Bismillahir Rahmaanir Raheem
By Hazrat Maulana Yunus Patel
Saheb (Rahmatullahi ‘alayh)
There are two opposing conditions, which are found in people.
These are: Anaa’niyyat and Fanaa’iyyat.
Anaa’niyyat means that everything is
about “me”, or about: “I, me and myself”. At all times life revolves around
me and myself. That’s
all.
The person puts himself first, gives
preference to himself and believes that he is important. The person wants to be
recognized wherever he goes – that he is somebody. If he is not recognized, he is offended. If he goes to some Majlis and people do not
shake his hand and acknowledge his presence, he is upset. The thinking is: I am such a great person and people are not
showing any kind of interest.
The inner desire is to be
recognized and to be known. Such a condition indicates that the person is in
the firm grip of his own nafs.
This is Anaa’niyyat. Everything is
‘ana’, ‘ana’, ‘ana’ (I, I, I).
When there is Anaa’niyyat, Allah Ta’ala destroys.
When the sheep is alive, it bleats. It repeatedly
says: ‘Meh meh meh”. This is the
sheep that comes under the knife for slaughter. When the nafs is alive, and its
condition is ‘ana, ana, ana’, then
that person comes under the punishment of Allah Ta’ala and is humbled; is destroyed.
On the other hand, there is the person
who develops Fana’iyyat: He annihilates himself. There is no “me, myself and
I”.
…One girl had a proposal from someone. I
am not mentioning any name and no one knows who I am talking about. In her
e-mail, she mentioned her level of Taqwa.
She said: ‘I have a high level of Taqwa.
There is someone who is proposing marriage. However, I do not want his level of
Taqwa to be lower than mine. He must be
able to increase my level of Taqwa.”
Part of the reply that was given was: “I
have to caution you with regard to your claim of your Taqwa being of a very
high level. This is very dangerous. …All those who are of a high level of Taqwa consider
themselves to be insignificant; they consider themselves to be the most sinful
ones on earth. Allah Ta’ala then places
in the hearts of people, Husne Zann (good opinion) and Thanaa (praise) - that
the person is a person of Taqwa. Those who
have Taqwa do not make loud and bold claims, because they have annihilated
themselves.”
They have made Fanaa of their nafs. On
that Fanaa, Allah Ta’ala gives them “Baqaa”.
Allah Ta’ala keeps their names, keeps their works, keeps their Bayanaat,
their Uloom and their Naseehah alive, because they made Fanaa. …Whereas the one
who is always chasing after name and fame and prominence, then Allah Ta’ala
gives him or her, “Fanaa”. Allah Ta’ala destroys. …This “Fanaa” and destruction has a different meaning
to Fanaa of the nafs.
Allah Ta’ala dislikes and disapproves
that the servant makes a claim and testifies to his or her own purity and
piety. Allah Ta’ala says:
“…So do not claim purity for yourselves. He knows best who is
God-fearing.”
[Surah An-Najm 53 : 32]
It is most definitely Allah Ta’ala’s
Fadhl and Karam upon any person, if the person progresses in this path of
Islaah and Tazkiyyah:
“…Had it not been for the grace of Allah upon you, and His Mercy,
not a single person from you would have ever attained purity. But Allah
purifies whomsoever He wills. Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.”
[Surah An-Noor 24 : 21]
The Mashaa’ik used to train their
Mureeds in many different ways. Hazrat Maulana Rashid Ahmad Gangohi
(Rahmatullah ‘alaih) was a Mureed of Hazrat Haaji Imadadullah (Rahmatullah
‘alayh) and in that Ta-alluq, he became very close to his Shaykh. …However,
consider the training he received from his Shaykh:
He was seated at the Dastarkhan with his
Shaykh. When the food came from Hazrat Haaji Saheb’s home, one plate
contained very delicious kofta (kabaab). The other plate contained a simple
type of gravy. Hazrat Haaji Saheb (Rahmatullah ‘alaih) kept the kabaab aside and gave Maulana Gangohi (Rahmatullah ‘alaih) the simple gravy.
As they were
eating, Hazrat Zamin Shaheed (Rahmatullah ‘alaih) walked in. On seeing them
eating, he addressed Hazrat Haaji Saheb (Rahmatullah ‘alaih) and said: "Why do you not pass the kofta also to
Rashid Ahmad?"
Upon this, Hazrat
Haaji Saheb (Rahmatullah
‘alaih) replied, with the object of testing his Mureed:
"He (Maulana Gangohi) should be grateful that I am allowing him to even
eat with me. In fact, I had intended to give him a piece of bread in his hand
and for him to eat elsewhere!"
While he said this,
he also watched the reaction of Maulana Gangohi (Rahmatullah ‘alaih). Hazrat
Maulana Rashid Ahmad Gangohi (Rahmatullah ‘alaih) did not take
any offence on this statement and his facial expression also did not change in
any way. He himself said: “Alhamdulillah! There was no effect on my
heart. I accepted that whatever Haaji Saheb had said, was the truth. In fact,
to get a piece of bread from him was a great favour, regardless of the way it
was obtained.”
…When someone is a little upset, it is
easy to make out that he is upset.
Another person would have said that he
is being humiliated and disgraced and shamed. But these were the type of
tests they went through in the past.
Today, Mureeds would say: “What does this Shaykh think of himself?
Does he think I can’t have good food at home?” …The person would leave. He would go home. Finished.
Most Mureeds today don’t have that same
capacity or appreciation. So the present day Mashaa’ik,
understanding the nature of people, adopt a somewhat lenient approach. Of
course, there will be discipline but they understand the nature of the people
is not the same.
The objective is the reformation of the
Mureed. Some inexperienced people constantly reproach and admonish their Mureeds
or students. They reprimand and reprimand. This indicates that there is no
correct understanding and no skill of how to make Islaah. Each person is
different. Each person’s temperament is different. And the Shaykh has to
understand the temperament of each Mureed. There are some who will take a harsh
reprimand but others may just disappear altogether – and then they will lose
out on the benefits of the Suhbat and the Ta’leem of the Shaykh.
Even the Shaykh and the Ustaadh need to
check why they are reprimanding. Is it motivated by nafs or is it a sincere
concern for the Mureed to progress in this path or the student to excel in his
studies?
So these are the aspects of Sulook that
need to be learnt: To make Fanaa of one’s self!
Once that Azmat of Allah Ta’ala enters
the heart, the person will not think anything of himself.
Nabi (Sallallaahu alaihi wasallam)
taught us the Dua:
اَللّٰهُمَّ اجْعَلْنِيْ
فِيْ عَيْنِيْ صَغِيْرًا وَ فِيْ اَعْيُنِ النَّاسِ كَبِيْرًا
“O Allah, make me small
(insignificant) in my own eyes, and make me great (significant) in the eyes of
the people.”
Meaning, in my heart, I should think of
myself as very small, as insignificant, as nobody, but in the hearts of people,
Allah Ta’ala places respect and Azmat
(honour).
If people are not going to have Azmat in
their hearts, who will listen? If a
person is addicted to drugs or is known as a womanizer or is a gambler or involved
in other major sins, and if the person is told to sit on the Mimbar and give a
Bayaan, will anyone listen to his Bayaan, with Azmat? …We know, and the public knows, what sins he
is engaging in. …Will people make special requests that he makes Dua for them? … No.
Why?
Because there is no Azmat in the hearts
of the people and no Azmat in the sight of the people.
Ask Allah Ta’ala to give us Azmat, but
in our own sight, in our own hearts, we must not think of ourselves as people
of worth and esteem. There must be Fana’iyyat.
However, this is a process. Fana’iyyat is not just saying: ‘I’m nothing!’. Words are very easy to utter, but the reality is
something else. The reality requires Islaah, Tazkiyyah and Mujahadah.
My Shaykh, Hazrat Maulana Hakeem
Muhammad Akhtar Saheb (Rahmatullahi ‘alayh) had said that sometimes a person
tries to project an image of humility and self-effacement; he wants to be known
as a very pious and humble man. So he will say: “I’m nothing. I’m absolutely nothing.” …But if a person were to
agree with him and say: “Yes, you are
nothing.” – then his colour changes and he becomes angry. Why? Because
there is no Haqeeqat; no reality.
This Fanaa’iyyat is achieved when the
connection with one’s Shaykh is sincere, and the Mureed plays his part as a
Mureed should, by informing the Shaykh of his spiritual ailments, accepting and
following through with the guidance and direction, with the spiritual medication
and prescriptions of the Shaykh. All of this requires humility and surrender –
but how many are prepared to humble themselves?
Yet it is in humbling oneself, undertaking
this process of Islaah and bringing this reality in us, that Allah Ta’ala will
grant elevation and Baqaa.
Rasulullah (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi
wasallam) said: “Whoever humbles himself for
the sake of Allah, Allah elevates him.”
We should not do, seeking elevation and
Baqaa. We should do for the sake of Allah Ta’ala.
May Allah Ta’ala grant us complete and
correct understanding and the Taufeeq of reforming ourselves. May Allah Ta’ala
grant us the qualities of Istighnaa, Qanaa’at, Tawakkul and Yaqeen in Him.
