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Reply from the editor of Al-Furqan:

In His name, The Most High

Honourable and respected Mawlana Eesa Mansuri

Wa alaikum As-salam wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu

Yesterday morning, I received your letter (via email). First and foremost, I would like to thank you for expressing your sincere and painful impression in such an informal manner. And I supplicate to Allah Most High that He makes this a cause for goodness, and that He protects us from the evil of the nafs (the self).

Mawlana! As a gesture of my appreciation, in return for your pain, agony, sincerity and love, I wish I could narrate to you my entire autobiography or at least one part of it. However, this is not the right time for it. If there’s ever an occasion to meet and discuss, then In-sha Allah, I will narrate much too you. At the moment, all I can say is that the ‘cause’ which made me, at the age of fifty, to search, with solemnity, and with a feeling of intense need for my rectification and training, for a man of wisdom; and then prepared me to submit myself to the extent of my courage, was the witnessing of these very diseases within myself, which you have sensed within some individuals of a specific group in your vicinity. (The reality of the conditions is known only to Allah).

It seems as if the era that we are currently in, regardless of which field of religion and Millat we are working in, outwardly we may look like we are active in it with great passion, however at the same time within us, very destructive diseases have taken root. As a result of which, almost all of our speeches, writings, and efforts, are not carried out for gaining Allah’s acceptance, success and forgiveness, but more for gathering wealth and fame, advancing upon others, becoming the centre of attention, gaining fame in all parts of the country and Ummah, increasing our sphere of influence, or for degrading a rival, or for taking revenge on someone, or for satisfying the known and unknown emotions instigated by the evil and filthy nafs. Just as it is done for obtaining one’s ulterior motives; but sometimes it also happens that in the field of service, a newly arrived person enters the field with a good intention, however the attitude of the experienced ones of the field give him the impression that you can deal with the moves of others later, first you should learn how to compete with the tactics of your own people, and learn how to bear the arrows and lancets of the workers of the Deen and Millat, and how to strike back at them. Then he either runs away or he chooses the path of ‘deals of interest and art of trickery’. In my weak opinion, it is this corruption of intention that may be the greatest disease of the People of Deen. We may receive thousands of sanads (certificates) from madrasas or receive ten or twenty khilafat from khanqahs, the truth is that until we are cured from this disease, the scene will remain the same as what you and I see in such-and-such person. Rather, it may be the case that those people are also seeing the same things, or even worse things, within us. Is it not one of our greatest weaknesses that we cannot even see the log in our own eyes, while a speck in another’s eye is clearly visible from miles, and seems so large?

You know very well that I have been working actively in the service of Deen for 15-16 years, however I will never narrate what I witnessed and experienced during this time, because they are such that:

جو بت کدے ميں كروں بياں تو كہے صنم بھی ہری
If I say it in a temple then even the idols will chant God and only God.
I will only say this much – and I can even take an oath on this – that our continuously deteriorating condition and increasing problems is not only caused by external powers. Rather, our internal corruption, lack of sincerity and character, as well as destructive ailments of the heart are the real cause. If it weren’t for these, then the external conspiracies could not have succeeded so much. We cannot tolerate a companion’s promotion, respect and popularity. Right away, we get engrossed in jealousy. And whoever begins to receive these blessings, he cannot protect himself from pride, arrogance and vanity.

I don’t speak about others, because I don’t know the reality of their inner side as much as I know my inner side.

"And I free not myself (from the blame). Verily, the (human) self is inclined to evil, except when my Lord bestows His Mercy (upon whom He wills). Verily, my Lord is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."
(Surah Yusuf, verse 53)
I realized that the mistake is mine – Neither did I learn the method of saving myself from arrogance (takabbur), nor did I learn the ways of protecting myself from the evil of jealousy of others. And I entered the field without proper training (tarbiyyat). And the result was exactly what one would expect.

نہ خدا ہي ملا نہ وصالِ صنم
By mentioning my respected father (Mawlana Manzur Nomani) and Mawlana (Abul Hasan) Ali Miya (May Allah have mercy on them), only Allah knows all the things that you have made me remember. Undoubtedly, it was Allah Most High’s very great bounty that my childhood and youth were spent in the company of these two great luminaries in such a manner that it was as if my respected father was living in the inner room of the house, and Mawlana Ali Miya was residing in the outer room of the house. Without a doubt, they were amazing and divinely-favoured men!

Their meetings were always busy in Allah’s remembrance and in divine knowledge. And their meetings were always flourishing with the teachings of Quran and Sunnah, remembrance and propagation, commanding good, and prohibiting evil; and at the same time, with the worry and contemplation for the ways of securing protection, peace and justice for the country and Millat. Just as I have seen them absorbed in propagation, rectification, writing and authoring with great care; similarly I have seen them occupied in zikr, and supplication. I used to see that they would make continuous endeavours in finding solutions to the issues of the Ummah; but I also used to witness that as a seeker of their own need for rectification and purification, they would travel to Raipur, Thanabhavan, Saharanpur, Deoband, Delhi, Ilahabad, and who knows where else they were travelling. Neither did this distance them from that, nor did external preoccupations make them negligent of their inner rectification. Undoubtedly, a big reason for their greatness was that until the last breath, they made themselves the small ones in front of their elders. Whenever an elder would pass away, right away they would search for another elder. They did not want to spend even one day in such a manner that they would be considered an ‘elder’ in the sight of some people, while they themselves did not have any elders, in front of whom, they would sit like a child sits on his knees in school with etiquette and respect, in order to receive knowledge and good influence.

From those who have seen these two elders closely, who is there that does not know, that in spite of great similarity in their disposition, and resemblance in taste, they were two separate individuals. In spite of that, their beautiful and wonderful friendship continued for such a long period in such an impressing manner that these two used to be like one entity. As soon as one’s name was mentioned, we would immediately remember the other. To the extent that, at the incident of death of Hadhrat Mawlana Sayyid Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi (May Allah have mercy on him), when my father’s admirer and deputy (khalifa), respected Qutbuddin Mulla Saheb wrote a special article to highlight the love and sincerity of these two friends, he gave the article the title “Hadhrat Mawlana Sayyid Abul Hasan Numani”

What I want to say is that, at least in my weak opinion, this ideal and rare friendship that lasted between these two for such a long time, was because their hearts were to the greatest extent, safe from this disease. The disease, because of which contemporary people cannot walk a few steps with each other. – and I always hoped for their hearts to remain safe - On this topic, you can assess the state of their hearts from this – when Shaykh al-Hadith Hadhrat Mawlana Muhammad Zakariyya (May Allah have mercy on him) passed away, my respected father’s age (in terms of solar years) was seventy-seven. He was the Shaykh of thousands of disciples, and the elder of hundreds of thousands. And he was at such a position, that there is no need to explain any further to you. In spite of all this, he began searching for an elder for his supervision. So he requested two elders, one after the other, to enter him under their discipleship – one of them was Hadhrat Mawlana Faqeer Muhammad and the other was Hadhrat Doctor Abdul Hayy Aarifi (May Allah have mercy on them) (both of them were the khalifa of Hadhrat Thanvi). It is an entirely different matter that both of these elders, because of considering themselves lesser in rank, and in need of guidance, supplications and care, excused themselves with great humbleness and propriety from complying with his request. Through narrating this incident, my motive is only to convey to you that despite reaching such a great position and advanced age, these dignitaries still had the disposition that they “are in need of the supervision of their elders”. – Mawlana! What message does this disposition of these dignitaries convey to the smaller ranks, beginners, and the prisoners of their nafs? Elaboration of this point does not seem necessary. Believe me, whenever I remember these two luminaries, then from the depths of my heart, a supplication comes out in these words: "My Lord! Bestow on them Your Mercy as they did bring me up when I was small." (Surat Al-Isra, verse 24).

And Mawlana! This was about their preference and temperament. Now let us discuss some real issues! You are more aware than I that within the past eras, whatever fruitful work has been done in the different fronts, has been accomplished only through those slaves of Allah who “along with raising Takbeer, also had the zeal for glorifying and imploring Allah"
وسعت افلاک ميں تكبير مسلسل كے ساتھ خاک ... آغوش ميں تسبیح و مناجات كا ذوق بھی رکھتے تهے

From the republics of the Soviet Union all the way to Turkey, it is these very Mashaikh of tasawwuf who, in spite of the fast and harsh storms of disbelief, did not allow the flame of Islam to be extinguished. You yourself have witnessed the most recent conditions of Turkey and the role of the Mashaikh in these. And you have mentioned it in your letter explicitly.
“In this path, in every era, many ‘People of Allah’ have rendered much service”
For this reason, in my humble opinion, the problem’s solution is not that we keep discussing all the time, with our tongues and pens the defects of the few individuals associated with each field. You have been in the company of Hadhrat Mawlana Muhammad Yusuf and Mr. Fadl Kareem (May Allah have mercy on them). Both of them used to mention repeatedly that “Discussion of bad things only leads to the spread of more bad things.” Actually, what is needed is for us to strive with all-out effort in bringing in ourselves the great qualities of the Salaf (our predecessors); then to adorn ourselves, as well as the new generation, especially the scholars and the educated class, with these qualities by exerting great effort; - effort, which is lost nowadays, and which is the soul and the essence of Islam.

From among our elders, there were many who, on the surface, only worked in the field of training and purification. However they used to remain sincerely connected with those working in other fields. And they used to bring to their attention, all of the things that needed to be done in their field of work.

You must have seen the manuscript of Hadhrat Mawlana Ali Miya (May Allah have mercy on him) which he wrote in the 13th chapter (pages 289-290) of the biography of Mawlana Abdul Qadir Raipuri (May Allah have mercy on him).

“Several elder Shaykhs of Hindustan, such as Khwaja Nizamuddin Awliya, Hadhrat Mujaddid Alf Thani, Shah Kaleem Allah Jahanabadi, and Hadhrat Shah Wali Allah, whose names can be taken as leading examples; while sitting in their solitary corner or centre of training, guided and supervised great revolutions, fought against the tribulations of their times, and brought forth extremely far-reaching and effective results through their khulafa (deputies) and affiliates, for the spread and protection of Islam. It was through their movement, encouragement, motivation, eagerness and their command and guidance, and also by being under their supervision and guardianship, that their followers and affiliates fulfilled the important needs of their times, and stopped the dangers which the Muslims were facing at those times. Those watching from a distance only saw those soldiers on the field which were active and energetic. However those who knew the truth of the matter, knew that the strings of this work and its workers was in the hands of another; whose sincerity, anguished heart, wisdom, and insight was encouraging them; and was upholding in them the driving force, selflessness, discipline and unity; and who was the actual source of the strength and influence, and the real centre providing the heat and energy of their hearts.

Although, Hadhrat Mawlana Abdul Qadir (May Allah have mercy on him), in following his Shaykh in deputizing, as well as in following the predecessors (who were mentioned above), had chosen for himself a solitary corner; and outwardly had only attached himself to sulook and tarbiyat (disciplining). however, while sitting in his anonymous corner, just like his noble predecessors, he guided and supervised many important works of religious movements, and services of Deen, and for the protection of Islam. A large part of whose history and accounts, because of your emotions of concealing and the carelessness of workers has until today remained under a veil. And only after great search, pursuit, and examination, some parts of these can be obtained.

I have realized one thing through experience – One way of working for the various religious issues is, instead of associating oneself with an organization, or some group, one should work while keeping the same level of association with everyone, and while thinking of everyone as their own (friend). Sometimes, this method proves to be more beneficial. Because, in this way, there is a lesser possibility of considering each other as rivals and adversaries; and the possibility of sincerity and love increases much more. We should assume that perhaps many people are working in this manner, and we have no knowledge of them.

All of this is correct, and your statement, in principle, is also correct that in our times, there are many people who are using tasawwuf as a way to gather wealth and fame; and have consequently become the cause of giving it a bad reputation - And not only poor tasawwuf! Our selfishness and passion-worship has spread corruption in all directions – May Allah Most High protect us from all of these trials, and make us the carriers and inheritors of the qualities of our predecessors (Salaf) – and protect us from being embarrassed and disgraced in front of them.

That’s it Mawlana! I have taken much time, and written such a long letter despite the busy schedule. This must have been your miracle (karamat), or the effect of your sincere love. But yes! I forgot to ask you for supplication for a special purpose. That is, my Hadhrat has given this weak and feeble one the task to prepare a workforce. In this regard, according to his command, I have started an organization for the training of young scholars; and it has been named

معهد الامام ولي الله الدهلوي للدراسات الاسلام
The Institute of Imam Wali Allah Dehlwi for Islamic Studies
And there are plans for the training of professional youths in the future – I hope from Allah that the forgotten work of preparing fresh workforce, under the guardianship of love, starts once again everywhere, and highly qualified people become attracted towards this work. I am in need of your advice and supplications in this regard as well.

My condition is that I am 55 years old now – because of pain in my backbone – and mainly because of my disorganized life and abundant disobedience – I have aged too quickly. In terms of knowledge and deeds, I have always been weak. – I am hopeful that you will continue to help me through your supplications, and your scolding. I acknowledge, with my heart, your sincerity and compassion.

Please continue supplicating for Al-Furqan as well. And keeping in consideration its present tone, which you yourself have mentioned in your letter, please also continue to send topics. I, according to my capacity, and despite my severely busy and diverse schedule, am trying my utmost that it remains on its distinguished, unique and moderate tone; because of which Hadhrat Mawlana Ali Miya (May Allah have mercy on him), after the death of my respected father (May Allah have mercy on him), had said in his condolence speech:

“Along with all of his other activities, Mawlana published Al-Furqan, which, in the subcontinent, wasn’t only a distinguished religious and propagating monthly magazine, but was also such a school of thought from which people’s thinking and contemplation was guided, and they received the message of pure Tawheed (monotheism) and correct Sunnah, as a result of which their religious consciousness would arise.” (Karwan Zindagi, v7,p37)

I am supplicating, that the part on Umar Aziz which was lost, and whatever mistakes and shortcomings have been made, the Most Generous Lord forgives them, and to grant me, in the remainder of my life, the tawfeeq (divine help) to make amends. Wassalam.

Khaleel Ar-Rahman Sajjad Nu’mani
Lucknow

Note: from the last sentence of your letter, I saw an indication that you want its publication in some degree. I also saw more benefit in it, which is why I didn’t find anything wrong in publishing the reply.


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End of letter

The original letter by Mawlana Eesa Mansuri is different, but the contents are basically the same as the one posted here:
http://www.sunniforum.com/forum/show...amp-English%29