This letter, written to the mother of Mîr Muhammad Nu’mân, gives
some advice.
The first advice is to correct the belief
in accordance with the tenets which the Ahl-i sunnat savants teach in their
books. For, it is this group only that will be saved from Hell. May Allahu
ta’âlâ give plenty of rewards for the work of those great people! [Scholars of
the four madh-habs who have reached the grade of ijtihâd and the great scholars
educated by them are called scholars of Ahl as-sunnat.] After correcting the
belief (îmân), it is necessary to perform the acts of worship communicated in
the knowledge of fiqh, i.e. to do the commandments of the
Sharî’at and to abstain from what it prohibits. One should perform namâz five
times each day without reluctance or slackness, observing its conditions and
ta’dîl-i arkân.
He who has as much money as nisâb [see fn.
Imâm-i a’zâm Abû Hanîfa says, “Also, it is
necessary to give the zakât of gold and silver which women use as ornaments.”
A person with îmân should not waste his
time [playing musical instruments]. He should not waste his precious life even
on unnecessary mubâhs. It is certainly necessary not to waste it on the harâm.
We should not busy ourselves with taghannî, singing or songs. We should not be
deceived by the pleasure they give our nafses. These are poisons mixed with
honey and covered with sugar.
One should not commit giybat. Giybat
is harâm. [Giybat means to talk about a Muslim’s or a Zimmî’s[1] secret faults behind his back. It is
necessary to tell Muslims about the faults of Harbîs[2] and bid’at holders, about the sins of
those who commit
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[1] The Islâmic religion recognizes two
kinds of countries in the world: 1) The Muslim country called “Dâr-ul-Islâm”;
2) The country of disbelievers called “Dâr-ul-harb,” Those disbelievers who
live in “Dâr-ul-Islam” and who have submitted to pay the jizya [see fn. 9], are
called “ahl-i-zimmet” or ‘zimmî.” They live comfortably and peacefully
possessing Muslims’ rights and freedom fully. They perform their worships
freely. See our book “The Religion
Reformers in Islam,” chapter No. 49
[2] Those disbelievers who live in
Dâr-ul-harb and who are not under Islâm’s authority are called “Harbîs.”
these crimes in public, about the evil
deeds of those who torment Muslims. Such efforts help Muslims to be aware of
their harm. Also to reveal those who slander and intentionally misrepresent
Islâm in their writings is not a sin; this is not giybat (backbiting). Radd-ul Muhtâr:
5-263)].
Namîma, that is, gossip, carrying words
among Muslims, should not be done. It has been declared that various kinds of
torments will be inflicted on those who commit these two kinds of sins. Also,
it is harâm to lie and to slander; this must be avoided. These two evils were
harâm in every religion. Their punishments are very heavy. It is very thawâb[1] to conceal Muslims’ defects, not to
spread their secret sins and to forgive them. One should pity one’s inferiors,
those under one’s command, [such as, wives, children, students, soldiers] and
the poor. One should not reproach them for their faults. One should not hurt or
beat or swear at those unfortunate people for trivial reasons. [One should not
violate anybody’s religion, property, life, honour or chastity, and should pay
one’s debts to individuals and to the state. It is harâm to take or give a
bribe. Only, it would not be bribery to give money unwillingly in order to shun
being tormented by a cruel ruler or under duress. However, it is harâm to
accept something offered as such. Everybody should see his own defects, and
should every hour think of the faults which he has committed against Allahu
ta’âlâ. He should always bear in mind that Allahu ta’âlâ does not hurry in
punishing him, nor does He cut off his sustenance. [The orders compatible with
the Sharî’at of parents and of the government must be obeyed, but the ones
incompatible with the Sharî’at must not be rejected or opposed outright. We
should not cause fitna (discord and trouble). See the 123rd letter in the
second volume of the book Maktûbât-i Ma’thûmiyya.]
After correcting the belief and doing the
commands of fiqh, one should spend all one’s time remembering Allahu ta’âlâ.
One should continue remembering and mentioning Allahu ta’âlâ as the great men
of religion have communicated. By feeling hostility
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[1] Muslims will be rewarded in the next
world for all their pious actions which they have done in the world. The
rewards which Muslims will be given in the next world are called “thawâb.” The
word is used as an adjective as well as a noun. For example, when we say that
an action is very thawâb, it means that Allah will give many rewards for that
action.
towards all the things that will prevent
the heart from remembering Allahu ta’âlâ, that is, from dhikr, one should
abstain from them. The more you adhere to the Sharî’at, the more delicious it
will be to remember Him. As indolence and laziness increase while obeying the
Sharî’at, that flavour will gradually decrease, eventually vanishing
altogether. [One should not believe the slanders concocted by the enemies of
Islam and should be extremely wakeful not to fall into their traps.] What
should I write more than what I have written already? It will be enough for a
reasonable person. May Allahu ta’âlâ bless us all with doing the things that
will make us attain sa’âdat-i abadiyya! Âmîn.
What is sweet besides remembering Him whatsoever;
Is poison for the soul, even if it were sugar!