Q & A Session [10-03-2011]

Q. Who is a Super Shaykh?

Gist of the Answer: A super Shaykh is that person who  has Taqwa, Sohbat, & Dhikr – but, this is not the only definition. A Super Shaykh for us would be that Shaykh who has a super impact on our heart, so if he has such an impact on our heart that he brings our heart closer to Taqwa, Sohbah, Dhikr, to being aware of Allah swt, remembering Allah swt and leaving sin – then, that is the right person for us.

Q. If a person is becoming a Hafiz, should he attempt a khatam of the Qur’an or merely learn & revise his sabaq – will that suffice as his Daily recitation of the Qur’an-e-karim?

Gist of the Answer: We have heard our Shaykh many times explain what we call the ‘Mamulaat‘ or the ‘Daily Regimen of Dhikr & Ibadah’, [While explaining Daily Recitation of Qur’an-e-Karim] what he tells people is that you should read 1 Juz a day or half a Juz a day or according to the manzil i.e. for the Hafiz whatever will suffice as his memorization of the Qur’an-e-karim. What i would just suggest is that, for a Hafiz, there should be an element of ‘Tilawat’ which means that it should include sight reading as well. The Hafiz or the person who has memorized Qur’an-e-Karim is obviously trying to strain him or herself to recollect the Qur’an-e-Karim and recite it from recollection without sight reading but he should also have some portion a day which he uses to recall through his memory but it involves sight reading. And obviously once a person becomes a Hafiz of the entire Qur’an and then they will have to review the entire Qur’an, if they do sight reading, the element of that view can be a way in which they fulfill this aspect of Dhikr.

Q: A quick snap-out way from a Spell of Laziness & Negativity for those otherwise occupied by religious activities like ‘ilm, etc.

Gist of the Answer: For a person, who I’m assuming is a full time student, and occupied in Islamic Disciplines of Learning and they feel that when I’m in class or when I’m studying or when I’m with my books, and doing my research, I feel really close to Allah swt and I don’t do sin but whenever I get free, I snap into a form or laziness – this is precisely actually why you will find in the history or Islam so many people  who were talabah, Ullema, Students of Knowledge, Scholars of Knowledge, engaged in Da’wah,  in different types of Service or Khidmat of the Deen – this is precisely why they felt the need for Tasawwuf because they saw this that we are engaged in an activities of Deen, some service of Deen, we are very good but whenever we are left to our own self, whenever we are left to our own devises, whenever we are free i.e. whenever we are not engaged in studying Deen, Teaching Deen, Speaking about Deen, inviting people towards Deen, whenever we are not engaged in that then we realize that we slip

First of all, personally, we would like to congratulate the questioner and remind ourselves and everybody who is  involved in work of Deen that we have to notice those slips, we have to feel those slips, we have to realize that Allah swt may be taking work of Deen from me that I may be benefiting other people but what is going to benefit me on the Day of Judgment is going to be my own personal Taqwa, my own strength of Character, my own ibadat, my own relationship with Allah swt, and that is very difficult.

And, its very dangerous to loose sight of that when a person is engaged in any full time activity of Deen. A quick snap-out, what is not really mentioned or taught in this discipline of Tasawwuf, for such a person is either Sohbah or Dhikr

What they should do is that they should snap themselves out of that laziness, and put themselves in the company of somebody who is closer to Allah swt either they can travel and they can go visit or they can put some audio on, or even read a book depending on the level of

…to be continued, inshaAllah!

[Gist of the answers given by Shaykh Kamaluddin Ahmed during the CII Tazkiya Talk on 10th March, 2011]

2 Comments

  1. Sometimes, people ask this question that, “How do I know who is a Shaykh?”

    I will give you one way tonight – “when you are in the Sohbat of that person, you forget dunya; when you listen to the talk of that person, you forget dunya; when you walk out of the talk of that person, you look at dunya as if it is a stranger to you; you feel sad even from going out of the Masjid towards your car; when you sit in your car, you feel sad you wish you were still in the Masjid; you wish that the program could go on all night, every night, all you did was to sit in the Masjid in ibadat, Dhikr and bayan – That is a sign; that the person is a Shaykh – that person whose Sohbat can make you forget dunya, make you repent of your sin, and make you yearn for Allah سبحانه وتعالى..

  2. o says:

    wah! mashAllah MashAllah! super shaykh… best english equivalant of shayk-e-kamil
    “jane kabh shaykh ki nazar ho jaye
    kabh palat jaye gunahgar ke din”

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