Prophetic Path (English)
Prophetic Path (English)
Prophetic Path (English)
Prophetic Path
Course Book
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Prophetic Path
My journey to meet the Lord of the Worlds and to reach the Kingdom of Heaven
2
Table of Contents
Introduction
Part One
Our whole story
I. Period of Non-existence
II. Four gatherings
III. Temporary world
IV. The Intermediate World
V. The Day of Judgement
VI. Heaven and Hell
Part Two
Journey to the pleasure of Allah
I. Ultimate Aim
II. Non-Objectives
III. Mountain of four conditions
IV. Sincerity
V. Bridge of purification
VI. The first stage of purification
VI. The second stage of purification
VI. The third stage of purification
VII. Remembrance of Allah
VIII. Dua (Supplication)
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My journey to meet the Lord of the Worlds and to reach the Kingdom of Heaven
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INTRODUCTION
Human beings were created from clay, a base material, but were allowed to become the most dearest to the Creator. There was a time be-
fore the existence of time where Allah decided to create a creation in order to be known. This was an opportunity given to us to know our
creator. Allah is a hidden treasure who has with His mercy revealed Himself to human beings, Jinns and all creations.
Allah created many creations, known and unknown, from the animal kingdom to the heavens, the skies, paradise and Hell. All were offered
freedom of choice which they all declined except humankind and jinnkind, who believed that they could fulfill the rights of Allah with their
choice through hardship and ease.
We were all gathered in the world of spirits, where we took the promise to worship Allah and follow His commands. Our spirits, one by
one, were sent into this world with an accompanying body, a self and its resultant attraction to the phenomena of this world. Prophets and
Messengers were sent so that we may be reminded of our true nature and return to our true purpose to please Allah before we depart from
this world. Prophets and Messengers taught the nations how to live life, until the final completed way of life was made manifest in the noble
example of Rassulullah [Sallal- lahu Alaihi Wasallam].
We are all given the choice to follow the ways of his perfect life or the lives of others. We are never forced to follow, but those who follow
others like Shaytaan are destined for the fire. What will you decide?
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My journey to meet the Lord of the Worlds and to reach the Kingdom of Heaven
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PART ONE
Prophetic Path
My journey to meet the Lord of the Worlds and to reach the Kingdom of Heaven
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Have you ever watched a film but missed the ending and curiously wondered how it ended? Or missed the beginning and
remained confused throughout? Or have you ever watched the beginning and the end but missed the middle and been
puzzled by the plot?
Well, the reality of the situation is that many of us are facing this very dilemma at this very moment. Not only are we standing
by watching the films of others being recorded, we are actually featuring and being recorded in our very own film at the same
time!
Like any typical film, our film also has a storyline, a beginning, a middle and an end but unfortunately many of us have
forgotten the scenes of our story and thus forgotten how we were expected to act. Most of us are only aware of the one scene
of our story, and that is the middle scene, the scene of the lusts and attractions of the World (Dunya).
It is because of this that we continue to perform poorly, enacting the wrong villainous characters, the village idiot, a coward
or perhaps even a mere extra floating around in the background, when in fact we were created to be the hero of our own film.
We are muddling up the scenes, playing the end scene of heavenly relaxation in the middle scene which was actually designed
to be the central scene of battle and war.
Unless we rapidly realise the key components of our storyline and the different scenes within, we, along with our film, will
become disastrous box-office flops.
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My journey to meet the Lord of the Worlds and to reach the Kingdom of Heaven
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My journey to meet the Lord of the Worlds and to reach the Kingdom of Heaven
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SCENE 1 – THE UNKNOWN
‘ADM (In other words there was nothing in existence apart from Allah)
The very first scene of our storyline
begins with the time of ‘The Unknown’,
the time when nothing besides Allah
existed.
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My journey to meet the Lord of the Worlds and to reach the Kingdom of Heaven
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SCENE II – THE UNKNOWN
‘ADM (In other words there was nothing in existence apart from Allah)
In the second scene of the storyline of our life, Allah created all the Spirits and He the Almighty created the Realm of Spirits for the
spirits to reside. In this world there were four gatherings:
TS
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Four g
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My journey to meet the Lord of the Worlds and to reach the Kingdom of Heaven
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Third Gathering -
Muhammadiyah Covenant in the
Assembly of the
Prophets (Peace be upon them All)
Fourth Gathering -
Covenant of Obedience
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My journey to meet the Lord of the Worlds and to reach the Kingdom of Heaven
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Scene III - The Temporary World (Dunya)
C E N E 3 – rld
S o
m porar y W
The te
The third scene of the storyline of our life is, The Temporal World (Dunya), planet Earth, the place where we are cur-
rently residing. This is the most central, crucial and important scene within the film of our life. This scene is where all
the action takes place, battles, competitions and war, the war between the actor and his opponents, the ego (Nafs), the
temptations, lusts of the World (Dunya) played by the luring men/women, money, love of fame/name, and the bad guy
who is played by the Devil. Your reaction to the battles in this scene will determine your end and how you will be treated
in the scenes following your death. In this scene you will possess the power to choose between a treacherous corrupted
character by collaborating with your enemies, or you will choose to stand strong against them, upholding truth, exercis-
ing resilience, strength and following the guidance of the Director, the Blessed Messenger Prophet Muhammad ﷺin
your every step and movement, in which case you will be declared a hero of the battlefield.
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My journey to meet the Lord of the Worlds and to reach the Kingdom of Heaven
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scene of the storyline of our life. The scene of Barzakh is where the mystery of the previous plot unravels and where the
The choices you made in the third scene of Dunya will either come to haunt you, if you committed evil actions or em-
Judgement. Here the choice of a person will end. A person’s grave will either become a garden of bliss or a pit of fire due
The intermediate world also known as Barzakh, in other words the world of the grave, is life after death and the fourth
brace you if you committed good actions in the world. A person will reside in the Barzakh after death until the Day of
Scene IV - The intermediate
World - Barzakh
The intermediate world also known as Barzakh, in other words the world of the grave, is life after death and the fourth scene of
the storyline of our life. The scene of Barzakh is where the mystery of the previous plot unravels and where the real life begins.
The choices you made in the third scene of Dunya will either come to haunt you, if you committed evil actions or embrace you
if you committed good actions in the world. A person will reside in the Barzakh after death until the Day of Judgement. Here
the choice of a person will end. A person’s grave will either become a garden of bliss or a pit of fire due to the bad deeds he did
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My journey to meet the Lord of the Worlds and to reach the Kingdom of Heaven
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Scene V - The Day of Judgement
Scene five is the penultimate scene of our film, the Day of Judgment, the day of Final Reckoning, the day on which many worldly
lives will be relived. This Day will be 50,000 years long and on this day each and every soul will have to account for the way in
which they spent each and every second on Earth.
In particular each individual will have to account for their youth, how they spent their resources, how they earned their wealth
and indeed they will be asked to account for the way in which they practiced their knowledge. The pious individuals will be
hailed the hero on this day, rewarded with awards for their perseverance and this inevitable day will pass swiftly.
For those who failed the battle on earth and succumbed to the tricks of the devil, will fall on this day, they will be punished
and disgraced, and the day will pass slowly. These will be the actors who ruined the storyline of their life and whose film was a
blockbuster flop.
C EN E 5 – ent
S m
ay of Judge
The D
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My journey to meet the Lord of the Worlds and to reach the Kingdom of Heaven
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Scene VI - The Everlasting Life of Paradise
There are two different endings to the storyline of the film of our life and it is the actor’s performance in the central
action scene that will determine the ending to his film. Those actors who stood by truth and safeguarded themselves
and others from sin by avoiding the temptations of the Dunya and the lusts of the ego will receive a happy and blissful
ending.
The Producer of the film, Allah Taa’la, through His infinite mercy and grace will reward them forever in Paradise, a
magnificent abode with palaces of great wonder and awe. Allah the Majestic will directly speak to the people and show
them His unrivalled and unmatched beauty. Paradise will be the climax for those who worked hard in the central scene
of their film.
E6–
SCEN d Hell
n an
Heave
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My journey to meet the Lord of the Worlds and to reach the Kingdom of Heaven
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Scene VI - The Life in Hell
As there are two possible endings to the film of our lives there is a possibility that we could be cast into the pit of
hell, disgraced, and humiliated forever. Hell is destined for those who performed poorly in the scene of the World,
for those actors were weak, did not follow the guidance of the Director, Prophet Muhammad ﷺand succumbed
to the temptations of the world and gave into the whispers of the devil. The rebellious and sinful will be cast for
eternity into the scorching heat, valleys and rivers of Hellfire, which will be made out of fire, and filthy discharges
of the inhabitants of Hell. Those who believed (but committed more sins than good deeds) will be removed from
hell once they have been purified by the fire.
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My journey to meet the Lord of the Worlds and to reach the Kingdom of Heaven
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My journey to meet the Lord of the Worlds and to reach the Kingdom of Heaven
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My journey to meet the Lord of the Worlds and to reach the Kingdom of Heaven
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ULTIMATE AIM - JOURNEY TOWARDS THE PLEASURE OF ALLAH
Answer: The Pleasure of Allah in other words to please Allah, the Lord of the Worlds.
1) To give complete preference to Allah’s Commands by worshipping Him only and selecting His commands over all other competing
commands, false ideals, false Gods, and all other false and deceiving ways.
2) To give preference to and honour the rights of the Messenger of Allah, Prophet Muhammad ﷺby following his blessed lifestyle over all
other ways of life and loving him more than onerself and the rest of creation.
3) To have mercy and compassion upon the creation by respecting their rights, assisting them through wealth, property and honour, but
most importantly saving them (People/Jinn) from the torment in the hereafter by reminding them of the ways of success in the light of
Quran and Sunnah.
4) To be in the complete presence and remembrance of the Creator, Allah, by being absolutely conscious and cognizant that Allah is
watching one’s every move, hearing one’s every word and thought, and is present by His knowledge as we react to every situation.
Prophetic Path
My journey to meet the Lord of the Worlds and to reach the Kingdom of Heaven
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THE NON-OBJECTIVES
Question: What are the states and experiences that don’t necessarily lead to the closeness of Allah, nor are they the objectives that need
to be achieved or aimed for?
Answer: States and spiritual experiences which are not within the choice of a person do not necessarily lead to the closeness of Allah and
should never be made the objectives of the path. The points written below are non-objectives and are unnecessary:
1. To see good dreams.
2. To see visions and occurrence of miracles (Karamat).
3. To obtain divine inspiration (Ilham) or similar states.
4. To see lights and illuminations whilst meditating or performing remembrance of Allah.
5. Gaining permission to blow for the sake of healing through supplication and recitation of Quran, and have permission to give
charms (ta’weez).
6. To gain the ability to control jinns and people
7. To increase in wealth or business.
8. To be cured from physical and mental illnesses.
9. To claim to be able to predict the future and to be able to read minds.
10. To have success in civil matters and worldly affairs.
11. To achieve such a state in which one will automatically start doing good and will abandon sin without having to do any effort on
one’s part.
12. To rely on the Teacher/Shaykh to take responsibility for the forgiveness of the student, while not making an effort to put in practice
the Teacher’s instructions, believing that one will enter paradise simply because of having started the journey without making
efforts to achieve salvation.
13. To attain status or respect in the eyes of people.
14. For circumstances to always be in your favour.
15. Enjoyment in worship.
Some of the above intentions and claims are contrary to the Shari’ah such as the prediction of the future and mind reading. All of the above matters
are neither valid objectives nor integral to the path, even as some may be praiseworthy whereas others are condemnable.
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My journey to meet the Lord of the Worlds and to reach the Kingdom of Heaven
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Striving
Striving (mujahidah) means to make effort which is within ones capacity
MOUNTAIN OF
and steadfastness (istiqamat) means, continuously travelling even though
one keeps falling as the real fall is not that a person has fallen, but it is not
FOUR CONDTIONS
to get up after falling. In another way it could be said: Striving is to sup-
press the sinful urge and desire by using the willpower. Steadfastness is to
carry on doing good deeds and refraining from the sins, whilst disregard-
ing the inner feelings or the external circumstances.
Repentance
It is very good now that a person wants to spend his remaining life in total
obedience to Allah and to live his life according to the way of the Prophet
ﷺ. However, if the seeker in the past has violated the rights of Allah, His
Repentance Prophet ﷺ, his own self, the rest of creation, then one must fulll and
repay them and ask for forgiveness.
Fiqh
Fiqh Belief and faith is in relation to a person’s heart and mind and testiied
by the body. How can this body, which we have been entrusted with, fulll
its duty? Which actions will please Allah and which actions will displease
Him. And how should one engage in worship. is knowledge is more
commonly referred to as Islamic Jurisprudence ((qh) in other words the
do’s and don’ts or lawful and unlawful acts.
Belief
e beliefs (Aqeedah) of a Muslim should be in accordance to the doctrine
of Ahle‐Sunnah‐Wal‐Jam’ah. e Aqeedah informs a person what he should
believe in and also how. Aqeedah has seven foundations. To believe in:
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My journey to meet the Lord of the Worlds and to reach the Kingdom of Heaven
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THE FIRST CONDITION - BELIEF
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My journey to meet the Lord of the Worlds and to reach the Kingdom of Heaven
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FINALITY OF PROPHETHOOD OF PROPHET MUHAMMAD ﷺ
Our Beloved Prophet Muhammad ﷺis the seal of Prophet hood and the last of all Prophets, after whom there will be no new Prophet. Whoever claims Prophet
hood is an imposter and is out of the fold of Islam as well as those who follow him. Towards the end of time Prophet Jesus ؑ will descend into this world as
a follower of Prophet Muhammad ( ﷺnot as bringing new laws) by following the Quran and Sunnah and establishing Islamic rule on the whole of the earth.
Prophetic Path
My journey to meet the Lord of the Worlds and to reach the Kingdom of Heaven
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FINALITY OF PROPHETHOOD OF PROPHET MUHAMMAD ﷺ
Our Beloved Prophet Muhammad ﷺis the seal of Prophet hood and the last of all Prophets, after whom there will be no new Prophet. Whoever claims Prophet
hood is an imposter and is out of the fold of Islam as well as those who follow him. Towards the end of time Prophet Jesus ؑ will descend into this world as
a follower of Prophet Muhammad ( ﷺnot as bringing new laws) by following the Quran and Sunnah and establishing Islamic rule on the whole of the earth.
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My journey to meet the Lord of the Worlds and to reach the Kingdom of Heaven
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FUNDAMENTAL BELIEFS OF ISLAM-WHAT EVERY MUSLIM
SHOW KNOW AND BELIEF IN
Intermediate
Books to be studied regarding Notes/
Advanced
Fundamental
Basic
fundamental beliefs of Islam Comments/
Beliefs
Experiences
Allah the Exalted
‘Beliefs Outlined’
Angels-Malaaikah [by Imam Abdullah al Haddad]
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My journey to meet the Lord of the Worlds and to reach the Kingdom of Heaven
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THE SECOND CONDITION - ISLAMIC LAW
Question: What is the second condition?
Answer: Belief and faith is contained within a person’s heart and mind and testified by the body. An important question to ask is how can our body, which we have
been entrusted with, fulfil its duty? Which actions will please Allah and which actions will displease Him and how should one engage in worship? The answer
to these questions is the knowledge more commonly referred to as Islamic Jurisprudence, Islamic Law (Fiqh), in other words the do’s and don’ts or lawful and
unlawful acts of worship. The most important aspects of Islamic Law that a seeker must learn and act upon are the obligatory, necessary, recommended, preferred,
forbidden, disliked and nullifying acts in relation to: The Ritual Bath, Ablution, Prayer, Fasting, and Pilgrimage.
For example the three obligations of the ritual bath are:
1) Rinsing and gargling the mouth
2) Rinsing inner part of nose to the soft bone and
3) Pouring water and washing the entire body leaving no part dry.
Istinja (Washing
private parts)
Wudhu (Ablution)
Ghusl (Ritual bath)
Salah (Prayer)
Saum (Fasting)
Zakah (Charity)
Hajj (Pilgrimage)
Umrah (Lesser
Pilgrimage)
Earning &
Spending wealth
Prophetic Path
My journey to meet the Lord of the Worlds and to reach the Kingdom of Heaven
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THE THIRD CONDITION - REPENTANCE
Question: What are the rights of the Prophet of Allah, Muhammad ? ??ﷺ
Answer: The major rights of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺare:
1) To have a complete and perfect belief in the Prophet ﷺand what he brought of revelation.
2) To love the Prophet Muhammad ﷺmore than your spouse, children, parents, everything and even yourself.
3) To honour, respect, sanctify and revere the Prophet ﷺand whatever is related to him i.e. His Deen, his Sunnah and his way of life.
4) To follow the religion, Shariah, Sunnah of the Prophet of mercy, Muhammad ﷺ, in other words to follow his complete way of life.
5 ) To invite others to the religion, Shariah, Sunnah and ways of the Prophet ﷺand to convey this to others.
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My journey to meet the Lord of the Worlds and to reach the Kingdom of Heaven
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Question: What are the rights of oneself?
Answer: The rights of oneself are:
1) To save oneself from Allah’s displeasure and the Hellfire.
2) To look after one’s physical health.
3) To give the body sufficient rest and sleep.
4) To keep the body clean and pure.
5) To sustain oneself with lawful provisions.
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My journey to meet the Lord of the Worlds and to reach the Kingdom of Heaven
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Method of Rights in THE METHODOLOGY OF REPENTANCE (TAWBAH)
fulfilment Rights of Allah the exalted and His creations relation to
Monotheism and sincerity, Prayer, Fasting, Zakah The meaning of repentance (Tawbah):
(Charity) , Pilgrimage, vows or oaths, love, servitude, Allah
obedience, veneration. Tawbah means to return. It is to return from a sinful life
Faith, love, respect, venerations, following the sunnah, The Mes- to righteous ways, from evil to goodness. Tawbah is a door
conveying the message. senger of which one enters; it is a safe haven for the believer for
Allah ﷺ Allah (Azzawajal) loves those who repent and those who
To save oneself from the punishment of the hereafter, to The rights of return to His ways. One should never abandon Tawbah,
look after one’s health, lawful earning and cleanliness. oneself as repentance is a way of amending the relationship with
Property, physical honour and fulfilling promises. The rights of one’s Creator. If one cannot amend the relationship with
people
Allah, then no other relationship will benefit him.
Compassion, not to cause inconvenience, extravagance The rest of
and squander any blessing. creation,
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My journey to meet the Lord of the Worlds and to reach the Kingdom of Heaven
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NOT TO STOP REPENTING OR DELAYING IT
It is vital that the repentant fulfils the conditions written below and makes a firm intention not to sin again in the future. However, the
seeker must be cautious not to take an oath, in case he sins again, in which case he should return to performing the conditions of repen-
tance. If the seeker experiences difficulty in abandoning sin he should unhesitatingly continue to regularly seek forgiveness and not aban-
don or delay in making Tawbah. This is because Allah loves those who continuously and repeatedly repent to Him, as only the Prophets
ﷺand Angels are free from sin.
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My journey to meet the Lord of the Worlds and to reach the Kingdom of Heaven
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HELPFUL MATTERS IN THE PERFORMANCE OF REPENTANCE
1) It is important to adopt sincerity when performing repentance by abandoning sins only for the sake of Allah and not for the fear or
blame of others.
2) It is not genuine repentance to leave sin for the sake of his job or any post.
3) It is not genuine repentance to leave sin for the sake of others.
4) It is not genuine repentance to leave sin for the sake of avoiding illness or because of deterioration in health. An example is avoiding
adultery for the fear of catching aids.
5) It is not genuine repentance to stop stealing because the thief could not find an entry to the house/ safe or was in fear of encountering
security guards or the police.
6) Neither is he a repentant who leaves intoxicants or alcohol due to poverty.
7) Neither is the one who leaves sin due to an outward factor preventing the person committing the sin for example impotency preventing
adultery/fornication, nor blindness preventing lustful glances.
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5) To leave the bad company and befriend the pious who can help and support the seeker in the implementation of good actions.
6) The seeker must be cautious as sometimes a particular sin can give a person a particular status due to which it becomes hard for him to
leave evil deeds. For example gang leaders, pop stars or actors and so forth may find it increasingly difficult to abandon certain evil actions
as a result of their position.
7) Sometimes a person puts off repenting until death approaches but the heart becomes sealed at that moment and the individual misses
their last opportunity to repent. The seeker should remember that delaying repentance is also a sin in itself and thus one must also repent
from this.
8) A person should always fear from the shortcomings and deficiencies of one’s repentance and should not consider that one has definitely
been forgiven but rather one should always hope in the mercy of Allah Taa’la and always supplicate to Him.
9) The seeker should participate in the gatherings of the Remembrance of Allah and the gatherings of sincere advice. One should also visit
the graveyard to remind himself of the Hereafter.
10) One should keep company with a righteous and pious Guide, who can help him attain purification and the Pleasure and Closeness of
Allah through rectification of the self.
11) The power and energy of the body, which has been sustained through unlawful earnings, should be utilised in the way of Allah and the
seeker should now begin to sustain himself through lawful means so that the body may be utilised with the pure and lawful provisions in
the future.
The answer to these misconceptions are that we are not the forgiver, but Allah Taa’la is the One that forgives us all. One should never leave
repentance, as one will always need it as we can make mistakes again and again. Human beings are not sinless creations like the angels nor
are they full of evilness like the devils (Shayateen).
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Rather, human beings possess a strong will power which, if exercised correctly, can be utilised to act in good and righteous ways in order
to attain even higher ranks than the angels in the sight of Allah Taa’la. In fact human beings hold the power to overcome any whispering
influences of the devil. Accordingly, the seeker should become firm on the righteous ways, as Allah loves to forgive those who truly repent.
The mercy of Allah outweighs His wrath.
Allah, the Exalted declares: “Oh son of Adam, if your sins were to reach the heavens and then were you to seek forgiveness from me, then
I would still forgive”.
Hadith: A person came into the presence of the Prophet ﷺand asked what the ruling was in relation to a person who had committed ev-
ery type of sin, including all the minor and major ones and whether the possibility of repentance was open for him. The Prophet ﷺreplied
by asking the person “have you accepted Islam”. The person answered “Yes” and recited the testification of faith. The Prophet ﷺadvised
“Do good deeds and leave the evil ones, Allah will transform the bad ones into good ones”. The person responded “even my deceitfulness
and disobedience?” The Prophet ﷺconfirmed “Yes”, and the person left continuously reciting the ‘Takbeer’.
[Musnad Ahmad– Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal, Minhaj ul Qaasideen - ibn Qudama Maqdisi, Book of Repentance Sayid Muhammad Salih].
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My journey to meet the Lord of the Worlds and to reach the Kingdom of Heaven
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FOURTH CONDITION: WING OF STRIVING (MUJAHIDAH) AND STEADFASTNESS
(ISTIQAMAH)
Striving (Mujahidah) means to make effort which is within ones capacity and steadfastness (Istiqamah) means continuously travelling even
though one keeps falling as the real fall is not that a person has fallen, but it is not to get up after falling.
Another way of describing this is that striving is to suppress the sinful urge and desire by exercising the skill of Willpower. Steadfastness is
to carry on performing good deeds and refraining from sins, whilst disregarding the inner feelings or the external circumstances.
Allah, the Most High says ‘Verily, ‘Those who say: “Our Lord is Allah (Alone),” and then they remain steadfast, on them the angels will
descend (at the time of their death) (saying): “Fear not, nor grieve! But receive the glad tidings of Paradise which you have been promised!”’
[Quran-41:30]
Narrated by Abu ‘Amr (radiAllaahu anhu) who said : I said : “O Messenger of Allah, tell me something about al‐Islaam which I can ask of
no one but you.” He said : “Say: I believe in Allah and then be Steadfast” [Muslim].
It is evident when one begins to get closer to Allah, the Almighty, the servant declares a war against the Nafs (evil desires), Shaytan, bad
company and worldly love and distractions (Dunya). All these become the fiercest of enemies to the person and also try to use ones friends,
family and other people to sidetrack and drive one away from the true Prophetic path of Sunnah. They use tactics such as criticism, jokes,
belittling and peer pressure to achieve their aim. If this person is not ready to face and endure the difficulties, then it would mean that one
has laid down ones armoury and now this person is destined to failure. Hell fire will be this persons abode if one does not change his ways.
Striving and steadfastness are two wings to fly towards Allah’s pleasure and closeness. Without these wings, a person will not be able to
fly towards Allah. Through ones effort and struggle, Allah will open many paths to His pleasure. Striving (Mujahidah) has three pillars or
conditions, otherwise it becomes wishful thinking:
1. To seek help from Allah, the Almighty by attributing helplessness, poverty and powerlessness to yourself and to rely only on Allah Taa’la.
2. To possess the Will to avoid sins, not only a wish.
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My journey to meet the Lord of the Worlds and to reach the Kingdom of Heaven
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e 3 Conditions of Mujaahidah
Wings
Will(Irada)
Effort ( Juhd)
Help of Allah
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My journey to meet the Lord of the Worlds and to reach the Kingdom of Heaven
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WISHFUL THINKING (TAMANNA)
An example of wishful thinking (Tamanna) is:
“I wish that Allah Almighty becomes pleased with me and that I become His friend, but I am not prepared to pay the price for it and sac-
rifice my sinful lifestyle”. This is known as ‘Tamanna’.
Shidad ibn Aws reported: The Prophet ﷺ, said, “The wise man is one who holds himself accountable and performs good deeds which
will benefit him after death; and the foolish man is one who follows the desires of the Nafs and expects (forgiveness) from Allah.” [Sunan
At‐Tirmidhi, Book of the Resurrection, Number 2459, Hasan].
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My journey to meet the Lord of the Worlds and to reach the Kingdom of Heaven
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My journey to meet the Lord of the Worlds and to reach the Kingdom of Heaven
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SINCERITY (IKHLAAS)
T
he sole aim of this journey is to please Allah the Exalted and to achieve success in this world and the Hereafter. If the seeker
possesses an ulterior motive in the beginning of his journey, for example, to attain respect in the eyes of the people, to acquire
money or to become famous, then the aim of this whole journey is nullified and on the Day of judgement the person deserves
severe punishment rather than attaining reward. His efforts and good deeds will bring no fruits and he will receive punishment because
his whole worship (Ibadah) was for others than Allah, which is a kind of minor polytheism (shirk). Thus, holding a good intention is most
important and the correct intention is to hold; “I am performing the good deeds and actions such as Dhikr, Ibadah, and abstinence from
sins, to please Allah only and to save my soul from the hellfire and to achieve paradise in the Hereafter”.
The true and sincere worshipper of Allah the Exalted worships Him unconditionally, remaining steadfast in attaining His pleasure without
fearing the opinion of the people, without fearing their pleasure or displeasure, without fearing whether they confer respect or disrespect
or whether he loses or gains any monetary benefit. The true seeker concerns himself only with his journey to the pleasure of Allah.
In fact, even if one spends a modest sum or practices a small good deed or spends a few brief moments whilst possessing good intentions
and sincerity for the purpose of only pleasing Allah the Exalted, one will be rewarded many fold and what one perceived to be the small
acts could be sufficient for ones salvation in the sight of Allah.
For example, it is narrated in a Hadith that there was in the previous nations an unchaste woman whom everyone considered to be impious
and cursed. However, on one occasion this woman with full sincerity and goodness of mind quenched the thirst of a dog and Allah the
Exalted became so pleased with this outwardly small act that He rewarded her with eternal salvation.
On the other hand, it is narrated in a Hadith that a person sacrificed his life in a holy war but on the Day of Judgement he was to be thrown
into the hellfire. The reason for this was that he had sacrificed his life to attain fame, name, and glory in the sight of the people and for
society to commemorate his bravery after death. Allah the Most High will confirm to him that he achieved the results he desired in the
temporal world and thus there would be no reward from Allah in the Hereafter. In fact sacrificing his life in the pursuit of egoistic desires
as opposed to sacrificing for the real purpose of the pleasure of Allah would result in punishment rather than reward. We learn from this
that we must aim to become the pleasers of Allah Our Lord and Creator, not the pleasers of the people.
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A MAJOR ERROR AND MISCONCEPTION REGARDING SINCERITY (IKHLAS) AND HIGHER SPIRITUAL
STATIONS.
Many people commence the journey towards Allah’s pleasure and closeness, perform good deeds and Mujaahidaat (Actions and Efforts),
but due to a lack of knowledge, Shaytaan and Nafs deceives them. For instance devilish thoughts often begin to enter the minds of some
seekers who begin to question why they are not experiencing the miracles and supernatural occurrences of the high ranking friends
of Allah despite them following a spiritual journey, remembering Allah, contemplating (Dhikr and Fikr), following the Sunnah of the
Prophet ﷺand Shariah. Additionally, the person begins to have an expectation of seeing good dreams, visions, colours and lights when
they are undertaking worship and Muraaqabah (meditation).
Unfortunately, when the individual does not experience these episodes he becomes disappointed, disheartened and considers himself to be
one of the rejected ones. Often, the person drastically ends up abandoning obedience, worship and the spiritual path of Sunnah returning
to the shaytanic way of life without consulting with a qualified Teacher.
These individuals did not possess a pure intention from the outset and confused the objectives with the non-objectives and their worship
(Ibadah) was not solely for the pleasure of Allah. These individuals misguidedly pursued Kashf (visions) and Karaamat (miracles). Instead
of being ‘Abdullah’ (the Worshipper of Allah), they become ‘Abdul Karaamat’ (the Worshipper of miracles),‘Abdul Kashif ’ (the Worshipper
of visions), ‘Abdul Ruyyiya’ (the Worshipper of dreams), ‘Abdul Lazzah’ (the Worshipper of enjoyment) and so forth.
Allah, The Most High, says in the Holy Qur’aan: “And they were not commanded no more than to worship Allah alone having sincerity
for the upright religion.” [98:5]. In other words, the duty of a true servant in this life is to only worship the Master unconditionally.
For those individuals who have become entrapped in the web of confusion and are performing worship to attain the non-objectives rather
than the pursuit of attaining the pleasure of Allah, an enlightening episode is written below so that one may rectify their intentions and
return to the true path of obedience.
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AN EYE OPENING INCIDENT IN RELATION TO SINCERITY (IKHLAAS)
One of the experiences of Imam Abdul Wahaab Sharani P, who was a very famous Imam, a Friend of Allah, a practising scholar and
a Master of the sciences of self-purification narrates that:
‘On Monday, Rajab 17th 931 Hijrah, it came to my mind that I should seek high stations of the Awliyah, the friends of Allah and this
urge became strong in me that I should have the power to see other worlds with my inner eye like some of the great friends of Allah, the
Almighty, but as I did not possess such powers I grieved and considered myself insignificant and worthless and this thought made my
life miserable. My heart became constricted as I was not happy with Allah’s will and in a way objecting to Allah’s distribution; why had
He not given me such states and stations. Consequently, I became worried and concerned thinking that I may die in a state without Iman
(faith) due to Allah’s wrath. I was so worried I lost my consciousness and went towards the outskirts of the city in Egypt, to a very old
dwelling known as Fustat. I sat there in front of a garden, worried and at that moment I experienced a semi-wakefulness state i.e. between
wakefulness and sleep. I heard a sound but could not see anybody or any angel etc. Allah knows whether it was an Angel or a Friend of
Allah. Anyway, this voice was saying on behalf of Allah that:
“Oh my servant, If I give you all the knowledge of the universe, so you are able to count all the grains of sand, name all the plants, trees and
grass, their age, properties, names, wild animals and their different types, kinds, names and ages. Moreover, Birds, all insects on the earth,
fish, all creatures on earth, their names, ages, destinies, the lineage of all living creatures on earth from the very beginning of their existence
up until now, angels living in paradise, the women of paradise, the beautiful heavenly gardens, the palaces of paradise and whatever is in
hell and heaven. Moreover if you know every minute detail of everything, angels holding the great Arsh, with your supplication rain is sent
down, the dead become alive, and many other miracles which I have given to all saints (Awliyah), I give them all together to you, even then,
with all these qualities and wonders you won’t reach one degree closer to me in the state of Ibadah, gratitude, nearness and pleasure.”
Explanation: All the qualities and favours aforementioned are bestowed upon a servant from his Lord, Allah, the Exalted without any
contribution or input from the servant. However, a person practically attains His closeness when he conducts an act for His pleasure only
in conformity with The Prophetic Way (Sunnah). By way of example, a person can attain an element of proximity to Allah, even through
a basic and routine daily activity such as entering the toilet, if he does so in accordance with the Prophetic Sunnah way.
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My journey to meet the Lord of the Worlds and to reach the Kingdom of Heaven
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AN EYE OPENING INCIDENT IN RELATION TO SINCERITY (IKHLAAS)
One of the experiences of Imam Abdul Wahaab Sharani P, who was a very famous Imam, a Friend of Allah, a practising scholar and
a Master of the sciences of self-purification narrates that:
‘On Monday, Rajab 17th 931 Hijrah, it came to my mind that I should seek high stations of the Awliyah, the friends of Allah and this
urge became strong in me that I should have the power to see other worlds with my inner eye like some of the great friends of Allah, the
Almighty, but as I did not possess such powers I grieved and considered myself insignificant and worthless and this thought made my
life miserable. My heart became constricted as I was not happy with Allah’s will and in a way objecting to Allah’s distribution; why had
He not given me such states and stations. Consequently, I became worried and concerned thinking that I may die in a state without Iman
(faith) due to Allah’s wrath. I was so worried I lost my consciousness and went towards the outskirts of the city in Egypt, to a very old
dwelling known as Fustat. I sat there in front of a garden, worried and at that moment I experienced a semi-wakefulness state i.e. between
wakefulness and sleep. I heard a sound but could not see anybody or any angel etc. Allah knows whether it was an Angel or a Friend of
Allah. Anyway, this voice was saying on behalf of Allah that:
“Oh my servant, If I give you all the knowledge of the universe, so you are able to count all the grains of sand, name all the plants, trees and
grass, their age, properties, names, wild animals and their different types, kinds, names and ages. Moreover, Birds, all insects on the earth,
fish, all creatures on earth, their names, ages, destinies, the lineage of all living creatures on earth from the very beginning of their existence
up until now, angels living in paradise, the women of paradise, the beautiful heavenly gardens, the palaces of paradise and whatever is in
hell and heaven. Moreover if you know every minute detail of everything, angels holding the great Arsh, with your supplication rain is sent
down, the dead become alive, and many other miracles which I have given to all saints (Awliyah), I give them all together to you, even then,
with all these qualities and wonders you won’t reach one degree closer to me in the state of Ibadah, gratitude, nearness and pleasure.”
Explanation: All the qualities and favours aforementioned are bestowed upon a servant from his Lord, Allah, the Exalted without any
contribution or input from the servant. However, a person practically attains His closeness when he conducts an act for His pleasure only
in conformity with The Prophetic Way (Sunnah). By way of example, a person can attain an element of proximity to Allah, even through
a basic and routine daily activity such as entering the toilet, if he does so in accordance with the Prophetic Sunnah way.
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On the other hand even if a person possesses the aforementioned qualities including supernatural inclination, but does not obey Allah
Taa’la by following the Shariah and Sunnah then that person distances himself from the closeness, proximity and nearness of Allah the
Exalted. Alternatively, he draws himself closer to the friendship of the devil. One must always remind themselves of the disastrous saga of
Iblees (Shaytan, the great Devil) who despite possessing many supernatural powers is cursed. Similarly, Dajjal, the Anti Christ will possess
various supernatural powers and magic tricks will be performed at his hands, however he is cursed in the sight of Allah. [Anwaar Qudsia
fee Bayaan Adaabil Uboodiyah]
Note: this is only an interpretive translation and explanation not an exact translation of the words.
In order to attain the pleasure of Allah, the seeker must adopt two key qualities within himself. Firstly, he should inwardly instil within
his heart and mind the continuous presence of Allah by deeply believing that Allah the Exalted is with me, watching me and listening to
me. Secondly, he should apply the Sunnah and Shariah in all actions, in his daily lives, beginning from the small acts of worship all the way
to financial dealings. Furthermore, the seeker should perform good deeds and be compassionate upon the creation of Allah the Merciful.
Whilst doing so if the seeker experiences any supernatural occurrences and miracles then he should take comfort in them and become
more steadfast in practicing and preaching the Deen of Islam. As long he does not aim for these supernatural occurrences and the reac-
tion is to remain steadfast he is unlikely to face any harm. Despite the powers possessed by Shaytan and Dajjal they are deprived from the
closeness of Allah because they are neither in the Presence of Allah nor do they follow the Sunnah.
WHAT ABOUT THE HUMAN DESIRE TO BE KNOWN, HEARD OF AND THEIR GOOD DEEDS AND QUALITIES
TO BE APPRECIATED?
It is true that human beings have an innate desire for their good qualities and deeds to be known, appreciated and honoured by others. A
person’s yearning to be known is similar to the way a person undergoes hunger for food. Both these aspirations are considered to be primar-
ily faultless natural desires and basic ingredients of human nature.
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Nonetheless they become condemnable, if for example a person fulfils his hunger unlawfully, by consuming haram food or drugs. Simi-
larly, although there is no evil by essence to be known, heard or appreciated, this natural inclination becomes evil and sinful if one fulfils
it incorrectly by trying to attain honour, appreciation, praise and acknowledgement in the sight of the people rather than with Almighty
Allah. Rather, this person, by outwardly worshipping Allah and inwardly worshiping the creation commits sin and minor shirk by seeking
the approval of creation through an act of worship and acting insincerely with Allah and his creation.
Alternatively however, if a person feeds his hunger in a lawful way by consuming Halal food then his acts of eating would be considered
rewardable. Likewise, if a person fulfils the desire to be known, revered, honoured and appreciated by thinking that Allah, the All-Seeing
is seeing me, the All-Hearing is hearing my every word and whisper, the All-Knowing knows my thoughts, circumstances and deeds, that
Allah the As-Shukoor (Most Ready to Appreciate service) will appreciate and reward all deeds in a way, which no one else will or can, then
the individual will be rewarded immensely as the person fulfilled his desires to be known and appreciated in the correct and lawful way by
adopting sincerity (Ikhlaas).
The seeker should ponder and reflect deeply upon this guidance in order to avoid the pitfalls during his journey.
Sincerity does not enter a person by reading books or chapters about it. Rather, what will enter a person is merely the knowledge and
awareness of sincerity, but not sincerity itself. In order for the seeker to be adorned with the blessing of sincerity, he must go one step
further by practically and vigilantly practicing the different levels of sincerity in his everyday life. Although there are varying degrees of
sincerity, its central principle is to believe with the depths of one’s heart, when performing a good action, that the creation of Allah cannot
benefit or harm without Allah’s permission, that the good deed is performed only for the pleasure of Allah and honour or dishonour, profit
or loss, life or death, all lie in the hands of Allah the Most High.
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Level 1 of Sincerity
The first level of sincerity is to check and refresh one’s intention at the beginning, middle and towards the end of all major acts of worship.
If one fails to do this there is no guarantee that the deed will be sincere and rewardable. By way of example, a deed is like a cake or pizza
which requires baking in order to be fit for eating. If the dough of the cake is defective from the beginning then the overall outcome of the
cake will be poor. If the dough is burnt or over baked midway through the process, the result again will be dissatisfactory. However, even
if the baking process was exemplary at the beginning and middle but towards the end, the dough over heated, the concluding result would
be very poor and the cake would be unsuitable for consumption. This is the similitude of the good deeds. In order to avoid good acts of
worship becoming corrupted from the beginning, middle and end, the seeker can hold himself to account by utilising the sheet of sincerity,
for ninety consecutive days. After successfully completing Level 1, the seeker may continue to proceed to Level 2, all the way up to Level 7
of sincerity (Ikhlaas).
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THE FIRST STAGE OF PURIFICATION - PURIFICATION OF THE SEVEN ORGANS
OF THE BODY
A
person’s heart is the most valuable and prized jewel amongst all of the goods one possesses. One must actively safeguard his heart
from the devilish thieves who seek to steal it. In the first stage of purification, the seeker is taught how to erect doors preventing
the thieves from entering and stealing the precious jewels contained within the kingdom of one’s heart. The doors to the heart
represent the blocking of the sins entering through the seven sensual organs of the body and the reference to the kingdom represents ones
heart.
The seven sensual organs of the body are: 1) Tongue 2) Eyes 3) Hands 4) Ears 5) Feet 6) Private parts and 7) Stomach.
When one commits a sin through one or more of the sensual organs, a black dot appears on ones heart. If the person does not repent then
gradually the whole heart becomes tarnished with darkness, and as a consequence one fails to differentiate between truth and falsehood,
goodness and evil, which ultimately results in one’s heart becoming blind and heedless.
In order to remove the stains of darkness from the heart one must apply the methodology of purifying the seven sensual organs by indi-
vidually cleansing the limbs, one organ at a time. The seeker firstly begins purifying the tongue by abstaining from the sins of this organ
for thirty consecutive days and recording his progress on the tongue sheet which is provided on page 64. Upon successfully completing the
tongue sheet the seeker commences the ears sheet in the same way. By the end of the second sheet, the seeker ought to be able to abstain
from the sins related to the tongue and ears. The seeker then continues purifying his organs in this way until he completes all the sheets
relating to the sensual organs following which he moves on to the second stage of the path, which is the purification of the mind. By adopt-
ing this process of purification, progressively, day by day the seeker begins to steadily attain the nearness of Allah the Exalted.
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺsaid: ‘The person who indulges in bad deeds, then after that does good ones, his likeness is of the person who
is wearing an armour (metal war clothing) which is strangling his throat. He then does a good deed and one knot or button of the armour
opens up, then, he does the second good deed which opens up the second link and as a result of this he begins to walk freely.’ (Meaning of
the hadith, not exact words).
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4 STAGE-
ENLIGHTENMENT
2 S-M
Suncerity
Humility
Repetance
Gratitude
2 S-M
Negation of sins
Communion
Sunnah Duas
Awareness
1 S-O
Feet
Private Parts
Stomach
Hands
Ears
Eyes
Tongue
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Sins relating to various -parts of the body
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DEFINITIONS
Backbiting - mentioning a fault about an identified or named absent person, such that if he were to hear it, he would dislike it.
There are eight situations in which backbiting is permissible:
1) Complaining about a wrong that someone did to one (perhaps in order to redress this wrong).
2) Asking for help to stop another person from disobeying Allah.
3) Asking a scholar for a legal opinion about a matter that involves another person.
4) Warning people about a bad man or woman who harms people or causes trouble.
5) Identifying a person who is only known by a degrading name (e.g. “the leper”).
6) Talking about the disobedience of a person who openly disobeys Allah and does not care.
7) Telling the truth about a person when someone asks for advice in order to decide whether or not to deal with him (e.g. get married to
him, do business with him, choose him as a friend, etc.).
8) Finding out the reliability of witnesses or narrators.
Slander - making up a false statement about a person and spreading it in public.
Lying - intentionally uttering a statement that does not correspond with reality whilst knowing that it is false.
There are four situations in which lying is permissible:
1) To bring two contending people to a truce or friendly relations.
2) Deception against the enemy in wartime.
3) White lies told to one’s spouse to improve the relationship. (e.g.“You are very handsome.”)
4) To protect someone from a tyrant. (e.g. “No. The man you are trying to kill is not hiding in my house.”)
Ridicule - To neglect or hold in contempt another and to show his defects. It may be expressed in words and actions and also by gestures.
Singing - Singing which involves only human voices is generally allowed. However lewd lyrics (i.e. lyrics that describe sexual acts or naked-
ness of people) and bedroom voices (i.e. speaking in a seductive manner especially if done by women) are unlawful to listen to in real life
and from real-sounding electronic devices (e.g. a radio or a telephone). As for unrelated women’s voices outside of singing, we are narrat-
ing the opinion that they are Mubah (permissible) to listen to for men if these voices are not purposely seductive or high strung (e.g., for
educational purposes or for purposes of business).
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Music - The relied upon position in the Hanafi school, as well as the other three madhhabs, is that musical instruments (besides the daff )
are impermissible. While there is some difference of opinion, including that of some notable fuqaha, one should remain within what is
relied upon.
Looking - The rule is that anything that is unlawful to look at in real-life is also unlawful to look at when depicted in a life-like way.
Therefore, pornography in magazines, billboards, posters, electronic screens, projector screens, so forth, is all unlawful. As for other non-
pornographic photographs (e.g. of a panda bear, a properly-dressed human, or a building), they are generally permissible to look at.
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THE SECOND STAGE OF PURIFICATION - PURIFICATION OF THE MIND
A
seeker carries out a sin with one or more of his seven sensual organs when a sinful thought enters his mind and then, with his heart
he makes the intention to carry it out. At the beginning, the sin is presented in the form of a small sparkle and thought and at this
point it is easy to save himself. However, if the sparkle turns into a flame it takes over the whole heart and mind which subsequently
leads to the person using his organ to carry out the sin.
In order to tackle the sparkle or devilish thought from entering, settling or expanding in one’s mind, the seeker is practically trained in the
second stage to purify the mind from Shaytanic and evil thoughts and taught how to preoccupy himself with the remembrance of Allah. In
the event that an evil thought does enter and settle in one’s mind, the seeker is taught how to practically extinguish, extract and prevent it
from reoccurring in the future.
In this stage, there are ten levels in which the seeker is practically trained how to purify the mind from devilish and evil thoughts for
a consecutive period of thirty days at a time. In the seond level of this stage the seeker is trained to conquer the devilish thoughts on
conception, the settled thoughts and also how to extinguish them. In the subsequent levels, the seeker is taught how to remain occupied
in the remembrance of Allah. By the end of the second stage, the seeker who successfully completes the ten levels will have purified his
thoughts and mind and will become firmly established in the remembrance and presence of Allah and in the love of His Messenger ﷺ. If
the seeker remains resolute in his remembrance of Allah by not entertaining any sinful thought, it becomes easier for him to disregard the
evil desire and save himself from committing the sin in future.
1st level: In the first level the seeker is taught not to intentionally invite or think of an evil thought. However, if Shaytaanic (devilish) or
nafs (egoistic) thought enters the mind then one should disregard it and not intentionally extend it. On the contrary, one should seek refuge
with Allah and redirect the thought towards Allah, the Exalted, the Messenger ﷺ, the Hereafter or any other permissible worldly action.
One should never engage or fight with the thought, as this will cause the thought to become stronger and reoccur. Instead, when a person
is incited with an evil action he should immediately recite “Oh Allah I seek refuge with You from the accursed devil” or “I believed in Allah
and His Messenger” and begin to think about any permissible worldly matter. After that the seeker should recognise that the thought only
came with the permission of Allah and it is within Allah’s Knowledge what the seeker is thinking and Allah is fully capable of punishing
him or forgiving him.
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There are always two routes, one which leads towards disobedience and sin and the other towards striving and closeness of Allah. When
the whispers of Shaytaan enters the mind, it is like showers of lava of fire, which sticks to the plane. If one entertains the thought, the whis-
per deepens, the lava of fire begins to burn. If it is left then the lava of fire will enflame the entire mind/plane. If the plane/mind begins to
burn, one will commit the sin. Every second is crucial as every second endangers the body of the plane until it burns the entire mind.
So when the whisper/lava of fire sticks to the body of the plane, use the weapon of Refuge and the Water of Will power to defeat Shaytaan
and the flames of Whisper. By using ones will power, the water shall extinguish the lava of fire from sticking to the mind. The mind shall
build a layer of resistance against the evil flame and whispers of Shaytaan.
In level 1 you have to negate the whispers of Shaytaan, do not think of anything evil, do not entertain it or think of anything against Sha-
riah. When the whisper or the storms of lava of fire tries to enter the mind / body of the plane, extinguish it with the weapon of negation.
2nd level: In the second level, the seeker is trained to remember and connect with his Lord, Allah the Exalted. For instance, prayer and
recitation of the Holy Quran aids a person in remembering Allah, whereas worldly action usually causes a person to become heedless of
Him. Additionally, although every worldly action possesses the ability of causing benefit or loss it must be borne in mind that ultimately
benefit and loss lie in the hands of Allah and are within His control. Therefore, in this level, one of the ways in which the seeker is taught
to connect with his Lord is by firstly imploring, at the commencement of any worldly activity, from the heart “Oh Allah, protect me from
the evil that lies in this action and through the means of it grant me benefit”. By doing so it is as though one places reliance on Allah for
protection from evil in his worldly affairs and moreover every worldly action, which usually causes a person to become forgetful of Allah
the Exalted, now becomes a means of connecting with Him.
Examples:
1) When one leaves the house for any business, he should make invocation that “Oh Allah protect others from the evil inside me, bless my
action which I am about to undertake and protect me from the evil of others”.
2) Whenever a person is in any difficulty he should invoke “Oh Allah, grant me patience in it, distance it from me, and make it an expiation
for my sins.”
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3rd level: In this stage the seeker imagines in the heart and mind that Allah the Exalted is always with me and whenever he does any reli-
gious or worldly action he should ask permission from Allah the Exalted, and only then should he undertake the action after taking Allah’s
name. Whenever he forgets he should again refresh that thought. The seeker should firstly begin to practice this level with major activities
and then gradually over time also implement this level when carrying out minor activities. When someone has the belief that a person of
high esteem is with them, naturally he would ask permission from them in permissible matters. Similarly, in prayer, remembrance, reci-
tation, eating, sleeping and before every action, one should be saying in the heart to the One who is Most Esteemed, “Oh Allah give me
permission to do this action, and place blessing in it”.
4th level: In this level, after the presence of Allah is firmly implanted in the seekers mind, he should read the forty Prophetic invocations
(Duas) that were read by our Beloved Holy Prophet ﷺon different occasions such as eating, drinking, sleeping, dressing and so forth.
Example: One should learn the Prophetic supplications for those actions which a person frequently undertakes and read them at their ap-
propriate time whilst maintaining the presence of Allah. For example, reading the appropriate supplication before eating, drinking, leaving
the house, whilst in the market, wearing clothes and doing business and so forth.
5th level: In this level, the seeker is taught to maintain the constant and continuous awareness of Allah at every moment and place as though
Allah is watching, listening and with the seeker at every moment. The seeker is advised to monitor the time spent with and without the
awareness of Allah by ticking the mind tick sheet so that he can identify the amount of time spent in the presence of Allah and the number
of hours spent in heedlessness. One practically achieves this state by communicating and talking to Allah the Supreme about his concerns,
worries, desires related to past, present and future spiritual and worldly activities instead of talking and presenting these thoughts to
himself. Talking and presenting ones thoughts to oneself is not unusual as one processes his thoughts to himself throughout the day. For
instance, some thoughts processed can include thinking about the tasks one needs to complete throughout the day, how he will resolve his
financial affairs, if his spouse is pleased or displeased, what the future holds, in what state one will die, the outcome of one’s end in terms
of heaven and hell and so forth. However, the fourth level of purification trains the seeker to modify the operation of his thought process
by talking to Allah about his affairs by asking Allah to help him throughout the daily tasks, to ease his financial affairs and so forth rather
than talking to himself.
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In this level, instead of talking to himself the person should begin to talk to Allah, the Supreme about his concern, worries and desires
related to past, present and the future. There are immense benefits in doing this exercise and meditation.
Examples:
1) If a person talks to himself, his mind becomes pressurised, which results in depression, tension and agitative behaviour. Alternatively, if
he talks and prays to Allah, the Exalted his mind becomes clear, free and less depressive because he is releasing the pressure.
2) If a person keeps his thoughts to himself and only talks within himself there is no change to his situation because a human has limita-
tions and cannot fulfil all of his own needs. Whereas if he talks and presents these matters to Allah, the All Powerful, whose knowledge
and power has no limits, the same person will begin to receive divine help and blessing in his life moment by moment and day by day.
3) If a person only thinks within himself he can become forgetful of Allah’s remembrance and His presence and become overwrought and
distracted by his concern and worries. By communicating and talking to Allah, the All Knowing, the greatest benefit the person experiences
is that his connection and relationship with Allah strengthens as he is in constant communication with his Lord.
6th level: Allah mentions in the Holy Quran, that in the heavens and earth and in the existence of the Creation there are signs that point
towards the Creator. Accordingly, in this level the seeker is trained to reflect upon the Creation and events that befall him in such a way
that they aid him in the remembrance of Allah. The seeker should implement this level by pondering and reflecting upon seven different
incidents that he experiences daily and writing them down on a daily basis.
Example: If you fall ill then this is a sign that life is temporal and that illness and health are both in the hands of Allah. We also learn from
this that man falls short in prayer or other religious matters because of worldly occupations, but now that he is ill, these worldly occupa-
tions do not cease to continue. Just like he suddenly became ill, similarly death will come upon him suddenly, unexpectedly and without
prior warning. As all matters are in the hands of Allah and in His control one should focus his attention on Him and try to spend his life
according to His commands only.
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7th Level: Positive and good thinking
In this stage the seekers mind and thoughts are trained to become good and positive. A person benefits much from positive thinking and he
obtains much closeness to Allah, the Exalted. This is also referred to as ‘Husn-e-Than’ (having a good opinion). This attribute is divided
into three sections:
1) To have a good opinion of Allah the Exalted.
2) To have a good opinion of Allah’s Messenger and also of his Sunnah.
3) To have a good opinion of the believers.
The seeker practices this level by firstly acknowledging the fact that during a person’s life, various different events will occur and he will
have to engage and interact with many different individuals. On some unfortunate occasions accidents will befall him and others may cause
him difficulty, inconvenience or loss. Despite these adverse experiences the seeker is taught, in this level, to view these negative events in a
positive way, on the condition that the negative action conducted against him is not a sin.
Examples:
1) How should one react when he is faced with a difficulty and somebody refuses to give him assistance in relieving it.
In this situation, rather than having hatred and holding a grudge, the seeker should think that if the person had helped him, it would have
been due to that person’s mercy and compassion. He should also think that it was not my right upon that person for him to have necessarily
helped me. Additionally, he should think that perhaps he himself may have been caught up in some difficulty, or did not have the means
to assist. In this manner, he should not allow hatred and animosities to enter his heart and he should pray for him instead.
2) How should one react when he is travelling on a journey and on the way the car breaks down. In this situation, rather than thinking
why this occurred, what sin he committed for this to happen, and also become aggressive with the passengers, the seeker of truth should
believe that it is the grace of Allah that in thousands of journeys his car did not break down and that perhaps in the knowledge of Allah the
Exalted it was much better for us, and Allah saved us from a greater problem. Getting angry and frustrated will not resolve the problem in
any way but rather further deteriorate the situation.
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8th level: In this level the seeker is trained how to not think negatively or hypocritically regarding any event, incident, or person’s character.
However, if the thought comes unintentionally then the seeker should not let it settle in his heart, but rather, through positive thinking he
should eradicate it.
Example: Regarding worldly blessings the seeker should not focus on the wealth and property of those people who possess more wealth
than him. Rather, one should look at those who are surviving on less wealth and provisions.
10th level: In this level the seeker concentrates his attention towards the essence of Allah completely, and spends his whole life, day and
night, as though Allah the Exalted is seeing him, and he should in reality behave and act as though He, the Exalted, is besides him. There
are two necessary qualities to be attained in this level. 1) The mental and spiritual concentration and awareness of Allah.
2) The appropriate actions contemporaneous with the mental awareness of Allah.
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THIRD STAGE OF PURIFICATION – PURIFICATION OF THE HEART AND SOUL
O
ther than the purification of the body, its organs and the mind, there are certain sins that are invisible to the eye. Nevertheless, they
are extremely dangerous and can lead a person to the hellfire. Examples of these sins are envy, hatred, arrogance, ostentation, and
excessive love of the world. In the third stage of purification, these evil qualities are removed and replaced with the superior quali-
ties such as patience, gratitude, humbleness, love of Allah and abstinence (removal of the desire of the world from the heart).
In order for the seeker to be taught how to practically remove the sins of the heart and soul, he must firstly understand the states a person
experiences throughout their lifetime so that when he experiences it, he can immediately recognise it and recall how one correctly reacts
to it.
A person spends his whole life in one or more of these four states only:
1) Obedience 2) Disobedience 3) Blessing 4) Calamity.
If a person experiencing one of these states reacts in the correct way he converts his existing state into a state of worship and blessing result-
ing in him automatically abandoning the evil desires aforementioned, replacing them with the qualities of goodness leading him towards a
life of purity and chastity (Hayatan Tayabah).
The following summarises the reactions to the four states the seeker is practically trained to adopt in the third stage of purification:
1) In the state of obedience a person reacts correctly by practicing the qualities of humility, humbleness, servant hood, and sincerity.
2) In the state of disobedience a person reacts correctly by practicing the qualities of regret, shame, forgiveness and repentance.
3) In the state of blessing a person reacts correctly by attributing the blessing to Allah, being thankful in the heart, using the blessing ac-
cording to the divine commands and not in the disobedience of Allah the Exalted.
4) In the state of calamity a person reacts correctly by practising patience, refraining from sin and returning to Allah.
There are ten levels in the third stage of purification and the seeker is trained practically, mentally and spiritually to exonerate himself from
the harms of the heart and soul.
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PREPARATION FOR THE REMEMBRANCE OF ALLAH (DHIKR) AND THE
SPIRITUAL CONNECTION
W
hen a person is engaged in the remembrance of Allah and during that time his heart and inner self is heedless of the remem-
brance of Allah, then there is less benefit. To obtain the maximum benefit it is necessary that before a person begins the verbal
remembrance of Allah, he establishes a spiritual connection with Him. However, the remembrance of the tongue alone is not
devoid of benefit.
Example: Just as the telephone wire is not plugged into the socket or when there is no network coverage for the mobile, it is not possible
to communicate with anyone even though one has the best mobile or speaks in a loud tone. The Prophet ﷺsaid “Allah, the Exalted, does
not accept the prayer of that which proceeds from a heedless, inattentive heart”. (Tirmidhi). The words of remembrance are like the form
of the body and the presence of the heart is like the spirit.
Remembrance of Allah - ‘Astaghfirullah Alladhi La Illaha illa Huwal Hayyul Qayyumu wa Atubo Illayh’
Everyday you will need to fix a time to do the remembrance of Allah by performing the dhikr: ‘Astaghfirullah Alladhi La Illaha illa Huwal
Hayyul Qayyumu wa Atubo Illayh’ everyday for 15 minutes.
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RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN REMEMBRANCE (DHIKR) AND THE INTERNAL/
EXTERNAL STATE OF THE SEEKER
Tongue: It recites the words.
Mind: To maintain the connection, with these three thoughts, that Allah is with me, is seeing me, and listening to me.
The heart and inner self: To have communion with Allah. In other words without using the tongue the person prays to Allah from the
heart and talks to Him.
METHODOLOGY OF REMEMBRANCE
Before beginning the remembrance of Allah the Exalted, a person should recite the following while keeping their meaning in mind:
1) Bismillah…………….(Once).
2) Astaghfirullah………..(three times).
3) Prayers and salutation on the Prophet ( ﷺDurood) (three times).
4) Lahawla wala Quwwata illahbillah (three times).
To perform the Dhikr, Amaal; one does not need to be in the state of Wudu, but should always try. As one sits in any remembrance, ones
body and soul should be in the state of cleanliness. Wudu is the clothing of the body so put on the best of clothes and be in the presence
of Allah. The souls of those people that have wudu engage in the remembrance of Allah more easily.
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NOW A PERSON SHOULD BEGIN THE DHIKR.
You should read the following everyday ‘Astaghfirullah Alladhi La Illaha illa Huwal Hayyul Qayyumu wa Atubo Illayh’ everyday for 15
minutes for forty days. There are seven levels of thoughts whilst performing this Dhikr.
THOUGHT LEVEL 1:
Imagine you are begging forgiveness from all your shortcomings, all the acts of sin and all the acts of goodness. As one can never present
his deeds in the court of Allah that is worthy of Allah’s praise. One should feel his deeds have no value in the presence of Allah.
THOUGHT LEVEL 2:
Beg forgiveness from the evil deeds you have done alone and in public, intentionally or unknowingly. Beg forgiveness from the good deeds,
in its imperfection and in its absence from the remembrance and presence of Allah.
THOUGHT LEVEL 3:
Think of the three keys of remembrance [Allah is watching you, hearing you and always present with you]. Know that Allah is watching
you. Allah is seeing your entire day and night whereever you are. Remember that Allah is hearing you. He can hear your thoughts, your
feelings, what you have thought of whilst engaging and enjoyment of sins of darkness which you have committed. However, He still awaits
the thoughts of reliance and help. Believe and know that Allah is present with you, He is always present with you, He never left you but
you have left His presence and committed the sins of darkness. You are never alone so return and beg forgiveness.
THOUGHT LEVEL 4:
Repentance is direction, so direct your hearts towards the Kingdom of Allah. Imagine you are walking towards Allah’s Kingdom, leaving
Shaytaan [and his ways]. Perform the repentance of the footsteps of our Father Sayyidina Adam ؑ. Know you are in the field of Arafat,
begging forgiveness.
THOUGHT LEVEL 5:
As you walk imagine the darkness of sin which is like a grease is slowly falling from your body as you walk towards the light of Allah.
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THOUGHT LEVEL 6:
Every step is the step of commitment and allegiance with ones Creator. Imagine your body is being cleansed with the light of Allah’s name.
THOUGHT LEVEL 7:
There is no other direction than towards Allah Taa’la. All others have abandoned you, but Allah the Most High, shall never leave you,
so do not leave Him. Have the fear of ones shortcomings, but also have the hope of Mercy. Become like the wings which fly towards the
Kingdom of Allah.
There is no set time for performing the Dhikr, but make a time according to your own personal time- table so it shall become a part of your
life where you shall spend time in the remembrance of Allah (Azzawajal). It is preferable to pray Salatul Tawbah before performing this
Dhikr, if the time al- lows him, avoiding Makruh times.
After you have performed the remembrance ‘Astaghfirullah Alladhi La Illaha illa Huwal Hayyul Qayyumu wa Atubo Illayh’ for forty days
you will then start the next Dhikr - La ilaha IlAllah.
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MAKING DUA (SUPPLICATION) WITH THE PRESENCE OF MIND AND HEART
There are two types of Dua one can make, one with the tongue. and the other is that which is done with the heart only.
We should try to make a habit of doing both types of Dua daily but in particular the second type of Dua with the heart which is is the
actual purpose of Dua. Allah says in a hadiths qudsi to the nearest meaning,
‘When my slave remembers me in a gathering, i remember him in a better gathering and when he remembers me within himself, i
remember him within myself.’ So we should try to build that connection with Allah which is a private meeting and conversation between
yourself and Allah.
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Call on Allah while having full conviction that He will answer, and realize that
Allah does not answer the du’a that proceeds from a heedless, inattentive heart.” [Tirmidhi]
1.Connection
Firstly you should be in the presence of Allah, the Almighty, by thinking about the three keys of awareness.
1) Allah is with me
2) Allah is seeing me
3) Allah is hearing me
2. Communion of a servant
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Two things you should use in this methodology:
2-Use your heart to communicate with Allah while the tongue stays silent. Your tongue shall remain silent so your heart becomes the
voice.
In simple words you are talking to Allah the Exalted, from your heart about you life, problems, needs and the life of hereafter.
Dua is conversation with Allah, out Creator, our Lord and Master, the All Knowing, the All Powerful. This act in itself is of extraordinary
significance. It is the most uplifting, liberating, empowering, and transforming conversation a person can ever have. We turn to Him
because we know that He alone can lift our sufferings and solve our problems. We feel relieved after describing our difficulties to our
Creator. We feel empowered after having communicated with the All Mighty. We sense His mercy all around us after talking to the
Most Merciful. We get a new commitment to follow His path for that is the only path for success. We feel blessed with each such
commitment.
This is a very powerful way of connecting with Allah, the exalted as the Messenger of Allah (Peace and blessings be upon him) said Dua is
the essence of worship.
Always have the three keys in mind. Dua is a way of connecting ones thoughts, hearts with Allah, inwardly and outwardly developing
a channel to ponder about the greatness and mercy of the Creator in order to place ones thought, the body and the heart in the presence
of Allah (Azzawajal).
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DISTURBING THOUGHTS
When a servant remembers His Lord, the Shaytan’s jealousy and animosity flares-up and he attempts to do whatever is within his power
to distract and disturb the seeker, including whispering thoughts in his mind and heart, which the Shaytan possesses the power to do.
As long as the seeker does not volitionally invite the thought of any other matter, other than the thought of Allah and does not extend
the thoughts or whispers of Shaytan, then the thoughts will not harm him.
Instead, the rejection of the Shaytanic whisperings and returning to the remembrance of Allah rather leads the seeker to the closeness
of Allah the Exalted. The solution therefore is not to fight with the stray thoughts but to ignore them and continue with the amaal.
So remember DO NOT:
One should do Dua as much as one can but just for starting at least set aside 10 minutes for this after the session of rememberance.
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