Monasticism in Islam

Assalam u alayekum !
May peace be upon you o readers.
Happy Ramadhan to all Muslims.

Very often people raise objections on Tasawwuf by saying that there is no roam for monasticism in Islam.Below is a transcript of a very recent sohbat of Sultan-ul-Auliya Hazrat Maulana shaikh Muhammad Nazim Adil Al Haqqani (May Allah Sanctify his secret and bless him with good health and a very long life and keep us under his guidance.aamin)The sohbat very beautifully answers all the confusions and objections.Check it out and inshaAllah you'll be satisfied.

'We are waiting "to wait for an opening is worship" this is a Hadith of the Prophet (saw). The additional letter 'Nun' is for glorification. "Intizar farji ibadatun"(to wait for an opening is worship). That additional letter 'nun' (in 'ibadatun') is for glorification. You know the Arabic grammer, we may learn from you. I learnt it and I forgot. But, sometimes, what is needed it is thrown into my heart. They throw it in my heart.

Astaizzu Billah, "Wa Allawi astaqamu ala at tariqati l'asqaynahum ma'an ghadaqan."(72:16) Those who are objecting to the Sufi paths, they are not understanding nor the ability to comprehend. Allah (swt) said "If they went on the right way.."(72:16) But these ignorant ones say, that there is no Tariqat (path/way) mentioned in the holy Quran, then what does this verse mean "Wa Allawi astaqamu ala at tariqati...", it is pointed by name. Shariat is for the majority of people, but Tariqa is for the ones who have high spiritual aspiration, "If they went on the right way.."(72:16) Surat Hud made me age, Surat Hud made me age, how come?

Brother: "Fastaqim kama umirta" (11:112) (So stand firm as you've been ordered)

Moulana: You are a scholar, you learnt, yes. "If they went on the right way We should surely bestowed on them water in abundace"(72:16). If Tariqa was not for this, we would'nt have water to drink? "Ma'an ghadaqan" (water in abundance). What does it mean? Do they have a comment on this? They have no understanding nor inspirations, these people are ignorant ones.

They say that there is no Tariqa in Islam, it is said clearly and Allah (swt) said, in His Mighty words, "Wa Allawi astaqamu ala at tariqati" (72:16). The Alif Lam, the holy verse "If they went on the right way" (72:16). He (swt) did not say 'Tariqa' without the article.

Brother:No He (swt) said "Ala at tariqati". He specified with the article

Moulana: The article is used for gender, to specify something and for time. They are four things it is used for: gender specifying something and for time and to indicate, four things. The article Alif-Lam "ala at tariqati". The type of the Tariqa, meaning all of them. Who puts all his efforts..if one of them does, "We surely bestowe on them water in abundance" (72:16)

What is 'water in abundance'? Who can comment on this verse, your scholars? To drink water, this is what it means to be on the right way? This is what is requested, to drink water? What does 'abundant water' means?

No one understands it except the Prophet (saw). He (saw) knows! 'Ma'an ghadaqan', is it only mentioned for the water? Allah (swt) mentioned, and requested from His servants to be upright on the way, Allah doesn't like crookedness (Moulana moves his blessed hands right to left), back and forth.

For the sake of Truth, "If they went on the right way"(72:16). "Ma katabnaha alayhim.."(57:27) (We did not prescribe it for them). But they brought it as a new practice. "We did not prescibe it for them.."(57:27). These scholars are so ignorant, because they say there is no bidaa. There is no 'bidaa' (new practice). They say bidaa is false. "Monasticism which they brought, We did not prescribe for them..."(57:27) This is a holy verse "but that they did not observe it with the right observance" (57:27).

If they had given it the right observance Allah would have accept it. This is the new practice that they brought. "Monasticism which they brought, We did not prescribe for them.."(57:27) This means we did not impose it on them, but they started it, meaning they brought a new practice in their religion to be priest/nuns, but we did not prescribe it for them.

They started it , they did not give its due right, if they had, there was no problem. My Arabic is very little, but you must understand what it means. Why Allah (swt) mentioned them in the holy Quran, is it without a benefit? It is to teach us! You undertook 'paths' but you did not give them the due right, some of you did not put truthfully all your efforts: the ones who undertook monasticism.

The Prophet (saw) said "there is no monasticism in Islam". For the greater majority there is no monasticism, but if one person, if a person chooses to be monastic, it is a Divinely position. We cannot forbid the person if all his life he is in seclusion, in isolation and making spiritual practices, itikaf (devote) oneself in worship, we do not object to this, because this servant wants to be for Allah only! This servant want to leave the whole world. Allah will not tell His servant "no don't leave dunya", no. "Leave it and come!"

Monasticism is accepted by Allah, you must understand that. Monasticism is accepted. If it was not accepted The Lord (swt) would not mention it in the holy Quran "But the Monasticism they started it for themselves, We did not prescribe for them." (57:27) Meaning we did not make it obligatory on them, but they from themselves, they realised the Truth, that if servants put all their efforts to serve the Lord, it is the best, highest, most blessed and most honourable work than to be busy with the world.

But you have no mind O doctors. Doctor this, doctor that, crooked doctor. Prescribe it to yourself to be monastic, if you are from among the men. Prescribe it for yourself, show us. But no! We enjoy..there is a better word..we want to be satisfied with what is Halal (permitted) for us, we avoid what is from the Haram (forbidden) desires. But from the Halal desires we want to be satisfied by them. These ones they don't have a mind. Men are the ones who leave the desires of what is forbidden to them and what is permitted to them.

We have a specific seclusion, that is done from the beginning of Dhul -Qi'dha until the 10th if Dhul -Hijjah to cut the greediness of the ego from the desires of what is permitted. But they say we enjoy what is permitted to us. They have no mind. They have no mind!

The highest rank is for who is able to leave what is forbidden to them and escape from what is permitted to them. The prohibited is absolutely forbidden. From what is permitted from the desires, within limits they may take from it the minimum possible. This is so as to give the ego power for worship. This is an ocean.

Brother: The sahaba (ra) use to say "we use to leave 9/10 of what is permitted to us, for fear of falling into what is forbidden."

Moulana: This is another matter, this is a teaching for the majority of people. But what is above that is what we are talking about. They don't fear from falling into what is prohibited, because they are also leaving what is permitted to seek sweetness of Munajat (intimacy) with The Lord of the worlds. Who eats, goes to the WC 40 times. Who renounces (to eat and drink much) may go to the WC maybe once or two times, so their time is only spent to work, to be in the presence of The Lord (jwa).

But, most of people, even if they say it is permitted to eat and drink and they enjoy with passion what is permitted to them, this means they are giving their time more and more to what they want to give or to put effort in the appetite of the ego desires. Monasticsm, "there is no monasticism in Islam"(hadith), becuase if it was prescribed for them, for the Ummah, they would not do it.

Therefore, He (swt) in the verse about the story of the children of Israel, with their Prophet, they indicated the Christian nation those who were building monasteries, for that reason, for priest and for nuns. Also the nuns, they used to lock themselves in their monasteries because they were seeking. What were they aspiring for? They were aspiring for what came onto sayidatina Maryam, angels from Heavens. They like to resemble sayidatina Maryam and were begging to send them one from Heavens, a servant to carry in their wombs, a servant that he may be like the son of Maryam.

You never heard something like this? I don't know anything but these are inspirations. My Arabic is little..Astaghfirullah al aliyul Azim. Allah Allah, Allah Allah..This is an ocean, we may stop here, the time is late. Ya Rabbi, tawba ya Rabbi, tawba ya Rabbi.

"Wa rahbaniyatan abtda'uha ma katabnaha alayhim illa abtigha'a ridwani Allahi fama ra'awha haqqa ri'ayatiha" (57:27) Now it came the meaning of this expression. How come Allah mentioned this in the holy Quran if it has not benefit? Why is He (swt) filling up pages? For what this was mentioned? For what Allah mentioned this? For the Christians "Monasticism they started it for themselves", who did? People of the book! And specially the Christians.

"We did not prescribe it for them..."(57:27), "They started it themselves". "We did not prescribe it for them.."This means:We did not oblige monasticism on them, they have invented it for a target for both men and women, priest and nuns. What did they want? You can fill books from the secrets of the honourable verses.

Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar! Tawba ya Rabbi, tawba ya Rabbi, astaghfirullah! Fatiha.

(Moulana tells a sister to read and sister recites full verse 57:27 from the holy Quran.)

Moulana: They sought only to please Allah. This points to why they chose monasticism, for what? Seeking to reach to The Divine. O Muslims where are you, if you realised such meanings everyone of you would seek monasticism. Priest and nuns leave everything for the sake of having Divine acceptance.

Sister:"And those who believed we granted them their reward" (Hadith)

Moulana: It is not forbidden, and it was not prescribed for them. Tawba ya Rabbi, tawba ya Rabbi, Fatiha.

Who is authorised may speak to open the door InshaAllah.'

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