KHWAJA NIZAMUDDIN AULIYA

The real name of Khwaja Nizamuddin Auliya was Muhammad bin Ahmad bin Ali Bukhari. He was born in Badaun in 1236 A.D. His grandparents had come from Bukhara and settled down in India. His father died when he was just five years old. His mother Zulaykha was a very pious lady. It was owing to her influence that Nizamuddin Auliya reached such spiritual heights. His mother secured his admission to a madrasa. 

Here he read the Qur'an and other religious books. Her mother gave him the best education available. After learning the Qur'an by heart, he began his studies in Arabic and Persian languages and in Fiqh and Kalam. He worked hard at his studies and very soon he acquired mastery over all of these. When he was twenty years old his mother took him to Delhi for higher studies. The famous religious scholars of the time, Maulana Shamsuddin and Maulana Kamaluddin taught him theology. He soon acquired a vast knowledge in Fiqh and Kalam.

He gained mastery over logic. He excelled in debate and discussion. For this he came to be called Mulla Nizamuddin Bahhas (the great debater). But he was not satisfied with his knowledge in theology and logic. His spiritual self yearned for some spiritual saint to show him the path to true spirituality. The knowledge of form (fiqh and theology) did not appeal to him much. He hankered for the knowledge of the spirit (tasawwuf) which alone could quench his deep thirst for

spirituality.

In the meantime he happened to hear that there lived a spiritual saint in Ajodhan by the name of Baba Farid. So he left for Pakpatan to benefit spiritually from the great Chishti mystic, Khwaja Fariduddin Ganj Shakar. He was warmly welcomed by the saint. Baba Farid placed his own cap on his head symbolizing formal initiation in Chishti order.

By becoming a disciple of Khwaja Shaikh his spiritual qualities— piety, purity, righteousness, devotion— were greatly enhanced. Soon he was so well versed in the mystic path that Baba Fariduddin appointed Nizamuddin Auliya as his Khalifa and directed him to go to Delhi. Accordingly, Nizamuddin Auliya came to Delhi and set up a Khanqah here.

From his Khanqah he began to disseminate the message of the Chishti order as he had received from Baba Fariduddin. He worked very hard for the expansion of the Chishti order. It was very difficult

to go on without seeking any help from the kings and governors but Nizamuddin Auliya’s devotion and determination compensated for this. 

He managed to infuse a new spirit in the organization of the Chishti order. His untiring effort ultimately brought fruit. A large number of Khanqahs came into existence. About 700 senior disciples (Khalifas) worked in different parts of the country

The most important point that is to be noted is that before Nizamuddin Auliya the emphasis was on individual salvation while now this matter of salvation was turned into a mass movement. This marked the beginning of a new phase in the history of Islamic mysticism. Never before any order had worked for the moral and spiritual regeneration on such a large scale. Shaikh Nizamuddin settled at Ghiyaspur and planned to spread the Chishti teachings to all sections of people. Shaikh was very firm and clear that only those disciples who are least interested in government service will be given the khilafat nama. These were the basic principles on which the Shaikh organized his silsila in Delhi and other places.

These principles shows his deep commitment to human values. These are as follows:

1. The Murids (disciples) must seek the blessing of God through the service of His creatures. Service of mankind was considered bythe Shaikh of greater spiritual significance than formal acts of worship.

2. Baba Farid’s ideal of love and amity was to inspire the lives of allthose who were associated with the order. There was to be no discrimination between one human being and another. All were to be treated as Children of God.

This was a revolutionary concept. Helping one’s fellow human beings brought limitless reward. Thus this spiritual movement was turned into humanitarian activity by the Shaikh. The goal before his disciples was to remove sin and suffering from society.

Shaikh Nizamuddin observed that God does not discriminate between one individual and another. The sun gives light and warmth to all people, rich and poor, kings and commoner all. The rains benefit both rich and poor people. Similarly a mystic too must transcend all barriers of cast, creed, colour, language etc., in dealing with human beings — all were equally God’s creatures.

Once Shaikh Muinuddin Chishti was asked to explain the highest form of religious devotion which brought man closer to God, he observed:

“Develop river-like generosity, sun-like bounty and earth-like hospitality.” (Siyarul Auliya) Nizamuddin Auliya is known also by the titles of Mahboob-e- Ilahi, the Beloved of God, and Sultanul Aulia, the king of the saints. He died at the age of 91 and was buried in Delhi. One of the saint’s famous disciples was Amir Khusru, a courtier and a well-known Persian poet. He was so deeply attached to Nizamuddin Auliya that he died in grief in A.D. 1325 at the death of his pir.

Source & Credit: CPS Global

SHAIKH AHMAD SIRHINDI (MUJADDID ALF-E-SANI) 1563-1624

Shaikh Ahmad, popularly known as Mujaddid Alf-e-Sani, belonged to the Naqshbandi Order of Sufism. Khwaja Bahauddin Naqshband was the founder of this Order. The first saint of this order to enter India was Khwaja Baqi Billah. He settled in Delhi where he died after three years.

Shaikh Ahmad, disciple and khalifa of Khwaja Baqi Billah, was born in 1563-64 in Sirhind. Shaikh Ahmad’s father, Shaikh Abdul Ahmad was a very distinguished Sufi of his time. In 1598-99 when his father died, Ahmad left his home for making pilgrimage to Mecca. On his way he was introduced to Baqi Billah in Delhi. The saint asked him to stay for a week with him. But soon Ahmad came under his influence and agreed to stay longer. Finally he gave up the idea of making the pilgrimage and became a disciple of Baqi Billah. At the end of two months he was appointed Khalifa by his new pir and sent back to Sirhind.

Ahmad was in Lahore when news reached him of the death of his pir, so he hastened to Delhi where he was acknowledged as the head of the Naqshbandi Order. He was soon acclaimed as the much-needed Mujaddid, or reformer of Islam. His fame soon spread far and wide. He not only acted as a pir but also purged Islam of numerous heretical teachings which were current among Muslims, much of it was due to the influence of Din-e-Elahi, a religion founded by Emperor Akbar. Ahmad was thus hailed as the Saviour of Islam. His success however was more marked in the reign of Jahangir, when many of the leading officers of the court became his followers. He also managed to effect certain religious reforms among the Emperor’s soldiers. Jahangir was so impressed with his saintly life that he became his disciple.

On his advice the Emperor made several changes in matters of state. For instance, the custom of falling prostrate before the king, which had been in force from the time of Akbar, was discontinued.

A new mosque was built close to the Diwan-e-Am in the fort, for the special convenience of the king and his courtiers, and the Sunni code was adopted as the law of state.

He thus succeeded, by the grace of God, to extirpate the heresies introduced by Akbar, and purged sufism of many of those un- Islamic elements which had become attached to it through its long history. It was because of his efforts that the doctrines of mysticism were harmonised with the teachings of the Quran and Sunnah. Shaikh Ahmad forbade his disciples to make use of the following

practices: the use of music; dancing, while in the state of ecstasy; prostration before one’s pir; the worship of saints and shrines, and illuminating the tombs of saints. Shaikh Ahmad is credited with as many as 644 treatises on different religious subjects. His teachings are mainly embodied in a

series of letters. Shaikh Ahmad died in 1624 in Sirhind.

The rights of parents in islam

The Qur'an has made it compulsory for the child to treat his parents with all goodness and mercy. God says in the Qur'an:

“And your Lord has commanded that you worship none but Him and that you be kind to parents. If either one or both of them reach old age with you, show them sign of impatience nor chide them, but address them in terms of honour, and out of kindness lower to them your wing of humility and say, “My Lord and Sustainer, have mercy on them both as they nurtured, cherished and sustained me in childhood.” (17:23-24)

Thus every adult Muslim must show goodness and mercy to his parents throughout their lives. There is only one exception to this. That is, if the parents ask their children to commit shirk, that is, to associate anything with God, then the child is not to obey his parent. In all other cases the children must show love and gratitude to their parents. They must always speak to them gently and respectfully. They must try their best to make them happy, if that does not involve any disobedience to God. The children must take great care not to react to what their parents have to say. If they say or do anything which is not liked or approved of by the children, then they must show patience and tolerance instead of giving rent to their anger. The children must scrupulously try to refrain from disobeying their parents, since the Prophet of Islam regarded this as one of the major sin, next only

to it is especially when the parents have grown old that they need great care and attention. Far from showing signs of displeasure, the children must pray for them to God in these words of the Qur’an: “My Lord and Sustainer! Be kind and have mercy on them as they cherished, nurtured and sustained me in childhood.”

We must continue praying for them even after they have died. Such prayer will be regarded as a continuous charity (sadaqa jaria) as the Prophet has told us.

The children must be more kind and grateful to their mother since she takes greater pains so far as the upbringing of the children sare concerned. That is why the Prophet has told us expressly that it is the mother who has the first claim on the child’s care and attention.

Once a companion of the Prophet asked him as to whom he should show kindness. The Prophet replied: “Your mother.” He asked who came next and the Prophet again replied “Your mother.” He asked the Prophet yet again who came next. The Prophet replied, Your mother.” When the companion asked for the fourth time, only then did the prophet reply, “Your father.”

One of the benefits of being good and kind to parents is that goodness and kindness is passed on from one generation to another. As the Prophet has said:

“Be good and kind to your parents and your children will be good and kind to you.”

THE RIGHTS OF RELATIVES IN ISLAM

A Muslim is required to maintain a good relationship with his relatives. According to a saying of the Prophet, we should visit our relatives, inquire about their circumstances, spend on them and give them sadaqa (voluntary charity) if they are poor.

According to another hadith, if any one of our relatives does not treat us well, even then we have to treat him well. As we know, Islam enjoins us not only to be good to those who are good to us, but also to be good to those who are not good to us. This shows exemplary moral character according to the standard of Islam.

Here are some relevant verses of the Qur’an:

“Give your relatives their due...” (17:26)
“Allah commands justice, kindness and giving to near relatives...” (19:90)
“And show kindness to your parents and to near relatives...” (4:36)

The essence of Islam is thus to serve God and do good to our fellow creatures, including the animals. The worship of Allah is linked up with kindness to parents, kindred, and those in want. It is not a matter of verbal kindness. They have certain rights which must be fulfilled.

From the Qur'an and traditions we find that the institution of the family can only be maintained by feelings of well-wishing and kindness. So the Islamic laws of morality and decency must be observed. If we want to earn God’s pleasure and blessings we must abide by the Quranic injunctions, and extend our full support to our relatives.

Rights of Neighbours in Islam

“Do you know what the rights of neighbours are?” asked the Prophet. And then he went on to give a list:

“Help him if he asks for your help.
Give him relief if he seeks relief from you.
Give him a loan if he needs one.
Show him concern if he is distressed.
Nurse him when he is ill.
Attend his funeral if he dies.
Congratulate him if he meets with any good.
Sympathise with him if any calamity befalls him.”

This tradition show that we are not only supposed to have good will towards our neighbours but we should also offer practical help whenever they are in need. Nobody can be a believer, said the
Prophet, if his neighbours pass the night hungry, while he has his stomach full.

This hadith tells us that nobody can be a true believer unless his neighbours feel secure from his hands and tongue. We are urged to be good and helpful to our neighbours in particular for they,
being near, have more right to our goodness and assistance.

Such great emphasis laid by the Prophet on our good treatment of our neighbours shows that the aim of Islam is to awaken the springs of goodness in the human heart. If we can become good to our immediate neighbours, then that will be a guarantee of our being good to others people. For constant good conduct will surely develop a good moral character in us and that will surely reflect in our dealings with whoever we come in contact with.

If we observe the injunction of the Prophet in this matter, then without doubt we shall contribute to strengthening society with the bonds of love, affection and brotherhood.

THE BATTLE OF BADR

The Quraysh marched to Madinah with a thousand strong army. They camped at Badr, about eighty miles from Madinah. It was the month of Ramadan, 2 A.H. On hearing the news of the enemy camping at Badr, the Prophet marched out of Madinah at the head of an army of 313 Muslims. There were few horses and the Muslims had no armours. The Makkans, on the other hand, were well armed and had 300 horses and 700 camels.

The battle, in which the Makkans were seriously outnumbered, began on Friday the 17th of Ramadan. The fighting lasted only a few hours, during which the Prophet prayed continuously for divine succour. God then sent angels to help the Muslims who emerged victorious. The Quraysh suffered a total rout.

The defeat, however, did not teach the Quraysh a lesson, but further enraged them. Determined to wipe out the blot of this humiliation, they now began preparations for a second attack, on a much bigger scale. They raised an army of more than 3000 warriors and mad with revenge, marched to Madinah led by Abu Sufyan.

The Battle of Uhud took place in 624 A.D. The enemy numbered 3000 while the Prophet’s men numbered only 700. But with God on their side, the Muslims successfully repulsed the attack. The enemy started retreating, leaving behind large quantities of booty. Victory was eminent for the Muslims, when forty archers whom the Prophet had assigned to the hillside to guard the pass, saw the retreating army and thought that if they remained on the hill, they would lose their share of the booty.

Therefore most of them abandoned their posts. This left the way open for a counter attack.

When Khalid bin Walid, still a non-Muslim, saw the pass undefended, he led his men behind the hill and killed the few archers who still stood guard. Then he fell upon the Muslims from the back. Seeing this, the fleeing Quraysh leaders turned back. The Muslims were thrown into utter confusion. The Prophet himself was wounded. But the Muslims stood like a solid wall of stone around the Prophet, and managed to repulse all attacks with superhuman courage. Many fell dead and several wounded. They had gone to the extent of sacrificing their lives to save the Prophet from the enemy onslaught. Slowly the enemy was beaten back.

The Quraysh lost 14 men, while the Muslims lost 70. Among the dead was Hamzah, the Prophet’s uncle. The Prophet grieved over the loss of this brave soul. With deep sorrow the martyrs were

buried and the Muslims came back to Madinah.

The Quraysh knew at heart that the Muslims would have emerged victorious, had not the fateful mistake of a few Muslims had turned their victory into defeat. So for two years they made no attempt to invade Makkah.

What is Allah?

Mr. B argues that there are angels walking around us every day. Mr. C argues that this is not
possible, because angels do not even need to walk! Mr. B answers that to him every mother is an
angel. Obviously, with this definition of angels, as put forward by Mr. B, the whole argument about
angels walking around us or not will find a different shape. What Mr. B meant by ‘angel’ was very
different with what Mr. C had in mind.
One of the mistakes that believers in Allah often do, is that they jump into proving Allah with atheists
before first defining what they mean by Allah. We need to appreciate that there are numerous
religions out there and that their understanding of what Allah is, is not necessarily the same. How can
we prove a concept when we have not yet clarified what we mean by it?

So if you agree that it is important to define what we mean by Allah before trying to prove it, then
how do you define Allah? There are many ways to define Allah and I am not after finding a robust and an academically correct definition here. I am only trying to think about those features of Allah that are unique to Him and will help us through the rest of our search for the truth.

Accordingly, I want to use two words for Allah:
- Limitless
- Independent

The above two are in fact interrelated; I mean if one is limitless then one is also independent. Since
the Allah that I know is limitless and independent,  Well, of course any one can ask me that, but it would be a question based on a wrong assumption, that is, the assumption that my Allah too has some of the limited attributes of other limited beings. Well, the Allah that I am arguing for, is limitless and
therefore the question of who created Him is irrelevant. Allah as I define it (learning from the Qur’an) was always there, even when there was no dimension of time (and you see how limited is the human language: ‘when’ there ‘was’ no dimension of time!).
Now that I have defined what I mean by Allah, I will argue that not only He exists but that in fact His
existence is logically necessary

Provided by IN SEARCH OF THE TRUTH (IST) Volume 1 - Foundations (Version 1, March 2012)
Abdullah Rahim Understanding – Islam UK

What is ‘existence’?

We exist because we are aware of our existence. We are also aware of the existence of the universe, animals, plants, objects and the rest of what we can see around us or are aware of. No doubt there is tremendous difference between the different types of beings in this world. An object, a plant, an animal and a human being are very different. There is however one thing in common between all of them, that is, they all ‘exist’. The Question is what some of the main features or possible features of ‘existence’ are.

Qur’an answers1: The Qur’an in 2:117 and 16:40 (and many other verses) implies that there is ‘non-existence’ versus ‘existence’. In other words, there was a situation where things that currently exist , did not exist. Also in 35:15 and 28:88 the Qur’an categorizes existence into two types, an existence that is limited, dependent and in its way to being perished and the existence that is limitless, independent and never perishing.

Explanation:
There are three important points that need to be appreciated at this stage:
First: the fact that we are surrounded by ‘existing things’ should not blur our vision to deny the possibility of ‘nonexistence’ (which is different from existing in another form). We can certainly say that a horse which is bigger than the  Eiffel Tower and can fly does NOT exist. This easily proves that we can appreciate the concept of ‘non-existence’ and that there are ‘things’ that can be categorized as ‘non-existing’ in the real world although they may exist in our imagination.

Second: what we see around us are all limited and dependent beings. We can clearly see and are aware that things are depending on each other and if what they are dependent on does not support them, they will perish and cease to exist or at least they will cease to exist in the form that they used to be.

Third: the above does not negate the ‘possibility’ that there ‘can’ be a being that depends on nothing; a being that everything else is dependent on, and has always existed and never perishes. Note that at this stage, we are not discussing whether such a being really exists. We are only making the point that it is possible to have such a being.

The Sufi way (Tariqa)

In Sufism, therefore, there is the road (sing. tariqa, pl. turuq; this term went on to refer a Sufi order) and mystic travel, or suluk. One who undertakes a journey along this road is called a salik, or traveller. The mystical path is, in principle, open to every one. According to the Sufis anybody can

attain the higher forms of religious knowledge, but if one is to do it the Sufi way, it must be done under the guidance of a shaykh, also called a murshid or pir. The salik receives the rite of initiation from his shaykh or murshid, who in turn has received it from his shaykh and so on, with the chain of

transmission of spiritual influence (barakah) going back to the Prophet himself. The Sufis believe that the Prophet conferred this right on only some of his companions, in particular the caliphs Abu Bakr and Ali, who in turn passed it on to their followers. In this way, this right has been passed

on in unbroken succession up to the present day. This chain of succession is known in Arabic as silsila5 , and it is a living tradition transmitted personally from master to disciple. A disciple is thus above all a seeker, or talib6 , then a traveller, or salik, and finally, if God so pleases, a gnostic, or arif. But the spiritual realization cannot be achieved without the initiation, counsel, and guidance of the shaykh, or spiritual master. Those aspiring to follow the Sufi path approach a shaykh to be initiated into a spiritual lineage or, silsila. As every lineage goes back to the Prophet, all the orders (silsilas) are necessarily traced to one or the other of the companions whom the Prophet initiated himself. In the early phase of Sufism there were many great Sufi masters and they had their followers,

 but the movement was not institutionalized. The regular orders began to be established only in the 11th and 12th century AD and the first great Sufi order was the Qadri order, or tariqa, founded by Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani (1071- 1166). This was followed by the Suhrawardi order of Abu’l Najib Suhrawardi (1098-1168) and the Naqshbandi order of Khwaja Baha’ ud din Naqshbandi (1318-1389). Another great order, the Chishti order, traces its origin to Chisht near Herat, where the spiritual founder of the order, Khwaja Abu Ishaq Shami (d. 940) dwelled. However it was Muinuddin Chishti (d.1236) who brought the silsila to India and laid its foundations by establishing a flourishing centre in Ajmer. Both the physical and the spiritual life of a Sufi revolves around his shaykh and the shaykh dispenses any guidance his disciple might require, starting from the exigencies of everyday life and ending with the spiritual guidance that aims at losing oneself in God. Such guidance is personalized and tailored to the individual capacities and needs of the disciple, gradually
introducing him to techniques that would effectively enable him to attain the spiritual goal. Of these techniques the most numerous are pertaining to dhikr – remembrance of God.

The Beginnings of Sufism

The Sufis trace the origin of Sufism or tasawwuf to the Prophet of Islam. They believe that there were two dimensions to the revelations received by the Prophet: one took the form of the words of the Qu’ran, the other that of the divine inspiration within his heart. The former was meant for all, while the latter was to be imparted to the chosen few and conveyed directly ‘from heart to heart’. ‘Book knowledge’ or the knowledge of the words of the Qur’an and hadith was known as ilm-e-safina, while ‘the knowledge of the heart’ was known as ilm-e-sina. The religious scholars or ulama (sing. alim) were experts in the knowledge of the Qur’an and hadith, but it was claimed that ‘the knowledge of the heart’ remained with those called the Sufis.

The claim of the Sufis that tasawwuf had its source in the life of the Prophet and his companions is based on certain facts. The Prophet led an extremely simple life. He avoided all luxuries. Any valuable presents received by him were immediately disposed of in charity. His personal possessions, even at the time when the whole of Arabia acknowledged his supremacy, comprised of no more than an ordinary mattress to sleep on and a pitcher to keep water in. He fasted for months on end and slept little preferring to spend the major portion of the night in prayers (73:20). His very life was the proof and the example of his knowledge and commitment to both the theoretical concepts of Islam as well as its everyday practice.

The faith and practice of Islam is made up of three elements, which together form the basis of Islamic religion. These are: iman, or belief in the revealed word of God; itaah, or compliance with the shahaadah (Islamic creed); and ihsan, or the practice of virtue and sincerity. Umar, a companion

of the Prophet and the second Caliph, narrates a tradition, which elucidates these three elements: 

“One day when we were with the Prophet of God, there came to him a man whose clothes were of an exceeding whiteness, and his hair was of an exceeding blackness, nor were there any signs of travel upon him. Although none of us had seen him before, he sat down opposite the Prophet. He asked the Prophet to tell him what is meant by surrender to God (Islam). The Prophet answered: ‘The surrender is that you should say prayers five times, fast during Ramadan, pay zakat and, if you can, go on the pilgrimage to the Sacred house (the Kabah).’ He said: ‘You have spoken truly.’ We were amazed that, having questioned the Prophet, he should corroborate what he said.

“Then he said: ‘Tell me what faith (iman) is.’ Then the Prophet said: ‘It is that you should believe in God, in angels and the books, the prophets and the Last Day, and you should believe that no good or evil comes but by His providence.’ ‘You have spoken truly,’ he said. Then he said, ‘Tell me what

excellence, ihsan, is.’ The Prophet answered, ‘It is that you should worship God as if you saw Him, or if you do not see Him, truly, He sees you.’ Then the stranger went away. Umar Farooq, the Prophet’s companion, says that he stayed there long after that person had gone, until the Prophet said to him, ‘O Umar, do you know who the questioner was?’ He said, ‘God and His Prophet know best, but I do not know at all.’ ‘It was Gabriel,’ said the Prophet. ‘He came to teach you your religion.”

The Sufis lay most emphasis on ihsan. Put most simply, ihsan can be described as that level of devotion at which the devotee is completely absorbed in the worship of God. The Sufis strongly believe that there are many levels of excellence in the actual practice of ihsan, and the objective of the Sufi practice is to raise this level of excellence. That is why they define true ihsan as the attainment of that level of devotion at which one begins to experience the presence of God.

The Qur’an indeed lays down that the path of virtue lies between hope and fear. It is very clear on this point when it says: “And pray to Him with fear and hope; His mercy is within reach of the righteous.” (7:55). However, according to the Sufi definition, consciousness of the fact that the Lord is watching our every movement and knows the innermost recesses of  hearts corresponds only to the lower level of devotion and prayer. When one is conscious of God’s ever-watchful eye, one cannot but desist from evil actions. It is in this sense that prayer keeps us from indecency and evil, as

stated in the Qur’an. (29:45)

However, only a prayer inspired by true intention (niyat) can yield the desired result. Some merely wish to lead a pious life aimed at salvation in the next life. This is the first level of piety: God is watching us and, as a result, we desist from sin. Some aim at experiencing Him face to face in this life. 

This is the second level of piety according to the Sufis. Thus, when one whose heart is filled with love of God prostrates himself before Him and at that moment has the experience of seeing God face to face, this state of total absorption results in ecstasy.

The Sufis strive for and attest to having the experience of seeing God, Whom they call their Beloved One, face to face. There are instances of Sufis falling senseless when possessed by the ecstasy of extreme love.

The Sufis say that the Prophet and some of his companions were totally absorbed in their prayers every time they prayed and that this complete absorption in prayer is the foundation of tasawwuf. According to the Sufis this higher level of excellence in worship, which might lead to ecstasy, may be achieved through dhikr. Dhikr literally means remembering God. The Qur’an says “Remember God always so that you may prosper.” (62:10) At yet another place, it says: “Believers, be ever mindful of God: praise Him morning and evening.” (33:41-42).

The Sufis gave dhikr a formal, well-defined shape by attaching greater importance to its popular rather than the Qur’anic meaning. They invented a number of ways for calling out the name of God—silently, loudly, and even accompanied by music or the beating of drums—as a means of achieving their goal. 

The Ulama, representing the orthodox point of view, objected to the Sufis giving such great importance to the mere recitation or chanting of the words of the Qur’an. They held that for the understanding of the message of  Islam, it is not the recitation of the words which is important, but rather the spirit of prayer, the attachment to God, and the willingness to surrender one’s will to His will by pursuing and reflecting upon the meaning of the divine words. And that when the spirit is fully observed, the desired spiritual benefit can be achieved from the words of the Qur’an.

see the  the sufi way

History of sufism

The meaning of the term Sufi:

Sufism (tasawwuf) is the name given to mysticism in Islam. The term Sufism embraces the philosophy and practices which aim at direct communion between God and man, and those who practice Sufism are called Sufis.

Scholars differ as to the derivation of the term Sufi, for it is not mentioned in the Qur’an or the books of hadith, nor does it figure in the standard Arab dictionaries that were compiled as late as the 8th century A.D. According to Qushayri (d. 465/1074), author of al Risala, the word Sufi was used as a

generic term to describe individuals adopting a particular religious attitude based on austerity and spirituality, and came into usage only at the beginning of the 9th century. This he explains simply: ‘After the Prophet Muhammad, sahabi (companion) was the only title given to the Muslims of that period.

This was the highest title for them, and they therefore required no other title for their piety and religiosity. The next generation that received religious education directly from the sahaba was called tabiin (followers of the companions), while the title taba tabiin (followers of the followers of the

companions) was the title given to those who had received religious training from the tabiin.’ According to Khaliq Ahmad Nizami1 , those who devoted their lives to religious studies and religious devotion after the times of the tabii were called zahid – ‘the pious’ - and abid – ‘the servant (of Allah)’. 

It is only in relation to the succeeding generations that one comes across the term Sufi. According to Abdur Rahman Jami2 , who quotes earlier sources, the first spiritualist to be given the title of Sufi was Shaykh Abu Hashim Kufi Let us examine the etymological meaning and origin of the term Sufi. It is made up of three Arabic letters: s- w- f, but there is much scholarly dispute surrounding it. One view is that the word Sufi is derived from the Arabic word saf, which means line or row, referring here to those early Muslim contemporaries of the Prophet who stood in the first row during prayer, having reached the mosque well in time. Others contend that the word is derived from the word suffa, the verandah or porch of the Prophet’s mosque in Madinah.

The traditions say that a number of the companions of the Prophet who had no home stayed in this verandah. They spent their time in worship, in learning by heart the verses of the Qur’an and memorizing the words of the Prophet. They disengaged themselves from worldly activities. The Prophet and his companions looked after their needs.

Since the porch of the mosque had virtually become their home, they came to be called Ashaab-i Suffa or ‘People of the Porch’. However, the majority of the scholars are of the opinion that the word Sufi comes from the word suf, or wool. This is because most of the early pious people were inclined to asceticism and wore undyed, coarse woolen garments. The rough cloth symbolized voluntary poverty and renunciation of the world with all its pleasures. See beginning of Sufism

Benefits of wudu

The Prophet (PBUH) of mankind, the peace of our heart and mind, the most generous and kind has narrated, “Those loving each other for the sake of Allah when meet and shake hands and recite Durud Sharif upon the Holy Prophet   their preceding and succeeding sins are forgiven before they go apart.”

(Musnad Abi Ya’la, pp. 95, vol. 3,  adiš 2951)

this article is about Ablution (Wudu)  and its role in healthy life. 

Embracing Islam by Virtue of Wu du (Ablution)

A person states that he offered Islam to a university student in Belgium.The student asked him scientific benefits of WuFu. He could not answer. He carried him to a religious scholar but he also had no knowledge about it. Another person possessing scientific information told him several benefits of WuFu but he also could not tell benefit of Mas (moistening) of neck. That student went back. After sometime he came and informed that his professor informed during the lecture, “If a few

drops of water are sprinkled on neck and its surroundings, protection is obtained against the diseases of vertebral column and spinal cord.” Hearing that he said, “I grasped the blessing hidden in moistening of neck, hence I want to embrace Islam” and he became Muslim.

Doctor says

The problem of depression is growing in the western countries, brain failures are being reported and more mental asylums are being established. Long queues of psychiatric patients may be seen before

Psychiatrists. A Pakistani physiotherapist who holds a diploma from Western Germany states that a seminar on the topic “What cures other than medicines are possible for depression” was held in Western Germany. One of the doctors revealed an amazing discovery in his speech by saying, “I get washed the face of patients of depression five times per day and after few days their disease reduced. Then I get washed face, hands and feet of a similar group of patients five times a day and they healed up to a great extent.” The same doctor accepts in the end of his speech that the problem of depression is short in Muslims as they wash face, hands and feet (i.e. during WuFu) several times daily.

Wudu(ablution) and High Blood Pressure

A heart specialist assures that if a patient of hypertension is asked to perform WuFu and then his blood pressure is checked, his B.P. will be definitely lower. A Muslim Psychiatrist states, “The best cure for psychiatric patients lies in WuFu.” The western experts get washed body parts of psychiatric patients several times like WuFu.

Wud u(ablution) and Paralysis

Even the order of washing organs during WuFu is beneficial. Washing of hands in the first step motivates the nervous system of the body and then slowly effects transmit towards veins of face and brain. The order of washing hands, then mouth-wash, then nose-wash and then washing of remaining organs reduces probability of paralysis. If face washing and Mas are done first, the body may suffer several diseases.

The One Who Values Miswak

Dear Islamic brothers! There are many Sunan in WuFu and each Sunnah is a source of blessings. As an example consider Miswak. Even children know that use of Miswak in WuFu is Sunnah and see what a lot of benefits are associated with this Sunnah! A businessman says, “I met a newly Muslim in Switzerland and I gifted him a Miswak. He became happy. He kissed the Miswak and then touched it with his eyes. Tears welled up from his eyes. He took a handkerchief out of his pocket, unfolded it, and took out a tiny Miswak, which was approximately two inches in length. He said that when he had embraced Islam, he was given that as a gift; he was using it with great care and then it was

nearly finished making him anxious.

Allah had blessed him to have a gift of Miswak from him. Then he added that he had a persisting infection in his teeth and gums. The dentists had no cure for it. He started to use the Miswak and after a few days, he felt better. He went to see the doctor who was very surprised to see that he was cured. The doctor said that he could not be cured in such a short period of time with the medicine he had prescribed. Just recall carefully what he had used. He pondered and recalled that he had become a Muslim and had recently started to use the Miswak. Due to use of the Miswak, he was blessed and healed. When he showed the Miswak to the doctor, he was stunned.

Do you know ? How to use Miswak

Benefits of Rinsing the Mouth

First of all hands are washed in WuFu. Thus hands become clear from germs; otherwise these germs would have entered our mouth during mouth rinsing and would have reached stomach thereby causing several infections. A lot of hazardous germs accompanied with air and the constituents of food stuck in our mouth and on teeth via saliva. Hence rinsing of mouth and doing Miswak in WuFu clean the mouth thoroughly. If mouth is not cleaned, following diseases may break out.

• Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) – one of its initial symptoms include the swelling of the mouth.
• Tearing of the periphery of mouth
• Moniliasis of the mouth and lips
• Rotting and blistering of mouth

If the person is not in fasting, it is Sunnah to gargle the throat. One who gargles regularly will not suffer from tonsillitis and he will be saved from several types of throat infections including throat

cancer.

Benefits of Sniffing Water into the Nose

The lungs need air, free from germs, smoke and dust, having about 80% humidity and a temperature slightly greater than 90°F. To provide this quality of air, Allah has bestowed the bounty of nose. To
humidify the air, nose produces about one-fourth gallon of moisture. Hairs inside the nose act as dust catchers. There is a microscopic scrubber that has invisible bristles. These bristles kill the germs coming with the air. In addition, these bristles also perform a protective feature called Lysozyme. With this, nose protects eyes from infection.

one who performs WuFu rinses his nose with water and thus this important organ (nose) get serviced. The electric properties of water fortify the ability of bristles and thus a Muslim is saved from several
complex diseases of nose by virtue of WuFu. The rinsing of nose is very beneficial for the patients of persisting flu and having wounds in nose.

Benefits of Washing the Face

Nowadays pollution level of smoke etc. is increasing in atmosphere. Different chemicals, lead etc. keep on depositing on eyes and face. If face is not washed, face and eyes would suffer several diseases. An English doctor wrote a paper on the topic “Eye, Water and Health.” In that paper he said giving stress, “Keep washing your eyes several times daily; otherwise you would face dangerous diseases.” Washing of face prevents or minimize mars on face. The expert beauticians have consensus on the fact that all types of creams and lotions leave spots on face. To make face beautiful, it is necessary to wash it several times. Beychar, a senior member of ‘American Council for Beauty’, reveals, “Muslims do not need any chemical lotion as their face is protected against diseases due to being washed during Wudu.” The experts of environmental protection say, “To prevent face allergy, wash it frequently.”

This is only possible during Wudu. by washing face during Wudu, the face is massaged, the blood circulation improves towards the face, dirt is removed and its beauty becomes two fold.

Protection from Blindness

Dear Islamic brothers! I bring to your attention towards such a disease in which the genuine secretions of the eyes reduce or finish completely and the patient eventually becomes blind. According to medical reports, if eyebrows are washed occasionally, this disease may be prevented.

One who performs WuFu and washes his face, his eyebrows are also washed. Those lucky Muslims who have adorned their faces with the beautiful beard should listen carefully what Professor George

Ail states, “When one washes the face, the germs present in the beard wash away. The roots of the hair become stronger when water wets them. On fingering (by the blessing of acting on Sunnah of Khilal in the beard) in the beard the risk of lice reduces. In addition, presence of wetness in the beard saves from diseases related to muscles of neck, thyroid glands and throat.

Benefits of Washing the Arms

There are three major veins in the elbow that are linked to heart, liver and brain. This organ usually remains covered. If water or air is not allowed to interact with elbows, several mental and neurological complications may arise. In WuFu, arms including elbows are washed and this act fortifies heart, liver and brain and safety against these diseases is obtained. Moreover this washing links a person with the radiations stored in the chest and halo of radiations starts to flow and results in strengthening of the muscles of hands.

The Benefits of Doing Mas (Moistening)

There is a major artery between head and the neck which links vertebral

column, spinal cord and all body joints. When a person performs Mas  

of the neck during WuFu, the electric radiation emitting from hand 

enters the major artery and from there, transmits to all sections of 

neurological system via vertebral column and the neurological system 

is fortified.

Benefits of Washing the Feet

Feet undergo dirtiness at most. Infection first starts from the gap between fingers of foot. Washing feet during WuFu removes away dirt and germs. Remaining germs are removed when Khilal between fingers is done. Washing feet in WuFu according to Sunnah removes diseases like sleep shortness, dryness of brain, heart sinking and depression.

How to use a miswak

You may think that I have been using the Miswāk for several years but my teeth and stomach are still disturbed. My simple Islamic brothers! Guilty is yours and not that of Miswāk. There may be one among millions who performs Miswāk according to its guidelines. Most of us just rub the Miswāk haphazardly on our teeth while performing Wuḍū. It may be said that we performs “a custom ofMiswāk” and not the “Sunnaĥ of Miswāk”. 

1. Thickness of Miswāk should be equal to the little finger. 
2. Miswāk should not be longer than a hand span otherwise Satan will sit on it.
3. The bristles of the Miswāk should be soft. Hard bristles will cause a gap between the gums and teeth.
4.  If Miswāk is fresh then its good; otherwise soak it in a glass of water until it becomes soft. 
5. Cut the bristles everyday. The bristles are effective only when they contain bitterness. 
6. Rub the Miswāk over the width of your teeth. 
7. Use the Miswāk three times.
8. Wash it each time. 
9. Hold the Miswāk in your right hand with your little finger under the Miswāk, the middle three finger gripping it and the thumb towards the bristle end of Miswāk. 
10. First clean the top right row of the teeth then top left row. Then clean the bottom right row and then the bottom left row of the teeth.
11. There is a risk of enlargement of the spleen of a person who uses Miswāk while laying on bed/ground.
12. To perform Miswāk while holding in fist, there is a risk of piles disease.
13. Miswāk is preceding Sunnaĥ for Wuḍū but if one has fouling breath, using Miswāk is Sunnat-e-Muakkadaĥ.
14. Don’t throw away the used bristles or used Miswāk. Instead, place it at a safer place e.g bury under the ground or sink into the sea etc. as it is sacred, being tool for acting upon bury under the ground or sink into the sea etc. as it is sacred, being tool for acting upon 

Miswak

Overview

Dear Islamic brothers! There are many Sunan in Wuḍū and each Sunnaĥ is a source of blessings. As an example consider Miswāk. Even children  know that use of Miswāk in Wuḍū is Sunnaĥ and see what a lot of  benefits are associated with this Sunnaĥ! A businessman says, “I met a  newly Muslim in Switzerland and I gifted him a Miswāk. He became happy. He kissed the Miswāk and then touched it with his eyes. Tears welled up from his eyes. He took a handkerchief out of his pocket, unfolded it, and took out a tiny Miswāk, which was approximately two inches in length. He said that when he had embraced Islam, he was given that as a gift; he was using it with great care and then it was nearly finished making him anxious.

Allāĥ had blessed him to have a gift of Miswāk from him. Then he added that he had a persisting infection in his teeth and gums. The dentists had no cure for it. He started to use the Miswāk and after a few days, he felt better. He went to see the doctor who was very surprised to see that he was cured. The doctor said that he could not be cured in such a short period of time with the medicine he had prescribed. Just recall carefully what he had used. He pondered and recalled that he had become a Muslim and had recently started to use the Miswāk. Due to use of the Miswāk, he was blessed and healed. When he showed the Miswāk to the doctor, he was stunned 

To Strengthen Memory 

Dear Islamic brothers! Miswāk has many benefits in this world and the Hereafter. Miswāk contains many chemical ingredients which protect the teeth from many infections. It is quoted in the margins of Ṭaḥṭāvī: “Use of Miswāk strengthen memory and eyesight, cures headaches and relieves the veins in the head, eliminates sputum, improves digestion, increases brain power, increases birth rate, delays aging and strengthens the back.”

Three Aḥādīš about Miswāk

1. Whenever the Holy Prophet (PBUH)
   

   would enter his blessed 

   home, he would use the Miswāk first. (Saḥīḥ Muslim, pp. 152, vol. 1, Ḥadīš 

   152)
2. Whenever the Exalted Prophet (PBUH) 
    would wake up from his sleep, he would use the Miswāk. (Sunan Abū Dāwūd, pp. 54, Ḥadīš 57) 
3. Make use of Miswāk necessarily because it cleans your mouth and pleases Allāĥ (Musnad Imām Aḥmad, pp. 438, vol. 2, Ḥadīš 5869)

Cure for Blisters in the Mouth

Physicians have stated, “Sometimes blisters develop in the mouth due to warmth or acidity of the stomach and result in spread of particular type of germs in the mouth. To cure this infection, chew a fresh Miswāk and circulate the saliva thus formed in your mouth for a few minutes. By doing this, several patients have been cured.”  Do you know ? How to use a miswak

Source: Dawati Islami

How to calculate Zakah

Zakah

What is Zakah

Out of five, Zakah is the third pillar of Islam. The literal meaning of Zakah is to purify something or to promote its growth. Therefore, the act of paying Zakah is the best means of purity of wealth with increase in it. In terms of Shari’ah, Zakah implies making a Muslim Faqir owner of the Shari’ah-fixed part of one’s wealth, for the pleasure of Allah .

The Muslim Faqir must neither be a Hashmi [i.e. a descendant of the Holy Prophet], nor an emancipated slave of any Hashmi. The Zakah-paying person must not also obtain any benefit from paid Zakah.

Primary Aim:

The primary aim of Zakah is to help the poor and to provide the deserving people with essential things, enabling the affluent people to make their contribution to the welfare and well-being of society. Undoubtedly, Zakah is the best means of eradicating poverty. If all the rich people pay their full Zakah, then the issue of poverty will be eliminated. Remember! As the circulation of blood 

is essential throughout the body, or else, the body part unsupplied with blood will be paralyzed, becoming a burden and trouble for the whole body; the distribution of the amount of Zakah and Fitrah among all deserving people is also similarly essential, or else, this will compound the problems of the distressed people besides having negative impacts on society. 

Keep in Mind:

It should also be kept in mind that Zakah is not like ordinary charity. If someone pays ordinary charity, it’s fine; if not, it does not matter; but this is not the case with Zakah. According to the Holy Quran and Ahadis, it is Fard to pay Zakah, a monetary worship. This is the right of the poor which must be fulfilled without hurting their self-respect. The significance of Zakah can also be realized by the fact that Zakah has been mentioned in the Holy Quran more or less 82 times with Salah, an important act of worship. 

When the Noble Prophet (PBUH) appointed Sayyiduna Mu’az Bin Jabal as the governor of Yemen, he gave him the following piece of advice besides others at the time of his departure: “Tell them that Allah has made Zakah mandatory on their wealth which will be taken from the rich and given to the poor.” (Tirmizi, Kitab-uz-Zakah, vol. 2, pp. 126, Hadis 625)

Reminder:

Those not paying Zakah assume that their wealth will be reduced if they pay Zakah. They are under the impression that they will derive peace and comfort from their wealth living a luxurious and lavish lifestyle and satisfying their every whim. In fact, all of these things are nothing but a trick of Nafs and Satan that has entrapped many of the rich. Such people should ponder over the fact that their entire wealth is a divinely-bestowed favor. If they keep this in mind, they will find it easy to pay Zakah wholeheartedly besides reaping all of its benefits and blessings described in the Holy  Quran and Ahadis; such as, perfection of faith, acquisition of divine mercy and help, piety, righteousness, path to success, a demonstration of Islamic brotherhood, reward of pleasing a Muslim, purity of wealth, getting rid of bad characteristics, blessing and protection of wealth and prayers of the poor for the Zakah-paying person etc. If someone does not pay Zakah after it has become Wajib for him, he will face loss in the world and in the Hereafter. One of the biggest losses of the hereafter is that such a person will suffer great torment. Secondly, the wealth he had saved parsimoniously instead of paying Zakah will be heated in the hellfire and the forehead, back and sides of that person  will be branded with it, as described in the Holy Quran. Furthermore, that wealth will become the shackles of his neck

As for the worldly punishment, such people face financial loss day by day and ultimately lose all of their wealth. According to a Hadis, not paying Zakah is the main cause of every financial loss on land and in sea. Furthermore, this also causes drought, depriving people of rain. 

See how to calculate Zakah
Source: Dawati Islami

Purchase Order:

Overview:

Purchase order is maintain when you want to purchase raw material inventory from vendor. Some time company purchase goods with out preparing purchase order, so you should not need to record purchase order you will directly apply purchase item with amount and unit price in purchase receipts.

NOTE: If you already does not maintain account payable account before starting this process then first maintain account payable account from Chart of accounts.

We done this process step wise

Step 1:

First you will click on task option from menu bar and select purchase order. A window will appear which mention below

Step 2:

Select or maintain vendor:

When window appear you first select customer or maintain new customer from vendor ID. If customer does not exist already then you need to prepare vendor first from maintaining vendor account window you can open this window with different method some mention below

·         First double click on vendor ID box

·         OR when cursor in Vendor ID box by pressing Enter key.

Step 3:

Date:

After selection of particular vendor knows you will select the date from related box. Remember you will write the date on which you prepare purchase order.

Step 4:

Address and purchase order number:

In this step you will type the vendor address and mention purchase order number.

Step 5:

Term:

Here you will change the discount term which you settle with particular vendor example of term is mention in picture,

Step 6:

Record date:

Here in this step you will record date related to purchases in Quantity, item, description and unit price etc.

After entering date you need to save the purchase order from save option or by pressing (Alt + S) keys to save.

Suitable time to gain knowledge

It is said: “The time for learning the Dīn is from the cradle to the grave.”

The best time to acquire knowledge is during the early days of one’s youth and (in terms of hours) at the time of Saḥrī and between  Maghrib and ‘Ishā. Since this is a discussion in regard to excellence, a student should always be busy acquiring the knowledge. If he is tired  of one subject, he should learn another. The best time to acquire knowledge is during the early days of one’s youth and (in terms of hours) at the time of Saḥrī and between Maghrib and ‘Ishā. Since this is a discussion in regard to excellence, a student should always be busy acquiring the knowledge. If he is tired of one subject, he should learn another. 

Imām Muhammad would always remain awake at night. He would have many types of books with him. When he got tired of learning one subject, he would begin to learn another. Imām Muhammad  would have water near to him, so when drowsiness would overcome him, he would splash water over his eyes. He would say, “Drowsiness is due to heat; therefore, one should get rid of it with cold water.”