1a- The Benefits of becoming a Murîd

1a-
5. If you mistakenly become a murîd of a person who acts contrary to
the Sharî'ah, or if he was good in the beginning and later changed,
then sever your contact with him and become a murîd of some other
pious person. However, if your shaykh commits a sin which could be
overlooked, then think to yourself that he is also human and that he
is not an angel. He has made a mistake which could be forgiven by his
making taubah. Do not allow your conviction in him to dwindle over
trivial matters. However, if the shaykh persists on such acts, sever
your contactwith him.
6. It is a sin to believe that your shaykh has full knowledge of
everything you do.
7. Never read books which havestories of the dervishes which appear to
be contrary to the Sharî'ah. Similarly, you should not read poems that
are contrary to the Sharî'ah.
8. Some dervishes say that the path of the Sharî'ah is different from
the path of the dervishes. Such dervishes are astray. It is fard to
consider them to be liars.
9. If the shaykh asks you to do anything that is contrary to the
Sharî'ah, it is not permissible to act upon it. If he insists on you
to carry it out, sever your contact with him.
10. If, due to the barakah of taking the name of Allah, you experience
a good state in your heart, you have a good dream or upon waking up
you hear a voice or see some light, then do not mention this to anyone
other than your shaykh nor inform anyone of the wazîfahs that you read
or the 'ibâdah thatyou make, because by doing so, this good fortune
will go away.
11. If your shaykh asks you to recite a particular wazîfah or engage
in a particular form of dhikr and after some time you still do not
experience any delight in this, do not be disheartened, nor should you
lose your confidence in your shaykh. Instead, think to yourself that
the greatest effect is that your heart is making an intention of
remembering Allah and that you are being given the opportunity to do
good. Never think that you should be blessed with the opportunity of
pious persons appearing in your dreams, that you should begin to have
knowledge of things that are still going to occur, that you should be
able tocry profusely or that you shouldbecome so engrossed in your
'ibâdah that you are unaware ofother things. These things occur at
times and at times they do not. If they do, express your gratitude to
Allah. If they do not occur, decrease after having occurred frequently
or cease to occur altogether, then do not be saddened. However, if,
Allah forbid, you display any shortcoming in following the Sharî'ah or
commit any sin, thenthis is definitely something to be distressed
about. You should immediately make an effort to put your condition in
order, inform your shaykh about it and act upon his advice.
12. Do not be disrespectful of other shaykhs or other sûfi orders. Nor
should you address the murîds of other shaykhs or other sûfi orders by
telling themthat your shaykh is greater thanhis or that your sûfi
order is greater than his. By engaging in such unnecessary and foolish
conversations the heart begins to darken.
13. If your shaykh pays more attention to a fellow murîd, or if a
fellow murîd gains more benefit from his wazîfahs and dhikrs, do not
be jealous of him.
Guidelines on how a Murîd and every other Muslim should spend his night and day
1. Acquire knowledge of the Dîn according to your needs. You could
acquire this knowledge either by reading a book or by asking the
'ulamâ.
2. Abstain from all sins.
3. If you commit any sin, repent immediately.
4. Do not hold back in fulfilling anyone's right. Do not cause anyone
physical or verbal harm.Do not speak ill of anyone.
5. Do not have any love for wealth nor any desire for name and fame.
Do not concern yourself with extravagant food and clothing.
6. If someone rebukes you for your mistake or error, do not tryto
justify your action. Admit your fault and repent.
7. Do not embark on a journey without any dire necessity. This is
because many unconscious and unintended acts are committed while on a
journey. Many good deeds are missed out, there is a shortcoming in the
different forms of dhikr (remembrance of Allah), and youare unable to
accomplish your tasks on time.
8. Do not laugh excessively nor talk excessively. You should
takespecial precaution in not talking with ghayr mahrams (those with
whom the observance of purdah is incumbent) in an informal way.
9. Do not go about repeating or mentioning an argument that may have
taken place between two persons.
10. Always be mindful of the rules of the Sharî'ah in everything that you do.
11. Do not display laziness in executing any act of 'ibâdah.
12. Try and spend most of your time in seclusion.
13. If you have to meet and converse with others, meet them with
humility and do not display your greatness.
14. Ass....

1-The Benefits of becoming a Murîd

1-
By Shaykh Ashrafali Thanawi (ra)
There are several benefits in becoming a murîd:
1. At times a person errs in the different methods of reforming the
heart that were mentioned previously. The shaykh shows the correct
path in this regard.
2. At times the effect and benefitthat one derives from a book is not
as great as that which one would have obtained from the guidance of a
shaykh. One gainsthe barakah of the shaykh. Furthermore, if the murîd
displays any shortcoming in carrying out a good act or commits an evil
act, he will be ashamed of this in front of the shaykh.
3. The person develops confidence and love for the shaykh. Based on
this, he is inclined to follow and emulate the ways of the shaykh.
4. If the shaykh is strict in giving his advice or displays his anger,
the person does not feel offended and endeavours to actupon his
advice.
There are many other benefits which are acquired by those whom Allah
has favoured. Thesecan only be known by acquiringand experiencing
them.
Qualities to be found in the Shaykh
If a person wishes to become a murîd, he should first consider the
following factors in the shaykh. If the latter does not possess these
qualities, do not become his murîd.
1. The shaykh must know the masâ'il of Dîn. He should not be ignorant
of the Sharî'ah.
2. He must not possess any quality that is contrary to the Sharî'ah.
His 'aqâ'id (beliefs) must be the same as those that have been
mentioned in Part One of Bahishti Zewar. He should not possess any
quality that is contrary to all the masâ'il and all those things
connected to reformation of the heart that have been mentioned in this
book.
3. He must not be carrying out this programme (of shaykh and murîd) as
a means of sustenance. (That is, he must notbe doing it for financial
gain).
4. Become the murîd of a person who is regarded as a pious person by
the majority of good people.
5. Become the murîd of a person who is spoken highly of by good people.
6. His programme of instruction must be such that one develops a love
and inclination for Dîn. This can be gauged by looking at the
condition of his murîds. Even if fifty-sixty percent of his murîds are
good, consider such a shaykh to be effective. Do not have doubts on
him by looking at the condition of a few murîds. You may have heard
that the pious persons have a lot of effect. This (looking at the
condition of his murîds) is the criterion whereby one gauges the
effect and power of a shaykh. Do not gauge the effect and power of a
shaykh through other means, such as somethingoccurring exactly as he
mentioned it to you, someone getting cured by his mere touch,that a
ta'wîdh worked accordingto the reason for which he gaveit to you or
that if he fixes his gaze on a person he becomes completely entranced
and at a loss. Never be deluded by these effects and powers.
7. The shaykh must be such thathe does not take into consideration the
status of his murîds when giving them advice of the Dîn. (That is, he
does not favour his murîds when it comes to reprimanding them in
matters of the Dîn). He stops them from useless and foolish things.
Once you have found such a shaykh, seek permission from your parents
(if you are unmarried) or from your husband (if you are married), and
become a murîd of such a shaykh solely for the purpose ofputting your
Dîn in order. If your parents or husband do notpermit you to become a
murîd, do not become one as it is not fard to become a murîd. However,
it is fard to tread the path of the Dîn. You should therefore continue
treading this path even if you are not a murîd of a shaykh.
Rules connected to the shaykh and murîd
1. Be respectful to your shaykh. Remember the name of Allah in exactly
the way shown to you by your shaykh. Have the following belief with
regard to your shaykh: "The spiritual benefits that I can gain from
this shaykh cannot be gained from any other shaykh."
2. If the murîd's heart has not been reformed properly as yet and the
shaykh passes away, hemust become a murîd of another shaykh in whom
the above-mentioned qualities are found.
3. When you come across any wazîfah in any book or read about the
frugal life of someone, do not act upon it on your own accord. Ask
your shaykh about it first. If any good or evil thought enters your
heart or you decide to do something, first consult your shaykh.
4.Women should not remove their purdah in the presence of their
shaykh. At the time of becoming a murîd, do not shakehis hands. It is
permissible to take the oath of allegiance (bay'ah) by holding one end
of a handkerchief or piece of cloth while he holds the other end. A
verbal bay'ah is also sufficient.
5. If you mistakenly become a murîd of a person who acts contrary to
the Sharî'ah, or if he was good in the beginning and later changed,...

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Remove a Harmful Thing

"Removing anything harmful from the path is part of faith." We are
taught to be concerned about the safety and well being of all human
beings to this degree. If a road or pathway thatis used by people, be
they Muslim or not, has anything that may cause harm upon it, then in
the same way that we would like to save ourselves, we should like that
for all. One day we will have been saved due to a similar deed by
others