Tasawwuf

Q: With all due respect. How do I stop myself from thinking bad. Sometimes I also think bad about Islam.

Q: How to learn self restraint and control your will? Kindly mention several Duas and other methods.

Q:

1. Can a female mureeda give a little gift to her Shaykh (and his wife) to thank him for all his advice and his precious support in the spiritual journey?

2. Can I consider my Shaykh as a father? (Obviously remaining aware that my biological father is another, but unfortunately he has never collaborated with my mother in my upbringing and often he said that he doesn't consider me his daughter, especially after convertion to Islam. I'm still a teenager and my education is carried out by my mother (convert to Islam Alhamdulillah) and by my Shaykh who guide me on spiritual path and he is helping me to shape my personality and my behavior, so this Shaykh is like a father for me).

Q: I cannot control my nafs. It has become so difficult. Especially since I eat too much and I know that I am not hungry and I have a serious digestion problem. I know it hardens the heart but I can't stop. Not only this, in many other matters I have found that I can't control my nafs. What do I do?

Q: I am a 21 year old from the US. I have committed so much wrong in these past couple of years and feel lost in this world without Allah because I’ve tried living both ways but subhanallah no matter how hard I try to stick to the sunnah I go back to my wrong doing. I cry almost every night to the point where I’m asking Allah if I’m being tested or punished. I ask for His help every night and cry and beg Him to keep me away and I know that Allah knows best. I know He’s the only one that can help me. I know that no one knows me better than He does and I want to be close to Him again. I want my life and heart and mind filled with noor and iman.

Q: Is there any significance to lightly nodding the head during zikr? Is this a sunnah practice?

Q: I had bay'at with a shaikh. Can I change my shaikh without informing him or is it necessary to inform him?

Q: I recently heard a lecture about riya (showing off). I am a student learning the Quran. My intention for learning to memorize the Quran was done so I could obtain a higher position with my Creator. When I started my studies while practicing the Verses, I realized that my thoughts were tilted towards perfecting my recitation so my teacher would be pleased and I wouldn't make mistakes in front of my class mates. So I concluded that my intention had changed and I was now doing it for people instead of my Creator, as a result I stopped attending classes for a while then a resumed after a while.

My questions are, is my heart committing riya? How do I fix this problem? Should I stop attending school and manage with what I have learned to be on the safe side?

Q:

1. What does it mean if a shaikh has been given permission in the four schools of tassawuf?

2. Can he do zikr of all four schools or should he stick to one?

Q:

1. I don't like people around me hearing me recite during prayer as my recitation is not good (I'm in the process of learning correct pronunciation) so whenever people are around me while I pray I adjust how silently I pray accordingly. Is this considered as riya?

2. If I try to recite a bit smoother when I know someone else in the room, not because I want to please or to show off, but because I feel embarrassed about my recitation, is this riya?

3. Also, if someone comes into the room while you are praying and you feel glad that they see you praying, but you don't necessarily adjust your prayer, is this riya? Do you prayers become invalidated because of it?

Lastly, if you didn't know certain acts were considered showing off during worship/prayer, but then learn it later, do you have to make them up?