Impressions of Syedna Taher Fakhruddin TUS Ashara Waaz – Presence of Taqwa

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

وَتَزَوَّدُوا فَإِنَّ خَيْرَ الزَّادِ التَّقْوَىٰ

'And take a provision (for the journey to the Hereafter), and the best of provisions is taqwa (piety, consciousness and fear of Allah Ta'ala)'

(Surat al-Baqara: 197)

This article has been written by Taha bhai Rangwala in 2016.

I have had the immense privilege to attend Ashara Mubaraka 1438H majalis with al-Dai al-Fatemi Syedna Taher Fakhruddin TUS. As adna mumin and humble ghulam of Maulana, I offer my khidmat-us-shukr to Maulana for this azeem ne’mat by sharing my impressions of the recently concluded Ashara Mubaraka 1438H.

Taqwa (piety) is one of the most important teachings of our deen. It is an intangible characteristic that, when present, elevates our ordinary deeds to gather the highest rewards. Every wali of Allah Ta’ala has emphasized it significantly and practiced it continously. Although we learn about its importance throughout our lives, it is difficult to embed taqwa into our every amal effectively – we usually conduct amal, littered with worldly, petty and ulterior intentions, rather than lillah, fillah.

The starkest and most poignant takeaway from attending Ashara Mubaraka waaz with Syedna Fakhruddin was the perceptible and permanent presence of taqwa in his every action, especially in his bayaans. For one, his eyes and chehra Mubarak communicate an ever-lasting longing and khashyat (consciousness and awe) of Allah Ta’ala without ever speaking a single word (as many that have witnessed – whether it be in person or online - can attest to). He is always in tasbih, always in ‘ibadat, always in awe and reverence of the Almighty, 24 hours of the day. This is taqwa.

When he prays the shahadat of Imam Husain SA, he highlights Imam Husain’s reliance on Allah Ta’ala – at a most difficult and trying time, when all was at stake, including the very survival of Islam itself. Similarly, in recounting the story of Karbala shuhadaa’, Maulana highlights how they placed their trust in Allah Ta’ala at the most critical junctures in their lives. Syedna draws many parallels to the current situation in Dawat to the historical situation of Karbala – surrounded by malicious forces, seemingly outnumbered by bigger and more powerful oppressors. When faced with even the most difficult challenges, Syedna continues to place his trust in Allah Ta’ala, and continues to believe (and do doa) for the eternal preservation of Dawat, no matter the personal cost to himself. This is taqwa.

As his predecessors have done, Maulana encourages Mumineen to practice taqwa throughout their lives and in their daily actions and deeds. However, that nasihat carries a lot more weight when one observes Maulana continuously practicing taqwa himself. If you want to experience (or re-experience) taqwa in practice, observe how Khuda na wali are always in awe and worship of the Almighty, and learn how to practice and embed taqwa in your own personal lives, I invite you to come and simply observe Syedna Fakhruddin with open eyes. Wallah (I swear by God), you will walk away with refreshed and renewed sense of religion, learning how to perform Allah’s ibadat directly from Allah’s wali.