“Taswîf” is postponement of
doing good deeds. It is “musâra’at” to act fast in doing acts of worship and
pious deeds. It is stated in a hadîth-i-sherîf: “Perform repentance ‘tawba’ before you die. Act quickly when doing
good deeds before an obstruction rises to block performance of those good
deeds. Remember Allâhu ta’âlâ much. Act quickly in giving ‘zakât’ and alms.
You will receive sustenance ‘rizq’ and help from your Lord by doing these.” And “Know the value of five things before five things arrive: value of
life before death; value of health before illness; value of earning âkhirat in
the world; value of youth before old age; and value of wealth before poverty.” A person who does not observe the obligatory almsgiving (zakât) and does not spend his wealth in the way of Allâhu ta’âlâ will be very sorry upon losing
his wealth. Rasűlullah ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sal-lam’ states in a hadîth-i-sherîf: “One who does ‘taswîf’
will perish.”
[Imâm ar-Rabbânî ‘rahmatullâhi
’aleyh’ went into the toilet one day and, after a short while, knocked on the
door of the toilet to call the servant. The servant ran, thinking that the
great scholar must have forgotten the water or the piece of cloth he was to use
for tahârat (cleaning himself) in the toilet. Imâm ar-Rabbânî opened the door
a little bit and handed his shirt to the servant with the direction: “Deliver
this shirt to so and so as a gift.” The servant bewilderingly asked, “Oh my
master! Mightn’t you as well give this order after you get out of the toilet?
Why do you put yourself into this much trouble?” The “Imâm” replied, “Giving my
shirt to that poor person as a gift crossed my mind in the toilet. I was afraid
that if I made ‘taswîf’ until I got out of the toilet, the devil would probably
give me an evil suggestion ‘waswasa’ so that I would give up doing that pious
deed.”]
A person who commits forbidden deeds (harâms)
flagrantly is called ‘fâsiq’, and the sin committed thus is called ‘fisq’. The
worst “fisq” is to commit oppression (zulm). For, it is perpetrated
openly and also involves the rights of individuals. The fifty-seventh and
hundred and fortieth âyat-i-kerîmas of
Sűra
Âl-i-’Imrân of the Qur’ân al-kerîm purport: “... Allâhu ta’âlâ loveth not those who
do wrong (zâliműn).” A hadîth-i-sherîf
reads: “To
pray that a tyrant will live long means to wish disobedience to Allâhu ta’âlâ.”
When Sufyân-i-Sawrî ‘rahimahullâhu ta’âlâ’ was asked, “A tyrant (zâlim) is
about to perish of thirst in the desert. Shall we give him water?” he replied,
“No, don’t.” If a tyrant obtained the house he is living in by way of
extortion, it is harâm to enter the house. Humble behaviour shown towards a
person who is fâsiq, though not zâlim, will cost two-thirds of one’s faith.
This fact could be a sufficient benchmark for rating the atrocity of humility
towards a person who is zâlim (at the same time). It is harâm to kiss a zâlim’s
hand or to bow before him. These acts are jâiz (permissible) when the person
concerned is ’âdil (just). Abű ’Ubayda bin Jerrâh kissed Hadrat ’Umar’s hand
‘radiy-Allâhu ’anhumâ’. Visiting and staying in the house of a person who earns
most of his money by forbidden means is not permissible. Praising such a person
with words or by any other act is forbidden. It would only be permissible to go
by him in order to save oneself or someone else from his oppression. While in
his presence, one must not lie and praise him. If one thinks that he might
accept advice, one may advise him. If a tyrant visits you, then it would be
permissible to get up in order to meet him. But it would be better if you do
not get up in order to show ugliness of his oppression and value (izzat)
of Islam. If the conditions permit, you may advise him. It is always better to
stay away from tyrants and oppressors. It is stated in a hadîth-i-sherîf: “Do not say ‘sir’ as you talk with a
munâfiq.” It is an act of disbelief to show
reverence to a disbeliever or to a zâlim, to greet them with reverence, or to
address them with expressions of reverence. Showing respect to a disbeliever or
saying phrases like, “My master” or greeting him respectfully causes disbelief.
Whoever rebels against Allâhu ta’âlâ is called a fâsiq.
Those who cause others to rebel and cause spreading of fisq are called fâjir.
The sinner who is known to be committing forbidden actions (harâms)
should not be loved. Loving those who spread bid’ats and those who are known
for oppressing others is a sin. It is stated in a hadîth-i-sherîf:
“While
people have the power to stop the ‘fisq’ of a sinner ‘fâsiq’, if no one stops
him,
Allâhu ta’âlâ will punish all of them in this
world and in the next.”
’Umar bin ’Abdul’Azîz ‘rahimahullâhu ta’âlâ’ said, “Allâhu ta’âlâ does not punish others when someone
commits forbidden actions ‘harâms’ but when some of them commit forbidden
actions openly and others observing them do not stop them, then He will punish
all of them.” Allâhu ta’âlâ revealed to prophet Yűsha’ ‘alaihis-salât-u-wa-s-salâm’: “I shall
torment forty thousand pious people among your ummat along with sixty thousand
sinful (fâsiq) ones!” When Yűsha’ implored, “Yâ Rabbî (O Lord)! Sinners deserve
the punishment but what is the reason for punishing the pious?” Allâhu ta’âlâ answered, “They would not join Me in My
Wrath (towards sinners). They would rather eat with them.” If doing amr al-ma’rűf
to persons who deviated from the right path and to oppressors would cause
instigation or harm to your self, to your family and to the Muslims in general,
then it should not be done. In such instances, your heart’s aversion to them
will suffice. The same applies to sinners, i.e., aversion felt towards those
who commit forbidden actions openly (fâsiqs). It is necessary to
advise them in a soft-spoken manner with soft and sweet words.
If a person performs acts of
worship and also commits forbidden actions openly, i.e., commits “fisq,” he
will be labeled according to the actions he does more. If these two antonymous
acts balance out in a person’s apparent conduct, then he should be treated with
the sympathy that he deserves on account of his acts of worship and at the same
time get the antagonism which his fisq incurs. It devolves on the state
officials to prevent those people who promote fisq.
[A person who obeys the Sharî’at and
attaches his heart to a murshid for the purpose of pleasing Allâhu ta’âlâ, is a pious person (sâlih).
A person who has pleased Allâhu ta’âlâ and
attained His love, is called a ‘Walî’. And a Walî who guides others so that
they also should attain the love of Allâhu ta’âlâ,
is called a Murshid. Islam is based on three essentials: ’ilm (knowledge);
’amal (practice); ikhlâs (doing something only to please Allâhu ta’âlâ). Islamic knowledge consists of two components:
religious knowledge and scientific knowledge. Religious knowledge does not come
down like a pear falling down from the tree to one’s head. It is learned from
the words, actions, behaviors or writings of a real enlightener (murshid).
As doomsday (Qiyamat) approaches, the real enlightener will
not be found anywhere and ignorant, lying, the sinful religious men of authority will increase in number. They will not strive to earn love of Allâhu ta’âlâ; instead, they will work to earn money, ranks, posts, and fame. They will approach wealthy people and people who occupy ranks and posts. One should read the books of the well-known “Ahl as-sunna scholars” lest one should fall for such villains and to attain eternal happiness.]