Spiritual
DISCOURSE
By Mufti Taqi Uthmani
Someone once asked Hazrat Thanawi, “Why is that when I am
with you I feel so pure as though the evil traits have been eradicated
and I begin to hate sins and feel inclined towards piety.
However, when I go back to home, I revert back to the same
condition?” Consoling him, Hazrat Thanawi said, “This is not
an unusual phenomenon. My example is that of a laundryman.
You bring your clothes to me when they are dirty and I wash
them. However, once they are washed, no laundryman can
guarantee that they will not get dirty again. If they do get dirty
again, you will bring them back for a washing.”
Therefore, it is necessary to keep renewing the treatment.
Notwithstanding this, we should not think that the Masha’ikh
who are authorized to take bay‘a are perfect and
infallible. They are not always innocent as they do get the
urge to commit sins and make mistakes. However, they
have tamed their nafs and have reformed themselves with
mujahida (spiritual exercises). As a result, they are immediately
warned to treat themselves. Hazrat Thanawi would
say that when he detected a shortcoming within himself, he
would treat it immediately.
These Masha’ikh have attained a certain state of purity that
enables them to diagnose and treat their weaknesses and
shortcomings. As for us, who have not yet attained that
level, we must seek diagnosis and treatment from these
Masha’ikh. We must continue to seek guidance until the
last breath of our lives. This is how all great Awliya have
always done it.
If humans were free from the urge to commit sin, there
would have been no difference between them and the
angels, who are not only devoid of the urge to commit sins
but also are free from anger, sexual desires, hunger, and
thirst. If humans were to be deprived of these urges, they
would have no excellence over the angels. Humans enjoy
excellence over angels as they are endowed with the capability
of doing both good and evil, and yet, they resist the
temptation to do evil.
Neither was I innocent, nor I was engrossed in prostration or
supplication.
My merit was that I was among the wrong doers.
Angles are not only innocent, but they also exclusively created
to worship and glorify Allah. Humans, on the contrary,
are endowed with the ability of committing sins, but they
resist the urge for the sake of Allah. It is imperative that this
ability to err and sin remain in them so that they continue
to resist temptations (and attain the pleasure of Allah).
In the beginning, overcoming these temptations is difficult,
but with constant mujahida, they are weakened. However,
the temptations remain till our last breath. Still, we should
not despair nor be negligent of them.
In summary, we must suppress the inner temptations and
urges of sin through mujahida so that they remain suppressed
and we are able to keep ourselves from the unlawful
deeds. We must constantly work on it till our death.
Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanawi said, “One should treat all akhlaq
radhila (evil characteristics) with a proper understanding and
patience. He must take every step cautiously, reflecting whether
a particular deed is allowed in the Shari‘a or not. He must
always be mindful of this.”
Maulana Thanawi means to say that a person should do
two things to cure the evil characteristics: one is reflection
and the other, patience. First, he should reflect on his deeds
to see if they are sanctioned by the Shari‘a or not. If the
answer is that it is unlawful, but he is tempted to do the
deed, he must observe patience and endure the struggle of
resisting it. If he continues to practice these two things, he
will be able to gain control over every evil characteristic.
We should not think that this task is unattainable as whatever
responsibility Allah has placed upon us is not beyond
our capabilities. Therefore, we must struggle to avoid sins
14 January – February 2021 | AL-MADINAH