Virtues and benefits

The merits and benefits of renunciation are countless and innumerable. The Holy Messenger ﷺ said: "No servant adopts renunciation in the world but that Allah Most High causes wisdom to grow in his heart, and his tongue speaks words of wisdom. Allah Most High shows such a person the faults of the world, its disease and its cure, and takes him out of the world safe and sound to the abode of the Hereafter."

Another hadith states: "Renunciation of the world is rest for heart and body, while desire for the world increases worry and grief; and no servant will fall short in obedience to Allah but that Allah Most High will afflict him

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Salalim al-Fudala' on the margin of Kifayat al-Atqiya, p. 20

Bayhaqi, Shu'ab al-Iman 7/346, no. 10532

with grief." (Imam Ahmad) It has also come in narrations: "Whoever wishes that Allah Most High give him knowledge without learning and guidance without seeking guidance should become disinclined towards the world," that is, should become an ascetic (zahid). The Master of Madinah ﷺ also gave the glorious instruction: when you see someone who has been given renunciation of the world and little speech, draw near to him, for he imparts wisdom, that is, he teaches those subtle indications which are a cure for the diseases of the heart and a barrier against following the desires of the self.

The noble scholars say that renunciation is not the absence of wealth; rather, renunciation is the ending of the heart's attachment to wealth. Hazrat Sulayman (peace be upon him) outwardly possessed countless wealth and goods, but his heart had no attachment to honour and riches. He himself ate barley bread and fed others the finest food. So it will not be said, because of his wealth, that he was not an ascetic; rather, he was a great ascetic. Likewise, the wealthy noble Companions of this Ummah and the wealthy noble friends of Allah (may Allah be pleased with them), though outwardly possessing wealth, were all detached from it; there was no place for it in their hearts.

The Cause of Being Beloved

Whoever makes his heart pure, clean and detached from the world and all it contains for the sake of Allah Most High, Allah Most High makes him His beloved. The noble hadith states: "Izhad fi'l-dunya yuhibbuka Allah, wazhad fima 'inda al-nas yuhibbuka al-nas", that is: be disinclined towards the world and Allah Most High will make you His beloved, and be disinclined towards what people have (of honour and wealth) and people will love you.

People bear enmity towards one who stands in the way of their gaining the world. When such a person is harmful to no one's worldly interests, why would people bear enmity towards him? Rather, they love those who have abandoned the world.

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Ibn Majah; Musnad al-Shihab by al-Quda'i 1/373

The noble Sufis have declared renunciation the highest station after God-consciousness (taqwa). Since renunciation is a cause of Allah's love, what greater and loftier blessing could there be than this! It should be known that abandoning everything other than the Real for the sake of the Real, turning away from all and turning completely towards the Creator and Master alone, Majestic and Exalted, is not the work of just anyone, nor can it happen without Divine enabling grace (tawfiq). Such ascetic servants are born very rarely; they should be valued. Today many poets mock ascetics, criticise renunciation, and present themselves as bearers of love and affection. If anyone mocks true ascetics, it is a most ugly and shameful thing. Renunciation is the name of a very great and lofty station among the stations of the path of the noble Sufis. Criticism of this kind also occurs in the words of some saints, but their state is something else and their purpose something else.

Desire for the world:

One who has not attained renunciation is, in effect, addicted to love of the world and all it contains. The scholars say that the example of such a person is like a drunkard (sakran) and a drowning man (ghariq), who never manages to reach the road but keeps saying, "Ayna al-tariq?" (Where is the road?) "Ayna al-khalas?" (Where is the escape?) For this reason his outward self is occupied in seeking the world and his inward self in desiring it, because when the desire for it becomes firmly rooted in the heart, its effect appears on the limbs and organs, so that he obtains it by bearing every toil and hardship, for to obtain it he will go as far as fighting and quarrelling. From such people Allah takes away the delight of contentment, and such a person is barred from the discipline of heart and self that the ascetics practise, because once the heart has been deprived of the blessing of contentment, it is never satisfied and its belly is never filled, even if it is given the whole world. In such a situation, how can the enabling grace for obedience be attained?

The Signs of Renunciation

Hazrat Imam Muhammad Ghazali (may his secret be sanctified) says that "renunciation of the world" (zuhd-e-dunya) is a great station among the stations of the wayfarers. It is composed of three things, knowledge, state and action, just as the other stations are also composed of these three, because all the gates of faith go back to the heart, speech and action. The ascetic should rely on three signs within himself. First, he should not rejoice at what exists nor grieve over what is lost; rather, the ascetic should be the opposite of both, that is, saddened by its existence and glad at its absence.

Second, the one who praises him and the one who blames him should be equal in his sight. The first is the sign of "renunciation of wealth" (zuhd fi'l-mal) and the second of "renunciation of status" (zuhd fi'l-jah). Third, his heart's intimacy and love should be with Allah Most High, and the sweetness of obedience should prevail over his heart.

Renunciation for Scholars

It is stated in narrations that whoever increases in knowledge but does not increase in renunciation of the world gains nothing but distance from Allah Most High. Imam Daylami narrated from Hazrat 'Ali (may Allah ennoble his face) that scholars are more entitled to "renunciation of the world" than others. Someone has said:

"When unbelief rises from the Ka'bah, where will Islam remain?"

When unbelief comes out of the Ka'bah, where will Muslimness remain? When the scholars themselves become infatuated with the world, when the world is on their lips at all times, and they begin to perform all their services in exchange for worldly gain, what is there to ask about the common people? The shaykhs, whose very task was to erase love of the world from hearts and to create the seeking of the Hereafter and then the seeking of the Master (Mawla), are themselves busy at all times gathering the world through various stratagems; then what can be said about the disciples? The disciple is still a blessing by comparison, for he earns and earns and gives an offering (nazrana) to the Pir Sahib in order to please Allah. Love of the world has turned the tables completely; now there is no

service without worldly gain, and that is why attachment to scholars and shaykhs has gone out of people's hearts.

Means of Safety

Among the requirements of renunciation is that one should cut off hope in whatever status, wealth and goods of the world people possess, and should spend on people whatever one has. Thus renunciation, too, is among the means of safety.

Hazrat Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (may Allah be pleased with him) asked Hazrat Hatim al-Asamm (may Allah be pleased with him): "What is the way to safety from the world?" He said: "Adopt four qualities."

1. Forgive the ignorance of people, that is, when people hurt you out of ignorance, forgive them.

2. Do not act ignorantly towards them, that is, do not go after anyone's honour so as to hurt him.

3. Give up hope of people's gifts.

4. Spend on them whatever you can.

It should be known that the saints have said, and experience bears witness, that these four qualities make a person beloved to the creation. A person who brings benefit to people instead of harm will inevitably be loved by them.

A beneficial work for inviting to the faith (da'wah):

For inviting to the faith, the most beneficial and effective life is a life that brings benefit to others. Serving people for the sake of Allah Most High is a cause of immense reward. It is established by authentic hadiths that Allah Most High forgave someone for giving water to a dog, and that a woman who kept a cat tied up, neither feeding it nor letting it go, until it died writhing, was cast into Hell by Allah Most High as a wrongdoer.

People of earlier times considered that others too had a right in the blessings Allah Most High had granted them; now everyone is after taking. Yet those servants who give to others are loved by people even today:

Learning the knowledge of the Shari'ah:

The fourth of the nine counsels is learning the sciences of the Shari'ah. In their view, knowledge of the Shari'ah is, first, that by which belief is made correct, that is, beliefs in accordance with the Ahl al-Sunnah wa'l-Jama'ah; second, the knowledge related to obedience and worship.

Third is the knowledge through which purification of the self (tazkiya) and cleansing of the heart (tasfiya) are attained, so that a person is saved from bad character, pride, envy, hatred and the like, and is adorned with good character. These are the sciences that are necessary for this world and the Hereafter, useful and beneficial in both worlds, and the eternal building of a person's life depends on them. Today people are teaching and studying who knows what for the sake of the world, but are heedless of these sciences. Even the scholars, the huffaz, the Quran reciters (qurra') and the shaykhs, that is, those who are called religious leaders, do not care; they have complete knowledge neither of beliefs, nor of practices, nor of character, and there is no inclination at all towards practice. What is astonishing is that many people are graduating from madrasas and universities as experts in the Arabic sciences, yet entirely blank in the science of character ('ilm al-akhlaq). By nature and from birth, man inclines towards bad qualities, that is, blameworthy traits and base morals, because the commanding self (nafs-e-ammarah), which is the source of evil and corruption, is attached to him. To remove these bad qualities from oneself, to create good character and praiseworthy traits in their place, and to adorn oneself with them is a very difficult task. For this it is necessary to acquire knowledge of good and bad traits and morals, then also to become acquainted with the methods of removing the bad ones, and also to know how we can create good character in their place. In fact, the most important work of Sufism (tasawwuf) is precisely this: to remove bad character and traits and create good traits and character in their place. The noble hadiths lay very great stress on good character.

It should be known that the noble scholars have classed these three kinds of knowledge as an individual obligation (fard 'ayn), that is, learning them is obligatory on every sane, adult man and woman, and these are in fact the beneficial sciences.

The Benefits of Beneficial Knowledge

Whoever learns them and acts upon them will attain elevation in this world and the Hereafter.

Allah Most High says:

یَرْفَعِ اللہُ الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا مِنۡکُمْ وَ الَّذِیۡنَ اُوۡتُوا الْعِلْمَ دَرَجٰتٍ ؂

Allah will raise in degrees those of you who believe and those who have been given knowledge.

Translation: Those among you who believed, and those who were given knowledge, Allah Most High will raise them in degrees.

The exegetes have said that He will raise the believers by one degree, and to those who were given knowledge along with faith He will grant many degrees.

Hazrat Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said that on the Day of Resurrection Allah Most High will raise the noble scholars seven hundred degrees above the ordinary believers, and between every two degrees there will be a distance of five hundred years' journey.

The Quran and hadith have described countless ranks of knowledge and of the scholars of religion: "Seeking knowledge leads to Paradise," and "The noble angels honour the student of knowledge." Because he honours knowledge, the angels honour him, and he is honoured and esteemed in the kingdom of the heavens.

The Noble Prophet ﷺ also said that the inhabitants of the earth and the heavens pray for the forgiveness of the scholar, and so on. The noble scholars have written numerous books on this subject, which are commonly found in the markets. This Mujaddidi faqir (may he be pardoned) also has some scattered writings on this subject.

5. Safeguarding the Sunnah:

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Surah Al-Mujadilah 58:11

Kifayat al-Atqiya, p. 24

Ibid., p. 24

Ibid., p. 24

Lexically, the right path is called Sunnah. According to the jurists, Sunnah is that for whose performance reward is given and for whose omission there is no punishment or penalty.

According to the hadith scholars, the deeds, sayings and states of the Holy Messenger ﷺ are called Sunnah. The saints have said that it is necessary for whoever seeks the pleasure of Allah to safeguard the manners and Sunnahs that have been narrated and transmitted from the Holy Messenger ﷺ, because following the Sunnah plays a great part in illuminating the heart and building the inner self. The worth and rank of the Sunnah are truly known well by those to whom the perfections of the Sunnah have been disclosed. Hazrat Mujaddid Alf-e-Sani (may his secret be sanctified) says that Divine lights rain down on him like a torrential downpour, yet his longing is to revive even one of the Sunnahs of the Master (upon him be blessings and peace) before he departs. The verifying Sufis who possess unveiling (kashf) have declared following the Sunnah in every state to be the greatest spiritual struggle. If you wish to see the importance, greatness and benefit of the Sunnah, read the letters (Maktubat), sayings and Sunnah practice of Hazrat Mujaddid and his eminent sons (may Allah Most High sanctify their lofty secrets).

The very foundation of the way of His Eminence the Pole of the Paths (Qutb al-Tara'iq), Sayyiduna Khwaja Baha' al-Din Naqshband (may his secret be sanctified), is following the Sunnah, and thanks to it, the speed with which his wayfarers reach lofty stations leaves others lost in amazement, wondering how such heights were attained.

All of Sufism Is Courtesy (Adab)

Hazrat Zayn al-Din (may his secret be sanctified), speaking of Sufism as courtesy, says that the noble Sufis are those who benefit most (and are foremost) in safeguarding the Sunnahs and manners, and who are most fully characterised by and adorned with the Prophetic character outwardly and inwardly; through this they attained high ranks and great stations. So they regarded these Sunnahs and manners as the greatest pillar of Sufism and said, "Al-tasawwuf kulluhu adab" (all of Sufism is courtesy). This is just like what is said in the hadith, "Hajj is 'Arafah," that is, the greatest pillar of Hajj

is presence at 'Arafat; likewise, the greatest pillar of Sufism is safeguarding the manners of the Sunnahs.

Hazrat Abu Hafs Haddad (may his secret be sanctified) says that all of Sufism is courtesy: there is a courtesy for every time, a courtesy for every state, and a courtesy for every station. So whoever observed the courtesies of the times reached the station of the (perfected) men, and whoever neglected the courtesies is far from the very place that is thought to be nearness, and rejected from the place where acceptance is hoped for.

The Courtesies of the Times

Among the saints, the courtesies of the times mean the rights that are established through those times, that is, devotions and outward acts of worship such as prayer, fasting and the like, and the inward dealings that the servant's states demand. Hazrat Sayyidi Abu'l-'Abbas Mursi (may Allah be pleased with him) says that the servant's times are only four: (1) blessing, (2) affliction, (3) obedience, (4) disobedience. Allah Most High has a share of servanthood ('ubudiyyah) from every servant in every time, by virtue of His Lordship (rububiyyah), that is, He nurtures at every moment; this nurturing establishes servanthood upon the servant, in that it is the servant's duty to worship Him. Therefore, the servant whose time passes in worship should keep it settled in his heart and mind that it is the favour of Allah Most High that He granted him the guidance and enabling grace for obedience. For the one whose time passes in sin and disobedience, the right of Allah demands that the servant seek forgiveness and shed tears of remorse. For the one whose time passes in blessing, its demand is gratitude and the servant's heart being pleased with Allah Most High. And for the one whose time passes in affliction and trial, the way is for the servant to remain pleased with Allah Most High's

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Kifayat al-Atqiya, p. 25

Ibid., p. 25

decisions, that is, contentment with the Divine decree (rida bi'l-qada') and patience.

The noble hadith states: "One who was given a blessing and was grateful, who was afflicted with sufferings and was patient, who was wronged and forgave, or who did wrong and sought forgiveness..." Having said this much, the Master (peace be upon him) fell silent. The people asked: "What is there for such persons?" He said: "For them is security, and they are the rightly guided."

The Guide of All ﷺ

Hazrat Sarwar-e-'Alam (the Leader of the Worlds) ﷺ alone is the guide on the path to Allah; following his Sunnahs and manners alone leads to Allah, Mighty and Majestic. Accordingly, the saints have strongly urged that the Prophetic qualities, virtues, Sunnahs and manners be learnt in detail and followed completely. Hazrat Shaykh Zayn al-Din (may Allah have mercy on him) says:

"Wa la ta'dil 'an mutaba'atihi bi-an tatruka shay'an min al-adab wa'l-sunan min ghayri 'udhr, lima 'alimta anna mutaba'atahu aslu kulli khayrin wa sa'adah": that is, do not turn away from following the Master (upon him be blessings and peace) by abandoning any of the manners and Sunnahs without an excuse, for you have learnt that following the Holy Prophet ﷺ, the soul of the world, is the origin and root of all good and felicity. Further on he says that 'Abdullah ibn Mubarak (may Allah be pleased with him) said: whoever became lax in courtesy was punished with deprivation of the Sunnahs; whoever became lax in the Sunnahs was punished with deprivation of the obligatory acts (fara'id); and whoever became lax in the obligatory acts had to suffer the punishment of deprivation of gnosis (ma'rifah).

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Kifayat al-Atqiya, p. 26

Ibid., p. 26

Kifayat al-Atqiya, p. 26

Ibid., p. 26

All the Sufi orders are bound by the Book and the Sunnah:

Although the orders (silsilas) of the noble Sufis (may Allah be pleased with them) are many and distinct in some of their particular features, as this Mujaddidi faqir (may he be pardoned) has described in detail in the book "Ikhtilaf-e-Salasil ke Asbab" (The Causes of the Differences among the Sufi Orders), nevertheless the root of all of them is the Book and the Sunnah; none is outside them, rather all are built upon them. Hazrat Imam Abu'l-Qasim Nasrabadi (may his secret be sanctified) says: "Aslu al-tasawwuf mulazamat al-kitab wa'l-sunnah, wa tark al-ahwa' wa'l-bida', wa ta'zim hurumat al-masha'ikh, wa'l-mulazamah 'ala al-awrad, wa tark irtikab al-rukhas wa'l-ta'wilat": the root of Sufism is holding fast to the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Messenger ﷺ, abandoning innovations and the desires of the self, honouring the sanctities of the shaykhs, keeping regularly to litanies and spiritual practices, and refraining from resorting to dispensations (rukhas) and far-fetched interpretations (ta'wilat).

Hazrat Khwaja Abu'l-Hasan Nuri (may his secret be sanctified) says: Whomever you see claiming a good state with Allah Most High that lies outside the bounds of the knowledge of the Shari'ah, do not go near him. Hazrat Ghaws-e-Pak (may Allah be pleased with him) says: "Following the Shari'ah is the felicity and good fortune of this world and the Hereafter. Beware lest you step outside its circle; guard yourselves against separating from the company of those who follow the Shari'ah." He (may his secret be sanctified) also says: "The nearest path to Allah Most High is holding to the law of servanthood, grasping firmly the rope of the Shari'ah, and steadfastness on the highway of God-consciousness. Thus, of all people, those who obtain the greatest share in the love of Allah Most High and in following His Messenger ﷺ are the noble Sufis. Whoever thinks that he can reach any benefit or succeed in any aim without following [the Sunnah] is driven away."