Wise Counsel of Shaykh Ashraf Ali AlTahanawi

The Wise Counsel Of Shaykh Ashraf Ali al-Tahanawi-Sunnipath

Shaykh Ashraf Ali al-Tahanawi

Acquire knowledge of Deen according to your needs; either by asking the Ulama or by reading a book.

Abstain from all sins.

If you commit any sin, repent immediately.

Do not hold back in fulfilling anyone's right.

Do not cause anyone physical or verbal harm.

Do not speak ill of anyone.

Do not have any love for wealth, nor any desire for name and fame.

Do not concern yourself with extravagant food and clothing.

If someone rebukes you for your mistake or error, do not try to justify your action.

Do not laugh excessively nor talk excessively.

Do not go about repeating or mentioning an argument that may have taken place between two persons.

Always be mindful of the rules of Shariah in everything you do.

Do not display laziness in executing any act of Ibaadah.

Try and spend most of your time in seclusion.

If you have to meet and converse with others, meet them with humility and do not display your greatness.

Associate very little with rulers and those who hold high positions.

Stay very far from irreligious people.

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.

You should be particular in offering your salaat in the proper manner, at the proper time with concentration.

Always occupy yourself in the remembrance of Allah, either with
your heart or tongue.

If you experience any satisfaction in taking the name of Allah, then express your gratitude to Allah.

Speak in a nice, humble way.

Set aside specific times for all your different tasks and abide strictly to these times.

Consider whatever regret, sorrow or loss you may experience to be from Allah.

Do not think about worldly matters, calculations, profits and losses, etc. all the time. Instead think about Allah.

As far as possible, try to help and benefit others irrespective of whether it be in worldly or Deeni matters.

Do not eat and drink too little to the extent that you become weak and fall ill.

You should not eat and drink too much to the extent, you feel lazy in carrying out the different acts of Ibaadah.

Do not have any desire or greed for anything except Allah.

Do not allow your mind to wander towards any place, thinking that you will be able to benefit or profit from there.

Be restless in your quest for Allah.

Be grateful for the favours that are bestowed upon you irrespective of whether they are plenty or few.

Do not be depressed with poverty and destitution.

Overlook the faults and mistakes of those who are under your control.

If you learn of any fault of someone, conceal it.

Be in the service of guests, travellers, strangers, Ulama,
and pious servants of Allah.

Choose the company of the pious.

Fear Allah all the time.

Remember death.

Set aside a certain time daily, wherein you should think about all
your actions for that day.

When you remember any good action done, express gratitude. When you remember any evil action, repent.

Don't ever speak a lie.

Live with bashfulness, modesty and forbearance.

Do not be conceited by thinking to yourself that "I have such-and-such qualities in me."

Don't ever attend gatherings that are contrary to the Sharah.

Continue making Duaa to Allah to keep you steadfast on the straight path.

To be proud of a blessing is pride but to consider it a gift from Allah & keep in mind your incompetence is thankfulness. Pride develops in some Muslims; They pray and hate those who don't and consider them inferior.

Sins are very dangerous and must be avoided.

Pay attention to Allah, not to worries, they will disappear.

When Allah's name is taken say Jalla Jalalahu or Taala, once in a meeting atleast, preferably every time if possible.

Neither consider your worship such as to be proud of, nor consider them useless.

If your friends and relatives do not love you, be happy that Allah has removed others from your heart.

When Allah is angry ,you see a wrong thing as right and wrong superstition appear as facts.

Patience becomes easy by crying to Allah, as it removes the pressure.

Do Zikr with the intention of developing love of Allah, it will have it's effect.

We are born for worries, it will end in Paradise, so forget
its ending now.

Inform the person you have back-bited, after a short while you will stop back-biting.

Do not quote somebody without enquiry or research.

Deeds are rewards themselves, so why do you ask for reward on rewards.

To gain the love of Allah, join the company of the Saints (Ahlullah.)

Hidden etiquette is to be with Allah, all your time, events and dealings.

Ask every one to say a word of prayer for you. You do not know on whose tongue is acceptance .

In the company of saints (Ahlullah) atleast you begin to notice your mistakes and sins.

Appreciate, value and remember the Deeni favours which your parents have bestowed to you.

If sometimes parents act unjustly, bear their injustice with patience.

One can only regard oneself to be insignificant if the respect, honour and love of seniors are embedded in the heart.

Disrespect is more harmful than sinning.

Juniors should at all times keep in mind the seniority of elders. Do not regard yourself equal to elders.

Disrespect is the effect of pride and arrogance.

Do not ask a need from such a person who you know feels obligated to comply even though he may not be disposed to assist.

If you have been told to come at a certain time (i.e. an appointment), then be there at the appointed time.

Do not express yourself in the presence of the sick or his family, in a manner which makes them lose hope in life.

Shariat is Aqaaid (beliefs), A'maal (good deeds), Muamalaat (transactions), Akhlaaq (character) & Muasharat (conduct)

If someone is hurrying along the road, do not stop him for hand -shaking.

When going to meet a person ,do not sit with him so long as to inconvenience him.

While eating do not mention such things that nauseates or disgusts others.

Do not curse or speak ill of time (the age). Time is blameless.

Where the company consists of three persons, two should not speak by whispering to each other.

Do not waste the time of a busy person by prolonging the conversation by small talk.

Do not use extravagant titles or flattery when writing.

Do not read the letters of others. If a letter is not intended for you, do not read it.

When your child has wronged someone ,do not side with your child especially in his presence.

If any children come to you for education, do not take service
from them.

Be watchful of your children's behaviour towards servants and the children of servants.

A gift should not be refused because of its small value or quantity.

A gift tendered with the motive to obtain some benefit in lieu, is in fact bribery. It is not hadyah.

Never give a verdict in a dispute after having heard the story
of only one side.

When entering the private room of parents, seek their permission before entering.
If for some reason you are constrained to leave while others are still eating, excuse yourself.

Superstition is a kind of shirk. Abstain from this.

Some people never bother to visit the sick. This is not correct. There is great thawaab in visiting the sick.

There is greater reward for granting a loan than for giving charity.

The act of postponing a loan repayment when one is by the means to repay is an act of zulm (injustice).

Do not use the articles of others without their permission.

Safeguard and treat with care an object which you have borrowed.

Do not make promises in haste.

Fulfil a promise made. Do not act in conflict with a promise without any valid reason.

People who criticize, insult and vilify the Ulama of Deen, their faces in the grave are turned away from the Qibla. (Hazrat Gangohi (R.A.)

After your parents death make it a habit, to make Dua-e-Maghfirat for them.

Do not raise your voice above the voices of your parents.

Do not in jest point a sharp instrument to anyone.

Do not merely acquire a Fatwa (ruling) to substantiate one's own views.

During school holidays, children should be left in the companionship of Ahlullaah (saintly persons).

Do not assume that children will automatically acquire manners when they grow up. Start early.

When meeting someone with whom you have no informal association, do not ask him personal questions.

Do not crack such jokes which are hurting to others nor speak in a way which embarrasses people.

When a child is obstinate in demanding a thing, do not fulfill its demand.

Do not hesitate if you slip and commit some misdeed, seek forgiveness immediately.

Ramadan Kareem InshaAllah

Assalamualaikum

Ramadan

by

Suheil Laher

It is appropriate that every Muslim should receive the blessed month of Ramadan with repentance, sincerity, resoluteness and earnestness. He/she should make the intention to perform extra acts of devotion and worship therein, including the Night Prayer (qiyam), recitation of Qur'an, and abundant charity to the poor and needy.

On the authority of Anas (may Allah be pleased with him): The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), used to say the following when the month of Rajab began. "Oh Allah! Bless us in Rajab and Sha`ban, and bring us, oh Allah, to Ramadan." [Narrated by Tabarani and Ahmad]

The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) addressed his companions on the last day of Sha`ban, saying, "Oh people! A great month has come over you; a blessed month; a month in which is a night better than a thousand months; month in which Allah has made it compulsory upon you to fast by day, and voluntary to pray by night. Whoever draws nearer (to Allah) by performing any of the (optional) good deeds in (this month) shall receive the same reward as performing an obligatory deed at any other time, and whoever discharges an obligatory deed in (this month) shall receive the reward of performing seventy obligations at any other time. It is the month of patience, and the reward of patience is Heaven. It is the month of charity, and a month in which a believer's sustenance is increased. Whoever gives food to a fasting person to break his fast, shall have his sins forgiven, and he will be saved from the Fire of Hell, and he shall have the same reward as the fasting person, without his reward being diminished at all." [Narrated by Ibn Khuzaymah]

In another hadith, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) says, "Ramadan has come to you. (It is) a month of blessing, in which Allah covers you with blessing, for He sends down Mercy, decreases sins and answers prayers. In it, Allah looks at your competition (in good deeds), and boasts about you to His angels. So show Allah goodness from yourselves, for the unfortunate one is he who is deprived in (this month) of the mercy of Allah, the Mighty, the Exalted." [Narrated by Tabarani]

The preceding hadiths bring attention to readiness and preparation for receiving Ramadan. This is achieved by having a clear understanding of this month in one's mind, and greeting Ramadan with love and yearning. Also, one should have the determination and intention to perform good deeds and worship, and one should lay down a program to accomplish this in the days of the blessed month.

It is communally obligatory upon the Muslims to seek the crescent at the time of sunset on the 29th day of Sha`ban, and the 29th day of Ramadan, in order to verify the status of the start and end of their fasting. When seeing the crescent, it is sunnah for the Muslim to supplicate with the following supplication, which has been reported from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace).

On the authority of Talhah ibn `Ubaydullah (may Allah be pleased with him): when the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) saw the crescent, he used to say, "Oh Allah! Cause it to appear over us with prosperity, faith (Iman), security and Islam. (Then to the moon:) My Lord and your Lord is Allah." [Narrated by Tirmidhi, who said it is a good (hasan) hadith.]

Qatadah said that he was informed that the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) used to say, when seeing the crescent, "A crescent of goodness and orientation, a crescent of goodness and orientation, a crescent of goodness and orientation. (To the moon:) I believe in Allah who created you." (Three times), and then he would say, "Praise be to Allah who has taken away such- and-such month and brought such-and-such month." [Narrated by Abu Dawud]

The month of Ramadan has excellences over the other months, as is testified to by the Qur'an and Sunnah, and out of these we will bring to attention the following virtues:

1. It is the month of the Qur'an, with regards to revelation and study. ("The month of Ramadan is that in which was revealed the Qur'an." [Qur'an, 2:185]). On the authority of Ibn `Abbas: Angel Gabriel used to meet the Prophet every night in Ramadan and used to study Qur'an with him.

2. It is the month of seclusion. Ibn `Umar said, "The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) used to seclude himself for the last ten days of the month of Ramadan."

3. It is the month of generosity. Ibn `Abbas said, "The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) used to be at his most generous in Ramadan."

4. It is the month of standing (in voluntary night prayer). On the authority of Abu Hurayrah: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, "Whoever stands (in voluntary night prayer) during Ramadan, with faith and in expectancy of reward, his previous sins are forgiven him."

5. It is the month of the compulsory fast, because of Allah's saying, "So, whoever among you witnesses the month should fast." [Qur'an, 2:185] A terrible error prevalent among people is to talk about Ramadan just as they talk about the obligation of fasting, as if Ramadan and fasting are synonymous, each carrying the meaning of the other and not anything more nor less. Yet, fasting is one of many acts of worship in Ramadan.

Many reports have been narrated from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) explaining the distinction of Ramadan, of which we have selected the following.

"The month of Ramadan has come to you; a month of goodness and blessing." [Ibn Khuzaymah]

"The Master of the Months is Ramadan, and the Master of the days is Friday." [Ibn Khuzaymah]

"Whoever fasted Ramadan with faith and in expectancy of reward, his previous sins are forgiven him." [Bukhari and Muslim]

"When Ramadan comes, the gates of Heaven are opened, the gates of Hell are closed, and the devils are chained." And in a narration from Nasa'i, the following words are added: "and a caller calls out every night: 'Oh seeker of Good, draw near! Oh seeker of Evil, desist!' "

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