Discourses of January 1958

جنوری ۱۹۵۸ء کے مجالس

8 January 1958 — Wednesday (18 Jumada al-Thani 1377 AH)

Al-Farabi

There were two great philosophers in Islam. The first was al-Farabi, who corrected and refined the books of the Greeks. He is called the 'Second Teacher' — Aristotle being the first. Al-Farabi systematised logic and brought Greek philosophy into an Islamic framework.

The Sale of an Owned Article (Bay'a Mamlook)

What can be sold is only that which can be owned — that which is property (milk). Wine and pork cannot become property in Islamic law and therefore cannot be validly sold. This is a principle of intrinsic unlawfulness, not merely a procedural rule.

10 January 1958 — Friday (19 Jumada al-Thani 1377 AH)

Seeking Benefit and Repelling Harm (Talab-e-Naf'a wa Daf'a-e-Zarar)

The child acquires knowledge of good and evil from instinct — from natural disposition (fitra). The fundamental purpose of all rational action is to acquire benefit and repel harm. But this purpose requires establishing justice; without justice, the pursuit of benefit becomes predatory.

The Mu'tazilites, Ash'arites, and the Sufis

The Mu'tazilites say: what Allah commands is good — meaning goodness is prior to divine command, known by reason. The Ash'arites say: what is good is precisely what Allah commands — goodness has no prior rational definition. The Sufis take neither position as their criterion; their touchstone is not reason alone but the Shari'a, illuminated from within by spiritual state.

Ijtihad, Error, the Obligatory, the Sunna, and the Supererogatory

A scholar who exercises independent legal reasoning (ijtihad) and reaches an incorrect conclusion is not a sinner — he receives one reward instead of two. Abandoning a wajib (obligatory) act makes one a sinner. Abandoning a sunna act makes one blameworthy but not a sinner. Abandoning a nafl (supererogatory) act carries no blame.

Taqiyya (Dissimulation for Protection)

Taqiyya — the permissibility of concealing one's true belief under mortal compulsion — is not a doctrine exclusive to the Shi'a as some claim. It has a Quranic basis. Allah says: 'Except one who is compelled while his heart is at rest in faith.' However, taqiyya is a permission (rukhsat), not a virtue; a person of 'azima (firm resolve) would choose to endure rather than dissemble.

Dispensation and Strict Resolve (Rukhsat and 'Azima)

Every legal ruling has two aspects: the dispensation (rukhsat) for the weak, the ill, and the compelled; and the strict resolve ('azima) for those of spiritual strength. Both are valid. The Sufi path inclines toward 'azima — not out of formalism but out of love for nearness to Allah.

Giving Zakat to Sayyids (Sadaat ko Zakaat)

According to the Hanafi school, it is not permissible to give zakat to the Sayyids — the descendants of the Prophet ﷺ — because zakat is the purification (tazkiya) of wealth, and the Sayyids are too noble to receive what is, in its essence, the 'dirt' of others' wealth. They are instead entitled to receive from the khums (one-fifth) of public revenue.

The Quran and Hadith (Quran wa Hadith)

The Quran is the foundation and the hadith is its explanation. Neither can be understood properly without the other. Those who try to act on the Quran alone without hadith misunderstand both; and those who elevate hadith above the Quran invert the hierarchy of the sources.

Ritual Impurity (Najas)

Ritual impurity (najas) has two categories: intrinsic (haqiqi) and ruling-based (hukmi). The legal definitions of najas flow from divine revelation, not from human judgment about cleanliness. Matters that appear clean to the senses may still be legally impure, and vice versa.

Technical Definitions (Ta'rifaat): Ghusl and Related Matters

The technical Islamic definitions (ta'rifaat) of acts of worship — ghusl (ritual bath), wudu (ablution), tayammum (dry ablution) — are not simply descriptive labels. They carry legal weight. The definition determines the minimum required for validity and the boundaries of obligation.

Knowledge of the Unseen ('Ilm Ghayb)

Allah alone possesses comprehensive, essential knowledge of the unseen (ghayb). The Prophets were given partial knowledge of the unseen by divine disclosure — not from their own faculty. The awliya (saints) receive unveiling (kashf) which is a reflection of prophetic light, not independent ghayb-knowledge.

Particulars and Universals (Juziyya wa Kulliyya)

Allah's knowledge encompasses both the universal (kullī) and the particular (juzʾī). The position of some of the philosophers (such as Ibn Sīnā) that Allah knows universals but not particulars is incorrect and is not the position of the jurists or the theologians. The Ashʻarītes, Maturīdītes, and indeed all the Sunni schools affirm that Allahʻs knowledge encompasses every particular. The Quranic verses affirm that not a leaf falls without His knowledge.

Disbelief (Kufr)

Kufr (disbelief) is of several types: denial (takdhib), arrogance (istikbar), doubt (shakk), and heedlessness (ghafla). Not every kufr is the same in its consequence. One must distinguish between kufr that takes a person outside Islam and lesser forms of ingratitude or heedlessness.

The Domain of War (Dar al-Harb)

A territory becomes Dar al-Harb (the domain of war) when the collective rulings of Islam can no longer be publicly practised. The Hanafi definition is stricter than some others: it requires that no Islamic ruling whatsoever be visibly upheld. In our current times, the classification of various territories requires careful scholarly deliberation.

Compulsion (Ijbar / Ikrah)

Compulsion (ikrah) in Islamic law nullifies the free agency that underlies legal accountability (taklif). When a person is compelled by genuine threat to life or limb, many acts that would otherwise be sinful become permissible — the conditions and limits of this are well defined in the books of fiqh.

Consensus (Ijma')

Ijma' — the consensus of qualified Islamic scholars — is a binding source of law after the Quran and Sunna. However, what counts as valid ijma' is technically restricted: it must be the consensus of the mujtahids of a given era. Later disagreement does not undo a settled consensus, but the conditions for claiming it must be carefully established.

Deriving Universal Principles from Particulars (Kulliyya ka Istenbat)

The science of usul al-fiqh is precisely the art of deriving universal legal principles from the particular evidences of Quran and Sunna. This is not arbitrary reasoning; it is a disciplined methodology refined over centuries by the greatest Muslim minds.

Interest (Sood / Riba) and Banking

Interest (riba) is absolutely prohibited in Islam. There is no doubt in this. The modern banking system is built on riba, and Muslims who participate in it are in violation of a clear Quranic prohibition. Reforming this requires institutional effort, not individual compromises with clear prohibitions.

Isqat (Transference of Liability)

The practice of isqat — transferring the liability of missed prayers and fasts to the deceased by means of monetary compensation — has jurisprudential basis in some schools. However, it should not be treated as a substitute for the proper discharge of one's duties in life. The scholars differ on its precise permissibility and scope.

The Verse 'Fa-inna ma tala'a' (Regarding the Rising [of the Sun])

This verse and its context point to cosmic regularities as signs of divine wisdom. The rising of the sun and its setting are not merely physical events — they are manifestations of divine tadbir (arrangement). The Quran consistently redirects the gaze from the natural to the divine.

Beware of Arguments (Daleel se Daro)

Be cautious of excessive reliance on rational argument alone. Arguments can be used to support falsehood just as much as truth. The Quran cautions against those who dispute with falsehood to refute truth. The safer path is submission to the transmitted evidence of Quran and Sunna.

Sir Sayyid Ahmad Khan's Error (Sir Syed ki Ghalti)

Sir Sayyid Ahmad Khan made a grave error in his method: he sought to reconcile Islamic teachings with nineteenth-century rationalism in a way that compromised clear Quranic meanings. His naturalistic reinterpretations of miracles, his dismissal of hadith, and his rejection of certain Quranic realities were not reform — they were distortion. He was a sincere man with a misguided method.

Prayer and Legal Terminology (Salat / Istilah Shar'i)

The word 'salat' in its pre-Islamic Arabic usage meant supplication (du'a). In Islamic law (shari'a), it was given a new technical meaning (istilah) referring to the specific ritual prayer with its conditions, pillars, and obligations. This is how the Shari'a operates — taking words and elevating their meaning to new technical precision.

Revelation and Inspiration (Wahi / Ilham)

Revelation (wahi) has ended with the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Inspiration (ilham) continues for the awliya. The difference is that wahi was infallible guidance and constituted a source of legal authority; ilham is a spiritual gift that can err and cannot serve as a source of shari'a.

Mentioning the Scripture (Zikr ul-Kitab)

When Allah mentions 'the Book' (al-Kitab) in the Quran, He means primarily the Quran itself. However, the usage also encompasses the idea of all divine scripture — the totality of what God has revealed to guide humanity.

Woman's Responsibility (Zan ki Zimma-dari)

A woman's legal and religious responsibility is full and complete. She is accountable before Allah for her own acts of worship and her own moral choices. The jurisprudential rules that differentiate between men and women in certain matters of law do not diminish her standing as a fully responsible human being before God.

Husband and Wife (Miyan Biwi)

The relationship of husband and wife in Islam is a partnership built on the contractual bond of nikah, which creates mutual rights and obligations. The husband's authority (qiwama) is coupled with the obligation of full financial maintenance and just treatment. The Quran uses the imagery of garments: each is a garment for the other — each covers, protects, and adorns the other.

Do Not Lie (Chhoot na bolna)

Lying is one of the gravest of the major sins. It corrupts trust, destroys relationships, and — for the person of faith — contradicts the very essence of iman, which is siddiq (truthfulness). The Prophet ﷺ consistently placed truthfulness among the highest virtues and lying among the characteristics of the hypocrite.

The Permissibility of Disagreement (Ikhtilaf ki Gunjaish)

Legitimate scholarly disagreement (ikhtilaf) within the framework of the four Sunni schools of law is a mercy, not a weakness. The different rulings of the Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i, and Hanbali schools on secondary matters reflect the genuine scope of interpretation the Shari'a permits. This disagreement must not become sectarian strife.

Knowledge and Gnosis ('Ilm wa Ma'rifat)

There is a distinction between 'ilm (acquired knowledge) and ma'rifa (gnosis, direct experiential knowledge of God). 'Ilm can be gained from books and teachers. Ma'rifa is a gift that descends upon the purified heart. But the person of true ma'rifa does not abandon 'ilm — they are its finest practitioner.

Truthfulness and Reality (Sidq / Haq)

Sidq (truthfulness) is the foundation of all virtue. The station of siddiqiyya — the rank of the entirely truthful, exemplified by Abu Bakr al-Siddiq — is the highest after prophethood. To be a siddiq is to have one's inner state, outer speech, and actions in complete alignment.

The Righteous Servants (Saalih Bande)

The righteous servants of Allah are those who fulfil their obligations, avoid prohibitions, and keep their hearts oriented toward God. They are not necessarily the people of famous stations of mysticism — they may be unknown men and women who live with consistent piety and sincerity.

Remembrance of Allah (Zikr)

Zikr (remembrance of Allah) is the soul of the path. It takes many forms: the oral zikr of the tongue, the zikr of the heart, the zikr of the limbs through lawful action, and the highest zikr of the spirit in a state of absorption. The Quran says: 'Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest.'

أَلَا بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ الْقُلُوبُ

"Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest." (Quran 13:28)

The Recognized Good (Ma'roof)

Ma'roof (the recognized good) and munkar (the denied evil) are the twin poles of Islamic social ethics. Commanding the good and forbidding the evil is a collective obligation of the Muslim community. It must be exercised with wisdom, in the appropriate manner, at the appropriate level of one's capacity.

The Ruling of Every Station (Har Maqam ka Hukm)

Every spiritual station has its own ruling. What is required of a beginner on the path (mubtadi) is different from what is required of one advanced (mutawassit) and different again from what is required of one who has arrived (wasil). The error of many is to apply the rules of one station to another.

Bayazid Bistami and Suhrawardi

Bayazid Bistami's famous ecstatic utterances (shatahat) such as 'Glory be to me, how great is my majesty!' are the speech of a state of absorption (fana), not theological claims. Suhrawardi's Illuminationist philosophy points toward the same reality from a more systematic direction. Both must be understood in context and not taken as license for claims that violate the Shari'a.

The State of Beloved-ness (Mahbubiyat)

The highest state for the human being is to be beloved of Allah — to be one of His muqarrabeen (those drawn near). This state is not reached by multiplying voluntary acts alone, but by the complete surrender of the will to God, such that one's every movement becomes an act of love.

The Rightly Guided Caliphs (Khulafa)

The four Rightly Guided Caliphs — Abu Bakr, 'Umar, 'Uthman, and 'Ali — are collectively held to be the best of this Community after the Prophet ﷺ. Their order in the caliphate reflects their order in merit, in the view of the Ahl al-Sunna. To love all four is part of sound Sunni 'aqida.

Tasawwuf (The Sufi Path)

Taṣawwuf is not a separate religion from Islam — it is the inward dimension of the Sharīʿa. Its goal is the purification of the soul (tazkiyat al-nafs) and the cultivation of excellence in worship (iḥsān). The true Ṣūfī is the most rigorous in following the Sharīʿa, not the most relaxed.

Being (Wujud) and Witnessing (Shuhud)

The great debate in later Islamic mysticism between Waḥdat al-Wujūd (the Unity of Being, associated with Ibn ʿArabī) and Waḥdat al-Shuhūd (the Unity of Witnessing, associated with Shaykh Aḥmad Sirhindī) is a debate about the highest spiritual state, not about the oneness of God per se. Both positions, properly understood, affirm tawhid. The difference lies in whether the mystic in his highest state perceives only God (shuhud) or perceives himself as annihilated in God's being (wujud).

Sincerity and Fearlessness (Ikhlas / Be-Khaufi)

Ikhlas (sincerity) is to do every act solely for the sake of Allah, without admixture of desire for worldly praise or reward. The person who achieves true ikhlas attains a state of fearlessness (be-khaufi): not recklessness, but the calm of one who fears only Allah and therefore fears nothing else.

The Structured Thought (Mukateeb Fikr)

I say that I am in a state of structured, organised thought — not free-floating meditation. My thought has a framework: the Quran, the Sunna, and the scholarly tradition. Within that framework, I engage freely. Outside it, I do not venture.

Dr. Wali ud-Din

Dr. Wali ud-Din was a scholar who engaged with Islamic philosophy and the rationalist tradition. Hazrat commented on some of his positions, affirming what was correct and gently correcting what fell into the error of excessive rationalism.

The Desire for Knowledge ('Ilm ki Talab)

The desire for knowledge ('ilm ki talab) is among the highest of human desires. The Prophet ﷺ urged its pursuit in many authentic narrations, and the scholars of hadith note that the widely-circulated wording 'Seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave' is weak in chain, though the exhortation to seek knowledge is firmly established by Quranic command and sound hadith. Knowledge sought for worldly prestige or to defeat opponents is not the knowledge of which the sacred texts speak. True 'ilm humbles its possessor.

Change in Language (Zabaan mein Tabdeeli)

Languages change over time. The Arabic of the Quran is the highest form of Arabic; what comes after is a development from it. The scholar must understand the Quran in the Arabic of its revelation, not impose later linguistic developments upon it.

The Seeker of Knowledge (Taalib-e-'Ilm)

The one who sincerely seeks knowledge (taalib-e-'ilm) is beloved to Allah. The angels spread their wings for him in approval. But the outward appearance of the student is not what counts — what counts is the sincerity of the search and the correctness of the intention.

The Mothers of the Believers (Ummahat al-Mu'mineen)

The wives of the Prophet ﷺ are the Mothers of the Believers — they are to be honoured, respected, and never spoken of with disrespect. Hazrat 'Aisha is the greatest of them in terms of the breadth of knowledge she transmitted. Her narrations are among the most important in all of hadith literature.

Predetermination and Free Will (Jabr wa Qadr)

The question of jabr (compulsion) and qadr (divine decree) is one of the deepest in Islamic theology. The Ahl al-Sunna position, as articulated by the Ash'arites and Maturidites, holds that Allah decrees all things, and yet the human being has a genuine (if dependent) capacity for free choice — and is therefore accountable. Neither pure determinism (jabr) nor pure autonomy (qadr al-Mu'tazila) is correct.

Ibn Taymiyya

Ibn Taymiyya was an extraordinarily learned scholar of immense courage who stood against the intellectual fashions of his time. In certain matters of theology (such as his critique of certain forms of Sufi practice and his position on the divine attributes), he went against the mainstream Ahl al-Sunna position. His learning is admired; some of his theological positions are not followed by the majority of Sunni scholars.

The Creation of Adam ('alayhis salam)

Adam (peace be upon him) was created directly by the hand of Allah from clay. His creation was unique — neither from a father nor a mother — and this is part of his nobility. The question of how this relates to modern anthropology requires careful reflection: the Quran's account is the theological reality; how God enacted it in the physical world is a matter for continued scholarly engagement.

The Prostration Before Adam (Adam ko Sajda)

The prostration (sajda) commanded for the angels before Adam was a prostration of honour (ta'zim), not of worship (ibada). The Quran makes clear that Allah alone is to be worshipped. The prostration before Adam signified his unique status as the vicegerent (khalifa) of Allah on earth and the repository of divine knowledge that surpassed even the angels.

Delegation and Investigation (Tafwiz / Tahqiq)

Tafwiz (delegation) means entrusting a matter entirely to Allah without trying to investigate its modality (kayfiyya). This is the method of the salaf (early Muslims) with respect to the divine attributes — they accepted them as stated without asking 'how'. Tahqiq (investigation) is appropriate in the created world and in jurisprudential matters where reason has a role.

The Vicegerent (Khalifa)

Allah's designation of Adam as His khalifa (vicegerent) on earth is a statement of the immense dignity conferred on humanity. To be a khalifa is to carry a trust — the trust of divine guidance, justice, and stewardship of the earth. It is not a political title alone but a spiritual and moral commission.

Lordship (Rababiyyat)

Rabb — Lord — encompasses three meanings: Creator, Sustainer, and the One who brings to completion and perfection. It is the comprehensive name for Allah's care over creation from its beginning to its final flourishing. Everything in existence is under this Rabb-ship.

Banu Hashim and Banu Umayya

The tension between Banu Hashim (the clan of the Prophet ﷺ) and Banu Umayya was a real historical reality. But the Sunni position is that it should not be taken as a lens through which to retroactively condemn the Companions. The Companions acted according to their ijtihad in very difficult circumstances, and we are required to think well of them and refrain from harsh condemnation.

The Battle of the Camel (Jung-e-Jaml)

The Battle of the Camel (36 AH / 656 CE) was a tragic conflict between factions of the Companions. The Ahl al-Sunna position is to say: both sides had their ijtihad; both sides sought the right; the side that erred was not condemned to hellfire because the error was in ijtihad, not in corrupt intention. We ask forgiveness for them all and honour them all.

The Companions' Disagreement Was Not a Conspiracy (Sahaba mein Ikhtilaf-e-Ra'y — Sazish Nahin)

Those who say that the disagreements among the Companions were a political conspiracy (sazish) to undermine Islam are deeply mistaken. The Companions were the most sincere of people. Their disagreements were genuine differences of opinion in unprecedented and difficult situations, not the result of hidden agendas.

The Caliphate (Khilafat)

The Islamic Caliphate is a legitimate and important institution — the collective leadership of the Muslim community under the rule of the Shari'a. Its loss in 1924 was a great calamity. However, establishing it requires preparation: scholarly consensus, political will, and the cultivation of a Muslim community genuinely oriented toward Islamic values.

The Translation of Prayer (Namaz ka Tarjuma)

Praying in Arabic is obligatory for the validity of the formal prayer (salat). The argument that the prayer's meaning should be conveyed in the local language — made by certain modernists — would destroy the universality of Islamic prayer, the unity of the global Muslim community in worship, and the miraculous inimitability of Quranic Arabic. Translation for understanding is praiseworthy; replacing Arabic in prayer is not permissible.

Someone is There! (Koyi hai!)

The mystic's cry — 'Someone is there!' — is not metaphorical. It is the utterance of direct experiential certainty. When a person reaches the stage where every particle of existence speaks to him of the divine presence, he can no longer doubt. This is not philosophical theism; it is lived reality.

Love, Tawhid, and Servitude (Muhabbat / Tawhid / 'Ubudiyyat)

Love of Allah (muhabbat), the affirmation of His oneness (tawhid), and the practice of servitude ('ubudiyya) are not three separate things — they are three names for the same reality at different stages of depth. When you love Allah truly, you affirm His oneness fully, and you find yourself becoming His servant completely.

Sins Transformed into Good Deeds (Gunaahon ko Neykiyon mein Tabdeel)

Allah the Most Merciful can transform the evil deeds of the repentant believer into good deeds.

إِلَّا مَن تَابَ وَآمَنَ وَعَمِلَ عَمَلًا صَالِحًا فَأُولَٰئِكَ يُبَدِّلُ اللَّهُ سَيِّئَاتِهِمْ حَسَنَاتٍ

"Except for those who repent and believe and do righteous work — for them Allah will replace their evil deeds with good deeds." (Quran 25:70) This is one of the most hopeful verses in the Quran for the sincere penitent.

The Affair of Those Drawn Near (Muqarrabeen ka Mu'amala)

The muqarrabeen — those drawn nearest to Allah — operate by different spiritual rules in certain matters. What appears to ordinary sight as a lapse may be, in their case, an act of submission to a higher divine directive. We must not judge the greatest saints by the yardstick applicable to ordinary believers.

Beauty and Splendour (Jamal wa Husn)

Divine beauty (jamal) and divine majesty (jalal) are the two poles of the divine self-manifestation. The mystic's journey is toward contemplating both — the beauty that draws and the majesty that overwhelms. The creation itself is a display of divine jamal.