Golden Sayings

The following are some of the precious sayings of Hazrat Sultan al-Awliya, Taj al-Asfiya, Umdat al-Kamilin, Zubdat al-Wasilin, Ayn Uyoon al-Muhaqqiqin, Warith aloom al-Anbiya wal-Mursaleen, Tarik al-Saltanat, Ghawth al-‘Alam, Mahboob Yazdani, Sultan Awhad al-Din, Qudwat al-Kubra, Makhdoom Syed Ashraf Jahangir Semnani (may Allah be pleased with him):

• Adopt as an essential part of your life whatever draws your heart towards the remembrance of Allah, and abandon whatever causes you to become heedless of Him.
• The path of the Chishti Order is among the closest ways to attaining the Divine Goal. Whoever claims love for the people of Chisht should possess two qualities: renunciation and selflessness, and love coupled with humility. Without these two qualities, one cannot fully benefit from the spiritual blessings of the Chishti Order.
• After faith (Iman) and belief in Divine Oneness (Tawhid), the first obligation upon a servant is to acquire the correct creed in accordance with the Shari’ah.
• Seek knowledge, for an ignorant ascetic becomes a follower of Satan.
• A true friend of Allah is never ignorant.
• To know is Shari’ah; to act upon that knowledge is Tariqah; and to attain the purpose of both is Haqiqah.
• If a person knew that only one week of life remained, he should devote himself to the study of Islamic jurisprudence (Fiqh), for learning even a single religious ruling is superior to offering a thousand units (Rak’ahs) of voluntary prayer.
• Never look down upon anyone, for many of Allah’s beloved servants remain hidden among ordinary people.
• Dervishes should meet kings and rulers and reform them through wisdom and noble character.
• One who remains engrossed in worldly pursuits cannot truly seek the Creator.
• Whoever recites “La ilaha illa Allah” for the forgiveness and salvation of the living or the deceased will, by Allah’s permission, obtain its blessings.
• Avoid the company of those who do not share sound beliefs, especially those who are deprived of the light of faith.
• Fine clothing should be worn for the sake of prayer and worship, not to impress people.
• Shari’ah means fulfilling what Allah has commanded and refraining from what He has prohibited.
• Whoever follows the spiritual path (Tariqah) without observing the Shari’ah is deprived of the true blessings of Tariqah.
• Repentance (Tawbah) means abandoning evil deeds and turning wholeheartedly towards righteous actions.
• Make your repentance so sincere and firm that you never return to sinful acts, nor even entertain the desire to commit them.
• Prayer performed without humility and submission is like a body without a soul.
• The greatest blessing bestowed upon a believer is adherence to the creed of Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama’ah.
• Although travel involves hardships and separation from one’s homeland, it brings countless benefits.

• It is preferable to begin a journey on Thursday or Saturday, as the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ often travelled on these days and supplicated:

  “O Allah, bless my Ummah in the mornings of Thursday and Saturday.”

• Food is like a woman: conceal its faults and do not speak ill of it.
• While eating, it is commendable to discuss the sayings and lives of the pious elders, provided such discussion suits the gathering.
• Bread deserves respect. One aspect of respecting bread is not placing dishes or salt containers upon it.
• Do not eat carelessly or reluctantly; rather, eat with peace of mind and gratitude.
• Food is of three kinds: obligatory (Fard), Sunnah, and permissible (Mubah). Eating enough to preserve life is obligatory; eating enough to strengthen oneself for worship and lawful work is Sunnah; and eating to one’s fill is permissible.
• Never neglect the evening meal, for doing so may lead to weakness and premature old age.
• The arrival of a guest brings immense blessings to the host’s home. It is hoped that whatever is spent in honouring a guest will be replaced by Allah with something even better.
• When a guest arrives, the Sunnah is to serve whatever food is readily available without unnecessary formality or extravagance.
• If someone visits you, offer whatever food or drink you have—even if it is only a handful of roasted chickpeas or simply a cup of water or a drink.
• The Tahajjud prayer is the key to attaining Allah’s love and the delight of the truthful servants of Allah.
• Whatever religious blessings and spiritual insights I have received are entirely due to the blessing of rising during the last part of the night.
• Satan may appear in many forms, but he can never appear in the form of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
• May Allah protect every Muslim from miserliness, for miserliness is among the characteristics of the unbelievers.
• Evil customs are contrary to the principles of the Shari’ah and are therefore disliked and unacceptable.
• Anger is among the worst of traits, for it causes blessings to diminish.
• Among all noble qualities in dealing with people, compassion is the finest.
• Since both the affairs of the Shari’ah and the practices of the Tariqah are founded upon the principles of Islamic law, they must always be carried out in accordance with the apparent rulings of the Shari’ah.
• Only a person who possesses thorough knowledge of the Shari’ah and acts upon its detailed rulings is qualified to enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong (Amr bil-Ma’ruf wa Nahy ‘an al-Munkar).
• The difficulty experienced at the time of the soul’s departure differs according to a person’s spiritual rank. For some of Allah’s chosen servants, the soul departs with such ease that it is like drinking a refreshing beverage. Such a blessing is granted only to a select few.