The Road To Allah – Bay’at and Zikr

Question:

Assalaamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakaatuh, respected Mufti Saheb

JazaakAllah for the advice in the previous email. InSha Allah I’ll follow Mufti Saheb’s advice, بإذن الله , please make Duaa.

1) With regards to islaah and tasawwuf, once bay’at is taken, is there any harm in listening to various mashaaikh like their lectures that are available online? Not with the purpose of specifically following the sheikhs views online but to listen as naseehat or to increase ones knowledge. Or will this interfere with the islaah and tasawwuf of a person?

2) What is the best form of zikr to read to reform oneself? And when should zikr be done?

JazaakAllahu khair,

Request for Du’aas

Wa alaykumus salaam wa rahmatullahi wa barakaatuh

 

Reply:

Assalamu alaykum

  1. Remember Bay’at is not the objective. Without taking Bay’at, one can travel the path just as well.
  2. According to Moulana Thanvi Rahmatullahi alayh it is much much more preferable not to listen to any other Mashaa-ikhs naseehat and lectures etc.

The reason is that no two Sheikhs are exactly equal in temperament and method. To reach ONE Allah, One road is required. Two different routes could  make a person endup in confusion. As an example, a particular Sheikh may feel that there is no harm in ladies attending talks conducted in public places such as Masjid Halls etc. Another Sheikh may feel that it is totally wrong to use any public space for gathering ladies as Nabi Sallallahu alayhi wasallam did not instruct the ladies to gather in the Masjid when they requested Naseehah. He instructed them to gather in a private house of a Sahaabi. Listening to these two different Sheikhs will now confuse a person. Sooner or later the person may become suspicious of her Sheikh who prefers the Sunnah method. This will cause great harm to her spiritual progress and will seriously interfere with her Islaah.

  1. There is no special Zikr for reformation. Reformation is done through changing ones ways and habits and mind set etc. This comes with Mujaahadah and striving against the Nafs and Shayaateen. Yes, Zikr is at times helpful but can even be harmful if one is careless with regards to the Nafs. Thus we find some people making lots of Zikr but who commit fraud and are unmindful of the rights of others. We know of cases where wives are beaten even as the husband made his Zikr in the morning. Happy he is indeed at his Zikr but unmindful he was of his Zulm. Zikr should go hand in hand with Islaah.
  2. Zikr meaning REMEMBERING ALLAH should be done as frequently as a fish requires water to survive. In ones sleeping, eating, drinking, dressing, laughter, grief, silence, speech, standing, sitting, reclining, dressing, travelling, holidaying, Wudhu, Salaah and Saum, trading, helping, weddings, funerals, combing of hair, clipping of nails, bathing, walking and in every SINGLE BREATH, ALLAH OUR MOST BELOVED SHOULD BE REMEMBERED VIGOROUSLY.
  3. In order to achieve the above, keep a tasbeeh at hand and whenever “free”, take the Auspicious Name of Allah with the Subhanallah, Alhamdulillah, Allahu Akbar, Astaghfirullah, Laa-ilaha- Illallah, Durood Sharief etc.

May Allah Ta’aala grant you the TREASURE OF HIS LOVE. Ameen

Was salaam.