The etiquette for a layman when seated in the majlis (company) of his shaikh
A layman should close his eyes and engage himself in tasbeeh when seated in the presence of his shaikh. It should not be such that due to his ignorance he begins entertaining evil thoughts of his shaikh on account of a certain action of the shaikh and is thus deprived of the blessings of his shaikh.
Malfoozaat of Faqeeh-ul-Ummat
Sprinkling left over Wudhu Water
Hazrat Sheikh Ml Ibrahim Mia Rahamatullah alyah used to advise us to stand and drink the left over wudhu water. Thereafter he advised us to sprinkle some of the left over wudhu water on our lower garment. This is a Sunnat practice. Sheikh used to explain that it will help in controlling the the tongue and private parts from misuse.
In our country, South Africa, this is not a common practice and sometimes people used to object to the above.
Hazrat Justice Mufti Taqi Usmani DB, writes in his book, "The Great Scholars of the Deoband Islamic Seminary," the view of Sheikhul Hind Ml Mahmud al Hasan Rahmatullah. The excerpt appears below:
It is reported in almost all of the hadith collections that after completing wudu, the Prophet Sallalahu Alayhi Wasalam used to drink the leftover water from the container3. It has also been reported that he used to sprinkle some of the water on his tahband (lower garment)4. The ‘ulama' have offered a variety of interpretations concerning the wisdom of these two practices. However, Mufti Muhammad Shafi‘ maintained that Shaykh al-Hind’s explanation for these was the most insightful one.
According to his view, wudu is an action for ensuring the cleanliness and purity of the bodily parts. Yet, while it is important to purify the outward, it is even more important to purify the inward. So, after completing wudu, the Prophet Sallalahu Alayhi Wasalam performed these particular actions, both of which are connected to the matter of inner purity. The connection is that the two body parts involved here, the tongue and the private parts, go to the very foundations of humanity’s most negative traits and wrongdoings. Therefore, the Prophet Sallalahu Alayhi Wasalam is recorded as having said:
"He who guarantees that he will protect the following two: that which lies between his jaws (i.e. his tongue) and that which lies between his legs (i.e. his private parts), I will assure him of entry into Paradise.5"
Hence, the purpose of drinking the water left over from wudu, and sprinkling some of it on one’s lower garment, is to focus attention on the importance of protecting against these two major sources of human deficiency.
3 Tirmidhi, Nasai, Tabaran'i’s al-Mu‘jam al-Kabir and Ahmad.
4 Abu Dawud, Ahmad and al Hakim
5 Al Bukhari
Giving preference to zikr-e-jahri (audible zikr) over zikr-e-Sirri (silent zikr)
Someone had written to Moulana Thanwi Rahmatullah Alay:
I make zikr silently. I do this for two reasons: (1) I fear that if I make zikr audibly I will disturb those who are asleep. (2) People will begin to think of me as a buzurg and this will create pride within me.
Hadhrat Thanwi Rahmatullah Alay replied: Continue making zikr aloud. The solution to the first problem is that you should make zikr in a place where there isn’t anybody sleeping e.g. the Musjid. However, do not make zikr so loudly that the people of the area will be disturbed.
As far as the second problem, then ponder over the fact that when you will begin to sway your head whilst making zikr people will not think you to be a buzurg but an insane person. Your nafs has advised you that people should not think you to be a buzurg. However, it has in fact devised a plan whereby people would begin to think of you as a buzurg. The reason for this is that when you will lower your head and engage in zikr-e-Sirri people will think that you have now reached the level of the angels. The nuktah (subtle point) in this is that it is difficult to remain punctual and constant on a devotional practice.
If you will make zikr-e-jahri a few people will come to know that you wake up in the latter portion of the night to make zikr, such as the muazzin of the musjid. At times you will be overcome by sleep and laziness and perhaps miss out making zikr on that day. The muazzin will come to know that today Mr so and so did not wake up. However, if you make zikr-e-Sirri nobody will know whether you got up or not and in this way your laziness and weakness will remain concealed.
New Year. Painting the Town Red!
In the Hadith we are cautioned about the harms of imitating other nations and customs.
The Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam said: "You will imitate the nations before you very closely to the extent that if they went into a lizard's hole, you would enter it as well” his companions, may Allaah be pleased with them, inquired: “(Do you mean) the Jews and Christians, O Messenger of Allaah?” He sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam replied: "Who else?” (Bukhaari & Muslim).
The Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam also said: "The Day of Judgment will not come until my Nation closely imitates the nations before them.” It was asked: “Like the Persians and Romans, Messenger of Allaah?” He sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam replied: "Who are the nations (I could mean) except those?”(Bukhaari).
Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam “He who imitates a people will be from among them (on the Day of Judgement).” (Abu Daawood) and in another narration he sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: “The one who imitates people other than us (i.e., in faith) is not from us. Do not imitate the Jews or the Christians” (Tirmithi).
In Aap Beti Vol 6 of Hazrat Sheikh rahmatullah alayhi we come across the following stories that we should take heed of.
Story No. 4:
Another example of how the environment affects people, is something I have seen in my own house. When my own children were between the ages of four and seven years, and musical sounds from the street processions were heard, they used to put their fingers into their ears in order to avoid listening to the trumpets and drums. They also used to make a lot of noise while shouting that the noise from outside, was the voice of the Shaytaan speaking. They would then ask their mother or elder sisters whether the Shaytaan had gone or not.
But now I see when my grandchildren hear this same noise of trumpets and drums, they call each other to come and see what is going on. I try to make them feel ashamed, that this new trend is as a result of their mothers doing and that their acts will have an effect upon their own children.
Story No. 5:
I have also seen a practise in our whole family, that during the time of Holi (a hindu festival of colouring), no one would wear any coloured clothing. Even bride-grooms, would only wear white kurtahs and black trousers, avoiding red at all times. Nowadays this practise is not strictly adhered to.
There is another story which in my childhood, I had heard from the womenfolk of our household quite often. I do not recall having ever hearing it being related by any men: There was once a very pious man, very punctual and diligent in his performance of salaah, zakaat and his wazeefas. After his death someone saw him in a dream, where he was seen sitting comfortably on a honoured platform in a finely decorated place. However on his lips was a small snake attached.
The person seeing the dream, asked him: "Hazrat, how is it that together with this great honour afforded to you, there is a snake attached to you?" He replied: 'During the time of holi, I was eating paan. It so happened that a lean donkey passed in front of me. In jest, I spat at the donkey, and jokingly remarked: "This is holi-time. Everyone is being coloured. No one coloured you. Let me colour you also."
This story was very widely known in my family circle and I know that even the paan-eaters, used to become frightened. The ladies of the family made a special point of making bridal couples and young children aware of it.
Therefore, dear readers, parents and ulema, please do refrain from celebrating New Year and caution our family and friends to do the same.
