Teachings of Baba Fareed-uddin Ganj Shakar 4

"Whatever comes from the Unseen is for the good."

Hazrat Mehboob-e-Elahi -may Allah be pleased with him

Teachings of Baba Fareed-uddin Ganj Shakar 3

With regard to the basis for spiritual progress -referred to in the last email- Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia

went on to explain the final habit. His explanation is as follows:

'After that the master told the following story about a certain chaste saint.

Many times he used to say that all virtuous deeds, such as prayers, fasting, invocations, and saying the rosary [wird] 

are a cauldron [a large pot], but the basic staple in the cauldron is meat. 

Without meat you do not experience any of these virtuous deeds.

Finally they asked the pir: "Many times you have used that analogy, but now explain it."

"Meat," replied the saint, "is renouncing worldliness, while prayer, fasting, invocation, as well as repetition of the rosary -

all such virtuous deeds presuppose that the one who does them has left the world and is no longer attached to any worldly thing.

Whether he observes or does not observe prayer, invocations, and other practices, there is no cause of fear, 

but is friendship with the world lingers in his heart, he derives no benefit from supplications, invocations,and the like."

After that the master observed: "If one puts ghee, pepper, garlic, and onion into a cauldron and adds only water,

the end result is known as pseudo-stew. The basic staple for stew is meat; there may or may not be other ingredients.

Similarly, the basis for spiritual progress is leaving the world; there may or may not be other virtuous practices.

Renouncing worldliness does not mean, for instance, that one becomes naked, wearing only loin cloth and

sitting [in solitude]. Renouncing worldliness means, instead, to wear clothes and to take food while at the same time

keeping in continuous use whatever comes to hand, feeling no inclination to hoard and no attachment to 

material objects. That [disposition alone] is tantamount to renouncing worldliness."

Hazrat Mehboob-e-Elahi -may Allah be pleased with him

The Living Versus the Dead

He who remembers his Lord and he who does not are like the living and dead.

-The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)

The Devout

In this world everyone is proud on something; some is on possession and money, 

some is on lineage, and some is on position and status. 

When I pondered on these, [things on which people are proud of] I found them to be paltry and worthless. 

Then I came to this verse [of the Quran] that it is the most devout [parhaiz-gaar] among you that is worthy and honorable in sight of God. 

Therefore, I tried to become devout so that I can become worthy and honorable.

Imam Ghazali [may Allah be pleased with him]

Words of Wisdom

I looked at the world; everyone is in love with something but will leave it in this world and migrate to the grave. 

I decided that I should love good deeds and righteousness so that they accompany me to the grave and do not leave me alone.

 

I read in the Quran that whoever fears his Lord and keeps himself from the temptations of the ego, indeed Paradise is his abode. 

Therefore, I controlled the desires of my ego.

 

I saw that if people had something precious they care for it very much. 

And then I pondered over the verse [of Quran] that whatever you have will perish and what is with God will continue to exist. 

Consequently, I surrendered [hawaalay] my every valuable thing to God so that it lasts for me and is of use to me.

Imam Ghazali [may Allah be pleased with him]

The Strong Man

The strong man is not the good wrestler; 

the strong man is only the one who controls himself when he is angry.

-Prophet Muhammad, 

[peace and blessings of Allah be upon him]

Teachings of Baba Fareed-uddin Ganj Shakar 2

For a while the conversation turned to the basis for spiritual progress, that is, kernel of meaning.

In this conversation the master noted that man once presented himself to Kwaja Ajall Shirazi 

-may Allah grant him mercy and forgiveness- and the Khwaja conferred discipleship on him. 

The new disciple expected Khwaja Ajall to instruct him on the invocations [auraad] and prayers he ought to observe.

"What you do find agreeable for yourself," declared the Khwaja, "do not which it to happen to others;

wish for yourself [only] what you also wish for others."

In short, the man went away and after a while returned, presenting himself again to Khwaja Ajall Shirazi 

-may God have mercy upon him. "On such-and-such a day," he submitted to the Khwaja, "I waited upon you, 

hoping that you might tell me a prayer or invocation [that I could repeat], but you told me nothing. Today I am also expectant." 

"On that day," replied the Khwaja, "what were you instructions?" The disciple was stupefied; he did not answer. 

The Khwaja smiled and said, "On that day I told you that whatever was not pleasing to yourself was also not pleasing to another, and [that you ought to] wish for yourself the same thing that you wish for another. 

You did not remember that instruction. Since you have not learned the first lesson, how can I give you another?"

Hazrat Mehboob-e-Elahi -may Allah be pleased with him

[It is clear from the above allegory of Hazrat Nizam-uddin Aulia that the first lesson of suluuk [spiritual path] is: our wish for others should be the same as our wish for ourselves. This is one of the foundations for spiritual progress. Reciting of invocations is secondary.] 

Urs of Baba Fareed-uddin Ganj Shakar1

The urs of Baba Sahib has begun at Pak Pattan -from yesterday Zilhaj 25 and will last till Moharram 5. On this occasion, I would like to share his teachings with the participants.

The most authentic source of Hazrat Baba Sahib's teaching is the sayings of Hazrat Mehboob-e-Elahi Nizam-uddin Aulia, the most esteemed and beloved disciple of Baba Sahib. May Allah be pleased with them. The sayings of Hazrat Nizam-uddin Aulia were compiled by his disciple Hazrat Ameer Hasan Sijzi; he named his compilation as "Fawaaid-ul-Fuaad" [morals for the heart].

The best way get most out of the sayings of aulia-Allah [friends of Allah] is not just to read for information, but to listen to them as if one is in the company of the wali-Allah. In this way one gets the benefit of the company of the wali-Allah. And being in the presence of a wali-Allah is not an ordinary moment. Maulana Jalal-uddin Rumi [may Allah be pleased with him] has said: "A short time in the company of the friends [of Allah] is better than a hundred years' sincere, obedient dedication."

When one focuses his or her attention on the wali-Allah, the wali-Allah also directs his spiritual attention towards him and purifies him [or her]. The wali-Allah's spiritual attention is independent of time and space or life and death. It is also recommended that the reader should perform wudu before reading and then exhibit utmost courtesy during reading.

Teachings:

....He spoke as follows: "The penitent is equivalent to the upright. 

The upright is he who never drinks [wine] throughout his life or commits a single sin, 

while the penitent is he who has sinned and then repented of his sin. 

The two are equivalent," he noted, "in accordance with the Tradition of the Prophet Muhammad -may peace be upon him: 

'A person who repents of his sin is like someone who has never sinned.' " 

He then explained what was meant: 

"That sinner who becomes aware of his sin and subsequently repents, 

turning to obedience -every moment he is conscious of the need to obey.

It is possible for one particle of that comfort which he finds in obedience

to reduce to ashes all his sinful excesses."

 Hazrat Mehboob-e-Elahi -may Allah be pleased with him

Sign of Faith

Rasulullah [may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him] once recited the verse: 

"And whoever Allah wishes to guide, He opens his heart to Islam" [Quran 6:125].

He then explained it by saying:

"When faith enters the heart, it opens up."

He was asked, 'O Messenger of Allah! Is there a sign by which this may be recognized?'

And he said:

"Yes. To lose interest in the place of deception, to long for the Place of Eternity

and to prepare for death before it comes."

[Baihaqi]

The Value of this World

The value of this world

in comparison to that of the Hereafter

is like the water that remains sticking to your finger 

when dipped into the vast ocean.

Prophet Muhammad [peace and blessings of Allah be upon him]

[Muslim]

Heaven & Hell

Hell is surrounded by desirable things, and

Heaven is surrounded by unpleasant things.

Prophet Muhammad [peace and blessings of Allah be upon him]

[Bukhari]

[This means that if we just follow our carnal desires we will not be able to follow Allah's commands 

and we may be sent to Hell. And, if we want to go to Heaven, we must continuously do things which 

our nafs [ego] finds unpleasant, like fasting, striving for Allah's cause, putting others before us, 

getting up early for Fajr prayer, etc.]

Contentment

Wealth is not in having vast riches,

it is in contentment.

Saying of Prophet Muhammad [peace and blessings of Allah be upon him]

[Bukhari, Muslim]

Sacrificing of Animals

"Their flesh and blood do not reach God,

yet your devotion reaches Him."

Quran: 22:37

Inner Dimensions of Hajj 3

Purchase of Ihram

As for the purchase of the two seamless garments of consecration: when buying his ihram the Pilgrim should recall 

the shroud in which he will be wrapped for burial.....He should remember: 

just as he goes to meet the House of God, Great and Glorious is He, in unusual garb and attire, 

so after death he must go to meet God, Great and Glorious is He, dressed in a fashion different from that of this world.

And the Pilgrim-garb is close to the other, being unstitched like the shroud.

Putting on Ihram and Crying Labbayk

As for donning the garb of consecration and crying 'Labbayk' from the assembly point onwards:

the Pilgrim should know that this signifies a response to the summons of God, Great and Glorious is He.

Hope, therefore, to be accepted and dread being told: 'No favor or fortune for you!'

Oscillate between hope and fear; rid yourself of you power and strength, and rely on the grace and generosity of God, Great and Glorious is He.

The moment of talbiya [calling Labbayk] is the real starting point -this is the critical instant.

Sufyan ibn Uyayna said: "Ali, the son of al-Husayn, may God be pleased with them both, once went on Pilgrimage.

When he had put on his ihram and his camel was ready for him to ride, he suddenly turned pale and began to tremble.

He shivered and quaked and could not utter "Labbayk", and when they asked him what was wrong he said:

"I dread being told: 'No favor or fortune for you!'" When he did eventually cry 'Labbayk', he fainted and fell from his camel.

This kept on happening to him until he had completed his Pilgrimage.'

Imam Al-Ghazali [may Allah be pleased with him]