MORALS OF THE PIOUS

A translation of
AKHL
AKHLQ U
U-LI
LIN
by the great jurist, Shaykh Ab
Ab Ysuf Shar
Sharf Kotalw
Kotalw
Translated by Najibullah Qadiri

~ Chapter 1 ~
FOLLOWING THE QURN AND THE SUNNAH
It was the blessed habit of the Pious Predecessors (as-Salaf u-lin) that
they used to follow the Qurn and the Sunnah in every matter. They
considered its opposition as ild (disbelief) and zandaqah (heresy). Imam
Sharn mentions a statement of Sayyid u-ifah Junaid (Baghdd)
in his book Tanbh ul-Mughtarn:

!

Meaning, This book of ours, the Qurn, is the Master of all books and
contains everything that is in them. Our Sharah (Sacred Law) is the most
clear and precise of all laws. Our way, the way of the People of Taawwuf, is
made up of the Book and the Sunnah. The one who does not read the
Qurn and does not preserve the Sunnah, and does not understand their
meanings is not worthy of being followed. (Tanbh ul-Mughtarn, pg. 18)
He also used to say to his companions, If you see any person sitting in
the sky, do not follow him unless you have tested him in good and evil. If
you see him following the commandments of Allah with steadfastness,
follow him. If not, stay away from him. (Tanbh ul-Mughtarn, pg. 18)

Imam Sharn said, A person came to me along with a group of his

followers. He was ignorant. He had no interest in fan (annihilation) and
baq (permanency). He stayed with me for a few days. One day, I asked
him, What are the conditions of wu and alh? He replied, I have not
acquired knowledge. I said, It is compulsory to rectify ones external acts of
worship according to the Qurn and the Sunnah. A person who does not
know the difference between wjib (compulsory) and mustaabb
(preferred), all (permitted) and makrh (disliked), is an ignorant.
Following an ignorant is not correct in the outwardly as well as the
inwardly acts of worship. He did not say anything and went away. Allah
protected me from his evil. (Tanbh ul-Mughtarn, pg. 19)
Thus we see that people think that Taawwuf is against the Qurn and the
Sunnah. They are absolutely incorrect. In fact, following the Qurn and the
Sunnah is the most important thing in Taawwuf. Because in the scholarly
terminology, a f is a person who is an lim (Islamic scholar) and acts
upon his knowledge with sincerity. The Mashikh (spiritual guides) guide
their followers to perform rigorous worship which itself is following of the
Sharah. Among the predecessors, there were certain people who, when
did not find any proof (on a certain issue) in the books of Sharah, used to
turn their attention towards the Messenger of Allah  with their hearts,
reach the Lofty Court and pose the question in it. They would then follow
the Prophets  command. Imam Sharn states,

Meaning, Such things are exclusively for the men of high rank.
(Tanbh ul-Mughtarn, pg. 20)
Sayyidun Fuayl bin Iy said,

H IJ IK H
Meaning, Adopt the path of guidance; it is not dangerous even if its seekers
are few in number. Stay away from the paths of misguidance; it is not
beneficial even if its seekers are large in number. (Nuzhat un-Nirn of
Shaykh Taqi ud-Dn Abd ul-Malik, Kitb ul-mn, Bb ul-Itim bi l-Kitb
wa s-Sunnah, pg. 11)
Ab Yazd Bism states,

 W IK Z W a
. f
Translation: If you see a person who has been given miracles so much so
that he sits cross legged in the sky, then do not be pay heed to him, until
you see his conduct in enjoining the good, forbidding the evil and
safeguarding and acting upon the laws of the Sharah.
(Nuzhat un-Nirn of Shaykh Taqi ud-Dn Abd ul-Malik, Kitb ul-mn,
Bb ul-Itim bi l-Kitb wa s-Sunnah, pg. 11)
Sayyid u-ifah Junaid Baghdd states,

i
Z
Translation: All the paths are closed except upon the one who follows the
Messenger of Allah . Whoever does not memorise the Qurn and write
the adth, will not be followed because our knowledge is bound by the
Book and the Sunnah.
Ab Sad Kharrz states, The esoteric knowledge (bin) which
opposes the outward Sharah is false (bil).
(Nuzhat un-Nirn, Kitb ul-mn, Bb ul-Itim bi l-Kitb wa s-Sunnah,
pg. 11)
Sayyidun Sirr Saqa states,

Z ( Z)

a i
Translation: The f is one whose illumination of gnosis does not
diminish the illumination of his piety. He does not speak anything
concerning the esoteric sciences (bin) which nullifies the outward
(meaning) of the Book (the Qurn). He does not bear miracles which open
the door to that which Allah has forbidden.
(Wafyt ul-Ayn, vol. 2, pg. 299)
Thus, a f is one who truly and wholly abides by the Sharah.

There was a person who was often visited (on account of his sainthood)
and was renowned for his asceticism. Sayyidun Ab Yazd Bism said
to some of his followers, Lets go and see a man who is famous for his
sainthood. When they went to him, he left his house and entered the
masjid, and spat in the direction of the qiblah. On seeing this, Sayyidun
Ab Yazd turned and went away without even greeting the man. He
said, This man cannot be trusted even as far as (the observance of) the the
manners of the Messenger of Allah  are concerned! How can one trust
his other claims?
(ar-Rislat ul-Qushayriyyah, Chapter on the mention of the masters of this
path, Ab Yazd b. ayfr b. Is al-Bism, pg. 38)
Thus we come to know how obedient the Noble Shaykhs were to the
Sharah.
There is a narration in Mishkt Sharf which mentions an incident wherein
the Messenger of Allah  saw a person who spat in the direction of the
Qiblah. On seeing this, the Messenger of Allah  said, He shall not lead
you in alh. When he intended to lead the congregational prayer, the
people stopped him and informed him that the Messenger of Allah  has
dissuaded people from offering alh behind you. The person mentioned
this to the Messenger of Allah  who said to him, Yes. You did harm to
Allah and His Messenger (by spitting in the direction of the qiblah. (Ab
Dwd)
(Mishkt ul-Mab, Book of alh, Chapter on masjids and places of
offering alh, Chapter 3, adth 747)
Thus we come to know the importance of etiquette in the religion. The
Messenger of Allah  forbade a person to lead congregational prayers due
to his disrespect for the qiblah and said, He shall not lead you in alh.
Does a person, who insults of the Master of the Universe , disrespects
the Imams of the Dn and mocks at the Spiritual Guides, have the right to
become an Imam? Absolutely not!
Sayyidun Ab Sulaymn Drn said:

H t Z

Translation: Whenever a word of spiritual wisdom enters my heart, I

would not accept it unless it (is confirmed) by two just witnesses, the
(Holy) Book and (Prophetic) Sunnah.
(ar-Rislat ul-Qushayriyyah, Chapter on the mention of the masters of this
path, Ab Sulaymn Abd ur-Ramn b. Aiyyah ad-Drn, pg. 41)
Sayyidun Dhu n-Nn Mir said, One of the signs of the lover of Allah
is his following in the footsteps of Allahs beloved in his character traits, his
deeds, his precepts and his customs.
(ar-Rislat ul-Qushayriyyah, Chapter on the mention of the masters of this
path, Abu l-Fay Dhu n-Nn al-Mir, pg. 24)
Sayyidun Bishr Hf said, In a dream I saw the Prophet ! He asked
me, Bishr, do you know why Allah has raised you above your
contemporaries? I said, I do not, Messenger of Allah. He said, It is due to
your following of my Sunnah, your service to the righteous, your
admonition of your brothers (in faith) and your love of my Companions
and my family. This is what brought you to the station of the most pious
men!
(ar-Rislat ul-Qushayriyyah, Chapter on the mention of the masters of this
path, Ab Nar Bishr b. al-rith al-Hf, pg. 31)
Ponder! These people are the Scholars of the Path, Guides of the
Community, and Great (men) of the Reality. All of them venerate the
Sharah of Sayyidun Muammad  and deem it necessary to keep their
esoteric knowledge in accordance with the Pristine Community (Millat ulanafiyyah) and the Prophetic Conduct. The ignorant people in the society
who do not follow the Sharah at all, mock at alh and awm, shave their
beards, consume intoxicants day and night, and despite all this consider
themselves to be upon the truth and say, The dervishes have been
opposed to the Sharah since long and Proximity to Allah is attained by
leaving the exoteric knowledge, and bear many such evils, are absolutely
cannot attain the rank of sainthood. Staying away from such individuals is
necessary. Mawln Rm says about such individuals:

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We also came to know that the spiritual path according to the People of
Allah is the Sharah. Only those who completely abide by the Sharah are
the Friends of Allah and his accepted ones. The Sharah itself is the
arqah. But beware that the Friends of Allah and the Spiritual Guides

followed the Qurn and Sunnah through the medium of a Mujtahid (jurist
of high rank). None of them who were not mujtahids was a ghayr
muqallid (one who does not follow any school of jurisprudence). Thus, it is
mentioned in ad-Durr ul-Mukhtr, Sayyidun Ibrhm Adham, Sayyidun
Shaqq Balkh, Sayyidun Marf Karkh, Sayyidun Ab Yazd Bism,
Sayyidun Fuayl b. Iy, Sayyidun Dwd , Sayyidun Ab mid
Laff, Sayyidun Khalf b. Ayyub, Sayyidun Abdullh b. Mubrak,
Sayyidun Waq b. al-Jarr, Sayyidun Ab Bakr Warrq, etc., may Allah
be pleased with them, along with many other Friends of Allah, were the
followers of the School of Sayyidun Imam Ab anfah .

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