ATTRIBUTE OF TAFFAKUR OR FORGETFULNESS
Besides the sum total of mystics attributes there is another attribute called Taffakar, the definition of which is proved by the Prophet’s tradition.
From the sayings of the research Scholars it is apparent that the attribute of forgetfulness is a mental state of a lover which is the fruit of excessive love. Accordingly Ibrahim Tabari States that the peculiarity of a lover is he is entirely absorbed in forgetfulness. It is clear that from this attribute the condition of lover is excessive love. The real fact is desire, “Which is an extraordinary condition as well as excitement of a mystic heart to seek consolation from the Beloved.” According to our saint
“LOVE IS POSITIVELY MONOTHEISM AND MONOTHEISM IS POSITIVELY “LOVE”.
He also said, “Love is a gift of God bestowed and cannot be acquired by skill or occupation.”
The sayings of scholars and exalted Saints are proof that love is a divine gift. But some of them have now and again said about the efforts and exercises to achieve it. Our Saint not only instructed to clear our hearts from the cobwebs of detrimental morals and sins but also strove to reform our external habits and manners. An expert Physician prescribing medicine to cure diseases instructs to avoid luxurious dishes. Hence Our Saint doctor of spirituality advised us to avoid the vicious and ignoble habit of stretching our hand before others for our necessities. Just as practising love is a noble quality begging is an ignoble symptom.
Once, Sarkar Waris said to his devotees that “ISLAM IS ONE THING AND FAITH IS ANOTHER THING. Many people who were present failed to understand the meaning behind this comment. So Sarkar Waris further clarified that all people who have embraced Islam by birth our by conversion just blindly follow the outward injunctions of Islam but their hearts are like stone. They pride on their prayers and it is well known the moment pride enters humility is lost. Our Holy Prophet declared in the Book of Traditions “The man who loves me more than his family, properly and wealth he has faith.” Thus Islam is one thing and faith another.
Our saint further stated that faith also is not to stretch one’s hands before others, the significance of which is to desist asking anything. It protects modestly so he advised his disciples not to beg alms. It is a part of faith.
Asking others for our needs, is an indecent quality which destroys the quality of man’s belief and the mystics have inculcated that a mystic should have belief and trust in God. So our Saint fully aware of this demeaning quality instructed his devotees to abstain asking others their requirements. Many pious persons and scholars have spoken well of this attribute. In their opinion one should be proud of patience and carry this belief to his grave.
The food of a mendicant is that which he gets without asking. Thus our Saint said, “Do not ask anything be satisfied and patient whatever you get without asking,”
Hayat-e-Waris
In addition to safe guarding our dignity and respect the quality of not asking questions is of high rank. Our Holy Prophet when he migrated from Mecca to Medina while administering the oath of allegiance to some of his migrated companions impressed upon them the attribute of not asking details of that which is really mentioned in the Book of Traditions. They adhere to their promise so strictly that their tongue was not familiar with the word on which even a slight implication of asking questions is probable.
“Malice or Jealousy” Our Holy Prophet praised the quality of contentment and condemned avarice. Contentment can be defined as trust in God the attribute of greed or avarice is so mean, in addition to being a disgrace it comes in the way of religious progress.
Just as avarice is a disgraceful quality similarly jealousy is an opponent of manners and ruinous of faith. That is why our Holy Prophet often stressed to avoid jealousy. So Our Saint advised his devotees to shun it.
One of the devotees asked, “Our Saint which sect is free from this obnoxious quality” to which our Saint promptly replied, “One in which there is no smack of jealousy.
It is self evident just as contentment is a sum total of laudable traits in like manner avarice is a source of mean qualities. There is a cure for this ignoble disease. The elixir which mystic doctor Sarkar Saris prescribed for his devotees when he said not to stretch one’s hand before others, coupled with the maxim to love, because without love it is difficult to eradicate avarice and covetousness.
Our Saint also instructed his devotees to mention the name of almighty God repeating always. He also taught his devotees to invoke God’s awe-inspiring attribute. To some, to repeat it openly and to others mutely. In like manner he urged his devotees to invoke God’s blessings (Darood-e-Shareef) on the Holy prophet keeping in view their capacity and mental background.
Aal-e-Qutub Aal-e-Syed Abdullah Shah Ghazi 