Thursday

28 Mar 2024

Love and Trust

By - Shaykh Tauqeer Chaudhary (db) Sunday, June 2, 2013

All praise is for Allah ta'ala, and may the blessings of Allah ta'ala be upon our beloved Prophet (peace be upon him). We thank Allah ta'ala for this opportunity that He has allowed us to publish another edition of the Nisbah magazine. The goal of this magazine is to pass on the radiance that the students of Nur ul Ilm Academy are trying to achieve through the connection that they have with the chain of mashaaikh (spiritual guides) going back all the way to the Prophet (peace be upon him). 

As has been mentioned in the forewords of the previous editions, our tradition has always been to seek the outward knowledge through the ulama (scholars) and to seek the inward knowledge by the spiritual training and self-development through the mashaaikh (spiritual guides).

There are two key principals in choosing a Shaykh (spiritual guide). 1. He has to be a person of Sharia’h (Islamic law) and Sunnah (blessed habits of the Prophet (peace be upon him)) 2. He has achieved his self development through his Shaykh and this chain must go back all the way to the Prophet (peace be upon him). 

There are four key things that one has to have in the connection with their Shaykh
to get maximum benefit;
1. Love and Trust (Mahabbah)
2. Facilitating him in serving the religion
of Allah ta'ala (Khidmah)
3. Informing him of one’s spiritual state
(Ittila’)
4. Following his advices (Ittiba’)

The main cause of one’s spiritual decline is following one’s own desires, and not be able to see one’s own faults. This is because they are worshipping their desires, as Allah ta'ala says in the Quran:

أَرَأَيْتَ مَنِ اتَّخَذَ إِلَٰهَهُ هَوَاهُ أَفَأَنتَ تَكُونُ عَلَيْهِ وَكِيلًا

‘Have you seen the one, who has taken his desires as his Lord’
(25:43)

The Shaykh sees these shortcomings and then advises the student of these faults, with wisdom, sometimes directly and at other times, indirectly. He also recommends the student to take certain steps in his life that can help him in removal of those bad traits. Just to give you an example, the Shaykh may ask a student who has completed his studies not to teach for a certain amount of time as he can feel some arrogance in his heart. He then advises him of certain steps that helps in the removal of his arrogance, and the student, then, is ready to take on the prophetic mission of teaching in its true spirit.

The Shaykh sees these shortcomings and then advises the student of these faults, with wisdom, sometimes directly and at other times, indirectly. He also recommends the student to take certain steps in his life that can help him in removal of those bad traits. Just to give you an example, the Shaykh may ask a student who has completed his studies not to teach for a certain amount of time as he can feel some arrogance in his heart. He then advises him of certain steps that helps in the removal of his arrogance, and the student, then, is ready to take on the prophetic mission of teaching in its true spirit.

If the love and trust is not complete, then shaytan takes the opportunity to create doubts in the heart of the student, thus depriving him of getting true benefit. Also, this is the sunnah of Allah ta'ala that He purifies people through teachers who are human beings. All what the mashaaikh do is with the tawfeeq from Allah ta'ala; having no capability of their own selves.

When students have that complete trust on their Shaykh, Allah ta'ala in return, decides for the students according to their opinion of their teacher. If the trust is incomplete, the benefit that they will get will also be incomplete.

The other benefit is that when a student loves his Shaykh, who also loves his Shaykh, and then this chain continues back to the Prophet (peace be upon him). According to the hadith,

المرء مع من أحب

‘People will be with those whom they love.’

They will all be together with the Prophet (peace be upon him) on the Day of Judgment.

All that I have is this love and trust for my Shaykh. My biggest reliance is the Nisbah with this blessed chain, and the hope that inshaAllah Allah ta'ala will shower His mercy upon me because of this connection. Otherwise my actions are too little, and worthless. This love is what has brought barakah in my life. It has been this complete trust, with which I have been able to sail the ship of my life through the ocean of uncertainties. And it has been an amazing journey. You see the blessings fall in your
life when you connect yourself up with this chain of light. But if you want to see that, you have to have that love. Then you truly see the effect of the order of Allah ta'ala, when He says:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَكُونُوا مَعَ الصَّادِقِينَ

‘O you who believe! Have taqwa of Allah, and be with the truthful.’ (9:119)

Tauqeer Chaudhary
On behalf of the beautiful students of Nur ul Ilm Academy

Sunday, June 2nd, 2013 | Rajab 23, 1434 H