Tasawwuf

Q: When I'm with people and they talk too much about dunya, like what's on sale, or politics, what is latest etc, why do I feel that my heart is kinda in pain? Like I don't like hearing it and I wish I could just close off and leave. I can't tolerate it at all. And this happens with my relatives a lot. Shouldn't I have sabr? I just sit there and just keep feeling sad inside. It's like I really hate people doing that. I feel like my heart burns or something. I'm scared of being absorbed into dunya by listening to people's talk.

Q: On this website a person asked if it is permissible to read Shaykh ibn Arabi's Hizbul Wiqayah -ad Dowr al A'la and the reply was that the works of the shaykh should not be read, even though the questioner sent a link to the work in question which is very much similar to the Hizbul Bahr which many of our Deobandi Ulama read. The work is actually a simple beautiful dua/wazifa/wird of 33 verses each one containing two names of Allah, a dua and a quranic ayat. What is wrong in this? At least the work should have been looked at before giving the fatwa. Please revise your answer as people will be deprived of this very beneficial work. This work is not at all like the other works of Shaykh ibn Arabi that has difficult tassawuf terminologies. It is merely a dua, consisting of Allah's names and quranic ayats.

Q: How do I deal with a hard heart? I'm finding it hard to repent from major sins. I feel no guilt and no fear what can I do? I'm always concerned with worldly matters how can I focus on the akhira? What is my intention supposed to be for practising and how can I make my actions sincere as I am a show off and anything I do in religion I always seem to think about pleasing other Muslims so they can accept me. I know I'm a hypocrite but how can I change it when it happens automatically? I always feel like I'm against Allah and looking for other religions even thought I know Islam is right, like my heart won't accept it and I feel a lot of evil inside of me I don't know how to deal with it. I also have a lot of bad thoughts and am full of arrogance I'm constantly swearing in my head and have bad feelings towards Allah. I stay away from Muslims to stop the insincerity but even in private I'm always thinking about them. I know a lot of it is the effects of sinning but how can I repent when I feel no remorse and I feel like I'm lying and trying to trick Allah. Any advise would be appreciated.

Q: Recently, someone has been inquiring about bay'at and its importance. If mufti sahib could please explain as this person is interested in bay'at?

Q: I want to ask that if I refrain from sins, means whenever the imagination of sin comes, I turn towards salaah and do dua. In this matter I benefited a lot but sometimes I do the sin. What should I do?

Q: Since Ramadaan I tried to bring a change to my lifestyle . I started my tahajjud and I'm trying to refrain from intermingling and to be more strict with my purda and form of niqaab. I would like to don the jilbaab but I am scared. Scared of spiralling down after been on this spiritual high. It has happened to me before that is why I am so afraid. Also my husband dosn't seem to be impressed and is of no support in any way whatsoever. We live in a house of Aalims all together. Unfortunately our parda is zilch. I don't know how to proceed. How do I hold fast onto haq and this feeling of only wanting to do that which is atqa. My desire has always been to memorise the quraan as well. Can mufti please advise me. I don't want to lose this feeling of closeness to Allah Ta'ala. I'm so scared that I'm going to get lazy and lethargic and will slowly retrogress whatsoever. What must I do. Am I doing too many things at once? I am an aalima. I just feel like Allah Ta'ala has lifted a blindfold from my eyes and I now see things very differently. I am ashamed the change is only coming now. All the years I have been so relaxed and negligent. Please advise me. I sometimes feel like I'm fighting a battle alone and everyone is just waiting for me to fall.

Q: Please issue a ruling on the following:

(1) Females travelling to a foreign country for the purpose of observing Nafl I’tikaaf in a hall.

(2) Females travelling to a foreign country for the purpose of observing Nafl I’tikaaf in someone’s house.

(3) Females observing Nafl I’tikaaf in a hall owned and operated by the local Hindu Association.

(4) Females eating the leftover food of their (ghair-mahram) Shaykh for the purpose of Tabarruk.

(5) Females being giving the clothing items of their living (ghair-mahram) Shaykh for the purpose of Tabarruk.

(6) Females having casual, non-Islaahi, conversations from behind a screen with their (ghair-mahram) Shaykh in the presence of others.

(7) A female travelling to Western secular Universities for giving bayaans to the female students of the Western secular University.

(8) A Shaykh of Tasawwuf buying a packet of sweets and sending it, as a gift, for a female mureed when she qualifies as a Hafizah. The gift is sent with a male mahram of the female mureed.

Q: How to achieve taqwa?

Q: My question is how to control the nafs. Is there any zikr?

Q: How does one remove the shackles of laziness that has distanced one from Allah Ta'ala? Could you prescribe some azkaar and ways to attain closeness to Allah Ta'ala?