompass all types and forms of DHIKR; whether individual or collective, loud or silent, in the Masjid or elsewhere. Some of these verses are quoted below:

Verse 1:
فاذكرونى اذكركم و اشكروا لى ولا تكفرون
“So remember Me (with DHIKR) and I will remember you and be grateful unto Me and do not be ungrateful.” 2:152

Verse 2:
الذين يذكرون الله قياما و قعودا وعلي جنوبهم ويتفكرون في خلق السموات و الأرض
“(The intelligent ones are) Those who remember Allah standing and sitting and reclining and they ponder in the creation of the skies and the earth.” 3:191

Verse 3:
الذين آمنوا وتطمئن قلوبهم بذكر الله الا بذكر الله تطمئن القلوب
“Those who believe (in Allah) and their hearts acquire tranquility with the remembrance of Allah. Hear well! It is only through the remembrance of Allah that hearts acquire tranquility.” 13:28

Verse 4:
رجال لا تلهيهم تجارة ولا بيع عن ذكر الله
“(People of perfect Iman are those) Men whom trade or business does not distract from the remembrance of Allah.” 24:37

Verse 5:
يا ايها الذين آمنوا اذكروا الله ذكرا كثيرا وسبحوه بكرة وأصيلا
“O Believers remember Allah in great abundance and glorify Him morning and evening.” 33:41/42

Verse 6:
و من يعش عن ذكر الرحمن نقيض له شيطانا فهو له قرين
“And as for him who (purposely) ignores the remembrance of Rahman, We assign a devil for him who is his (constant) companion.” 43:36

Verse 7:
الم يان للذين آمنوا ان تخشع قلوبهم لذكر الله
“Has the time not dawned for the people of faith that their hearts should submit to the remembrance of Allah?” 57:16

Verse 8:
يا أيها الذين آمنوا لا تلهكم اموالكم ولا أولادكم عن ذكر الله و من يفعل ذلك فأولئك هم الخاسرون
“O Believers let not your wealth and your children distract you from the remembrance of Allah. Those who do so, they are certainly great losers.” 63:9

Verse 9:
استحوذ عليهم الشيطان فانسهم ذكر الله أولئك حزب الشيطان ألا ان حزب الشيطان هم الخسرون
“Shaitaan has overpowered them (the hypocrites) and hence made them forget the remembrance of Allah. They are the gang of Shaitaan and know well! The gang of Shaitaan are the (real) losers.” 58:19

Verse 10:
واذا قاموا الي الصلوة قاموا كسالي يراءون الناس ولا يذكرون الله ألا قليلا
“And when they (hypocrites) stand up to offer Salah, they stand up with lethargy. They put up a show before the people (of offering Salah) and do not remember Allah but very little.” 4:142
These and other verses regarding DHIKR have been enumerated by many scholars on their works on the virtues and meritoriousness of DHIKR, especially Shaikh Zakariyya (R) has accumulated many such verses in his work Fadhail-al-DHIKR. A study of this work will present many other verses on this subject.

DHIKR IN THE LIGHT OF PROPHETIC TRADITIONS (AHADITH)

After having enumerating certain verses of the Holy Qur’an, mention is now made of certain Ahadith relating to the subject of DHIKR some of which are of a general nature (whether loud/soft, masjid/home, etc.) and some are quite specific i.e. DHIKR in the Masjid or loud DHIKR, which will be alluded to under the explanation of the said Ahadith. Ten Ahadith have been selected for this section.

Hadith 1:
Abu Hurairah (RA) narrates from Rasulullah (صلي الله عليه وسلم) that there is a group of angels who patrol the earth and wherever they find any gathering of DHIKR they call out to each other and form a circle around this gathering that reaches to the sky. When this gathering disperses, they return to the sky where they are questioned by Allah Ta’ala, although He is All-knowing: Where have you come from? They reply: We come from a gathering of Your servants who are engaged in Tasbeeh, Takbeer and Tahmeed. Allah Ta’ala asks them: Have they seen Me? The angels reply: No. Allah Ta’ala asks: And what if they had seen Me? They reply: Then they would have engaged even more excessively in Your Ibadah and in Tasbeeh (glorifying of) You. Allah Ta’ala says: What are they asking for? They reply: They ask of You Jannah. Allah Ta’ala then asks: Have they seen Jannah? The angels reply: No. Allah Ta’ala asks: And what if they had seen Jannah? They reply: Then they would have been even more desirous, eager and keen for it. Allah Ta’ala says: What are they seeking refuge from? They reply: They ask refuge from the Fire (of Hell). Allah Ta’ala asks: Have they seen the Fire? The angels reply: No. Allah Ta’ala asks: And what if they had seen it? They reply: Then they would have tried harder to escape from it and they would have been more fearful of it. Allah Ta’ala says: I make you witness that I have pardoned them. One angel exclaims: A certain person was not from them. He came (coincidentally) for some work. Allah Ta’ala says: They are such a people that even those who sit with them (for other work) will not be deprived.
– Narrated by Bukhari, Muslim, Baihaqi

Shaikh Zakariyya’s (R) commentary on this Hadith:
This subject has also been narrated in numerous other traditions that the angels look for, listen to and sit with the ’gatherings‘ of DHIKR.

Hadith 2:
Mu’awiyah (RA) narrates that Rasulullah (صلي الله عليه وسلم) once came forth to meet a group of the Sahabah (RA). He said: What has caused you to congregate here? They replied: We have congregated here to remember Allah Ta’ala and to praise Him for guiding us to Islam and blessing us with it. He said: By Allah! Is this the only reason for your gathering? They replied: By Allah! This is the only reason for our gathering. He said: I had not made you swear an oath because I disbelieved you but Jibraeel came to me and informed me that Allah Ta’ala is boasting about you before the angels.
- Narrated by Muslim, Tirmizi, Nasai, Ibn-Abi-Shaibah, Ahmad

Shaikh Zakariyya’s (R) commentary:
Mulla Ali Qari (R) explains that Allah boasts about these people because despite having worldly engagements, natural desires, temptations and the shaitaan trying to mislead them, they do not neglect and turn away from My remembrance; then the DHIKR of the angels who are faced with none of these obstacles is no comparison to their DHIKR.

Hadrat Sultan Bahu The Sultanul Faqr and Sultanul Arifeen

Hadrat Sultan Bahu The Sultanul Faqr and Sultanul Arifeen

Hadrat Sultan Bahu is one of the most renowned sufi saints of the later Mughal Period in the history of Indo Pakistan subcontinent. He is often called Sultanul Arifin ( the Sultan of gnostics) in the Sufi circles. His ancestors belonging to the tribe of Alvids called Awan and coming from Arabia via Hirat ( Afghanistan ) had settled in the soon Sakesar Valley of Khushab District in Punjab. His Father, Sultan Bazid, had served in the army of the Emperor Shah Jehan as a high ranking officer and so in recognition to his services he had been awarded a jagir in the shorkot area. The family migrated to the place and settled at Qalai Shorkot, a settlement at the bank of River Chenab ( now in District Jhang, Punjab). Hadrat Sultan Bahu was born there, probably in 1628 A.D.

Even in the early childhood, it was perceived by all those around him that a strange light shone upon his face which compelled even the Hindus to utter Kalima Tayyiba ( there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is His messenger) in his presence. His father died when he was just a child but his mother Bibi Rasti, remained alive till he was forty years old.
His mother supervised his education but it must have been irregular because he was often found under the influence of ecstatic states. It seemed that his education remained informal to the end. Whatever he expressed or wrote after-words, it was in the light of his own spiritual vision and Knowledge.

His mother taught him the essential sufi exercises of dhikr ( invocation of Allah and His Names ) and he probably needed no more guidance after that. He was initiated to walk the path of Sufis intuitively. His spiritual experiences and vision enriched his mind and spirit with so much knowledge that he far excelled his contemporary Sufi masters and sufi poets in Tasawwuf ( Sufism ) and Suluk ( all about the Sufi Way and its stations and states). In a book he remarks: Though we have little of formal learning, / Yet the spirit has been blessed with holiness by esoteric knowledge. In fact he may be called a born saint.
He got married in his early youth and twice or thrice afterwards and had sons and daughters but all this did not deter him from his dervish wanderings, to visit the sacred places and look for the spiritual company of his fellow sufis.
At the age of thirty he had an extraordinary vision in which he saw Prophet Muhammad ( may peace be upon him ) through the spiritual recommendations and support of Hadrat Ali and Hadrat Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani. The prophet himself took his bay’ah and allowed him to pass on the Sufi teachings. He often mentions in his books about his presence in the spiritual meetings presided by the Prophet himself. However, in the treatise ” Of the Spirit ” he calls Hadrat Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani his Murshid ( spiritual director ). He is always lavish in the praise of Hadrat Shaikh and calls himself Qadiri. In his eyes the teachings of the Qadiriya order were most effective for the spiritual development of the disciples. But at the same time it is evidently clear that by the Qadriya order he means the one that he himself represented. He names it ” Sarwari Qadiri “.

During the same period when he was a young man of about thirty, the war of succession between Dara Sikoh and Aurangzeb was fought. His later writings are sufficient proof of his moral and spiritual support for Aurangzeb who won and became the emperor. He himself, however, never cared to have any concern with the court or the courtiers.
All his life he kept traveling to the far-flung places initiating disciples and passing on the spiritual knowledge and wisdom to the seekers of truth. He might have written most of the books during such journeys. He never made a permanent Khaneqah during his lifetime.

Sometimes he fell into ecstasy and passed his days and nights in the state of absorption. Many places are still remembered and venerated where he stayed for some long or short periods to contemplate in solitude.
In “Manaqibi Sultani ” a few of his journeys have been mentioned. His traveling in Saraiki region up to Sindh, his journey to Delhi where he met the emperor Aurangzeb in the Jamia Mosque and his visits to the tombs at Multan and other cities have been indicated.

He left this world in 1691 A.D. at Shorkot where he was buried close to the bank of the river. His body had, however, to be transferred twice to other nearby places due to the floods. Now the place he lies buried under a beautiful tomb is called Darbar Hazrat Sultan Bahu ( District Jhang, Punjab).

He wrote many books in Persian. He also wrote ghazals and poems in Persian as a well as Abyaat in Punjabi. His Punjabi poetry contains spiritual fervour and passionate expression of the exalted state of Divine Love. One is transported to the spiritual domains while one listens to his Dohas in a melodious voice of the singers. About thirty epistles, treatises and books are still available. Almost all of his work has been written under inspiration in his style peculiar to him. Most often he uses “scatter method ” diffusing Sufi doctrine and the methods of spiritual realization in his writings

He was the greatest teacher and propagator of Faqr ( spiritual poverty ) which is the shining guiding star in his teachings. He may be considered one of the greatest Revealers in the history of Sufism. His dargah has always been supervised by the Sajjadah Nashins of his own family. The present Sajjadah Nashin also belongs to his line.

It is strange that his fame rose and spread world-wide after his leaving this world. Only recently Scholars have turned attention to present and interpret his doctrine in a systematic way. The scope to edit, translate, interpret and transmit his work is still very vast. It is hoped that the next generation of sufi scholars and teachers will continue to perform this tremendous job more efficiently.

I quote the verse written on the wall of the mosque adjoining his tomb.
Oh noble Sultan Bahu! in the realm of reality, you are perfect.
Help me in all the spiritual states, in interiority as well
as in exteriority.

Courtesy of:  Sultan Gul Hassan gulhassan@hotmail.com

Sayyidina Muhyiddin Al Imam Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani Quddusus Sirruhoo

Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim
Nahmaduhu wa Nusalli ‘alaa Rasulihil Kareem

Sayyidina Muhyiddin Al Imam Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani Quddusus Sirruhoo

A Brief Sketch

Shaykh Muhyiddeen Abdul Qadir Jilani (1077 CE/472H - 1166 CE/561 H) was the luminary of his time in the spiritual sciences and in the disciplines of the Divine Law. His renown in the sciences of Sufism and Shariah was so great, that he came to be known as the spiritual pole of his time, al-Ghawth al-Adham.

He was born in the city of Jilan, in the northwestern province of Persia, in the year 1077 AC. At the age of eighteen he set forth for the city of Baghdad to seek the Divine Knowledge and Guidance.

His first shaykhs of Divine Law were Shaykh Abul Wafa Ibn Aqil, Shaykh Muhammad bin al-Hassan al-Baqlani and Abu Zakariya Tabrizi. Under these great divines he learned the Science of exegesis of Quran, the Science of the Traditions, the Science of the Life of the Prophet (sirah), theology, jurisprudence (fiqh), grammar, Quranic recitation and philology. He studied the Hanbali school of jurisprudence, yet he was able to give decisions in the Shafii school as well. He memorized the Quran, not in only one form, but in all seven methods of recitation.

After mastering thirteen disciplines of the religious law and its related sciences, he then turned to the spiritual path under the guidance of Shaykh Hammad bin Muslim ad-Dabbas. He received initiation into the path of seekers under Shaykh al-Mubarak Said bin al-Hassan. Shaykh al-Mubarak Said was shaykh to most of the greatest seekers and masters in his time in Baghdad.

Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani received the ijaza and leadership of the tariqa at the age of fifty years old from his shaykh, Shaykh al-Mubarak Said. Not long after receiving the official title of Shaykh at-Tariqat, he was renowned throughout the city and into the surrounding lands as a grand master and the source to which all yearning hearts must turn for guidance and illumination, guiding their hearts to the path of divine love and divine inspiration.

Sayyidina Abdul Qadir relates, “Initially, only a few people would come to attend my association. As more people heard about me the school became crowded. I then used to sit in the mosque at Bab al-Hilba which became too small to hold the large numbers of people who would come to hear me. they would even come at nighttime, carrying lamps and candles to see. When finally it would no longer accommodate the crowds, and my chair of teaching was moved to the main thoroughfare and later to the outskirts of the city, becoming the new place of gathering. People would come to attend by foot, by horse, by mule, by ass and by camel. You could see seventy-thousand listeners standing in the circle in these meetings.”

In his gatherings, he would enjoin the people to do the good and to abjure for committing wrong. His advice addressed rulers, ministers, governors, judges, his disciples and the common people. According to Ibn Kathir, the great historian, “Standing in the mosques, he reprimanded publicly the rulers who committed wrong, in the presence of all as witnesses and in his public speeches. He avoided any sort of political appointments, never feared anyone in his speech except God Almighty and was unaffected by the reproach of anyone.” Once when the caliph of the Islamic world at that time apointed an unjust person to be chief judge, Sayyidina Abdul Qadir Jilani stood up in the largest mosque in Baghdad to give the Friday sermon. He spoke in his sermon to the caliph directly. He said, “You have apointed the worst of the unjust ones to judge the affairs of Muslims! What will be your answer tomorrow in front of the Lord of the worlds, the Most Merciful of the merciful?” Upon hearing this, the caliph shook with fear. Shedding many tears, he quickly went after the prayers to dismiss that judge.

Haqiqatul Tasawwuf :Realities of Sufism

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Haqiqatul Tasawwuf

(Realities of Sufism)

A Concise Treatise of Ilm ul Tasawwuf
With An Explanation of
Necessary Technical Terms

Courtesy: The African Qadriyya at www.abunashaykh.com

Tawbah, Tawwakal, Ridhaa, Dhikr,

Khawf, Muhaasabah, Shukr, Faqr,

Sidq, Rajaa, Tasawwuf, Qurb,

Sabr, Ikhlaas, Taqwa, Mahabbah,

Zuhd, Waraa, Tawaadu, Yaqeen,

 

Tawbah (Turning to Allah for Forgiveness)

Tawbah is leaving what the Shari‘ah finds blameworthy for what it finds praiseworthy. It is the beginning of the path of the sālikīn (spiritual travelers), the key to the happiness of the murīdīn (spiritual aspirants), and the condition that makes the passage to Allah the Exalted sound. In many ayats, Allah the Exalted orders the believers to perform tawbah, making it a means for success in both this world and the next. Allah says:

وَتُوبُوا إِلَى اللهِ جَمِيعاً أَََيُّهَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ لَعَلَّكُم تُفْلِحُونْ
And turn to Allah all of you, O believers! so that you may be successful. (24:31)
اَسْتَغْـفِرُوا رَبَّكُمْ ثُمَّ تُوبُوا إِلَيْهْ
And ask forgiveness of your Lord, then turn to Him. (11:90)
يَآ أَيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ ءَامَنـُوا تُوبُوا إِلَى اللهِ تَوْبَةً نَصُوحاً
O you who believe! Turn to Allah a sincere turning. (66:

 

The Messenger, the Faultless (Allah bless him and grant him peace), often renewed his tawbah, repeatedly asking Allah for forgiveness in order to teach the Ummah and establish the Sunnah. Al-Aghar ibn Yasar al-Muzni (may Allah be pleased with him) related that the Prophet of Allah said, “O mankind, make tawbah to Allah and ask him for forgiveness, for surely I make tawbah a hundred times each day.” Imam Nawawi (may Allah show him mercy) said:
Tawbah is required for every wrongdoing. If the tawbah is for a disobedience commited only between the servant of Allah and Allah the Exalted, the following three conditions must be met: the servant stops doing the disobedience, regrets having done it, and resolves to never do it again. If the disobedience is connected with another person then it has four conditions: the three conditions mentioned above, plus, the obligation of giving the wronged person his right. If this right is money or anything similar, it must be given back. If the wronged person was verbally or physically abused, then Allah’s servant seeking tawbah should submit himself to the right of the wronged person, or ask him for forgiveness. If the abuse is ghaybah (backbiting), then he should ask the wronged person to pardon him. He must turn away from all wrong actions.
Among the conditions of tawbah is leaving the company of those who encourage committing wrongs and discourage obedience to Allah, and joining the companionship of the good and truthful so that their companionship deters one from returning to one’s old life of disobedience.

The Sufi does not look at the smallness of his sin; rather, he looks at the greatness of his Lord, following the example of the companions of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah be pleased with all of them). Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “You might do something that seems, in your opinion, to be smaller than a strand of hair; but in the time of the Messenger of Allah, we considered it to be very big.” Abu ‘Abd Allah said, “He meant by this ‘something’ anything that leads to destruction.”

The Sufi not only does tawbah from his outward disobedience, which, in his eyes, is the tawbah of the common people, but in addition, he performs tawbah from everything that distracts his heart from being occupied with Allah the Exalted. When Dhu al-Nun al-Misri (may Allah be pleased with him) was asked about tawbah he said, “Tawbah of the common is from wrong actions while tawbah of the elite is from heedlessness.”

‘Abd Allah al-Tamimi (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “A difference exists between those who make tawbah: one may be making tawbah from his wrong actions, while another may be making tawbah from his heedlessness, while still another may be making tawbah from seeing himself doing good and being obedient.”
Know that whenever the Sufi corrects his knowledge of Allah the Exalted and increases his works, his tawbah becomes more precise. So, no blemishes can be hidden from the one whose heart has been purified from the filth of sin and has had the lights of īmān shone upon it. He won’t feel at ease when he tries to commit slips. Immediately, he will make tawbah from the shame he feels from the knowledge that Allah is seeing him. The Sufi has to increase in his asking for forgiveness night and day, thus making him feel both his actual servanthood to Allah and his shortcomings in giving His Lord His rightful due. From this he acknowledges servitude (‘ubūdīya) and confirms Lordship (rubūbīya).

Allah the Exalted says:
فَـقُلتُ اَسْتَغْفِرُوا رَبُّكُمْ إِنَّهُ كَانَ غَفَّاراً ، يُرْسِلِ السَّمَاءَ عَلَيْكُمْ مِدْرَاراً، وَيُمْدِدْكُمْ بِأَمْوَالٍ وَبَنِينَ وَيَجْعَلْ لَّـكُـمْ جَنَّاتٍ وَيَجْعَلْ لَّكُمْ أَنْهَاراً
Then I said, Ask forgiveness of your Lord, surely He is the most Forgiving: He will send down upon you the cloud, pouring down abundance of rain: And help you with wealth and sons, and make for you gardens, and make for you rivers. (71:10–12)
إِنَّ الْمُتَّقِينَ فِى جَنَّاتٍ وَعُيُونٍ ، ءَاخِذِينَ مَآ ءَاتَاهُمْ رَبُّهُمْ إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا قَبْلَ ذَالِكَ مُحْسِنِـيْن ، كَانُوا قَلِيلاً مِّنَ الَّيْلِ مَا يَهْجَعُونَ ، وَبِالأَسْحَارِ هُمْ يَسْتَغْفِرُونْ
Surely those who guard (against evil) shall be in gardens and fountains. Taking what their Lord gives them; surely they were before that, the doers of good. They used to sleep but little in the night. And in the morning they asked forgiveness. (51:15–1

When the Sufi reads these verses and others like them, he sheds tears of regret for his shortcomings in his life and for his remissness in his relationship to Allah. He turns to his faults and shortcomings, correcting them before it is too late. Then he turns to his soul (nafs) and purifies it. He follows this with increased acts of obedience and goodness, as the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) has said, “Performing acts of goodness (ĥasanah) immediately after wrong actions (sayyi’ah) erases wrong actions.”

Shaykh Ahmad Zarruq (may Allah have mercy upon him) said in his book of rules:
The claim of the claimer is known by its result. If the claim manifests itself then it is correct; otherwise, the one who alleges his claim is a liar. Tawbah not followed by godfearingness (taqwā) is considered unaccepted. Taqwā not free of doing wrong actions (istiqama) is admixed and imperfect. Istiqāma without scrupulousness (wara‘) is incomplete. Wara‘ that is not a result of zuhd is limited. Zuhd that is not built upon trust in Allah (tawakkul) is dry and dead. Tawakkul whose fruits do not manifest by completely cutting off everything that does not lead to Allah and referring to Him, is a picture without truth in it (it is a form without reality). So, sound tawbah manifests through the servant turning away from the forbidden (ĥarām); perfection in taqwā manifests through the servant finding no observer except Allah; istiqāmah exists through the servant taking precautions to perform his religious exercises (wird) without innovation (bid‘); and wara‘ exists when the servant, at the point of experiencing strong desires for something that may be unacceptable, leaves it.

Khawf (Fear of Allah)
Imam al-Ghazali, the Proof of Islam (may Allah have mercy upon him), said, “Know that the reality of khawf is the heart’s suffering and its burning in expectation of something distasteful befalling it. This fear is due to one’s sins or knowledge of Allah’s qualities. No doubt, knowledge of Allah’s qualities will cause fear. How perfect! because he who knows Allah, by necessity, fears him.”

Allah says:
إِنَّمَا يَخْشَى اللهَ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ العُلَمَاءْ
Those of His servants who are possessed of knowledge fear Allah. (35:2
Allah calls upon his servants to fear Him only. He says:
وَإِيَّايَ فَارْهَبُونْ
So of Me alone should you be afraid. (16:51)
He praises the believers and describes them as having fear, saying:
يخَافُونَ رَبَّهُمْ مِنْ فَوقِهِمْ
They fear their Lord above them. (16:50)
Allah has made fear a condition for completeness of īmān, saying:
وَخَافُوْنِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُؤْمِنِـينْ
Fear Me if you are believers. (3:175)
He has promised the one who fears to stand before Allah two gardens: the garden of knowledges in this world, and the garden of adornments in the next world. He says:
وَلمِـَنْ خَافَ مَقَامَ رَبِّهِ جَنَّتَان
And for him who fears to stand in the presence of his Lord is two gardens. (55:46)
Allah made the Jannah an abode for the one who fears to stand before his Lord. Allah also says:
وَأمَّا مَنْ خَافَ مَقَامَ رَبـِّهِ وَنَهَى النَّفْسَ عَنِ الهَوَى ، فَإِنَّ الجَنَّةَ هِيَ المَأوَى
And as for him who fears to stand in the presence of his Lord and forbids the soul from low desires, then surely the garden—that is the abode. (79:40-41)

Shaykh Ahmad al-Zarruq (may Allah have mercy on him) said in his book of rules, “Among the motives for action is the presence of fear. It is magnifying Allah’s greatness accompanied by dread. Fear is the heart’s disturbance at the possibility of being the object of the Lord’s vengeance.”

Khawf is found in the one who is aware of the dangerous consequences of his actions. Therefore, he stops himself at the required (the wājib), neither turning his attention to deviation and sin, nor putting himself into situations that might cause him to fall into evil and corruption. Through fear, the Sufi ascends to adornment with nearness. The fear that manifested in the world of the body is transferred to the world of the spirit (rūh). The ‘ārif will have intimate feelings, achieved only by the people of purity.

To describe the station of khawf, Sayyid ‘Abd al-Wahāb al-Sha‘rāni (may Allah be pleased with him) tells of how Sayyida Rābiyah al-‘Adawīya was given to so much weeping and sadness that whenever she heard the mention of the Hellfire she would faint, remaining unconscious for sometime. The place where she made sujūd was like a small ditch from the tears she shed; it was as if the Hellfire had only been created for her sake. The secret of this fear lies in the belief that every trial other than the Hellfire is easy to bear, and any misadventure other than remoteness from Allah is insignificant.
The Sufi understands that the lover will not drink the cup of love until fear has ripened his heart. He who does not have taqwā such as this will not know why he cries; and he who has not seen the beauty of Yūsuf will not know what caused Ya‘qub’s suffering.

The one at the station of khawf does not weep and wipe his eyes; rather, he leaves that for which he fears being punished.
Abu Sulayman al-Darāni (may Allah have mercy upon him) said, “Fear does not leave a heart but that it is ruined.”
Those who possess khawf are not of one rank. Ibn Ajiba (may Allah have mercy upon him) categorized them into three. He said, “Fear of the common is of punishment and of missing a reward; fear of the elect is of blame and of missing the opportunity of drawing closer; fear of the elect of the elect is of being veiled for displaying discourtesy.”

The Basis of Inner Peace or Peace of heart

Taken from Qur’anic Psychiatry
By El-Sheikh Syed Mubarak Ali Shah Jilani El-Hashimi “Know that in the thikr of Allah (also following the guidance in the Holy Qur’an) lies the peace of quloob (heart).”In this ayat, the Creator of the physical and non-physical bodies, Allah Ta’ala, has declared the very basis of the immutable law governing a person’s health.Therefore, the very structure of spiritual health rests on “peace of heart.” If this does not exist many psychological disorders, such as nervousness, leading to neurosis, and other similar disorders will develop.The meaning of Islam is peace or total surrender, meaning thereby surrendering one’s own will before the Will of the Almighty. The foundation for inner peace rests on the following:

1. One must acknowledge that he has a Creator who has created him for some purpose in this earthly life.

 

1. One must follow the manual of the Creator which the Almighty sent for His creatures-the guidance in the shape of the revealed books, i.e. the Holy Qur’an, and earlier books (now no longer valid).

 

1. One must acknowledge that the Creator has been sending guidance and Messengers (peace be upon them) to lead mankind towards physical and spiritual prosperity and the life hereafter.

 

1. One must believe that the Almighty has created many other intelligent beings such as angels and jinn beings.

 

1. One must believe that his/her earthly life is very short, so much so that it has been compared with a short nap which one traveler might take under the shadow of a tree while traveling on the road and then goes on his way.

 

1. One must believe that this worldly life is full of tests and trials. All these hardships must be borne with patience, steadfastness, taking all calamities, losses, and adversities from the Almighty as a test of his Iman (belief). Therefore, he should not grieve over losses or show joy over any gain.

 

1. One must not believe in any man or deity as his/her creator. Nor should he deny the existence of the Creator. No one can deny Allah without first affirming Him. By saying “I don’t believe in Allah” can only mean that Allah does indeed exists, but one refuses to believe in Him. It also amounts to saying “I don’t believe in the sun”—though the sun is there. Therefore all such persons can be compared with bats whose eyes don’t open before the sun.

Denial of the Creator takes away peace, and the light of reason and intellect from the heart of a person and fills it with doubt. This is the worst disease of the qalb (heart), which causes every imaginable psychiatric (spiritual) malady.Those who doubt the existence of the Almighty Creator will manifest all or some of the following characteristics: arrogance, anger, cruelty, cowardliness, miserliness, jealousy, hatred, hypocrisy, greed, ignorance, stubbornness, dissension, sloth, lying, selfishness, ill manners, despair, mischievousness, craftiness, lewdness (lack of modesty) perversion, and overpowering sexual despairs, etc.Thus when the qalb is diseased then some, or all, of the aforementioned characteristics will be manifested in the conduct of any individual, depriving him of peace, tranquillity, sleep, and good health. Deprived of peace, a person will try to find solace in drugs, alcoholic drinks, sexual activities, hoarding wealth or getting power. Ultimately, they fall victim to the most horrible physical and psychiatric (non-physical) diseases.Look at the fate of many of the world’s multimillionaires, Hollywood film stars, rulers of the world, and even “psychiatrists.” What a miserable end they usually have! As long as people keep doubting the existence of the Almighty there will be no end to their psychiatric diseases. The Almighty will keep on increasing their miseries by subjecting them to the control of the messengers of darkness, ignorance and deniers of the truth-the Freudians, pseudo-psychiatrists, and other atheists.In order to have inner peace one must believe in the hereafter, raising of the dead, accountability, judgment, hell and paradise, and the eventually meeting with the One and Only Lord Almighty of Hazrats Adam, Nuh, Ibrahim, Musa, Daood, Sulaiman, ‘Isa bin Maryam, and Muhammad the Last and Final Messenger (peace be upon them all!). Even if the non-Muslims follow the Ten Commandments in letter and spirit they will be saved.The following will give, in a nutshell, the teaching of all the Messengers mentioned above. Those who wish to have perfect physical and spiritual health, as well as those who are suffering and want to be cured of their diseases, will have to follow this code as explained by the Holy Last Messenger, Muhammad :“You should believe:

1. In Allah, i.e. in His Person and Attributes and

 

1. The Last Day, and

 

1. The Angels, and

 

1. The earlier (Divine) Books (no longer available with original content), and

 

1. All the Messengers, and

 

1. The rising after death, and

 

1. The destiny, i.e., all that is good or bad is from Allah, and

 

1. That you bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is His Messenger, and

 

1. That at the time of each salat you establish the salat it is proper time after performing a perfect wudhu. (Perfect Wudhu is one performed with due regard to ever adab [due respects] and mustahibbat [desirable action])

 

1. Pay the zakat (obligatory charity on wealth exceeding a prescribed limit), and

 

1. Fast during the month of Ramadhan, and

 

1. Perform Hajj if you have wealth. (The availability of wealth has particularly been mentioned because want of wealth is generally made an excuse for non-performance of Hajj. Otherwise, evidently, the other prerequisites that make the Hajj obligatory should also exist.)

 

1. You should perform the twelve rak’at sunnat-e-mu’akkadah salat every day. (According to other Hadith, the twelve rak’at are detailed as two rak’at before the two fard (obligatory) rak’at of Fajr Salat, four before and two rak’at after the four fard rak’at of Zuhr, two after the three fard rak’at of Maghrib and two after the four fard rak’at of ‘Isha).

 

1. You should never miss the Witr salat at night, which is wajib (compulsory, but less than fard and more important than sunnat) and is, therefore, specially emphasized.

 

1. You should ascribe no partners unto Allah.

 

1. You should not disobey your parents (if they obey the Almighty).

 

1. You should not devour the property of orphans unjustly. (Unjustly implies that there is no harm in using the belongings of an orphan in a lawful manner as in the case under certain circumstances.)

 

1. You should not drink wine.

 

1. You should not commit adultery.

 

1. You should not indulge in false oaths.

 

1. You should not give false evidence.

 

1. You should not yield to your base desires.

 

1. You should not backbite a Muslim brother.

 

1. You should not bring a false charge against a chaste woman (or a chaste man).

 

1. You should not bear ill-will towards your Muslim brethren.

 

1. You should not indulge in useless amusements.

 

1. You should not join the idle spectators.

 

1. You should not call a short-statured person “O, you short-statured one!” with the intention of finding fault in him.

 

1. You should not indulge in jokes at the cost of others.

 

1. You should not indulge in slandering others.

 

1. You should be ever grateful to Allah for His bounties.

 

1. You should be steadfast in suffering and calamity.

 

1. You should not sever your ties of kinship with your (believing) relatives.

 

1. You should discharge your obligations to your relatives.

 

1. You should not curse any creature of Allah.

 

1. You should remember and glorify Allah by repeating SubhanAllah (Glory belongs to Allah), Al-Hamdu lil-Lah (All Praises is for Allah), La ilaha il-Lallah (There is no god but Allah), Allahu Akbar (Allah is the Greatest) with frequency.

 

1. You should not miss the Friday and ‘Eid salat.

 

1. You should believe that whatever good or bad lot befalls you was predestined and could not be avoided, and whatever you have missed, you were predestined to do so, and,

 

1. You should not give up the recitation of the Holy Book under any circumstances.”