Questions and Answers about Tasawwuf
Questions of Ahbab Answered by
His Eminence Ameer Muhammad Akram Awan
Sheikh Silsilah Naqshbandiah Owaisiah
Q22: Please mention some attributes of an accomplished Murshid (spiritual guide), so that I can easily recognize him and attach myself with him?
A22: The attributes of a real Murshid are of two types: for him and for others. Those related to him are that he must possess the mandatory religious knowledge, should abide by religious injunctions and should follow the Sunnah. Those related to other people are that he should possess the ability of teaching religion and of reforming them. Therefore, a common measure is the positive change in the belief and conduct of those associated with him, such that an onlooker should see that their practical lives reflect the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet-SAW.
Q23: Leaving the view of the ignorant aside, what is meant by deriving beneficence from the Rooh of the Aulia, and how can Salik get this Faidh (beneficence)?
A23: The word ‘Faidh’ is used in Shari‘ah to describe the blessings of the Holy Prophet-SAW. Although his-SAW teaching (knowledge) are also a Faidh, but this word has now come to be used specifically for his-SAW blessings. If someone conveys even a single sentence of the Holy Prophet-SAW, that also is Faidh and enlightenment but, at times, some phrases get reserved for specific meanings. The word Faidh has similarly been reserved in Tasawwuf for the states of the Qalb, for inner blessings, for a condition that causes a positive change within the heart and for that journey which denotes going from darkness to the Light. The departure from darkness to the Light, from ignorance to known as Faidh. However, in the view of the ignorant, Faidh denotes acquisition of worldly benefits. ‘We visited that tomb and were blessed with a son. We delivered the Niaz of that Wali and recovered from the illness.’ All such beliefs are un-Islamic, against the Shari‘ah and have been borrowed from Hindu customs.
To pray is the right of a human being, he should pray to Allah. The place does make a difference. If one prays in a Masjid, the Barakah will be more. Similarly, if one prays while in the company of a man of God, the status of the prayer will change because of his Barakah, making it more acceptable. But, in any case, the prayer will be made to Allah only. It is up to HIM to accept or reject it. The entombed Wali can have no say in it. People have, due to ignorance, equated Faidh with worldly benefits. On the other hand, if you read about the men of God, you will find that due to their thought of the Hereafter, they remained engaged in this concern most of their time. They could not adequately attend to worldly issues and thus kept facing problems. After enduring these hardships for a whole lifetime, when they finally escaped to Barzakh, why would they stick their fingers in your worldly problems? These are all superstitions, more so in the Indo-Pak subcontinent, resulting through the interaction of Hindu and Islamic civilizations, especially during the period of Akbar the Great. It was the mixture of these civilizations, cooked during his time, which has cast such effects. Islam is a very simple religion that places a man before Allah; now, it is between him and his Lord!
Q 24: What is meant by connection with the Sheikh?
A 24: Allah Kareem pours Divine Lights from the Qalb of the Sheikh, even without his knowledge into the Qalb of a seeker, according to his sincerity with the Sheikh, and this process continues at its own. The Sheikh is not a knower of the unseen. The Knower of the unseen is the One Who grants these relationships. You can only present purity and sincerity from your side and nothing else. Even the Sheikh cannot judge the level of this sincerity. Yes, the Sheikh is a sure source, because he contains that blessing in his Qalb, which is poured into the Qalb of a seeker who brings in sincerity and true and pure longing. The Granter of this blessing is seeing it HIMSELF. HE will respond in accordance with the level of this sincerity and will accordingly convey it to him. Sheikh Maulana Allah Yaar khan-RuA used to say, ‘Many a time I wished to conduct the Maraqbaat of a seeker but he was unable to get these even in years; while, at times, a seeker who comes and sits by, attains those Maraqbaat, even without my knowledge. It is an extraordinary phenomenon! Allah Alone knows the conditions of the Quloob; how pure is a seeker’s Qalb and how much can he gain in so much time; it is only HIS decision!
Q 25: What is meant by ‘the Company of the Sheikh’?
A 25: ‘The Company of the Sheikh’ means to spend the maximum time with the Sheikh; it doesn’t necessarily means sitting next to him. You are present here, if you happen to meet the Sheikh, get the opportunity of performing morning and evening Zikr with him, this is also ‘the Company of the Sheikh’. Doing Zikr alone, even for years, though it increases the capacity of Rooh but it cannot initiate spiritual progress. When a seeker joins the company of his Sheikh, he instantly progresses to the highest level of his spiritual capacity, because his Qalb has to draw the lights from the Qalb of his Sheikh. This is common to all Salasil. However, in this Silsilah, a seeker may attain to a level, where his stay anywhere in the world is similar to his physical presence in the company of his Sheikh and he keeps ascending to higher spiritual stations. However because of the distance, his spiritual condition will not be as strong as it would be in the company of the Sheikh.
Q 26: Is it necessary to take a formal Bai‘at to join the Silsilah or is a person considered to have joined the Silsilah if he does Zikr by your method?
A 26: We haven’t placed a Bai‘at as a precondition. Whosoever does Zikr by this method has joined the Silsilah and can acquire all blessing. Taking Bai‘at is Sunnah and Sunnah has its own blessings. The blessings acquired by a Bai‘at seeker are many times more. However, this is a personal decision. We don’t differentiate whether a seeker has taken Bai‘at or not.
Q 27: After meeting the Sheikh once, when again should a seeker meet him?
A 27: My brother, I have a very vivid experience of this feeling. When we met the Sheikh, we felt the same saturation as a thirsty person feels after drinking water to his full. Gradually, this feeling of fullness started decreasing and led to a stage, where it became impossible to withstand the spiritual thirst anymore. How does someone feel? It depends upon his individual connection with his Sheikh. Love is not measured in terms of time, but in terms of the intensity of feelings. Every soul has its own state, how deeply is someone overwhelmed by love! It is the strength of the relationship, the love and the connection with the Sheikh that matters. Every moment spent in the company of the Sheikh has its own value. Men of God have to strive to earn this time, in the same way that a student works hard for his examination or a businessman strives to develop his business. To remain in the company of the Sheikh with sincerity and absorb his Tawajjuh is the real objective. The company of the Sheikhs denotes adsorption of his direct Tawajjuh during Zikr with him. However, if one doesn’t have enough time, then just seeing the Sheikh, meeting him and remaining in his company for some moments can also satiate the spiritual thirst to a great extent. The company of the Sheikh has its strange effects, here hearts communicate with hearts.
Q 28: Is there any different between performing Zikr on the Internet and in Dar ul Irfan?
A 28: One of the difference between doing Zikr on the Internet and in Dar ul Irfan is that of physical nearness. Then, the Masjid and area of Dar ul Irfan has its own Barakah; whoever did Zikr here, whoever visited here and whose Barakah are present here, Dar ul Irfan thus enjoys a unique distinction. Just by coming in the Masjid, without even doing Zikr, one starts experiencing spiritual feelings. Even those people who don’t do Zikr and seldom offer Salah, express that upon entering the Masjid, they also experience a different state, while they are neither Zakireen nor belong to the Halqah. Although one gets full Tawajjuh during Zikr on the Internet, because it is direct, online Zikr, but it is second to the Zikr in Dar ul Irfan.
Q 29: Even in Dar ul Irfan, we tend to make mistakes, usually unconsciously, though, at times, deliberately. What is remedy for this?
A 29: This is the indication of being human. If a human being does not make mistakes, he is an angel and not a human being, though HE hasn’t created us as angels. It is not the omission, but the sincerity for Allah’s obedience that is important. At times, a person feels so pained by his omission and repents so sincerely that he earns greater reward for this repentance that for the good deed that he had omitted. The criterion defined by the Holy Quraan is ‘They don’t insist on what they have done’. If the slaves of Allah commit a mistake, they don’t make it a hobby or profession; it rather perturbs them, they repent and seek forgiveness from Allah and beg HIS pardon. As far as making a mistake is concerned, to err is human; no one other than Prophets is immune from errors. Only they are innocent and no one else. Even when someone is granted a high spiritual status, he may receive Allah’s protection, but he can’t become innocent. Zikr attracts Divine protection, but still small errors and mistakes do remain an integral part of human nature. A human being remains a human being!