Skip to the content
The Muslim Page

Sufism

Khuṭbāt-e-Ḥakīm al-Ummat, Volume 2

Knowledge and Action

Ḥakīm al-Ummat, Ḥaḍrat Mawlānā Muḥammad Ashraf ʿAlī Thānawī

The second volume of the addresses: what knowledge is for, what it asks of the person who has it, and why it is never weighed apart from action.

Begin reading Contents

Contents

  1. Alfāẓ al-Qurʾān: The Words of the Qurʾān This sermon, concerning the need for the teaching of the Qurʾān, was delivered in the Jāmiʿ Masjid of Kairāna, district Muẓaffarnagar, in the morning...
    Sections 55
    1. The Transmitted Sermon
    2. Speaking of the Qurʾān
    3. Recitation is a Collective Obligation
    4. The Disconnected Letters
    5. The Kinds of Muslims
    6. Progress and the New Education
    7. The Absence of the Divine Grandeur
    8. The Inner Reasons of the Divine Commands
    9. The Need for the Company of the Scholars
    10. The Way to Acquire the New Education
    11. The Difference Between Religious and Worldly Profit
    12. The Pursuit of Self-Interest and Self-Indulgence
    13. The Pretext for Avoiding the Reading of the Qurʾān
    14. The Place of the Meanings
    15. The Preservation of the Words of the Qurʾān
    16. Lights Cannot Be Put Out
    17. Regard for the Will of the Truth
    18. No Connection with Allāh Exalted
    19. The Form That Connection with Allāh Takes
    20. The Prophet's Memory and Strength
    21. The Care Taken over Preserving the Words
    22. What Vicegerency Demands
    23. An Alarm of Danger
    24. The Coins of the Hereafter
    25. Rational and Natural Love
    26. Conversing with the Truth Exalted
    27. Passionate Love for the Words
    28. The Need to Attend to the Words
    29. The Delight of the Words and of the Meanings
    30. The Importance of the Words
    31. An Urdu Translation of the Qurʾān Without the Text
    32. Prayer in Urdu
    33. Care for the Correctness of Recitation
    34. The Effect of Failure in Religion and in the World
    35. The Need for Entrusting the Matter to Allāh and for Seeking
    36. The Result of Seeking Ease
    37. The Secret of the Ease of the People of Allāh
    38. The Difference between the Honour of Officials and of the People of Allāh
    39. The Form of Honouring the Friends of Allāh
    40. The Worth and Value of Sincerity
    41. The Purpose of Visiting Graves
    42. The Conditions of Listening to Music
    43. The Prohibition of Masonry Graves
    44. The Nature of the Graces of Graves
    45. The Blessing of Obedience
    46. The Shortcoming of the Newly Educated Class
    47. The Error of the Ignorant Dervishes
    48. The Reality of the Wandering Dervish
    49. The Mistake of the Body of Scholars
    50. A Warning to the Scholars
    51. An Example Fit to Follow
    52. The Secret of Ease in This World and in Religion
    53. The Way to Set the Common People Right
    54. A Few Scholarly Points
    55. Points Concerning the Disconnected Letters
  2. Taʿmīm al-Taʿlīm: Making Learning Universal This sermon, concerning the making of learning universal, was delivered on 21 Jumādā al-Thāniyah 1340 AH at Madrasah Maḥmūdiyyah Sarwaṭ in...
    Sections 48
    1. The Transmitted Sermon
    2. Introduction
    3. The Knowledge of Magic
    4. The Effect of Intention
    5. The Station of the Lovers
    6. Cause and the Sacred Law
    7. The Principles of the Sacred Law
    8. Self-conceit and Arrogance
    9. The Rational Cause
    10. The Wisdom of the Commands
    11. The Spiritual Bond with Allāh
    12. The Basis of Prohibition
    13. Prayer Without Ablution
    14. A Leader's Prayer
    15. The Definition of a Mawlawī
    16. Saying Bismillāh
    17. A Thing of Benefit
    18. The Lower and the Higher Operative Practice
    19. The Reality of the Focusing of Attention and of Mesmerism
    20. The Bounds of the Higher Operative Practice
    21. The Efficacy of Magic
    22. The Dangers of Unveiling
    23. The Manner of Educating Women
    24. The Craving for Marvels
    25. Excess in Religion
    26. The Devotion of the Common People
    27. The Disposition of the Preachers
    28. Hārūt and Mārūt
    29. The Difference Between the One Drawn to Allāh and the Spiritual Wayfarer
    30. The Perfections of the Perfected Ones
    31. The Effects of Magic
    32. Praiseworthy Knowledge
    33. The Evils of Disputation
    34. Harmful and Beneficial Branches of Knowledge
    35. The Error of the Scholars
    36. The Error of the Common People
    37. The Shortcoming of the Scholars
    38. Counsel for the Scholars
    39. The Alchemy of Knowledge
    40. The Excellence of Knowledge
    41. The Effect of Companionship
    42. The Failing of the Rich
    43. The Worth of Knowledge
    44. The Choosing of Students
    45. The Blessing of the Knowledge of Religion
    46. The Removal of Difficulties
    47. Beneficial Knowledge
    48. Matters Worth Doing
  3. Kawthar al-ʿUlūm: The Abundance of Knowledge This sermon, concerning increase in knowledge (ʿilm) and the apportioning of knowledge, was delivered at Madrasah Maẓāhir al-ʿUlūm in Sahāranpūr on...
    Sections 22
    1. The Transmitted Sermon
    2. The Knowledge of the Necessities
    3. Increase in Knowledge
    4. The Kinds of Gratification of the Lower Self
    5. The Difference Between the Pleasures
    6. The Reality of Humility of Heart
    7. Being the Creator and Being the All-Knowing
    8. The Limit of the Fear of Allāh
    9. Pleasure and Absorption
    10. The Difference Between Wages and Maintenance
    11. The Reality of the Spiritual Bond
    12. Distinguishing Wages from Maintenance
    13. The Reality of Knowledge
    14. Understanding of the Qurʾān
    15. Matters of Taste
    16. Bestowed Knowledge
    17. The Reality of Piety
    18. An Example of Piety
    19. The Shortcomings of Students
    20. Reverence for the Scholars
    21. Lights and Inner Reasons
    22. Clarifications
  4. Al-ʿIlm waʼl-Khashyah: Knowledge and Fear of Allāh This sermon, concerning the excellence of knowledge (ʿilm) and the fear of Allāh (khashyah), was delivered on 20 Shaʿbān 1321 AH, on a Sunday, in the...
    Sections 24
    1. The Transmitted Sermon
    2. The Need for This Discourse
    3. A Way of Setting Oneself Right
    4. The Connection Between Knowledge and the Fear of Allāh
    5. The Mischief Among the People of Knowledge
    6. The Difference Between What Comes and What Is Forced
    7. The Effect Carried by Speech
    8. Caution in Reading
    9. The Distribution of the Blessed Hair
    10. Grave Worship
    11. The Effect of the Fear of Allāh
    12. The Sign of the Fear of Allāh
    13. Knowledge and Passionate Love
    14. The Knowledge That Is Sought
    15. Pride and Excellence
    16. The Fear That Is Sought
    17. The Teaching of the Common People
    18. The Wealth of Knowledge
    19. The Way to Preach
    20. Collections and the Scholars
    21. The Rule of Preaching
    22. A Scholarly Difficulty
    23. The Kinds of Knowledge
    24. The Need for the Fear of Allāh
  5. Taʿlīm al-Bayān: The Teaching of Speech This sermon, concerning the manner of discourse, was delivered on 11 Rajab 1330 AH at Madrasah Imdād al-ʿUlūm in Thānah Bhawan, standing, and it came...
    Sections 13
    1. The Transmitted Sermon
    2. The Introduction and the Need
    3. The Great Mercy
    4. The Beauty of Speech
    5. The Effect of Speech
    6. The Manner of Speech
    7. The Characteristics of a Language
    8. Mixture and Resemblance
    9. The Wonders of Divine Power
    10. The Power of Memory
    11. The Faculty of Speech
    12. The Method of Speech
    13. A New Craze
  6. Faḍl al-ʿIlm waʼl-ʿAmal: Knowledge and Action This sermon, concerning the ranks of knowledge (ʿilm) and action (ʿamal), was delivered on 26 Rajab 1330 AH at the Dār al-Ṭulabāʾ of Madrasah Maẓāhir...
    Sections 28
    1. The Transmitted Sermon
    2. A Particular Command
    3. The Cause and the Wisdom
    4. The Way in Which Benefit Is Obtained
    5. The Evils of the New Education
    6. Progress in Wealth and Status
    7. The Cause of Honour and Disgrace
    8. The Connection between Ease and Obedience
    9. The Connection between Honour and Obedience
    10. Weighing This World against the Hereafter
    11. A Likeness for the Condition of This World
    12. The Difference Between Form and Reality
    13. The Property of Love and What It Demands
    14. The Reform of Character and Social Dealings
    15. The Method of Reform
    16. The Etiquette of Honouring and Esteem
    17. The Etiquette of Giving Ease
    18. A Point of Learning
    19. The Fruits of Reforming Social Dealings
    20. The Condition for the Acceptance of Deeds
    21. The Way of the Spiritual Wayfarer and of the One Drawn to Allāh
    22. The Ranks of the People of Knowledge and the People of Faith
    23. Conduct Towards the Sinner and the Believer
    24. Arrogance and Self-Conceit
    25. The Measure by which Deeds are Accepted
    26. An Easy Contemplation
    27. The Condition of Deeds
    28. Recognising a Perfected Spiritual Guide
  7. Akbar al-Aʿmāl: The Greatest of Deeds This sermon, concerning the reality and the need of the remembrance of Allāh (dhikr), was delivered at the house of his wife, Ṣughrā, on Thursday 18...
    Sections 24
    1. The Transmitted Sermon
    2. The Statement of the Need
    3. The Emblems of Religion and Their Reality
    4. The Meaning of the Remembrance of Allāh
    5. The Reality of Seeking a Means
    6. Irreverence towards Allāh
    7. The Teaching of Reverence
    8. The Difference between Form and Reality
    9. The Degrees of the Remembrance of Allāh
    10. Our Shortcoming
    11. Caution in Making Requests
    12. Progress in Religion and the World
    13. The Standard for Recognising the Lower Self
    14. Remembrance Is Not a Name for Severing All Ties
    15. The Form of Remembrance
    16. The Ranks of Remembrance
    17. The Degrees of Vocal Remembrance
    18. The Reality of Remembrance
    19. The Spirit of Deeds
    20. There Is No Limit to Remembrance
    21. Resolving the Difficulty
    22. Elucidations
    23. Expositions by the Compiler and the Preacher
    24. The Appendix to the Appendix, by the Compiler
  8. Ākhir al-Aʿmāl: The Culmination of Deeds This sermon, concerning the utmost end of deeds (aʿmāl), was delivered on Friday 20 Rabīʿ al-Awwal 1336 AH, corresponding to 4 January 1918 CE, in...
    Sections 43
    1. The Transmitted Sermon
    2. Introduction
    3. The Importance of Repentance
    4. The Need for Repentance
    5. The Connection of Faith and Deeds
    6. The Absence of Concern for Religion
    7. The Form of Concern for Religion
    8. The Need for Zeal and Attention
    9. The Secret of the Agony of Death
    10. The Importance of Service to Creation
    11. The Effect of Ardour
    12. The Shortcomings of the Religious
    13. Regard for Dignity and Decorum
    14. Why Contentment in Religion?
    15. The Form of the Perfecting of Religion
    16. An Important Error
    17. The Delight of Spiritual Struggle
    18. The Blessings of Religion
    19. The Seeking of the Lover
    20. Arrived unto Allāh
    21. The Limit of Nearness to Allāh
    22. The Condition of Friendship
    23. Miserliness with Allāh
    24. The Creed of the Lover
    25. The Bargain of Paradise
    26. The Form of Sufism
    27. The Key of Sufism
    28. Sufism Today
    29. The Property of Passionate Love
    30. Sufism and the Sacred Law
    31. The Reality of the Station
    32. The Meaning of the Path
    33. The Meaning of Contentment
    34. The Station of Contentment
    35. Ferment and Composure
    36. A Blessing Greater than Paradise
    37. The Offence Against the Etiquette of Company
    38. The Meaning of Self-Effacement
    39. The Meaning of Hama Ūst
    40. The Station of Servanthood
    41. The Station of Belovedness
    42. The Point of the Discourse
    43. An Incident
  9. Glossary