Fashion
Fashion by Hazrat Maulana Yunus Patel Saheb (rahmatullah ‘alayh) Fashion is a test of the very severe kind. It is a madness and an obsession that has afflicted many. It makes a person blind, except to the chase of keeping up with the latest fashion trends, styles and designs, which are ever-changing. Have we ever stopped to think that one day, very soon, we will leave this world wrapped in a simple Kafan (shroud), the pattern and style of which has remained the same and will always remain as is? How senseless it is to make fashion the ‘be all and the end all’ of our lives when the inescapable occasion of death calls for just one Kafan, with no designer names or brand labels. Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi (rahmatullah ‘alayh) makes shows this reality: The world is ‘Darul Ghurur’ – A world of deception The day man is delivered to his grave, Nothing except his shroud accompanies him. Since some people would have even competed in giving a costly Kafan, Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said: “Do not be extravagant in shrouding, for it will be quickly decayed.”[1] Abu Bakr Siddiq (radiyallahu ‘anhu) had also mentioned before his demise: ‘…New clothes befit the living, and old clothes befit the decaying body.’ This does not mean that new material must not be used for the Kafan; rather, it was said to prevent any “competition” and differentiation in the Kafan of the rich from the poor. To wear good clothes, eat fine food and live well is not Haram (forbidden) if the earnings are Halal (lawful) and our obligations to the poor and needy are also met. Many Muslims do not fulfil the obligation of Zakat and Sadaqat -which is obligatory upon them, thus denying the poor and needy what rightfully belongs to them. This is a very major sin, and the punishment is very severe. Whilst it is permissible to eat good food and dress well etc., to be lavish, exceeding all bounds of Islamic guidelines, ignoring the plight and the dire circumstances of the poor and needy is not acceptable. Many are without employment, food and homes – more especially in these times wherein inflation has gone through the roof, and a loaf of bread and a litre of milk are beyond the means of the poor. We should be considerate and remember that we will be questioned about our expenditure on the Day of Qiyamah. What has to be understood is that we must not become slaves of passion and fashion, nor should our dress be a source of pride and arrogance. It is within acceptable limits to wear beautiful clothes out of appreciation for the wealth bestowed upon us. It is narrated in a Hadith: “Allah loves to see the effects of His blessing on His slave.”[2] Another Hadith states: “Allah is Beautiful and loves beauty. Pride means denying the truth and looking down on people.”[3] Allah Ta’ala highlights this outward adornment as a Divine Blessing but categorically states that the best adornment is the adornment of righteousness. “O children of Adam! We have indeed sent clothing down to you so that you may conceal the private parts of your bodies, and as a means of beautification. And The clothing of Taqwa is best This is from the signs of Allah so that you may take heed.” [Suratul-A’raf 7:26] Thus, our clothing and accessories should not become the medium of us falling prey to the deadly diseases of Takabbur (pride), ‘Ujb (vanity) and Riya (show and ostentation) —as is so common today. We have been cautioned in the Hadith regarding even the intention behind our dressing: “Whoever wears garments for fame, Allah will clothe him with the garment of disgrace.”[4] It is this diversion and game of “fashion” which gulps and swallows our money and opens the doors of wastage, extravagance, rivalry, living beyond one’s means, purchasing on interest, and being negligent of the purpose of this worldly life. There is great ease and comfort in simple living without being shackled by the need to change with changing designs and fashion. Simplicity is a part of Iman. There are those who use the Ahadith on neatness, taharah, etc., as justification for modern-day lavishness, whereas fashion, lavishness and extravagance are very different from neatness and good grooming. Khwaja Azizul Hasan Majzub (rahmatullah ‘alayh) has very aptly stated : You are always concerned: ‘I must remain above all. My fashion and beautification must excel all.’ Is this how one who is going to die lives? The outward beauty of the world has deceived you. [1] Abu Dawud [2] Tirmidhi [3] Sahih Muslim [4] Abu Dawud
The Barrier between us and Allah Ta’ala
The Barrier between us and Allah Ta’ala by Hazrat Maulana Yunus Patel Saheb (rahmatullah ‘alayh) Unfortunately, one of many weaknesses is that we look at our achievements and successes with an eye of vanity and conceit. Our gaze falls on our efforts —that we are the ones who made an effort. We attribute our success and achievements to our efforts, sacrifice, and hard work. What generally follows is a desire to announce, boast, publicize, and make known. The nafs asserts itself; It wants acknowledgement. It wants to be credited. So many, in their quest for recognition, will exaggerate their achievements —even to the Shaykh. They exaggerate so that they may be distinguished above others, counted as pious and righteous, and become a recipient of praise and applause. Some get carried away by dreams and think that a few good dreams are a surety of their greatness. This condition is not progress; it is a sickness. This is what becomes a barrier between Allah Ta’ala and us. The person’s gaze is on himself, his obedience, attributes, effort, achievements and successes, forgetting The One Who blessed him with ability and capacity. The gaze should be on the Fadhl and Grace of Allah Ta’ala. The person’s good deeds, Khidmat of Deen, and his charity and welfare work become a fitnah for him because he sees his effort and believes that he deserves acknowledgement and praise. As a result, there is no spiritual progress. ‘Ujb is vanity and conceit —The person admires himself and attributes importance to himself. The person considers himself superior. Kibr or pride is looking down upon others, considering them as inferior. Pride and vanity give rise to arrogance and haughtiness, even oppressing or treating people with contempt and disdain. Both ‘Ujb and Kibr cripple a person spiritually. It is truly the Fadhl of Allah Ta’ala if a person increases in humility as his good deeds increase. And this will be so; if the person keeps his gaze on his shortcomings and has such Ma’rifat (Recognition) of Allah Ta’ala, understanding that Taufeeq is from Allah Ta’ala alone. The Ambiya (‘alaihimus salaam) had the highest degree of Ma’rifat, which is evident in their lives. In the words of Shu`aib (عليه السلام): “…And my ability to do things comes from none but Allah…” [Surah Hud 11:88] From another view, we find that the majority seek to display their achievements in this world of fitnah. Their photographs are published; they widely circulate their accomplishments on media platforms, proud of their successes. Everyone wants to be noticed; everyone wants the limelight. Some say in no uncertain words that their success is due to their work, intelligence, and sacrifice. Of course, happiness is different. It is natural. But the desire should be to conceal. Whenever we are talking about ourselves, we must ask ourselves: Why am I behaving in this manner? Why do I talk about my experiences? Is this Shukr and Tahdees-e-Ni’mat, or is it Riyaa which the nafs wraps up in the guise of Shukr? Allah Ta’ala is All-Knowing. If we say and do for advertisement, publicize and broadcast and announce over radio stations and other platforms, then we should remember that Allah Ta’ala is aware of our intentions. “He (Allah) knows the treachery of the eyes and whatever is concealed by hearts.” [Surah Ghafir 40:19] If it is for the pleasure of Allah Ta’ala, and Allah Ta’ala wants to make it known, He will make it known. All that a person becomes proud of is on account of the blessings from Allah Ta’ala’s side. Allah Ta’ala says in the Qur’an Sharif: “Whatever blessing you have is from Allah…” [Surah an-Nahl 16:53] If He gave, He could also take away. Recognize the one who has given, and do not consider the bounties as your achievement, because every faculty and possession which is a medium of securing any achievement is, in itself, a bounty from Allah Ta’ala —our intelligence, hearing, speech, etc. Keep addressing the nafs: All that I succeed in is due to Allah Ta’ala’s favour. Whilst a person may be doing some meritorious work, much is left to be seen —as to whether such work has been accepted or not. We will only know on the Day of Judgment what has been accepted or not. Whatever work we do and whatever other good deed we do, then make Dua after that that Allah Ta’ala accepts it. Consider the Tawaadhu of Ibrahim and Isma’il (‘alaihimas salam), who, after building the House of Allah Ta’ala, and themselves being so accepted by Allah Ta’ala, still made Dua that Allah Ta’ala accept their efforts… Allah Ta’ala says in Surah Al-Baqarah: “And when Ibrahim was raising up the foundations of the House, along with Ismail: “Our Lord accept from us! Indeed, You – and You alone – are the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing!” [Surah An-Nur 24:21] This Dua makes evident that there was no pride or vanity in undertaking and completing such a great task. There was just beautiful humility and deep concern that Allah Ta’ala accepts. If there is spiritual progress in one’s efforts of treading the path to Allah Ta’ala, then we need to keep before us the Ayah: “…And had it not been for the grace of Allah upon you, and His mercy, not a single person from you would have ever attained purity. But Allah purifies whomsoever He wills…” [Surah Al-Baqarah 2:127] Otherwise, the nafs, in its true state, would not gain any good on its own. “…Surely, man’s inner self often incites to evil, unless my Lord shows mercy.…” [Surah Yusuf 12:53] May Allah Ta’ala grant us recognition of our nafs and the courage to strive against it; and may Allah Ta’ala bestow His Mercy upon us so that we may be successful on this path to Him, Aameen.
Ana’niyyah and Fana’iyyah
Ana’niyyah and Fana’iyyah by Hazrat Maulana Yunus Patel Saheb (rahmatullah ‘alayh) There are two opposing conditions which are found in people. These are: Anaa’niyyah and Fanaa’iyyah. ‘Ananiyyah means everything is about “me” or “I, me and myself”. At all times, life revolves around me —that’s all. The person puts himself first, gives preference, and believes he is important. The person wants to be recognized wherever he goes – that he is somebody. If he is not recognized, he is offended. If he goes to some Majlis and people do not shake his hand and acknowledge his presence, he is upset. The person thinks that I am such a great person and people are not showing any interest. The inner desire is to be recognized and known. Such a condition indicates that the person is in the firm grip of his nafs. This is Ana’niyyah. Everything is ‘Ana’, ‘Ana’, ‘Ana’ (I, I, I). When there is ‘Ananiyyah, Allah Ta’ala destroys. When the sheep is alive, it bleats. It repeatedly says: ‘Meh meh meh”. This is the sheep that comes under the knife for slaughter. When the nafs is alive, and its condition is ‘ana, ana, ana’, then that person comes under the punishment of Allah Ta’ala and is humbled and destroyed. On the other hand, the person who develops Fana’iyyah, i.e., annihilates himself —There is no “me, myself and I”. One girl had a proposal from someone. I am not mentioning any name, and no one knows whom I am talking about. In her e-mail, she mentioned her level of Taqwa. She said: ‘I have a high level of Taqwa. There is someone who is proposing marriage. However, I do not want his level of Taqwa to be lower than mine. He must be able to increase my level of Taqwa.” Part of the reply that was given was: “I have to caution you concerning your claim of your Taqwa being of a very high level. This is very dangerous. All those who are of a high level of Taqwa consider themselves insignificant; they consider themselves the most sinful ones on earth. Allah Ta’ala then places in the hearts of people, Husnus Zann (good opinion) and Thanaa (praise) —that the person is a person of Taqwa. Those who have Taqwa do not make loud and bold claims because they have annihilated themselves.” They have made Fanaa of their nafs. On that Fanaa, Allah Ta’ala gives them “Baqaa”. Allah Ta’ala keeps their names, works, Bayanaat, Uloom and Naseehah alive because they made Fanaa. On the other hand, the one who is always chasing after name, fame, and prominence, then Allah Ta’ala gives them “Fanaa” —Allah Ta’ala destroys. This “Fana” and destruction have a different meaning to Fana of the nafs. Allah Ta’ala dislikes and disapproves that the servant makes a claim and testifies to their own purity and piety. Allah Ta’ala says: “…So do not claim purity for yourselves. He knows best who is God-fearing.” [Surah An-Najm 53: 32] It is most definitely Allah Ta’ala’s Fadhl and Karam upon any person, if the person progresses in this path of Islaah and Tazkiyyah: “…Had it not been for the grace of Allah upon you and His Mercy, not a single person from you would have ever attained purity. But Allah purifies whomsoever He wills. Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.” [Surah An-Noor 24: 21] The Masha’ikh used to train their Mureeds in many different ways. Maulana Rashid Ahmad Gangohi (rahmatullah ‘alayh) was a Mureed of aji Imadadullah (rahmatullah ‘alayh), and in that Ta-‘alluq, he became very close to his Shaykh. However, consider the training he received from his Shaykh: He was seated at the Dastarkhan with his Shaykh. When the food came from Haji Saheb’s home, one plate contained delicious kofta (kebab). The other plate contained a simple type of gravy. Haji Saheb (rahmatullah ‘alayh) kept the kabab aside and gave Maulana Gangohi (rahmatullah ‘alayh) the simple gravy. As they ate, Hazrat Zamin Shahid (rahmatullah ‘alayh) walked in. On seeing them eating, he addressed Haji Saheb (rahmatullah ‘alayh) and said: “Why do you not pass the kofta also to Rashid Ahmad?” Upon this, Hazrat Haji Saheb (rahmatullah ‘alayh) replied —with the object of testing his Mureed: “He (Maulana Gangohi) should be grateful that I am allowing him to even eat with me. In fact, I had intended to give him a piece of bread in his hand and for him to eat elsewhere!” While he said this, he also watched the reaction of Maulana Gangohi (rahmatullah ‘alayh). Maulana Rashid Ahmad Gangohi (rahmatullah ‘alayh) did not take any offence to this statement, and his facial expression did not change in any way. He himself said: “Alhamdulillah! There was no effect on my heart. I accepted that whatever Haji Saheb had said was the truth. Getting a piece of bread from him was a great favour, regardless of how it was obtained.” When someone is a little upset, it is easy to make out that he is upset. Another person would have said he is being humiliated, disgraced, and shamed, but these were the types of tests they went through in the past. Today, Mureeds would say: “What does this Shaykh think of himself?! Does he think that I can’t have good food at home?”, the person would leave —he would go home. Most Mureeds today don’t have that same capacity or appreciation. The present-day Masha’ikh —understanding the nature of people, adopt a somewhat lenient approach. Of course, there will be discipline, but they understand that the nature of the people is not the same. The objective is the reformation of the Mureed. Some —who are inexperienced, constantly reproach and admonish their Mureeds or students. They reprimand and reprimand. This indicates that there is no correct understanding and no skill in how to make Islaah. Each person is different. Each person’s temperament is different, and the Shaykh has to understand the temperament of each Mureed. Some will take a harsh reprimand,
Boasting and Claiming Greatness
Pride and greatness are the exclusive attributes of Allah Ta’ala. He is the only one worthy of such qualities. Amongst Allah Ta’ala’s Beautiful Names are: “Al-Mutakkabir” (The Supreme), “Al-Kabir” (The Greatest), “Al-Jalil” (The Majestic), “Al-Qawi” (The Most Strong), and “Al-Qadir” (The All-Powerful). Many more attributes make evident Allah Ta’ala’s greatness and power. The entire Qur’an Sharif is an exposition of Allah Ta’ala’s supremacy and greatness. Man’s helplessness, weakness and vulnerability become manifest when he recognizes his Creator. When there is no recognition of Allah Ta’ala, man considers his own might, strength, power, and force as great. This is the deception of nafs and Shaytaan. When anyone makes the claim that he is great, he inevitably faces humiliation and ruin. Fir`aun uttered the greatest lie, that he is the Lord, Most High, and for all his claims of being so powerful, the waters of the Red Sea overwhelmed him, and he drowned. Allah Ta’ala relates: “And he said: ‘I am your supreme Lord.’” “So Allah seized him and made him an example for this world and the hereafter. [Surah An-Nazi’aat 79: 24 / 25] Then We drowned the others. [Surah Ash-Shu`ara 26: 66] Qarun made a claim of being independent of Allah Ta’ala. This was his pride, due to his great intelligence and the great wealth that he had amassed. He had so much wealth, that the keys to his wealth were too many to count. “…And We had given him such treasures, that even their keys would weigh too heavy for a strong group of people” [Surah Al-Qasas 28: 76] “He said: ‘This is given to me because of the knowledge (I have) with me.” [Surah Al-Qasas 28: 78] What became of him? On his claim of being independent, his pride, arrogance, and rejection of Allah Ta’ala, Allah Ta’ala caused the earth to swallow and digest him and his wealth. “Then We made him and his home sink into the earth…” [Surah Al-Qasas 28: 81] In history, we learnt of the Spanish Armada. It was described as “invincible” —only to find itself being defeated. When the Titanic set off on its maiden voyage, the claim was that it was “unsinkable”. It sank on its first journey. A famous boxer made a huge claim: “I am the greatest.” When he made this claim, he was floored. Alhamdulillah, Allah Ta’ala destined Islam for him and he realized that Allah Ta’ala is the greatest. When diagnosed with sickness, he openly acknowledged: “Allah gave me this illness to remind me that I’m not number one —He is. I’m not the greatest, Allah is.” The claim of superiority and greatness does not befit the slaves and servants of Allah Ta’ala. Allah Ta’ala does not like that His creation claims a quality which is solely and exclusively His. Allah Ta’ala wants us to recognize His superiority, greatness and power, and submit ourselves as slaves do, before their master. This submission and humility earn one closeness to Allah Ta’ala and His special Mercy and Favours. Allah Ta’ala describes these servants who will receive His special mercy as: “The servants of Ar-Rahmaan (the All-Merciful) are those who walk on the earth, humbly…” [Surah Al-Furqaan 25] The more the success of a person, the more humility his success should generate. Take a lesson from the tree: When laden with fruit, the branches bend in humility. If they have to show their “greatness” they will snap or break. Similarly, when a slave of Allah Ta’ala tries to show his greatness and independence, he ‘breaks’. Allah Ta’ala said: “Pride is My cloak, and greatness is My garment; so, whoever competes with Me regarding these two will be thrown into the Hellfire”. [1] [2] May Allah Ta’ala purify us of the diseases of Kibr (pride) and Ujub (vanity) and grant us the reality of Abdiyyat (servitude) and Tawaadhu (humility). [1] Abu Dawud [2] The implied meaning is that pride and supremacy belong to Allah Ta’ala Alone