Questions and Answers about Tasawwuf
Questions of Ahbab Answered by
His Eminence Ameer Muhammad Akram Awan
Sheikh Silsilah Naqshbandiah Owaisiah
Q: 13 Are the Lata`if and Maraqbaat affected if a Zakir eats the market food or the food prepared by someone who doesn’t offer Salah?
A: 13 Even if such food is Halaal(permitted), a certain type of Nahusat (impurity, inauspiciousness, impiety) is produced in it for remaining in the market. Being Halaal is one aspect while being Tayyib (pure, clean) is another. It will be Tayyib, only if the cook is Tayyib and the hands preparing it are also Tayyib. If the food is Halaal but not Tayyib, then the soot of its impiety will also affect the Qalb and Lata`if. Every human being radiates the effect of his/her persona. Whenever a person who doesn’t offer Salah or a greedy, hungry or an impious person looks at the food in the market, it transfers his/her effect to the food. This radiation is like soot. When, in the beginning, there were only a couple of us, doing Lata`if, Sheikh ul Mukarram-RuA advised us, ‘You must offer Salah with Jama‘at (congregation) in the Masjid, but only the Fardh Salah. Offer the Sunnah Salah in you home, before going to the Masjid and offer the remaining Salah back at home. If you have to offer the remaining Salah in the Masjid, separate yourself from others offering Salah. Their effect is enough to bock your Lata`if.’ The influence of those who forsake Salah is even worse. Even those who offer Salah but their hearts are not illuminated are overwhelmed by worldly thoughts and the soot of worldly concerns. The Lata`if are influenced by offering Salah with them, even if they don’t indulge in any conversation. Visiting the market for the sake of window-shopping or passing time is plainly detrimental, such activities are simply harmful.
Q: 14 Is the seventh Latifah ‘Sultan al-Azkaar’ a Latifah of the body or of the Rooh or of both?
A: 14 My brother, Lata`if are essentially from ‘Aalam-e Amr and are elements of the Rooh. Not only the seventh, but all Lata`if belong to ‘Aalam-e Amr. Mujaddid Alif Thani-RuA has written in his ‘Maktoobat’ that a human being has not been raised from five elements( clay, water, fire, air and the Nafs that comes into being with combination of these four elements), but from ten elements that are in clued Qalb, Rooh, Sirri, Khaffi and Akhfa. Lata`if are elements of the Rooh. The Rooh permeates the body, therefore the body is directly affected by the illumination of Lata`if. And when this light spreads through the body, each cell of the body is illuminated and also becomes a Zakir. The Holy Quraan mentions, ‘Then soften their skins and their hearts towards Allah’s Zikr’. The fact is that unless the organs of the body become a Zakir, a person cannot ward of neglect. Even a pious worshipper cannot worship, and the possibility of his experiencing this state outside worship is remote. For this reason, Qazi Thana Ullah Panipatti-RuA, in his ‘Tafseer-e Mazhari’ has graded performance of Zikr-e Qalbi as ‘Wajib’ (obligatory) for every Muslim male and female.
Q: 15 What will be the effect of Maraqbaat in the life of Barzakh (life of the hereafter)?
A: 15 Maraqbaat are the currency of Barzakh. They will have exactly the same effect as that of currency in its own country. The righteous scholars opine that, after Fardh and Sunnah worship, Maraqbaat are superior to Nawafil worship. The accomplished Mashaikh also advise frequent Maraqbaat.
Q: 16 What is meant by the Rooh’s ability to fly?
A: 16 There is a method of Zikr know as ‘Pas Anfas’ (guarding the breath), which has been adopted by our Silsilah. After doing Zikr on the Lata`if the meditation of Rabitah (conection) is taught. When this connection grows strong, the Rooh flies through it to higher spiritual stations. This is known as ‘Flight of the Rooh’.
Q: 17 How does the body remain alive, when Rooh goes to spiritual stations during meditations?
A: 17 If you don’t have the meditations, how will you understand how the body remains alive when the Rooh ascends to spiritual stations? If the sun doesn’t explode after dissipation light to the whole world, similarly the body doesn’t die when the Rooh leaves it to go to spiritual stations. It retains its connection with the body during meditations; however, this connection is severed at the time of death. The state of death is different, while the states of meditations are different. Consider this tiny, material eye. When you look towards the sky or the moon and sun, the sight reaches there in an instant. Does the eye explode when the sight leaves and returns? If the material eyes posses this capacity, you cannot imagine the strength and capability of the Rooh.
Q: 18 Is the Rooh disfigured into the form of an animal because of evil deeds?
A: 18 This is correct. If the form of the Rooh changes into that of Halaal (permitted, acceptable) animal, in accordance with Hadith, that person can hope for Salvation. Due to weaknesses and shortfalls in deeds, the Rooh doesn’t retain its human form (because that person has fallen below the human level). If the Iman (faith) is not lost, it remains in the form of a Halaal animal with a possibility of Salvation in the Hereafter. But, if the Iman is also washed away, it is disfigured to assume the form of a Haraam (prohibited, impious, despicable) animal. In the beginning, Sheikh Allah Yaar Khan-RuA used to conduct the meditation of ‘Observation of Forms’ regularly; later he stopped it. If this meditation is conducted with due attention, it can be observed bow many people of a city retain their human form and how many have fallen below the human level and have turned into pythons, pigs, bears and monkeys. If those people whose Rooh have been disfigured don’t repent before death, they will be thrown into Jahannam (Hell) in the same form. They will not be granted the human form, because the human form is the distinction of those slaves of Allah who attain to Salvation and of the dwellers of Jannah (Paradise).
Q: 19 What is the remedy for evil whispers occurring during Maraqbaat (meditations)?
A: 19 There is only one remedy for such whispers and that is to pay them no attention. There is just no other remedy for Wasaawis. The Shari‘ah also attaches no importance to Wasaawis and instead gives importance to certainty. For example, you made Wudhu; then a thought crosses your mind that the Wudhu has broken. But it will be the certainty of making Wudhu that shall be taken into account and not the mere thought of its breaking. Therefore it will be proper to offer Salah with that Wudhu. Let’s say a man is offering Salah and is sure that he has prayed four Rak‘at (cycles), but becomes unsure that he has prayed only three. He will need to act upon his sureness and not on his thought. It is the Yaqeen (certainty) that is important and not the Waswasah (stray thought).
Q: 20 It is my utmost effort to spent time in noble deeds, by Allah’s Grace. However, evil thoughts keep occupying the mind. What is the way to get rid of evil thoughts?
A: 20 Only one! Don’t given them any importance at all, and they will, Insha Allah, subside by themselves. What happens is that Satan induces a whisper and we, due to our weakness, start thinking about it. Then it doesn’t remain Satan’s whisper any more, it becomes our own illusion and thought. If Allah grant the strength and a person rejects it, doesn’t care about it, ignores it and doesn’t assign any importance to it, then it canishes by itself. This is the only way. You may start reciting ‘La Haula wa La Quwwata illa Billah’ or Darood Shareef. Keep reciting Darood Shareef; that is the best remedy.
Q: 21 What should a Salik do, when the devil induces evil thought in the Qalb, about the Sheikh?
A: 21 My brother, if Shaitan doesn’t try to instigate, will he advise a Salik to remain in the company of a good person? Shaitan should try to instigate, that is his job. If he doesn’t do it there should be a complaint. But he doesn’t try this trick with every one. The Holy Prophet-SAW said ‘Shaitan leaves that way from where Umar-RAUis coming’. Shaitan knew that his trick won’t succeed and he will receive a thrashing. We have spent a life time with our Masheikh. They were human beings, better than many and not better than some. They also had feuds with people, faced cases in the courts and encountered all the ups and downs of life. But Shaitan never had the nerve to instigate us against our Sheikh. I had once remarked ‘Whether we remain in this Silsilah or not, is a separate issue, but it is a sure fact that this is an absolutely true Silsilah’. Such problems are the results of our own weaknesses; when we don’t make the proper effort, don’t devote time and don’t pay attention, Shaitan will most certainly avail himself of the opportunity. If we two brothers fight, a third person will come over to me to backbite my brother, because he knows that now I want to listen to ill about my brother. Shaitan is also a great opportunist; he will talk to only those, where he sees a chance. He will try to incite only those who are indulging in evil deeds, forsaking Salah and Zikr, and weakening the relationship with their Sheikh. If you don’t provide him the opportunity, he won’t talk against the Sheikh.