mufti taqi saheb – My Little Breathing Space – I write for the few, not the many. The few that are left out!

LANTERNS OF GUIDANCE (33) NOTHING IS COINCIDENTAL

Hadhrat Mufti Muhammad Taqi Uthmāni Sahib حفظه الله has shared the advice of his illustrious father Hadhrat Mufti Muhammad Shafee Sahib رحمه الله who used to say; “It is wrong to say (as people often exclaim) that it was a ‘coincidence’ because nothing in this world was a coincidence.” Everything happens as Allah Ta’ala جل جلاله desires it to happen. It is our habit to describe anything we do not expect as a coincidence. The fact is that Allah Ta’ala جل جلاله is the Master and Creator of this universe; He جل جلاله maintains and sustains it and everything happens as He جل جلاله wishes. Nothing can happen against His جل جلاله desire.

Hadhrat Mufti Muhammad Taqi Uthmāni Sahib حفظه الله states that we must not rely on our plans and strategies but the underlying factor is that we must have faith in مسبب الاسباب – Allah Ta’ala جل جلاله is the Preparer of means or causes.

REFLECTIONS: TURN TO ALLAH TA’ALA جل جلاله

Hadhrat Mufti Muhammad Taqi Uthmāni Sahib حفظه الله has stressed that we turn to Allah Ta’ala جل جلاله in our duaas. Even if we have the means and power, we are compelled to turn to Allah Ta’ala جل جلاله. We are forgetting to turn to Allah Ta’ala جل جلاله.

Hadhrat Mufti Muhammad Taqi Uthmāni Sahib حفظه الله has said that when Pakistan was created, there was great turmoil. At that time, the houses of the Muslims reverberated with the Āyate Kareemah:

لا اله الا انت سبحانك اني كنت من الظالمين

There was no appeal for anyone to recite this duaa but rather it was a spontaneous response from the Muslims. Even the women made duaa excessively for the welfare of the Muslims. The result was that Allah Ta’ala جل جلاله saved the Muslims.

But let us examine the turmoil today. We witness murders before our eyes but we are unmoved and we do not turn to Allah Ta’ala جل جلاله. There is no concern for duaa and we do not hear of any household that is making a practice of duaa daily. On the contrary, Muslims stay in their homes in negligence tied down to their televisions (in the current scenario, being absorbed by social media). In the prevailing circumstances, are we not inviting the punishment from Allah Ta’ala جل جلاله? We are not willing to desist from transgression.

For the sake of Allah Ta’ala جل جلاله, let us have mercy on ourselves. Turn to Allah Ta’ala جل جلاله; every Muslim can do it. Let us each offer two rakaats Salatul Hajah (for the fulfillment of our needs). This will take two to three minutes. Thereafter, make duaa for three minutes. Please! Let us give the suffering Ummah five minutes of our time daily. Can we not stand before Allah Ta’ala جل جلاله and implore Him جل جلاله for mercy and favourable conditions? If we cannot sacrifice a few minutes, then what right do we have to say that we are saddened by the pitiful plight of the Ummah?

It is essential that we make a daily practice of Salatul Hajah. Furthermore, let us be a source of mercy to ourselves and the Ummah by removing the objects of disobedience in our homes. For the sake of Allah Ta’ala جل جلاله, let us give up sins! Make it a habit to weep before مسبب الاسباب and recite the Āyate Kareemah:

لا اله الا انت سبحانك اني كنت من الظالمين

Also let us repeat يا سلام repeatedly imploring Allah Ta’ala جل جلاله for peace and security.

Instead of wasting our time on futile discussions, the need of the hour is to turn to Allah Ta’ala جل جلاله. May Allah Ta’ala جل جلاله grant each one of us the ability to fortify our ta’alluq with Him جل جلاله and invite peaceful circumstances through acts of obedience.

آمين يارب العالمين

ADVICE FROM BAGHDAD REGARDING OUR MADARIS

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Hadhrat Mufti Muhammad Taqi Uthmani ( حفظه الله ) has written regarding his journey to Baghdad:

“Baghdad is that city which for centuries had been at the center of the Islamic world. The mere sight of this city reminds one of the glorious days of the Abbāsi khilāfat.

Upon reaching Baghdad I enquired whether there were any Madāris (seminaries) present in which Islamic knowledge is imparted in accordance with the ways of the pious predecessors.

I was informed that all such Madāris had now been converted into schools and universities. Now, the knowledge of Deen can only be attained from university faculties, such places wherein Islam is taught as mere theory, similar to ancient philosophy. Islam can neither be seen in the lives of the students nor in the Ustādhs (teachers). Forget bring religious scholars, on seeing their appearance, one wonders if they are even Muslim.

“This is just like how orientalists study Islam today, in the universities of America, Canada, and Europe. If you read their books and articles you will come across the names of such books that many of our Ulamā have never even heard about. It seems as if deep tahqīq (research) is being made. But [sadly], in spite of swimming in the ocean of Islamic knowledge from morning till evening, they return dry as bone. No effect of what they rigorously study can be seen in their lives. The soul of this knowledge has been destroyed. “

Mufti Taqi Uthmani thereafter asked if they could at least direct him to an Ālim (scholar) of the old school of thought, so that he could present himself at his service.

He was directed to a Masjid close to the tomb of Shaykh `Abd al-Qādir al-Jīlani (رحمة الله ), in which was a Maktab.

Here he met an old pious-looking man. Mufti Taqi Usmani described his meeting with him in the following words:

“On seeing him, I felt as if I was in the presence of a pious Allah-fearing Ālim. He was sitting on a straw mat, dressed in coarse clothing, and eating dry bread. The light of the Sharī`ah could be discerned on his forehead.

“After making salaam, he enquired regarding my name and the place from which I had come. He also asked about the condition of the Madāris of our country, their syllabus, and the manner in which the kitābs (books) are taught.

Tears flowed from his eyes as I mentioned the names of the kitābs found in the Dars-e-Nizami syllabus [the syllabus used by Islamic seminaries across the Indian subcontinent].

He asked, “Are these kitābs still being taught!?”

“I replied in the affirmative. He then explained, ‘Today, we have been deprived of even hearing the names of these kitābs.

These kitābs create Allah-conscious men, they create true Muslims. In our country these books are no longer taught.

I beg you to convey this message of mine to the Ulamā and the masses of your country, that for the sake of Allah عز و جل , they should bear everything , but should never allow the destruction of such Madāris wherein these kitābs are taught!’ ”

The enemies of Islam are fully conscious of the fact that as long as these simple Mawlānas, sitting on straw mats, are present in society, they cannot remove Īmān (faith) from the hearts of the Muslims.

Therefore the enemies of Islam are making all out effort to remove these Madāris.