Be True, and Be You

Listen to the quiet voice inside yourself. The persistent voice that
tells you that there's something more to life, that calls you to do
something meaningful, toexperience the world in a profound way. So
many ofus dismiss that voice, suppress it. We are told that our dreams
are not realistic or practical. We are told that we should settle for
what is reliable, and will pay the bills, and garner us the respect of
our peers.
But if we do not listen to that quiet voice, then whowill? There is no
external advocate who can read the yearnings of your heart and speak
up on their behalf. You must be the champion of your own soul.
On the authority of Abu Malik Al-Harith bin Asim Al-Ashari said that
the messenger of Allah said:
"Purity is half of faith. alhamdu-lillah [Praise be to Allah] fills
the scales, and subhana-Allah [How far is Allah from every
imperfection] and alhamdu-lillah [Praise be to Allah] fill that which
is between heaven and earth. Prayer is light; charity is a proof;
patience is illumination; and the Quran is an argument for or against
you. Everyone starts his day and is a vendor of his soul, either
freeing it or bringing about its ruin."
(Related by Muslim).
You are the vendor of your soul: either freeing itor bringing about
its ruin. You free it by worshiping Allah in love, gratitude and fear;
keeping the praises of Allah on your tongue and in your heart; praying
and fasting and living righteously (as opposed to self-righteously);
by showing love and concernfor other human beings; and by being true
to yourself.
Allah created you with a unique nature. Do you think it's only your
fingerprints that are unique? Or your retinal scan, palm print, voice
print and DNA? Do you believe that your uniqueness is encapsulated by
measurable biometrical data? No, your uniqueness extends to your own
wonderful thought patterns, your special heart, and your soul. You are
you, not anyone else.
You are not an assembly-line robot, or a machine put here to consume,
produce and expire. You are different from everyone else in the world
because you are you. Respect that, and don't try to force yourself in
an uncomfortable or even impossible mold that someone else has
dictated for you. Be true, be you , and free your soul.
I'm not talking about sinful desires. I am speaking of the quiet and
inspired urgings of your heart. Maybe you dream of working in disaster
relief, helping all those poor souls who suffered after the Indian
Ocean tsunami, or from the earthquake in Haiti. Maybe you have an
inner artist and you'd like to pursue that passionately and see where
it takes you. Maybe you love children and would like toteach; maybe
you are not satisfied with current school curricula and you have an
idea of starting your own school. Maybe you've always fantasized about
being a karate black belt, or helping poorvillages in Africa become
self-sustaining, or campaigning for human rights.
Maybe you're single and you have feelings for a certain person, or
just an undercurrent of admiration and respect, but you fear
rejection; or maybe the person comes from a different cultural
background and you worry that your family or your peers would not
approve.
I could go on and on, but you get the point. Don't be afraid of your
dreams. Life is short; it passes so quickly, much sooner thanwe
expect, and when we get to the end of the roadwe will regret only that
we suppressed our hearts,and shoved them down into silence.
We will never regret pursuing our dreams, taking bold chances,
expressing our love, whether or not we succeeded or failed, whether we
experienced great joy or intense pain. In the end the difference
between success and failure in any venture is inAllah's hands anyway.
All you can do is try, and trying is everything.
Stand up for your inner voice. Listen to it.
Stand up for your dreams.Give them a chance.
No one else will do it for you.

1b- The Benefits of becoming a Murîd

1b-
14. Associate very little with rulers and those who hold high positions.
15. Stay very far from irreligious people.
16. Do not search for the faults of others. Do not have evil thoughts
about anyone. Instead,look at your own faults and try to put them in
order.
17. You should be very particular in offering your salât in the proper
manner, at the proper time and with great concentration.
18. Always occupy yourself in the remembrance of Allah either with
your heart or tongue. Do not be neglectful in this regard at any time.
19. If you experience any satisfaction in taking the name of Allah and
your heart feels happy over this, then express your gratitude to
Allah.
20. Speak in a nice, humble way.
21. Set aside specific times for all your different tasks and abide
strictly to these times.
22. Consider whatever regret, sorrow or loss you may experience to be
from Allah. Do not be despondent. Instead, think that you will be
rewarded for this.
23. Do not think about worldly matters, calculations, profits
andlosses, etc. all the time. Instead, think about Allah.
24. As far as possible, try to helpand benefit others irrespective of
whether it be in worldly affairs or Dînî matters.
25. Do not eat and drink too littleto the extent that you become weak
and fall ill. Nor should you eat and drink too much to the extent that
you feel lazy in carrying out the different acts of 'ibâdah.
26. Do not have any desire or greed for anything from anyone except
Allah. Do not allow your mind to wander towards any place thinking
that you will be able to gain certain benefit or profit from there.
27. Be restless in your quest for Allah.
28. Be grateful for the favours that are bestowed upon you
irrespective of whether they areplenty or few. Do not be depressed
with poverty and destitution.
29. Overlook the faults and mistakes of those who are under your control.
30. If you learn of any fault of someone, conceal it. However, if the
person plans to cause harm to someone else and you learn of it, then
warn the other person beforehand.
31. Be in the service of guests, travellers, strangers, 'ulamâ, and
the pious servants of Allah.
32. Choose the company of the pious.
33. Fear Allah all the time.
34. Remember death.
35. Set aside a certain time daily wherein you should think aboutall
your actions for that day. When you remember any good action, express
gratitude. When you remember any evil action, repent.
36. Don't ever speak a lie.
37. Don't ever attend gatheringsthat are contrary to the Sharî'ah.
38. Live with bashfulness, modesty and forbearance.
39. Do not be conceited by thinking to yourself that "I
havesuch-and-such qualities in me."
40. Continue making du'â to Allah to keep you steadfast on the straight path./

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,...