بسم الله الرحمان الرحيم
In the Name of Allah,
the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Assault the Nafs
In this verse Moulana Rumi is advising us to raise a spear and make
a concerted and manly assault on our enemy, Nafs. To trample and
root out its Haraam desires and demands otherwise it will keep us
entrapped in this condition of defilement until one day death will find
us still trapped therein. As long as we entertain Nafs with its desires
the fear exists of meeting Allah Ta'ala as a criminal. Therefore, do not
delay in attacking this clear cut enemy. Do not let one's assault on the
Nafs be a weak one. Moulana says :
Raise your axe and make a manly assault.
Strike a mighty blow against the Khaybar of
your Nafs that will cause it to crumble.
Where does one attains the required courage to give up sin? Three
prescriptions are recorded in Kamaalaat-e-Ashrafiyah by Hazarat
Hakeem ul Ummat Thanwiرحمة الله عليه. Those desiring to leave sins
from their lives, should resort to three things:
* Resort to courage oneself.
* Supplicate to Allah Ta'ala for courage.
* Request the special servants of Allah Ta'ala
to make Dua on one's behalf.
InshaAllah, the habit of sinning will be given up. Allah Ta'ala has presented
us with a royal prescription wherewith to supplicate to Him. I will now present
its translation along with its commentary which is taken from (Rooh-ul-Ma'ani.
Vol.3 pg71)
The Translation of وَعُفُ عَنَّا
The Translation of وَعُفُ عَنَّا by Allamah Aaloosi has been made as : اُمحُ اثَارَ ذُنُوبِنَا
Eradicate the signs, the effects and witnesses to our sins.'' And وَاغْفِرُ لَناَ is
translated as : بِسِتُرِالقَبِيحِ وَاِظهَارِ الجَمِيْلِ '' Casting the veil of concealment over
evils and the revelation of our goodness to creation.'' And what is meant by
وَارْحَمنَآ ? ''Since you are forgiven and condoned, request us for Our Mercy.
As in the case of a son who has pleased his father after seeking forgiveness
for some fault and gets his allowance reinstated, Allah Ta'ala is teaching us,
you too, should seek from Us your requirements and says وَارْحَمنَآ '' O our
Lord, cause Your Mercy to descend on us.''
* What is Mercy ?
The question that now arises is, what is mercy ? Hakeem-ul-Ummat Thanwi
رحمة الله عليه has given four commentaries of mercy. Thus, after seeking
forgiveness and being condoned, while supplicating for Allah Ta'ala's Mercy,
make Four intentions:
* The Taufeeq to do Good
Because, on committing sins, the Taufeeq to do good is snatched away. Hakeem
-ul-Ummat Thanwiرحمة الله عليه explains that those people who engage in casting
lustful glances and thereafter resort to reciting the Qur'an, do not experience
pleasure in their recitation until they do not repent of the sin. By committing sins,
the sweetness pf worship is snatched away. Therefore, when sayingوَارْحَمنَآ make
this intention, ''O our Rabb! Re-establish the Taufeeq to obey and worship You.''
Thereafter, Hakeem-ul-Ummat mentions the second commentary of Rahmat, of
(Mercy):
* Abundance in Sustenence
Committing of sins leads to the decrease of sustenance and the departing of
Barakah or blessings. The definition of Barakah by Imam Raghib Isfahanni in
Mufradaat-ul-Qur'an is :
'' The abounding rain of goodness from Allah Ta'ala.''
If this is absent, immaterial of earning a hundred thousand, there will be no
blessing therein. The third definition of Rahmah, (Mercy) is :
* Forgiveness Without Reckoning
And the fourth commentary is :
* Entrance Into Jannah
Thus, the meaning of وَارْحَمنَآ is, ''O our Rabb! Grant us Taufeeq one more,
grant us abundance in our sustenance, grant us forgiveness without reckoning
and entrance into Jannah.''
Forgiveness Without Reckoning
Brother Ilyaas asked if there is a prescription whereby one can attain forgiveness
without reckoning, as the case when passing through customs at times, when no
checking at all is done and a tick is placed on the bags signifying that they have
passed without having been checked. ''I replied,'' Yes, there is such a prescription
whereby, on the Day of Qiyamaah, our account will not be taken. Allah Ta'ala's
Messengerصلى الله عليه وسلم taught this Dua :
اللّهُمّ حَاسِبْنِى حِسَابًا يَّسِيرَا
''O Allah! Make our reckoning an easy one.''
(Rooh-ul-Ma'aani Vol.30 pg 80)
Our mother, Aaishaرضى الله عنها asked, ''O Allah's Messengerصلى الله عليه وسلم,
what is meant by an easy reckoning.''
Listen now to the commentary of Prophethood in the words of Prophethood.
Allah's messengerصلى الله عليه وسلم provided the commentary of his own words
by saying, ''An easy reckoning means Allah Ta'ala gives a quick look over His
servant's book of deeds and without asking any questions about it, says. ''Go
into paradise.'' This is an easy reckoning.
اللّهُمّ حَاسِبْنِى حِسَابًا يَّسِيرَا
''O Allah! Make our reckoning an easy one.''
And the commentary ofوَارْحَمنَآ by Allamah Aaloosiرحمة الله عليه is rendered as :
تَفَضَّلُ عَلَينَا بِفُنُونِ الالَاءِمَعَ اِستِحْقَاقِنَا بِاَفَانِينِ اَلعِقَابِ
''O Allah! by your Mercy Endow us with all forms
of bounties in spite of the fact that we are deserving
of every form of punishment.''
Removal of Veils
Let the Ahl-e-Ilm, those grounded in knowledge, ponder a little over the fact
that in وَاعفُ عنَّا وَاغْفِرْ لَنَا وَارْحَمنَآ اَنْتَ مَولانَا the personal pronoun
in the third person has been used, now that clemency has been attained and the
rains of Mercy are cascading down, Allah Ta'ala Himself is saying, ''You, because
of the evil of sin were in a condition of being hidden form to address Me. Now that
I have forgive you, approach Me directly and use the personal pronoun in the first
person. After forgiveness, clemency and Mercy, the veils have parted, the veils of
sin have been lifted.''
The veils are also lifted, His gaze in this direction
also is cast.......
Venture forward and test fortunate destiny, for
present is the head as is the threshold.
''Therefore, address Us directly. Now resort to use of the personal pronoun in the
first person and say اَنْتَ مَولانَا '' You are our Lord and Master.'' اَنْتَ meaning you, is
only used when addressing someone directly. Now that you are directly before Us,
keep on sayingاَنْتَ مَولانَا - اَنْتَ مَولانَا and derive the pleasure of Our Presence.
(Daamat Barakaatuhum)
In the Name of Allah,
the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Assault the Nafs
In this verse Moulana Rumi is advising us to raise a spear and make
a concerted and manly assault on our enemy, Nafs. To trample and
root out its Haraam desires and demands otherwise it will keep us
entrapped in this condition of defilement until one day death will find
us still trapped therein. As long as we entertain Nafs with its desires
the fear exists of meeting Allah Ta'ala as a criminal. Therefore, do not
delay in attacking this clear cut enemy. Do not let one's assault on the
Nafs be a weak one. Moulana says :
Raise your axe and make a manly assault.
Strike a mighty blow against the Khaybar of
your Nafs that will cause it to crumble.
Where does one attains the required courage to give up sin? Three
prescriptions are recorded in Kamaalaat-e-Ashrafiyah by Hazarat
Hakeem ul Ummat Thanwiرحمة الله عليه. Those desiring to leave sins
from their lives, should resort to three things:
* Resort to courage oneself.
* Supplicate to Allah Ta'ala for courage.
* Request the special servants of Allah Ta'ala
to make Dua on one's behalf.
InshaAllah, the habit of sinning will be given up. Allah Ta'ala has presented
us with a royal prescription wherewith to supplicate to Him. I will now present
its translation along with its commentary which is taken from (Rooh-ul-Ma'ani.
Vol.3 pg71)
The Translation of وَعُفُ عَنَّا
The Translation of وَعُفُ عَنَّا by Allamah Aaloosi has been made as : اُمحُ اثَارَ ذُنُوبِنَا
Eradicate the signs, the effects and witnesses to our sins.'' And وَاغْفِرُ لَناَ is
translated as : بِسِتُرِالقَبِيحِ وَاِظهَارِ الجَمِيْلِ '' Casting the veil of concealment over
evils and the revelation of our goodness to creation.'' And what is meant by
وَارْحَمنَآ ? ''Since you are forgiven and condoned, request us for Our Mercy.
As in the case of a son who has pleased his father after seeking forgiveness
for some fault and gets his allowance reinstated, Allah Ta'ala is teaching us,
you too, should seek from Us your requirements and says وَارْحَمنَآ '' O our
Lord, cause Your Mercy to descend on us.''
* What is Mercy ?
The question that now arises is, what is mercy ? Hakeem-ul-Ummat Thanwi
رحمة الله عليه has given four commentaries of mercy. Thus, after seeking
forgiveness and being condoned, while supplicating for Allah Ta'ala's Mercy,
make Four intentions:
* The Taufeeq to do Good
Because, on committing sins, the Taufeeq to do good is snatched away. Hakeem
-ul-Ummat Thanwiرحمة الله عليه explains that those people who engage in casting
lustful glances and thereafter resort to reciting the Qur'an, do not experience
pleasure in their recitation until they do not repent of the sin. By committing sins,
the sweetness pf worship is snatched away. Therefore, when sayingوَارْحَمنَآ make
this intention, ''O our Rabb! Re-establish the Taufeeq to obey and worship You.''
Thereafter, Hakeem-ul-Ummat mentions the second commentary of Rahmat, of
(Mercy):
* Abundance in Sustenence
Committing of sins leads to the decrease of sustenance and the departing of
Barakah or blessings. The definition of Barakah by Imam Raghib Isfahanni in
Mufradaat-ul-Qur'an is :
'' The abounding rain of goodness from Allah Ta'ala.''
If this is absent, immaterial of earning a hundred thousand, there will be no
blessing therein. The third definition of Rahmah, (Mercy) is :
* Forgiveness Without Reckoning
And the fourth commentary is :
* Entrance Into Jannah
Thus, the meaning of وَارْحَمنَآ is, ''O our Rabb! Grant us Taufeeq one more,
grant us abundance in our sustenance, grant us forgiveness without reckoning
and entrance into Jannah.''
Forgiveness Without Reckoning
Brother Ilyaas asked if there is a prescription whereby one can attain forgiveness
without reckoning, as the case when passing through customs at times, when no
checking at all is done and a tick is placed on the bags signifying that they have
passed without having been checked. ''I replied,'' Yes, there is such a prescription
whereby, on the Day of Qiyamaah, our account will not be taken. Allah Ta'ala's
Messengerصلى الله عليه وسلم taught this Dua :
اللّهُمّ حَاسِبْنِى حِسَابًا يَّسِيرَا
''O Allah! Make our reckoning an easy one.''
(Rooh-ul-Ma'aani Vol.30 pg 80)
Our mother, Aaishaرضى الله عنها asked, ''O Allah's Messengerصلى الله عليه وسلم,
what is meant by an easy reckoning.''
Listen now to the commentary of Prophethood in the words of Prophethood.
Allah's messengerصلى الله عليه وسلم provided the commentary of his own words
by saying, ''An easy reckoning means Allah Ta'ala gives a quick look over His
servant's book of deeds and without asking any questions about it, says. ''Go
into paradise.'' This is an easy reckoning.
اللّهُمّ حَاسِبْنِى حِسَابًا يَّسِيرَا
''O Allah! Make our reckoning an easy one.''
And the commentary ofوَارْحَمنَآ by Allamah Aaloosiرحمة الله عليه is rendered as :
تَفَضَّلُ عَلَينَا بِفُنُونِ الالَاءِمَعَ اِستِحْقَاقِنَا بِاَفَانِينِ اَلعِقَابِ
''O Allah! by your Mercy Endow us with all forms
of bounties in spite of the fact that we are deserving
of every form of punishment.''
Removal of Veils
Let the Ahl-e-Ilm, those grounded in knowledge, ponder a little over the fact
that in وَاعفُ عنَّا وَاغْفِرْ لَنَا وَارْحَمنَآ اَنْتَ مَولانَا the personal pronoun
in the third person has been used, now that clemency has been attained and the
rains of Mercy are cascading down, Allah Ta'ala Himself is saying, ''You, because
of the evil of sin were in a condition of being hidden form to address Me. Now that
I have forgive you, approach Me directly and use the personal pronoun in the first
person. After forgiveness, clemency and Mercy, the veils have parted, the veils of
sin have been lifted.''
The veils are also lifted, His gaze in this direction
also is cast.......
Venture forward and test fortunate destiny, for
present is the head as is the threshold.
''Therefore, address Us directly. Now resort to use of the personal pronoun in the
first person and say اَنْتَ مَولانَا '' You are our Lord and Master.'' اَنْتَ meaning you, is
only used when addressing someone directly. Now that you are directly before Us,
keep on sayingاَنْتَ مَولانَا - اَنْتَ مَولانَا and derive the pleasure of Our Presence.
Virtues of Taubah
Moulana Muhammad Akhtar Saheb (Daamat Barakaatuhum)
jzkillah khairun for sharing a very thought provoking read.........
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