Spirituality
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Introducing Shāh Walī Allāh’s al-Maktūb al-Madanī fī Taḥqīq Waḥdat al-Wujūd wa-Waḥdat al-Shuhūd
One of the most sensitive and subtle theological and metaphysical discussions in the later Islamic intellectual tradition is the relationship between waḥdat al-wujūd and waḥdat al-shuhūd. The short monograph al-Maktūb al-Madanī, authored by Shāh Walī Allāh al-Dihlawī, addresses this question with a blend of the precision of the discursive theologians (mutakallimīn) and the deep insight of the spiritual masters,… Continue reading
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Ḥakīm al-Ummah’s Shajarat al-Murād, or Schematic Outline of the Objectives of Taṣawwuf
The Shajarat al-Murād is a schematic outline of the objectives of taṣawwuf presented in Ḥakīm al-Ummah Mawlānā Ashraf ʿAlī al-Thānwī’s indispensable Urdu multi-volume work, Tarbiyat al-Sālik. In this work, Mawlānā Thānwī defines taṣawwuf as the disciplined application of the inward dimension of the Sharīʿah. He begins with first principles. The purpose of a Muslim’s life is to attain… Continue reading
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Commentary on the Hadith of Salat as a Cure
I found the following commentary on a hadith from Ibn Mājāh in Sharḥ al-Arbaʿīn al-Ṭibbiyyah: al-Aḥādīth al-Ṭibbiyyah al-Mustakhrajah min Sunan Ibn Mājah by the traditionist-physician al-Muwaffaq ʿAbd al-Laṭīf al-Baghdādī (d. 629 AH), compiled by his student Ḥāfiẓ Muḥammad b. Yūsuf al-Birzālī (d. 636 AH). The work is concise, yet the author provides a detailed commentary on this… Continue reading
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A Call to Muslims: A Transcript of a Speech to the Scholars by Mawlānā Ilyās al-Kāndhalwī
Nearly eight years ago, I came across a rare print of a speech delivered by Mawlānā Muḥammad Ilyās al-Kāndhalwī in a library. I asked a student to help me transcribe it so that it could be edited for language and style and posted online or published in the future. I came across my edit of the piece… Continue reading
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Increasing One’s Memory, Focus, and Concentration in Studies
Question: What can one do to increase his memory and focus? Reply: Here are a couple of brief tips: 1. Guard your gaze and your ears. There can be nothing more distracting than television, a wrong glance, or a tune that won’t go away. Continue reading
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Nine Tips for Surviving School
Surviving school as a Muslim youth in the West is not easy. The social requirement upon youth to not only excel in studies but also to exhibit ideal, Islamic behavior outside and inside the home makes leading a healthy student life a truly daunting task. With the combined social pressures of school, family, and friends… Continue reading
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The Silsilahs of Tasawwuf and the Reality of Bay’ah
Query Respected and honorable Hadhrat Maulana Mufti Mahmud Ashraf ‘Uthmani, Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah! I sincerely enjoyed the article you wrote in the monthly Al-Balagh magazine on tasawwuf. In fact, I read it thrice. It was very comprehensive, demonstrative, and authentic, and it covered all the necessary aspects of the topic. Continue reading