One does not need anyone’s permission for doing with
the intention of earning thawâb those practices which our Prophet
described and did himself and yet which are not exclusive to him (as the Prophet). Rasûlullah’s having done them is already a permission and a document, too,
to prove that they are permissible practices. On the other hand, effectiveness
of some special practices, dhikrs, benedictions and amulets, which are intended
to attain certain wishes or to elude certain hardships, is liable to a special
permission on the part of one’s Master and Murshid.
After Rasûlullah’s death,
some people saw him and talked to him, wide awake as they were. His blessed
body never leaves his grave. His blessed grave is never left empty. Greater
ones of this Ummat have also been seen in various countries at the same time.
For example, Shâh-i-naqshbend Muhammad Bahâ-ud-dîn[1] reportedly has been present at seven different
places at the same time of Iftâr and joined the meal called Iftâr at each of
these seven places. These appearings are spiritual. The soul reveals itself in
physical form. Prophets are alive in their graves. However, the life they lead
is not worldly life. They have left the world and entered the Hereafter. They
perform namâz in their graves. Transition from this world to the world to come is
termed mawt (death).
The situation martyrs are in is even better. Their life in the Hereafter is
more powerful. Whereas (dead) Prophets are called emwât (dead) in Qur’ân al-kerîm, an
âyat purports about martyrs: “Do not say ‘emwât’ about
those who have been killed in the way of Allah! They are alive.Yet you do not
know.”
The thawâb for alms given [or for âyats of Qur’ân al-kerîm recited] should first be sent as a gift to the blessed soul of
our Prophet and then sent to the souls of dead Muslims. Pious
deeds are more likely to be accepted if this procedure is followed. However,
doing so is not a condition stipulated for the acceptability of alms. It will
be good also to send the thawâb as a gift to the souls of all Believers. Each
and every Believer will receive all the thawâb (earned for the pious deed
performed, e.g. the alms given). This will by no means detract
from the thawâb which the dead person for whom the pious deed is intended will
receive.
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[1] Shâh-i-naqshbend passed away in 791 [A.D. 1389].
No one except our Prophet was taken
to (heaven in an event called) Mi’râj (as he was) awake. There have been people
whose souls only have been lifted up when they were awake and their eyes were
open. Such things are of no value when they happen in dreams.
Hadrat Alî ‘kerrem-Allâhu wejheh’ was (Allah’s) compassion
completely. He can never have cursed anybody — may Allâhu ta’âlâ protect us from such an assertion! [This part of the thirty-sixth
letter is fairly long. Its translation exists in the eleventh paragraph of the
fifth subdivision of the second part of our book].
Khâtima [the last breath, (that is, whether a person will die as a Believer or a disbeliever,)] cannot be known. It is not valid to render judgement on the khâtima of people who have passed away. It is permissible to have a good opinion on the khâtima of Murshids and other great religious superiors in accordance with the fairly prevailing presumption [inferred from the symptoms of good end seen on them as they died]. A judgement in this respect cannot be based on inspirations. The number of Enbiyâ (Prophets who did not bring a new Sharî’at but were assigned the duty of revitalizing the Sharî’at brought by a former Prophet) is not known. It is widely known that the number of Rasûls (Prophets to each of whom a new Sharî’at, a new Canon was revealed) is three hundred and thirteen.