Application of the Beautiful, Comprehensive and Foundational

Application of the Beautiful, Comprehensive and Foundational Hadeeth to Acquire Good Character من حسن إسالم المرء تركه ما ال يعنيه (From the beauties of Islam within a person is the ability and strength to abandon and totally leave those matters that do not concern him/her)

“You are what you concern yourself with”

Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji Batley, England, UK

This piece discusses the beautiful rule mentioned in the comprehensive and foundational Hadeeth to acquire good character – above - from an application and practical point of view. The beautiful rule mentioned in this Hadeeth is without a doubt a transformer if the depths and comprehensiveness are fully grasped, digested and applied to one’s life. This piece tries to provide the depth and insights into this Hadeeth. The piece is a life changer and will transform your life many folds if the beautiful rule is applied sincerely, diligently, repeatedly and consistently with full focus and conviction as detailed in the piece.

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected]

Dedication

First and foremost I would like and be honoured to dedicate this book to my loving and supportive parents for providing me the Tarbiyah (training) and the Deeni environment (I pray for their good health and a long, prosperous and happy life). It is through this I was able to appreciate the beauty of Islam, to feel the immense love and respect they had for the Friends of Allah Ta’ala whether they were scholars or not scholars in the formal sense, providing access and opportunities to gain the company of numerous eminent scholars of the time in particular the scholar who I am most inspired by from who I have seen (my beloved and compassionate (Mushfique) mentor (Sheikh), guide (Murshid) and Murabby Hazrat Moulana Masihullah Khan Jalalabadi (Almighty shower His mercies on him) (d. 1992). As an extension of my parents I feel the need to include my respected and much loved Marhoom (late) elder brother Moulana Muhammad Imran Daji (Almighty shower His mercies on him) (d. 1999) who spent a beautiful life and had a beautiful death touching the hearts of many with his beautiful heart, soul and personality.

I would like and be honoured to dedicate this book to the great and unique reformer (Mujaddid) of this century Hakeem Ul Ummah Mujaddid Ul Millat Hazrat Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi (Almighty shower His mercies on him) (d. 1943 - 1362 A.H.). Without doubt he was the reformer (Mujaddid) in the important area of Islam on Character (Aklhaq) and Purification of the mind, heart and soul (Tazkiyah) – the essence (Ruh) of the Deen (faith) with countless insightful, full of wisdom and inspiration in those books on this subject. He is the primary source of our love, inspiration, insights and wisdom. I feel comfortable in saying he is one of the greatest scholars of this Ummah as a whole.

I would also like and be honoured to dedicate this book to my beloved and compassionate (Mushfique) mentor (Sheikh), guide (Murshid) and Murabby Hazrat Moulana Masihullah Khan Jalalabadi (Almighty shower His mercies on him) (d. 1992). One of the great disciples of Hakeem Ul Ummah Mujaddid Ul Millat Hazrat Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi (Almighty shower His mercies on him). My beloved guide and mentor was an authority and an expert in the field of Tazkiyah (spiritual transformation). He remains alive in my heart every single day and has endured in my life through his beautiful, magnanimous and powerful teachings and insights that changed, transformed and keeps transforming my life every single day. To whom I am forever indebted for teaching me the essential and foundational rules and principles of Tazkiyah and placing me on the true Path of Sulook and Tazkiyah.

I would like and be honoured to dedicate this book to my current beloved and compassionate (Mushfique) teacher (Ustaz), mentor (Sheikh), guide (Murshid) and Murabby Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani (Allah protect him and grant him long healthy life) (b. 1943). He is the respected son of Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Shafi Usmani (Almighty shower His mercies on him) (d. 1976) who was also one of the great disciples of Hakeem Ul Ummah Mujaddid Ul Millat Hazrat Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi (Almighty shower His mercies on him) and one of the distinguished and great disciples of my beloved mentor and guide Hazrat Moulana Masihullah Khan Jalalabadi (Almighty shower His mercies on him) and also the disciple of Hazrat Dr. Abdul Hayy Arifi (Almighty shower His mercies on him) (d. 1986) who was also a great disciple of Hakeem Ul Ummah Mujaddid Ul Millat Hazrat Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi (Almighty shower His mercies on him). My teacher and guide’s love radiates my heart, whose powerful and heart-felt teachings and insights constantly inspires and transforms my life and whose affection and concern towards me humbles me. 2

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected]

Contents Page

Author’s Note Introduction My Note for Non-Muslim Readers Introduction and Scope of the Analysis of the Hadeeth

Uniqueness of the Content of this Piece A Truly Transformer Hadeeth Example of the Effects of the Beautiful Rule as a Tree with Deep Roots Example of the Beautiful Rule Removing the Layers and Veils of Darkness Blocking the Divine Rays The Hadeeth is the Basis for the Chistiyah Silsilah Spiritual Remedy Method Concept & Principle of Ikhtiyary ( ) & Ghair Ikhtiyary ( ) Mastery in the Application of the Beautiful Rule’s Link with Frequent Inspirations & Wisdom Significance of this Hadeeth Great Benefits of the Application of the Beautiful Rule Classification of this Beautiful Hadeeth and its Relation to incere Well-Wishing An-Nus’h - ) Application of the Beautiful Rule Re-Programs your Sub-Conscious Mind Natural Human Reaction Real Empowerment through the Application of the Beautiful Rule

My Introduction to this Beautiful, Foundational and Comprehensive Hadeeth Brief Explanation of the Hadeeth Why, How and What Linking the Beautiful Rule to Purpose of Human Life in Islam - ‘Total ervitude to the Creator’ Abdiyyat) Reflection Pointer for Non-Muslims on Purpose of Life Linking Sunnah of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) to Purpose of Human Life in Islam Reflection Pointer for Non-Muslims on Prophet Muhammad (peace, salutations and blessings be upon him) Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) as the Greatest Wise Person (Al- Hakeem) Sadiqeen - True Friends of Allah Ta’ala

Remedy for Bad Characters, Social Ills and Weaknesses Garbage In, Garbage Out (GIGO)

Remedy for Bad Characters (11) (صرح Greed (بضغ Anger False Statements And Lying (Kizb) ي بة غ Backbite 3

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected]

(دسح Jealousy (ء ير Insincerity Vanity and Conceit (Ujb) ( ب ر Arrogance (ةنيك و دقح Malice / Hatred ( ب Love for Fame ( ب د ي Love of Worldly things

Remedy for Social Ills (6) ( ري ة / ر Mockery (زمل Defaming (زب نت Insulting through Nicknames ( ءة ن uspicion & re udices ( س - pying on others Ta assus (ةبيغ Backbite

Remedy for Other Weaknesses (32) و و ة - Satanic Whispers (Waswasah Judgements when Meeting Someone Judgements during Conversations Stereotyping Blaming Others/Everyone Else Complaining about Everything Living in the Past ( ر س Ishraf-e-Nafs ( ر وت / ر بد Lustful Glances Lustful Thoughts Gossip Competitiveness What Will People Say Expectations from Others Wastage of Money (Israf fil Maal - ) (تقو عييضت Wasting Time Regulates What you Watch on T.V. or Online Useless Talk Meaningless Political Discourse Excess Sleep Procrastination Laziness Compulsive Behaviour Observations when Walking and Driving Behaviour when Out Shopping Curiosity Fear Fear of Speaking the Truth 4

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected]

Worry and Anxiety Reminding (Tazkeer) and Preaching and Propagating Deen (Tableegh) Discussing and/or Complaining about Weather Detachment from Distractions

Caution for Sisters Taking Time Out

Additional Outcomes from the Practice on the Beautiful Rule Develops Nothingness, Clean Slate, Blank Canvas Internalises Good Characters (ميلس بلق and Qalb aleem (ميلس لقع Development of Aql aleem Develops Mental Maturity Moderates Two Key Human Internal Faculties Develops Assertiveness Empathy Develops resence and Consciousness of the Creator in All Acts Tauheed Fa’li - ) ( و ل - Sole Reliance and Trust on Allah Ta’ala Tawakkul Develops Sound Counselling and Consulting Skills Liberates and Gives Freedom Develops Contentment Develops Total Focus on a Task Enhances Performance in Studies, Work, Business & Health وع - Develops ‘ resence of the Heart’ Khusoo Develops Self-Expression Opening and Uncovering of the Heart (Kashf - Develops Agility of the Mind and Heart Develops Wisdom Lets You Live in the Moment Improved Physical and Mental Health Develops True Happiness and Bliss Creates Ability to Prioritise Creates Space for Inspiration Develops True Leadership Skills Creates Detachment Creates Healthy Marriages and Relationships Protects the Senses Protects the Heart Develops Respect for People (their time, privacy, etc) Develops Appreciation and Value for Time Improves Memory Recurring Reminder of Purpose of Life Perpetual State of Repentance (Taubah Nasooh) Develops Love for Solitude Creativity and Innovation Sky Rockets 5

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected]

Earning Potential and Avenues Increase Enhances Intimacy Creates Time for Things That Matter Creates Awareness and Mindfulness (Yaqzah) Observation of External Behaviour Awakens and Repeatedly Works the Prefrontal Cortex (PFC) and the Amygdala Develops Intense Focus on Who and What Matters Unleashes Your Human Potential

What is not in the Scope of the Hadeeth and the Beautiful Rule

A Range of Mental And Practical Exercises to Maximise the Application of the Beautiful Rule (and the Way Forward) ( ب دق - incere Quest Talab idq Mental and Practical Exercises Pre-Requisites and Building Blocks Firm and Sincere Intention and Conviction to Transform Intentions, Motivations and Goals Acquire Knowledge (Ilm) on the Beautiful Rule Practical Exercise to Observe Thoughts Practical Exercise to Observe Breathing Physical Exercise and Healthy Nutrition Know that You Have the In-Built Capacity to Apply the Beautiful Rule Knowledge-Action Gap is Exercising Will Power Change Your Mind-set to that of Strength, not Weakness Against Your "Enemies" Within Create a Sketch, a Plan and Timeline for Practicing the Beautiful Rule Time Management Reduce Your Social Interactions Reduce Your Talk Avoid Consuming Haram Food & Drink Sleeping Early Stay Connected with Like Minded People Actual Techniques and Practices Post Application Steps Nightly Accountability (Muhasabah) Practice Bountiful and Abundant Gratitude (Ash-Shukr Al-Jazeel) Persevere in the Application of this Beautiful Rule Lifelong Activity Power of Repetition

Additional Smart Ways to Apply the Beautiful Rule Physical Exercise Work and Commute Educational Setting Faith and Religious Practice 6

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected]

Interactions with the Spouse Interactions with Family and Relatives Behaviour towards Fellow Followers of your Guide and Mentor Behaviour When Propagating Islam

Systematic Training (Tarbiyah) of Your Children Using the Beautiful Rule Tarbiyah of the Beautiful Rule Applicable to All Guardians, Mentors, Guides Creating One Family from the World of Communities Personal Gratitude and Acknowledgement on the Piece Supplication

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected]

ب م ر ن ر يم

Author’s Note

د ر ب ين و ة و م ي د ر ين و م بيين ر ة ين ي د و بيب و ي د ب و و ب ين و . ب ين يوم دين

All praises are for Allah, the Sustainer of the universe. Peace, salutations and blessings be upon the leader of the Prophets, the seal of the Prophets, the mercy for mankind, our master, our beloved, our intercessor Muhammad, the unlettered Prophet. And peace, salutations and blessings be upon his family, all his companions and his followers till the Day of Judgement.

Introduction and Motivation for the Book I have mentioned in the introduction of this book that this is part of a series of pieces and articles I have been writing and sharing with family, friends, colleagues and a range of people from all walks of life and background over the past several months with the taufeeq (intervention) and mercy of my Merciful Creator, Allah Ta’ala. This piece too like the previous pieces and articles was intended to be a piece and article too (not too long), but due to the onslaught of inspirations and insights my hand never stopped writing and I continued and it transformed into this book. Alhamdulillah! (All praises are for Allah Ta’ala)

The strong urge and desire was instilled in my heart just before the holy month of Ramadhan of 1440 (2019) to write and share the foundational rules and principles (Kulliyaat and Usool) of the Path of Tazkiyah (Path of Purification of the Mind, Heart and Soul) I had learnt from my beloved and compassionate (Mushfique) mentor (Sheikh), guide (Murshid) and Murabby (Transformation Coach) Hazrat Moulana Masihullah Khan Jalalabadi (RA), which have been an integral part of my mind and heart and my daily practice.

However, the desire was to write these rules and principles in a language that everyone (scholars, professionals and laymen alike can understand and relate with) coupled uniquely from my perspective adding from my experience as to how I have been able to understand the rules, had digested them and employed them in my daily life. I have tried to bring my unique experiences that are created from the intersection of one’s education, experiences, professional background and personal relationships and various sources of inspirations into the writing of this book.

I have given all my intellectual, creative and emotional juices coupled with my heart and soul in the writing of this piece in the time and energy that was available and accessible to me at the time. I have left nothing out that I knew or experienced that was relevant. I have poured my heart out so the readers can benefit from everything I know and I could share here. Everything that could be of benefit to the readers and seekers has been shared and explained adequately. 8

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected]

Beautiful Rule

The rule and principle I have discussed in this book i have referred to it as the beautiful rule throughout the book. It truly is beautiful and transformational too. The beautiful rule is embedded in this beautiful Hadeeth (Prophetic saying).

من حسن إسالم المرء تركه ما ال يعنيه

From the beauties of Islam within a person is the ability and strength to abandon and totally leave those matters that do not concern him/her.

The actual beautiful rule is the part in the Hadeeth that is:

تركه ما ال يعنيه

The ability and strength to abandon and totally leave those matters that do not concern him/her.

Structure of the Book

I have kept the structure of the book logical and easy to follow. It starts off with the introduction covering how my motivation to write and share my experiences came about.

It then covers how this beautiful rule embedded in this Prophetic saying (Hadeeth) is transformational if it is applied consistently to your life as detailed in the book. I have covered this aspect under many different sections so the reader can truly grasp the incredible power of personal transformation that can occur through the repeated and consistent application of this beautiful rule.

Thereafter I have briefly explained the Prophetic saying and then mentioned the links it has with the higher purpose of every Muslim believer and the role of the Messenger of Allah Ta’ala, our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace, salutations and blessings be upon him) in this transformation process and then the role of his true successors i.e. the true friends of Allah Ta’ala.

The book then goes on to cover the bad characters, social ills and various other weaknesses the application of this beautiful rule can remedy. All these you can classify them as negative behaviours and we all human beings share regardless of their religious or any other backgrounds. They are or can be behaviours of any human being. They can exist in any human being regardless of faith, geography or time. They are timeless negative behaviours instilled in the human with the capacity to remedy them if they have been internalised.

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected]

It then mentions some amazing and incredible by-product positive behaviours the practitioner of the beautiful rule develops as gifts from the practice and loyalty to the beautiful rule.

It then naturally leads on to discussing the mental and practical methods that needs to be adhered to fully benefit and gain the maximum benefit in succeeding to apply and gaining the increase in the will power to continue applying the beautiful rule with consistency.

After that it covers a section for parents and guardians (including guides and mentors) as to how they can practically employ and inculcate the beautiful rule into their children or those in their pastoral care.

The book then ends with acknowledgement and my gratitude to the various people who have contributed to my development and who have inspired, moved and touch me throughout my life.

Beautiful Rule and Human Transformation The beautiful rule mentioned in this beautiful Hadeeth (Prophetic saying) is one of the fundamental and encompassing rules I had learnt from my beloved and Mushfique Sheikh, Murshid and Murabby (Spiritual Mentor & Guide) Hazrat Moulana Masihullah Khan Jalalabadi (RA) and totally transformed me and my outlook.

I have tried to articulate the incredible potential of transformation at a holistic and deep level the application of this beautiful rule can provide. It has the potential to create a clean canvas in every human being by remedying all the negative behaviours. Negative behaviours cover all the bad characters, social ills and various other weaknesses.

I suggest you read the piece a few times and you will see all the links are there. Also, all my assertions will become clear to you and everything will start to make sense and fall into place.

Life can change in a second (or a few mins) due to an encounter, an inspiration, an actionable insight from a book, etc but transformation takes time and effort. By change I mean the path is changed from the wrong path to your desired path. And by transformation I mean the total change that is deep rooted, at the sub-conscious and heart level and is permanent. The repeated and consistent application of this beautiful rule can transform the live of every human being. It will truly bring about a spiritual metamorphosis in you. Experience this re-birth in you.

The beautiful rule is a spiritual and a transformational cash cow. It keeps giving. There are numerous additional benefits besides it being a life changer and a life transformer, which are more than enough on its own too. The beautiful rule will turbo-charge and optimise your performance in all areas of your life - personal, professional, in education, in any skills you'd like to develop or enhance and will take them to a new level, a new height. When you optimise the start of a task through the application of

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected] this beautiful rule and sustain it through the task not only will get to the finish line as the outcomes are a given but will also excel in the task.

Uniqueness of the Contents of the Book

The manner in the way this Prophetic Hadeeth has been described is very fresh, new and modern in its language and tone.

I believe the contents and the way how the bad characters, social ills and various other weaknesses (that are discussed in the Science of Tazkiyah i.e. Purification of mind, heart and soul) have been embedded and weaved into this beautiful rule and also how it has weaved numerous nuggets of wisdom and insights that are scattered throughout the book (as you will realise and the reason for reading all of it) in a coherent and logical way.

The way this book and also my previous articles have been written is from experience. I have not sat down, read several books and then wrote what I understood. I am sharing from my experiences of applying the beautiful rule and the various ways and techniques I employed to succeed and maximise the benefits of the application of the beautiful rule.

I memorised the rule from my beloved mentor and guide many years ago (in my teens) and then I made it an integral part of my life by internalising it. I also, spent a considerable time in deep reflection of the application of this beautiful rule and trying to figure out how it fits into the broader and wider scheme of things in terms of this Path of Tazkiyah and its core components. I hope this deep reflection and understanding will shine through and also the outcomes of my reflections on how this beautiful rule fits into the bigger picture.

One of Two Halves

The above section nicely leads on to how this beautiful rule fits into the bigger picture in terms of the transformation required to fully practice the beautiful Deen (faith) of Islam and maximising your human potential.

As mentioned in detail in the book that the significance of this beautiful rule mentioned in this rophetic saying is it is the equivalent to the ‘Half of the Deen faith)’. Hence, it is one of two halves and this is the first half. The other beautiful rule i.e. “None of you can be a (true) believer unless you love for your brother that which you love for yourself” is the equivalent to the other half of Deen ي ن د م ي ب ي ي ب

La Yu’minu ahadukum hatta Yuhibu li’akheehi ma Yuhibbu li nafsihi –

This beautiful rule (discussed in this book) is the first half of the two beautiful rules that will complete the great transformation of a human being. This first part removes all the negative behaviour (all the bad characters, social ills and various other weaknesses) and creates the blank canvas and the strong foundation you need for the other half. Without

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected] acquiring this first half the other half will fall apart even before it starts. This first half will work and be the building block towards a complete and great transformation that will be so strong and powerful that no circumstances can uproot or demolish it. The beautiful rule creates a foundation so strong you can build anything on it that no emotional earthquake can shatter it. This first half completes the creation of the strong foundation the second beautiful rule requires and demands to build a big building on.

Therefore, I plan to share my experiences on the second half “None of you can be a believer unless you love for your brother that which you love for yourself”) at some point in the future Insha Allah (Allah Willing) to complete this process.

Intended Readers – Muslims and Non-Muslim, All Humanity

I believe and know the content of this book is beneficial for all human beings as the details of the beautiful rule (the theme of the book) is discussed from an application perspective and is something that is applicable to all human beings regardless of their religious background. Most of the content is applicable to both Muslims and non- Muslims. The few parts that might not be applicable to non-Muslims I have suggested reflection pointers for them so they can reflect, ponder, inquire and consider.

The main discussion in the book is on how the repeated and consistent application of the beautiful rule can remedy all the negative behaviours. Negative behaviours cover all the bad characters, social ills and various other weaknesses. These negative behaviours like greed, anger, lying, backbiting, jealousy, insincerity, vanity, malice and hatred, etc (I have discussed 48 in total) are not specific for any faith members. They are negative behaviours present in human being irrelevant of their faith or no faith. This is why I feel comfortable in sharing this book with people of any faith or no faith.

I have mentioned the incident in the book with the non-Muslim woman in the London Underground who had advised me to share myself. In hindsight that has inspired me to share this with the fellow non-Muslim human beings too.

Training for Parents and Children

This beautiful is also highly applicable for parents to employ and inculcate to their children. I have included a section for parents and guardians suggesting different ways they can train their children and acquaint them with the beautiful rule and help them inculcate it.

Prophetic Teachings Covers Everything

The teachings of Islam through the Prophet Muhammad (peace, salutations and blessings be upon him) covers guidance on all aspects of human life. It is complete and comprehensive. There is no area of human life it does not guide its followers. As some of you may know the Muslims have a rich history in the inventions and being pioneers of many fields of knowledge that without them there would be no computer revolution. Some of these are Algebra, Algorithms, Numeral Style, Medicine, Surgery, Hospital Systems, Optics, Astronomy, etc and even in the creation of big universities that taught a range of sciences.

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected]

In Islam there is no superficial partition between faith and the worldly aspects of life like marriage, business and commerce, scientific discoveries, etc.

The Depth, Comprehensiveness and the Application of the Beautiful Rule Increases the Love of Prophet Muhammad (peace, salutations and blessings be upon him)

This particular Prophetic saying and all the many others were uttered by the Prophet of Islam, the beloved of Allah Ta’ala, the best of all creation, the final Messenger of Allah Ta’ala and mercy for the entire universe until the Day of Judgement and my beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace, salutations and blessings be upon him) more than 1400 years ago. These teachings have been passed down via a chain of reliable and authentic and fully documented transmitters with full integrity. This system of transmission of the Prophetic teachings is a unique system like no other in the transmission of teachings of great people.

All the Prophetic teachings are full of meaning, insights, wisdom, inspiration and part of a beautiful structure. Some are more specific and in particular and are part of the details of the Prophetic sayings that are at the top of the pyramid like this beautiful Prophetic saying.

The teachings of this great man, greatest Prophet (peace, salutations and blessings be upon him) even after 1400 years are still fresh, relevant, resonate with the modern mind and are enduring.

This nature of the teachings keeps increasing the love of Prophet Muhammad (peace, salutations and blessings be upon him) on the one who studies his teachings objectively and sincerely and then applies them to their life. They totally bring about true, real and permanent transformation. The study of these Prophetic teachings reminds me of the beautiful poetry the famous Imam of Qira’at a discipline and study regarding the different ways to recite the Holy Quran) Imam Shatby (RA) said regarding the Holy Quran as the repeated recitation of Holy Quran brings its beauty to the forefront on the reciter and despite its repeated recitation every day over many years does not make the recitation stale or old instead it still brings out freshness and newness. This nature is also very true and applicable to the teachings of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace, salutations and blessings be upon him) too as it has very similar effect on its readers and practitioners.

و ير يس ي ل دي و رد د يزد د ي

Transliteration:

Wa khairu jaleesin la yumallu hadeethuhu

Wa tardadu yazdadu feehi tajammulan

Translation:

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected]

It is (the Prophetic sayings in this case) the best companion whose conversation does not tire you

Every time you converse with it the beauty in the conversation increases

Neuroscientists say that human beings have approximately 60,000 thoughts in a day. That is 2,500 per hour if we just simply divide it by 24 assuming the sleeping time is included as there is brain activity then too. However, if we exclude the sleeping time (for arguments sake 8 hours) and focus on the time we are awake then that equals to 3,750 thoughts an hour. That is the potential number of times you get to apply the beautiful rule. And this is the potential number of times to remember the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace, salutations and blessings be upon him) in the day just with the beautiful rule. How beautiful would that be?

Also, start with applying the beautiful rule 100 times a day and then increase. This is a new form of practice (mamool).

And this is just one beautiful way. And there are other ways and techniques you can add and combine onto the application of this beautiful rule to increase immensely and to great heights the love of the best of all creation, the leader and seal of all the prophets (peace, salutations and blessings be upon them all) the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace, salutations and blessings be upon him).

Completion on 12th Rabi-ul-Awwal

The writing of this piece had started on Friday 9th August 2019 - 8th Zul Hijjah 1440 H and it so happens has fortunately completed today on 12th Rabi-ul-Awwal 1441 H - Saturday 9th November 2019. It has taken approximately 3 months to complete the write up. However, to get the understanding, the comprehension and the insights into this beautiful rule has taken me some decades before i was in a position to write and share my experiences.

12th Rabi-ul-Awwal is the day the greatest human being to have lived on this planet, the rophet of Islam, the beloved of Allah Ta’ala, the best of all creation, the final Messenger of Allah Ta’ala and mercy for the entire universe until the Day of Judgement and my and your beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace, salutations and blessings be upon him) was born. This day naturally brings immense happiness and joy in the hearts of all the Muslims as it reminds them of his birth which was the start of his physical journey towards us.

With the completion of the write up of this book fortunately coinciding with the day of birth of my and your beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace, salutations and blessings be upon him) (which has enhanced my happiness further) I take it as a sign that this book written with the view to transform the lives of all human beings will be a birth of great transformations in the lives of the readers and practitioners of the beautiful rule all over the world. Be they Muslims or not.

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected]

I see this book as a great gift for humanity and a great opportunity for them to get a glimpse of just one of the incredible teachings of this great human being and a man of the Creator. I hope by reading this book all my readers both my Muslim and non-Muslim readers will be further inspired by the teachings of this greatest Messenger of Allah Ta’ala. This book in essence is shining a light on one aspect of the life of this greatest Prophet

Hafiz Shirazi (RA) has a beautiful quartet and very popular in praise of greatest Messenger of Allah Ta’ala - Prophet Muhammad (peace, salutations and blessings be upon him): ي ب ل و ي ي د ب ر

ن و ك ير د ور ر ن ي ن ء ب د ز د ب زرگ وئ ق ہ ر

Transliteration:

Ya Sahib Al-Jamal Wa Ya Sayyid al-Bashar

Min Wajhika Al-Muneeru Laqad Nuwwiral Qamaru

La Yumkinu Ath-Thana Kama Kana Haqquhu

Bad Az Khuda Buzurg Tu’ee Qissah Mukhtasar

Translation:

O Possessor of Beauty, O Leader of Mankind

Through your radiant face the moon has been enlightened

It is impossible to praise you as it is befitting to your high and lofty status

It is sufficient to say after the Creator only you hold the highest status

Feedback

I would appreciate feedback on this piece. By feedback I am not seeking praise. I am interested and curious to know how easy or hard you found to comprehend the content, how you are getting along in the application of the beautiful rule and the benefits you are seeing and the gradual transformation that is occurring in you, any obstacles you are finding difficult to overcome and any general feedback.

Also, if the scholars or anyone sees any errors or mistakes then please feel free to correct me.

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected]

Also, please get in touch with me via email if you seek any clarification on the content or require support and assistance in terms of coaching.

I would love to hear from the non-Muslim readers too.

Supplication

I believe this strong urge and desire to share is from the Divine, hence, there is assistance of Allah Ta’ala in the contents that are written and shared. Insha Allah Ta’ala! I pray to Allah Ta’ala that He makes this book beneficial to the readers and to all the humanity in helping them transform their lives, grants it acceptance in His Court and makes it a means of salvation for myself and my parents. Aameen!

ين ي ر ب ين ب ر ة ي د ر ين و م بيين ر ة ين ي بين و ت و ي و و ب ين و ن ب م ب ن يوم دين

Muhammad Noman Daji

Batley, England, UK

[email protected]

12th Rabi-ul-Awwal 1441 H - Saturday 9th November 2019

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected]

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

ب م ر ن ر يم

Application of the Beautiful, Comprehensive and Foundational Hadeeth to Acquire Good Character – من ح سن إ سالم ال مرء ت ركه ما ال ي ع ن يه (From the beauties of Islam within a person is the ability and strength to abandon and totally leave those matters that do not concern him/her)

“You are what you concern yourself with”

(By Muhammad Noman Daji - [email protected]) (Friday 9th August 2019 - 8th Zul Hijjah 1440 H)

Introduction This is part of a series of pieces and articles I have been writing and sharing over the past few months with the taufeeq and mercy of my Merciful Creator, Allah Ta’ala. The strong urge and desire was instilled in my heart just before the holy month of Ramadhan of 1440 (2019) to write and share the foundational rules and principles (Kulliyaat and Usool) of Tazkiyah I had learnt from my beloved and Mushfique Sheikh, Murshid and Murabby (Spiritual Mentor & Guide) Hazrat Moulana Masihullah Khan Jalalabadi (RA), which have been an integral part of my mind and heart and my daily practice. I actually felt an electrifying experience in my body in particular my arms and hand to start writing with the intent to share. However, I wanted to write these rules and principles in a language that everyone (scholars, professionals and laymen alike can understand and relate with) uniquely from my perspective adding from my experience as to how I have been able to understand the rules, digest them and employ them in my daily life. The contents in these pieces I believe have mostly been inspired. Alhamdulillah!

I believe these rules and principles should be part of the Deeni arsenal of every believer as the benefits not only encompass their Deen but the benefits also permeate and embed their Dunya (Worldly activities). However, these rules and principles should be an integral and core part of those treading this Path of Sulook & Tazkiyah (Salikeen/Salikaat). I believe this strong urge and desire is from the Divine, hence, there is assistance of Allah Ta’ala in the contents that are written and shared. Insha Allah Ta’ala! I pray to Allah Ta’ala that He makes these pieces beneficial to the readers, grants it acceptance in His Court and makes it a means of salvation for myself and my parents. Aameen!

I did not have in my mind that this piece would become this detailed. However, Allah Ta’ala kept putting content in my heart and I kept retaining them. He kept me busy writing and I kept writing. I am not a poet but the below couplets came to mind whilst writing this piece as they aptly describe my amazement at the detail and length of this piece.

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected]

When I am writing and sharing these pieces that contain these beautiful and far reaching rules and principles that are transformative I do not place any superficial page targets that it should be at least x number of pages or restrict myself that it should not be more than x number of pages. I keep writing till it is natural and it runs it course as I expressed in my couplets. For a writer this continuous stream of thoughts, inspirations and reflections are a great blessing and an invaluable source. Hence, I am extremely grateful to my Merciful and Loving Creator for dropping all these continuous inspiring and reflective stream of thoughts into my mind and heart. (All praise and glory be to Allah Ta'ala, the Sustainer of the Universe)! My focus and goal when I am writing is that it should cover all the required points without any unnecessary additions and extras that do not serve towards the goal of the piece. Also, I wanted to pour my mind and heart out and share everything that I know and hoped would be of help to the readers, to humanity without leaving anything out. Initially I had written all the pieces (I have shared a number of them until now e.g. on mental maturity, physical health, etc) on my smart phone and writing whenever I could as it was convenient as the phone is with me most of the time. The first 35 pages I wrote of this piece were also written on my phone on the note app too but then it was getting difficult to write and navigate so I transferred it to my laptop. It should be noted that the first 35 pages of the final and completed piece are not the first 35 pages I had written as it had the full structure and blue print of the piece which after that I have been busy added the meat to it based on the thoughts that were entering my mind. When I was writing this piece and without having books in front of me as most of it was from my experiences of the applications of this beautiful rule, deep reflections over a considerable time period on this beautiful rule, inspirations that came to me from various sources and all that was stored in my mind and heart or anything inspirational that dropped into my mind and heart during the write up process. The contents of this piece is a result of sincere quest, application of the beautiful rule and deep reflection as I had heard this beautiful rule from my mentor and guide a long time ago and I had made it my own as I knew the value of it in the transformation process as it was coming from someone in my view at the time the greatest spiritual mentor, guide and Sheikh of Tazkiyah (The Path of Purification & Transformation). I believed in its transformative power, nurtured it in my mind and heart and applied it and i saw the results all the time in all aspects of my life. Both these (i.e. sincere quest and sincere guidance from a master in this area of Tazkiyah) are an integral part of transformation. (All praise and glory be to Allah Ta'ala, the Sustainer of the Universe)!

My beloved Sheikh, guide and mentor used to have his public sitting and audience (Majlis Aam) in the morning where he would impart and share wisdom and insights for

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected] transformation that he had learnt from his great Sheikh, guide and mentor and then had made his own through practice and further reflection. These sittings and audience had no fixed end time and sometimes would go on for several hours depending on what thoughts of wisdom and insights were dropping on his enlightened heart at the time and the nature of the discourse. The point being made here is these things should not be constrained. It should let it flow. It should be left to run its course whether short or long. That is the best way. This is possible when the seekers (Talibeen/Talibaat) and those on this journey and Path of Purification (Salikeen/Salikaat) are sincere and hungry to achieve this and committed in terms of time and energy.

I would appreciate feedback on this piece. By feedback I am not asking for praise. I am asking to let me know what you liked in this piece in general; feedback on the style of writing or openness; how it helped in your understanding of this beautiful rule; how it is helping you transform your life; etc or what you did not like in general; what areas I should expand on or further develop; etc. I am a great believer in taking and giving feedback. Taking feedback has been an integral part of my life in any area of work i have done - teaching, educating, delivering seminars, professional life, etc. I also don't shy from giving feedback as I know it will help the person further develop or progress in their personal or professional life. I give feedback to people even strangers if it is appropriate or needed at the time. For example, if I see they have done an act that inspired me or was touching or moved me or if they required being told of a weakness that they seemed to be over looking and was impacting in the workability or execution of the situation we were in. This is my natural disposition. Everyone's disposition is different so I do not expect everyone to behave this way.

My Note for Non-Muslim Readers I had written this piece with the Muslim believers (Muslim/Muslimah) in mind in particular those who are on the spiritual journey (Path of Tazkiyah & Sulook) and quest for transformation (Salikeen/Salikaat, Talibeen/Talibaat) but the thought came and dropped into to mind and heart mid-way into the writing that this piece had content that is invaluable for all humans, the whole human family regardless of their belief or faith or inclinations as human beings we all share the challenges mentioned in this piece and the piece would help transform and improve the quality of life for all and create a world that is full of love, empathy and respect for all despite the differences. As a Muslim, a believer it is an integral part of my belief, my faith that I care and respect everyone and that includes the non-Muslim human beings, my neighbours without discriminating the religion they follow or don't follow, my fellow countrymen and women regardless of their religion, etc. I love for all of them without exception what I love for myself. For this reason, motivation and desire I am sharing with my non-Muslim friends, colleagues, neighbours and everyone else I can share with and asking and inviting my fellow Muslim brothers and sisters to also pass this on to their non-Muslim contacts.

I sincerely hope you will read the entire piece. I know it will be useful for your life. If anything in this piece resonates with you and will help your life then take it and spread it to others and consider looking at Islam to gain the maximum benefits or at least defend it when you hear people who have been mislead by others. This will help remove many phobias and discord based on various superficial factors.

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected]

It will I hope show what the Prophet of Islam - Prophet Muhammad (peace, salutations and blessings be upon him) is all about. It will show the care and love he had for humanity as a whole, every one of you. It was not restricted to Muslims or those who did acts of goodness. His care, love, compassion and mercy encompassed every human being e.g. non-Muslims, Christians, Jews, etc and even to those that were oppressive and who harboured hatred towards him and his family and followers. It even extended to his arch enemies who had tried to kill him on numerous occasions and had also placed a boycott for a number of years on him and his family members.

The Prophet of Islam - Prophet Muhammad (peace, salutations and blessings be upon him) was the greatest advocate and fighter for human rights; the greatest liberator and protector of women; the greatest influencer of human beings ever; the greatest being the world has seen and witnessed in any front and something that is also acknowledged by the great thinkers of the time like Michael Hart, George Bernard Shaw and many others.

The Prophet of Islam - Prophet Muhammad (peace, salutations and blessings be upon him) was a Mercy for the Universe (all humans, Jinn, all animals and living things, the entire universe) and this will remain till the Day of Judgement through his beautiful teachings and his sincere followers who will continue to share and enlighten the world with his message and through the practice on his beautiful teachings.

If Islam and the Prophet of Islam - Prophet Muhammad (peace, salutations and blessings be upon him) was portrayed accurately in the media and by politicians (who a good number of them like to whip up fear and hatred to divide and marginalise certain sections of the country to achieve their ends) then the world would know the true beauty of Islam as it’s full of love and care for all of humanity. The world would come to know the greatness of the Prophet of Islam - - Prophet Muhammad (peace, salutations and blessings be upon him). They would see a man who despite being persecuted, someone whose immediate family members were violently killed, someone who was boycotted for a numbers of years with his family members, who had to emigrate from his beloved home city - Makkah Mukarramah and make a new home in Madinah Munawwarah and much more sufferings encompassed a unique sense of love, care and mercy for entire humanity. The act of forgivingness for all his arch enemies at the time of his victorious return to his beloved home city of Makkah Mukarramah is unique (Conquest of Makkah). If he wanted he had the power and the army of loyal men who would execute any command of his and could have had all his enemies brutally tortured and killed mercilessly. But no the Prophet of Islam - Prophet Muhammad (peace, salutations and blessings be upon him) showed mercy to them, he forgave them all in one blink. The Prophet of Islam - Prophet Muhammad (peace, salutations and blessings be upon him) is the one who created the enlightened city of Madinah Munawwarah that was a beacon of hope, mercy, brotherhood, sisterhood and a society based on deep respect and love for each other where everyone was valued, respected and cared for. The life of the Prophet of Islam - Prophet Muhammad (peace, salutations and blessings be upon him) is probably the most well documented life of any great person ever lived this earth. People from all walks of life since centuries have been writing about him and that is true for both Muslim and non- Muslim writers, thinkers and historians. His life is probably the most written about too. His life had been preserved in his lifetime and passed down with authenticity and great accuracy over the centuries.

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected]

If anyone ob ectively studied Islam, it’s teachings and studies the life of rophet Muhammad (peace, salutations and blessings be upon him) they will conclude and affirm its beauty and that it only has beauty, care and love for all human beings. Every aspect of the life of this great man is meticulously documented. How he eat, slept, how he discharged his human needs like going to relieve himself, how he interacted with his wives, his interactions with his followers and his countrymen and women, his behaviour towards his enemies and foes, his days and nights, his every stage of his like from childhood to youth to adulthood to his final days and final moments, etc.

When the mosques in the UK or elsewhere in the world keep ‘Mosque Open Days’ where they open their doors and invite the local non-Muslim community to visit and get a flavour of the insides of a mosque there should also be a brief talk or discussion on the life (Seerat) of Prophet Muhammad (peace, salutations and blessings be upon him) as that is an integral message to give.

When I see any beauty in any teachings besides Islam (and I do see that and acknowledge it) I always see that beauty in my faith too but to be honest I see much more beauty and in all areas which I have not seen in anything else. If there is anything more beautiful, complete, holistic, comprehensive, practical, covers all aspects of human life that is in the teachings of Islam brought to us by the greatest man in my view and belief Prophet Muhammad (peace, salutations and blessings be upon him) then I would have accepted that faith or way of life but I have not seen it. Islam is a complete and holistic faith and way of life. There is beautiful guidance for every aspect of human life.

In Islam the message is of hope and positivity unlike the message of despair and negativity the media and certain politicians spread and spearhead. It should be obvious on any rational and fair human being that anyone who is spreading a message of fear, hatred and marginalisation cannot be trusted or should be voted in for government. What would these people know who have never experienced love or have any love in their hearts. Their hearts are only full of hatred and negativity and that is the only prism they see through and that is all they have to offer to the world (they can change that if they want to though). They can’t fathom or have the space in their mind and hearts about this beautiful faith of Islam or a great man of love, mercy and compassion like the Messenger of Allah Ta’ala rophet Muhammad (peace, salutations and blessings be upon him).

I always had this thought at the back of my mind as to how I can share and benefit the non-Muslim and the human family in general with what I feel passionate about and love immensely. That is the beautiful teachings of Islam that came to us through the Final Messenger of Allah Ta’ala rophet Muhammad (peace, salutations and blessings be upon him). However, I am in hind-sight taking my recent incident in the London Underground tube with a non-Muslim woman a sign that it was from Allah Ta'ala that I should share the message with non-Muslims too as the advice from her was to share. I am sharing the incident here too that I had previously only shared with my family members and close friends at the time to put things in perspective so it is apparent on you where I am coming from. My exact message:

"I've just had an interesting experience which I thank the Almighty and I would like to share.

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected]

I just got off the tube (in Central London) and a young woman (who was in the same carriage) gets off behind me and comes up to me on the platform (she was probably in her early 20s and seemed from one of the Mediterranean countries and from the appearance looked non-Muslim) and says she’d like to talk to me. I said sure. he then says "Your heart is radiating." I asked how she knows that (as she mentioned my spiritual heart which is not visible and I was also taken aback by that statement). She says "I feel it" and then advised and counselled me "that I should be with the people." i.e. sharing whatever spiritual knowledge and experiences I have to help them. I thanked her then I went my way and as she had got off to talk to me she waited for د و و ر .the ne t tube to continue her ourney

The lesson I/we need to take is that whatever energy is in our spiritual heart disseminates and others can feel and be effected by that whether they are Muslim or م لل .non-Muslim. Hence, we need to work on purifying and enlightening the heart و at 13 July 2019 / 10 Zul Qa’dah 1440)"

This incident was totally unexpected. I did not know at the time what to make it of it besides sharing it with my immediate, extended family members and close friends. I take from it now as I am sharing this transformational piece with non-Muslims that it was a sign from the Creator through her to share the message with non-Muslims as she was also a non-Muslim woman. I do naturally make the effort to be aware and scan my surroundings when I am travelling for safety reasons and equally to make sure of the safety of others and with the intent that i do not consciously inconvenience others due to my presence. However, once I am aware, safe and not inconveniencing anyone I engage in whatever I need to be doing at that particular time. On this occasion I was busy and focused with the recitation (quietly) of the Holy Quraan on the tube.

Introduction and Scope of the Analysis of the Hadeeth The intent here is not to discuss this Hadeeth from an academic and theoretical sense or the text of the ( د دي i.e. from the perspectives of both the chain of narrators instead the aim is to discuss the Hadeeth from a transformational ( ن دي Hadeeth angle i.e. how the Hadeeth can be a means of great transformation to your religious life, your outlook on life, your dealings with people and your daily encounters in general and as a result of the practice and transformation the happiness, quality of life and the enhanced well being it will provide to you and by extension your loved ones and the wider community through the mercy of Allah Ta’ala.

This piece provides the method of application of the Hadeeth to one’s daily life and how to make this Hadeeth an integral and key Hadeeth to practice as the aim of these pieces which I have been recently writing and sharing and the passion I am writing and sharing with is that they transform the mind, heart, soul and life of the readers. And I believe it will transform the reader if the will, intent and courage is there of the readers to digest the content and then apply the methods presented.

Uniqueness of the Content of this Piece With the grace of Allah Ta’ala In this piece I am sharing the understanding I have acquired and the experience of the depth and vastness in the Hadeeth I have realised through the mercy of Allah Ta’ala ust within this one short and concise Hadeeth

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected] which fascinates and amazes me as it’s truly incredible and a game changer for the ! ب ن .believer in particular the Salik/Salikah

The content discussed in this piece in regards to the application and the realisation of the depths and vastness of the Hadeeth is the result and culmination I believe of five key factors underpinned with the mercy and taufeeq of Allah Ta’ala.

and only being a Seeker of ( ب دق) Embedding Sincere Quest and thirst .1 .و ر د دوصقم و بول م Allah Ta’ala from an experienced Sheikh, Murshid and (ةحيصن Sincere Guidance .2 Muhaqqiq. 3. Knowledge of this beautiful Hadeeth. 4. Knowledge of the Characters of the spiritual Heart and Nafs (spiritual organ that embeds the seeds of desire and emotions). 5. Awareness and observation of the thoughts that entered my mind and the manipulation of the thoughts and then getting to the root causes of the voluntary but unwanted thoughts and acts stemming from them and then the cycle of continuous learning and rectifying of the responses.

It was during the ‘Awareness and Observation of the Thoughts’ part which was done with the sound knowledge of the good and bad characters that it dawned on me the gravity and enormity of the role the practice on this beautiful rule in this beautiful Hadeeth was playing or could play in remedying numerous bad characters of the Nafs, various social ills and bad behaviours when applied sincerely with focus and intent to everyday real life situations and encounters.

The content discussed in this piece in regards to the application and the realisation of the depths and vastness of the Hadeeth is not taken from any book that has the commentary of this Hadeeth but the content is totally the result and derivation of the practice and continuous repetitions and application of the rule, deep reflections and the insights Allah Ta’ala grants to anyone who sincerely seeks, strives and endures in His Path to get rid of the bad characters, social ills and bad behaviours, to gain His د و و ر .closeness, friendship and love

The reason I am emphasising this point is these practical realisations that are are invaluable compared to reading something in a book (بو وم bestowed upon you and sharing that. These practical realisations and insights gained are the equivalent of the ‘word of mouth’ phenomenon from the marketing perspective, which is regarded as the most effective, most powerful and most valuable source of marketing and promotion. People trust other people and the first hand experiences they report and share. This power of influence from other human beings is one of the underlying reasons to send Messengers of Allah Ta’ala from within their own community who would live and reside within them and speak the same language yet are attached and connected to Allah Ta’ala, live a life full of meaning and avoid all the usual human pitfalls related to desire and emotions.

A Truly Transformer Hadeeth The aim is to discuss the Hadeeth in a way that you can also apply and transform your life. Yes, this Hadeeth is a brilliant and effective transformer in the best and easiest way possible. This beautiful Hadeeth is truly transformational. Immerse

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected] yourself in the practice of this Hadeeth and realise the truly amazing and life changing experience. See for yourself!

The benefits of applying and practicing this Hadeeth are far and wide reaching as they but also their wider (ةلم ع / لم ع not only benefit the observer and the practitioner communities in removing and eliminating many of the social ills present in the society. Also, it is difficult to put a number on the benefits encompassed in the application of this far reaching rule as you can see from the remedies and cures it has for the numerous ills of the Nafs and the heart and mind and in removing the many social ills. The benefits are too many and far reaching. And after the practice of the beautiful rule when you start to realise the benefits you will agree and acknowledge my assertion. The personal peace of mind and happiness in the heart you will enjoy and the sincere and well intentioned outlook you will have towards people that they will benefit too. The benefits gained from the practice of the beautiful rule permeate the entire community and can transform the entire society and the nation if it is practiced by On the .(نورقل ريخ everyone like the e ample we see during the blessed eras contrary, the non observance of the rule mentioned in the Hadeeth will have adverse effects on the community and the ill effects will permeate the entire community too.

It is evident that the beautiful rule is to be practiced individually but the good and far reaching effects not only benefit him/her but also help in eliminating many social ills and building a healthy and harmonious society and community. The change will need to start from you first and thereafter you can worry about others observing the beautiful rule.

What the application of this beautiful rule from this beautiful and transformer Hadeeth is doing is emptying out the spiritual garbage in our hearts. The spiritual garbage that is in the form of bad and evil thoughts, vanity, pride, arrogance, jealousy, malice, hatred, backbiting, etc will be removed and vacated. This spiritual garbage has become the occupants and tenants of our hearts. They are not willing to let anyone else in. There is no space for good and enlightening thoughts to enter our mind and hearts, humility, love for yourself and others, etc. The application of this beautiful rule from this beautiful and transformer Hadeeth is your tool to remove all the spiritual garbage, cleanse your mind and heart and then create space in your mind and your heart. This beautiful rule literally creates spiritual space in your mind and your heart. It creates the nothingness. It creates an empty and blank canvas. It provides you the mechanism to transform, build and turn your life around. It can give you a total spiritual make-over. It will create a life you will love and cherish, every moment of it. It will create a life that will give you the strength to weather all storms and face all calamities with a smile and unwavering power and firmness. It will create a life that is fully and permanently connected to your Creator Allah Ta'ala, His greatest Messenger Prophet Muhammad (peace, salutations and blessings be upon him), and the beautiful Deen (religion) of Islam. These are the primary sources of this total spiritual and inner transformation.

The application of this beautiful rule from this beautiful and transformer Hadeeth creates a paradigm-shift in the life of the practitioner. It creates a paradigm-shift in their thoughts, their words, their actions, their mind, their heart, their entire life. Life will never be the same again. If you don’t believe me then practice the beautiful rule to experience and live this.

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected]

The application of this beautiful rule will empower you to reign in your thoughts as thoughts can race and conjure up a world of imagination. Thoughts are like wild horses. They need to be tamed and reigned in and kept under control before they race ahead of reality and you fall flat on your head.

Also, imagine how much extra time and energy you will have saved to spend on the things you love and that matter to you. The time and energy you will have saved from not wasting time and energy in pointless activities. Imagine how much lighter you will feel when you are not being weighed down with the emotional baggage. Imagine how meaningful your life will be when your concern is only on things that matter and worthy of your concern. Imagine how much happier you will be as you will be engaged and consumed by positivity. There will be no time and energy expended on negativity. Imagine how turbo-charged your life will be. You will be unstoppable in things you want to do – in your personal life, relationships, professional life, etc.

Example of the Effects of the Beautiful Rule as a Tree with Deep Roots A befitting example that perfectly paints the picture of how this beautiful rule is at work and operating and explains the effects and fruits of the practice and application of this beautiful rule is that of a strong tree that has deep roots; a tree that cannot be easily uprooted; a tree that has a strong foundation whose roots have branched out underneath and interlocked with each other to secure a solid grounding. The deep roots are the manifestations of the deep and solid ‘removal and cleansing’ of the bad characters, social ills and bad behaviours as this creates a solid foundation for the fruits of this tall and strong tree that keeps giving fruits. The sweet fruits are the good characters hanging on the strong branches. The example makes it vividly clear the importance of moderating and cleansing these bad characters, social and bad behaviours before any good characters can develop.

Another sub-example related to this that came to mind was that when true faith (Iman) in the beautiful religion of Islam is deep-rooted in the heart then no power can uproot this firm faith. They can uproot and demolish the visible and physical structures of the faith like the Masjid (Mosque), destroy or burn the Holy Quran, they can kill and maim the believers, etc but they cannot destroy the deep-rooted faith within the believers of Islam. The communists in Russia tried to ban Islam and every visible act of Islam but failed miserably. Islam and Islamic practices only went underground and resurrected after the fall of communism as the faith was secure in the hearts of the true believers and the faithful.

In the Holy Quran Allah Ta’ala describes the practice of Islam as a ourney on the Straight Path (As-Sirat Al-Mustaqeem). The example indicates that we the travellers need to keep our focus on the road ahead and not get distracted with the distractions from other travellers or from the side of the road or get into any unnecessary diversions as then we will be losing our focus and not heading towards our destination. Also, the use of this description signals we need to get rid of the excess emotional baggage we have as that will weigh and slow us down as during a journey it is better to travel light so you can travel with ease and faster. These are some similarities drawn from the usage of As-Sirat Al-Mustaqeem that relates to the beautiful rule where it emphasises the need to apply one’s full focus on the correct matter and not get bogged down with pointless.

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected]

Example of the Beautiful Rule Removing the Layers and Veils of Darkness Blocking the Divine Rays When this beautiful rule is applied then the clouds in the heart start to disperse and the Divine Rays that were hidden due to the clouds of sin, bad characters and emotional baggage starts to disperse. The heart and mind starts to radiate and attract the invites and calls of goodness that is waiting to be fed to the mind and heart which was being blocked due to the thick layer of darkness we have/had created. This thick layer of darkness and veil on the heart is blocking, being an obstacle and obstructing the Divine Rays. Hence, until now only the invites and calls towards bad and evil was being heard and as a result the heart and mind had been corrupted, tainted and clouded. With the practice of this beautiful rule this thick layer and veil of darkness is removed and this state of evil withers away. When the thick layer and veil of darkness is on the heart then Divine light cannot shine on the heart as the Divine is not in need of you if you are actively trying to stop the Divine Rays through your actions. If you are not interested in the Divine and want this layer and veil of darkness to remain then know that He (Allah Ta'ala) is As-Samad (One who is not in need of anyone or anything but everyone and everything is in need of Him) and He is also Al-Ghani (One who is self-sufficient, free from dependence, free from any wants but upon whose wealth and riches all others depends). There is no reason why Divine Rays should be forced on you. This is the normal state. However, there are always exceptions to all rules.

The Hadeeth is the Basis for the Chistiyah Silsilah Spiritual Remedy Method I believe this beautiful Hadeeth is one of the basis and proofs on the method employed by the Mashaikh of the Chistiyah Silsilah. The method I am referring to is called “Takhliyah Qabl Ta liyah” ( ) i.e. the need to empty, remove and purify the bad characters before enlightening the heart with the good characters and other things. In the Chistiyah Silsilah there is a lot of emphasis in moderating these bad characters first before engaging in enlightening the heart with good characters as opposed to trying to enlightening the heart by continually flushing out the bad with good deeds. An approach I believe used by the Naqshbandiyah Silsilah. The Chistiyah Silsilah approach is one logical approach and one I personally can relate to. The other approach is equally valid too.

Zikr Nafy wa Ithbat (La Ilaha Il’lal lah) which the Mashaikh advise and recommend their followers (Mureedeen) to do too also serves as a spiritual supporting tool and mechanism and an aid to creating this Takhliyah i.e. nothingness and clearance of all the corruption and evil from the heart and Nafs and then to fill the heart with the light (Noor) of Allah Ta'ala. Zikr Nafy wa Ithbat consists of the first part of the Kalimah Tauheed i.e. La Ilaha Il’lal lah. The initial part i.e. La Ilaha is the Zikr of Nafy and the latter part i.e. Il’lal lah is the Zikr of Ithbat.

Zikr Nafy wa Ithbat is done in a certain way where the words La Ilaha (i.e. all forms that we might be worshiping in the form of deities and idols besides Allah Ta'ala whether they are man-made idols and statues or idols in the form of wealth, fame, status, illicit attachments and desires, etc or emotional baggage like anger, hatred, jealousy, etc) are said when turning the head towards the right shoulder as though you are throwing away these false gods and all these negativity which you are carrying around and you are clearing your heart from everything and then when you say Il’lal lahu ( ) whilst bringing your head back from your right shoulder and with a slight thump nodding and facing the head towards the heart as though you are also

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected] non-verbally expressing that my heart is only reserved for Allah Ta'ala, my Merciful and Loving Creator and that my heart is a dwelling and a home only for my Merciful and Loving Creator, my eternal love (this also includes anything that He has ordered me to love and respect i.e. the Master of all the Messengers of Allah Ta’ala – Prophet Muhammad (peace, salutations and blessings be upon him) or love, mercy and sincere well-wishing in general for all fellow human beings). This second part is Tajliyah i.e. enlightening the heart with the light (Noor) of Allah Ta'ala Who illuminates the entire universe.

Concept & Principle of Ikhtiyary ( ) & Ghair Ikhtiyary ( ) I believe this key and great principle of Ikhtiyary ( ) and Ghair Ikhtiyary ( ) can be derived from this beautiful Hadeeth and this beautiful rule or at least connected to it. It can be derived in the sense that matters of Ikhtiyar are those that you should be concerned with and matters of Ghair Ikhtiyar are those that you should be concerned with. This great principle is also derived and connected to the concept of Takleef ( ) i.e. responsibility given to us from the Shariah.

Understanding this key concept and principle and then keeping it at the forefront of your mind and employing it to all matters and areas of your life (religious or worldly) can greatly improve the quality of your religious and worldly life.

Ikhtiyary means to exercise responsibility on matters that are within your power and control. This can be given the name ‘Sphere of Total Power & Control’. Ghair Ikhtiyary is where you cannot exercise responsibility as the matter is beyond your power and control. This can be given the name ‘Sphere of Diminished Power & Control’.

I will dedicate a piece to this key concept and principle and write about it in details at some point with the taufeeq and blessings of Allah Ta’ala.

Mastery in the Application of the Beautiful Rule’s Link with Frequent Inspirations & Wisdom I believe that the onslaught of Waridaat happens to the Believer, the Salik, the Salikah when this state is reached i.e. when the heart and mind are clear of spiritual garbage. Waridaat is the plural of Warid. Warid literally means something that just comes, appears or drops by. Technically, Warid is the thought or thoughts that are dropped onto the mind and hearts of the Believer, the Salik, and the Salikah from Allah Ta'ala. The Warid could materialise and realise in many forms. For example, the Warid could be a motivating thought towards a good deed; it could be a reminder of any nature e.g. to perform Salah, to use a certain spiritual tool to protect yourself, etc; it could be in the form of reflective thoughts and inspirations, etc. At this stage the frequency of these Waridaat could become very high and constant if the Creator, Al-Wahhab (the Bestower, One who Grants) wishes. They can become a permanent thing. And the next step and level after that is to create a strong connection with the attribute of Al- Hakeem (All-Wise) of Allah Ta'ala through gratitude and a host of other great characters.

I believe that the books written by Hakeem Ul Ummah Mujaddid Ul Ummah Hazrat Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi (RA) are of this calibre. He was without doubt a Mulham ( ) of a high order. All his books are full of rationale, wisdom, great insights, immense inspiration, reflection, depth, balance, comprehensiveness and many more

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected] things. Anyone reading his books and work (Malfoozaat, Mawa'iz, Tafseer, commentary on Hadeeth, etc) will testify this and also their hearts and minds will want to shout out this feeling and will be left with no choice but to love and admire him and make him your inspiration and source of light. It seems Hakeem Ul Ummah Mujaddid Ul Millat Hazrat Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi (RA) had tapped and access to the beautiful attribute Al-Hakeem (All-Wise) of Allah Ta'ala. He was being showered constantly with wisdom and enlightened thoughts and reflections. The saint and friend of Allah Ta'ala that bestowed him with the title of Hakeem Ul Ummah (The Wise of the Ummah) was spot on as his entire life and all his books and works (over a thousand) are full of countless gems and pearls of wisdom, deep insights into realities, care for all the believers - male or female and a life full of upliftment for all humanity. Hakeem Ul Ummah was also the perfect title as Hazrat Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi (RA) was granted Hikmah i.e. in-depth knowledge and understanding of the Holy Quran, the Sunnah and the ability to speak and act in the correct and right way. This meaning of Hikmah is what is meant in Verse 269 of Al-Baqarah. Hazrat Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi (RA)’s other title ‘Mujaddid Ul Millat’ i.e. the reformer of his century is beyond the scope of this piece to discuss. Also, the saint and friend of Allah Ta'ala that gave Hazrat Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi (RA)’s personal name was spot on. He was truly Ashraf (the most honourable and noble) and Ali (the elevated).

I really admire, look up to and love Hakeem Ul Ummah Mujaddid Ul Millat Hazrat Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi (RA) since I first got introduced to his personality and works as a child and in the early teens. I have derived immense benefit from his works that I cannot quantify. I have been heavily influenced by the writings of Hakeem Ul Ummah Mujaddid Ul Ummah Hazrat Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi (RA) and his great disciples (Khulafah) and Silsilah (Chain of Tazkiyah) in particular my Beloved and Mushfique Sheikh, Murshid and Murabby Hazrat Moulana Masihullah Khan Jalalabadi (RA) who was one of his senior disciples. I am indebted to Hakeem Ul Ummah Mujaddid Ul Millat Hazrat Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi (RA) for the pure, complete, balanced and unadulterated Islam he propagated and the works he left behind and the eminent and great disciples he left behind for the world to benefit. My Mashaikh (mentors) are all directly or indirectly linked to him and his Silsilah.

Significance of this Hadeeth This Hadeeth is from those select group of Ahadeeth (plural of Hadeeth) that are i.e. those Ahadeeth that are (ملكل عم وج classed and regarded as Jawami-il-Kalim concise in words but consisting of great depth of meaning and this Hadeeth is also i.e. the Centre and (ق لخ ل و بد ل عم جم regarded as Majami-ul-Adab Wal-Akhlaq Source of Etiquette (and courtesy) and Character as it truly helps in remedying many ills of the Nafs and helping to free up vital space for the good characters. Without the application of this beautiful rule acquiring good characters are a distant dream.

Imam Abu Dawood Sulaiman Ibn Al-Ash’ath Al-Azdi As-Sijistani (RA) (202 - 275 A.H - He .( د A.D) is a great scholar and expert in the discipline of Hadeeth 889 - 817 ~ is one of the authors and compilers of one of the six most authentic books of Imam Abu Dawood (RA) had a ن ب د ود. - Ahadeeth – i.e. Sunan Abi Dawood collection of about 500,000 Hadeeth. From this collection the Imam (RA) chose to include 4,800 in his compilation of Sunan Abi Dawood. You can understand the value and weight of this Hadeeth that is being discussed here from the statement of this great Imam of Hadeeth. Imam Abu Dawood (RA) states: "From this book of mine four Ahadeeth are sufficient for an intelligent and insightful person. The four Ahadeeth are:

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected]

1. Deeds are to be judged only by intentions. 2. Part of a man's good observance of Islam is that he leaves alone that which does not concern him. 3. None of you can be a (true) believer unless you love for your brother that which you ( ي ن د م ي ب ي ي ب ) .love for yourself 4. The permitted (halal) is clear, and the forbidden (haram) is clear, between these two are doubtful matters. Whosoever abstains from these doubtful matters has saved his religion."

One of these four Ahadeeth is the one being discussed here. How powerful and weight this Hadeeth is.

The significance of this Hadeeth is also evident from this saying of Imam Al- Qayrawani (RA) who was the big Imam of the Malikis (followers of Imam Malik (RA) in his time. Imam Abu Amr As-Salah related from Imam Abu Muhammad Ibn Abi Zayd Al-Qayrawani (RA), that which gathers together ALL good courtesies and binds and makes them fast, branches out from four Hadeeth: The saying of the Prophet “whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day let him speak well or be silent ….” And his saying “a part of the e cellence of a man’s Islam is his leaving alone that which does not concern him” and his saying to someone who asked him to give him brief and concise advice “do not become angry” and his saying “the believer loves for his brother what he loves for himself”.

Amir Ibn Qais Al-Mulai said: “a man passed by Hazrat Luqman (Hakeem) (peace e upon him) when there were people with him and said to him, ‘are you not the slave of Bani so-and-so?’ he said ‘yes’ he said, ‘the one who used to pasture the sheep and goats on such and such mountain? He said yes. He said what made you attain that which I see you have attained?’ he said: ‘speaking truthfully and lengthy silence about what does not concern me.’”

Imam Yahya bin Sharafuddeen An-Nawawi Ash- hafi’ee R.A) d. 676 A.H - 1278 A.D) generally known as Imam An-Nawawi (R.A) - a towering personality of the 7th Century Hijri - in his unique compilation of 40 Ahadeeth titled "Al-Arba’oon An’Nawawiyyah fil-Ahadeeth An-Nabawiyyah" has also included this beautiful Hadeeth. This shows the weight and importance of the content of the Hadeeth as the Imam (R.A) had intended to compile only those Ahadeeth that great Ulama (scholars) have referred to as the ‘pivot of Islam’ or ‘half of Islam’ or ‘the third of Islam’ or had given it some significance. The Imam (R.A) himself states in the introduction that whoever desires to attain salvation in the Hereafter should know these Ahadeeth because of the important matters they contain and the attention they draw to all acts of obedience to Allah, the Almighty. That is apparent to anyone who reflects on these Ahadeeth.

Hafiz Ibn Rajab Hanbali (R.A) – one of the famous commentators of the 40 Ahadeeth (titled 'Jami-ul-Uloom Wal-Hikam fi Sharhi Khamseen Hadeethan Min Jawami-il- Kalim') sheds more light on the selection of the forty Ahadeeth by saying that Hafiz Abu Amr Ibn As-Salah (R.A) - a great Muhaddith - had dictated 26 Ahadeeth in a Majlis (sitting) which he had named as ‘Al-Ahadeeth Al-Kulliyyah’. These were the comprehensive Ahadeeth (Al-Ahadeeth Al-Jawami - i.e. words with vast meaning and depth) that were referred to by scholars as the ‘ ivot of Islam’. Imam An-Nawawi

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected]

(R.A) chose these 26 Ahadeeth and added a further 16 to make the total number of Ahadeeth to 42.

ل i.e. the root (Asl - dna (لوص ل لص This Hadeeth is without doubt Asl-ul-Usool ول . foundation of numerous rules and principles (Usool - eht morf tnedive si sihT remedies of numerous bad characters and social ills it embeds which are discussed further down.

I (author) believes this Hadeeth in discussion is equal to ‘half of Islam’. The reason and thinking behind this is that Islam has two parts. One part is called Mamooraat ( ) i.e. those acts that have been ordained. This includes from the highest level i.e. obligations Fara’iz) to the preferred Mustahab and Mandoob) and the other part is called Manhiyyaat ( ) i.e. those acts that have been prohibited. Some of these as evident from the ( ر ت - acts might fall within the prohibited acts Muharramat acts that are remedied, some might be classed as doubtful acts (Mushtabihaat - - ب ت luzuF) stca yrassecennu tub elbissimrep era taht stca esoht era ereht dna ضول ب ت Mubahat - reveileb esiw dna eurt a sa denodnaba eb ot deen llits hcihw does not engage in pointless pursuits. Time is a finite and invaluable resource and there is no opportunity to buy it from anyone or anywhere. Once your time is gone it’s gone. Every moment we are wasting we are in effect wasting a part of our life.

This Hadeeth is concerned with the latter i.e. Manhiyyaat. It can help remedy and aid in creating the spiritual muscle to totally stay distant and avoid engaging in any areas of the acts that fall within this category. In other words if we were to look at Islam in a simplistic way and classify Islam as Do’s and Don’ts then this Hadeeth has the tool to equip the practitioner to abstain and avoid the Don’ts. As a Muslim and true believer is fully aware Islam is much more than Do’s and Don’ts as it has the best formula for humans beings to live an enriched, fulfilling, meaningful, happy and free life.

Of the four Ahadeeth Imam Abu Dawood (RA) mentions the first and final Hadeeths if we were to categorise them also fall under this Hadeeth (which is number 2 in the list). And Hadeeth number 3 is signifying the other ‘half of Islam’ which I have further down described as An-Nus’h incere Well-Wishing), which in essence Hadeeth number 3 is a part of that. This also strengthens my reasoning why this Hadeeth in discussion equal to ‘half of Islam’, which becomes evident to the reader of this piece.

Also, out of the four Ahadeeth Imam Al-Qayrawani (RA) mentions that have ALL the good courtesies. If we were to categorise them then the first and the third Hadeeths would also fall under this Hadeeth (which is number 2 in the list). And Hadeeth number 4 (which is the same as Hadeeth number 3 in the above paragraph) is signifying the other ‘half of Islam’ which I have further down described as An-Nus’h (Sincere well-Wishing), which in essence Hadeeth number 4 is a part of that. This also strengthens my reasoning why this Hadeeth in discussion equal to ‘half of Islam’, which is evident to the one who understands.

Great Benefits of the Application of the Beautiful Rule This beautiful and comprehensive rule from this beautiful, foundational and comprehensive Hadeeth of the Messenger of Allah Ta’ala – Prophet Muhammad (peace, salutations and blessings be upon him) has the power to transform your life in all key areas that concerns every human being on this planet - physical health; mental health; spiritual heath; creates immense space for others, love and mercy in your

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected] heart you thought you never had; it heals and mends your heart; it strengthens your resolve and creates revival; it gives you time you thought you never had; it gives you amazing energy and focus; it improves your bank balance as you are not wasting money and also spending wisely and also you are more productive as a result of this beautiful rule; it turbo-charges your performance in all areas of your personal and professional life; improves your relationships; improves the social fabric of our communities and the world at large; gives you immense freedom; gives you real happiness; peace and contentment; gives you power to self-express and be happy with your Islamic identity; and much more.

The beautiful rule is removing all the garbage, all the blockers, all the obstacles, all the superficial layers that you were putting in the way of your full potential and in the way of what you really can transform into and become. They are stopping you from achieving these life-changing and enduring changes. It will simply transform you. It transforms everything in your life. It transforms how you view yourself. It unleashes the potential in you. It transforms how you view other fellow human beings. It transforms your view of the world. I can list so much more. All these changes and transformations and how they relate to this beautiful rule is evident and discussed at length in this piece. Alhamdulillah Rabbil Aalameen (All praise and glory be to Allah Ta'ala, the Sustainer of the Universe)!

The beautiful rule lets you live in the present, lets you live in the here and now; it lets you live a pure and clean living from both the outside and inside that cleanses and purifies the body, the mind, the thoughts, the food and drink we consume, the heart, etc; it creates freshness and newness in you and your life every day, every week and all year round as you will not be living in the past (as these negative emotions are from the past), with prejudices and various other negative and stale energies instead your life and interactions will be filled with care, kindness, compassion, love and empathy which are all fresh and new behaviours and living in the present and moment; it creates a new day and a new future full of possibilities; it keeps your mind and heart younger as it has less stress too; it keeps your body healthy as you will make it one of your top priorities to look after your body, your temple; it empowers you beyond belief and creates a life of total bliss. The thick layer and veil of darkness that is on the heart due to all the negativity in the form of bad characters; social ills and other weaknesses will never let you strive and live a life full of positivity and good character.

The beautiful rule is all encompassing as is it works, moderates, changes and transforms the mind, the thoughts, the emotions, the actions and behaviours all at the same time when you are applying this beautiful rule. This is the perfect spiritual total mind, body, emotions, heart, actions and behaviours workout. How powerful! Which human being on this planet would not want to live a life this powerful regardless of their faith, religion, inclinations or ethnicity?

When you practice and constantly apply this beautiful rule to all aspects of your life in the manner explained and detailed in this piece it will uncover the gem in you, it will reveal your true beauty, it will bring to the front your Fitrah (natural being that recognises Allah Ta’ala), it will reverse engineer your current self that has been polluted and damaged to the original and pure self.

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected]

Classification of this Beautiful Hadeeth and its Relation to incere ell- ishin (ال ن - An-Nus’h My mind likes to classify and organise the information I acquire to make sense of it; create a hierarchy, create categories and sub-categories; slot the information I acquire from the subjects I study or take interest in into those categories and sub- categories I have created; etc so I can get a high-level or low-level look at them; look at the information in a logical way and it becomes easier for me to insert new information and experiences into those categories and sub-categories so I can continue to look at the bigger picture, see where everything fits, recall, utilise, employ and develop the information as and when needed. I also like to learn rules and principles as from them it gives me the flexibility to apply to other similar situations. They are very powerful tools. One of the reasons (and I have many other reasons) I was so impressed by my sheikh, my mentor, my guide (and the chain i.e. Silsilah Imdadiyah Ashrafiyah he was connected with) was the rules and principles he was sharing and imparting to his followers. They have been invaluable and priceless. I thank the Almighty and my sheikh everyday for them.

I have applied this mindset to all the teachings of Islam I have studied over the years as my passion and I can say the picture that it has created in my mind is of a perfect, complete and beautiful house that is so well structured, strong and pleasing to the eyes, mind and heart.

This habit of mine also shows in my study, interest and passion in the study of the Ahadeeth related to building character and a compassionate, respectful and loving society. But before I classify the Ahadeeth on character I want to go a few levels higher. So you can see how my mind works and maybe your mind works similar or maybe you can learn and benefit from it so you can tread a similar path of learning and quest for the truth. One of the fundamental or the most fundamental question I used to think about as a child when I was playing about was what am I doing here in this world? What is my purpose? What is the Purpose of Life? I felt a strong connection with the Creator and felt there was a Supreme being, the Divine. I believe this is in-built in every human if they looked inward or if they still look inward and remove any veils that might have occurred over time. So for me the highest level is all my acts need to revolve around my Purpose of Life. I have dedicated a section on this. Then the question arose as to how I can worship my Creator and that is where the Final Messenger – Prophet Muhammad (peace, salutations and blessings be upon him) came into my life. I have dedicated a section on this too. Then the need arose as to how I can easily practice Islam with conviction, with love and from the heart and that’s where for me the natural thing was to connect to a guide and through Divine play I had all the circumstances that led me to connect with my beloved Sheikh, mentor and guide who became a means for me to learn this beautiful Hadeeth and beautiful rule. So these are the very higher and top levels for all acts.

Now getting back to classification of this beautiful Hadeeth which has this beautiful rule if we were to classify the Ahadeeth related to character and Adab ( ) then in my view and how I see things based on my experience is at the top would be This Hadeeth encompasses every . دين ي ة - this Hadeeth - Ad-Deen An-Naseehah aspect of the beautiful faith of Islam. I have briefly touched on this beautiful Hadeeth a bit further down after this classification. Underneath this top level heading it would be classified into two categories. The first category would be the beautiful Hadeeth in i.e. covering the acts that we need to (خل ءرمل م لس نسح نم discussion in this piece

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected] abandon and leave. And all the three categories of negativity i.e. bad characters, social ills and other weaknesses are sub-categories of this first category. There are numerous Ahadeeth for each of the negative behaviours from the three sets which the scholars or those that are familiar with this discipline of Tazkiyah are aware of. I was able to through the mercy of my Creator slot this knowledge of these behaviours and classify these negative behaviours into this category through experience.

The second category would be the beautiful Hadeeth that mentions “None of you can be a believer unless you love for your brother that which you love for yourself” i.e. covering the acts that we need to actively acquire, develop and share with others. Within this category all the good characters, positive and good social behaviours, etc all fall into. There are numerous Ahadeeth for each of these good characters and positive behaviours. To complete this whole aspect of my beautiful faith I intend to share my take at some point on this beautiful Hadeeth so it completes the other half. Insha Allah!

as stated in ( دين ي ة - Deen (faith) is incere Well-Wishing Ad-Deen An-Naseehah one beautiful Hadeeth. In the same Hadeeth the Final Messenger of Allah, Prophet Muhammad (peace, salutations and blessings be upon him) provides some examples as to who are the recipients of your sincere well wishing. The Hadeeth mentions it is towards Allah, His Books, His Messengers and to the leaders of Muslims and their common folk. And in another Hadeeth it specifies for all people i.e. humanity regardless of faith. Sincere well-wishing has some detail but in a nutshell it means fulfilling the rights of these people in the manner they deserve and is good for them (not for you) from the depths of the heart and not merely as lip service or cause one has to save face.

containing the message of the ( دين ي ة - This Hadeeth Ad-Deen An-Naseehah importance and significance of incere Well-Wishing An-Nus’h - ) is also one of the Hadeeth (#7) in the collection of Ahadeeth Imam Nawawi (RA) has recorded in his master piece called "Al-Arba’oon An’Nawawiyyah fil-Ahadeeth An-Nabawiyyah". I have mentioned above the significance of this collection. The inclusion of this ءرمل م لس نسح نم Hadeeth also adds to the weight and significance of this Hadeeth and a step towards acquiring this great character trait of خ snaem a si ti sa rehtruf Sincere Well-Wishing as explained above.

In reality this character of the heart An-Nus’h - can only truly exist and develop نم when the believer has mastered the advice and the rule mentioned in this Hadeeth ن م رء خ eht fo lluf si traeh eht fI .ecitcarp eht hguorht reh/sih ti edam dna bad characters (like malice, greed, jealousy, arrogance, etc), social ills and other weaknesses mentioned in this piece then the heart does not have the capacity and space to accommodate this great character of Sincere Well-Wishing.

In essence by mastering the advice and applying the beautiful and comprehensive نسح نم rule mentioned in this beautiful, foundational and comprehensive Hadeeth .e. م رء خ i) sfaN eht fo gnisnaelc dna noitacifirup lanretni fo ssecorp a si ereht ية Takhliyah - gniyfirup dna gniyfituaeb eht taht retfa tluafed yb dna gnineppah e. the capacity and space for this great. ية i.e. Tajliyah - i gnirrucco si traeh eht fo) trait of Sincere Well-Wishing is being created.

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected]

This character trait - Sincere Well-Wishing - is priceless but rare even though every believer can acquire it if they put the effort in, which by default means that most people are engaged in pointless and futile acts and pursuits and not practicing the م .advice mentioned in this comprehensive and beautiful Hadeeth

My series of reflections on Ramadhan Al-Kareem also discusses this character of Sincere Well-Wishing in detail as it’s one of the traits that the holy month by design is there to help train the believers to develop if it is observed correctly and the guidelines followed.

Note: The seventh Hadeeth in the unique compilation of 40 Ahadeeth of Imam An- Nawawi Ash- hafi’ee R.A) is on incere Well-wishing.

Application of the Beautiful Rule Re-Programs your Sub-Conscious Mind By reading and digesting the content of this piece it will program your conscious mind. However, through the constant repetitions, internalisations and applications of this beautiful rule to all aspects and situations in your life it will re-program and re-wire your Sub-Conscious Mind to your new principles, new master program and new blueprint. The sub-conscious mind is the engine that drives your natural, automatic and default behaviour. The beautiful rule has two sides to it. One is the knowledge aspect i.e. understanding the Sphere of Concern and the second aspect is the need to act, implement and practice this beautiful rule repeatedly. This is how and why you will find yourself permanently transformed as the beautiful rule overwrites and re- programs the sub-conscious mind through the repetitions and making this a new habit. The program running in your sub-conscious mind will have changed. There will be a paradigm shift in your mind and heart that will be realised and visible in your actions. It is very powerful.

I just want to briefly shed light on the two levels of awareness of the human consciousness i.e. the conscious and the sub-conscious so the reader gets adequate insights to this section and can grasp the level this beautiful rule is operating and working at. You will realise the beautiful rule is very powerful as it actually stimulates and triggers the communication between the conscious and the sub-conscious minds.

The conscious mind is the part of your mind which operates with your awareness and over which you have active control. It is the one running when someone is aware of at any particular point in time. It is the part of your mind that is responsible for thoughts; thought processes; logic; logical thinking; analysis; reasoning; critical thinking; planning; decisions; short term memory; etc. It also controls all the actions that you do with intention. For example, when you decide to make any voluntary action like making a hand gesture, movement of the hand or fingers whilst conversing with someone then that is done by the conscious mind. Any involuntary action like making a hand gesture, movement of the hand or fingers whilst conversing with someone or your hand continuously going to your smart phone to check notifications or messages even though you don’t want to then that is done by the program you have installed in your sub-conscious mind through repetitions. It is said the conscious mind constitutes 10% of the total mind and is the obvious portion of the mind. Some even say it is only 5%.

The sub-conscious mind is the part of your mind which operates without your active awareness and over which you do not have active control. It is the part of our

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected] consciousness that is not being focused on. It is part of your mind that contains information that you are not consciously aware of. It can influence you or affect your behaviour even though you are not aware of it. The subconscious mind is a data-bank for everything, which is not in your conscious mind. The function of your subconscious mind is to store and retrieve data. Its job is to ensure that you respond exactly the way you are programmed in there. It is the part of your mind that is responsible for emotions & feelings; habits; relationship patterns; addictions; involuntary body functions and movements; creativity; developmental stages; spiritual connections; beliefs; intuition; imagination; long term memory; etc. The sub-conscious mind exerts great influence on our behaviour (whether good or bad). It is said the sub-conscious mind constitutes 90% of the total mind and is the hidden portion of the mind. Some even say it is as much as 95%.

For example, when you are just observing your breathing (inhale and exhale) pattern (without your active input in affecting its pattern) or the heart beats are controlled by your subconscious mind. However, if you start to control your breath by actively deepening it for example then this breathing is happening with the conscious mind as awareness and active control is involved. Emotions are also controlled by the subconscious mind. That's why you can sometimes automatically and suddenly feel some emotions like fear, anxiety, happiness, etc without your active input due to you facing and encountering a new situation. This is coming from your sub-conscious mind. What this means is your sub-conscious mind has a program stored in there that is causing this sudden emotion. This program you will have stored in your sub- conscious mind due to some event that happened in the past.

The subconscious mind controls your body. So anything coming out from your body i.e. actions, behaviours, etc it controls. Also, the subconscious mind not only affects your actions, behaviours, etc but it will also affect your perception of events. Perception and reality are both the same to the sub-conscious mind. Hence, visualisation is a very powerful technique too for programming the sub-conscious mind.

This conscious and sub-conscious nature from my perspective transcends both the mind and the heart as both have intelligence. It is a shared faculty.

The best way to maximise the power of these two minds - the conscious and sub- conscious - is to understand how they both work together and then to take advantage of their combined power. By that I mean to understand the link and relation between an activity in the conscious mind and an activity in the sub-conscious mind. Once this link and relation is understood then both these minds can be harnessed and your full human potential unleashed. When your conscious and sub-conscious mind get in alignment, in synch and has a continuous and uninterrupted stream i.e. no conflict between the programs in the conscious and sub-conscious minds then you become an unstoppable force and power. You can truly unleash your human potential.

One powerful example that can explain and highlight this further is based on the exercise I devised on understanding the root causes of my emotions (bad characters, social ills, weaknesses) based on observing all my thoughts throughout the day and over a considerable time period (number of years and something I still observe but with ease and it comes naturally). I have briefly referred to this exercise in this piece and at some point I intend to share the details Insha Allah. What I learnt from this

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected] exercise is the strong link thoughts, the thought-processes have with our emotions (bad characters, social ills, weaknesses). Thoughts and thought-processes is an activity of the conscious mind whereas the emotions are an activity of the sub- conscious mind. We know from experience (whoever has observed their thoughts for some period of time is acutely aware of this link) that our thoughts effect our emotions (and the opposite is true too). This way through our thoughts and thought-processes we can influence, control and program our emotions and as a result program our sub- conscious mind and create a new automatic and default behaviour.

There are actually several ways to stimulate and trigger this communication between the conscious and the subconscious minds and harness their combined power. One more way is through constant repetitions and internalising an act i.e. by making it a habit. Remember habits can be both good and bad and both have the same effect on the sub-conscious mind. If the habit that is edged in the sub-conscious is good then the effects will be good and conversely if the habit is bad that is edged in the sub- conscious is bad then the effects will be bad. This method of constant repetitions is being used here with the beautiful rule being constantly and repeatedly applied. A new habit is being created. It should be noted here that action is necessary to change the sub-conscious mind. Mere change in the belief or using affirmation without action is not sufficient. That does not work in the long term. Yes, you can use your sub- conscious mind to lose weight by modifying certain beliefs, standards and ideals that are preventing you from taking actions but you can't use your subconscious mind to lose weight directly. Action is required i.e. consume less and exercise more. Other methods to stimulate and trigger the communication between the conscious and the subconscious minds are repeated meditations and repeated visualisations.

Your subconscious mind follows a rule called "you get what you focus on". What this means is that whatever has been written and programmed into your sub-conscious mind will materialise in the way you behave and perceive things. Another way to put this is that you will actively look for proof to validate the beliefs or perceptions (even though they are contrary to reality and the truth) that are stored in the sub-conscious mind. A common example is if you lack self-confidence because of certain beliefs that you have about yourself (that are stored in your sub-conscious mind caused by an event or events in the past) then you might start to feel anxious around people. In this case you felt anxious because your subconscious mind had false information that made you believe that you were in danger while in fact you were not. From this event then you will re-validate your belief that you do lack confidence as that is why you became anxious this time too. It is a vicious circle that needs to be broken and replaced with a new inspired program.

Based on my professional background one way to understand the conscious and sub- conscious minds is with the computer memory example (RAM and Hard Drive). This will be clear to those familiar with these two types of computer memories. Random Access Memory (RAM) is a transient and temporary storage the running program or software uses when it is up and running. RAM is volatile in nature as it means if the power goes off, the stored information is lost. The Hard Drive is the permanent storage where the actual program and software is installed. The RAM memory is like the conscious mind and the disk drive is like the sub-conscious mind. Only the program and software that requires installing to the hard drive once that is installed it will run in the RAM. Whatever features and plug-ins installed are the only ones that you will see on your screen and display. The program and software you have installed

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected] to your hard drive (whether morally good or bad) will be the one that will be displayed. Likewise, whatever is in your sub-conscious (good or bad blue print, the master program you want or you want to get rid of, etc) will become apparent and be displayed through your behaviour, expressions, interactions, etc. Just creating a short on your laptop without actually installing the program correctly will not work.

Just as a side note for completion of this example and this is relevant here is that the computer memory, etc also requires constant clean-up of the garbage (that might be running in the background as processes) that can slow the performance of the programs and software. Similarly, does the mind needs this clean up of the garbage that is running and wrecking our quality of lives, which this beautiful rule removes for good. Also, the computer can get infected with viruses and various other malware which we all know despite us having the required anti-virus and malware removal in place. Similarly, when we get on this journey to apply this beautiful rule or however far we progress on this beautiful journey we can take a wrong turn or have an accident (even the skilled and experienced drivers experience this sometimes) so what we need to then is turn back and get on the right path quickly, without delay. There is no need to feel bad and continue on the wrong journey. It will not help.

Another simpler example to understand the conscious and the sub-conscious minds would be the mind of the new (learner) driver and the mind of the same person when he/she has become an experienced driver. The new (learner) driver will struggle to hold a conversation or relax whilst driving whereas when they get to the experienced driver state they will be able to do those things easily and still drive efficiently and safely. The learner driver is using the conscious mind, hence, has to exert conscious and active effort whereas when he/she has become the experienced driver they are using the sub-conscious mind so the driving has become second nature, an automatic habit and requires much less effort. The reason being the driving habit has now been transferred to his/her sub-conscious mind and the conscious mind has become free.

I have devoted and furnished a fair bit on this section on how the beautiful rule re- programs your Sub-Conscious Mind so you can gain the deep insights and understandings into the inner and deep workings of this beautiful rule to transform the practitioner.

Natural Human Reaction The natural human reaction and behaviour is to do opposite of what is wright or the most sensible thing to do. This (doing opposite) seems the easiest thing to do as it is something the Nafs (inner self) will encourage too. I have observed this in my Nafs and in other people over many years of practice of observing my thoughts, my actions, my interactions, my surroundings or observation of reactions and behaviour of people on the pavement or in any other settings.

For instance, a simple example I have observed a thousand times is the behaviour of people on the pavement when walking that they would cut into my path despite seeing where I am walking and that there is ample space to one side or on either side depending on the size of the pavement. When I walk and get on to a pavement I see which part of the pavement I should walk so I don’t inconvenience others using the pavement and they don’t inconvenience me. This consideration I have learnt from a young age. My Sheikh, guide and mentor used to emphasise this point of being considerate to others a lot. This is an integral part of Islam not to inconvenience

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected] anyone. I will write on this subject in detail at some point Insha Allah. Then I walk on the path and I would see another person getting on the pavement on the other side and he sees me walking on one side I would then notice he takes the same side, he sees me and then pretends to get busy on the phone and starts walking my way. I will continue walking this way and observe what he does. I will not move as I know exactly what he is doing (I am no pushover). Then when he comes closer and sees I am not moving he will look up from the phone and move and give me a look. I know he expected me to go out of my way due to the lack of refinement in his behaviour يم ب Saleem-Ut-Tab’a - siht ot yaw evig t’nod uoy nehw tub oge ebyam dna) behaviour and stand firm and continue walking the path you are on they give way. They will give you a look that shows you sussed their ego out and you will see they got the message. The Nafs works in pretty much the same way (before it has been trained) as when you don’t give in to its demands it obeys you. It knows it place and orders. Going against this flow requires being mindful of your thoughts and behaviour, exercising courage and will power, practice and continuous perseverance.

If the pavement was narrow and only adequate for one or one and a half person to walk freely then I would then I go out of my way to let the other person go and that would hold true even if a dog or animal was passing by.

Try this exercise yourself when you are walking and observe your natural inclination and behaviour as to how you react. Do you walk into the other person’s pathway and expect him/her to move or you walk in the space that was available to you. Once you have mastered your refined walking habits then you can observe other people.

Real Empowerment through the Application of the Beautiful Rule People talk about empowerment. Empowering anyone is a good thing. The empowerment that is occurring through the application of the beautiful rule is real empowerment. This is an empowerment that exists within and is based on solid foundation. This is Islamic empowerment. This is empowerment for all which develops the moral fabric of the society and can create a loving and just society for all.

My Introduction to this Beautiful, Foundational and Comprehensive Hadeeth I first came across this beautiful Hadeeth and the amazing principle and rule it embeds as a teenager from my Beloved and Mushfique Sheikh, Murshid and Murabby Hazrat Moulana Masihullah Khan Jalalabadi (RA) and it has kept with me in my mind and heart. It was imprinted on my mind and my heart by the powerful and effective force of my beloved Sheikh (RA). I have repeatedly employed and constantly applied it in all aspects of my life and experienced the benefits. Alhamdulillah it is one of my tools in my Tazkiyah arsenal and one of the foundational Tazkiyah rules I learnt ز ن ز ء. - (from my beloved Sheikh (RA

on this and it has been published too ( س My beloved heikh RA) has a discourse but I probably don’t recall the details as ل س ي ة as part of the discourses titled it’s been many years since I heard that discourse but the words of my Sheikh (RA) planted the seed in my heart due to the depth of sincerity and passion of the heikh for reformation and attaining the ( ب دق combined with my sincere and true quest .underpinned with the Mercy of Allah Ta’ala ( لل عم ةبسن connection to the Almighty These factors paved the way and resulted in me being granted the taufeeq and ability to water and nurture the seed so that it grows into a fully fledgling tree and bears fruits which I can enjoy.

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected]

And I would like to share the seed with you too so you too can nurture and enjoy the fruits it will bear. I am not just happy to share the fruits with you as that will be a temporary thing as I want you to transform your life so you can continue to enjoy the fruits this divinely and spiritual tree bears all your life. As the saying goes that “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” I want you to start applying this beautiful rule daily from now as much as you can and increase and progress in its application and frequency so you realise the enormous benefits it encompasses.

Our Hazrat (RA) used to say and emphasise the point that how long will you keep learning things, learn the foundational rules of Tazkiyah and the principles so you can deduce, extract and apply the rules to other similar situations too. These are such powerful, far reaching and in depth words of the great Sheikh, Murabby and Muhaqqiq of his era. The Urdu words were along the lines can’t recall e actly) that: ک ب ک ي ک ے رہ و گ ے ي ت ور ول ي ک و ک ہ زءي ت م ک ے رہ و.

Our Mashaikh and Akabir of Deoband were true Murabby, educators and teachers that they taught their disciples lifelong lessons that they could benefit long after they are gone. This trait was passed down through generations from the primary and greatest humanly source that is our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace, salutations and blessings be upon him) who left these life transforming and life changing principles for humanity to benefit and enjoy its fruits till the Day of Judgement which in reality is the Mercy of our Creator Allah Ta’ala. How beautiful and merciful!

Brief Explanation of the Hadeeth Before I provide a brief explanation of the Hadeeth I would like to the mention the translation of the Hadeeth again here so you can keep that in mind whilst reading the explanation.

“From the beauties of Islam within a person is the ability and strength to abandon and totally leave those matters that do not concern him/her”

The explanation of the Hadeeth I am providing is from an application perspective i.e. how the Hadeeth can be implemented into one’s life so the practitioner can avail the far reaching benefits it bears when sincerely practiced. The explanation I am providing is also logical so it is easy to understand and comprehend, easy for quick recall and can be implemented efficiently to totally transform your life leaving you free of excess emotional and spiritual baggage, free from wasting precious time, energy, thoughts, etc and filling your mind, body and heart with peace, happiness and in a proactive state to focus on the things that really matter in your life to achieve and attain the higher purpose.

The beautiful Hadeeth mentions the beautiful rule succinctly that the believer should actively abandon and totally leave those matters that do not concern him/her or are pointless in nature or are of no benefit to you or other humans or animals. There is no space for ‘ifs or buts’ in this case. This boundary is clear cut. These useless activities need to be abandoned, left out and let it go.

The Hadeeth touches on the ‘ phere of Concern’ or you can call it the ‘ phere of Focus’ or the ‘Universe of Concern’ and ‘Universe of Focus’. Sphere of Concern

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected] or Sphere of Focus means that whatever is going in our minds (thought processes), the emotions in our hearts and all the acts we engage ourselves in from the time we wake up till the time we retire to bed and sleep (day in day out) we need to filter out all those voluntary thoughts, emotions and acts that would be unnecessary and serve no purpose in your life and towards your purpose of life and totally abandon them from your/our lives. They should not be a part of who we are and our life. Our life – every single voluntary thought, emotion and act - should be full of meaning and purpose. This can only be achieved if the mind and heart and our acts are replaced with meaningful thoughts, emotions and acts.

You are truly what you concern yourself with – a positive force if your Sphere of Concern (your thoughts, feelings, words and actions) are positive and a negative force if your Sphere of Concern (your thoughts, feelings, words and actions) are negative. This is evident from this piece.

There are two dimensions to this beautiful rule mentioned in the beautiful Hadeeth. The first dimension is the explicit dimension which is not to focus your energy on matters that do not concern you. This first dimension has two perspectives as this rule can be related and directed solely at you or the rule is related to you but with the perspective of you relating something (thought, emotion, act, etc) to a third person.

In the first perspective what it means when I say ‘it is related to you’ is that there are many things that come into one’s mind voluntarily (Ikhtiyari - ) or involuntarily (Ghair- Ikhtiyari - ) that are not worthy of attention and concern or many acts a person might be engaged in that are pointless and have no benefit in them whatsoever. These are thoughts and acts that one needs to avoid nurturing or .acts in the common domain (ىنعي ل engaging in. These are called La Yani

And in the second perspective when I say ‘it is related to others’ it is referring to when a person is actively engaged in thoughts or acts that are related to others he/she should not be worrying or inquiring or meddling or interfering about. If a person does engage in these “acts” then they are wasting their precious time and energy that could have been utilised in some meaningful way.

ي ة tnereffid ni tsefinam dluoc hteedaH eht ni desu si taht ل /Concern” Al-Anayah“ ways. It covers concern via the medium of thoughts and engaging at the thought level, concern via the medium of expression (tongue), concern through engagement in pointless acts, concern by inquiring or investigating a matter, concern by meddling or interfering in matters, etc. Hence, a range of mechanisms are within the scope. All these mechanisms need to be abandoned in matters that do not concern you or fall under the banner of pointless pursuits.

Pointless pursuits or acts means to abandon acts that have no benefit in them whatsoever i.e. there is no Deeni or worldly benefit in those acts.

All these “concern” mechanisms are like strings that are hooking and tying you down with unnecessary things and weighing you down. The reason you feel stressed out, depressed and down are the strings and attachments you have created which from your perspective are pointless. Once you cut these strings and attachments and untie them from the hooks you will feel lighter, you will feel rejuvenated and you will have such freedom you have never felt in your life. Allah Ta’ala, His Messenger rophet

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected]

Muhammad (peace, salutations and blessings be upon him) and the Deen (religion) of Islam wants you to be all this. However, Shaitan wants you to remain locked up and chained with these strings till you die. It’s your choice who you choose to follow. There is no compulsion.

This abandonment will be exercised and materialised by not thinking and worrying - about the pointless matter, or not engaging in the useless talk (Qawl ر - Fikr) ل ro uoy ot laicifeneb ton si taht -ق ول lamA) noitca yna ni gnigagne ton yb ro anyone else or could harm you or another person. These kind of matters can be executed via various mediums i.e. whether through thinking, the tongue or by acting the believer will abandon and leave them.

As described above some of these acts might fall within the prohibited acts as evident from the acts that are remedied, some might be ( ر ت - Muharramat ب ت classed as doubtful acts (Mushtabihaat - era taht stca esoht era ereht dna ضول ب ت permissible but unnecessary acts (Fuzul-Mubahat - ot deen llits hcihw be abandoned as a true and wise believer does not engage in pointless pursuits.

The second dimension is the implicit and default one. That is to fully focus your precious time and energy on matters that are of concern to you i.e. your obligations and responsibilities e.g. to spend time to self-reflect, to grow and develop yourself mentally and spiritually from a Deeni perspective or a worldly perspective that will aid you in the practice of the Deen or serving others by giving you financial independence; to grow and develop yourself physically through healthy diet, exercise, time outs, etc; to dutifully and with passion engage in your duties or in discharging your obligations and responsibilities as a husband or wife, parent, teacher, Ummati, citizen of the country, a human, etc.

ر ءض - This focus on the self and one’s obligations and responsibilities (i.e. Faraiz can only be properly and adequately discharged when the person is not wasting precious time and energy whether physical or emotional by being engaging and being concerned with those matters that are not of their concern i.e. pointless pursuits at any level – mental thoughts, emotions or physical acts.

So the scope of the beautiful rule is clear that every believer needs to abandon any engagements in pointless acts and pursuits e.g. needles worry and fear, interfering and meddling in matters that do not concern you as defined in the Shariah. However, if the concern is demanded by the Shariah then that is not within the rule as explained further down.

Hakeem Ul Ummah Mujaddid Ul Millat Hazrat Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi (RA) mentions that whatever a human being says (qawl) or does (act/amal) can be classified into three categories. They are:

1. Beneficial - i.e. there is some worldly or Deeni (religious) benefit (in those words or acts) 2. Harmful - i.e. there is some worldly or Deeni (religious) harm (in those words or acts) 3. Has No Benefit or Harm - i.e. there is no worldly or Deeni (religious) benefit or harm (in those words or acts) i.e. they are useless, pointless, etc. They serve no purpose at all.

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected]

Hakeem Ul Ummah Mujaddid Ul Millat Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi (RA) states this third category is what is referred to as La Ya'nee in the Hadeeth. But then goes further and says that on reflection the third category is also part of the second category i.e. there is some worldly or Deeni (religious) harm (in those words or acts).

I (author) have taken the view that for practical purposes both the second category and the third category are included in the term La Ya'nee i.e. are part of those words or acts that fall outside the Sphere of Concern of the believer. Harmful words or acts are not something a good believer will be concerning themselves with. The general nature of the word (Umoom) has the scope for this consideration too. The concluding statement of Hakeem Ul Ummah Mujaddid Ul Millat Hazrat Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi (RA) also indicates and strengthens this point. Actually the above words of Hakeem Ul Ummah Mujaddid Ul Millat Hazrat Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi (RA) gave me confidence and satisfaction in the heart that how I have understood the beautiful Hadeeth and what I have discussed in detail here as to the kind of remedies it embeds is correct and based on sound understanding. On reflection it occurred to me that the weighting of this Hadeeth I have chosen i.e. the Hadeeth being half of Deen (as discussed above as it covers all prohibited acts (Manhiyyat) whether they are of the highest level of prohibition i.e. Haram or the lowest level i.e. not preferred (Khilaf Awla)) also strengthens my understanding - Alhamdulillah. Allah Ta'ala Knows Best!

I ك From this Hadeeth the path (Maslak - “ :si yb ehtaerb dna evil ot etaerc nac ew will abandon being concerned with pointless acts. I will not meddle in the affairs of others (or engage in any pointless activities and pursuits) unless I am sincere in being a helping hand they need. Likewise, I will not let others not meddle in my affairs unless I believe they are sincere in helping or can be of help.”

All the parts of the above paragraph are within our control and power (Ikhtiyar - غ ير ي رى There is no part that is beyond our control (Ghair Ikhtiyari - dna . ي ر we have no power or control to assert this authority.

To conclude the explanation I want to briefly touch on the structure of the phrase used The structure of the . رء (e’raM limalsI ensuH niM ن ن م .in the Hadeeth i.e phrase is very beautiful as it indicates that when a person practices on this beautiful rule then the believer is actually internalising and manifesting a great beauty of Islam. In essence the practitioner of the Hadeeth has now taken ownership of this and made this wisdom a part of him/her and effectively beautified themselves and made one of their own. This beauty will not only be (نس حم / ن - the great beauties Husn/Mahasin present in the heart but will also manifest on the outside too. This beauty the believer now possess will also become evident to other people as they interact with them as they will be abandoning all the bad characters, social ills and bad behaviours mentioned in this piece as they are all futile, pointless and meaningless. They are not acts a wise or a decent human being should be engaged in. You cannot hide the smell of roses.

Why, How and What In Information Technology & Business modules we were taught to use the 5 W’s and H to solicit information from clients regarding the kind of system they needed. The 5 W’s and H refer to Why, What, Where, Who, When and How. These are a set of useful question indicators to gather basic information and capture requirements in an

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected] easy way and at a high-level. From these 6 indicators I find three i.e. Why, How and What to be the most relevant question indicators and reflection points for all actions within my life to understand and determine their need. These three question indicators and reflection points fit in nicely into explaining this transformative rule. They can be called the ‘Golden Trio’.

Why – this is what I would ask to determine how an action fits in with the ‘ urpose of Life’. This is a fundamental and key question every believer needs to make a habit of asking as our life and every action of ours (ideally) needs to revolve around this purpose for it to have any meaning. The details of ‘ urpose of Life’ is what I have explained in the heading titled ‘Linkin the Beautiful Rule to Purpose of Human Life in Islam - ‘Total ervitude to the Creator’ Abdiyyat)’.

How – this is what I would ask to determine the method I would need to execute the action in question so it is aligned with the ‘ urpose of Life’. This is also a fundamental and key question every believer needs to make a habit of asking as every action of ours (ideally) needs to be executed and performed in the best manner possible. This could be any aspect of our life from relieving ourselves and cleaning up afterwards to interacting with our family members to engage in business or worshiping Allah Ta’ala. The details of this question (How) is what I have explained in the heading titled ‘Linkin unnah of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace, salutations and blessings be upon him) to Purpose of Human Life in Islam’.

What – this is what I would ask to determine what exactly is at play here that is being discussed in the ‘Why’ and ‘How’. In this case this transformative rule is the answer ti ‘What’. The details of this question (What) is what is being explained throughout this piece and article.

Linking the Beautiful Rule to Purpose of Human Life in Islam - ‘Total ervitude to the Creator’ Abdiyyat) Purpose is defined as 'the reason for which something is done or created or for which something exists' e.g. the purpose of Salah is to connect with Allah Ta'ala and remember Him as mentioned in the Holy Quraan (Verse below). In Arabic, purpose is termed as Hadaf, Maqsad, Maqsood, etc. Allah Ta’ala says:

“And perform As-Salat for My remembrance.” (Part 16, 20, Verse 14, Taha)

As a Muslim/Muslimah we all have two types of purposes in life: 1. Individual Purpose 2. Collective Purpose

1. Individual Purpose – is the purpose each individual needs to aspire to fulfil and accomplish. Allah Ta’ala says:

“And I Allah Ta’ala) created not the Jinn and Mankind e cept that they should worship Me Alone).” art 27, 52, Verse 56, Az-Zariyaat))

In this Verse, Allah Ta’ala very clearly and succinctly mentions the purpose, ob ective and goal of creating Jinn and Mankind. That purpose, objective and goal is they spend their entire life in worship and total obedience to Him alone i.e. ‘Total ervitude

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected] to the Creator’ Abdiyyat). This is the high level and over arching purpose of life and every activity they undertake.

Imam Razi R.A) in his Tafseer Kabeer says “that they should worship Me” means that they recognise (Irfaan) Allah i.e. the level of worship should reach the status of Ihsan and where the Muslim/Muslimah truly recognise Allah Ta’ala through His Beautiful Attributes. This is not possible if the Muslim/Muslimah is engaged in acts that are contrary to this purpose.

This beautiful rule serves greatly in accomplishing and achieving this Individual Purpose as it helps the Muslim/Muslimah to concern themselves and focus their efforts with their individual responsibilities. Through the practice of this beautiful rule it helps them to abandon and leave all the acts that are prohibited or should be abandoned in Islam which constitutes half of the Deen as mentioned in the discussion on the significance of this Hadeeth.

I had the realisation that this urpose of Human Life Takhleeq Ka’inaat) that is to solely worship Allaah Ta’ala) mentioned in the above Verse is beautifully and concisely coined in the first part of the Kalimah of Islam i.e. and the second states the method this worship of Allah Ta’ala د ر ول .part of the Kalimah i.e needs to be performed and the only way it will be accepted in the Court of Allah Ta’ala. That is in the ways shown and enacted by the Messenger of Allah Ta’ala – Prophet Muhammad (peace, salutations and blessings be upon him).

is encouraged to be read in د ر ول For this reason this Kalimah of Islam abundance so it serves as a great reminder of our Purpose of Life. This is why the Sufiyya order their followers (Mureeds) to recite this Kalimah abundantly and loudly so it penetrates into the heart and mind of the reciter.

I also had the realisation that the Kalimah of Islam also embeds the definition of Sunnah and Bidah in it. That is the first part states the Purpose of Human Life is to solely worship Allaah Ta’ala and for that to be accepted in the Court of Allah Ta’ala it needs to conform to the unnah of the Messenger of Allah Ta’ala – Prophet Muhammad (peace bee upon him). If it does not conform to the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah Ta’ala – Prophet Muhammad (peace, salutations and blessings be upon him) that is not regarded as worship. It is worthless. It will be contrary to unnah, hence, classed as Bid’ah (innovation in Deen).

2. Collective Purpose – is the purpose we as an Ummah need to strive collectively to fulfil and accomplish. Allah Ta’ala says:

“You are the best of peoples ever raised up for Mankind; you en oin Al-Maruf and forbid Al-Munkar, and you believe in Allah.” art 4, 3, Verse 110, Al-Imran)

In this Verse, Allah Ta’ala mentions the collective purpose of this Ummah. That is to enjoin people to do good and forbid evil. In another Verse, Allah Ta’ala says:

“And help you one another in Al-Birr and At-Taqwa (i.e. virtue, righteousness and piety); but do not help one another in sin and transgression. And fear Allah. Verily, Allah is severe in punishment.” art 6, 5, Verse 2, Al-Ma’idah)

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected]

In this Verse, Allah Ta’ala commands the Muslims to cooperate in virtue at a collective level and to stay away from any cooperation in sin, transgression and injustices at a collective level.

This beautiful rule serves greatly in accomplishing and achieving this Collective Purpose as it helps the Muslim/Muslimah to focus concern on themselves and focus their efforts with their collective responsibilities. After or alongside discharging their Individual Purpose of life they need to concern their effort in assisting other fellow Muslims and human beings in creating a moral and just society that upholds morality, justice and good acts and forbids and fights against immorality, injustices, and other vices. No Muslim/Muslimah should turn a blind eye from discharging this collective purpose too.

Reflection Pointer for Non-Muslims on Purpose of Life I am a Muslim and having the Purpose of Life given to me in the Holy Quran (above) and myself voluntarily and with conviction accepting and taking it on is where my grounding, sense of purpose, power and inspiration comes from in life.

If you are not a believer in Islam and believe in any other world faiths and religions or does not believe in faith at all or even in the Creator I invite you all at least to explore the concept of Purpose of Life introduced and promoted by Islam. Spend some time on reflecting this and also seeing the benefits it can give you in anchoring your life.

Linking Sunnah of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace, salutations and blessings be upon him) to Purpose of Human Life in Islam

As mentioned in the above section that the second part of the Kalimah i.e.

states the method the worship of Allah Ta’ala needs to be performed and د ر ول the only way it will be accepted in the Court of Allah Ta’ala. That is in the ways shown and enacted by the Messenger of Allah Ta’ala – Prophet Muhammad (peace, salutations and blessings be upon him).

As mentioned above the Kalimah of Islam also embeds the definition of Sunnah and Bidah in it. Sunnah covers the words, actions and anything the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace, salutations and blessings be upon him) saw anyone doing and did not explicitly prohibit him/her instead tacitly sanctioned and approved it. It also, covers the practices of the Khulafah Rashideen. Sunnah is the path that leads and ends in Paradise. The opposite of unnah is called Bid’ah in the Hadeeth. This is contrary to Sunnah, prohibited and the path of those who are astray and wayward Dhalalah). The path of Bid’ah leads to Hell-Fire. It is important to understand and practice the Sunnah and to understand what constitutes Bid’ah and abstain from it. Bid’ah is a ploy of the haitan once a person starts practicing to divert him/her and put them off track after initially failing to stop them from practicing Deen.

The reason to know the boundaries of unnah and what makes an act Bid’ah is that the Sunnah is the basis and foundation of Ittibaa (the practice to follow in the footsteps of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace, salutations and blessings be upon him)). Ittibaa is one of the key rights the believer has to discharge to fulfil the rights of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace, salutations and blessings be upon him).

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected]

Without the correct knowledge of Sunnah and its boundaries, one will easily fall in the trap of haitan and engage in Bid’ah. Allah Ta’ala protects us all!

Sheikh-ul-Islam Hafiz Imam An-Nawawi (Allah shower His mercy on him) in his masterpiece ‘Al-Arba’een’ has brought two Ahadeeth on Bid’ah out of the 42 he has chosen and designated them to be the crux of the Deen. This clearly demonstrates the severity of Bid’ah. The first Hadeeth mentions the severity of anyone introducing Bid’ah into Deen and the second Hadeeth covers the nature of Bid’ah. Both are prohibited and wayward.

Through the proper practice of this beautiful rule that is embedded in this beautiful Hadeeth the practitioner will be observing and following in the footsteps of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace, salutations and blessings be upon him) in approximately half of the Deen (as explained above). This is a great way to observe the Sunnah as worship and obedience to Allah Ta’ala through good characters are a key part of the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace, salutations and blessings be upon him).

The beautiful rule mentions abandoning useless and pointless engagements. This by default means the believer needs to be engaged in meaningful and fruitful engagements. One thing related to the application of this rule and a great and sweet tip is to turn one’s mental concern, focus and attention towards the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace, salutations and blessings be upon him) i.e. keep a keen mental focus and a mission in the mind (as much as possible when not engaged in anything absorbing like walking, free moments, etc) that my every act of worship and my life will revolve around the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace, salutations and blessings be upon him). This is a very sweet and blissful concern to have as you will be blessed to be repeatedly and numerous times in the day have the sweet remembrance of the Beloved of Allah Ta’ala, Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace, salutations and blessings be upon him). Try it! The couplet below describes the essence and beauty of this act beautifully. To realise this goal and mission make a continuous habit to learn the Sunnah and study the Seerat of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace, salutations and blessings be upon him).

ری ریہ ے و ںیم ےیدل ک ے آئ یل ک ید ی ر گ ردن ک ئ ب

Transliteration: Dil ke aa'ene me tasawwur yar Jab zara gardan jhuka'ee dekh ly

Translation: The image of the close friend shines brightly in the mirror of my heart When I bow my head I clearly see the image (of my love/best friend)

Sadiqeen are the true heirs (Waritheen - ) and successors of the Messenger of Allah Ta’ala - Prophet Muhammad (peace, salutations and blessings be upon him). They are the living model of the Prophet Muhammad (peace, salutations and blessings be upon him) in each era and we are ordered to associate with them, stay in their company, emulate and follow them.

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected]

Note: Hadeeth number 28 in the unique compilation of 40 Ahadeeth of Imam An- Nawawi Ash- hafi’ee R.A) is on the need to stick firmly with the rophetic ways (Sunnah) and of his successors.

Reflection Pointer for Non-Muslims on Prophet Muhammad (peace, salutations and blessings be upon him) I am a Muslim and having the best role model in the form of Prophet Muhammad (peace, salutations and blessings be upon him) presented to me in the Holy Quran (above) and myself voluntarily and with conviction accepting and taking it on is where my grounding, guidance, power and inspiration comes from in life.

If you are not a believer in Islam and believe in any other world faiths and religions or does not believe in faith at all or even in the Creator I extend my sincere invitation to you all to at least study the life objectively of this great man who billions of human beings revere, honour and are willing to sacrifice everything for. He is a man who has only given and continuous to give the universe mercy through his teachings.

Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace, salutations and blessings be upon him) as the Greatest Wise Person (Al-Hakeem) One of the beautiful names of our Creator, Allah Ta’ala is Al-Hakeem (The Absolute and All-Wise). Allah Ta’ala is the source of wisdom and all wisdom comes from Him. From the Creation the person who has accessed the most wisdom is the Messenger of Allah Ta’ala - Prophet Muhammad (peace, salutations and blessings be upon him). Prophet Muhammad (peace, salutations and blessings be upon him) without any doubt is the wisest person from all the creation and Al-Hakeem (Most Wise) is a title he owns and is one of his names. Wisdom is evident in all his sayings, his practices and the beautiful religion of Islam he has brought us, is full of wisdom. This title of Al- Hakeem for the Messenger of Allah Ta’ala - Prophet Muhammad (peace, salutations and blessings be upon him) is alluded in the Verse 269 of Al-Baqarah where - Prophet Muhammad (peace, salutations and blessings be upon him) has been given the titles of ‘Muallim-ul-Kitab’ and ‘Muallim-ul-Hikmat’ i.e. Al-Hakeem.

This beautiful and concise Hadeeth that embeds this beautiful rule that is a remedy to numerous bad characters that results in creating a clean slate and a blank canvas is just one example of the depths of his wisdom. The beautiful implications of this beautiful Hadeeth is evident on every practitioner on the kind of person it creates and transforms to resulting in a better society, community and humanity.

Anyone who understands the power of this beautiful Hadeeth cannot but love the person who uttered these powerful and wise words that can shape every human being and humanity to create a new and transformed world that is full of love, happiness and empathy. This beautiful Hadeeth clearly shows the depth of the love Prophet Muhammad (peace, salutations and blessings be upon him) had for every human being that they live a life full of meaning, purpose, happiness, love, empathy and void of anything that can potentially be an obstacle to this purpose and goal. The famous female saint and friend of Allah Ta’aa, Hazrat Rabiya Basriyyah (RA) (98 - 185 A.H ~ 713 - 801 A.D) says beautifully in poetry form the great love the teachings of this greatest wise person - Prophet Muhammad (peace, salutations and blessings be upon him) - instils in the heart:

ب يب يس ي د ب يب 47

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected]

He (Prophet Muhammad (peace, salutations and blessings be upon him)) is without doubt my unparalleled love

و و ي ق بي يب My heart has no space for anyone else

ب يب غ ب ن ب ري و He may not be present in person in front of my eyes and my presence

و ن ن دي ي يب However, he is never distant or removed from my heart (even for a bit)

One thing to note here is that the Messenger of Allah Ta’ala - Prophet Muhammad (peace, salutations and blessings be upon him) showed us by way of example on how to practice this beautiful rule. His entire life is evident that he was not only not engaged even once in any of these bad characters, social ills and bad behaviours that are pointless and meaningless activities but through his actions and numerous saying on all these bad characters, social ills and bad behaviours wanted each and every human to live a life full of meaning and happiness and he (peace, salutations and blessings be upon him) strived to uplift and empower humanity. The exemplary society he (peace, salutations and blessings be upon him) created in Al-Madinah Al- Munawwarah with his great companions was a beautiful example of this beautiful rule too where every one of them was living and breathing a life of meaning, purpose, virtue, happiness, love and humanity.

Sadiqeen - True Friends of Allah Ta’ala The Holy Quran (Verse 119:9, At-Taubah) orders us to stay in the company of the adiqeen are those believers who are truthful in their words .(نيقد ص adiqeen - دق ق و ل , Sadiq fil Aqwaal - laa’fA lif qida ) sdeed rieht ni erecnis dna eurt) دق . riehT و ل - diq fil Ahwaal دق ل a ) setat rieht ni eurt dna outer is in synch with their inner. Their inner is in synch with their outer. There is no discrepancy between the inner and outer. They are authentic and the real deal. They have a good grounding in the permanent practice of all aspects of Deen (Rusooqh fid ر وخ دي ن . Deen - fo sdneirF eurt eht era setubirtta eseht htiw sreveileb esehT و ي ء . Allah Ta’ala Awliya Allah - gnieb tsu naem ton seod ti neeqida yB truthful in words. It covers being truthful and authentic in actions and the inner states too as mentioned.

I was thinking it is interesting the Holy Quran orders being with the Sadiqeen after ordering the believers to adopt Taqwa (piety of the heart that stems and flows and manifests outwards in the form of actions i.e. staying away from prohibitions and sins and performing the obligations and good deeds). The Holy Quran does not say to be with and stay in the company of the Muttaqeen after ordering the believers to adopt Taqwa as that would seem the rational and apparent course of action. The point and wisdom that comes to mind in the usage that is used is that the Sadiqeen are those that adopt Taqwa in public and private, in their internal (mental or spiritual) and external (body) actions and their inner is in synch with the outer and the outer is in synch with the inner. So the Verse is emphasising the importance and higher nature of the Sadiqeen as they have Taqwa and more. Also, in the Verse highlights the great emphasis and importance in staying in the physical company (Suhbat - ) of these 48

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected] true Friends of Allah Ta’ala as staying in the company of a person is the most efficient way of learning and acquiring these traits. Allah Knows Best!

The Sadiqeen practice the beautiful rule in this beautiful Hadeeth vehemently. A good way to look at the Sadiqeen to understand why they vehemently follow this beautiful rule is to see them as elite athletes. The way elite athletes e.g. an elite 100 metre sprinter or an elite marathon runner (or any other athletic discipline) are super economical in the way they expend energy and in the way they conserve energy and at the same time performing better by covering more ground. These elite athletes only utilise the conserved energy when it matters to push through and win at the final stage. Also, to become an elite athlete requires immense effort, training, dedication, commitment, passion and time away from people to focus and train hard in isolation. Likewise, the Sadiqeen do not waste crucial energy or divert their concern to matters that have no meaning or benefit or move them towards their goal and Purpose of life. If the Sadiqeen engaged in these fruitless acts that is prohibited in this Hadeeth these moments would be keeping them away from their true passion that is Allah Ta’ala or discharging their obligations to themselves and their family or being of sincere help to the creation of Allah Ta’ala. The adiqeen share the same trait with the elite athletes in the immense concerted and focused effort, training/practice, dedication, commitment, passion and frequent times away from people to reconnect, focus and ہ د س . - undergo the inner struggle (Mujahadah

Another good way to look at the Sadiqeen is by understanding how their sound and pure minds work and why they vehemently follow this beautiful rule and abandon any time in any futile and pointless activities and pursuits is by comparing their beautiful minds with the brains of the computer. The brain of the computer is called a Processor or CPU (Central Processing Unit). The super the computer the high- performance, the more powerful and costlier the processor will be e.g. the processors in the mid-range servers/platforms and the mainframes. The processor performs the basic arithmetic, logic, controlling of all parts of the computer/system, input/output (I/O) operations specified by the instructions it received. The efficient the instructions and the more powerful the processor the quicker the processor can execute the commands so it is freed up to execute the subsequent commands and the higher- frequency of the commands and the more commands it can execute in a given time period the better the performance of the system. Some of these powerful systems can be processing millions of requests. This is the reason the systems undergo performance testing and one part of the test is to see how efficient the CPU is in executing the commands and the instructions it receives from the front end as that determines the round trip of the request. If the CPU is determined to take longer than expected then the commands and instructions and various other parameters are fine tuned so no extra time more than that is necessary is used. Similarly, the sound and pure brains of the Sadiqeen become experts at effectively and efficiently using and maximising their brain activities in fruitful and useful tasks (like discharging their obligations, responsibilities, staying constantly connected as much as possible to their true love, Allah Ta’ala) and totally abandon, avoid and leave any tasks that are futile and pointless (like greed, anger, jealousy, arrogance, gossip, etc). Recent research shows the mind can process 60,000 thoughts in a day. Therefore, the proper application of this beautiful rule is essential in filtering out the negative, futile, pointless and meaningless thoughts and replacing them with positive, productive and meaningful thoughts. It will teach us to be economical with the resources we have -

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected] time, energy, mental thoughts, emotions in the heart, etc and not take them for granted by wasting them away in pointless avenues..

Alhamdulliah (All praise for Allah), our Mashaikh and Akabir Ulama of Deoband were all Sadiqeen. This attribute is common amongst them and is very visible and evident in them all. Study the life of each one of them and this claim becomes a reality.

Remedy for Bad Characters, Social Ills and Weaknesses As mentioned (above) the beautiful rule in this beautiful Hadeeth has the remedy and cure for numerous bad characters, social ills and weaknesses i.e. negativity. Based on this reason it is correct to say the beautiful rule in this beautiful Hadeeth can be given the title of it being called the ‘ uper uper Remedy’ i.e. the overarching remedy for all negative energies and forces.

The beautiful rule in the beautiful Hadeeth is like a spiritual superfood but even more powerful. In the area of physical health and well-being Superfoods are defined as the “nutrient rich foods that are considered to be especially beneficial for health and well- being”. ome e amples of superfood are blueberries, goji berries, kale, salmon, açai, etc. Superfood is the buzz word in the health and well-being arena.

The beautiful rule in the beautiful Hadeeth in this health and well-being terminology can truly be classed as the ‘ uper uper Food’ of the spiritual realm.

I will now list and discuss the bad characters, social ills and other weaknesses and link and relate them to the beautiful rule mentioned in the beautiful Hadeeth and how that applies to these bad characters, social ills and weaknesses with the taufeeq, grace and mercy of Allah Ta’ala. I have mentioned the technical definitions of each of the bad characters as that will aid in the understanding of the bad characters and how they relate to the beautiful rule. Brief definitions of the social ills and other weaknesses have also been mentioned for this purpose.

One thing to note and fully grasp with your minds is the seeds of these bad characters and social ills are within each and everyone of us regardless of the person later transforming and becoming a Sadiq and true Friend of Allah. These are all natural built characters within us. And with the same- رى and Fitri - ni dna ب - Jibilly token each one of us with the taufeeq of Allah Ta’ala has the capacity and responsibility to neutralise them too. Therefore, we need to make a concerted effort that these bad characters and social ills do not develop into spiritual monsters and end up being a cause of social and moral destruction. These bad characters and social ills if they are not enacted on in the wrong manner then they are not spiritually ! م و .harmful

Garbage In, Garbage Out (GIGO) This expression is often abbreviated as GIGO. I first came across this phrase (and acronym and many other interesting acronyms) when I was studying my Bachelor of Science Honours Computing degree. This phrase originated in the mid 20th century in the Field of Computing i.e. the early days of computing, but applies even more today, when powerful computers can produce large amounts of erroneous data or information in a short time. Analysing the input and making sure the accuracy of the instructions in the program that manipulate the input is instrumental for its accuracy.

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected]

The phrase is widely attributed to be coined by George Fuechsel, an IBM programmer and instructor. However, now it also has a more general application to its everyday usage. In the UK the term sometimes used is "rubbish in, rubbish out".

This phrase is used to mean that inputs to the computer that are incorrect or poor quality or flawed or nonsense will only lead to outputs that are incorrect, faulty, flawed and nonsense. There is no other outcome.

The point being made here is to stimulate and program the mind that all these bad characters, social ills and various other weaknesses mentioned and discussed below are all garbage and nonsense inputs we are feeding our minds, our hearts and the only outcome we can get is garbage and nonsense. There is no other outcome. The only way to get another outcome is not to feed the mind and hearts this garbage and through the application of this beautiful rule we can stop this garbage feed and gain the capacity to feed the mind and heart with meaningful and productive inputs.

Learn to take the attention away from what you don't want and all the negative emotional charge around it and place the attention and focus on what you wish to experience. Energy flows where attention goes.

Remedy for Bad Characters This section on ‘Remedy for Bad Characters’ discusses the bad characters and their link with the beautiful rule.

(صرح Greed The heart’s obsession with wealth and material possessions is greed as that is a key want in a person. But greed is not restricted to wealth as greed covers all unlawful or excessive wants and cravings of the Nafs whether it be with wealth or otherwise like food and drink.

is (صرح Another character mentioned in the books and is closely related to Greed eciravA) i.e. an extreme form of greed. It will also be remedied through the practice of this beautiful rule. Tam’a is about wants, lack of contentment with what is already available in adequate measure and abundance but the person thinks it’s not enough and is unhappy and always wants more.

is used both in a positive and negative (عم It should be noted the word Tam’a context. The Holy Quran mentions in several Verses mentions in a positive way for e.g. about hoping for forgiveness using this word too. However, here the negative context and usage is meant here.

The link of this character (Greed) to the beautiful Rule is that a person usually looks towards wealth others have e.g. big house, luxury car, lavish and extravagant lifestyle, string of luxury homes or fleet of cars, etc and then has the urge and desire to acquire more wealth like others at any cost even if it means flaunting the boundaries the Shariah has prescribed. What wealth and how much wealth others have acquired and accumulated or how they are acquiring and accumulating wealth are not something that should be of concern to us as that is none of our business.

Observe your thoughts where and when greed is active.

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected]

Will you abandon greed?

Note: I have used the word "Will you" instead of "Could you" as we all have the capacity, power and strength to abandon or walk away or let go, etc from these bad characters, social ills and weaknesses if the strong desire and conviction is created and present within one's self to do so. Also, I did not use the commanding words "Abandon" or "Walk Away" or "Let Go" or "Focus" as I would like to create and awaken your desire and urge to self-act, a power you all have within you. Language is everything.

Note: All the bad characters, social ills and weaknesses would fall under Hadeeth number 32 in the unique compilation of 40 Ahadeeth of Imam An-Nawawi Ash- hafi’ee R.A). I have placed this note here as the negative behaviours start from here.

(بضغ An er Anger is the boiling of the blood of the heart to take revenge.

The anger that is prohibited is what is meant here as in some cases anger is required and a good deed. This prohibited anger also includes over-reacting in a situation where anger is justified but is not done proportionate to the situation or the anger has been retained for longer than is required. The right and healthy duration of anger is that anger comes when it is needed and then goes away immediately too (Aanan Faanan - ). Hakeem Ul Ummah Mujadid Ul Ummah Hazrat Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi (RA) states that “I become angry where it is needed) but the duration of my anger is that is comes and then goes away immediately (Aanan Faan - ) i.e. the duration of the anger is negligible. If I do need to discipline someone then I will not do that at that point. I will wait for another occasion where there is no trace of my anger”. This state is possible for everyone if the conviction is there.

The link of this character to the beautiful Rule is that the duration when the person is consumed by anger and erupting as a result that person’s focus and concern during that period is diverted from something useful and constructive to something that is potentially harmful or pointless at the least (i.e. hot air). Usually this period of anger or its effects is extensive for most people and it continuously impacts their meaningful tasks and focus.

A person’s unlawful anger usually stems from an act of a third person where they have done something contrary to your liking. The other link or connection of this character (anger) to the beautiful Rule is to think about the situation and context of anger rationally. That is the act that made you angry and made you erupt has already occurred. It is in the past now. There is nothing you can do to undo that act. It’s happened already. However, what you can do is be calm, think rationally, empower yourself, you can plan how you want to deal with this “unfavourable and disliked” situation and what action you want to take so you don’t erupt this rapidly or the duration of anger is not long. Keep in mind the duration when the person is consumed by anger then that person’s focus and concern for that period has been diverted from something useful and constructive to something that is potentially harmful or at least something pointless and fruitless (as mentioned above).

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected]

When the person is erupting due to anger and is boiling with rage, swearing, throwing tantrums, assaulting, etc then all these acts they are engaged in are pointless as these outbursts will not resolve anything or undo what has happened that triggered their anger. These outbursts can only bring more harm. So by practicing and applying this beautiful rule they will be able to control their outbursts due to anger and also with constant practice limit and restrict the duration they are erupting or consumed with anger. This will give them the power to restore calmness back to the situation and become empowered again quickly. This will in turn free up precious time and energy they can then expend both these invaluable assets into meaningful acts and engagements i.e. to resolve or tackle the issue that is causing the anger or friction with a calm and focused mind.

Also, during the time the person is consumed by anger the believer is distracted from Allah Ta’ala too, the worst thing possible. Hence, the Friends of Allah Ta’ala control ضورى - their unlawful anger so they can continue to enjoy the presence (Hudhoori and connection with Allah Ta’ala Ta’alluq Ma’Allah - ). The duration of their anger is negligible as in like switching a button on or off. This state of total control over their anger they achieve through constant and sincere practice and seeking the help and assistance of Allah Ta’ala.

Note: The sixteenth Hadeeth in the unique compilation of 40 Ahadeeth of Imam An- Nawawi Ash- hafi’ee R.A) is on prohibiting anger.

Observe your thoughts and yourself where and when anger comes into play.

Will you walk away from anger?

Note: As a side note it is important to mention here that anger is a natural emotion. It is within every human being. It is a very powerful emotion and very powerful deterrent if used wisely in the right quantity. Due to anger the human being (male or female) can deter and defend themselves, their honour, protect their family, their religious beliefs, their country, etc. They can protect themselves from being victimised. However, the reality is human beings misuse and abuse anger. They oppress and victimise others on the basis of anger coupled with external means. In both cases, the human being is an وم where a human being is a victim (Mazloom - ro (Hakeem (Most Wise- م oppressor (Zalim - lA ehT .pleh deen yeht erehw setats era Prophet Muhammad (peace, salutations and blessings be upon him) wisely said that "help your brother whether he is an oppressor or a victim". Both need help in different ways. The victim needs help so he is saved from the oppression and the oppressor needs help so he does not oppress.

.des sexual desires وة Similar is the case of human desires (Shahwat - ulcni hcihw This is also a natural emotion and a powerful one too. It is needed at many levels. However, the issue is when this is abused. This has been briefly touched on under the section of ‘Lustful Glances’ and 'Lustful Thoughts' as that is a catalyst for many sexual abuses.

False Statements And Lying (Kizb) A false statement and a lie despite knowing the truth is speaking contrary to the truth and the actual facts and events. A person who reports every rumour they hear or read

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected] without investigating whether it is a fact or gossip is also considered a liar in the Shariah.

The link of this bad character to the beautiful Rule is the liar and the conveyor of false statements are engaging in a harmful act that is harmful to them and potentially others whilst also wasting precious time, energy and resources of others. Also, one lie leads to a hundred lies to cover the first lie. This is a waste of precious time and energy in meaningless acts. Observe your thoughts where and when you lie.

Will you abandon lying?

(ةبيغ Backbite Backbiting is to say something behind someone's back (in their absence or when they not aware) that would be hurtful to the person if they heard it even what the person is saying is true.

The link of this character to the beautiful Rule is that backbiting involves a third person and whatever the fault or weakness this person has you are mentioning in his/her absence is none of your business. This time spent in backbiting is a pointless act. It serves no purpose to you or your purpose in life.

The only time you can share the weakness or fault with a third person is if it would be a means of helping the person being backbited via another person who can help him/her or if this sharing and revealing a fault is being done for the greater good of the community or nation.

Observe where you are backbiting or listening to backbiting.

Will you walk away from backbiting or listening to backbiting?

(دسح Jealousy To be displeased with another’s good position whatever that maybe whether from a religious perspective like in-depth and vast knowledge, piety, pious off-springs, etc or from a worldly perspective like vast wealth, fame, standing in the community, good numbers of children, beautiful wife, etc) and to wish for its elimination is jealousy.

The link of this character to the beautiful Rule is that the jealous person is expending a lot of precious time and energy by being jealous of the third person. This can consume a lot of valuable mental energy depending on the extent of the jealousy. The time and energy spent with this negative mental consumption would be better spent if they engaged their mental thoughts, time and energy in something that is productive and beneficial to them than wasting valuable and precious time and energy in a negative and pointless way.

Observe your thoughts and actions where and when you engage in jealousy.

Will you let go of jealousy?

Note: Hadeeth number 35 in the unique compilation of 40 Ahadeeth of Imam An- Nawawi Ash- hafi’ee R.A) is on the prohibition of ealousy, hatred, arrogance, etc.

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected]

(ءاير Insincerity Ostentation or insincerity is the intention to enhance one’s dignity in the eyes of people by means of acts of obedience to Allah Most High.

Insincerity could be manifest through the spoken or written word, the physical action or behaviour of a person.

This attitude totally defeats the purpose of worship. The purpose of worship (and that includes all acts of goodness and kindness) is to gain the pleasure of Allah Most High. Also, by trying to please and impress anyone else besides Allah Ta’ala to seek something from them (e.g. respect, approval, position, wealth, etc) is to enslave themselves to the people they are trying to please and impress. Trying to please people is a battle you can’t win or gain anything from it besides pain, disappointments and regret. Performing a good deed or any act of kindness to only please Allah Ta’ala, our Creator and the only God is liberating. On the contrary trying to please the creation is a recipe that without doubt only attracts disappointment and makes you enslaved to these people. Insincerity is not a liberating act. However, its opposite sincerity is without doubt liberating.

Trying to impress someone is totally different from trying to benefit someone with sincere intent. Benefiting and being a helping hand for any human regardless of their state or status is good and should be the goal wherever you are at any time.

The link of this character to the beautiful Rule is that when the person engaged in and please people whenري ء ک ر show and insincerity (Riya Kar - sserpmi ot gniyrt si they need to be impressing and trying to please only Allah Ta’ala then the Riya Kar is concerting effort without any meaningful return as what can people give him/her. They cannot give him/her respect as that’s from Allah Ta’ala or anything meaningful or of value. This pursuit of impressing and trying to please others at the expense of displeasing Allah Ta’ala is pointless. It definitely does not work.

Observe your thoughts and actions where and when insincerity is present.

Will you abandon insincerity?

Note: The unique compilation of 40 Ahadeeth of Imam An-Nawawi Ash- hafi’ee R.A) start with the Prophetic saying on the importance of Sincerity i.e. the opposite of Insincerity.

Vanity and Conceit (Ujb) Vanity and conceit U b) is to attribute one’s e cellence (whether it be physical beauty, physical health, beautiful voice, in-depth knowledge, flair and style in writing, oratory skills, abundant wealth, high social status, elite profession, number of children, any achievements and successes, etc) to oneself while being oblivious of the excellence coming from Allah Ta’ala and the possibility of such excellence being snatched away by Allah Most High.

The time and mental and physical resources spent in this self-indulgence and vanity is time and resource wasted. A conceited person has no time for others as they are too busy occupied with themselves. An excessively proud and vain person (for whatever

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected] reasons that might be, some reasons are mentioned above) will consume and waste his/her precious thoughts in thinking how good they are, waste precious time in expressing their vanity to others and waste time, energy, money and various resources in needless self-promotion and vanity to others.

Nowadays, it is observed people are indulging and wasting too much of their precious and finite time and money in beautifying the physical appearance – face, hair, dress code, etc (i.e. becoming shallow) than focusing on the important and necessary things like the inner beauty, beauty of the heart, studies, acquiring knowledge, discharging of one’s responsibilities, serving others, etc (i.e. engaging in meaningful and beneficial work).

Healthy self-respect (Izzat-e-Nafs) which covers having a presentable appearance, self-confidence, etc is not vanity or being full of yourself, as this is something that is demanded and required in the Shariah. Vanity and ego of the Nafs i.e. self-obsession is what is meant here. I think Ego is a better word to describe Ujb more so than to describe Takabbur as Ujb is more closely related to the identity of your Self (Nafs).

The application of the beautiful rule will help keep and maintain the balance between staying within the parameters of self-respect and not wandering into the domain of the pointless activities of vanity.

Observe your thoughts and actions when and where you display vanity.

Will you abandon vanity?

(تك ر Arro ance ى ro ل Arrogance is to consider oneself superior to others in attributes of e cellence .(ريقحت consider others inferior to oneself

There are many forms of arrogance. Most are subtle, hidden, and hard to detect. In a nutshell, arrogance is to willingly and consciously regard oneself superior to others in religious or worldly excellence in a way which creates contempt in the heart for others. This is the reality of arrogance and this is forbidden and a very major sin.

Arrogance consists of two dimensions as indicated above i.e. the feeling of superiority and considering oneself great Ta’ally - ) and the other being to have contempt for The end result is the same for both .( ير - others and to look down on them Tahqeer dimensions. ometimes the Ta’ally - dimension is dominant in the thought, the ير - spoken word or the act or the behaviour and other times the Tahqeer dimension is dominant in the thought, the spoken word or the act or the behaviour.

The link of this character to the beautiful Rule is that in either case the bottom line is the person is comparing and contrasting him/her self to others and then giving their own self some false sense of superiority. It is a superiority they have conjured up in their own mind. This comparing and contrasting with others in this way is pointless and something that one should not spend time engaging in. It has no worthwhile outcome that one should engage any of their mental or physical faculties in.

Observe your thoughts and actions when and where you display arrogance.

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected]

Will you abandon arrogance?

Note: Hadeeth number 35 in the unique compilation of 40 Ahadeeth of Imam An- Nawawi Ash- hafi’ee R.A) is on the prohibition of ealousy, hatred, arrogance, etc.

(ةنيك و دقح Malice / Hatred When a person has malice (Hiqd, Keenah, Bhugdh) in the heart then the person entertains evil, hatred, grudge, bitterness, enmity, hostility, rancour, etc in the heart for another by design, and at the same time one is busy making schemes to harm the one at whom the malice is directed at.

This condition of malice asserts itself in the state of anger when one lacks the power to take revenge. Malice is the seed of many evils as anger, jealousy, etc develop from it too.

The link of this character to the beautiful Rule is that the person who entertains and harbours evil in the heart for another person is an act and engagement without any sense or logic or rationale that is burdening their heart with hatred, weighing them down and being an obstacle for more productive work. The weight of this hatred will only weigh the hater down and bring destruction and devastation to his/her life. Harbouring malice and hatred in the heart will only consume precious time and energy which could have been utilised for more meaningful and productive things that serve towards fulfilling the purpose of their life.

Observe your thoughts and see who you harbour malice and hatred for.

Will you let go of malice and hatred?

Note: Hadeeth number 35 in the unique compilation of 40 Ahadeeth of Imam An- Nawawi Ash- hafi’ee R.A) is on the prohibition of ealousy, hatred, arrogance, etc.

(ح ب ال ا Love for Fame The desire that others honour, respect, and be submissive to one is termed love of fame (Hubb Al-Jah).

Only such fame is detestable that has been acquired by one’s desire and pursuit. On the other hand, fame that Allah Most High bestows upon man without him requesting it is a bounty ni’ma) that deserves gratitude to the Giver, the Bestower, the Creator.

A man needs wealth to a certain degree to fulfil his/her necessities of life, and in the same manner is in need of respect to a certain degree. Such basic respect enables him/her to remain in safety and be protected against injustice and oppression.

The link of this character to the beautiful Rule is that the person who desires that others honour, respect, and be submissive to him/her is in pursuit of a pointless goal. People cannot give him/her respect and honour as that only comes from Allah Ta’ala ( ة - and real disrespect and humiliation Zillat ( زة - as true respect and honour Izzat only comes from Allah Ta’ala. Hence, it’s a desire they need to abandon and stay away from expending crucial energy, time and money.

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected]

Observe your thoughts and actions to see where you harbour or express desire for fame.

Will you abandon the desire for fame?

ا ح ب الدن Love of orldly thin s All things that give pleasure in this world to the lower self (Nafs) without it being of any merit in the Hereafter is termed as Dunya (the world) by the Sufiyya. This term “Love of Dunya” covers love of wealth, love of property, love of women (spouse), love of children, love of status and position, etc when they distract the believer from discharging their Deeni obligations or faltering in them. For example, love of children is a responsibility and worthy of reward in the Hereafter but when this love distracts and makes you distant from your Deeni obligations towards your Creator then this love of children falls within the scope of “Love of Dunya”. It has crossed the correct boundaries.

Attachment to the world (Dunya) is a trap. It only leads to misery and unhappiness. There is no other outcome or result. It is a black hole that many before us have gone to look for happiness in and perished without attaining happiness in it.

We are afflicted with a number of spiritual ailments all having their origin in the love of the world. If this root ailment is treated and cured, all other maladies flowing from it will also disappear. A man overwhelmed and totally engrossed and immersed in the love of the world (wealth, property, women, children, love of status and position, etc) will have no or very little concern and time for the Hereafter. The “Love of Dunya” is a spectrum so there are varying degrees of it. Some might be at the extreme end of it and a total slave of the Dunya and others at the low end of it and will be less enslaved. The goal is to get out of this enslavement and be free.

The link of this character to the beautiful Rule is that the person who becomes the slave to worldly pursuits is fighting a losing game as they will only be getting what is written in their fate. Hence, it’s a pursuit they need to abandon and stay away from expending crucial time, energy and focus at the expense of totally abandoning the preparations for the Hereafter, a life that is forever. The worldly life is temporary and its total duration is highly uncertain and unknown. o don’t wait for tomorrow to start the preparations.

In one Hadeeth there is also mention about abandoning the worry of the Dunya and re-aligning the worry and concern for the Hereafter. The worldly worry is futile.

Also, the love of Dunya is usually due to the underlying competitions people have with others. For example, competing in who has the best house or scores of houses, best car or fleet of cars, big bank balance, number of children, etc. The Holy Quran terms Here the focus of the people on acquiring .(رخ ت this as Takathur ( ) and Tafakhur more of the world is based and motivated by looking at others. It should be irrelevant how much of the worldly possessions the other person has. The focus should only be on your worldly needs that you need to live and survive based on your means.

Observe your thoughts and actions to see where you harbour or express desire for the worldly things.

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected]

Will you abandon the desire for worldly things?

Another character mentioned in my heikh RA)’s book – Shariat & Tasawwuf - and is in reality a product of this character Love of Dunya (Hubb-ud-Dunya) (as my Sheikh (RA) mentions too) is Miserliness (Bukhl). Miserliness in reality is the effect due to the love for wealth, which motivates the person to hoard and not spend where the Shariah has ordered and instructed us to so. Miserliness will also be remedied once the Love of Dunya (Hubb-ud-Dunya) has been moderated through the practice of this beautiful rule.

Miserliness (Bukhl) is to withhold spending when such spending is necessary according to the Shariah (e.g. Zakaat, other forms of Sadaqaat, adequate spending on your dependents, etc) or is required from a moral and social (Muruwwat) perspective.

Observe your thoughts and actions to see where you display miserliness.

Will you let go of miserliness?

Love of Fame (Hubb Al-Jah) is in essence also a subset of the Love of Dunya if we were to classify these bad characters.

Above were most of the key bad characters the application of this beautiful Rule from the beautiful Hadeeth can remedy. If these key bad characters are remedied then the believer is on a very good standing and footing to develop and excel with the good characters as moderating these bad characters creates the fertile ground and strong foundation to build the strong and tall building of good characters. This will then propel the Believer, the Salik, the Salikah to orbit high (Urooj - ) and gain closeness and pro imity to Allah Ta’ala.

The above mentioned bad characters are in fact all the bad characters that my beloved and Mushfique Sheikh, Murshid and Murabby Hazrat Moulana Masihullah Khan Jalalabadi RA) has mentioned in his masterpiece namely ‘ hariat & Tasawwuf’ ( - ). This beautiful rule has the power to remedy all of these bad characters. It is an overarching, comprehensive and all-embracing remedy for all of them if applied with understanding, diligence and focus. It should be noted that each of the bad characters have their specific cures and remedies (in all cases several of them) that can also be employed to cure them. However, the point here is to show and highlight the power and comprehensiveness of this beautiful rule to remedy them all. This remedy is given to us in this beautiful and succinct manner by the most wise and mercy to the mankind (Rahmat-ul-lil-Aalameen) Prophet Muhammad (peace, salutations and blessings be upon him).

I intent to write in detail on all the bad characters mentioned above so the readers can get a deeper insight into all of them. This will be in effect expanding on the great but succinct work of my beloved guide and mentor. Insha Allah (Allah Willing)!

Remedy for Social Ills

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected]

Below are some socials ills this beautiful rule has the power and potential to cure, remedy and eliminate. The socials ills mentioned here are the ones specifically highlighted and mentioned in Surat Al-Hujarat. They have been singled out as they require focus and need to be uprooted.

(س ري /تمس ر Mockery Mockery is to ridicule, scoff or jeer another person or a group (a community, or a nation) for whatever reason that may be (dress code, method of talking or walking, level of intellect, level of education, aspirations, etc). Be that in front of their face in person, on social media or any other way.

The link of this social ill to the beautiful Rule is this act is in itself stupid, nasty, vile, despicable and without any value. It is a horrible and cold hearted act. It lacks any meaning or purpose. It is a waste of precious time and energy of the one engaged in this vile act and at the same hurtful to the one mocked.

Observe your actions where and when you mock.

Will you walk away from mockery?

(زمل Defamin This is to actively go about damaging the good reputation of someone. Slander also falls part of this defaming social ill.

The link of this social ill to the beautiful Rule is similar to the above (Mockery) as the defamer is engrossed in wasting his/her precious time and energy by playing and trying to damage the fame and respect of others that is of no concern to him/her. The respect and standing they have in the community or nationally is not the concern of the defamer. In some cases the defamer goes about harming or trying to harm the other person who he is trying to discredit and humiliate.

If you have an outstanding right on the person or they owe you something then that needs to be pursued using the correct legal means. Defaming someone is not the correct way.

Observe your actions where and when you defame.

Will you walk away from defaming?

(زبانت Insultin throu h Nicknames This is to call someone a nickname or a title that they find insulting when other means of identifying them is available. For example, calling someone fat, ugly, an adulterer, a fornicator, a sinner, etc would be prohibited. However, if calling someone a nickname they accept or is the only way to identify them then that would not fall foul of this prohibition.

The link of this social ill to the beautiful Rule is similar to the above social ills as the one calling the nicknames is directing their energy and time on unnecessary things that serves no purpose. This calling of names could lead to further wastage of precious time and energy by resulting in an argument, quarrel, fight, etc.

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected]

Observe your actions where and when you engage in name calling.

Will you walk away from name calling?

(إساءة ن Suspicion & Prejudices This is a killer. This is when a person suspects and has no firm basis for the suspicion. The bad and evil thought entered their mind or was dropped by Shaitan (human or Jinn) to misguide and create friction and now they are nurturing it and Shaitan is playing his role in the background in creating a storm out of nothing and enjoying the drama that comes out of it.

Nowadays there are many factors that give rise to this social ill. For instance, social media apps like Whatsapp, Twitter, etc where people forward things without verifying if what they are forwarding is even true or if it holds any validity or post messages on things they have heard without verifying its truth. The Islamic teaching is not to inform anyone else even if what you have heard or seen is true. Similar is the case for print or digital media as fake news is rife. Hence, this gives more reasons to discount any news or unsavoury things you hear regarding anyone. You can easily ignore and say you are not interested in any talk that violates the respect of anyone.

Prejudice is also a part of this category. This is a complex topic in the sense how we can realise and figure out the prejudices and biases we have. Biases are at different levels of the mind i.e. conscious, sub-conscious mind, etc and some biases are voluntary, some are involuntary and some have become involuntary when in reality they are voluntary but through constant conditioning they have become voluntary. However, the cure is simple using this beautiful rule as to discard, abandon and ignore any pre-judgements that are based on your imagination.

i.e. misunderstandings is also a part of this category of (یمھ لغ Ghalat Fahmi suspicion. When a misunderstanding occurs and instead of doing the rational and simple thing of getting it clarified from the person concerned the person nurtures this misunderstanding and then with the aid of the Qareen (Shaitan) turns this into to a monster. This results in marriage breakdowns, severing of family ties, enmity between best friends, business break-ups, organisational splits, etc. And this is a result of not engaging in a matter that concerns you and at the same time engaging and nurturing harmful thoughts.

Suspicion has been termed as the worst of lies (Akzab-ul-Hadeeth) in the Hadeeth. Hence, the impact suspicion has on the community is evident. Suspicion is a severe social ill. Hazrat Abu Hurairah (Allah be pleased with him) narrates the Messenger of Allah (peace, salutations and blessings be upon him) said: “Beware of suspicion, for suspicion is the worst of false tales.” Al-Bukhari)

is to actively create good thoughts about others ( ءة ن The opposite of uspicion The teaching of Islam is to even think something positive or to make an .( ن ن excuse on behalf of the person even if you have witnessed them doing any sin that is not affecting any other human being. There is no scope to propagate a personal weakness of a fellow human being to others. This act of actively thinking good of others at all cost does not cost anything. Instead it creates a light in the mind. It stamps out the root cause of breakups and enmity and it creates a mind and heart that is free from suspicion, bad thoughts about anyone and harbouring any hatred.

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected]

This is a trait my beloved sheikh Hazrat Moulana Masihullah Khan Jalalabadi (RA) used to emphasise a lot too to those connected with him. The Husn Zann (actively keeping good thoughts regarding people irrespective of the bad situations) of Hazrat (RA) was incredible and well-known.

The link of this social ill to the beautiful Rule is similar to the above social ills as the one engaged in suspicion is expending and wasting a hell lot of precious and vital energy and time in nurturing this baseless and dubious thought that just dropped into their head out of nowhere and has no sound basis without actually doing the right and simple thing of abandoning and totally ignoring this useless, harmful and destructive thought. Instead, they become the tool of the Shaitan (Human or Jinn) to destruct their and others lives.

Observe your actions where and when you engage in suspicion and prejudice.

Will you abandon suspicion and prejudice?

(ت سس - pyin on others Ta assus is to actively inquire, investigate and spy on someone with a view to ( س Ta assus try and find their hidden and concealed faults, weaknesses, sins, dirt, etc in the person.

The link of this social ill to the beautiful Rule is similar to above social ills as the one is also expending a hell lot of energy and ( س - engaged in spying Ta assus precious time in a futile pursuit. There is no need or necessity to spy on others and seek out their hidden faults. That is not your responsibility. You are not their owner. The intent here is vile and nasty as this is done so if anything has come up then that can be used against the person to humiliate them or blackmail them. Also, the person spying is also interfering in trying to find faults that Allah Ta’ala has concealed from the world.

Observe your actions where and when you engage in spying on others weaknesses.

Will you abandon spying on others weaknesses?

(ةبيغ Backbite Backbiting is a great social ill too. The details and the link to the beautiful Rule have been discussed above as part of the bad characters.

Remedy for Other Weaknesses To conclude this section on ‘Remedy for Bad Characters, Social Ills and Weaknesses’ I would like to add some more unreasonable or prohibited behaviours that the rule in the Hadeeth can remedy.

One thing to note here is that all these bad characters, social ills and the bad behaviours mentioned are all in reality weaknesses in the person. They weaken the person’s resolve; they waste the person’s precious resources of time, energy, health, etc and more. All these create negativity, are negative behaviours and weigh the person down. Only the last sub-section I have mentioned as weaknesses in the title even though the bad characters and social ills are weaknesses too as they have technical group names.

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected]

و سو س - Satanic Whispers (Waswasah Every human will experience whispers in the heart and mind from Shaitan (evil force) whether it is from the evil Jinn or from evil humans and the evil Nafs. The aim of these evil forces is to distract and destruct by tempting the person to commit a sin or even in or ر (disbelief (Kufr - s a gnikam dna gniyfituaeb yb lla su tcetorp ala’aT hallA disbelief appear attractive and enjoying when in reality it is only harmful and destructive.

The road to evil starts from these Satanic whispers where evil thoughts are dropped into the minds of innocent children and adults. Then these evil forces try to assist the person to nurture these evil thoughts and they keep bombarding them with supporting thoughts from different angles.

These evil forces will also then try to engage you to act on those evil thoughts they have dropped by encouraging you to listen to evil or look at evil or engage in acts. These evil forces when they see the opportunity and/or ر م - prohibited (Haram realise the person is vulnerable they will then create doubts and negative thoughts about our beautiful Deen of Islam.

By exercising and employing the rule the practitioner will be able to avoid falling foul of this trap of Shaitan. The practitioner will realise this is a ploy to engage him/her in harmful acts so they will exercise and exert effort to abandon engaging in these evil whispers and thoughts that can potentially lead to sin. Also, general cleanliness of the body by keeping the bowl empty, proper cleaning with water after relieving, daily bathing (at least once daily) coupled with staying in the state of perpetual ablution .n eliminating satanic whispersو ضوء Wuzu - i dia taerg rehtona osla si)

The link of this weakness and attack to the beautiful Rule is that by default and design these whispers in the heart and mind from Shaitan (evil force) whether it is from the evil Jinn or from evil humans and the evil Nafs are dropped to distract, divert, get you off the right track or side track you and move your focus of the ball. Keeping the beautiful rule at the forefront of the mind will help you put a break to these evil thoughts, stop engaging and nurturing them and motivate you to seek protection of Allah Ta’ala for additional protection from these evil forces.

Observe your thoughts and see where and when these Satanic whispers come to you.

Will you let go of the Satanic whispers?

Judgements when Meeting Someone When we are meeting or about to meet someone a host of judgements can be flooded to our minds. Whether they are voluntary or involuntary we will leave that for now as that requires some additional knowledge, coaching and deep observations of the thoughts. However, the point here is when these judgemental thoughts are voluntary then they are the product of our imagination. We are adding a layer or layers on this person we are about to meet without any need. This will create a barrier between you and them and will make the meet-up meaningless as nothing meaningful will come out of it for you due to your own doing and they have no part to play in this outcome. It is extremely vital that you meet people without judgements or any hatred in your heart

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected] for any meaningful relationship to develop. The Messenger of Allah Ta’ala – Prophet Muhammad (peace, salutations and blessings be upon him) used to instruct his companions that they do not say anything negative about anyone else in front of him so when he meets them his heart is not clouded by this negativity. He can meet them sincerely, with full of love and free from any judgements. There is a great lesson for us all here.

The application of the beautiful Rule will help them put a brake to these judgmental thoughts being created. The person will be able to free their mind from engaging and nurturing any negative thoughts or judgements regarding the person. A great skill of meeting people with a friendly face coupled with a sincere heart will develop that will lead to people trusting you and wanting to build relationships with you as they will feel your sincerity and warmth.

The link of this behaviour to the beautiful Rule is that when a person is busy making judgements about a person for whatever reason (and there is no reason that can be justified) then energy is being wasted in creating negativity and superficial barriers. This defeats the objective of meeting someone. The meet-up will not be productive. It will be better not to meet the person until you have removed this negativity.

Do you have time and energy to judge anyone? If you do have a habit of judging people and if you do that daily a number of times think of the negativity, negative energy and the weight it is creating in you and for what benefit? Ask yourself if it is better, wise, meaningful and productive not to expend any time and energy at all on judging anyone at any time or in scenario and freeing yourself from this burden and weight.

As the last Mughal Emperor of India, Bahadur Shah Zafar (RA) aptly said:

و ہ ر بی وروں ک ے ع ک ےی بر رہ ے د ی پ ن ںی ب ہ م ی ل ک ی ہ

Na thi hal ki jab hame apni khabar rahe dekhte auro ke ayb wa hunar

When I was unaware of myself I was looking (outward) at other people's faults and weaknesses.

کوئ ب ر ہ رہ ںیپ ر و ر و گ م وںیب ر ئ ی پ ن یپ ڑ When I looked inward at my own faults and weaknesess then no one remained bad or evil in my eyes.

Pary apny bura'iyu par jo nazar to nigah me koi bura na raha

Will you abandon these judgements?

Will you stay focused on the person with objectivity?

Judgements during Conversations When we talk and converse with people which includes listening to the other person too hopefully the little inner voice and chatter in the mind is usually spinning and churning out thoughts that lead us to making all sorts of judgements or ill-judgements

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected] or evil thoughts regarding the person we are talking and conversing with. The judgements or ill-judgements or evil thoughts based on the little voice and the chatter that is happening in the mind could be: Is he/she trying to manipulate me; I don’t believe a word he/she is saying; what is he/she after; why is he/she trying to be so smart or funny or stupid; how fake, shallow and insincere they are; how bad or how immoral they are; how can I manipulate them; how can they be used and abused; etc.

The application of the beautiful Rule will help them put a brake to these judgmental thoughts i.e. it will stop them from engaging and nurturing these thoughts; it will help the practitioner abandon the little inner voice and the chatter in their mind; it will prevent them from judging the other person; it will create the focus they need to be giving to who they are conversing with without any judgments or biases. With practice the practitioner will be able to drown out the little voice, the chatter, the storm in the mind and replace it with calmness and neutrality. The mind will become an ocean of calmness and serenity. The rocky tides will disappear. The person's mind will listen to the other person without any judgment whatsoever. The mind will become neutral regarding the person they are conversing with i.e. will not be making any judgments either way - good or bad during the conversation. Instead they will be listening attentively. The practitioner will be able to listen to the other person with a totally open mind i.e. Khali-uz-Zehn ( ) and also a mind that is paying full attention and actually listening to the person. A great skill of listening will be developed and emotional intelligence will become a key feature in the person.

The link of this behaviour to the beautiful Rule is that when a person is busy listening to the little voice in the mind, the chatter and noise that is happening there then the attention is not focused on listening to the person talking to you. This will not be a healthy or meaningful conversation. It will be merely to show you are listening or to show you are polite, etc i.e. you don’t want to listen or you only want to listen if you make the judgements too. The time and energy spent on this conversation will not be of much value. It should be noted that is the Sunnah and one of the great Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah Ta’ala – Prophet Muhammad (peace, salutations and blessings be upon him) to listen attentively and with complete focus on the person even with the body facing the person.

Will you abandon these judgements?

Will you stay focused on the person with objectivity?

Stereotyping Stereotyping by default is also related to others. Stereotyping is to view every person from a particular group, particular ethnicity, particular community or a particular faith and religion based on an over-generalised belief or an oversimplified image widely held or portrayed about them. It is an expectation that people might have about every person in that group, category or community or faith that they will have a set of behaviours, preferences or ability. While such over-generalisations or oversimplification may be useful when making models, systemising information and simplifying things but they may be erroneous when it is applied to a particular individual from the group, ethnicity, community, faith, etc. This should be avoided as it can encourage and lead to prejudice with that person. Stereotyping is

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected]

Sometimes we have bad experiences from a particular person from a particular group, particular community, particular faith, particular organisation, the opposite gender, etc and we draw and conclude with these permanent and concrete over-generalisations or oversimplification painting everyone with the same brush due to that particular incident you experienced. This is totally letting yourself down.

When we look at anyone or we are dealing with anyone we should avoid stereotypes the mind might be feeding us as just look at them as human beings. There is no benefit in adding any other layers and corrupting and polluting your mind.

Stereotyping that is meant here is that which is in a negative context. Stereotyping i.e. grouping a set of people based on their likes or their behaviours or catering based on the foods or drinks certain cultures enjoy is not part of stereotyping.

When someone stereotypes someone based on their ethnicity e.g. they are Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, British, European, America, etc or based on their colour e.g. black, white, etc and create a host of negative assumptions that they are xyz then that is stereotyping and unnecessary.

In social psychology stereotypes and prejudice are understood to be related but are different concepts. Stereotyping is regarded as the most cognitive component and often occurs without conscious awareness, whereas prejudice is the affective component of stereotyping.

Every attitude has three components that are represented in what is called the ABC model of attitudes: A for Affective, B for Behavioural (also known as Conative), and C for Cognitive. The affective component refers to the feelings or emotions a person has when faced with an attitude object. For example, 'I feel scared when I think about or see a snake'. Behavioural (or conative) component: the way the attitude we have influences how we act or behave. For e ample: “I will avoid spiders and scream if I see one”. The cognitive component of attitude consists of the beliefs, knowledge, and thoughts you have about the attitude ob ect. For e ample: “I believe spiders are dangerous”. An individual's value system is composed of cognitive, affective and behavioural (conative) components, which all result in certain behaviour and acquisition of these components is an on-going process. As is evident this piece covers all three components.

The link of this behaviour to the beautiful Rule is that when a person is busy stereotyping the person they are interacting with then they are taking the spirit and purity out of their interaction. Their focus is diverted from the real person to an imaginary or academic scenario that has no relevance here. The stereotyping they are engaging is meaningless and a waste of precious energy and could potentially leave the person with a bad encounter. Stereotyping is not an activity a beautiful Muslim/Muslimah will be engaging in.

Observe your words and actions where you can notice stereotyping.

Will you abandon stereotyping?

Blaming Others/Everyone Else

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected]

Human beings are masters of evasion and avoiding taking responsibility when things go wrong. It is easy to assign the responsibility for a bad or unfortunate situation to someone or something. In some extreme cases the blame is directed at the Creator Allah Ta’ala protect us all). The reality is we only have ourselves to blame. For example, I have no manners due to my parents never teaching and inculcating manners in me; I am overweight and obese cause the supermarkets sell unhealthy food very cheap; I don’t e ercise cause of the weather; I don’t practice my beautiful religion cause of all the distractions; I don’t study cause of social media; I don’t look after my children cause they are very demanding; you are late due to your own doings but sill blaming others for this or even worse you are taking your anger on others when it was all your fault and not theirs; etc. Blaming has an expiry date too. It stops when you become old and mature enough to take on responsibility. After that you only have yourself to blame. Blaming others and everyone else besides one’s self is rampant. It’s become a culture. It’s a blame culture. There is no sense of taking responsibility or acting as mature and sensible adults. From the ages of 18 or 21 you need to be fully responsible and from 13 to 18 years of age need to show a good sense of responsibility.

The finger of blame at others is automatic. It does not even involve some thought. It does not even occur to us it could be me. I could be the one responsible for this mess. The beautiful rule will help break this automatic response mechanism, will let you think if you are the one that needs to take responsibility and help soul-searching as you might have for example misplaced something and now blaming your spouse or your colleague or done something wrong yourself but kept blaming your spouse, your parent or your children. It will help you take responsibility. It will make you responsible. All the negative energy of blame will no longer be there freeing space of positive energy.

Also, making a habit of regularly blaming yourself and putting yourself down even when the other person is at fault is the other extreme. This is wrong and unworkable too. The balance is to be real, practical and act in an assertive, measured, rational and logical way. The application of this beautiful rule will help you develop this too.

The link of this behaviour to the beautiful Rule is that when a person is busy blaming the world and everything in it then they are expending energy that yields no results. Blaming is a weak mans pass time. The beautiful rule will help you man up, take responsibility and get you to act instead of wasting precious time and energy in blaming the world. On the other extreme it will create the assertiveness to act in a balanced way and take measured and adequate action to create a workable and practical working relationship.

Observe your words and actions where you are constantly blaming others.

Will you let go of the blame game? Will you let go of the past?

Complaining about Everything Complaining is closely related to blaming. Mere complaining is a futile act. Yes, in real life it happens that we are dissatisfied or annoyed with someone, some organisation or about some event. The key here is not to merely complain to the world and do nothing. However, it is observed that this is what a lot of people do. What is

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected] meaningful and can possibly get results is to act and employ the necessary mechanisms at your disposable to resolve this dissatisfaction with the person, the organisation or the event organisers.

The link of this behaviour to the beautiful Rule is that when a person is busy complaining to the world then they are engaging in a futile and pointless act. The beautiful rule will help you man up, take responsibility and get you to act instead of wasting precious time and energy complaining to the world.

Observe your words and actions where you are constantly complaining about everything.

Will you let go of complaining?

Living in the Past Past is that which has gone and no longer existing. Hence, living in the past is being stuck and trapped in the by-gone era. It is usually an escape mechanism. It is a way to avoid responsibility, take charge, move on and be productive with life at the present time.

My beloved Sheikh, mentor and guide users to repeat this phrase a lot. It is very powerful. ل ک ہ م ی کر ہ ی بل ک یپ ہ غم ہ ی ض

Mazi pe gham nahi, mustaqbil ki fikar nahi, hal ka ihtimam

Leave the worry of the past behind (i.e. do not live in the past); do not concern yourself with the future as it’s not here), keep focus only on the present as it's here now (by discharging all your responsibilities).

Too many people dwell on or reminisce at length about past events and keep playing those events on repeat in their mind. These past events could be abuse (mental or sexual), death of a child or parent or loved one, accident, etc. This could be also be the sins you committed which you have now repented for but still keep playing in your mind and worrying about them. This totally stops them from moving on. They compare all current events or people with the back drop of past events. Living in the past hurts the person and hurts others they come into contact with. It prevents them from being productive and making a new life with real and beautiful possibilities.

Past events could be anything that is fuelling guilt, regret, anger, fear, blame, bitterness, lack of self-esteem, etc in the person. These could be due to negative or unreasonable events in your life related to your personal life or related to your practice on Islam causing these emotions.

This living in the past also impacts our daily living too. For example, we meet a person (or people) and that meet might not have gone so well for whatever reason e.g. something we disliked might have been said or done. The next time we meet that person (or people) we meet them with the same baggage as though we are living that past situation again in our mind. The friendliness and respect is not there. Think about it! To get out of this vicious cycle you can re-program your mind to think it’s a first meet so it will not have the emotional baggage and you are meeting with a fresh and

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected] genuine way or if this is too much then fake it till it gets real and becomes your habit to meet every person you encounter with a fresh and new look. Edge this point to your mind and heart and practice it that a very useful habit is to meet every person (especially those who you work and encounter a lot, your family members and friends, etc) like it is the first meet. It will get rid of your emotional baggage, your unhappiness, your anger, etc and it will lead to fulfilling and happy relationships between the two people.

In computer speak you have what is called a Web cache as part of the operations of your Web browser like Internet Explorer (IE) or Google Chrome. The purpose of that is that once the first request is fired from your Web address bar (where you type the web address e.g. www.google.co.uk) to fetch a certain Web page that response (the particular Web pages, images, and other types of Web multimedia, etc) is cached i.e. stored in a temporary storage. It is a snapshot or a saved copy of the requested Web page. So subsequent requests for that page can then be fulfilled from the cache rather than the request being sent all the way back to the Web server. So when you clear this cache and request the same page the request will go back to the actual Web server and retrieve the response, the fresh and latest content. It will not go to the cache as that has been cleared. If it was not cleared then it is possible it could be out of synch with the contents of the Web server and you get content that is outdated and old. Hence, it is best practice to Refresh or clear the cache. Similarly, when you apply the beautiful rule in that instance it will clear the cache that is stored in your mind from the particular meet. So the next time you meet it will be a fresh page. There will be no reference to the past. How beautiful would that life be? And then when you continually and consistently apply this beautiful rule with anyone you meet it will totally erase your past profile and total profile history from your sub-conscious mind. It is like your bad credit history will be totally erased,

One of the beauties in the advancements in computer and the Internet revolution and the various advancements in modern technology in general have made the task of explaining and understanding the various difficult and abstract concepts so much easier for everyone.

The link of this behaviour to the beautiful Rule is that when a person is busy living in the past then they are spending way too much time and energy in something that is not changeable and something that is beyond their control. It is a totally futile and pointless act. The beautiful rule will help you get out of this vicious circle, man up, take responsibility and charge of the current where you can act and amend what could be amended from the past and start being productive with your time, energy and life in general.

In Islam the beautiful act of Sincere Repentance (At-Taubah An-Nasooh) is there to break this vicious cycle of living in the past, living with regrets or shame, or any other emotion that is hindering your life, your productivity, etc and lets you move on and live in the present moment with freedom and be a productive member of the community.

Observe your words and actions where you are constantly living the past.

Will you let go of the past? Will you stay focused on the present?

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected]

(ا را ن س Ishraf-e-Nafs Ishraf is an Arabic word which literally means to have a sneaky look, cast a brief look, take a sly/stealthy look. In this case the sneaky look is originating in the Nafs where the Nafs is having a secret and sly look at the wealth of others and desiring and etc. If the gift is presented ,(ھدي ة - hoping for their wealth in the form of gifts Hadya when the desire of the Nafs (Ishraf-e-Nafs) was non-existent then that would be acceptable if no other prohibiting factors exist. However, Ishraf-e-Nafs is not restricted to the desire of wealth. Wealth is usually given as an example as most people desire and want wealth. Ishraf-e-Nafs can apply to any wanting of a worldly thing. For example, the desire and wanting of friendship with someone solely due to their or their parents Worldly or Deeni fame and status or the desire and wanting friendship with someone solely due their beauty and good looks or the desire and wanting friendship with someone solely due the what worldly things they can offer and give you.

Istighna is when the Nafs of a .(ء نغتس The opposite of Ishraf-e-Nafs is Istighna person has become and been made carefree and has no desire left with the wealth or any material thing (status, beauty, friendship, etc) of others. They become aloof, distant and detached to what wealth others including people who are connected and associated with them may or may not have. Istighna is a necessary trait the scholars, mashaikh and people engaged in the work of Deen need to acquire and arm themselves for them to be effective in the sincere imparting of this beautiful Deen where there is no expectation of any form of reward, not even a JazakAllah Khairan (Thank You). This is the real way (Sunnah) of Dawah (propagating of Deen) of all the Messengers of Allah Ta’ala eace, blessings and salutations on them all). This is a trait my beloved sheikh Hazrat Moulana Masihullah Khan Jalalabadi (RA) used to emphasise a lot to those connected with him. Hazrat (RA) was an ardent practitioner of Istighna in all the required areas. The details are beyond the scope of this piece.

Through the sincere practice of this beautiful Rule in the beautiful Hadeeth the practitioner (believer, salik, salikah) will eventually start to look and view people (regardless of their wealth, status, beauty, power, etc) as human beings, therefore worthy of respect and appreciation, period. They will not view them as cash cows or means to loot their wealth, or exploit their status, power, beauty, etc. In reality the practitioner of this beautiful rule will become their saviours and helpers in things that are priceless and no cash in the world can buy. When this level and state is reached then and only then can they be the sincere well-wishers of the people they are trying to help and whoever they are engaging with at any level.

The link of this behaviour to the beautiful Rule is that when the Nafs of a person is busy and engaged in a stealth way at desiring wealth, status, friendships and connections based on what the other person can offer, etc then this desiring will expend crucial energy that is unnecessary and has no benefit. For example, the person will engage in fake flattery (Japloosy - ) to meet ulterior motives. This will only serve to enslave and humiliate him/her.

It is obvious and should be noted that wanting to sincerely learn Deen, acquire good characters and behaviours, etc from someone (a famous and renown scholar or a famous and renown Sheikh or a famous and renown mentor or a famous and renown guide, etc) is not part of the equation as this is based on purity of intention (unless the ulterior motive is to seek fame underlying this connection). Allah Ta’ala protect us all!

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected]

Observe your thoughts when they are having a sneaky engagement on what is in there for you in others wealth, status, friendships, etc.

Will you abandon Ishraf-e-Nafs?

Note: Hadeeth number 31 in the unique compilation of 40 Ahadeeth of Imam An- Nawawi Ash- hafi’ee R.A) is on the importance from abstaining from Israf-e-Nafs.

(ن ر وت / ن ر د) Lustful Glances What I mean by that here is for a man to look, gaze and glance with intent at a non- mahram woman (those that are not from those female members from your family like or (توہش mother, sister, aunt, etc i.e. besides them) with lust and sexual desire equally for a woman to look, gaze and glance with intent at a non-mahram man (those that are not from those male members from your family like father, brother, uncle, etc For e ample, to check and eye .(توہش i.e. besides them) with lust and se ual desire out the opposite sex - their physical beauty and looks, physique, appearance, attractiveness, style of clothing, etc. This could be someone at work, on the tube, on the street, at the gym, etc. This is not a pleasant and civilised act and can lead to sexual abuse too.

This lustful look could be at a real person, at pictures, video clips, on social media or any digital mediums.

Lustful thoughts are also part of this as in reality lustful glances are in most cases a by product of lustful thoughts that are permeating in the mind and heart.

A good way to imagine the effects of a lustful glance or any of these other unlawful or Ta’allauq - ) like attachment and love for ب - love and attachments Hubb wealth, attachment and love for fame, unlawful attachment and love with a person, etc or any of these other bad characters and social behaviours mentioned here) is that every time a lustful glance (or any of these unlawful attachments or social behaviours) occurs it is like a virtual string springs out from your body and attaches you to the ground as these attachments are lowly and evil acts (Sifly - a enigami o . new string attaching you to the ground for every lustful glance (or any of these other attachments and behaviours) as to how all these strings will be weighing you down ي ن and how burdened you would feel. However, due to faith (Iman - htiw tiebla ن / ة weakness the believer (Mumin/Muminah - eht fo dne eht ot gnidloh eb lliw rope with a weak grip which can easily slip.

The key and the smart thing to do here is even if the invisible string springs out from your body to the other person is not to let it get hooked, attached and locked with the other person. Apply the beautiful rule to bring back the invisible string.

On the contrary any good deed you do in the form of good characters or good social behaviours is then creating a spiritual muscle in you and strengthening your grip with بل . the Rope of Allah Ta’ala Habl-Allah - ot yticapac eht uoy gnivig neht si sihT climb higher and higher to gain pro imity and closeness to Allah Ta’ala. In the Holy Quran the phrase and the command to hold tight to the Rope of Allah Ta’ala has been ل م ب ب . used Al’itisam bi Hablil Allah - eht si ala’aT hallA fo epoR ehT invisible connection between each one of us and Allah Ta’ala and the degree of the thickness and strength of the rope and our capacity to hold on to it firmly and with a

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected] strong grip depends entirely on our practice of Islam. The more we practice the firmer our grip gets and the stronger we hold onto the rope and conversely the lack of our practice results in a weaker grip and weakens the rope.

The link of this behaviour to the beautiful Rule is that it is none of your business to be checking someone else out as to how they look or dress or how beautiful and attractive they are and take enjoyment from it. Every lustful glance and lustful thought is polluting and corrupting the eyes and as a result polluting and corrupting the mind and heart. It is distracting you from the task at hand. The task you should be focusing and fully engaged with. This is precious time and energy wasted and may result in unnecessary worry, pain or heartache depending on the strength of the lust causing further loss of precious time, energy, productivity, happiness and peace of mind and heart.

When we see a beautiful female (or someone from the opposite gender) then it’s possible we might naturally be attracted to their physical beauty at first sight which is beyond our control. However, to nurture the evil and lustful thoughts and then to see with lust is adding a layer to this innocent and natural look. This nurture of thoughts involves mental exertion and is a waste of precious time and energy. This beautiful rule helps the practitioner put a break on the thoughts before this unnecessary layer and exertion is added. With sincere conviction and practice this innocent look state is achieved. Nothing is impossible!

Through the sincere practice of this beautiful rule in the beautiful Hadeeth the practitioner (believer, salik, salikah) will eventually start to look and view the opposite gender as human beings and not as objects of sexual gratification. They will not create the attachment to the person via the invisible strings that is created if the look is with lust. Hence, they will control their thoughts so it does not become lustful, they will lower their gazes when they come across someone from the opposite gender and avoid engaging in lustful glances and lustful thoughts.

If they do need to look at the opposite gender then they will not look with lust. They will actively monitor their thoughts that they remain pure and are not corrupted due to the Satanic whispers. And if any situation arises in giving the opposite gender a helping hand then that will be free from any ulterior motives - sexual or material. When this level and state is reached then and only then can they be the sincere well- wishers of the opposite gender.

When we are looking at the opposite gender and we find the person beautiful or attractive then this thought in our mind that 'this human being is beautiful or attractive' is a layer we have added, a meaning to this look we have associated and attached. What we are doing in reality is only looking at a human being of the opposite gender. Whatever other layers we are adding to this human being like beauty or attractiveness is our own creation and our personal view. There is no universal agreement of beauty as what is beautiful and attractive to one person is sometimes regarded as ugly and unattractive to another person. That is why it is said that beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. There is no need to exert and expend any time or energy on these superficial layers. The time and energy that I am referring to here is the time and energy spent in nurturing the thought and thinking of how beautiful or attractive the person is; the time and energy spent on expressing this as in some cases people will go at length to express this; the time and energy spent on trying the get to know the

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected] person; etc. The beautiful rule puts a break at the source by abandoning exerting any energy on adding any unnecessary additions. Keep life simple and pure.

The state that we need to be in is not to look with lust or actively ignore the opposite gender but to keep our focus on our purpose, our goal. The rest is not of your concern that you should expend vital energy towards. It is evident also from this piece that there should not be looks that are judgemental; looking down on them; envious looks; jealous looks; evil eye; etc either.

The other term which is popularly known as ‘Evil Eye’ and mentioned in the Hadeeth can be categorised under the banner of Jealousy and is one extreme form of ( ين jealousy when it was as a result of a voluntary act. The ‘Evil Eye’ can happen involuntary too. The literal meaning of the word Al-Ayn is the eye, and the effects of this can happen sometimes without any malicious intent. However, most cases are voluntary and evil. Hence, it is translated as ‘Evil Eye’.

Observe your glances when you are in the presence of the opposite gender.

Will you walk away from lustful glances?

Will you stay focused on the matter at hand?

Note: Hadeeth number 41 in the unique compilation of 40 Ahadeeth (actually there are 42 Ahadeeth where the first one can be regarded as an intro and the last one as a concluding Hadeeth) of Imam An-Nawawi Ash- hafi’ee R.A) is on the denunciation of desires and lust. Other negative behaviours could also fall under this Hadeeth.

Lustful Thoughts Thoughts are an amazing part of being human. Thoughts are the source of all human activity and behaviour. Thoughts have great potential and equally certain thoughts can be detrimental and can unleash destruction. When we change our thoughts we can change our life as we become what we think about all day long. Our positivity and negativity is attached to our thoughts and our perspectives and how we view things in life. What happens is usually with thoughts we attach emotions and when emotions get attached to thoughts the power in that is apparent. This makes it a very powerful or destructive tool. This is what commercial companies bank on to sell their products through clever advertising (that is based on this thought and emotion combination) and take your hard earned money on things you don’t even need or is detrimental to your health and well-being. From this the power of thoughts become apparent and evident as to how they affect our moods, behaviours, interactions and outlook on life and people.

Thought is an activity of the human mind. There are essentially two types of thoughts that occur in the mind. One is active thoughts i.e. those thoughts that you actively create and is a creation of your own thinking and process of thinking. The Mashaikh and Sufiyya (experts in the field and Path of Tazkiyah) call them voluntary thoughts (i.e. Ikhtiyari). The second type is involuntary thoughts i.e. those thoughts that suddenly occur in the mind or without your input. The input sources could be a number of them. The Mashaikh and Sufiyya call them Ghair Ikhtiyari (i.e. voluntary thoughts). This second part is beyond the scope of this piece and is something you should not worry too much about. However, there is some detail in understanding the

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected] two types as the distinctions between them can get blurred and sometimes it seems to a person that the voluntary thought is an involuntary thought when in reality the expert will help you identify that in reality the thought is voluntary. This will lead to clarity and motivate you to act. I will try to discuss this (i.e. thoughts in more detail, the mechanisms to identify this distinctions to get clarity, etc) Insha All (God willing) in a separate piece as it’s a topic I have greatly benefited from observing my thought processes and being conscious of my thoughts, enjoy thinking and reflecting on how I can improve and maximise my activities of the mind and in essence my quality of life just through the paradigm shift in my active thought processes.

The thoughts could be anything – ideas, opinions, judgments, etc.

The discussion here is of lustful thoughts. This is a sub-set of thoughts. For some it can be consuming their life and wreaking havoc in all areas of their personal and professional life. This is a voluntary activity. Lustful thoughts are negative by default. They will weigh you down and distract you from the task at hand, weaken your faith and spirituality, weaken your performance in general, destruct your relationships, damage your health and well-being, etc. There is mental exertion in this and that involves precious moments, time, etc depending on how much a person spends on lustful thoughts. So there is wastage of precious time and energy too.

The lustful thoughts that we create from the pictures we have stored in our memories or from the people we are looking at or from through any other mediums like online activities, etc are negative energy and adding a layer on the thoughts. This added layer is a layer of darkness we are adding to our mind and heart. The beautiful rule helps us remove all these layers of darkness and veils we have created in our minds and hearts that are stopping us reach our potential and connect with the Divine and benefit from the Divine Rays that will shine on our minds and hearts if these layers and veils of darkness are not present.

Lustful glances are a by product of lustful thoughts that are permeating in the mind and heart. The source of the lustful glances are the thoughts in almost all cases that lead to lustful thoughts that then lead to lustful glances.

The link of this behaviour to the beautiful Rule is that be open to anything and acknowledge any thought but don’t attach any emotion or lust to it. Adding lust to the thought based on any source e.g. glancing at someone or the pictures in your mental memory, etc is a meaningless and distractive activity from your goal and can be very detrimental and destructive spiritually as it can remove the sweetness of Iman (faith) from the heart.

Through the sincere practice of this beautiful rule in the beautiful Hadeeth the practitioner (believer, salik, salikah) will eventually start to become aware of one’s thoughts, their nature and will acknowledge them that they occurred but will have power not to attach any lust or emotion to them. This is very powerful stuff.

Thoughts in general is a topic very close to my mind and heart. It is something I have spent and always spending a lot of time actively thinking, observing, being aware and present to them, seeing the rise and fall of thoughts and the manipulations that go on, the different nature of thoughts and the emotions (negative or positive) they lead to or that get attached to them, its power in transforming the life, etc. I intend to write a

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected] separate and dedicated piece on thoughts Insha Allah (God Willing) where I can share my experiences and the mental exercise (which my mentor actually liked very much) I created and developed to master the thoughts to achieve my spiritual goals after I had the realisation the thoughts were the root cause of the bad characters and social ills. If the thoughts, the source is cleaned up then everything stemming from them will be clean, pure and fresh. I have seen the immense benefits of the mental exercise on the thoughts I created and developed out of a spiritual need. That practice has played a great part in the understanding and insights into this beautiful rule which I cannot stop praising and it has helped me in the write up of the content on this beautiful rule.

Observe your thoughts when you are in the presence of the opposite gender.

Will you abandon lustful thoughts?

Will you stay focused on the matter at hand?

Gossip Gossip is generally based on and stems out of rumours. Gossip here includes both idle and useless talk and talking about other people and their private lives whether it is factual or not with another person or as a group and whether this is done in person or via social media (Whatsapp, Facebook, etc). Idle and useless talk includes enquiring or asking a person or about a third person regarding their personal matters whether they are mundane or otherwise that is not part of their Sphere of Concern. Also, talking about other people and their private lives is also not part of their Sphere of Concern. Gossip usually stems from jealousy and the desire to hurt and humiliate the one being gossiped.

The link of this behaviour to the beautiful Rule is that whilst you are engaging in gossip the precious time and energy expended in this activity is pointless as it cannot create anything meaningful for you. Also, during this period of gossip you are distancing yourself from engaging in a meaningful act and deed that could benefit you in the worldly or religious (Deen) sphere.

Observe your words (verbal or written) when you are communicating with people you know well at home, office or elsewhere to see if it involves gossiping.

Will you abandon gossiping?

Competitiveness The word competitive by default is related to others. Competitiveness means to want to gain an upper hand on others and to defeat others. It is about constantly trying to compare yourself and what you have with others.

In this context competitiveness applies to competing with others in a way that crosses into toxic territory. Healthy competition is a good thing but that is limited in its sphere as generally it is toxic and destructive to oneself as it creates jealousy, hatred, etc.

The sphere of competition is in the worldly affairs i.e. the rat race where a person is competing with another to acquire more wealth than others, more fame than others, more closeness to someone popular even to an authentic pious person or more

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected] knowledge than others so it ultimately gets them more wealth or fame (the intent is totally insincere, impure and wrong), more pleasures of the world (women, luxury, materialistic things like top of the range cars, mansions, watches, etc), etc. The sphere of competition is not in anything worthwhile or permanent i.e. that is going to create closeness and pro imity to their Creator, Allah Ta’ala or to be a helping hand to humanity with sincere intent and with no desire of reward or fame or status.

Those “others” who the person is competing and trying to outclass and out manoeuvre could be siblings, relatives, neighbours, peers and contemporaries, class mates (from school, Madrasah, Darul Uloom, university, etc), other students of your Ustaz, other Mureeds (followers) of your Sheikh, work colleagues, business competitors, comparing your children with other children, etc, etc. These are the people where competition and jealousy would be rife and in full force when the inner self and the mind set are totally corrupted. The foundation and the intention of all these acts are all revolving around the worldly benefits. There is no competition of this toxic nature when the inner self and the mind are free from these lowly desires and the good acts do not stem from this low base of self-gain and greed.

The concern, worry and effort here should not be to do better and to outclass your siblings, relatives, peers, contemporaries, neighbours, fellow classmates and students, fellow Mureeds, work colleagues, etc but only about competing with yourself and outclassing what you were yesterday, last week, last month, last year. Competing to outclass others is taking the wrong path. It is a path that leads to nowhere. It is the path of negativity. This path will only lead to abject failure as it is paved and laden with all sorts of negativity (as what else could a road of negativity provide) like worry, stress, jealousy, anger, hatred, disservice to yourself, etc. For e ample, if someone’s concern, focus and effort are only to do better than student x then there is two scenarios here. The first scenario is this person is smarter and more intelligent than student x so in this case the person is limiting and restricting their potential and potentially wasting their talent. It will be doing a disservice to oneself. The second scenario is this person is less smarter and less intelligent than student x so in this case the person is taking on unnecessary worry and stress that would be better utilised in developing their capacity, talent, intellect, etc. This will create jealousy, anger, hatred in this person towards the person they are trying to compete with but cannot. Both scenarios are in essence a loose-loose case and it stems from not applying the beautiful rule in this Hadeeth as focus and concern is targeted in the wrong place. This pointless focus and concern needs to be abandoned and 100% focus needs to be only on improving oneself and competing with oneself. What others are doing or not doing is irrelevant. That is none of your concern. Focus on yourself. This is You verses You. This is the ordinary version of you versus the potential extra- ordinary version of you that is in competition.

I have given examples at a personal level but this unhealthy competing behaviour is also rampant in organisations and movement whether they are Deeni (religious) or commercial and business organisations. This unhealthy competing behaviour is also rampant at the country level with one nation competing with another just to outclass the other. The competition is not to excel and develop their organisation and country so they are the best regardless of others. For example, it is observed one organisation will undertake a project (which should have been undertaken anyway regardless of any other organisation doing it or not) but the motivation here is to undertake the project so their organisation does not get behind the other competitor

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected] organisation they are trying to compete with or stay in par with. The motivation is not to excel and innovative or be a true leader and let others follow from your inspiration. In the business and commercial world Apple Inc. (the biggest and most innovative company and the company with the biggest cash in the world) in the world have this ethos too of only competing with its own self and outclassing what it can develop and innovate. Apple inc. develops products not based on how they can out do their competitors but on how they can develop the best and most innovative product. They are detached and free from any external restraints and this leads to creativity and innovation that has no bounds and the world has witnessed. If they were to compete with others like their competitors do then their circle of creativity and innovation will be limited, restricted, lack originality as is the case with most commercial organisations. Apple Inc. has never entirely been like any other conventional business from its inception.

The other reason to mention Apple inc. here (as a side note in particular for the non- Muslim readers) is the way how by and through the incredible and innovative designs in the apple products starting with the iMac that revolutionised personal computers as objects of beauty, personalised them in such a way that it created and developed affinity in the iMac owners with the computer which prior to this was regarded as a dull piece of machine. The iMac by design had a poetic dimension crafted into it. Since, then Apple has produced other outstanding innovations with spectacular designs (e.g. ipod, ipad, iphone, innovative Apple store designs) which people who love Apple products would be queuing up to get their hands on. My point here is to relate this to the unique and unparalleled beauty the beautiful religion of Islam has through Divine design woven through it. There is nothing remotely like it. Every order, act of worship, guidance, teaching, practice, prohibition, etc is so perfect, complete, coherent, inter- related, free from inaccuracies and inconsistencies and full of Divine wisdom that anyone who studies the faith of Islam objectively cannot but conclude it is beautiful; it is not accidental or man-made; it is the Divine message; it being the truth and must be from the Divine. This is the reason in all ages from the inception of Islam till now the true and sincere followers of Islam are willing to sacrifice everything to preserve and propagate this message to the entire humanity.

One thing to note here is to do this requires passion; requires you believe in what you are doing; requires a lot of courage; requires strong self-belief and determination; required devotion; requires diligence; requires the power of empathy; requires weathering storms; requires being a leader and not a follower; requires going against the flow; requires not being a part of the crowd or the current tide as that is easy; requires putting your neck on the line; requires solitude, discipline and commitment. It is not for the faint hearted.

I would also like to mention three relevant examples in the sphere of innovation and creativity related to my educational and academic writings or my involvement in serving the community as I would like my targeted readers to benefit from those works or benefit from my community involvements. The intent was to share with them my experiences and findings so they can share in the fruits of the learning. The point of sharing these three personal examples is not to brag or boast about myself but to mention the fruits of this beautiful rule. I am nothing without the Divine help. Hence, there is no doubt in my mind where ALL the credit lies. It lies with the All-Powerful, Most Merciful Creator Allah Ta’ala. I am grateful to the Divine for making me a medium to share these works and services.

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected]

The first is my educational work on Ahsan-ul-Qawaaid namely “Ahsan-Ut-Tajweed: A Tajweed Tool Kit for Teachers and Parents Teaching Ahsan-Ul-Qawaaid”. I wrote this in the early 2000. Ahsan-ul-Qawaaid is a master piece for children or anyone (any age) who does not know Arabic and cannot recite the Holy Quraan but is eager to learn to recite the Holy Quraan and also to recite it with Tajweed. My book discusses how to teach each of the 30 lessons in Ahsan-ul-Qawaaid and the underlying Tajweed rules. It is a unique piece of work as I had not seen anything like it and it was as a result of a need I had when teaching young girls to recite the Holy Quraan with Tajweed. Need is the mother of all inventions. When I took my book to the printers for publishing the designer told me they had published so many Tajweed books (as in they were very similar) but had not seen anything like this before i.e. in its uniqueness in content and style.

The second example is my collection of articles (Maqalaat) on Qadha namely “Maqalaat Fiqhiyyah Qadhaiyyah” ( ) in Urdu. Qadha both in knowledge and practical terms is a not so well known amongst scholars too in this day and age. A good few of the eminent scholars in this field who were reviewing the material mentioned to me or mentioned it in their analysis of the book that a good portion of my articles and contents has not been written on before in this manner.

The final example is the vast range of educational seminars and workshops I have been able to offer in a voluntary capacity within the local community through the taufeeq of my Sustainer, my Creator. I get asked how I get the creative ideas and the refreshing content. The secret is in the application of the beautiful rule (amongst other factors) that generates pathways to bring this into fruition.

I would like to mention and single out two groups of people who are the most honourable and worthy of respect and admiration. The first group is those who are associated with knowledge (Ilm) either are students of knowledge or are scholars and the second group are those who are involved in propagating the beautiful message of Islam and serving humanity. There are countless ways to achieve this. We should all be in both groups or at least one of them in some capacity and if we are not then we should make it a priority to get into one or both of these groups as a matter of urgency so we can hopefully be resurrected on the Day of Judgment with these noble groups through association even though we lack the required calibre and commitment. With this said and acknowledged if there are toxic competitions within each of these two groups i.e. one scholar is competing with another scholar for one’s own ends or one Deeni movement is competing with another Deeni movement for their own ends then this scenario is very dangerous for the Ummah and humanity at large. This will be the start of the downfall of that scholar or that movement. The scholar involved in toxic competition with another scholar will be unable to benefit from other scholars; their learning will become curtailed; they will develop various spiritual ailments and they will be doing a disservice to themselves. On the contrary if the scholar avoids toxic competitions with their peers or contemporaries and humbles themselves and keeps an open mind and heart then they will be able to benefit from other scholars (their senior, junior or contemporary); their learning will increase; their spiritual strength will develop; their benefit will increase and they will be the winners. Similarly, when a Deeni movement is involved in toxic competition with another Deeni movement then it will be unable to benefit from the other Deeni movements; it will be unable to maximise its reach, growth and potential; it will cause chaos, disunity and Fitnah

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected]

(trials, civil strife, corruption) amongst the Ummah. The need here in both these honourable groups is of cooperation Ta’aawun) between scholars and between the different movements and not toxic competitions as without cooperation they cannot reach the ultimate goal and purpose they are striving for. Also, there needs to be encouragement and appreciation of the other scholars and other Deeni movements as they are your partners in the noble effort of Deen (not adversaries). One thing to note is differences of opinions between scholars or between the Deeni movements is inevitable and also a healthy sign when these differences do not become personalised (remain strictly professional) and also do not affect the shared goals of the hariah and the Deen Maqasid har’iyyah).

The application of this beautiful Rule from this beautiful Hadeeth can get rid of the toxic competitions, the sheep mentality and get the individual, the organisation and the country to enact what is good for each of them without the need to relate it to other individuals, organisations and countries. It will create true and inspiring leaders, leading and innovative organisations and inspiring nations that do the right thing at the right time without waiting for anyone else, or other organisation or other nation to take any required steps and actions. The application of the beautiful rule will unshackle you from others; create and unearth a spring and joy within you and bring about creativity and innovation at all levels.

The link of this behaviour to the beautiful Rule is that instead of limiting yourself, your organisation, your country to the other person, competitor organisation, another Deeni movement, neighbouring country and focusing all the effort and energy on outclassing the other entity try to focus and harness this vast energy on yourself, your organisation, your country and see the amazing and unique results. There is no mileage in looking at what others are doing. Ignore what others are doing or achieving. Outdo your past. Outgrow yourself for a better you. Break your own limits and live to your maximum and full potential every single day. Simply be the best you could be.

This point on competition has been briefly touched upon as part of the discussion on the bad character ‘Love of Dunya’ but I have covered this topic again from another with some additional detail as sometimes a (ن ونع perspective with another title particular usage of language and a new way of expressing an idea makes more sense to a person than the standard technical terms.

Observe your thoughts and actions in the gym, at work, in the community, etc if you are competing with anyone

Will you walk away from competing?

What Will People Say or not done in)ري ء This is in reality part of Insincerity (Riya - enod era stca eht sa some cases) to impress people or due to fear of people (the fear part I have discussed separately). So they rate you highly, say a good word, pat you on the back, is merely to ( رك - maybe get a mention in the media, etc. The motivation Muharrik please people. Doing the act to please Allah Ta’ala or with sincerity was not part of the equation.

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected]

It is never a good idea to please people at the displeasure of your Creator or to please people at the displeasure of your parents or to please people at the displeasure of your spouse or to please people at the displeasure of your family or to please people at the displeasure of your teachers, mentors and guides.

This act of trying to impress people can be related to the knowledge and practice of Deen or to any aspect of what is termed as worldly life e.g. saying something you don’t really believe to be true but saying it as it is required socially or to please them to gain their recognition. In reality, any act and I literally mean any act a believer does with the right intention and the right method will become Deen, a source of blessing and reward and an act of worship which includes even relieving yourself or being intimate with your spouse.

I am discussing insincerity again here in a separate section as people can relate to this title and heading easily even if they can’t fathom the technical term of incerity This is to work the mind from a ري ء . - ص Ikhlas - ayiR) ytirecnisnI etisoppo sti ro) different angle but to target the same spiritual muscles that need to be worked on.

A lot and I mean a lot of unnecessary effort, energy, concern, worry, money, thought processes, etc is put into pleasing others, grabbing their attention, impressing them, wanting their appreciation and acknowledgement, etc. The quantity of the level a person is a slave of this phenomenon will differ from person to person but most people will be a victim of this. These ‘Others’ i.e. other people could vary depending on the context. For example, wearing beautiful clothes to attract the attention of your husband is a good act. However, to wear beautiful clothes to show off to other relatives, impress other women, attract attention from other men, etc is a pointless concern and energy wasted. People will find a way to criticise you even if you wore the most expensive clothes. People-pleasing is a highly unwise and silly thing to do. Another example is to have a beautiful wedding for your son or daughter is a beautiful act. However, if the motivation is to outclass the other weddings and highlight your wealth, your superiority, your social class and status to other people in the community, etc then that too is a pointless concern and energy wasted. People you invited at the wedding will also find a way to criticise the outlandish wedding. That’s just how the general people are. The practice of this beautiful rule will aid you in restricting your sphere of concern to where it matters and abandoning where it does not matter. It will keep things in perspective and alleviate all the stresses that go into people pleasing or caring what other people might or might not be thinking about you.

One thing you should note and get into your mind which is certain from the act that you are trying to impress these people that the relationship between you two is shaky and not on firm foundation. If it was on firm foundation then there will not be a need to impress them as the other side would be giving you unconditional love, support, respect and rooting for your success based on who you are i.e. human being regardless of anything else or any others layers they need to add on you before they can give you love, support and respect. Anyone who does not give you unconditional love, support, respect and are rooting for your success should not matter to you in terms of trying to impress them. So is it really worth impressing anyone who will criticise you anyway, will hate and harbour jealousy for you, will try to bring you down, etc or is it better, wiser and meaningful only to act in your interests and what is good for you that relates back to your purpose of life? Also, remember how quickly people forget the dead as these dead people used to try to impress others too. Nothing will

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected] matter in the end. As the saying goes “If you know how quickly people forget the dead, you will stop living to impress people”. This i.e. trying to impress others especially strangers or not part of the circle who really matter towards your purpose of life) is a totally futile way of living and a stressful way of living too. Be free from this shackle.

The link of this behaviour to the beautiful Rule is that when the person is obsessed or concerned with what people will say or not say about him/her or anything they are trying to do then it will restrict their freedom of thought, restrict them to practice on their principles and values, enslave them to other people and their whims (which will keep changing) and will definitely be a source of stress. All this concern and effort is pointless without any meaningful return as realistically what can people do or take away from you. People cannot give you respect if that is what is your motivating factor to please people and to keep thinking of what will people say at the forefront of all activities as respect is without doubt solely from Allah Ta’ala. This pursuit of impressing and trying to please others at the e pense of displeasing Allah Ta’ala is pointless. It definitely does not work and will never give you what you want.

Will you walk away from what people might say?

Will you let go of what people might be thinking?

Expectations from Others The word expectation also by default is related to others or in this context covers events beyond your power and reach. Expectation is the belief and concern and worry that event x will occur in the future or someone will react to you in a certain way, or will treat you in a uniquely respectful manner, etc.

Some of these expectations could be immoral as wanting some kickbacks for a business deal or sexual favours in return for a helping hand or they could be unreasonable expectations like expecting someone to help you as you helped them in the past at whatever cost or the expectations could be minor like wanting and seeking approval or any form of recognition or acknowledgement from people, desiring someone open doors for you, give their seat up for you, praise you for your work, praise you for your contributions – skill wise or monetary, etc. Whatever the category of expectations there is it will create worry, stress during the expectation period and when the expectation is not met it will result in pain and regret and could lead to anxiety and depression.

The link of this behaviour to the beautiful Rule is that one is expending unnecessary concern and worry that is beyond their power and control when they have expectations from others. You have no control how others might treat you or you have no control the expectations you have linked with them can be fulfilled. Hence, attaching expectations from others is a worthless and pointless pursuit. A wise person will refrain from it.

This point on expectation has been briefly touched upon as part of the discussion on the weakness of ‘Ishraf-e-Nafs’ but I have covered this topic again from another with some additional detail as sometimes a (ن ونع perspective with another title particular usage of language and a new way of expressing an idea makes more sense

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected] to a person than the standard technical terms. Also, the point is to exercise the spiritual muscle using various techniques.

Expectations from others could also be classified as part of insincerity and in- authenticity as the act (of kindness, etc) the person is engaged in is done with the desire of seeking something from someone other than the Creator whilst masquerading it as an act of sincere kindness.

Expectations from others could also stem from vanity and conceit (Ujb) too.

These are some factors and possibilities to look out for and explore objectively or consult someone and get the coaching required when expectation is within you.

Observe your thoughts where, when and why expectation comes into the picture.

Will you let go of expectations?

Wastage of Money (Israf fil Maal - ) Lavish lifestyles, appearances and spending extravagantly (more than what one can afford) is usually motivated by the desire and need to impress people. Hence, this section is closely related to the above section titled ‘What will people say’. A person who lacks self-worth and self-esteem (i.e. that is not attached to any materialistic belongings e.g. big house/s, luxury car/s, big bank balances, luxury clothing and merchandises, etc) and sees self-worth on the possessions they have and from it what the impression that will create on other people is a slippery slope and one that cannot and will not the result in the desired outcome. The person will keep spending money and it will be wasted. It might even lead to bankruptcy and huge debts.

The link of this behaviour to the beautiful Rule is that when the person sees self-worth and self-esteem that is solely attached to material possessions they will do whatever it takes to acquire the required wealth (through loans, theft, etc) and spend. The beautiful rule will re-program the mine, the attitude to change this perspective and create self-worth and self-esteem that is not associated with wealth. It will then help the practitioner to spend the money wisely and it will not be wasted on spending to impress people.

Observe where you are spending your money and maybe keep a track and re- evaluate on the spending for future.

Will you abandon wastage of money?

(تقو عييضت astin Time Like health time is an invaluable resource. Time cannot be bought. The seconds, the minutes, the hours, the days, the weeks, the months, the years that have passed by you have gone. There is nothing that can bring them back. That amount of your life has disappeared. Life is a combination of these moments. Hence, this invaluable resource should not be utilised in pointless and meaningless activities. This concept of time pass is an unhealthy one. It should not be entertained. One of the biggest eaters and stealers of this invaluable resource of ours is social media - be it Whatsapp, You Tube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Online-Browsing, etc.

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected]

We should monitor how much of our time is utilised correctly and how much is wasted and then act accordingly.

The link of this behaviour to the beautiful Rule is that when one is engaged in activities that are merely done to pass and kill time (i.e. have no worldly or Deeni benefit in these engagements in the grand scheme of things) then they are engaging in and concerning themselves with pointless matters. The beautiful rule will help you reflect on the activities you are engaging and help you determine their value. The useless activities you will cut out and avoid. This will save you a lot of time which you can spend productively. You can spend all the extra hours you will gain in looking after your health through exercising, spending time with family, in self-development and growth, contributing to the community, etc. The goal is to spend every second in a meaningful way. This is possible as my eyes have witnessed such people in this day and age too despite the vast amounts of distractions.

One thing to note here is to take some time out in a day to refresh, rejuvenate and re- energise is not part of this category either. It is not wasting time as this time out is serving a purpose. We as humans tire mentally too and need some time out to refresh. During this time one can do whatever helps them to relax and refresh mentally. This could be going for a walk, listening to poetry, listening to Hamd or Naat, etc.

Observe where you are spending your time and maybe keep a track and re-evaluate on your day with by creating a timetable for all your activities.

Will you abandon wastage of time?

Regulates What you Watch on T.V. or Online A lot of precious time is wasted watching pointless shows, dramas, serials, etc on TV or various online media services platforms. They are those programs that do nothing besides being a temporary distraction. That adds no value to the physical, mental or spiritual growth of a person. Many so called Islamic channels are also a major distraction from the necessary and real task and goal at hand.

It is estimated that adults in the U.K. spend on average of three hours and 12 minutes per day whilst in the U.S. adults are watching five hours and four minutes of television per day on average (35.5 h/week, slightly more than 77 days per year). This is ridiculously a lot of time and very absurd too. This many hours in a day and week obviously cuts into other necessary, useful and meaningful work like going to the gym, reading, etc.

The link of this behaviour to the beautiful Rule is that when one is engaged in spending hours in front of the T.V or computer screen or whichever device it may be to pass and kill time (i.e. have no worldly or Deeni benefit in these engagements in the grand scheme of things) then they are engaging in and concerning themselves with pointless matters. The beautiful rule will help you reflect on the activities you are engaging and help you determine their value. The useless activities you will cut out and avoid. This will save you a lot of time which you can spend productively as mentioned above.

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected]

Observe how much time you are spending on watching TV, etc and what you are watching.

Will you abandon consuming your time sitting in front of the TV?

Will you stay focused on exercising and going out?

Useless Talk People tend to engage in a lot of talk which is usually meaningless for the sake of passing time i.e. that lacks any worldly or Deeni benefit. Even uttering one word or one sentence that is useless i.e. that has no Deeni or worldly benefit is detrimental to one’s spiritual health never mind e cessive useless talks. E cess useless talk can kill and hardened the spiritual heart. On the contrary talking all day that is meaningful is not harmful. The goal is to become economical and truthful in our words. The goal is to only engage in meaningful talk or remain silent if we have nothing useful to add. This rule is something that can help cut out the useless and meaningless talk and conversations that have zero value.

The useless talk could be verbal or in written form via digital mediums like Whatsapp, Twitter, Facebook, etc.

Some of these useless talks could be prohibited like swearing, cursing, backbiting, slander, lying, etc i.e. any of the vices related to the tongue or the useless talk could be harmless but pointless i.e. serves no purposes at all. This covers both these types.

Also, in the Hadeeth it has specifically been mentioned and gives us guidance in not to engage needlessly in story-telling and talking after the Isha (night) prayer (or any form of idle activities like channel hoping, etc) as that will affect the quality of sleep, impact the activities of the next day starting with the Fajar (early morning) prayers and the rest of the day. A well-rested person is a full functioning person. The guidance does not include talking to the spouse and children or engaging in teaching and learning, etc.

The link of this behaviour to the beautiful Rule is that when one is engaged in useless talk that has zero value and is just employed to pass time then they are engaging in and concerning themselves with pointless matters. The beautiful rule will help you reflect on the talks and conversations you are engaging (verbally or in written form) and help you determine their value. The useless talks and conversations you will cut out and avoid. This will save you a lot of time which you can spend productively.

One thing to note here is that the small talk we do with people we know or we don’t know serves a purpose so that is not part of useless talk.

Observe how much of your time is spent in useless talk.

Will you abandon useless talk?

Note: The fifteenth Hadeeth in the unique compilation of 40 Ahadeeth of Imam An-Nawawi Ash- hafi’ee R.A) is specifically on the need to disengage from pointless chatter.

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected]

Meaningless Political Discourse Politics and current affairs is something that some people tend to spend too much time to use as talking points or to pass time or to express concern on the surface without actually doing anything meaningful or taking any concrete action or doing whatever is within their means and control. It is usually lip-service. This is something the rule can help moderate and remedy by cutting out talk that leads to nowhere. It is good to express concern but more important to take action when you are in a position to take concrete steps that can be of use to those concerned. The minimum is to engage in Duas supplication) to Allah Ta’ala for those afflicted with in ustices, oppression, calamities, etc that they get alleviated.

Observe how much of your time is spent in meaningless political discourse.

Will you abandon meaningless political discourse?

Excess Sleep Sleep is a necessary and vital activity for every human being to protect and maintain their physical and mental health and well-being. During sleep the various body functions are rested, cells repaired, and various other activities take place that are vital for good physical and mental health. The amount of sleep required by each person varies and that changes at various stages of one’s life cycle. However, sleeping excess of that is akin to wasting precious time that could have been utilised in acts that are beneficial for the worldly or religious needs of the person. The key is to get quality sleep and that is best achieved by sleeping early at night.

The link of this behaviour to the beautiful Rule is that when one is engaged in excess sleep then that is not only harmful to the body like under sleeping but at the same will keep the person away from engaging and discharging his/her responsibilities. The hours spent in excess sleep are totally wasted as that does nothing for the health of the person. The beautiful rule will help you to cut out the unnecessary sleep, sleep the right amount and create order in your day and in your activities as the person will engage in matters that are of concern to him/her.

Observe how much extra hours you are sleeping in a day or the habit of sleeping very late.

Will you abandon the extra hours of sleep?

Will you stay focused on sleeping early?

Procrastination Procrastination is to keep delaying and putting things off. For example, in the area of study to keep putting off coursework, test or exam revision, etc to another time e.g. tomorrow, or next week, etc or in the area of work to keep delaying admin tasks or other side tasks that are necessary but don’t seem urgent or in the area of health to keep putting off attending gym sessions or a run in the park or a session of yoga, etc or in the area of personal life to keep delaying house chores, shopping, etc or in the area of business to keep delaying financial accounts, VAT returns, etc and instead going on holidays to avoid these tasks or engaging on other less priority work.

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected]

What happens when a person procrastinates is the tasks that should be done in a timely manner and are top of the priority list gets pushed down in terms of action and less urgent or totally irrelevant tasks are auctioned. The procrastinator turns the attention from these necessary tasks to engage in the not so necessary tasks. For example, the student engages in cleaning the entire dorm at the expense of the exam revision or engaging in other extra-curricular activities at the expense of the studies or turning up to the class but talking or being busy with the phone whilst the lecturer is explaining and delivering the lecture or the employee engages in helping in a voluntary business activity at the expense of not doing the necessary business tasks that needs doing or the gym goer goes to the gym but instead of working out is happy just enjoying the green juice or the smoothie.

The link of this behaviour to the beautiful Rule is that when a person is engaged in procrastination then the procrastinator is engaged in a task that is not within his/her sphere of concern at that moment in time. Keeping the beautiful rule at the forefront of the mind and actively exercising the will to implement this beautiful rule will help overcome procrastination. The key is the strong desire and conviction needs to be present and then exercising and implementing this beautiful rule with courage and will.

Observe on what areas of your life is affected by procrastination and the underlying reasons e.g. fear, boredom, etc.

Will you abandon procrastination?

Will you stay focused on discharging your obligations, responsibilities and duties in a timely manner?

Laziness This could be a part of procrastination as sometimes laziness and not wanting to exert the right effort is the cause of procrastination. Laziness is definitely linked to procrastination but discussed separately as it is a heading most people will relate too. Being lazy is to be idle, unwilling to work or do the right work, not be responsible and not engage in any productive activities that benefit the person, their family or the community at large.

The link of this behaviour to the beautiful Rule is that when a person is being lazy then they are wasting and spilling away their precious time and energy when that time and energy could have been spent in useful and meaningful activities. Similarly, here too by keeping the beautiful rule at the forefront of the mind and actively exercising the will to implement this beautiful rule will help overcome laziness.

Observe on what areas of your life is affected by laziness and the underlying reasons e.g. carelessness, lack of shouldering responsibility, etc.

Will you abandon laziness?

Will you stay focused on discharging your obligations, responsibilities and duties in a timely manner?

Compulsive Behaviour

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected]

Compulsive behaviour is an act where the person feels they must persistently and repetitively do and by definition it is those repetitions that serve little or no useful purpose. For example, washing limbs numerous times (more than the Sunnah amount) thinking 3 times was not enough or washing hands despite them being clean or cleaning the house despite it being clean and tidy.

The link of this behaviour to the beautiful Rule is that when a person engages in compulsive behaviour then there is wastage of time, energy and resources which could have been used in a more meaningful and productive manner. Keeping the beautiful rule at the forefront of the mind and actively exercising the will to implement this beautiful rule will help overcome compulsive behaviour.

Take note of any unnecessary habits in your life.

Will you let go of this compulsive behaviour?

Observations when Walking and Driving When out enjoying a leisurely walk in the streets or roads (or congregating on the street corners as that is what some people do) and seeing passing cars there is no need to look inside the cars, at the passengers, etc or when passing by houses there is no need to look inside the windows or in the gardens. The walker should focus on walking and on their safety as cannot trust all road users and those congregating on the street corners should not mind the business of the passer-by and pry into what they are doing. Also, the road users (drivers) should not mind what the pavement users are doing and focus on the road and safety of themselves, their passengers and fellow road users and avoid engaging in anything that can distract them. However, there is no harm in enjoying the scenery or looking elsewhere besides people who are going about minding their business.

The link of this behaviour to the beautiful Rule is that when a person is occupied with what other people are doing they are defeating the purpose (good or reasonable of course) of what they have come out to do e.g. enjoy the stroll, enjoy the fresh air when congregating, etc. Also, it is none of our business to interfere and pry into what fellow community members are doing when they are going about their business. Keeping the beautiful rule at the forefront of the mind and actively exercising the will to implement this beautiful rule will help keep us focused on our purpose and objective of the task and activity at hand. It will also provide sense of security to our fellow community members that they are not being watched and safe from prying eyes.

Observe where your focus is when you are out walking or driving.

Will you walk away from being nosy?

Will you stay focused on enjoying your walk or driving safely?

Behaviour when Out Shopping When out shopping there is no need to look and examine the inside of the shopping trolley or basket of fellow shoppers. The shopper should focus on their own shopping.

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected]

The link of this behaviour to the beautiful Rule is that it is none of our business to know and examine what our fellow shopper is buying or has in their basket. Keeping the beautiful rule at the forefront of the mind and actively exercising the will to implement this beautiful rule will help keep us focused on our shopping. It will also provide sense of security to our fellow shoppers that they are not being watched and safe from prying eyes as to what they are buying.

Observe where your focus is when you are out shopping.

Will you walk away from being nosy?

Will you stay focused on enjoying your shopping?

Curiosity Humans by nature are curious. They have the strong desire and capacity to inquire, learn and take interest in other people and things. However, there is limit and boundaries to this curiosity. If the curiosity is in the field of scientific discovery, field of study, etc then that is commendable. However, if the curiosity is in the affairs of other then that ( س - people or their private lives i.e. leading to spying on others (Tajassus is exceeding the boundaries of reason and is violating this rule as this will be a pointless and meaningless (La Yanee) pursuit.

The application of this beautiful rule moderates and confines this attitude and behaviour to the meaningful and beneficial spheres only.

This pointless curiosity is usually a result of Satanic Whispers (Waswasah) which the person then him/herself enacts and executes with their free will.

Observe where your focus is when you are out shopping.

Will you stay focused only on curiosity that matters?

Fear Fear is one of the good characters i.e. Fear of Allah Ta’ala Khawf-e-Khuda) i.e. to fear that He has the full power to punish if Divine law is violated. This is the fear at the intellectual level (Aqli). The fear that is meant in this section is the natural fear Tab’ee) when it is in e cess i.e. unnecessary fear of potential danger, pain or harm or imagined fear that has no real basis. This will be moderated through the practice of this beautiful rule.

For example, someone has excess fear of cats, dogs, creepy crawlies like spiders, worm, etc that they become hysterical by seeing them or a student forgets all his/her revision due to the mere fear of exams or the imagined fear to fail in the exam even though has fully prepared and revised for the exam. Through the practice of this beautiful rule this excess fear of animals can be moderated by keeping a focus only on the actuality of things these animals can or cannot do so the fear will be reduced and moderated as there is nothing to be hysterical in seeing these animals. Similarly, the fear of exams or the potential fear of failure can be remedied and moderated by focusing on the fact that sitting in an exam is something you are capable of doing and disassociating yourself with whatever result and outcome the exams will bring and focusing entirely on the revision.

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected]

Also, through the application of this beautiful rule the fear of people, fear of what people might say, fear of people laughing and mocking you if they displayed outward forms of Islamic identity and expressed themselves in a manner they like e.g. sport a beard or wear a cap for men, headscarf or the full veil for the sisters or praying in public, etc will be removed as this fear is a pointless fear to be harbouring. Some believers don’t sport a beard or wear the headscarf or wear Islamic clothing for fear of being laughed and mocked at or due to inferiority complex they have. The practice of this beautiful rule will alleviate this pointless fear, inferiority complex and develop courage and inner strength to self-express with pride their Islamic identity and also restore self-worth and integrity.

Also, through the application of this beautiful rule the fear of death, fear and worry of the timings of my death, fear and worry of the location of my death, etc and what will happen to my children or loved ones will be removed as this fear is a pointless fear to be harbouring. The practice of this beautiful rule will focus your mind on what is in your control and power. You have no power to know with certainty when or where you will die. However, what is in your power is that you live a life that is in line with your values, principles and conforms to your purpose of life. With regards to your children the beautiful rule will focus your mind and attention to do whatever is in your power when you are alive that can help them when you are not around than the pointless act of worrying and fear.

There can be numerous examples of fear e.g. fear of failure; fear of success; fear of marriage breakdowns; fear of poverty; fear of loss of life; fear of loss of wealth; fear of loss of import/export goods; fear of public speaking; fear of loss of memory; etc.

All these excess fears are negativity and will only lead to what you fear if you don’t put a break to the unnecessary level of fear. The key is to first keep the fear in perspective and restricted and then put in place whatever safeguards or protection mechanisms at your disposable and leave the rest to the All-Powerful, Creator.

Observe where your fears lie and the underlying causes of fear.

Will you abandon the excess fear?

Fear of Speaking the Truth This is a subset of the above category but I have mentioned it separately due to its importance and need in the world. The world at every level is lacking people who are willing to put their neck and life on the line in some cases or being brave and courageous to speak up for truth, speak against the injustices and oppression at every level in the society whether it be domestic, communal or at a national level. The world for its sanity needs brave and courageous people who will speak the truth without fear of repercussion.

This (fear of speaking the truth) is sometimes due to lack of empathy or apathy or sometimes due to fear of how people will react or how people will judge me or what will happen to my standing in the community, fear of material loss, fear of life in some cases, etc. All these concerns are part of those that you need to abandon and then go ahead and speak the truth (Kalimatu-Haqq - ). It is part of your and everyone’s responsibilities that they speak and act against any injustice and oppression they

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected] witness on the streets, in their organisations, in their communities, in their countries and in the world at large.

The practice of this beautiful rule will over time develop this strength and courage to disregard this fear and speak out against the injustices, oppression and for the building of a fairer and just society.

Observe what your underlying causes of fear for public speaking are.

Will you let go of fear?

Note: Hadeeth number 34 in the unique compilation of 40 Ahadeeth of Imam An- Nawawi Ash- hafi’ee R.A) is on the importance of speaking the truth.

Worry and Anxiety Worry is termed as “to feel or cause to feel anxious or troubled about actual or potentially problems”. Anxiety is similar to worry. Anxiety is a feeling of unease about something with an uncertain outcome.

These actual or potential problems could be something very small or could be relatively big. A small potential problem is like the worry and uneasiness about how long the homework will take and a small actual problem is a child having a minor sickness and a big potential problem is the worry and uneasiness as to what will happen to my children if I were to die and a big actual problem is like a death of a loved one - child, parent, sibling, teacher, mentor, etc.

One level of worry is natural and does not fall within the scope of one’s power, hence, it is overlooked. However, the level of worry and anxiety that falls within this rule and needs to be remedied and can be remedied through the practice of the rule is that worry and anxiety that exceeds the natural level and starts to consume the person and affect their daily function and performance of their daily life - acts and tasks. Their time is just consumed by worry but no real action is taken to alleviate the worry or the anxiety that is within their power and control. It would be worthwhile if the worry resulted in action but no, it yields no action. There is mere worry of things. Hence, a lot of precious time and unnecessary energy is expended without any meaningful action making the worry futile and pointless. As the saying goes “Worry is like a rocking chair. It keeps you moving but doesn’t get you anywhere”. Another saying goes “Worry is a total waste of time. It doesn’t change anything. All it does is steals your oy and keeps you very busy doing nothing”.

The stresses and worries of life are like a glass of water you are holding. It all depends on how long you hold onto it. If you hold onto it for a minute nothing happens, if you hold onto it for an hour your arm will start to ache and if you hold onto it all day your arm will feel paralysed and numb. The glass of water hasn’t changed but the longer you hold onto it the heavier it becomes. Similarly, if you think about the stresses and worries of life for a little while then there is no problem, if you start to think about it for longer it begins to hurt and if you think about them all day long then you will feel paralysed and incapable of doing anything. Always remember to shorten (not elongate) or try to totally eliminate the unnecessary stresses and worries of life through the practice of this beautiful rule.

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected]

A simple example is if a student wants to memories a page in the Holy Quran or a page of Hadeeth texts or a page of poetry but before actually memorising it or during the memorising process expends more energy in thinking how long it will take than actually focusing on memorising then this will affect his/her memorisation performance as the mind is not fully engaged as part of the mind processes are busy worrying and engaged in unnecessary tasks i.e. how long will it take, will it take long, etc. Once this worry is abandoned then the memorisation of the task will be quicker and easier as all the mental functions are fully engaged and no part is busy in pointless activity of thinking how long it will take, etc. Try it for yourself!

Another example is the worry and anxiety Shaitan instils when the Salik/Salikah wants to engage in their daily practice (Mamoolat). Shaitan whispers and tries to create tension and worry that the daily practice will take too much time. Take some rest for now and do this later on i.e. tries to use this delay and distract technique to eventually not let the Salik/Salikah engage in the daily practice as they will be too tired or will have forgotten due to other distractions. The practice of this beautiful rule will force and provide the required strength to the Salik/Salikah to go ahead and engage in the daily practice regardless of the “sweet coating of the poison and venom” from haitan using this ‘delay and distract’ technique.

Impatience is a worry too.

Observe what your Sphere of Worry and Anxiety is and the underlying causes of them.

Will you abandon the excess worry and anxiety?

Reminding (Tazkeer) and Preaching and Propagating Deen (Tableegh) ير Giving reminders to people (Tazkeer - neeD gnitagaporp dna gnihcaerp ro .with whatever lawful means or ways are being employed is good ب يغ - Tableegh) However, there are limits and boundaries for this important duty of Islam too. The aim in these duties whether you are a parent, teacher, sheikh, preacher, imam, etc is to convey the message of Islam in the best way possible using the relevant means and then leave the rest to Allah Ta’ala without over concerning yourself and worrying for things that are beyond your remit or your control after all the possible and effective means have been employed.

The link of this behaviour to the beautiful Rule is that it is only our duty as parents, teachers, sheikhs, preachers, imams, citizens, etc to use all the proper avenues at our disposable to convey, influence and propagate the message, teachings and wisdoms of our beautiful Deen of Islam to those that are within our circle of influence or care. The rest we should not worry about. We should let the guidance part to Allah Ta’ala.

Observe how much you stay within the limits and boundaries when engaging in propagating the beautiful message of Islam in any capacity.

Will you abandon crossing the limits and boundaries?

Discussing and/or Complaining about Weather It’s a very British thing to do is to talk about the weather. As a small talk it serves a purpose to break the ice to briefly start discussing the weather. However, complaining

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected] about the typical weather and letting it dictate your moods and impacting your normal routine is something this beautiful rule can moderate. Due to the practice of the beautiful rule and the mind set it creates it will make the person look at things differently; keep things in perspective and within their circle. The beautiful rule will help the practitioner to look at the weather as it is without adding their own stories and dimensions to it and will help them to perform their duties as planned without getting side tracked to a typical weather situation in Britain. The moods of the practitioner of the beautiful rule will not be affected by the weather - bad or good weather - as their moods will be moderated and sustained rationally without it being linked to the weather.

Also, in the UK summer days are extremely long (21 hours) and winter days extremely short with sunset occurring as early as 3:45 pm. The extreme nature of the seasons will not affect your routine as you will be able to look at them in a rational way without adding any unnecessary and irrational dimensions.

The link of this behaviour to the beautiful Rule is that even due to normal weather conditions some people spend a lot of time discussing weather; making them-selves voluntarily impacted by the weather when they can easily go about discharging their duties and responsibilities and let the weather affect their moods and happiness. The practice of the beautiful rule will moderate and remedy all these behaviours.

Observe how much time you spend moaning and complaining about the weather.

Will you abandon the moaning and complaining about the weather?

Will you stay focused on the task at hand?

Detachment from Distractions Life is full of distractions. That is the beauty of life. Life would not be beautiful if we were not challenged and tested with distractions to determine if have the courage, strength and power to look the other way; if we can keep our eye on the ball; stay focus; stay true to our purpose; etc or do we lack the courage, strength and power to look the other way; fall for any distractions; do we easily take our eye off the ball and wander around from corner to corner without meaning and purpose in life.

This is a general holder for any weaknesses that have not been mentioned above. Distractions by default and by definition is something that is taking your eye off the road, diverting your focus from something that matters to something that does not matter or is worthy of your concern, energy, effort. The link to the beautiful Rule is clear.

Observe all the distractions that distract you from the task at hand or your goal or purpose in life.

Will you abandon all these distractions?

Will you stay focused in life in all aspects of your life?

To conclude this section on ‘Remedy for Bad Characters, ocial Ills and eaknesses’ I would like to point out that it will be obvious and apparent by now how

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected] far reaching the effects are in remedying the bad characters, social ills and a range of other important and relevant weaknesses through the effective application of this comprehensive and beautiful rule mentioned in this beautiful and comprehensive Hadeeth.

Caution for Sisters The sisters are more prone to fall foul of concerning themselves with others and overstepping the boundaries of this beautiful rule. They have a habit of comparing themselves with others which results in a lot of worry for them and others. This can lead to depression and various other physical, mental and spiritual ills in the sisters. Some of these spiritual ills are ingratitude, impatience, jealousy, backbiting, arrogance, hatred, malice, competition, gossip, spying, etc. Some of these spiritual ills that the sisters (females) are more prone to have been explicitly highlighted in the sayings’ of the Holy rophet Muhammad (peace, salutations and blessings be upon him) i.e. Ahadeeth.

Taking Time Out As human beings we all need to take some time out from our delay, weekly, monthly and yearly schedules to spend some time to relax, re-energise and rejuvenate our body, mind, heart and soul. This time period varies and dependent on the needs of the person and their capacity could be 10 mins or few hours or a few days, etc.

This time out should not be regarded as wasted time. The purpose of this time out is so there is more focus and vigour in the activities we need to do when we come out of this break.

During this break and time out period engage in anything that serves the above mentioned purpose of this break and time out. It could be going for a walk, cracking some jokes and engaging in some humour, listening to something light hearted but inspiring and refreshing, meeting or spending some time with someone inspiring and anything that is healthy and refreshing.

Additional Outcomes from the Practice on the Beautiful Rule The beautiful and comprehensive rule in the beautiful and comprehensive Hadeeth is incredible in the benefits it keeps giving to one who practices and applies it to all spheres of his/her life all the time. As a result of applying this beautiful rule you gain and acquire many additional benefits as by-products. This is prophetic wisdom at work. Truly incredible and amazing! SubhanAllah!

Once the practitioner has mastered applying this beautiful rule to all parts of their life as detailed above then it will create "new" spiritual muscles i.e. good characters and behaviours. It is similar to when a person works out and exercises the body creates new muscles and builds a stronger and leaner body as mentioned in health books and something the gym goer is aware of and experiences too. Here I put new in quotes ("new" spiritual muscles) as these spiritual muscles in the form of good characters are already present within us i.e. the seeds of good characters are there in our spiritual heart. However, due to our engagement in sin and pointless activities we create a covering, a veil and mask the seeds of good characters. So by virtue of practicing this beautiful rule we uncover these veils and get to the seeds of good characters and bring them alive again. We breathe energy and life back into them. It creates the 93

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected] possibility for us to nurture and develop them. However, to build and enhanced the muscles and makes them stronger more work will be required on all these good characters. The good thing is now you have a clean canvas, a clean slate and a clean and blank drawing board to paint and write what you like.

The application of this beautiful rule by default creates space for the good characters to flourish and develop. In this section I am only discussing some of the by-products that are gained as a result of applying this beautiful rule.

Quite a few of these sub-headings are different areas of performance that is created as a result of the practice and application of this beautiful rule.

The development of increased level of performance due to the application and mastery of the beautiful rule coupled with the character and state of Ihsan (i.e. to complete all acts with excellence) whether the acts are related to worship like Salah, recitation of the Holy Quran, etc or other necessary matters like studies, work, exercise, etc or general human activities like slaughtering of an animal, talking to someone, walking, etc are the two great components of creating excellence to all aspects of your life.

I have not listed the good characters this beautiful rule brings to the forefront and makes them ready for cultivation. Some of these good characters are obvious like Ikhlas (Sincerity in Intention) which is the opposite of Riya (Insincerity), Tawadhu (Humility) which is the opposite of Arrogance (Takabbur), Contentment (Qana’at) which is the opposite of greed (Hirs), love of Allah Ta’ala and love of His Messenger Prophet Muhammad (peace, salutations and blessings be upon him) which is the opposite of Love of Dunya (i.e. anything that distracts the person from their Creator, their God.

Develops Nothingness, Clean Slate, Blank Canvas As a result of mastering the application of this beautiful rule this nothingness, a clean slate and a blank canvas is created. The ties with the past are broken. The person is living in the present with the possibilities to create a new blueprint. This nothingness is the road to transformation. When this state is reached then the solid foundation has been built. It paves the way for any future to be created. This then leads the way for a big building i.e. to build and develop the good characters and positive behaviours, etc to be built.

Internalises Good Characters This Hadeeth is the foundation and the base for developing and excelling in good رم ق characters (Makarim Akhlaq - eceip ym ni sliated eht morf tnedive si sa from all the bad characters, social ills and various other weaknesses it remedies and the space and capacity it creates for good characters, good social etiquette and behaviours to develop and excel. SubhanAllah!

(ميلس بلق and Qalb aleem (ميلس لقع Development of Aql aleem The practice of the beautiful rule also contributes greatly to the development of both ل يم the sound and pure intellect (Aql Saleem - blaQ) traeh erup dna dnuos dna ق ب يم Saleem - peek lliw elur eht fo noitacilppa dna ecitcarp detaeper eht sa purifying these two vital spiritual organs until they become pure and will not be coloured or tainted with spiritual dirt or be corrupted through evil thoughts or acts. As

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected] a result of the application of the beautiful rule these two organs (Aql and Qalb) will become enlightened.

Develops Mental Maturity Physical maturity is a natural process and occurs involuntarily. However, mental maturity is an activity that requires effort.

As a result of the consistent and continuous application of the beautiful rule immaturity of the mind is removed and a strong foundation of mental maturity is created and a greater level of maturity is developed.

My piece titled ‘Belief and Habitual Practice on Islam is a Powerful i n of Mental Mental - غولب and piritual Maturity A concise discussion on the concept of and piritual Maturity)’ discusses this concept in detail. It is a refreshing and interesting read as to how it is written and it is something new to many readers. It’s worth the read.

Moderates Two Key Human Internal Faculties The internal make up, the spine, the foundation and the core of the spiritual human being consists of four faculties. They are:

(ق وة م - The Faculty of Knowledge Quwwat-e-Ilm .1 (ق وة غضب - The Faculty of Anger Quwwat-e-Ghadab .2 (ق وة وة - The Faculty of Desires Quwwat-e- hahwat .3 (ق وة دل - The Faculty of Justice Quwwat-e-Adal .4

Two faculties (i.e. The Faculty of Anger and The Faculty of Desires) are directly moderated through the application of the beautiful rule. And the other two faculties (i.e. The Faculty of Knowledge and The Faculty of Justice are also moderated indirectly.

Develops Assertiveness There are three types of behaviours i.e. aggressive (also called negative behaviour), assertive (also called positive behaviour) and submissive (also called passive behaviour). Assertive behaviour is the balanced and the middle of the road approach. Assertive behaviour refers to standing up for your own or other people’s rights in a calm, dignified and positive way, without being aggressive or passively accepting ‘wrong’.

Assertive people are honest, direct, expressive, spontaneous and self-enhancing. They address issues that bother them. They are not victims of withholding their concerns.

The practice of the beautiful rule also contributes greatly to the development of this highly needed life skill i.e. assertiveness that is invaluable to every human being to live a free, liberated and a happy life. The believer practicing this rule asserts his/her power and control over the Nafs. They do not let the Nafs overpower or boss them around or enslave them at its whims and desires. The believer practicing this rule also seeks help when it needs i.e. eeks help and protection of Allah Ta’ala anytime it feels the Nafs is overwhelming them, which is called Isti’anat.

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected]

Also, as mentioned above the application of the beautiful rule in general enlightens the mind and the heart and also moderates the four inner faculties. Hence, acquiring assertiveness is a given through the practice of the beautiful rule.

Empathy Empathy is acquired through the practice of the beautiful rule as the beautiful rule is constantly reminding the practitioner to avoid and abandon any negative act towards another person. That is paving the way for empathy.

Empathy is the ability to understand the thoughts, feelings or emotions (whether happiness or grief) of someone else. It is to be in their shoes and to see things from their perspective and their circumstances. Listening attentively is one of the most effective ways to demonstrate empathy to other people. This trait is also a key ingredient in developing Emotional Intelligence (EI/EQ) too. Emotional Intelligence is the capability of individuals to recognise and be aware of their own emotions and those of others, discern between different feelings and label them appropriately, control and e press one’s emotions. Also, it creates the capacity to handle interpersonal relationships judiciously and emphatically.

In reality, Sincere Well-Wishing (An-Nus’h) (which is the level above this beautiful rule) has empathy as a key ingredient as part of that character as it is weaved with empathy at all levels. Hence, this beautiful rule by default has this trait too. However, empathy is discussed separately here to highlight the importance of this behaviour and the role the beautiful rule plays in creating additional space for this.

Develops Presence and Consciousness of the Creator in All Acts Tauheed Fa’li - ) Tauheed Fa’li means to have the presence and consciousness of the Creator in all acts a believer engages in or encounters. For example, the believer will be acutely aware at the time of taking medical treatment that the cure can only come from Allah Ta’ala and the treatment is a means and a unnah and practice of the Messenger of Allah Ta’ala, rophet Muhammad peace be on him). Similarly when eating and drinking or sleeping that they are only a means and it is only the Creator who can remove the hunger and thirst after eating and drinking and only He can give you restful sleep.

The practitioner of this beautiful rule through constant practice would have turned their focus and attention from the creation (people, things, etc) to the Creator in all their actions.

Tauheed Fa’li is closely associated to Tawakkul (Sole Reliance and Trust on Allah Ta’ala.

(تو كل - ole Reliance and Trust on Allah Ta’ala Tawakkul The heart’s inherent trust in the Creator alone is called Tawakkul.

The practitioner of this beautiful rule as is evident from the discussion on the bad characters, social ills and other weaknesses does not concern him/herself with the wealth of others (Ishraf-e-Nafs), love of Dunya, expectations from others, etc. On the contrary, he/she will engage and employ the act or task or the worldly means required that is within their remit and ability to earn the required amount within the confines of

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected] the Shariah coupled with seeking the help of Allah Ta’ala at every step and placing their full trust in the Creator, Allah Most High, Most Powerful.

Develops Sound Counselling and Consulting Skills Due to the sincere and repeated practice of the beautiful rule the practitioner develops clarity of mind, focus and sharpness in the mind and a sincere and warm heart that wants the best for everyone without any expectation or reward and as a result they are able to provide sound, unbiased and meaningful insights regarding matters they .where their advice and wisdom is sought ورة are consulted (take Mashwera - no

Liberates and Gives Freedom Another benefit and by product of practicing and applying the beautiful rule is that it liberates the practitioner as is evident from the bad characters, social ills and other weaknesses the beautiful rule remedies and the emotional baggage it removes.

Also, the practitioner consciously and voluntarily frees themselves from their chains and shackles with people. Those not practicing the beautiful rule are usually chained and shackled to the whims and impressions of others. As mentioned earlier any unnecessary attachment, bad character or social ill is a chain and a cluster of strings weighing you down. Feel, enjoy and live in the liberation, freedom, bliss and happiness this beautiful rule in the beautiful Hadeeth provides.

Develops Contentment When the focus has been re-directed from people and what worldly abundance or beauty others have to centring the focus and attention on all the blessings of life, to be alive and breathing normally, general health and well-being, mental capacity, roof over the head, food, ability to sleep and rest, family, friends, relationships, work, etc one has then that will result in sincere and abundant gratitude and contentment in the mind and heart. Sincere and abundant gratitude will then attract more goodness and more abundance in everything. That’s how it works. That is the Law of Gratitude. Abundance lies within gratitude. Try it!

Develops Total Focus on a Task The practitioner of this beautiful rule will develop such skill to work on a given task with the full focus and concentration it requires. When a given task needs to be done the practitioner knows at this point in time he/she needs to remove themselves mentally and physically from all distractions and focus their full mental capacity and faculties on the given task. This will reduce errors and lead to better performance and exceptional results in all spheres of life – relationships and family life, professional life, sports and exercise, administrative tasks, routine tasks, etc.

Enhances Performance in Studies, Work, Business & Health The application of this beautiful rule turbo-charges and enhances your entire life in all spheres as is evident. The reason to mention just these four areas - studies, work, business and health – is they are some of the key activities in a person’s life.

The application of this beautiful rule will let the student engage in his/her studies with sharp focus resulting in excellence and outstanding results (high academic performance). Likewise, when the employee applies this beautiful rule in the workplace without being distracted by all the unnecessary things and time wasters freeing them to purely focus all their time and energy on their role then it will enhance

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected] their performance and productivity whilst minimising and reducing errors and mishaps and will lead them to become a star and a leader in their organisation (high employee performance). Similarly when the business person applies this beautiful rule it will lead him/her to propel their organisation and become leaders in their markets and industries (high business performance). Also, when the seeker of health and well- being applies this beautiful rule it will open pathways to health which will lead to enhanced performance in the arena of physical exercise leading to better health and well-being (high health and well-being performance).

Each of these types of people will have their own set of distractions and pitfalls which through the constant application of this beautiful rule they will be able to overcome and navigate pass them with ease and a smile on their faces. They will have the tool (beautiful rule) they can easily recall and apply. They will have their eyes on the ball, the golden egg, etc whatever that might be in real life.

وع - Develops ‘Presence of the Heart’ Khusoo Repeated practice of the beautiful rule develops as a by-product the ‘ resence of the - وع Heart’ Khusoo - oosuhK) ’traeH eht fo ecneser ‘ .hala edistuo dna hala ni وع stca lla ni) efil ni tub pihsrow fo stca rehto dna hala gnirud deriuqer tsu ton si in general as how we behave outside Salah impacts how we perform Salah. ‘ resence of the Heart’ covers concentration, full attention, humility, submission, awe, fear and shyness all in regards to Allah Ta’ala.

The importance of Salah with concentration is apparent on every believer. Salah is the most complete form of Zikr (remembrance of Allah Ta'ala) as it consists of everything - recitation of the Holy Quran (the most superior form of Zikr as is the Word of Allah Ta’ala), Tasbeeh and praises of Allah Ta'ala in a range of ways, concentration of the mind, body and heart, total submission of the mind, body and heart, etc. And the repeated practice of this beautiful rule (i.e. to re-focus) outside salah will effect meaningful change in the concentration of Salah. When your life outside Salah is focused and revolves around meaningful tasks and avoids pointless thoughts and activities then the life and time spent within Salah will be totally focused and full of concentration when talking to your Creator and being in His auspicious and majestic audience and presence.

The aids for concentration in Salah mentioned in the books related to the focus of the eyes will be easy to implement due to the repeated practice of the beautiful rule. For example, gazing at the place of Sajdah (prostration) during the Qiyam (standing), gazing at the hands during the Ruku (bending), gazing at the nose during Sajdah (prostration), gazing at the lap during Jalsah and Qa’dah (sittings) postures and gazing at the shoulders during the Salaam will all become easy to execute with focus.

Develops Self-Expression Through the application of this beautiful rule fear of people, fear of what people might say, fear of people laughing, etc if you displayed outward forms of Islamic identity like a beard or a cap for men, headscarf or the full veil for the sisters or praying in public, etc will be removed as this fear is a pointless fear to be harbouring. It does not matter what people think or what public opinion is on this matter.

As a result of practicing the beautiful rule it will create the space for the believer (male or female) to express their Islamic identity in the form of sporting a beard, their dress

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected] codes, their Islamic values, beliefs and practices with confidence and conviction without the need to apologise or requiring validation from others. They will be validating their own selves. Also, this will give you the courage and strength to e press your love for your Creator Allah Ta’ala, His final Messenger rophet Muhammad (peace, salutations and blessings be upon him), your beautiful Deen of Islam, other fellow Muslims, etc through the beautiful teaching of Islam.

ك - Opening and Uncovering of the Heart (Kashf Kashf is an Arabic word which literally means to open, to uncover, to reveal, etc. The Sufiya (Saints) use this term to mean a number of things. One is when Allah Ta’ala opens the heart in the practitioner in a way that he/she can gauge what is happening to the other person. This is the lowest form and the most common in the public domain. Another meaning is when the heart rather than the intellect experiences ر ت knowledge (Marifat - a si sihT .snoitanimulli dna sgninepo lacisyhpatem dna the , وھ بة higher form. Both of these states are a gift (Mawhabat - ala’aT hallA morf Al-Wahhab (the Bestower) and are involuntary i.e. not within your power and control to force this opening. However, when certain conditions and factors are met then sometimes Allah Ta’ala bestows some of His true friends this gift. This is not a prerequisite to be a true friend of Allah Ta’ala. I believe the practice of this beautiful rule and mastery of it can lead up to some of the practitioners being bestowed with this gift from the Al-Wahhab (the Bestower), Al-Hakeem (All-Wise).

The heart (and Nafs) is like an ocean. When the heart and Nafs are full of the diseases of the heart and the Nafs and unlawful attachments then that muddies and contaminates the ocean water. However, when the heart and Nafs have been detached from all worldly attachments and purified from the diseases of the Nafs the water becomes pure, clear and see through. This is when the heart becomes a mirror and the heart and mind of others start to reflect on the mirror (and vice Versa). In other words it has the capacity to be bestowed this gift if the All-Wise deems fit.

Develops Agility of the Mind and Heart Agility refers to mental (cognitive) quickness and sharpness and in this case this cognitive ability is shared by both the mind and the heart as is evident from the Verses of the Holy Quraan where the cognitive ability has been attributed to the heart too. And new research also proves this cognitive ability of the heart.

When the mind and heart are not exhausted with unnecessary concern (e.g. spying on others, worry, fear, etc) and emotional baggage (e.g. jealousy, arrogance, etc) that weigh them down and utilises and consumes all their energy then it creates the space, the capacity and opening for the mind and heart to work with clarity, focus, sharpness, efficiency and with much quicker speed.

Develops Wisdom Wisdom is the ability to weed out the waste (in the thoughts, emotions, bad characters, words, actions, etc) i.e. by not being tainted or coloured by any of the bad characters, to think rationally, have a clear sight of things and with that grounding to make sound and balanced judgements with a view and consideration on all aspects of the situation.

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected]

The repeated and constant practice of this beautiful rule lets you develop these ingredients of wisdom over time i.e. the ability to weed out the waste, develop rational thinking, becoming clear sightedness and making sound judgements.

Lets You Live in the Moment When you have abandoned living in the past through the practice of the beautiful rule then it will let you live in the moment, in the present, in the here and now. You will be conscious, aware and present with all of your senses, thought processes and mental faculties engaging and focusing in discharging your obligations, duties and responsibilities. Your thoughts will be focused on the present. The beautiful rule will gift you this. You will enjoy and savour whatever you are doing when you are living in the moment - eating, drinking, praying, reciting, walking, exercising, meeting people, reading, cleaning, literally anything. Your mind and thoughts will be on those tasks. This living in the moment will make you feel grateful for all things in your life and will boost your happiness too. Furnishing some quotes on living in the moment.

"Life is available only in the present moment"

"The secret of health for both the mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly."

"If you are depressed, you are living in the Past. If you are anxious, you are living in the future. If you are at peace you are living in the moment."

Improved Physical and Mental Health When the believer is practicing this beautiful rule then their physical and mental health will improve too as they will remove unnecessary concern, worry and emotional baggage from their minds that will impact in their mental health. This will directly impact in developing their physical health and well-being.

Also, the practice of the beautiful rule will create space and time for them to focus on their physical health and well-being, which is an Islamic obligation too. The body is a trust from Allah Ta’ala and so are the mind and the soul and they all need to be looked after, maintained and grown and developed.

Develops True Happiness and Bliss Happiness and bliss are some of the by-products of practicing this beautiful rule. When a person has moderated and kept in control or abandoned all things that disrupt the happiness and bliss of a person then the outcome results in restoring natural happiness and bliss. For example, jealousy keeps the jealous person from being truly happy as jealousy is consuming their mind and heart all the time. Remove jealousy from the mind and heart and this space is filled with lightness, happiness, purity. Likewise, excess worry and fear disrupts and creates a barrier to happiness. Remove this barrier and happiness will flow through.

We ourselves are the obstacles to happiness and bliss. Happiness lies within. We just need to remove the barriers and obstacles we have artificially created. We don’t need anything external to make us happy.

Creates Ability to Prioritise

100

Prioritising is the ability to evaluate a group of tasks and actions that one has to do and then rank them in order of importance or urgency and then act accordingly. This is a very useful skill to have in life. The benefits of this skill can be employed in the practice of Deen, in the professional capacity and everyday activities as important and urgent tasks will be done first and the less important tasks done after and the meaningless and pointless tasks totally abandoned. This prioritising skill can be applied to thoughts too.

Through the practice of this beautiful rule the practitioner will have countless opportunities to prioritise acts. Basically, this occurrence will be at every step in your life. At any given time the mind will be instructing the person to act and engage or not act and not engage. The practitioner of the beautiful rule will evaluate what act he/she should engage in and when it should be done if at all. For example, the mind instructs you to watch a useful documentary but the time is for an obligatory Salah that can be performed with the congregation Jama’ah), the practitioner will override the mind and prioritise the Salah with congregation.

Many thoughts are usually present in the mind and there is a need to prioritise them. The practitioner of the beautiful rule will have acquired the capacity to engage with the useful thoughts and if needed record these thoughts somewhere for future action and reference. It will also have developed in them the capacity to abandon the futile and pointless thoughts.

Creates Space for Inspiration When the mind and heart are free from useless and pointless engagements and emotional baggage the space is created in the mind and heart to take and receive inspiration. True and real inspiration cannot come when the mind and heart are already clogged up with futile thoughts. The mind and heart need to tune into a frequency where inspiration resides and connection to that frequency is achieved when the mind and heart abandons futile and pointless engagements.

Develops True Leadership Skills The practitioner of this beautiful rule will acquire Personal Leadership. What I mean by Personal Leadership here is they will have the ability to inspire and motivate themselves, develop their capacity to grow physically, mentally and spiritually. They will utilise their resources (body, mind, soul, time, energy, thoughts, health, wealth, etc) to engage and busy themselves in their Purpose of Life. Acquiring this skill is evident as through the practice of the beautiful rule they will be able to ignore and abandon their pursuit in acts that distance them from their goal and purpose and instead engage in acts that get them closer to their goal and Purpose of Life.

People who posses this kind of Personal Leadership will be in a position to lead others as they will embody all the traits required to successfully motivate, inspire, move, touch and lead others from the front. For a person to be a true, positive and effective leader they need to be able to inspire, move, touch and motivate others. This will be possible if they themselves embed and posses honesty and integrity in all things they do, are assertive and courageous, have clarity of mind (vision), sense of purpose, display discipline and commitment to achieve the goal and purpose, etc.

Creates Detachment

101

A by-product of applying this beautiful rule is you will develop this great and liberating ability to detach yourself from other people that is detrimental to you and your goals; detach yourself from negative thoughts whether they are related to others or yourself, detach yourself from the need to impress other people or gain validity and acceptance from them; detach yourself from associating happiness to worldly possessions as happiness lies within you and not in anything external to you; detachment from the need to be in any place or environment or be doing anything in particular that you thought resulted in your happiness; etc.

Creates Healthy Marriages and Relationships There are a number of causes for marriage breakdowns and the breakdowns and discord that is created in our relationships with our children, parents, siblings, friends, colleagues, etc. By applying this beautiful rule into all areas of our life it will eliminate and moderate the bad characters, social ills and other weaknesses that have been mentioned here. They are the underlying reasons and root causes for all the marriage breakdowns or family and personal relationships that are not working. The beautiful rule will develop the wisdom to prioritise and make amends to these necessary relationships. As a result our marriages and family and personal relationships will become healthy.

Protects the Senses By senses I only mean the Sight and Hearing as they have been mentioned together along with the heart in the Holy Quraan. The application of the beautiful rule will help the sight and hearing to be used in an efficient way i.e. only where it is needed. The sight will be protected from seeing prohibited things and the hearing will be protected from hearing backbiting and other vices.

Protects the Heart As a result of the application of the beautiful rule a circle of iron steel will be created around the heart. This circle of iron steel will work as a firewall and a defence mechanism in protecting the heart from evil influences and all forms of negativity that distracts the person from their Purpose of Life. The heart will be able to focus on acquiring, building and excelling in the area of good characters and positive behaviours.

Develops Respect for People (their time, privacy, etc) A by-product of applying this beautiful rule repeatedly (by not backbiting, not spying, no suspicions, no jealousy, etc) is you will develop the respect you need to give people i.e. respect for their time, their privacy, their honour, their status, their credentials, etc.

Develops Appreciation and Value for Time Life consists of the moments and seconds we have. Every moment and second passing by is in essence a part of our life passing by. Through the repeated application of the beautiful rule the desire to appreciate and value time, value every moment and second of your life will be developed and it will create the capacity to expend time wisely and avoid any wastage or usage in worthless matters.

Improves Memory As is evident from this piece that the application of this beautiful rule increases intense focus on the task at hand and research and studies has shown that increase

102

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected] in focus improves memory. The intense focus could be acquired through any mechanism as there are other mechanisms too. In the case of the study being referred to the increase in focus was due to meditation that led to improvements in memory. There are several other mechanisms that increase and improve memory like quality of sleep, exercise, healthy eating, etc as they focus the mind and provide the fuel the memory requires to function. Hence, improvement in memory is also a by- product of this beautiful rule.

Recurring Reminder of Purpose of Life As mentioned at the start the beautiful rule is related to the Purpose of Life. Hence, every time the beautiful rule is applied it is reminding the practitioner of their purpose of life. It creates a purposeful living.

Perpetual State of Repentance (Taubah Nasooh) Through the application of the beautiful rule the practitioner will remain in a perpetual state of repentance as they will engage themselves only in the things that are part of their obligations, duties and responsibilities. If by chance they slip as they are human and can slip they will quickly re-focus and re-connect with their purpose of life.

Develops Love for Solitude When a person is detached from worldly things that generally most human beings strive to acquire or condition their happiness to be associated and attached with those external things then they acquire the love and desire to spend time detached from people and engage in solitude and self-reflection. This slows down their life. Something that is needed in this busy and fast moving world where people are running around like headless chickens without pausing to think where they are heading and why.

Creativity and Innovation Sky Rockets To be successful and unique in any area of life creativity and innovation is a key part of that. This can be in any field - education, health and sports, business and commerce, technology, medicine, etc. These are some of the big areas in life and they have further sub-categories. To succeed in one or all of these areas a person needs to be singular minded, focused, determined and live and breathe the area they want to excel, be creative and innovative in. This can only happen after all these negativity in the form of bad characters, social ills and other weaknesses i.e. all these self-made barriers, obstacles and negativity is removed.

A new and innovative idea is basically a thought or a series of thoughts. Similarly, the creation of a new concept is also in its bare and primary form a thought or a series of thoughts. This beautiful rule helps create the empty space and a free and agile mind to develop for these innovative ideas and concepts to be born, grow and flourish.

Earning Potential and Avenues Increase When the superficial barriers and blockers to success and freedom are removed from the mind and heart and intense focus is restored then the earning potential for the practitioner of the beautiful rule is enhanced greatly. It creates for them the focus, determination, time and capacity to increase their earnings (if that is what they need at the time).

Enhances Intimacy

103

When a person has avoided and abandoned expending energy in lustful thoughts, lustful glances and various other ways to expend sexual energy then the intimacy they have with their spouse will be enhanced greatly providing great satisfaction.

Creates Time for Things That Matter It is evident through the practice of the beautiful rule you will notice you have a lot more time than before. You will have cut out many pointless activities or reduced them and also improved your efficiencies in the tasks that matter creating additional time.

Creates Awareness and Mindfulness (Yaqzah) In Arabic the word for awareness and mindfulness is Tayaqquz and Yaqzah. I first heard about this concept from my beloved mentor and sheikh a long time ago. It is one of things he emphasised greatly in the last few months leading up to his passing away from this temporary abode. The practice of this beautiful rule will develop this awareness and mindfulness to all aspects of our life.

Observation of External Behaviour What I mean by this is that the repeat practitioner of the beautiful rule will be able to consciously observe behaviour of other people and only take from their behaviours what fits in line with his/her value and belief system. They will be able to consciously discard all the rest. We can all learn and be inspired from our fellow human beings but it needs to fall within our value and belief system. There is a lot of goodness in every human being we come across in life from whom we can learn if we give them the chance to open up by not judging them or even worse outright hating them.

Another perspective of this is the practitioner of the beautiful rule will be able to with greater insight understand human behaviour and if required help them change and transform their lives. There is also an element of personal safety built into this as that is also something that needs to be kept in view and be aware of when outside.

Awakens and Repeatedly Works the Prefrontal Cortex (PFC) and the Amygdala All our minds are wired and have the potential to be creative. The brain is a very complex organ and functions as the coordinating centre of sensation and intellectual and nervous activity. Neuroscientists have divided the brain into various segments based on the different functions it carries out. Two of these brain segments are the Prefrontal Cortex and the Amygdala.

The Prefrontal Cortex (also called the PFC) is the logical part of the brain. This brain region is responsible for a variety of complex behaviours, including planning, complex cognitive behaviour, personality expression, decision making, moderating social behaviour and greatly contributes to personality development. It is located at the very front of the brain.

Amygdala is the emotional centre of the brain. The part of the brain that processes fear, triggers anger, and motivates us to act.

As you will experience from the repeated and intentional application of the beautiful rule in conjunction with the knowledge shared in this piece (which you will have digested) it will moderate and create the right balance in the functions of both the logical (PFC) and emotional (Amygdala) parts of the brain.

104

Just for completeness I will mention the brain and mind get used interchangeably. However, there is a difference. The brain is the organ and the mind is its occupant. The mind is the set of cognitive faculties including thoughts, feelings, attitudes, beliefs, memories, consciousness, imagination, perception, thinking, judgement, language, etc which is housed in the brain. The brain is part of the visible, tangible world of the body but your mind is part of the invisible, transcendent world of thought, feeling, attitude, belief and imagination. The brain is the physical organ most associated with mind and consciousness, but the mind is not confined to the brain as I have mentioned this function also exists strongly in the heart and probably to some level in other parts of the body. The relationship between the brain and the mind is complex.

Develops Intense Focus on Who and What Matters This is a general holder. Through the application of this beautiful rule the practitioner will develop the focus required on the people and relationships that matter and are important in his/her life; the focus required on the tasks and activities that matter; the focus and understanding required to do what is within your control and abandon worrying about things that are beyond your control; the focus required to prioritise activities that are in alignment with your faith, values and principles. An amazing level of focus and clarity of mind is developed.

Unleashes Your Human Potential It is evident from the piece that as a result of the application of this beautiful rule all the blockers and barriers to your advancement is removed. It removes every one of them and they are no longer a hindrance to your long-term advancements. A new and agile blueprint is created that lets you continuously unleash your human potential.

What is not in the Scope of the Hadeeth and the Beautiful Rule In the explanation of the Hadeeth the scope of this beautiful rule has been mentioned. That is further apparent from all the examples of the bad characters, social ills and weaknesses the beautiful rule works on and remedies. These bad characters, social ills and weaknesses fall within the scope of the beautiful rule.

Those duties and responsibilities that the Shariah (the teachings of Islam and its legal framework) has instructed us that we should be concerned with are not within the scope of this beautiful rule i.e. these responsibilities and duties will not be abandoned as they are things that we need to concern ourselves with.

I will provide some examples and categories so it becomes totally clear what I mean here. These duties and responsibilities include those where you are discharging your personal duties and responsibilities as a believer (Muslim/Muslimah, a spouse, a parent, a child, a sibling, a neighbour, work colleague, etc and also includes your duty and responsibility to be of a helping hand and of benefit towards other fellow humans regardless of any discrimination based on anything.

Personal obligations, duties and responsibilities towards yourself include daily acts of worship, lawful (Halal) earnings, physical health and well beings, concern and preparation for the Hereafter, etc, obligations and responsibilities towards dependents. 105

Personal obligations, duties and responsibilities towards kith and kin include looking after their needs, instilling and taking responsibility for the good upbringing, giving the love, care and attention they require, etc. This also includes discharging your obligations and responsibilities towards your students and those in your pastoral care.

We all have obligations and responsibilities towards our neighbours, towards the communities we reside in, towards our fellow country-men and women and fellow human beings. We all have obligations and responsibilities towards the poor and needy of the world and towards those who are oppressed whether Muslim or non- Muslim and wherever they may be, etc and also towards the oppressors by stopping them from self-destruct.

A Range of Mental And Practical Exercises to Maximise the Application of the Beautiful Rule (and the Way Forward) غ ي ة the aim (Gharz - ) and goal (Ghaya - ot si ,ھد - The objective (Hadaf ق ب Qalb - eht dna ل , purify the main sources i.e. the Intellect (Aql - ) traeH eht As mentioned above through the repeated practice and application of this .(س ن Nafs beautiful rule mentioned in this beautiful Hadeeth the practitioner can and will achieve ل يم a sound and pure intellect (Aql Saleem - blaQ) traeh erup dna dnuos a dna ق ب يم . - Saleem

the ufiya and Mashaikh (experts of this field (ميلس م ’The phrase ‘Fahm aleem and Path of Tazkiyah) use which means ‘ ound Understanding’ is the result of the intellect becoming sound and pure i.e. Aql Saleem. When the intellect has been purified and cleansed then whatever thinking and thought processes that will happen in this vessel and medium it will also be by default sound and pure. This sound understanding signifies and is the sign of the pure intellect Aql aleem). Allah Ta’ala bless and grant us all this precious and priceless blessing. Aameen!

The way our muscles and physical body parts are interconnected as when one part is exercised it impacts the full body. Similarly these three primary spiritual sources (Aql, Heart, Nafs) are all inter-connected. The impact is a two-way process i.e. one spiritual source like the Nafs can affect the other in good or bad ways. Similarly, the other way round as the heart can affect and impact the Nafs for good or bad.

Generally these spiritual sources due to our neglect (and/or lack of Tarbiyah and discipline) have been contaminated, corrupted and muddled depending on their state. Hence, the thoughts, motivations and actions emanating, stemming and materialising from these sources are impure, dirty, evil, negative and bad too. The expressions (words) and actions of the person only reflect the inner and what’s going on in there. That is why the intentions of a person are between them and Allah Ta’ala as it’s an inner act and we cannot be the judge. However, the intent can be determined to some degree through various signs. This is what the Sheikh (spiritual mentor, guide and expert) determines. And sometimes they can get it wrong too as they are not Allah Ta’ala as only He has the absolute knowledge. So the goal is to reverse this damage and purify these sources. Once these sources are purified then the thoughts, motivations and actions emanating, stemming and materialising from these sources will be pure and good too. This is possible in absolutely all cases if the will, desire and conviction are present and then the action is taken and repeated until this object and goal is achieved. There is no letting go of it. There is perseverance. 106

The example of these sources is like the source of a spring of water. If the source of the spring is clean and fresh water the water downstream will be fresh and clean until it’s not contaminated. However, if the source of the water is dirty and polluted then the water downstream will be dirty and polluted too. Hence, the solution provided in the beautiful Hadeeth is to purify the primary source of these sources i.e. the thought processes. What I am presenting in this piece are some concrete and practical steps, methods and exercise to achieve this objective.

By applying the beautiful rule into your daily routine and into every step and turn of your life as an integral part of you, you will be doing a ‘Total Mental and piritual orkout’. I can’t stress and emphasise enough that this beautiful, concise and comprehensive rule in this beautiful, concise and comprehensive Hadeeth is the equivalent of the Total Body Workout (TBW) as it works all three of the major spiritual organs – Mind and Intellect (Aql), Heart (Qalb) and the Nafs (centre of desire). Those who workout and exercise are familiar with this term and the kind of exercises it involves. Total Body Workout (TBW) is something I prefer in my gym workouts (for strength workouts) too as it’s a more natural and organic form of exercise. It works the entire body in one go and is also in alignment with my physical exercise goals.

In Total Body Workout (TBW) you train every major muscle group in your body, like your chest, back, arms, harm-strings and abs in each workout i.e. the individual TBW exercise will engage many of these major muscle groups in one movement. For example, the popular Total Body Workouts are dead-lifts, squats, lunges. I would include skipping with a thick rope or skipping with a speed rope coupled with plyometrics as a Total Body Workout too as it effects the entire body.

( ب دق - incere Quest Talab idq The engine that catapults and eventually leads the Salik/Salikah to purification and Sincere Quest Talab ية reformation of the mind, heart and Nafs (Tazkiyah - si is called ( ب دق - The person who has Sincere Quest Talab idq .( ب دق - idq a true and sincere seeker. The need for this can’t be - ( ب دق Talib-e-Sadiq emphasised enough. And usually the Salik/Salikah (Seekers and Travellers of this path) don’t progress in this ath of ulook & Tazkiyah is due to the deficiency in this trait. They lack the hunger. You have to be hungry. You have to want it. You need to be intentional. You need to be sincere in your quest. There is a direct correlation in the progress a Salik/Salikah makes or does not make based on their level and degree of Sincere Quest; their hunger; their desire to want; their sincere intent. My Beloved and Mushfique Sheikh, Murshid and Murabby Hazrat Moulana Masihullah Khan Jalalabadi (RA) used to repeatedly emphasise the need of this trait to his disciples This is a very powerful advice and is far ري دي ن . - and followers (Mureedeen reaching. This is the key ingredient and truly the engine that drives every progress in this field. This requires and demands we reflect on our level of sincere quest; our hunger; our desire to want and our sincere intent. If there is any deficiency then this should be addressed first.

means true (قدص means quest, zeal, fire, passion, hunger. idq (بل Talab is to have ( ب دق - sincerity, sincerity to a higher degree. Sincere Quest Talab idq a sincere, pure and burning quest and passion to only seek Allah Ta’ala (Matloob - ر د dna noitamrofer lanosrep fo snaem eht hguorht - ود, daruM - وب, doosqaM purification of the mind, Nafs and heart. There is no worldly motive in the mix.

107

Once the Salik/Salikah has this level of quest then the Path of Tazkiyah (Purification) becomes easy and enlightened. Actually, the Creator sets things in motion to create pathways for your guidance and progression as you have invoked Him, His guidance, His Help, His Support, etc. And He always listens and Guides. This first step (Sincere Quest) is what Allah Ta’ala is waiting from you so He can start showering the ة Salik/Salikah with the light and guidance on the Path. The attribute (Sifat - fo i.e. the One Who Guides - comes into effect and the light (ىد ل Allah Ta’ala - Al-Hadi and shine Ta ally - ) of this attribute comes into effect as we learn from the Verse in the Holy Quran. As a result Allah Ta’ala opens many pathways of light and guidance for the guidance of these true seekers. Countless people have experienced this. You should too!

As the famous and enduring Sufi and mystic, the great Muslim poet Moulana Jalal-ud- Deen Rumi (RA) (Muslims affectionately call him as Moulana Rum) stated that ‘What you seek is seeking you’. By this statement what Moulana Jalal-ud-Deen Rumi (RA) meant is that if you are truly seeking the Divine, the Creator then know and take comfort in the fact that your Loving Creator is already seeking you. Your Loving Creator is waiting to take you closer to Him and ‘embrace’ Him. Your Loving Creator will guide you and let you overcome all the obstacles you see in your path to reaching Him. Moulana Jalal-ud-Deen Rumi (RA) is also well-known, well-respected and regarded, well-researched and quoted both the in the east and the west by non- Muslims too. The Western world knows him as Rumi. Moulana Jalal-ud-Deen Rumi RA)’s famous work is called ‘Mathnawi’. It is a collection of poetry in the Persian language and is full of inspiration, deep reflections and wisdom. Hakeem Ul Ummah Mujaddid Ul Millat Hazrat Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi (RA) has a detailed commentary in the Urdu language on Mathnawi in 21 volumes titled ‘Kaleed-e- Mathnawi’.

م To gain knowledge (Ilm - rof tsriht dna tseuq erecnis dna eurt seriuqer osla knowledge. In this context I mean Islamic Knowledge but it is applicable to other useful knowledge too. The intent to seek knowledge should only be noble, for a higher to accumulate and hoard ير purpose and not for any petty (Haqeer - ekil sniag wealth, seek fame, etc. Once the seeker of knowledge (Talib/Talibah) has this level of sincere quest then the Journey of Knowledge becomes easy. This first step is what Allah Ta’ala is waiting from the seeker of knowledge so He can start showering the Talib/Talibah (Seeker of knowledge) with the light and guidance to progress on the (ميلعل Al-Aleem - ة Journey of Knowledge. The attribute (Sifat - ala’aT hallA fo i.e. the Giver of Knowledge - comes into effect and the light and shine Ta ally - ) of this attribute comes into effect as we learn from the Verse in the Holy Quran. As a result Allah Ta’ala grants the true seekers of knowledge with the light of knowledge that benefits م - ور م Noor-Ul-Ilm - ifaN mlI) egdelwonk laicifeneb dna) them and humanity.

If a believer is able to combine both these great and powerful quests and is blessed with the shine Ta ally) of both these two great attributes of Allah Ta’ala i.e. Ilm and is underpinned with company of ( م و د ى - (Knowledge) and Huda (Guidance) بة دق the Truthful (Suhbat-e-Sadiq - eurt eht htiw dewotseb si nosrep eht neht A believer does not need to .( دين understanding of Deen i.e. Tafaqquh fid Deen to achieve this true understanding of Deen even then ( م - be a formal scholar Alim they will be bestowed this if the above three key ingredients are present. One such

108

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected] example is Hazrat Dr. Abdul Hayy Arifi (RA) who was not a formal scholar but was bestowed this true understanding of Deen through Ilm, Huda and through the company of the great and unique reformer (Mujaddid) of his century Hakeem Ul Ummah Mu adid Ul Ummah Hazrat Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi RA). Allah Ta’ala bless their souls and elevate their ranks. Aameen!

is present then the ( ب دق - Once the foundation of incere Quest Talab idq solution provided will be acted upon and will prove to be amazingly beneficial. A range of mental and practical exercises can be employed and practiced to easily and adequately apply and master the comprehensive and beautiful rule in the beautiful and foundational Hadeeth. I am providing a range of these mental and practical exercises. All these mental and practical exercises target, work and strengthen your capacity to acquire and master this great and invaluable skill to focus your ‘ phere of Concern’ in the right place with the right amount of effort whilst totally abandoning the matters of no concern so you can maximise the numerous benefits it has.

A good way to look at these mental and practical exercises I have provided and furnished for you is to compare it with the Pilates exercises. Pilates exercises (some of you will have experienced) are all by design targeted to work and strengthen your body’s core if done correctly). If these exercises are not working and strengthening the body’s core then the Pilates e ercises are not being done correctly. The body’s core or the ‘core muscles’ of your body are abdominal muscles, lower back, hips and buttocks.

By applying the beautiful rule in the form of these techniques, mental and practical exercises these bad characters, social ills and weaknesses can be neutralised, moderated or removed. The sub-conscious mind can be re-programmed. A new and transformed you will be created as a result of the continuous application of the beautiful rule.

Mental and Practical Exercises What I have tried to do in this section titled 'A Range of Mental And Practical Exercises to Maximise the Application of the Beautiful Rule (and the Way Forward)' is to equip you with all the necessary tools and armour that I can think of based on my own long term experiences that could bridge the gap between knowledge of this beautiful rule and applying and executing it to all aspects of your life. I have shared all the tools to increase your chances of succeeding in applying this beautiful rule so you gain all the immense benefits it has to offer. I have stacked the cards in your favour if you follow all the advices presented. I have actually tried to program your mind and heart and condition your body from various angles so they are receptive and in listening mode to the effects of the application of this beautiful rule. To set yourself up for success by creating the environment to your favour is being smart. This is something all successful people in any field do - religious or worldly. The only thing you have to do is exert effort by plucking the courage and exercising your will power to act and apply this beautiful rule wherever it is needed.

What I have done is acquired the mango seeds (from my beloved mentor and guide) and then planted it, nurtured the seed and its growth till the tree bore the mangoes. I then plucked the mangoes once they were ripe, washed them and then cut the mangoes into eatable slices and then even placed a slice of mango into your mouth but after all this for you to enjoy the sweet and tasty mango you still need to activate

109

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected] your mouth and bite, etc. As it happens I like mangoes so I gave that example but it could be any fruit or vegetable you enjoy eating. Similarly, with what I have done with this beautiful rule (i.e. in acquiring it, nurturing it, growing it, writing it out in detail, providing manageable methods to apply, etc) after all this you still need to act and exercise your will power and then act and apply the beautiful rule (and continue consistently repeating it) to gain the limitless benefits there are to be gained and plucked from this ever-giving spiritual tree.

I know from my personal experience and from the teachings of the greats of this discipline (I've mentioned a few in this piece) that all human beings have the courage and will power to do this. It might seem difficult but push yourself to act and continue acting and one day the practice of this beautiful rule will become second nature> after that you will only need to make a tiny exertion to get back into focus even if you encounter a difficult situation arises as you would have mastered this practice or at least gained considerable control over its application. It is all about constant practice and repetitions to get to this application to a second nature state. You can and you will succeed if you really want it and act on it despite any contrary whispers from the inner voice or Shaitan.

So you can gain better insights into these mental and practical exercises I have divided them into three groups i.e. pre-requisites & building blocks, actual techniques and practices and post application steps. Some of these techniques and practices serve as a pre-requisite and building blocks for the actual techniques and practices. They aid and make the application of the actual techniques and practices easier till you build your spiritual muscle and can handle all types of situations. And then there is a post-practice step of accountability.

You can view these three groups in computer speak like the Firewall and Anti-Virus software you have installed and running on your laptop to protect it from external and unwanted intrusion that could damage and compromise the integrity of your laptop and affect its performance. The 'Pre-Requisites and Building Blocks' is like installing the Firewall and Anti-Virus software to your mind. This is the first step. The 'Actual Techniques and Practices' are like the actual running of the software. The sequence of steps mentioned in this group are the steps you will need to manually run as this requires manual intervention until the mind becomes intelligent enough to activate it independently. This is the second step. And the 'Post Application Steps' is like the regular updates to the Firewall and Anti-Virus software. All software requires regular updates. This is the final step.

Pre-Requisites and Building Blocks

This sub-section discusses the pre-requisites and building blocks to apply the beautiful rule.

1. Firm and Sincere Intention and Conviction to Transform The bedrock and foundation for all actions is intention. Setting intention is a topic widely discussed in detail in Islamic Holy texts and literature. It mentions the incredible and far reaching effects of the Power of Intention.

There are three aspects to intention in this context.

110

The first aspect is the need for intention to be present prior to doing the act. It should not be the case the person is doing acts but the intention is not present. He/she is just doing in a careless way. When intention is present then the act is done in a meaningful way and with purpose.

The second aspect is the need for the intention to be of a higher level. The stronger the level of intention the higher the chances are for the act to materialise. Hence, there is emphasis given in Islam that the intention is to the level of Al-Azm i.e. when the intention to do the act has become very strong, firm, powerful and full of conviction. This is when the hunger and thirst will be there to act.

The third aspect is the need for sincerity in the intention. The stronger the sincerity the more power there will be in its impact and the subsequent reward in the hereafter.

The firm and sincere intention that the practitioner of the beautiful rule needs to set in their mind and heart is that they are undertaking this journey to apply and master the beautiful rule to all aspects of their life with a view to transforming their life so they can truly connect with their Loving Creator and receive His Mercies fully due to the absence of the barriers and veils the bad characters, social ills and weaknesses are creating.

Intentions, Motivations and Goals At this point it is worth discussing briefly the relationships between intention (Niyyah in Arabic), motivation (Muharrik in Arabic) and goal (Hadaf in Arabic) to provide some clarity for the readers. Each of these - Intention, motivation and goal have a different perspective. Intentions and motivations are both voluntary acts i.e. you create them. That is why the believers are asked to set intentions all the time so they are living a life of intent, purpose. And goals are also within your reach and control to acquire and accomplish. Goals should not be something beyond your reach or something not within your control to acquire and accomplish. In Islam every act that we are asked to do or abstain from is within our control and requires intention. Islam has this concept of Takleef that has been mentioned in this piece. I am grateful first to my Creator and then to my beloved mentor and guide for introducing this concept (of Ikhtiyar and Ghair Ikhtiyar which I have briefly touched on too in this piece) early on in my life and drilling it into my mind and heart. The way I understand these three concepts and their inter-relationships is what is described here based on my knowledge, reflection, practice and experiences.

Intention is at the core of any intentional and mindful act and motivation is a big part of that intention. Intention by definition is the act of the heart when you are actually engaged in the act. Your emotional state during whatever act you are executing and engaged in. i.e. what is going on in your heart at the time of the act or at least at the outset and the start of the act. Intention is your energetic starting point in its purest form for your goal. Intention goes deeper than the mind and comes from a state of pure awareness. Setting intention to accomplish any goal is the key to its success. Setting the intention is the key building block and the driving force to achieving the goal.

Intentions live in the present moment. Intentions are lived each day through each intentional act you do. Intention is independent of reaching or achieving the goal or

111

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected] destination. Motivation is the driving force and desire that catapulted you to act and execute the act at that given moment.

Motivation is a big part and a component of the intention. The more conviction and power in the motivation and desire to achieve and accomplish the easier and quickly the goal will be achieved. Conversely, the weakness in the intention, motivation and desire to achieve, the goal will remain elusive and a distant dream. Yes, just a dream without any reality.

Goals are focused on the future i.e. what you can achieve (rightly or wrongly) and accomplish, etc. Goals are external achievements and accomplishments i.e. separate from your intentions. Goals are the destination. Goal is the future outcome you expect to achieve or accomplish. Goal is the desired outcome you have set yourself. It’s an end result that you don’t have yet but are or want to pursue.

When you combine intention with a goal that is super-charged with the right level of motivation, conviction and faith then you will become supercharged from the energy that comes from embodying these internal forces of energy and power. There is nothing to stop you. It should also be obvious here that we are discussing good intentions, pure motivations and meaningful goals.

In this context of the beautiful rule the intention we need to set is to practice and apply the beautiful rule with every ounce of our body and will power to all aspects of our life consistently and repeatedly. And then this intention should be brought to life through the continuous practice of the beautiful rule. The motivation could be the desire, the driving force to want to remove all the bad characters, social ills and various weaknesses that are dragging you down in life and stopping you from growing and progressing so you can change and transform your life for the better. The goal could be to initially get rid get of one bad character or one social ill or one weakness and the ultimate goal to remove all the bad characters, social ills and various weaknesses. All these intentions, motivations and goals are voluntary and within your control to achieve and accomplish if the true and sincere desire, hunger, fire and passion is existing.

It is important to enjoy and cherish this journey from the start of your intention until you reach your goal. By being intentional you’ll en oy the ourney as much as the destination, and therefore bring more oy to everything you’re doing during the energy leading to your goal. Then move on to whatever fits next into your plan that is taking you one step closer to reaching your higher purpose. The higher purpose stays with you till you die. So that goal is something you will always be striving for.

Another broader example to just give some more clarity to these three inter-related words (intention, motivation, goal) is, if I see someone struggling with their luggage and I set the intention to help them carry the luggage. This is intention. The motivation could be to impress them; to bring them closer to you; to just be a helping hand to a fellow commuter; etc. And the goal could be to get some money out of them; or want something from them or someone else or want to sell them something; etc. This you see a lot when you are travelling in some countries.

A third example is, when I am out walking on the pavement my intention (for this part of the journey) is at the minimum not to inconvenience or hurt anyone I encounter. My

112

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected] motivation and driving force for this intention is my faith and its beautiful teachings. My goal is to return from the walk without having inconvenienced or hurt anyone.

I hope this has provided you with more clarity on intentions, motivations and goals and their inter-relationships.

Once you accomplish one of your goals then remember they are part (or should be a part) of a set of other goals you have set in various aspects of your life. These set of goals fall under the various purposes you might have in different aspects of your life. And then these purposes you have are there to let you accomplish your One higher purpose in life. For a Muslim/Muslimah (every believer) this One Higher Purpose in life is to submit and surrender themselves to their Creator which manifests in different ways throughout the day and night. Sometimes this submission and surrender manifests through prayer, sometimes through learning, sometimes through serving, sometimes through abstention from things, etc. Islam is the name for total submission with peace in all aspects of one’s life to the Creator of the universe.

Acquire Knowledge (Ilm) on the Beautiful Rule Knowledge (Ilm) is a key pre-requisite on this Path of Tazkiyah (Purification). Without the correct and complete knowledge the Path cannot be navigated. Path of Tazkiyah (Purification) is where total, real, deep and solid transformation happens both inward and outward and also at the physical, mental and spiritual levels.

Knowledge is the first step for all actions. Without correct knowledge there can be no correct action. Even Sincerity of Intention (Ikhlas Fin Niyyah) is preceded by the knowledge and knowing of this pure and sincere act and character. Acting on Sincerity of Intention will be the next and secondary step. Knowledge (Ilm) and practice (Amal) go hand in hand for both of them to be effective. Learn then practice. Learn with a view to practice.

Therefore, to apply this beautiful rule properly I suggest this piece is read entirely (and preferably a few times to fully comprehend the contents and digest them) from start to finish, the content digested so the vastness of its application is understood and also the details mentioned on how this beautiful rule relates to all the bad characters, social ills and other weaknesses is fully understood.

I am hoping reading the entire piece and understanding it will remove a lot of darkness and clouds that are currently clouding the mind and heart and will enlighten the reader and motivate them to act. Insha Allah (Allah willing)

I have placed this section on ‘Acquire Knowled e Ilm) on the Beautiful Rule’ after the section on ‘Firm and incere Intention and Conviction to Transform’ despite my assertion that even Sincerity of Intention (Ikhlas Fin Niyyah) is preceded by the knowledge and knowing of this pure and sincere act and character. The reason being that I am assuming you already know and have knowledge on Sincerity of Intention and this section serves as a reminder. Also, this section is about acquiring knowledge on the beautiful rule and not on acquiring knowledge on sincerity of intention.

Practical Exercise to Observe Thoughts The objective of this exercise is to incrementally take you a step closer so you can observe your thoughts during the day i.e. at run time.

113

Start off by doing this exercise for 2 minutes. However, gradually increase to 5 minutes i.e. increase to 3 then 4 and then 5 minutes.

 Sit in a comfortable and relaxed position on the floor (crossed legs or however you feel comfortable) or on a chair if sitting on the floor is not available to you or lie down on the bed or floor if that works better for you.  Close your eyes and leave them gently closed.  Observe the thoughts in your mind. Observe what is going on in there. Do not manipulate the thoughts. Just let it be. The key word here is just to observe as though you are standing on the side and observing the inside of your mind from the distance. Thoughts might be good or bad thoughts, positive or negative thoughts, healthy or unhealthy thoughts, inspiring or deflating thoughts, reflective or shallow thoughts, enlightened or evil thoughts, etc.

Once you have observed your thoughts for a while and become familiar with them and the kind and nature of thoughts that are permeating in your mind throughout the day then you can take the next step to apply the beautiful rule and remedy the thoughts.

Practical Exercise to Observe Breathing The objective of this exercise is to incrementally take you a step closer so you can keep your focus inwards rather than outwards during the day i.e. at run time. Observing the breath is a great way to reconnect with your inner self and focus inwards.

Start off by doing this exercise for 2 minutes. However, gradually increase to 5 minutes i.e. increase to 3 then 4 and then 5 minutes.

Sit in a comfortable and relaxed position on the floor (crossed legs or however you feel comfortable) or on a chair if sitting on the floor is not available to you lie down on the bed or floor if that works better for you. Close your eyes and leave them gently closed. Observe the natural breath coming in and going out. Observe how the breath is. Do not manipulate the breath (inhale or exhale) to make it deeper. Just let it be. The key word here is just to observe your breath.

Once you have observed your breath for a while and become habitual in taking your attention back inwards then you can take the next step to practice active breathing exercises to gain more inward focus.

I have provided a couple of exercises you can practice.

Breathing Exercise 1: Sit in a comfortable position on the floor (crossed legs or however you feel comfortable) or on a chair then close your left nostril and breathe in (inhale) deeply from your right nostril and then breathe out (exhale) deeply from your right nostril. Do this for 1 min. Then do the same on the other nostril i.e. close your right nostril and breathe in (inhale) deeply from your left nostril and then breathe out (exhale) deeply from your left nostril. Do this for 1 min.

Breathing Exercise 2: Sit in a comfortable position on the floor or on a chair then close your left nostril and breathe in (inhale) deeply from your right nostril and then

114

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected] close your right nostril and breathe out (exhale) deeply from your left (other) nostril (you will let go of the left nostril). Do this for 1 min. Then do the same on the other nostril i.e. close your right nostril and breathe in (inhale) deeply from your left nostril and then close your left nostril and breathe out (exhale) deeply from your right (other) nostril (you will let go of the right nostril). Do this for 1 min.

Physical Exercise and Healthy Nutrition Physical exercise is closely connected to clearing the mind of pointless thoughts and creating focus in the mind. Therefore, exercising with consistency few times a week with a plan that covers cardio, strength work and flexibility, etc is a must component of anyone trying to master this beautiful rule.

Coupled with exercise is nutrition. You will need to feed your body, mind and soul the food that it requires to nourish and develop.

Physical exercise and healthy nutrition will also lead to higher will power.

I actually have a piece on this subject titled 'Physical Health & Growth (The Crucial Stepping Stone to a Healthy Mind & Mental Well-Being)' that covers this area in a holistic manner. Please refer to that article for details. It is worth reading.

Know that You Have the In-Built Capacity to Apply the Beautiful Rule In Islam there is this beautiful concept called Takleef ( ). Takleef is an Arabic word and a technical term in Islamic Law. Takleef means to give responsibility to human beings (or Jinn) only that which they can bear and have the capacity in them to discharge. Therefore, by definition anything that is being asked of them whether related to doing or leaving and whether related to thoughts or actions all human beings have the in-built capacity and potential to execute both types if they chose to.

So in this case of applying the beautiful rule all human beings too have the capacity to abandon all those thoughts and acts that are not in their Sphere of Concern.

This point should be remembered if at any point Shaitan or anyone tells you that you can’t do this. Don’t listen to them. You can do it. You will do it.

Knowledge-Action Gap is Exercising Will Power There is this gap we have between what we know and what we should do. Put another way there is a gap between our thinking and doing and sadly for some this gap always remains as they don’t muster the courage to fle their will-power. Everyone knows to loose weight we need to exercise or to gain peace and happiness we should recite the Holy Quran but how many of us do this. The missing link and gap between the knowledge and action is exercising and flexing will-power. Only when we exercise and flex this will-power and courage then can we get the act to be realised. Otherwise it will remain a distant dream. The trick here is to act quickly and not delay between the thinking and the doing. Otherwise, you will have let your Nafs or Shaitan or some of the other numerous forms of distraction divert your attention and eventually let you forget and erase it from your mind totally.

You can do whatever you put your mind and intent to it. You did not come having learnt to walk as a baby. You learnt to walk with your effort and the help of your loving Murabby (parents in this case). In life you can transform yourself with the help and

115

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected] invaluable and life changing guidance of your Sheikh (spiritual mentor, guide and coach) coupled with your sincere quest for transformation.

Change Your Mind-set to that of Strength, not Weakness Against Your "Enemies" Within One advice I am sharing and I strongly suggest you take it on board and make it a part of your blue print is that you should think your enemy is weak. This is a way to trick the little voice in your head that might tell you your "enemy" is too strong and you can't overcome and over power it. Doing this will also uplift you and raise your confidence immensely. By enemy I mean anything that is stopping you from within in reaching your potential. This enemy within could be your weakness to live in the past, to spy on others, to create suspicions in your mind, not able to control your anger, harbour jealousy, etc. If you think your enemy is stronger than you then you have already set yourself up for defeat and failure. The attitude you need to have regardless of however difficult and momentous the task is and however high mountains you need to climb is you can overcome all these obstacles and reach your target, your goal and your destination. There is no force that can stop you besides your own superficial limits and walls you create.

I have learnt this lesson from many Verses in the Holy Quran. For instance, our Loving Creator mentions that Shaitan (the Devil) is weak. There are other Verses too from where I have deduced this lesson. Also, I have observed this reality in life too. In the real and physical world countries show their strength by displaying some of their military weaponry to instil fear into their enemies or use as deterrent. Try this technique for yourself with any "enemy within" and you will conquer it. There is no need to big up your enemy. It is a foolish thing to do.

You can also employ this technique when you are faced with any external problems (whatever that might be) to get to a resolution. The key is to stay calm, think rationally at the size of the problem and not to make it bigger than it really is (maybe reduce the size of the problem but not the other way round), think that you can resolve and find a solution for it.

Create a Sketch, a Plan and Timeline for Practicing the Beautiful Rule Taking action by starting off with a sketch, a plan and timeline as to how you can practice the beautiful rule is one of the first practical steps on this beautiful journey to show you are serious and sincere in your quest. There are many benefits to writing it out in your personal diary or if you prefer on your digital device. Show to yourself that you are serious and start with this action plan. Other suggested actions will follow suit if you are serious and sincere.

I suggest you create a plan that works for you depending on how much you can handle and/or time you have. Also, remember its not a race and you are not competing with anyone else so do what works for you and what you can maintain over the long term. The first method (the ambitious and brave one) is to take one negative behaviour each from each of the three categories i.e. one from the bad characters category, one from the social ills category and one from the weaknesses category. If you are choosing this method (method one) then I suggest you take 1 from the weaknesses category by starting with living in the past or blaming and one from the bad characters category like hatred/malice or anger and one from the social ills category like suspicion or backbiting. The second method (the middle of the path one)

116

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected] is take and work with only two categories. In this case I suggest you first start with one each from the bad characters and weaknesses categories. The third method (The cautious and easy one) is just to start off slowly and take one category. In this case I suggest you first start with one weakness from the weaknesses category. Then move on to the bad characters or social ills category whichever you need to work on and then the final outstanding category.

Whichever method from the three methods you choose create a plan based on that. In total I have discussed 11 bad characters, 6 social ills and 32 weaknesses which adds up to 49 number. One of those i.e. backbiting is mentioned twice in two different categories so it leaves the total to 48. So take out your calendar and create the reminders with the details of which negative behaviours you will be working on.

The suggestion is to practice the beautiful rule on 1 or 2 or 3 negative behaviours (depending on the method you have chosen) for 3 or 5 or 7 days. So you get a taster of what is being remedied and also get a flavour of the benefits mentioned in the piece. By doing this gradual approach the hope is you get addicted to this practice and want to immerse yourself more into it with passion as you will realise very quickly you are the primary beneficiary. Your life will be changed and transformed. And due to this you will be inspiring and touching the lives of others around you, creating an invisible or visible change in your community and in the wider world due to the changes and transformation that has occurred within you. It is a ripple effect whether you see it or not. If everyone followed this process then the entire society would be changed and transformed which we all hope for to create a better and just world for all. Therefore, in the plan write down the negative behaviours you will be working on in the given days and weeks and then practice the beautiful rule on those negative behaviours for the given days. Don't worry about mastery just yet. The short term goal is to get into the habit and just weaken these negative behaviours and then over time you will master them too. It is a process that you will need to repeatedly follow with consistency.

Time Management Time management is a key activity to stay on top of your workload and create any balance in your life. Also, an integral part of any successful person's life as it cuts out wastage in the time. It helps you see where the time is not efficiently being used or where there are gaps in the time that can be used. Time is an asset we can't buy. No one can buy time regardless of how many billions of pounds they might have.

To achieve this create a timetable (called 'Nizam-ul-Awqaat' in Urdu) of your days and weeks and months ahead to better and efficiently manage your time. So you can maximise your time by engaging in meaningful and productive tasks that are in alignment with your goals and purpose of life.

This habit of creating a timetable to efficiently manage our time is what we learn from the life of the Holy Prophet (peace, salutations and blessings be upon him) and what I have observed and learnt from my beloved guide and mentor, his guide and mentor and in general of all our Mashaikh and great scholars. It is a trait of every great leader regardless of their background as whatever we want to achieve has to be done in the limited time we have. My beloved mentor and guide's beloved and great mentor the great and unique reformer (Mujaddid) of his century Hakeem Ul Ummah Mujaddid Ul Millat Hazrat Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi (RA) wrote over a thousand books and each

117

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected] book is full of wisdom, depths and amazing and incredible insights in to all aspects of Islamic teachings. This was possible due to a number of factors and one of them was due to time management and not wasting a second of his time. All his disciples like my beloved guide and mentor also learnt this great habit from this great man, then internalised it and made use of it and taught their followers to do the same.

This is a recipe to make time productive and will help in avoiding time wasting, procrastination, laziness, etc. Every second and every minute of life is valuable and priceless. It cannot be melted and wasted away. This technique of creating a timetable and sticking to it is useful throughout one's life.

Reduce Your Social Interactions To help you set yourself up for success and gain the benefits of this beautiful rule is to initially reduce your unnecessary social interactions. Those social interactions are those that add no value to your goals and purpose in life. We all have many social interactions we engage in (off-line and online) and then complain too that they are a waste of time. You can be brave and cut them out totally at once or you can reduce it gradually. Do whatever works for you and you can sustain for the long term.

Interactions with people in your life that matter like your spouse, parents, children, siblings, family, etc are not part of the equation. These social interactions are with people besides them.

This includes in the real world or in the digital world of social media. Social media should be totally cut out or reduced to the bare minimum until the training is completed.

The objective is not to make you anti social. It is to break this vicious cycle we are in. In this fast moving world we tend not to stop and take time to self-reflect. Being so busy with whatever you are doing that you don't get time for this self-reflection is not a good state to be in. The objective with this act and the next one (Reduce Your Talk) is to enhance your life, your relationships and to gain the space to reflect on things and people that matter and that do not matter. Once you come out of this training you will be invigorated and have a new breath of life.

Reduce Your Talk Another aid and support mechanism to help you set yourself up for success and gain the benefits of this beautiful rule is to initially reduce your talk that you are aware of that adds no value whatsoever to your goals and purpose in life. This also includes engaging in any arguments, quarrelling and debates - personal, religious, political, matters that are just theoretic and hold no value in the real world of practice, etc.

Alongside the need to reduce your talk, it is also of paramount importance to keep a focus on the language and tone we use. The language should be clean and pure and free from vulgarity, swearing, etc. Also, the focus needs to be kept on the tone and manner of the talk so that it is refined and friendly.

By talk I mean both verbal and written. This also includes the real world or in the digital world and space of social media. I observe on many groups that people engage in futile conversations, hypothetical and arguments on petty things that could be even religious or political matters that have no significance or practical value. Also, it is

118

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected] irrelevant and does not matter whoever is engaging in these futile conversations and whatever their title might be. Pointless and futile conversations or that falls foul that they fall from the bad characters, social ills and weaknesses e.g. gossip, mockery, name calling, backbiting, etc are unacceptable and needs to be avoided and cut out.

These two acts (i.e. Reducing Your Social Interactions and Reducing Your Talk) are in my view the equivalent to reducing the calorie intake for those who are overweight and obese and want to get healthy. If a person is overweight and obese and want to get healthy the first thing they need to do even before exercising is reduce their calorie intake (even if they are eating healthy) and cut out all the junk and unhealthy foods and drinks. Exercise can come later after some weight is loss so it is less strenuous on the body and to avoid any damage exercise might cause due to the excess weight. This in my view is the logical and best way to proceed. Similarly, in the world and realm of mental and spiritual health we are overweight and obese too. We have a lot of veils over our minds and emotional baggage over our spiritual organs (heart and Nafs) that are weighing us down. This weight is even weightier than the excess fat we might have. Hence, in this world and realm of mental and spiritual health and maturity our excess interactions and talks are the first things that need to be reduced and cut out before we do anything else. When we act on these pre- requisites many negative habits will automatically wither away into thin air. These pre- requisites pave the way for mastering the beautiful rule, future improvements, progression on this beautiful path of self-development and purification. The repeated and consistent application of this beautiful rule is the equivalent to physical exercise. I think the similarity for both aspects is clear.

Actually these two acts are part of four acts my beloved guide and mentor used to emphasise a lot as a pre-requisite on this Path of Tazkiyah. The other two acts are - To reduce or eat only the amount required and to sleep only the hours required. The latter two I have discussed in this section too albeit in a creative way that is relevant to this situation. They are titled 'Avoid Consuming Haram Food & Drink' and 'Sleeping Early'. This group of four pre-requisite acts have a name and are called Mujahadah Jismani (Physical Endeavour) i.e. Mujahadah (which means effort and exertion) that involves the physical aspect of the human body. Another name for this type of Mu ahadah is ‘Riyadhah’. This type of Mu ahadah is a pre-cursor and pre-requisite to the main type of Mujahadah that is called Mujahadah Nafs (Effort and struggle concerning the nafs). The bad characters, social ills and weaknesses that I have discussed in this piece are part of this main type of Mujahadah i.e. Mujahadah Nafs.

Avoid Consuming Haram Food & Drink Haram is an Arabic word which means unlawful and prohibited for the believer and follower of Islam to consume (or act on if it concerns non-food and drink).

The saying goes "You are what you eat" i.e. a key part of being physically healthy is to consume healthy food and drink. At the mental level the nature of what you eat affects the nature of your thoughts that are created in your mind. If you consume clean, pure, wholesome and Halal food and drink then experience has shown that it will also create clean, pure, and healthy thoughts. On the contrary, if you consume food and drink that are not Halal (i.e. Consumption of Haram (Prohibited) food and drink) then experience has shown that the chances are greater to get unclean, impure, unhealthy and morally destructive thoughts in the heart and mind.

119

This is the natural outcome of prohibited food and drink. Hence, to create a safeguard and build a layer of protection against the onslaught of evil and morally destructive thoughts it is necessary that the practitioner of the beautiful Rule totally avoids all prohibited food and drinks. Otherwise, it will be an uphill struggle. The tide will be against you. The easy and sensible way is to avoid the onslaught of evil and morally destructive thoughts than fighting them. That will be fighting a battle you can't win.

Halal in terms of food and drink refers to the food and drink a believer has to follow. It is a mechanism to protect the believers from the harms the consumption of unlawful food and drink can create. For instance, everyone is aware the damage the consumption of alcohol does (which is not allowed in Islam) on the person and to the wider society. In terms of Halal food it covers a range of food and certain animals are classed as Halal. Those animals that are regarded as Halal believers can consume them condition they meet the guidelines provided in Islam. Those guidelines states the need for them to be reared in a healthy way, be free from the impurities if the animal has eaten any, and then the blood is spilled out of the animal in a certain way that is less painful to the animals and a means of cleaning the meat.

Through the application of the beautiful rule we are trying to abandon and prevent any negativity consuming our mind and heart. We want our intellectual vessels to be pure, clean and healthy. By avoiding the consumption of the food and drinks we regard as detrimental to our bodies and as an extension to our intellectual and spiritual organs we are also purifying our physical body. The purification is happening at all levels i.e. our body, our sensory systems (sight, hearing, ouch, etc), our mind and intellect and our spiritual organs (the heart and the Nafs). None of the inputs we voluntarily put into these body parts and organs will be unclean, impure and unhealthy. The result will be that anything that is coming out i.e. the output from these body parts and organs will be clean, pure, healthy, refreshing, revitalising, full of life and energy, full of love, mercy and compassion towards others. The point of this sub-section - Avoid Consuming Haram Food & Drink - should become clear too and its link with the beautiful rule.

The point here is to increases your chances of success as this guideline is from the Creator of the Universe who knows everything and their effects on a person.

If you are a non-Muslim reading this then you can try practicing consuming Halal meat if you like or observe what you see fit. I have met many Hindu colleagues and friends who only prefer to consume Halal meat when they choose to eat meat due to the clean and healthy nature of the rearing and slaughtering process compared to the traditional way of slaughter, etc.

Note: The tenth Hadeeth in the unique compilation of 40 Ahadeeth of Imam An- Nawawi Ash- hafi’ee R.A) is on the need to consume Halal food and drinks and avoid Haram food and drinks.

Sleeping Early Sleeping early has many health benefits including mental health benefits. By sleeping early I do not mean you need to sleep a lot. The key is you make a habit of sleeping early. What this would entail is sleeping before midnight the latest and if possible even before that. The inner repair work in the body organs happens I read a while back happens around 1 am. So if you are asleep the effort is easier for the body to perform

120

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected] this repair task. Another benefit is the quality of sleep you get by sleeping early coupled with the added benefit you get is to wake up early and take advantage of the early morning blessings. The sleep you get if you sleep very late i.e. early morning onwards is not of that quality and will affect your routine for the next day too.

Stay Connected with Like Minded People It is extremely important to build friendships and creating a community of people who are in alignment with your values and goals. This is another mechanism to increase your chances of success. Staying connected to people who are in alignment and share your values and sharing with them will help sustain the motivation and keep you going even when you are experiencing difficulties or feel de-motivated or lack the energy to continue despite your full attempts.

Marathon runners know the value of this like minded community and have experienced it too in a marathon event whether the “community members” are actually running alongside them or who are watching from the sides and cheering and encouraging them on to get to the final mile and complete the long distance of 26.2 miles.

Similar is the power with any like minded groups and communities.

I have first observed and learnt this power of community from the community and followers of my beloved Sheikh, mentor and guide. This stems from my beautiful faith Islam where it promotes universal brotherhood and sisterhood based on shares beliefs and values. The warmth and hospitality also extends to all human beings as is experienced by those who open their hearts to see and acknowledge

I would like to mention (as who better to talk on this issue) than Malcolm X (Muslim name is El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz) but popular with his previous name of Malcolm X. Malcolm was a human rights activist and a key and popular figure during the civil rights movement in the US. I want to quote verbatim some relevant snippets of the letter Malcolm wrote to his loyal assistants in Harlem from the Muslim holy city of Makkah when he went there for pilgrimage. He talks from the heart and pours his heart away and describes what he sees in terms of brotherhood which he had not experienced in the US and something the US and world could explore and embrace. His transformation took place in the Holy City spending time and living with a community that consisted people of all colour and race but who shared the same faith and the same values of universal brotherhood and sisterhood. The power of the words of Malcolm X is evident and will forcefully resonate on anyone who is aware or studies the civil rights movement.

"Never have I witnessed such sincere hospitality and overwhelming spirit of true brotherhood as is practiced by people of all colors and races here in this ancient Holy Land, the home of Abraham, Muhammad and all the other Prophets of the Holy Scriptures. For the past week, I have been utterly speechless and spellbound by the graciousness I see displayed all around me by people of all colors."

...

"You may be shocked by these words coming from me. But on this pilgrimage, what I have seen, and experienced, has forced me to rearrange much of my thought-

121

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected] patterns previously held, and to toss aside some of my previous conclusions. This was not too difficult for me. Despite my firm convictions, I have always been a man who tries to face facts, and to accept the reality of life as new experience and new knowledge unfolds it. I have always kept an open mind, which is necessary to the flexibility that must go hand in hand with every form of intelligent search for truth."

"During the past eleven days here in the Muslim world, I have eaten from the same plate, drunk from the same glass, and slept on the same rug - while praying to the same God - with fellow Muslims, whose eyes were the bluest of blue, whose hair was the blondest of blond, and whose skin was the whitest of white. And in the words and in the deeds of the white Muslims, I felt the same sincerity that I felt among the black African Muslims of Nigeria, Sudan and Ghana."

"We were truly all the same (brothers) - because their belief in one God had removed the white from their minds, the white from their behavior, and the white from their attitude."

Note: I have mentioned a fair bit of detail in the main body of this piece even though it is all from experience and highly useful content and also in this 'Pre-Requisites and Building Blocks' section as it is important to spend more time in the careful planning and adequate preparation to succeed in the actual implementation or execution of anything. Professional and elite athletes and any master professional in any line of work employs this too. I am a strong believer and practitioner of this technique too. The US President Abraham Lincoln also understood the value of this and said: "Give me six hours to chop down a tree, and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe."

Actual Techniques and Practices This sub-section discusses the actual techniques and practices to apply the beautiful rule.

What I have done here is broken down the beautiful rule so it can be applied in a manageable and effective way and it also provides some mechanisms to see the progress being made in the areas mentioned. It is applying the beautiful rule in different areas of one’s life to attack and tackle the bad characters, social ills and weaknesses this beautiful rule can remedy, moderate and remove.

As mentioned above these sequence of steps mentioned in this group are the steps you will need to manually run as this requires manual intervention until the mind becomes intelligent enough to activate it independently. These need to be practiced sequentially and iteratively and in a loop. However, with special focus on steps number 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 as they require more investment of time, energy and focus.

1. Keep this phrase ‘ phere of Concern’ in your mind and keep reflecting on it until you state thinking about it naturally.

Just to recap from above ‘Sphere of Concern’ or ‘Sphere of Focus’ means that whatever is going in our minds (thought processes), the emotions in our hearts and all the acts we engage ourselves in from the time we wake up till the time we retire to bed and sleep (day in day out) we need to filter out all those voluntary thoughts, emotions and acts that would be unnecessary and serve no purpose in your life and towards your purpose of life and totally abandon them from your/our lives. They

122

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected] should not be a part of who we are and our life. Our life – every single voluntary thought, emotion and act - should be full of meaning and purpose. This can only be achieved if the mind and heart and our acts are replaced with meaningful thoughts, emotions and acts.

Initially what I would like you to focus on is what your e isting ‘Sphere of Concern’ state looks like. Where is your energy being spent on in all aspects of your life? Is it being spent on negativity or positivity?

Doing this would give you an idea where your current state is.

Then when you are clear what your e isting ‘Sphere of Concern’ state looks like I would like you to focus on what you would like your ‘Sphere of Concern’ state to look like.

2. Keep the beautiful rule present in the mind all the time so you view all your actions through the prism of this beautiful rule.

Get this rule edged to your mind and heart. If you can memorise the Arabic then memorise it or memorise the translation.

من حسن إسالم المرء تركه ما ال يعنيه

From the beauties of Islam within a person is the ability and strength to abandon and totally leave those matters that do not concern You.

If you not a Muslim then you can memorise the below part.

Abandon and totally leave those matters that do not concern You.

When you keep this beautiful rule present in your mind and heart at all times then this will catapult you to apply the beautiful rule.

I can say that this beautiful rule has been an integral part of my life (in my mind and heart) since the time I have heard it. I think probably late 80s or early 90s.

(ق ع ن ر - Ignore what people are or might be thinking about you (Qata Nazar .3

Become oblivious to their thoughts and empty your mind from any thoughts or People spend a lot of thinking time . ھن - judgements on this (Khali-uz-Zehn and expend energy in thinking what the other person or other people are thinking about them, the view they will be having on them, their status, their looks, their education, social standing, etc. So a good way to start applying the beautiful rule in the beautiful Hadeeth is by actively ignoring and abandoning thinking what people 123

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected] might or might not be thinking about you and ignoring in your mind any thoughts that might urge you to think on this. Tell your mind I do not care and neither am I interested in what other people might or might not be thinking about me. Become aloof and distant from their thoughts and make your mind empty (Khali-uz-Zehn - focus, concern ھن ym taht flesruoy lleT .gnikniht eb thgim yeht ton tahw ro tahw fo and interests are totally going to be spent on the activities pertaining to my well-being and creating a positive outlook on life and my obligations and responsibilities towards that are of concern to me – my family, relatives, humanity, etc.

4. Focus on your Thoughts (voluntary or involuntary) and Apply the Beautiful Rule on Your Thoughts

Being aware of the thought processes and chatter that is happening in the mind during the act or task or interaction you are engaged in, is a key first step to apply this beautiful rule.

As mentioned applying the beautiful rule embedded in the beautiful Hadeeth is a cure and can cure all the above bad characters, social ills and various other weaknesses if the believer and in particular the Salik/Salikah pays focused attention to the thought processes and chatter that are happening in their minds.

ل - The thoughts in the mind are part of the internal actions A’amal Qalbiyyah The mind by default is all the time you are awake regardless of whatever act or .(ق بي ة task or interaction you are engaged in is flooding you with thoughts - (mostly bad and evil thoughts or thoughts that weaken and devalue you by default until the cleansing and purification is not done), pointless chatter, suggestions, judgements, stereotyping, etc. And then based on these thoughts you either follow and act on what the mind has ordered (most people will do that and will do that most of the time throughout the day) or you take a step back, analyse the thought, the chatter, suggestion, judgement, etc and then ignore or moderate and neutralise it depending on the context.

When you encounter bad, evil and negative thoughts that fall in any of the three categories (i.e. bad characters, social ills, weaknesses) as they start and develop from a thought in your mind, and then that creates the urge to act on those bad, evil and negative thoughts then apply the beautiful rule on the thoughts i.e. abandon these bad, evil and negative thoughts from further developing and nurturing them and you know why you are abandoning the development and nurture of these bad, evil and negative thoughts.

in the (ةد ر و تم To achieve and bridge this gap, exercise courage and firm resolution through (ةن عتس application of the beautiful rule. Also, seek the help of Allah Ta’ala supplication and where applicable ask someone who can be of assistance or can coach you if you need it.

Also, embrace, enjoy and cherish the pain you will experience when you try to exercise and implement the beautiful rule using your will power to the negative scenarios in your life. Initially, the little voice in your head or your Nafs will try to trick you out from doing it totally or to do it in the future. Don’t fall for either of these tricks. And when you do not listen to them there will be pain as you will be going against the flow, the norm your little voice and nafs are accustomed to. It’s their comfort zone. You will need to get out of this comfort zone and get on the field or centre court and

124

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected] attack and play your game and win. You will need to overcome this pain and you will once you get to the threshold of your testing. There is no gain without pain in the inner and spiritual transformational realm either. You will after a few successes will start to enjoy the challenge of the pain that comes with applying the beautiful rule. Through repeated practice your will power will become very strong and you will create mastery in the effective and efficient application of the beautiful rule. Similar is the case of becoming physically healthy. When a person seeks to get a physical health transformation they have to endure and embrace the pain. Without it they cannot get any transformation. It is obvious anything in life worth having requires going through this pain barrier.

This whole process takes some practice and effort from you but through repeated practice you will command mastery of your thoughts by lessening the development of voluntary bad, evil and negative thoughts and any chatter that is going on in your mind. Also, through repeated practice of the beautiful rule you will be able to easily and swiftly apply the beautiful rule to abandon these types of thoughts. It will be a struggle only you know you are fighting as the person in front of you will not be aware of what mental and spiritual fight you are fighting. But this is a struggle you need to undertake and you can win too and gain immense benefits once you have mastered your thought processes. Your life will become full of bliss, happiness and gratitude.

The secret to mastering this beautiful rule is to repeatedly and consistently apply it to as many as practically possible thoughts and actions you do over the course of the day and over a long period of time.

As we learnt in mathematics, computing and various other disciplines to tackle a complex problem or a multitude of problems is to break the complex problem down into smaller parts or to tackle and solve one problem at a time. So an easy way to apply this particular technique is to apply the beautiful rule to a particular bad character or social ill or a particular weakness that you can chew and focus on until it gets weakened or remedied.

As mentioned above the beautiful rule remedies numerous bad characters, social ills and various weaknesses present in a person. A person could have a number of these bad characters, social ills and various weaknesses. So from the bad characters, social ills and various weaknesses mentioned above pick the one you think is troubling you the most if you are brave) e.g. insincerity, backbiting, spying on other, mocking others, etc or if you want a quick win then pick the one you can easily tackle and solve (whichever that may be). Then during the observation of your thoughts, words and actions focus on this particular negative and bad character until it is remedied. Then choose the next one and apply the same technique and procedure. And then continue doing this procedure for all the other remaining bad characters, social ills and various weaknesses you may have.

I have actually given a detailed plan above in the ‘Pre-Requisites and Building Blocks’ section with various options you can choose under the heading ‘Create a Sketch, a Plan and Timeline for Practicin the Beautiful Rule’. You can employ that. I have also given other smart and specific methods that can additionally be used under the heading ‘Additional mart ays to Apply the Beautiful Rule’ further down.

125

5. Focus on the Words you Utter and Apply the Beautiful Rule to Your Words

It is important to be aware on what and how you say, utter and express yourself. The bad characters, social ills and the various weaknesses mentioned above are sometimes expressed by the medium of the tongue. For example, the jealousy in the heart and mind that starts of as a thought is then expressed through words, the anger in the heart and mind that starts as a thought is expressed through words, the arrogance in the heart and mind that starts as a thought is expressed through words, pointless conversations, etc.

These utterances and expressions through the medium of the tongue are the direct results of the thoughts wandering around or being nurtured in your mind and heart. Hence, keeping an eye and focus on the tongue is in effect to moderate the thoughts. This is a two way exercise and a form of reverse engineering. Words are part of the outer actions but the exercise here is to understand and relate them back to the initial thought that spurred them to say the words of jealousy, anger, arrogance, etc. So the source (thought) can be tackled and purified so you can avoid these words again in the future.

When you do get the desire and urge to express something verbally or in written form that falls in any of the three categories (i.e. bad characters, social ills, weaknesses) e.g. blaming, expressing anger, etc then apply the beautiful rule on the words i.e. abandon these bad, evil and negative expressions from leaving your mouth. To in the (ةد ر و تم achieve and bridge this gap exercise courage and firm resolution through (ةن عتس application of the beautiful rule. Also, seek the help of Allah Ta’ala supplication and where applicable ask someone who can be of assistance or can coach you if you need it.

6. Focus and Analyse your Physical Actions and Apply the Beautiful Rule to Your Physical Actions

Similar to your words and utterances it is important to be aware of the physical actions و رح . ل - of your body e.g. actions of the hands and feet, etc (Amal-Ul-Jawarih The bad characters, social ills and various weaknesses mentioned above are ل . sometimes expressed by the medium of the bodily actions (Amal - ,elpma e roF the jealousy in the heart and mind is expressed physically by the hand or through some action, the anger in the heart and mind is expressed physically by the hand or through some action, the arrogance in the heart and mind is expressed physically by the hand or through some action, pointless actions, etc.

like your words) the) ل و رح These physical actions (Amal-Ul-Jawarih - osla era direct results of the bad, evil and negative thoughts wandering around or being nurtured in your mind and heart. Hence, keeping an eye and focus on the physical actions is in effect to moderate the thought processes. This is a two way exercise and a form of reverse engineering too as mentioned above.

Physical and body actions are also part of the outer actions so the exercise here too is to understand and relate them back to the initial thought that spurred them to act and behave in a way and manner that is contrary to good character or good social behaviour. In effect here too the source (thought) can be tackled and purified so you can avoid these kinds of acts and behaviour again in the future.

126

When you do get the desire and urge to express something through your physical actions that falls in any of the three categories (i.e. bad characters, social ills, weaknesses) then apply the beautiful rule on the actions i.e. abandon these bad, evil and negative physical actions from seeing the light of day. To achieve and bridge this in the application of the beautiful (ةد ر و تم gap exercise courage and firm resolution through supplication and where (ةن عتس rule. Also, seek the help of Allah Ta’ala applicable ask someone who can be of assistance or can coach you if you need it.

7. Keep Focus on Your Obligations and Responsibilities and Apply the Beautiful Rule to Your Obligations and Responsibilities

Keep focus on your obligations and responsibilities. These obligations and responsibilities could be personal i.e. concerning you only like personal acts of worship; remedying the bad characters, social ills and various other weaknesses; acquiring good character; earning a livelihood; looking after your physical health and well-being; etc. These obligations and responsibilities could be related to your dependents like wife/husband, children, parents, etc. These obligations and responsibilities could be concerning the well-being of other fellow Muslims or human beings in general.

When the time comes to discharge these obligations and responsibilities then apply the beautiful rule on anything that could distract you from discharging these obligations and responsibilities in the best possible manner i.e. with full focus, devotion and concentration and by abandoning all the possible distractions. To in the (ةد ر و تم achieve and bridge this gap exercise courage and firm resolution through (ةن عتس application of the beautiful rule. Also, seek the help of Allah Ta’ala supplication and where applicable ask someone who can be of assistance or can coach you if you need it.

8. Practice the Application of the Beautiful Rule with Consistency and Repeatedly

The application of this beautiful rule needs to be part of your practice (Mumarasat & Tamreen - ). By practice I mean something that is done repeatedly and everyday in this case. The repeat application and with consistency of the beautiful rule is the repetitions you are doing to build this important spiritual muscle and life enhancing muscle. The frequency of what constitute as practice will differ from act to act. For example, practice of Salah means five times daily on time, practice of exercise means few times a week, etc. Here, the practice and application of the beautiful rule starts from morning the time you wake up till the time you fall asleep, then every single day and continuous until you die. There is no other way to keep your life enhanced, full of meaning and full of happiness and joy without abandoning these bad characters, social ills and various other weaknesses. However, the more you will invest time in your practice of the beautiful rule the easier it will get and eventually become natural to and will be embedded to your sub-conscious mind.

Post Application Steps This sub-section discusses the steps required during the post application of the beautiful rule phase.

127

Nightly Accountability (Muhasabah) This accountability is called Muhasabah in Arabic. It is a very powerful aid and support tool. It is taking a brief scan of the day and assessing how the application of the beautiful rule went. You can acknowledge and be grateful where the beautiful rule was applied and the improvements gained from it and also acknowledge where you failed and missed the opportunity to apply the beautiful rule. Learn from this and set the intention to improve the next day. Muhasabah (this accountability mechanism) is a tried and tested tool and it will boost your motivation and desire to do better the next day.

You can do this exercise at night and it should not take more than five minutes at the start just to get into this practice and routine. Spend more time once you get used to this and when you see the results of this aid and support tool.

Once you see the benefits of this accountability tool and mechanism you will incorporate it into your day at various checkpoints to learn from the misses in the application of the beautiful rule and gain more benefits from the application of the beautiful rule.

All great leaders employ this tool in various forms to maximise their potential.

Practice Bountiful and Abundant Gratitude (Ash-Shukr Al-Jazeel) One key good character that I recommend at this point out of all of them and to keep a keen focus on is to employ repeatedly all day and everyday bountiful and abundant in general and in particular when you successfully apply the ر - gratitude (Shukr beautiful rule whether it is on a small act or big.

Practicing bountiful and abundant Gratitude on every success on the application of the beautiful rule (or any blessing) has far reaching benefits and powerful effects on creating and attracting more opportunities to apply the rule in all areas of your life and with quicker speed and more abundance in blessings. This is the Law of Gratitude the Holy Quran explicitly mentions. Abundant gratitude attracts abundant blessings. The inverse is also true. Ingratitude attracts decreases in blessings and can lead to the wrath of the Creator, the Bestower of all blessings. The rule that we can derive from this is whatever action – whether positive or negative – we take it will return similar result.

One of the 99 beautiful attributes of Allah Ta’ala, the Creator is Ash-Shakoor i.e. The Appreciative, the One Who appreciates even the trivial good deeds, gratitude, etc and then gives much more in kind. Such is the mercy of our Creator. How can I or anyone not love Him? In Urdu the meaning of Ash-Shakoor is translated as Qadar Dan ( ). I actually really like the translation.

Start the day with the Masnoon dua (Sunnah Dua i.e. the supplication practiced by the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace, salutations and blessings be upon him)) that starts with gratitude to the Creator on giving you a new day, a new lease of life, a new opportunity. So smile and keep smiling all day everyday at the countless blessings your Creator is showering you with. Also, try to say these words of gratitude verbally too once after every success or blessing:

128

Al-Hamdu Lillah

All praises are for Allah

Allahumma Lakal Hamdu Wala Kash-Shukru

O Allah! Only for You is praise and only for You is gratitude

It is very true that the real praise and gratitude is only for the Creator as it is He Who is running the world.

And if you can’t say verbally then in your mind and heart e press the gratitude, the love, etc.

Persevere in the Application of this Beautiful Rule The key and smart thing to do is to never give up. You can fall (i.e. not apply the beautiful rule in a scenario or scenarios) but don't worry as that is inevitable when you are creating this spiritual muscle but the key is to get back up and learn from the mistake and continue with more vigour to rigorously apply the beautiful rule. Don't remain lying there on the canvas. Get up and fight the title against your “enemies”. Don’t let your “enemies” within destroy you.

Remember, a stone is not crushed from the last hit or drop of water. It is crushed due to continuous hitting or dropping of water on the stone. The lesson is not to give up. If you fall or fail a thousand times still stand back up and continue on this journey.

We live in a world where people want instant results (in things that require immense effort too) without the need for putting the required effort in. Unfortunately this is a dream and a fantasy as there is no such thing like that. To achieve anything meaningful requires dedication, commitment and perseverance. Study anyone who has succeeded big in anything the amount of effort they have had to put in and continue putting in to stay on top of their game.

As this is a life-long activity there will be temporary slips and setbacks as they are inevitable and remember they serve a purpose too. They are part of the learning and developing process. It strengthens you as you come out of it bigger and stronger. Anything that does not break you makes you stronger. It also, creates more hunger, fire and desire in you to get to the next levels. There is always a win in whatever situation (good or bad) you face. It's how you view the situation and what you do with it that makes it a win (or a lose if you only look at it as a failure and stay remaining down). This is a lesson I learnt from one of the Prophetic sayings (Hadeeth) on patience and gratitude. These temporary slips, setbacks and failures are the ones that differentiate the men from the boys, leaders from the followers and extra-ordinary people from the ordinary people.

It is key to think 'You can' instead of 'You can't' in any situation even if it looks impossible to you but it is not impossible in reality. It is just you limiting yourself. Also, it's not a sprint. It is a marathon so stay in there for the long haul. Tough times will come and they will go and you will overcome all these obstacles, barriers and

129

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected] negativity. Nothing worthwhile achieving comes easy. That's the fact of life. It's worth the effort. Trust me! uccess comes from failures. uccess comes when you don’t let the failure hold you down.

Note: Hadeeth number 21 in the unique compilation of 40 Ahadeeth of Imam An- Nawawi (R.A) is on the need to practice with consistency.

Lifelong Activity Applying this beautiful rule is a life-long activity as the application of the beautiful rule here is ( ك - is like a spectrum. What I mean by a spectrum Kulli Mushakkik when you are applying it even to one part of your life you can say you are applying the beautiful rule (which you are to some degree) or if you are applying the beautiful rule to all aspect of our life you can still say you are applying the beautiful rule (but this is at a higher and advanced level).

You will start to see and realise the amazing benefits from the outset even when you have mastered its application to just one bad character, one social ill or one weakness. The more you master the beautiful rule on all of these the greater the benefits you will realise.

The task is to start employing and applying the beautiful rule using one of the methods and then gradually and systematically covering all the bad characters, social ills and weaknesses.

Once we have gradually and systematically applied the beautiful rule to all the bad characters, social ills and weaknesses and have gained some control or even good control over all the bad characters, social ills and weaknesses there is still always scope to create further improvements, enhancements and efficiencies to all our precious resources. We can further develop our application of the beautiful rule to all aspects of our life by taking it a step or few steps higher to maximise the precious resources we have at our disposal.

These precious resources can be our thought processes; memory; time; energy; physical actions; focus and concentration; how we communicate verbally or in writing; physical health; mental health; spiritual health; wealth; character; our interactions with people; etc.

Also, we can build on the meaningful connections and enhance further our relationships with the people that matter in our lives like our parents, children, spouse, siblings, family, relatives, teachers, mentors, work colleagues, neighbours, etc. WE can also do similar with our relationships with the wider community and the global human family at large.

As this is a lifelong activity the practitioner of the beautiful rule cannot become complacent at any stage of this process. At the outset it might seem daunting and difficult but through practice it become easy, natural and a way of living.

Power of Repetition There is immense power in repetition. As I have mentioned the first step I want you to do is read this piece over and over again until it consumes your mind and heart and you fully understand the content. Then I want you to act and implement the beautiful

130

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected] rule to all aspects of your life consistently and continue repeating it till your sub- conscious mind has been changed and you have been fully transformed.

Humans are creatures of habits. So whatever habits we have accustomed ourselves to - good or bad - we become the sum of those habits. If those habits are good and meaningful then we will be living a meaningful life. On the contrary if those habits are bad and meaningless then we will be living a life with no meaning and no purpose. By changing our habits we are changing our life. Any current habit of yours can be changed or a new habit started within a minute. You need to then execute the new behaviour or the new habit. Creating a plan to change habits like the one suggested above will help you get there.

Remember the more you invest your time and energy and the more you practice and apply the beautiful rule the more you will get out of it. The application of the beautiful rule is like investing in a company that has assets valued at phenomenal amounts and the return on investments is incredible. The more a person invests in these stocks and shares the more return they will get. Here, monetary investment is not required. Here, investment of your time, your mind, your focus, your energy, your desire and your sincere commitment to apply and then repeatedly applying is what is required and demanded.

Additional Smart Ways to Apply the Beautiful Rule Identify the purpose of whatever act you are doing or engaging in and see if you remain focused on the act or get distracted. If you get distracted then acknowledge that in your head and then re-focus your attention to your purpose and abandon engaging and getting side tracked with the distraction.

I suggest you take a few key activities from your day and think which of the negative behaviours you can actively focus all your mind is and apply the beautiful rule to remedy them. I have mentioned some key activities I could think of but you can add your own and modify the behaviours too from what I have mentioned as circumstances of everyone is different.

There could be a good number of these negative behaviours that can be observed and honed in on during these scenarios but I have limited to mentioning just five in each of them so it is manageable. Once they are mastered you can focus on other relevant ones.

Physical Exercise When you go to the gym the purpose is to train, exercise, workout on the gym floor in any of the disciplines (cardio, strength work, flexibility, etc) or take part in one of the classes the gym offers.

The purpose of a gym is not that you go there and then spend most of your time talking; enjoying smoothies; chatting up girls; etc.

However, it is a good way to focus and hone in on a few negative behaviours where you can practice and apply this beautiful rule. They are:

(بضغ  Anger  Vanity and Conceit (Ujb)

131

( ري ة / ر  Mockery ( ر وت / ر بد  Lustful Glances  Competitiveness

Work and Commute When you are commuting on the tube or the train or driving to work then your purpose is to get from destination A to destination B and any negative engagements in between the destinations is taking the eye off the ball and getting sidetracked i.e. by being nosy in what people are talking about or doing; looking and staring at the opposite gender with lust; stereotyping; being prejudiced; being judgemental; being inconsiderate of fellow commuters and passengers; etc. Instead, you can engage in anything that can strengthen, connect and progress you with your Purpose of Life. This will generate positivity; bring you happiness and freedom; bring meaning and a sense of purpose during your commute.

The five negative behaviours during the commute you can focus and hone in on where you can practice and apply this beautiful rule are:

(بضغ  Anger  Vanity and Conceit (Ujb)  Blaming Others/Everyone Else  Procrastination  Worry and Anxiety

When you are at work then your purpose is to give your full focus on the work you are being paid to do. However, taking the eye of the ball by spending your time browsing; lazing around drinking coffee every 15 mins; engaging in office flirting; etc are contrary acts to your presence at work.

The five negative behaviours during the work day you can focus and hone in on where you can practice and apply this beautiful rule are:

(دسح  Jealousy ( ر وت / ر بد  Lustful Glances  Gossip  Competitiveness  Judgements during Conversations

Educational Setting This could be any educational setting - religious like a Dar-ul-Uloom or secular like a college or university. When you go to the place of study the purpose is to study - learn, read, write, research, etc.

The purpose of a place of study is not that you go there and then spend most of your time talking; hanging about with your friends or being distracted in anything else.

However, it is a good way to focus and hone in on a few negative behaviours where you can practice and apply this beautiful rule. They are:

(زب نت  Insulting through Nicknames  Competitiveness 132

 Procrastination  Laziness  Worry and Anxiety

Faith and Religious Practice When you practice your beautiful faith the purpose is to increase your connection with your Creator. The purpose of practice is not to use it to use against others.

However, it is a good way to focus and hone in on a few negative behaviours where you can practice and apply this beautiful rule. They are:

(ةبيغ  Backbite (ء ير  Insincerity ( ءة ن  uspicion & re udices و و ة -  Satanic Whispers (Waswasah ( ر س  Ishraf-e-Nafs

Interactions with the Spouse The purpose of your interaction with your spouse is to increase your connection and bond with them. The purpose of the interaction is not to weaken or damage the connection and bond.

However, it is a good way to focus and hone in on a few negative behaviours where you can practice and apply this beautiful rule. They are:

(بضغ  Anger  False Statements And Lying (Kizb) ( ءة ن  uspicion & re udices  Blaming Others/Everyone Else  Living in the Past

Interactions with Family and Relatives The purpose of your interaction with your family and relatives also is to increase your connection and bond with them. The purpose of the interaction is not to weaken or damage the connection and bond.

However, it is a good way to focus and hone in on a few negative behaviours where you can practice and apply this beautiful rule. They are:

(ةنيك و دقح  Malice / Hatred  Blaming Others/Everyone Else  Living in the Past  Gossip  Competitiveness

Behaviour towards Fellow Followers of your Guide and Mentor The way you behave towards the followers of your guide and mentor should be of respect, love, admiration and cooperation. The behaviour should not be anything other than this.

133

However, it is a good way to focus and hone in on a few negative behaviours where you can practice and apply this beautiful rule. They are:

(دسح  Jealousy ء ير  Insincerity ( ب ر  Arrogance  Blaming Others/Everyone Else  Competitiveness

Behaviour When Propagating Islam How we behave when we are propagating the beautiful message of Islam to other fellow Muslims or fellow non-Muslims should be based on respect, love, compassion and empathy. The behaviour should not be anything other than this.

However, it is a good way to focus and hone in on a few negative behaviours where you can practice and apply this beautiful rule. They are:

(بضغ  Anger (ء ير  Insincerity ( ري ة / ر ت  Mockery ( ر س  Ishraf-e-Nafs  Reminding (Tazkeer) and Preaching and Propagating Deen (Tableegh)

To succeed in any of the above scenarios you need to maintain your focus on your purpose. If the eye gets off the road then quickly re-focus. Don't let it continue slipping.

Systematic Training (Tarbiyah) of Your Children Using the Beautiful Rule Tarbiyah means to nurture, develop and equip in a gradual manner i.e. step by step in a way that suits their intellect, understanding and needs at a given time. The best way to do Tarbiyah of your children is by being their role model in anything you would like them to learn, develop and acquire. So you will need to practice and apply this beautiful rule first before you can effectively and efficiently instil those characters, principles and values into your children.

One way to protect your children from developing or nurturing these bad characters, social ills and various other weaknesses is to practice and apply the beautiful rule to all aspects of your life - your interactions with spouse, the children, relatives, neighbours, etc. So the children emulate your behaviour. Children usually mirror the behaviour they see their parents doing - good or bad. Neuroscientists say we have mirroring neurones. This learning through mirroring method is best when the children are still infants and up to the age of seven.

Once they reach the age of seven and above then I suggest you can practice this beautiful rule (and when the children are around) think/talk loudly so they know why you are doing what you are doing or not doing so they learn through example and also understand the underlying logic and reasons. For example, why you are abandoning insincerity and employing sincerity and authenticity in your interaction towards someone you all are meeting and also explain to them how you are applying this beautiful rule to achieve that. This can be expanded with all the other bad

134

©Mufti Muhammad Noman Daji, Batley, UK - [email protected] characters, social ills and weaknesses. At this age you can ask your children to memorise the beautiful rule too.

Once they get into their teens or maybe earlier then you can discuss with them the beautiful rule by asking what they understand from it, how they would apply it and then you can share your perspective in the language they can digest. Children and teenagers are amazing with what ideas they bring to the table when they are given the space and freedom to express themselves when they know they are in a safe and loving environment.

In the section titled 'Additional Smart Ways to Apply the Beautiful Rule' where I have provided various relevant scenarios for adults where they can practice the beautiful rule on a group of bad characters, social ills and weaknesses at once similar kind of scenarios relevant to their ages and development can be done for children and teenagers. For example, some relevant scenarios here too are: Interactions with Parents, Interactions with Siblings, Interactions with Family, Interactions with Strangers, Behaviour towards Friends, Behaviour towards Colleagues, Approach towards Faith and Religious Practice, etc. You can take one of these scenarios and brain storm with them from the list of bad characters, social ills and weaknesses and ask them what they think will be relevant in the given scenario and what their thinking is behind this.

There will be many other benefits than the obvious ones in this type of approach and training (Tarbiyah) of your children.

As the popular saying goes "Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn". In other words being told something is fleeting, being taught something is more memorable but learning something is unforgettable. Another saying goes: "I hear I forget, I see I remember, I do I understand."

I have placed this section on ‘ ystematic Trainin (Tarbiyah) of Your Children Using the Beautiful Rule’ after outlining and discussing the steps you (adults/parents) can employ to effectively apply this beautiful rule and gain maximum benefit for a reason. This reason is personal transformation comes first where at least you have started on this journey to apply the beautiful rule to your life. When you do this the Tarbiyah of your children becomes very easy as they will learn from your behaviour even without the need for you to say much (especially when they infants). The Holy Quran prescribes and guides us to employ this approach as this is the most effective way (Verse 6, At-Tahrim, Surah 66). You will also have heard on planes too when they say (or show your on the screen) the safety demos where they announce that the parent need to place the oxygen mask, etc on first before attending to their children. The safety of the children is dependent on their parent being alive and in a position to save them.

Teaching and training your children this beautiful rule will be one of the most beautiful, loving and enduring gifts you can give them. It can turbo-charge their studies, physical, mental and spiritual growth, enhance their quality of life and create an invaluable member of the human race.

Tarbiyah of the Beautiful Rule Applicable to All Guardians, Mentors, Guides

135

In the above section I have mentioned the need for parents and guardians to teach and train in a systematic way to their children this beautiful rule. However, this also applies to others who have a similar nurturing role where they mould and coach children, teenagers, adults, etc. These other roles include people like teachers, mentors, spiritual guides, etc that they also coach and train their students, mentees, followers this beautiful rule in a systematic way through example.

This beautiful rule can be benefitted by humanity at large to make the life of each and every individual on this planet to reach its potential and as a result to create a better world to live in.

Creating One Family from the World of Communities In the Path of Tazkiyah (Path of Purification of the Mind, Heart and Soul) there is a concept of 'Suhbat Sadiq' i.e. staying in the physical company of the truthful mentor and guide and learning these behaviours consciously and sub-consciously or staying in connection with him through correspondence, etc when not present in his company and getting the required coaching and mentoring on critical aspects of your life. It was the practice the graduates from the world renowned Islamic seat of learning - Dar-ul- Uloom, Deoband, India had to spend 6 months in the company of a truthful mentor and guide to bridge this gap between knowledge and practice and get the spiritual transformation before they were awarded the certification and seal of approval. This proved to be a great practice as it helped create numerous giants of the past and this century who made invaluable contributions in all walks of life - academia, human transformation, social, politics, humanitarian, etc. I have mentioned a couple of direct graduates from this Islamic seminary and my beloved Sheikh, mentor and guide being one of them.

What I want to do here is modify this here as my intended audience is both Muslims and non-Muslims is that we create one family from the world of communities (whoever and wherever you are), a community, a space that is welcoming and liberating, a place we can share our ideas and experiences and learn from one and another based specifically on what has been discussed here so we can create a beautiful world for the readers and everyone in the world. The focus will be on self-development and transformation. I am thinking out loud. I am putting it out there. I am looking for practical suggestions to move this idea forward.

I have mentioned above the importance and benefits of creating groups and communities that are in alignment with our goals and share similar values in helping the group and community members to reach their goal and provide the necessary support during the journey. Also, it can be a space and mechanism where everyone can share ideas, techniques, experiences and observations, etc that can be beneficial to all the group and community members.

Personal Gratitude and Acknowledgement on the Piece It is of paramount importance to me that I first and foremost show my humble gratitude and appreciation to my Creator, the Sustainer (Rabb) of the Universe, the Most Merciful and Most Gracious – Allah Ta’ala for granting me the ability, capacity and strength to apply the beautiful rule, comprehend this insightful content and then to write and share these insights so fellow believers and humans can benefit from it.

136

Secondly, I show my humble gratitude and appreciation to the Prophet of Islam, the beloved of Allah Ta’ala, the best of all creation, the final Messenger of Allah Ta’ala and mercy for the entire universe until the Day of Judgement and my beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace, salutations and blessings be upon him) for enlightening the world through his beautiful teachings of Islam and in particular in this case this beautiful Prophetic saying that consists of this beautiful rule.

Thirdly, I would like to acknowledge and show my gratefulness at the great role and support of my beloved parents in creating an environment where I could get access to pious people, scholars, etc and in particular being my source to connect with my beloved and Mushfique Sheikh, Murshid and Murabby Hazrat Moulana Masihullah Khan Jalalabadi (RA), who they were also closely connected to.

Fourthly, I would like to acknowledge the great role of my beloved mentors and guides in guiding me in this Path of Purification (Tazkiyah) over the years and their constant .( و - and spiritual attention (Tawajjuh (ب ر ت – love, affection, blessing (Barakaat They are without doubt the true Friends of Allah Ta’ala adiqeen) and the true heirs of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace, salutations and blessings be upon him). It is an honour and very humbling to be connected to them, to get guidance from them to to reach Allah Ta’ala (و ة - purify the inner and have them as the medium (Wasitah and gain that strong connection to Him. It is the Way of Allah Ta’ala SunnatAllah - that we connect with the Sadiqeen to gain His closeness and proximity as He ( ت has ordered us to do in the Holy Quran.

The first mentor being my beloved and Mushfique Sheikh, Murshid and Murabby Hazrat Moulana Masihullah Khan Jalalabadi (RA), whose love in my heart endures and whose magnanimous and powerful teachings and insights changed, transformed and keeps transforming my life every single day. To whom I am forever indebted for teaching me the essential and foundational rules and principles of Tazkiyah and placing me on the true Path of Sulook and Tazkiyah. The second and current mentor being my beloved and Mushfique Ustaz, Sheikh, Murshid and Murabby Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani (DB), whose love radiates my heart, whose powerful and heart-felt teachings and insights constantly inspire and transform my life and whose affection and concern towards me humbles me. He is without doubt the best mentor for me after the demise of my first mentor. I pray for his good health, long life and protection from all evil and that we continue to benefit and be inspired from his teachings, insights and wisdom. Aameen!

It is worth noting that my beloved and Mushfique Ustaz, Sheikh, Murshid and Murabby Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani (DB) is also a Khalifah (disciple) of my first mentor, my beloved and Mushfique Sheikh, Murshid and Murabby Hazrat Moulana Masihullah Khan Jalalabadi (RA) and also the Khalifah of Hazrat Dr. Abdul Hayy Arifi (RA). And is the respected son of Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Shafi Usmani (RA) who also played a great role in his educational and spiritual development. All these three notable and eminent luminaries who have played an important role in the Tarbiyah (Nurture, Training and Development) of my beloved and Mushfique Ustaz, Sheikh, Murshid and Murabby Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani (DB) are Khulafa (disciples) of no other than the great and unique reformer (Mujaddid) of his century (and the primary source of our love, inspiration, insights and wisdom) Hakeem Ul Ummah Mu adid Ul Ummah Hazrat Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi RA). Allah Ta’ala bless their souls and elevate their ranks. Aameen!

137

Finally, I would like to acknowledge and show my gratefulness to all those who have inspired, moved or touch me in any way – small or big wherever they are alive or who have met their Creator already. I am inspired all the time from people I meet and encounter or who have been a part of my life. This includes people from all walks of life, all nationalities, faith and religions and none, race, etc.

Supplication O Allah Ta’ala! Instil within us the sincere and true quest to seek You and only You and remove any other motivations. Grant us the deep understanding of this beautiful rule. Grant us the ability and strength to apply and practice the beautiful rule with consistency until we master and internalise it to all aspects of our life. Grant us the capacity and care to spread this beautiful rule and all the beautiful teachings of Islam to all the humanity. Create the pathways for us to easily acquire the true mental and spiritual maturity that is the foundation for our spiritual growth and the springboard to orbit towards You. O Allah Ta’ala! Give us the taufeeq to be united and become one Ummah. And O Allah Ta’ala! Give us the taufeeq to create a world where people live and co-exist with peace, harmony and love for all.

ين ي ر ب ين ب ر ة ي د ر ين و م بيين ر ة ين ي بين و ت و ي و و ب ين و ن ب م ب ن يوم دين

Muhammad Noman Daji

Batley, England, UK

[email protected]

12th Rabi-ul-Awwal 1441 H - Saturday 9th November 2019

P.S: I am a graduate of Dar-ul-Uloom Deoband. I thought it should be mentioned so it provides some credibility and comfort for those reading.

138