From the lectures of Shaykh Muhammad Saleem Dhorat:
appeared on www.shaykh.org

Like a Bicycle Thursday, May 20, 2010
by Mawlana Hashim

“Tazkiyah is like a bicycle. Zikr and Suhbat-e-Salih are like the two wheels. If there is no air in the wheels then it will be difficult for the bicycle to move. However, along with the wheels being intact, a person needs to exert effort, mujahadah, to push the cycle. With the wheels being intact if a person is to exert effort he will make progress in deen.”

The Track and The Steam Thursday, April 1, 2010
by Maulana Isaa Abdullah

“Ilm (knowledge) is the track for the train of our a’amaal (actions) to tread, and the ishq (love) of Allah is its propelling steam. And these two things we will find with the people of Allah.”

How To Fear Allah Friday, April 2, 2010
by Mawlana Hashim

“Taqwa means to fear Allah. However the fear that we should have of Allah is one of love and attachment and not one of dread and terror. To understand the difference between the two let us take two examples. A person has fear for lions, snakes and other harmful creatures. He will do everything to avoid angering them in fear of the hurt and harm that they may cause.

An obedient son also has fear for his father, but it is not because he is scared his father will beat him or cause him harm if he was to do something against his wish. Rather, this fear is based on love and affection; it is based on the fact that his father has been so kind to him right from his birth until now, so he does not wish to hurt his father.

Though it is true in both cases to say there is fear, the two fears are of extremely varying types. From the above we understand that the fear that we should have for Allah is of the second type, where we not only perform faraaidh (compulsory worships) out of fear that we will be thrown into hell, but our fear should be such that Allah has bestowed so many gifts upon us, it is ghastly against the requirements of love and very unsuitable to disobey Him.”

An Inspiring Parable Wednesday, April 21, 2010
by Amatullah

” The great Imam Ghazali rahmatullahi ayah has described the example of man and this life with the following parable.
A man is walking in the jungle when suddenly a lion spots him and starts chasing him. The man runs for his life. Thinking that the lion would soon catch up with him, he desperately looks for a tree he can climb but to no avail. He then sees a well and decides to hide in it.

But as he is about to step in he notices a huge snake inside with its mouth wide open. Such is the state of fear that his hair stands on end. Seeing the long grass around the well the man suddenly has an idea. He holds the grass tightly with his hands and hangs safely away from the lion at the top of the well and the snake at the bottom.

As he hangs in the well the man can see the lion waiting at the brim of the well and his fears continue to increase. In this state he notices two mice one black and the other white. These mice begin nibbling at the grass and the man’s fear multiplies. Suddenly he feels some liquid fall on his face. The man licks it and to his amazement it is the sweetest honey he has ever tasted.

As he looks above him he sees a beehive from which the honey is dripping. The man arches his head straining to gain drops of honey. In this search for pleasure he forgets the lion above, the snake below, and the mice nibbling away.
Wouldn’t we call this man a maniac? But yet we are doing the same today. The lion is the angel of death, the snake is our grave, the black and white mice are night and day and the honey with all its sweetness is the world. Alas! We should take heed and prepare for the hereafter.”

Like a Shrivelled Plant Sunday, April 18, 2010
by Zahid Makda

“Every person has a feeling within them called love. This love is of two types, the first type is known as Ishq Haqiqi and the second type is known as Ishq Majazi.Only the first type is permissible in the Shariah.
Ishq Haqiqi is to love the one and only Allãh ta’ala. It also includes loving anyone else for the sake of Allãh.Thus a person can love his parents, friends and associates so long as it is upon the basis that this love is to please the Creator, Allãh.

Ishq Majazi means to love anyone apart from Allah ta’ala with other purposes in one’s mind e.g. due to wealth, beauty or fame. This type of love is impermissible.In order to cure this impermissible love there are three simple, yet very effective steps which one needs to carry out.

1) To completely disconnect oneself from the beloved.
2) Along with this one needs to destroy and stay far from anything which could remind you of this so called beloved e.g. Letters, gifts and the like.
3) To keep the Shaykh informed of one’s progress.

Connection with one’s beloved can be understood from the example of watering a plant. As long as a plant is watered it will live and survive. As soon as it is deprived of water, the plant will begin to shrivel and eventually die. But if the plant is provided with water just before its death, then it will be revived and begin to grow again.

This is the same situation with love. For as long as one entertains the thoughts of the beloved, the love will remain in the heart. As soon as one is disconnected from the beloved, the love will also begin to shrivel up and eventually die.
But if before the love has left one’s heart a quick phone call or text message is sent, then this will be a means of falling back into the trap of impermissible love.”