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FususAlHikam

Mit Mit Kay Mit Ja - First Line, Murshid e Kaamil

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FususAlHikam
, 29-06-2012 at 11:34 PM (1040 Views)
In the previous post I had posted a poem. Ghaliban this poem was written by a shaikh from the Punjab area commonly known as Bulleh Shah (ra). A lot about this shaikh is unknown or it is in legends which are not authentic, but what we know is that he was a very pious person. The poem starts with these lines:

Teach me the lesson given by the murshid, O Faqeer, annihilate just annihilate yourself.

Bulleh Shah (ra) starts this poem as if he is speaking to someone and asking them to teach him the lesson given by the murshid. He addresses the second person as a faqeer and then he says "annihilate, just annihilate yourself" as if that is the lesson the murshid has taught. So there are 3 words in this line that stand out; (1) murshid, (2) faqeer, and (3) annihilate. You can add "lesson" as another keyword and say that there are 4 keywords in this first line.

Who is a murshid and what does this word mean? Lots of people are confused about this word. Murshid, irshad, rashid. The word "lesson" will help to clarify the meaning of the word murshid. Murshid is someone who teaches, someone who gives direction, to the way of Allah swt. Murshid is someone who gives lessons, teaches, imparts deen, gives direction, guides, a seeker who is seeking the pleasure of Allah swt. Murshid is synonymous to the word shaikh. Understand this well that a shaikh (or murshid) is someone who guides to attaining the pleasure of Allah swt. Below is an excerpt taken from the book "Usool e Tasawwuf" by Hazrat Shah Abdul Ghani Phulphuri (ra) one of the eminent khulafah of Hakeem ul Ummat Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi (ra):



He has listed there a few distinguishing traits of a murshid (or shaikh). The first trait he mentions is that a shaikh is someone who has necessary knowledge of deen. What is meant by this? Meaning that he has enough knowledge of deen to live day to day life according to teachings of Quran and Sunnah. A shaikh doesnt necessarily have to be an alim or a mufti, this is nur ala nur. The shaikh does need the necessary knowledge to live day to day life according to deen.

Today we see in the world that people think of such a person to be a murshid and have made such a strange standard of gauging who is a murshid and who isnt that they consider such a person a murshid who show them some mystic phenomenon - who can make a coin disappear or who can pull a rabbit out of a hat, or who can tell them about future events or the winning lottery number. Astaghfirullah. Do not lose your deen, first understand the primary criteria of a shaikh. The primary criteria is that he should have enough knowledge of Quran and Sunnah that he can instruct you on how to live your 24 hour life on deen. The second criteria of a shaikh is that his aqeedah (beliefs), his amal (actions), and his habits are all according to the Islamic law.

These are among the primary criterion of a murshid.

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Updated 29-06-2012 at 11:54 PM by FususAlHikam

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  1. Acacia's Avatar


    for unlocking the meaning of the entire poem by providing the key words. I was able to re-read the poem and better understand it insha'Allah.

    As to the meaning of the line then, is it correct to read it as meaning something along the lines of:

    • follow the guidance we've been provided - the chain that stretches to our beloved Muhammad (and all the way back to Adam a.s.) by showing or teaching by example, and 'you' no longer are important;
    • greed melts away - greed of keeping knowledge to oneself as if we can claim ownership over any of it (naudhubillah); greed of actions as if we control what we and others can and can not do (naudhubillah);
    • and the acknowledgement of need for guidance thereby places the reader of the poem, the first person and the second - all of us - as faqeer, begging for Allah (SWT)'s Mercy and Guidance; thereby isolating guidance as emanating solely from Allah (SWT) to us through the medium of the murshid (which we all have potential for since the requirement is that we seek knowledge and gain enough knowledge of Quran and Sunnah to live by deen and that our aqeedah, amals and habits are in accordance with Islamic law);
    • arrogance melts away - by defeating (annihilating) the nafs that glues us to it, we lose our sense of self importance; by acknowledging the source of knowledge as being totally outside ourselves, solely from Allah (SWT)).