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"In the name of Allah, the All
Gracious, All Merciful"
.:¸ .-
Hadhrat Mufti
Mahmood Hasan
Vol. 1
Title: Discourses of Faqeeh-ul-Ummat Hadhrat Mufti
Mahmood Hasan Gangohi ·,· = ·~_, vol. 1
Translated by: Moulana Muhammad Ilyaas Bayat Shaheed = ·~_
Published by: Madrasah Taleemuddeen
Address: 4 Third Avenue
P.O.Box 26393
Isipingo Beach
South Africa
Telephone: +27 31 902 9818
Fax: +27 31 902 5681
Email: email@example.com
First edition: Zul-Hijjah 1433 / October 2012
• For the esaale thawaab of the entire ummah of Nabi
• Open permission is granted for the reprinting of this book
provided it is not for gain and without any alterations
• A humble appeal is directed to the readers to offer suggestions,
comments, etc. to improve the quality of this publication in future.
May Allah Ta'alah reward you for this.
• The compiler, translators, editors, sponsors and typesetters
humbly request your du'aas for them, their parents, asaatizah,
mashaayikh and families.
Foreword ............................................................................................ 1
Introduction ....................................................................................... 2
Discourse 1 - Purification of the Soul ....................................... 5
Purification of the soul ...................................................................... 7
Unreliable empire .............................................................................. 8
Generosity at its best ......................................................................... 9
Incident of Bayazid Bustami ·~_ = ·,· , the Hafiz and the barber .... 9
Abdullah bin Ja`far , Qais and a blind person............................ 11
Adee bin Haatim's generosity .................................................... 13
Abdullah bin Ja`far and the orchard .......................................... 14
The story of a generous man and his farm .................................... 16
A kind man who did not mind being imprisoned ........................ 17
Hadhrat Abu Bakr's kindness to children ................................. 17
Contentment and Reliance - The backbone of generosity ............ 18
Gone for baking ............................................................................... 19
Zikr in abundance ............................................................................ 20
Belief in the unseen.......................................................................... 21
Trust in Allah Ta`ala........................................................................ 22
The beautiful companion ................................................................ 22
Discourse 2 - Durood and Salaam ........................................... 25
Operation Imaan .............................................................................. 27
Moulana Abdul Hay ·~_ = ·,· and Sir Sayyid Sahib...................... 28
The selfish hound ............................................................................ 29
Five senses ........................................................................................ 29
Have you seen your liver? .............................................................. 30
A hollow claim ................................................................................. 32
Off to meet the king ......................................................................... 33
The truthful informer ...................................................................... 33
Sayyid Abdul Aziz Dabbaagh's ·~_ = ·,· answer to an objection. 34
A gift to the beloved ........................................................................ 35
Discourse 3 - Contemptibility of Pride ................................... 37
Pride - Challenging the power of Allah Ta`ala ............................. 39
From where to where ...................................................................... 40
Reflect and ponder .......................................................................... 41
An episode ....................................................................................... 43
From crops to ashes ......................................................................... 43
Knowledge – A light of the heart ................................................... 44
Hadhrat Sayyid Abdul Qadir Jilaani ·~_ = ·,· and the golden
goblet ................................................................................................ 45
Imaam Raazi's ·~_ = ·,· debate with Shaitaan ............................... 47
Hadhrat Sahl bin Abdullah Tastari ·~_ = ·,· and Shaitaan ........... 47
Scattered pearls ................................................................................ 50
Discourse 4 - The Reality of Gratitude ................................... 53
The Reality of Gratitude .................................................................. 55
Open transgression .......................................................................... 56
A burning concern ........................................................................... 57
Baghdad ........................................................................................... 58
"I foresee the streets of Delhi flowing with blood" ...................... 60
Haramain Shareefain ....................................................................... 61
The rule of the Tartars ..................................................................... 61
Value your time ............................................................................... 63
The fasting of Abdullah bin Amr bin Aas ................................. 63
Sa`d bin Abi Waqqaas and the animal skin............................... 64
Du`aa accepted ................................................................................. 65
Hadhrat Sa`d's behaviour regarding his personal self ............. 65
"Lash me but, do not curse me" ..................................................... 66
Discourse 5 - The blessed month of Ramadhaan and the
acceptance of du`aa .................................................................... 69
The blessed month of Ramadhaan and the acceptance of du`aa .. 71
Two hundred Rupees ...................................................................... 71
"O Allah! Bring me back quickly" .................................................. 71
Ways of acceptance ......................................................................... 72
Month of blessings........................................................................... 73
An inattentive heart ......................................................................... 74
The trader in Mina ........................................................................... 75
Dusty, dishevelled and dejected..................................................... 76
Very interesting ............................................................................... 77
Battlefield ......................................................................................... 78
Dynamites come in small packages ............................................... 79
Your cane, my gain .......................................................................... 79
Discourse 6 - The Path of Salvation ........................................ 81
Three advices ................................................................................... 83
The first type of fitnah ...................................................................... 84
The second type ............................................................................... 84
Under control ................................................................................... 84
Moulana Yahya's ·~_ = ·,· control over his tongue ....................... 85
Shaitaan's loyal deputy ................................................................... 86
Poisonous tree .................................................................................. 87
1947 ................................................................................................... 88
Moulana Gangohi ·~_ = · ·, in the market ...................................... 89
Guaranteed! ..................................................................................... 89
Discourse 7 - The Importance of I`tikaaf ................................ 93
Insaan – The paragon of creation .................................................... 95
Points to ponder .............................................................................. 95
One more chance ............................................................................. 96
More time for more dimes .............................................................. 97
Ramadhaan specials ........................................................................ 97
The month of patience for the sake of Allah Ta`ala ...................... 98
Gone camping! ................................................................................. 99
The advice of Nabi to Hadhrat Anas ....................................100
One for you and three for me ........................................................101
Retain and gain ...............................................................................102
The purpose of i`tikaaf ....................................................................103
Most pure! (Subhanallah) ................................................................104
Most worthy of worship ................................................................104
The mango tree ...............................................................................105
The greatest bounty ........................................................................106
A gift to the beloved .......................................................................107
Advice of Moulana Gangohi ·~_ = ·,· regarding tasbeeh ..............108
So near, yet so far ............................................................................109
The yogi from Himalaya ................................................................109
He began to see animals and orchards … .....................................110
The pigeon and the Neem tree ........................................................110
The Hindu and the rain ..................................................................111
Child's play .....................................................................................111
Discourse 8 - The Manner of attaining Taqwa .................... 113
The manner of attaining taqwa .......................................................115
The sapling of Imaan .......................................................................118
The evils of the nafs ........................................................................119
Shaitaan's du`aa ...............................................................................120
Aadam's du`aa ...........................................................................122
Loyalty to Nabi ...........................................................................124
Incident of Hadhrat Abdullah bin Umar ..................................125
An old woman's resolve ................................................................127
Join the caravan ..............................................................................130
Forty days with the Tableegh Jamaat ..............................................131
Remedy for pride ............................................................................132
Are you blind? ................................................................................133
Test of character ..............................................................................134
Discourse 9 - The passion of our Akaabir for Deeni
knowledge ................................................................................ 135
The buzurg and the yogi .................................................................137
Food for thought .............................................................................139
Just the two of us ............................................................................140
A sweet bargain ..............................................................................141
Cool as a cucumber ........................................................................142
Sweet talk ........................................................................................143
Cut the long story short .................................................................144
Hadhrat Thanwi ·~_ = ·,· and Hadhrat Madani ·~_ = ·,· ............144
The gift watch .................................................................................146
Hadhrat Raipuri ·~_ = ·,· and Shaikh-ul-Hadeeth ·~_ = ·,· .........148
Hadhrat Gangohi ·~_ = ·,· and Haji Imdaadullah ·~_ = ·,· ........151
Tawakkul ..........................................................................................152
Discourse 10 - The Rights of Rasulullah ........................... 155
Shower of love ................................................................................157
Salaam to the king of kings ............................................................158
Love, belief and obedience.............................................................160
The first right of love ......................................................................161
The second right – Aqeedat .............................................................162
Love minus belief ...........................................................................162
Abu Lahab .......................................................................................163
Abu Jahal's testimony ....................................................................165
The third right – Obedience ...........................................................167
Hadhrat Umm-e-Habeebah ¸._ = ,· ............................................168
Hadhrat Khubaib .......................................................................169
Hadhrat Fatimah ¸._ = ,· .............................................................169
Hadhrat Abdullah bin Mas`ood ................................................170
Discourse 11 - Etiquettes of Durood Shareef ....................... 171
Extremism .......................................................................................173
Respect for Rasulullah ................................................................174
Qur'aan speaks ...............................................................................176
Flights of Durood .............................................................................177
The glowing lantern .......................................................................178
The realm of Barzakh .......................................................................179
The story of a saint .........................................................................179
Hadhrat Saharanpuri's ·~_ = ·,· janaazah ......................................180
The same fragrance.........................................................................181
Worthy of Sajdah .............................................................................182
Shah Waarith ·~_ = ·,· and the mureed ..........................................183
Hidaayat ...........................................................................................185
Discourse - 12 Disorder caused by the love of wealth and its
remedy ....................................................................................... 187
What is the first cause? ...................................................................189
Incident of two brothers .................................................................190
Twenty-five Rupees........................................................................192
Hafiz Fadhl-ul-Haq and the rogues ..............................................195
Incident of Umayyah bin Khalaf ...................................................196
A dog without a religion? ..............................................................198
Mistakes of the past ........................................................................199
A letter to Kanpur ...........................................................................201
You! Not me ....................................................................................202
Stealing to help others ....................................................................203
Discourse 13 - The Reality of Taubah ................................... 205
Mere lip service ...............................................................................207
Covering up ....................................................................................208
Chunks of meat ...............................................................................209
Crossing over Jahannum ................................................................210
Pen him down! ................................................................................211
Subtle trouble ..................................................................................211
Caution: Danger ahead ..................................................................212
Kicking the habit.............................................................................212
Weigh your words ..........................................................................214
The thorny tree ...............................................................................214
Discourse 14 - The Benefits of the Company of the Pious . 217
Come to My door ............................................................................219
Incident of Hadhrat Raipuri ·~_ = ·,· and Moulana Allah Bakhsh
·~_ = ·,· ............................................................................................ 220
Dr. Allamah Iqbal with Allamah Kashmiri ·~_ = ·,· ....................221
Allamah Kashmiri ·~_ = ·,· with Shaikh-ul-Hind ·~_ = ·,· ...........224
Shaikh-ul-Hind going to Malta .....................................................225
Allamah Kashmiri ·~_ = ·,· with Hadhrat Saharanpuri ·~_ = ·,· 226
Moulana Kifaayatullah with Hadhrat Saharanpuri ·~_ = ·,· .......227
Hadhrat Thanwi ·~_ = ·,· and Hadhrat Gangohi ·~_ = ·,· ............230
Clear relationship ...........................................................................232
Jalaaluddeen Thanesri ·~_ = ·,· with Shah Abdul Quddoos ·~_ =
·,· ......................................................................................................233
¸· ·-,
All praise and gratitude be to almighty Allah Subhaanahu wa Ta'ala
and salaat and salaam be upon our beloved master Sayyiduna
Muhammad , his companions, family members and those to follow
till the Day of Qiyaamah.
It is through the sheer grace of Allah Ta`ala that the mawaa`iz
(discourses) of Faqeeh-ul-Ummat have been translated into English.
These mawaa`iz are the discourses of none other than the great wali
and saint Hadhrat Mufti Mahmood Hasan Gangohi ·,· = ·~_ who
was amongst the leading scholars and saintly figures of our recent
past. Hadhrat's discourses have brought about a revolutionary
change in the lives of many and inspired many others to take up the
path of righteousness and piety.
The discourses were recorded and transcribed by several
students of Hadhrat and later published in Urdu.
We make du`aa to Allah Ta`ala that He accepts this translation,
makes it a source of inspiration for all those who read it and allow it
to be a means of thawaab-e-jaariyah for all those who had contributed
towards its compilation and translation. Aameen
Ebrahim Salejee
Hadhrat Mufti Ebrahim Salejee Sahib ,·¯,, .·· is a Khaleefah of Hadhrat
Mufti Mahmood Sahib ·,· = ·~_ and he is the principal of Madrasah
Taleemuddeen in Isipingo Beach.
D i s c o u r s e s o f F a q e e h - u l - U m m a t P a g e | 2
Who was Hadhrat Faqeeh-ul-Ummat ·,· = ·~_? Born to pious parents
in the town of Gangoh in the year 1325 A.H. he lived to become one
of the greatest luminaries of his time. Nevertheless, describing the
personality of Hadhrat Mufti Sahib ·~_ ·,· = is an almost impossible
task. The most eloquent words would hopelessly fail in truly
describing the knowledge, brilliance, piety, kindness, compassion,
humility, and the numerous other qualities which he embodied. He
was an ustaaz to thousands of students, a mentor to thousands of
disciples and a kind and compassionate father to all who came into
contact with him.
His compassion and kindness knew no bounds. It was indeed his
fundamental nature. Every year he personally took care of the
monthly expenses of numerous students of Darul Uloom Deoband,
Saharanpur and other institutions. And he also saw to their various
needs. There were instances when he gave away his valuable,
personal kitaabs and there were occasions where he even gave away
the clothing he had been wearing at that time. Despite this, he never
regarded himself as having shown any favour to anyone. He greatly
loved the poor, he loved being with them and he loved living and
had a desire of even passing away like them. Hadhrat ·,· = ·~_ was
also forever concerned about the Deeni progress of others, especially
the poor.
It was the normal practice of Hadhrat Mufti Sahib ·,· = ·~_ for
many years that he would recite 15 paras or more daily in salaah.
During the month of Ramadhaan, he would complete one Qur'aan
Hadhrat Mufti Sahib ·,· = ·~_ taught Bukhaari Shareef for many
years at Kanpur as well as at Darul Uloom Deoband. Besides
teaching Bukhaari Shareef and other books of hadeeth at Deoband, he
also graced the distinguished position of Grand Mufti of that august
institution for many years.
I n t r o d u c t i o n P a g e | 3
His fataawa (Islamic verdicts) have been compiled into 29
volumes each of which spans over hundreds of pages. Besides the
fatwas, he authored several books and booklets. Upon his instruction
the publication of many magazines and newsletters was undertaken
by various institutions. Together with this Hadhrat Mufti Sahib = ·~_
·,· travelled to many countries for the purpose of disseminating the
Deen of Rasulullah . South Africa was particularly fortunate in that
Hadhrat Mufti Sahib ·,· = ·~_ repeatedly blessed our shores with his
presence and benefited the Ummah with his teachings. It was also
the good fortune of South Africa that this country was blessed with
his company during the last days of his earthly life.
May Allah Ta`ala allow this publication to be a source of
guidance for the entire Ummah.
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P u r i f i c a t i o n o f t h e s o u l P a g e | 7
Purification of the soul
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Allah Ta`ala has stated in the Qur'aan-e-Kareem:
"Successful indeed is he who has purified his inner-self." (al-A`laa:14)
Whoever has corrected his inner-self is surely successful. People's
understanding of success differs.
An individual feels that by acquiring a palatial house, he is
successful. Another person reasons that attaining wealth is the
ultimate success. A third person concludes that if he marries into a
wealthy and noble family, then he too will be successful. A fourth
person decides that if he graduates from college and becomes a
professional, he also will be successful.
Elections have arrived and the nominated candidate reasons that
succeeding in the electoral process and becoming a member of
parliament, will make him successful. Every individual's view of
success differs.
The correct view of success, however, is the one outlined by the
Creator of these views. What Allah Ta`ala explains as success is true
success. Everything else is not success but merely a deception,
which is temporary and will swiftly perish. Success is something
that is everlasting.
By purifying the soul, two things are achieved namely:
1) Excellent character
2) Righteous deeds.
D i s c o u r s e s o f F a q e e h - u l - U m m a t P a g e | 8
These qualities will always assist man. It will assist him in this
world and in the grave. At the time of resurrection, on the Pul-siraat
(bridge of Siraat), at the time of weighing one's action, etc.
Undoubtedly, whoever can easily achieve these qualities is indeed
A person has accumulated a great deal of money. He has
gathered heaps upon heaps of notes. However, if one termite finds
its way to that wealth and consumes it; will this money be regarded
as success? Such a 'success' which one termite can easily destroy,
Allah Ta`ala protect, is not true success. It is a deception and a
means of our ruin.
An individual owns an airplane. The business generated through
it is exceptional. But if, in mid-air, the plane experiences some
technical difficulty and crashes every person aboard it will die. Is
this success?
Another person owns an expensive sports car and he considers
himself to be successful. Whilst driving he is involved in an
accident, destroying the car and himself. Is this any type of success?
Another 'successful' person owns a train, which is involved in an
accident resulting in the death of all the passengers. What success is
this? In reality, success is not found in any of these objects.
Unreliable empire
We have witnessed an incident where an extremely affluent and
arrogant person had his entire wealth snatched away from him in
the flash of an eye. He was forced, at gunpoint, to sign a document
declaring that he had sold his belongings and received the money
for it. He signed the documents and was 'chased away' from his
own premises. He left with not even a single cent on him to buy his
None of these things are worthy of attaching your heart to. They
are not worthy of being relied upon nor are they worthy of being
P u r i f i c a t i o n o f t h e s o u l P a g e | 9
desired for. They are nothing more than a ploy, which have no
significance in the eyes of Allah Ta`ala.
Generosity at its best
True success is that, which Allah has declared,
"Indeed, successful is he who has purified his soul." (al-A`laa:14)
For example, one has the trait of miserliness, which needs to be
removed and replaced with generosity. How do we go about
removing miserliness and replacing it with generosity? What is the
definition of generosity? Is a generous person one who compiles a
thesis about generosity, providing strong proofs and thereafter
reads it out to someone? Or is a generous person one who writes a
booklet about generosity and then publishes it? Or is a generous
person one who shows others the avenues of generosity?
Incident of Bayazid Bustami -,·- =· ->_, the Hafiz and the
It is recorded in the works of Hadhrat Bayazid Bustami ·,· = ·~_ that
once he addressed his nafs and said, "You are stingy!"
"Why do you call me stingy? In fact, I am very generous," his nafs
"Very well," commented Hadhrat Bayazid ·,· = ·~_. "We shall test
your generosity. Tomorrow, we will hand over our entire wealth to
the first poor person that we come across. If the wealth is given over
with a happy heart, this will indicate that you are generous,
otherwise not."
The next morning Hadhrat Bayazid ·,· = ·~_ set off to donate 50
ashrafis (gold coins), in charity. He came across a blind Hafiz Sahib,
sitting in a barbershop. Observing his tattered and torn clothing he
D i s c o u r s e s o f F a q e e h - u l - U m m a t P a g e | 10
respectfully approached the Hafiz Sahib and said, "Hafiz Sahib, I
wish to give these ashrafis as a gift to you."
"I am glad that you have come along," expressed with joy. "I do
not have any money to pay this barber. Please hand it over to him."
Hadhrat Bayazid ·,· = ·~_ thought to himself that this Hafiz is
blind. Hence, he does not realise the true value of these ashrafis.
How can a haircut be worth 50 ashrafis?
"This is the reason why you are stingy. Hand it over to the
barber!" the Hafiz Sahib ordered. He was referring to a very deep
Hadhrat Bayazid ·,· = ·~_ felt very ashamed and placed the
ashrafis in front of the barber. The barber however, commented, "The
moment I saw the torn and tattered clothing of this Hafiz Sahib, I
made an intention to cut his hair solely for the pleasure of Allah
Ta`ala. I am not going to spoil my intentions for this bauble heap."
Hadhrat Bayazid ·,· = ·~_ picked up the wealth, proceeded to the
river and threw the entire amount in the river.
"May Allah Ta`ala ruin you. Whoever attaches his heart to you
becomes disgraced in this manner."
More important than defining generosity, we need to inculcate it
into our lives. One does not become generous by defining
generosity, writing poetry or booklets about it. Allah Ta`ala made
the Sahaabah , who were trained and nurtured by Nabi ,
successful. Further, among the qualities of Nabi is,
"The one who will purify their (the believer's) inner-selves." (Aal
Read the biographies of the Sahaabah and see what great deeds
of generosity were accomplished at their hands.
P u r i f i c a t i o n o f t h e s o u l P a g e | 11
Abdullah bin Ja`far , Qais and a blind person
Once, a few people had gathered for a certain event. Gradually, they
began discussing amongst themselves who was the most generous
person of that time. Three names were forwarded. Who were these
three? One was Abdullah bin Ja`far , the second was Qais and the
third was a blind Hafiz Sahib. It was agreed that these three would
be tested to see who amongst them was the most generous.
They sent an 'inspector' to Abdullah bin Ja`far . At that time
Abdullah bin Ja`far was preparing to go on a journey. He had
loaded his camels with gold coins, food and drink so that if he
wanted to entertain anyone en-route, he could do so. The conditions
for travelling, in that era, were such that water was very scarce.
The designated person, came up to him and pleaded, "I am a
traveller and I require a conveyance."
Abdullah bin Ja`far was ready to go on a journey. The camels
were loaded and the only thing remaining was to mount it. Now
remember! Asking for a conveyance in that era is unlike the present
situation. We can borrow someone's car for an hour or two and
thereafter return it, paying for the cost incurred for the petrol.
Sometimes if one does not pay for the petrol, the owner of the car
will even ask for it. No, when a conveyance was asked for, it was
given. There was no question of returning it.
Here the camel of Abdullah bin Ja`far was ready and fully
loaded with gold, food and drink and without any hesitation he
readily handed over the camel. The 'inspector' returned to the board
of examiners and gesturing to the camel said, "I have received this
from Abdullah bin Jafar ."
Thereafter, he went to the home of Qais but discovered that he
was not in. When the maid-slave asked if he had some work with
him, he replied, "I have some work with Qais, not you."
"Never mind about that", interrupted the slave. "Inform me of
the nature of your work."
D i s c o u r s e s o f F a q e e h - u l - U m m a t P a g e | 12
"You do not have the ability to fulfil it."
"Never mind. Tell me; what is your problem?"
"I am a traveller and I require transport."
"What is the need to personally request Qais for such
assistance?" she snapped. "I have the permission to fulfil such a
She went up to a herd of camels and .picked the choicest one and
handed it over to him. He returned with the camel and said, "The
maid-slave of Qais had given this camel to me. He was not there."
Thereafter, he went to the third person who was blind, cripple
and suffering from gout. At that very precise moment, he was going
to the Musjid for Salaah supporting himself on the shoulders of two
slaves, whilst dragging his feet along the road. In this condition, the
examiner approached him and said, "I am traveller and I need a
"Today I own nothing more than these two slaves," the Hafiz
Sahib disclosed. "I give you these two slaves. Take them, sell them
and arrange for your transport with the money received from their
In uttering these words, he removed his hands from their
shoulders because, when he said, "I have given them to you," his
ownership over these two slaves had expired. So how could he
continue supporting himself on their shoulders? Due to suffering
from gout, he could not stand and fell down injuring his knees in
the process. He was blind as well as cripple.
"You are more in need of the slaves," admitted the examiner.
"Therefore, keep them and I will make some alternate arrangements
for my transport."
"Well, if you do not want them, then I free them because they
have already come out of my ownership."
P u r i f i c a t i o n o f t h e s o u l P a g e | 13
The examiner returned and reported what had transpired. The
aforementioned incidents are true examples of exemplary
Adee bin Haatim's generosity
A person came to Adee bin Haatim , the son of Haatim Tai (who is
world renowned for his generosity) and said: "I am going to arrange
a function at my place. Many affluent guests will be arriving and I
need some utensils and pots for cooking."
Hadhrat Adee inquired about the number of guests and the
date of the function. "Very well, I will send the utensils."
Now, this person was counting the number of days elapsing and
the utensils are not arriving. There were 10 days left! 9 days, 8 days,
7 days, 6 days, 5 days, 4 days, 3 days, 2 days until 1 day remained
and the utensils had still not arrived! He became very worried and
this concern was amplified by the fact that the guests would
reproach him for not arranging the food.
The date of the function arrived and the guests had also arrived.
Adee sent the pots and utensils filled with exquisite dishes,
prepared and ready to eat. This person became overjoyed that not
only was his honour saved but he did not have to make any
arrangements for the food as well.
"I had asked for empty utensils only," he remarked. "I did not
ask for the food."
"An empty utensil has never left our house. Sending empty
utensils is against our family tradition."
These were generous people. The definition of generosity is one
thing; to be imbued with this quality is something else.
D i s c o u r s e s o f F a q e e h - u l - U m m a t P a g e | 14
Abdullah bin Ja`far and the orchard
The very same Abdullah bin Ja`far , whose incident was
mentioned earlier, was asked whether he knew anyone more
generous then himself.
"La Houla …," he gasped. "I am nothing and my generosity is
nothing. Anyone is more generous then myself. On one occasion, I
had seen a lush and opulent orchard, which was in the care of a
slave. He was irrigating it and I sat watching him. I then asked him,
'Which is the best fruit?'
'I do not know. I am the guard, not the owner,' he remarked."
(Note: Despite being the guard of the orchard, he did not know
which tree had the best fruit. We, the people of the madrasah, are also
guards of the madrasah. Therefore, we should be cautious in our
"I thought to myself that this is a person with an excellent
character. I inquired the whereabouts of his masters and he
provided the relevant details. Meanwhile, somebody had brought
two loaves of bread to him and on seeing the bread, a dog that was
staying in the orchard, came up to him. This person ate a morsel of
food and fed another morsel to the dog. The sizes of these morsels
were the same.
"What wage does your master pay you?" enquired Hadhrat
Abdullah bin Ja`far .
"You had seen the two loaves of bread given to me." His sentence
was not tinged with any disdain.
"Why did you feed the dog one morsel with every morsel that
you had eaten?" Hadhrat Abdullah asked, looking puzzled.
"This dog is my companion. I guard the orchard and so does he
and when he assists me in guarding the orchard, then he is my equal
partner in sharing whatever wage I receive."
P u r i f i c a t i o n o f t h e s o u l P a g e | 15
I considered this slave to be a personification of good character. I
approached his owner and said,
"I had seen your garden and taken a liking for it. I wish to
purchase it."
He agreed. We fixed a price and I purchased the orchard. I then
asked if he had any female slaves for sale. He replied in the
affirmative and I requested him to bring the most attractive slave he
had in his possession. He brought her and I purchased her as well.
"I now wish to purchase your slave who guards the orchard,"
Hadhrat Abdullah disclosed.
"I do not want to sell him," the owner quipped. "He has been
with us since childhood and we have raised him. He has a special
relationship with my entire family."
"I have a great desire to purchase him," Hadhrat Abdullah
"Very well," he relented. "I will sell him to you because of the
desire you have expressed."
"I then bought the slave."
I took the female slave and went to the orchard. I informed the
slave that I had purchased the orchard. He replied, "Very well, May
Allah Ta`ala bless you."
He began leaving assuming that his work here was now over
since the orchard no longer belonged to his master.
"Wait," I protested. "I have purchased this female slave as well."
"May Allah Ta`ala shower his blessings on her as well."
I then informed him that I had purchased him as well. "This piece
of news grieves me," he admitted. "I have been raised by this family
and I have a developed a special bond with them. Nevertheless,
since you have purchased me, May Allah Ta`ala bless you in me."
D i s c o u r s e s o f F a q e e h - u l - U m m a t P a g e | 16
"I marry this slave girl off to you," disclosed Hadhrat Abdullah
"Very well, May Allah Ta`ala grant barkat in this also."
I continued, "I set you both free and give this orchard to you as a
Initially that person stayed in the orchard as a guard and
laboured therein. Now, he has become the owner of it. This was the
level of generosity prevalent in these people.
The story of a generous man and his farm
An individual was passing by a farm when a youngster greeted him
and said, "My father has passed away."
"May Allah Ta`ala forgive him, grant you patience and ease," he
"Whilst going through his accounts," the youngster added, "I
discovered that you owed him several thousand rands."
The traveller instructed his servant to give the said sum to the
youngster whenever he came to collect it. He then continued on his
way. After a few days had elapsed, he happened to pass that way
again. The youngster again stood up, greeted him and remorsefully
remarked: "I had miscalculated. Actually my father owes you
several thousand rands."
"I then absolve you of the debt," was the instantaneous reply
from the traveller.
"I desire to pay you the amount."
"As you wish."
"I cannot pay the entire amount," the youngster replied softly.
"Pay as much you can afford."
"I do not have the cash but you can take this piece of land in lieu
of the cash."
P u r i f i c a t i o n o f t h e s o u l P a g e | 17
The creditor accepted it, spread a musalla on the land, and
performed two rakaats Salaah. He thereafter made the land waqf and
continued on his way.
This was the generosity of our pious predecessors. Generosity
was not on their tongues, nor in their writings, rather it was their
second nature. Miserliness could not come close to them.
"Successful indeed is he who has purified his inner-self."
For example, the debasing quality of miserliness is replaced with
A kind man who did not mind being imprisoned
One person came up to a gentleman and said, "I am in distress. I am
indebted to another person. He confronted me on the issue and I
promised to pay him tomorrow. My problem is that I do not have
any money to give him and I fear that he will disgrace me."
"I do not have any wealth at present," revealed this person.
"However, I have the following plan. I promise to give you a certain
sum of money. I now owe you this sum of money because a promise
is a debt. Go to the court and lay a claim against me saying that I
owe you this sum of money. I, in turn, will say that I do not have the
money to settle my debt. You must then say that I am lying and I do
have the money. The judge will have no other recourse but to
imprison me and inform my relatives and friends to pay the debt in
order to release me. You can then take the money and pay off your
So it transpired that this person was imprisoned in order to save
the honour of that debtor.
Hadhrat Abu Bakr's kindness to children
Hadhrat Abu Bakr was the best of mankind after Rasulullah .
What a high-ranking individual he was! However, what was his
D i s c o u r s e s o f F a q e e h - u l - U m m a t P a g e | 18
general character? His character was such that whenever he
returned from a journey and the children saw him, they would run
towards him and cling on to his clothing. He would seat a child in
front of him and a child behind him and the children, mind you,
were not his children but rather the children of the locality.
This incident was repeated whenever he used to set off on a
journey. The children would again cling on to him. While one child
would hold on to his sleeve; another would hold his hand whilst
another would cling on to the tail of his garment. This was the
compassion he had.
Remember, this was the condition of the Ameer-ul-Mu'mineen.
Despite having such a high rank, he did not consider himself to be
such a great person.
The objective is removing the debasing quality of miserliness and
replacing it with the quality of generosity. Generosity is a quality of
the heart. The hands are the means and instruments of carrying it
Contentment and Reliance - The backbone of
. ¸· ¸· _- - The best type of affluence is the contentment of the
heart. That person, who is contented, can render a great service to
Deen. Generally, people have this concern that if they spend a great
sum of money, how will they recover it?
When we are contented and have placed our reliance on the King
of kings, the One Who possesses the treasures to everything, (as He
has mentioned): "Most certainly the treasures of everything is by Us,"
this is the highest form of confidence.
The reason is that a miserly person is always plagued by
irrational thoughts. "If I am to give my wealth to another person, I
will have nothing left. This is my requirement. If I am in need,
P u r i f i c a t i o n o f t h e s o u l P a g e | 19
where will I get it? Even if I pursue a business venture, will I be able
to acquire it or not? Will I be successful or not?"
All these absurd thoughts trouble the mind. However, if this
person were to place his total reliance on Allah Ta`ala, He being the
one who had initially given it to him and He will give it to him
again, then to part with this wealth will not be a problem. An
individual will be at great ease irrespective of whether he has the
wealth or not.
He will tell himself, "If it is not in my possession, it is certainly in
Allah's treasure. And He has promised to give it to me. If He is the
giver, why should I be overcome with anxiety?"
Gone for baking
A person's wife kneaded some dough, left it in the tray and went
out to get some fire from the neighbourhood. In the meantime, a
beggar came to the house and asked for some food. The husband
could not find anything else. Thus, he picked up the tray of dough
and gave it to the beggar.
"What has happened to the dough which I left in the tray?" his
wife asked, upon her return.
"It is gone for baking," he disclosed.
"Seriously, what happened to it? Do not fool around!"
"I am serious, I am not joking," he assured her. "A beggar came
to ask for some food. Since there was nothing else to give him, I
gave him the dough. He will bake it for himself."
"May Allah Ta`ala guide you! Now there is no food for the
children," she lamented.
"Whether there is food or not, that I do not know but for me to
tell the beggar that there is nothing whilst the dough was in front of
me was impossible."
D i s c o u r s e s o f F a q e e h - u l - U m m a t P a g e | 20
This was his level of reliance on Allah Ta`ala. He could not even
entertain the thought that the One, Who had initially bestowed it
upon him, will not give it to him again. He most certainly will give!
This level of reliance on Allah Ta`ala should be the foremost
principle in our lives. Whoever achieves this degree of reliance will
be the accepted servant of Allah Ta`ala.
Zikr in abundance
"Successful is he who purifies his inner-self and takes the name of his
Sustainer (in abundance)." (al-A`laa:14/15)
Zikrullah has been greatly emphasized in the Qur'aan and Hadeeth.
Salaah is a fixed ibaadat which is performed five times a day. Fasting
is also a fixed ibaadat. It is Fardh to fast for one month in the year in
Ramadhaan. Hajj is a Fardh to be performed once in a lifetime.
However regarding Zikr, Allah Ta`ala says:
ﻛ \ ´ ﺮ
ﻛ¸ :
ﷲ\ \_
:\ \ﻮ
ﻳ ۙ﴿ ۴۱ ﴾
_ ﴿ ۴۲ ﴾
"O you who believe, remember Allah in abundance and glorify Him in the
mornings and evenings." (al-Ahzaab:41)
Hence, the basis for reciting tasbeeh in the morning and evening is
derived from this verse. Reciting an abundance of Zikr is also
derived from this verse.
It is mentioned in a Hadeeth:
.,- ·¸ ¸, ¸- = ,,¯·
Make Zikrullah in such abundance that people begin to say that you are
But do not make Zikr in such a way that Allah declares you as
mad. That will happen if one is making Zikr in an incorrect manner
or on incorrect occasions, causing distress to the creation, disturbing
people's sleep with loud zikr, etc. Continue making the zikr of Allah
Ta`ala together with taking into consideration people's rights.
P u r i f i c a t i o n o f t h e s o u l P a g e | 21
_ ؕ﴿ ۱۵ ﴾
"And he takes the name of his Sustainer." (al-A`laa:15)
When does he take the name of his Sustainer? On all occasions: at
the time of eating we say bismillah; at the time of sleeping we read
bismillah; on awakening we read bismillah; when entering the market
we read bismillah. On all occasions we should take the name of Allah
Belief in the unseen
ﺑ ǽ﴿ ﺎ
ƒ ۱۶ ﴾
"Instead you prefer the worldly life." (al-A`laa:16)
The general condition of the people is that they prefer the worldly
life because it is something that can be witnessed, whereas we have
not seen the life of the hereafter. It is the unseen that we are
commanded to believe in!
Unfortunately, our confidence is placed on what we can see – the
life of this world. We reason in this way, "If I give the money, to the
poor, what will happen to me? How will I retrieve this money?"
Returning to the incident of the person who had given the dough
to the beggar: Whilst the conversation was taking place between
himself and his wife, a person presented freshly baked bread
wrapped in a cloth, together with a platter of gravy, as a gift.
"He truly did go to bake the bread and it was done very quickly,"
she acknowledged. "I could not have baked it so swiftly myself, and
he brought gravy as well."
This person's dealing with the creation of Allah Ta`ala was that
he gave the dough to the beggar and Allah Ta`ala's dealing with
him was that He blessed him with baked bread and gravy. In the
manner that a servant deals with Allah Ta`ala, Allah Ta`ala will deal
with him accordingly.
D i s c o u r s e s o f F a q e e h - u l - U m m a t P a g e | 22
Trust in Allah Ta`ala
Considering oneself to be the lowest of mankind and totally
dependent on Allah Ta`ala and to realise that everything is the
control of Allah Ta`ala, is the fundamental principle of belief. Only
with His permission will I acquire anything and without it, I cannot
acquire anything.
If we have a piece of bread in the hand, we should not think that
we will eat it. Rather one should have this thought in mind that,
only if Allah Ta`ala permits us, will we eat this bread, otherwise not.
How many a times has it not transpired that after putting a morsel
of food in the mouth, it did not go down? It is essential to
wholeheartedly accept that which Allah Ta`ala has destined.
Although it cannot be witnessed nor easily comprehended, it will
Generally, we place our reliance on the material aspects of the
world because we can see these, whereas the requirement is that we
have reliance on the unseen, the divine decree of Allah Ta`ala. Only
if Allah Ta`ala destines it, will I receive it, otherwise not.
"You prefer the worldly life whereas the hereafter is better and eternal." (al-
The beautiful companion
_ ؕ﴿ ۱۷ ﴾
The worldly life and its possessions will perish. A person
accumulates hordes of money. However, when he dies, will he take
his wealth and treasures with him to the grave? No, he will not take
anything. Everything will be left behind.
A person cultivates a beautiful orchard, constructs a magnificent
building, buys a magnificent car, opens up businesses and factories,
becomes a member of different parties, and accomplishes many
feats. Which of these will accompany him to his grave? None of
P u r i f i c a t i o n o f t h e s o u l P a g e | 23
them! The only thing that will accompany him is excellent character
and righteous deeds. May Allah Ta`ala enable us to practise
accordingly. Aameen.
Discourse 2 Discourse 2 Discourse 2 Discourse 2
Durood and Durood and Durood and Durood and
Salaam Salaam Salaam Salaam
D u r o o d a n d S a l a a m P a g e | 27
- = , ·, ·' . _=. ¸, ··· _· ·· , _¯ ·
It is mentioned in the Hadeeth that Allah Ta`ala has commanded a
group of angels to disperse on the earth and present the greetings
and salutations recited upon Nabi to Nabi . They convey the
greeting and say, "So and so, the child of so and so, has recited this
greeting and salutation for you." Nabi becomes pleased and
replies to the greeting.
Now a person may question that since we are reciting Durood for
a lengthy period, how is it that we have not seen any angels? The
answer is that 'seeing' is not a pre-condition for existence. To 'see' or
'witness' something physical and use this as the benchmark for
acceptance, is a grave error. Our rationale should be that whatever
Nabi has stated, is sufficient for us to accept.
Operation Imaan
On one occasion, I had visited a certain place. After performing
Maghrib Salaah, I was confronted by a person who very brusquely
asked me, "Moulana, I wish to ask you a question. Tell me. Where is
Allah Ta`ala? If He exists, then why is it that I cannot see Him? Until
I do not perceive Him with my five senses of perception, I will not
accept His existence."
"This answer requires a detailed explanation and I cannot answer
you whilst standing here on the road. I am residing at a certain
place. Please come there and we will discuss this matter."
"Bravo, Moulana," he replied sarcastically. "For one small
mas'alah, I will have to present myself in your royal court!"
From this one statement of his, I understood his complete
temperament and what kind of person he was.
"If you had studied medicine and then excelled in the field of
surgery, say eye surgery, and here, whilst standing on the road,
someone comes up to you and says, 'Doctor, I have a cataract in my
D i s c o u r s e s o f F a q e e h - u l - U m m a t P a g e | 28
eye, and since you are an expert in this field, please operate on me
now.' What will you say to him?"
"You will say," I continued, "Brother, operations are not done in
this fashion. You will have to first gain admission into a hospital.
Thereafter, your system will be cleansed. Your eyelashes will be cut.
You will be made to lie down. Your eye will be anaesthetised, and
only then can the operation be conducted. After the operation, a
bandage will be tied around your eyes and you will have to remain
motionless for many hours. You will not be allowed to walk or talk
to anyone. Operations on the eye are done in this fashion and if he
retorts 'Bravo, Doctor! For a minor matter also I will have to present
myself in your royal court,' what will you say to him? If you operate
on him there and then, then you have betrayed your profession. You
will in all likelihood damage his eye. Needless to say, if the
government learns of your action they will confiscate your diploma
and punish you accordingly."
After presenting this example, he agreed to meet me at my place
of residence. These people do not understand the reality of proofs.
They understand examples very quickly but not proofs.
Moulana Abdul Hay -,·- =· ->_ and Sir Sayyid Sahib
Moulana Abdul Hay Lucknowy ·,· = ·~_ was travelling by train. Sir
Sayyid Ahmad Khan, who was travelling with his dog, happened to
be on the same train and in the same compartment.
"What kind of a person are you that you keep a dog with you?"
Moulana ·,· = ·~_ snapped.
"I have heard the Ulama say," he explained "that the angels do
not come to a place where a dog is kept. I keep this dog with me so
that the angel of death will not come near me."
Moulana Abdul Hay ·,· = ·~_ calmly replied, "A certain angel is
appointed to take away the lives of dogs. That angel will take your
life away."
D u r o o d a n d S a l a a m P a g e | 29
They both had heard of one another but they had not met before.
"Are you Moulana Abdul Hay ·,· = ·~_?" Sir Sayyid enquired.
"Are you Sir Sayyid?"
That was the first meeting between them. The matter was self-
explanatory and did not require further clarification.
The selfish hound
Someone asked Moulana Thanwi ·,· = ·~_ the reason for the
impermissibility of rearing dogs. Moulana ·,· = ·~_ replied that the
angels of mercy do not frequent homes where a dog is kept. He
could not digest this reason. His intellect failed to comprehend it.
So Moulana Thanwi ·,· = ·~_ replied that a dog does not have a
sense of well-wishing even for its own kind. It cannot tolerate
another dog coming into its alley or lane, even though that dog may
be from its own breed. The individual accepted this reasoning. This
was the comprehensible reasoning, but not the actual reason,
whereas the actual sensible reason he could not accept.
Five senses
(Continuing with the incident of the person to whom the
explanation of the eye operation was given:) Anyway, as agreed that
person arrived on a certain day and introduced himself.
"Very well, I am free and so are you, go ahead, and ask your
questions," I said in a soft tone.
"Where is Allah?" he demanded. "If He exists, why can I not see
Him? Until I cannot see Him using my five senses, I will not accept
His existence."
"It seems to me that you have heard these words from another
source, by hearted it without understanding its meaning and you
D i s c o u r s e s o f F a q e e h - u l - U m m a t P a g e | 30
are now quoting it like a parrot. A parrot repeats words and phrases
without understanding its meaning," I replied calmly.
He did not like this answer and retorted, "What makes you say
that I do not understand the meaning of my questions?"
"I say this because if I ask you to explain your question, you will
not be able to do so."
"I most certainly can explain my question," he objected. "Ask me
anything you want to know."
I glanced at him. "What are the five things with which you desire
to see Allah Ta`ala?"
"The five senses; sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch."
"Only the faculty of sight has been created for seeing, not the
other four," I corrected him. "If you ask a small child which sense he
uses to see things, he will reply, with his eyes. Tell him that he sees
with his ears and he will reject it. Ears are used for hearing, not
seeing. Ask him whether he sees with his nose, he will say no. The
nose is for smelling, not seeing. Ask him if he can see with his
tongue, he will tell you that you are wrong. The tongue is used for
tasting, not seeing. Ask him whether he sees with his hands, he will
again say no. The hand is for touching, not seeing. The point is that a
small child understands these things whereas you, a learned person,
a graduate – Allah Ta`ala alone knows how many degrees you have
acquired – do not know these minor aspects."
Have you seen your liver?
Thereafter, I continued explaining to him in this manner till he
accepted my statement. I then requested him to rephrase his
"Where is Allah Ta`ala?" he muttered. "If He exists, why can I
not see Him? Until I do not see him with my eyes, I will not accept
His existence."
D u r o o d a n d S a l a a m P a g e | 31
"Four of the five pillars of your question's tent have fallen away,
yet you are so rigid in your understanding?" I pointed out. "Tell me,
do you accept the existence of all the things in the world only if you
see them and if you cannot see them do you then reject them? Did
you see your ear? You may have seen its reflection in the mirror but
you have not seen your ear. If someone says that you do not have
ears, you will disagree whereas you have not really seen them. Have
you seen your eyes? You may have seen your eyes' reflection in the
mirror but you have not seen your eyes. If someone says that you
are blind, what will you say? Have you seen your neck? Have you
seen your tongue? Have you seen your back? Have you seen your
heart within your bosom? Have you seen your liver? You have not
seen any of these organs. You may have seen these bodily parts of
other people but you have not seen your own bodily parts. If
someone says that you do not have any of these, you will not be
prepared to accept it.
"Tell me," I queried. "How many people reside in this town?"
"136 000." His reply could easily be construed as an act of
"Have you seen every resident?" He remained silent.
"Have you seen the light of your eyes?" I queried, probingly.
"You have seen the pupils of your eye in a mirror but the light
therein, which is called sight, have you seen it? You cannot even see
it in a mirror but you have it. In fact you are convinced that you
have sight whereas you have not seen it."
I presented numerous other examples, none of which he could
refute. However, I understood that his heart still refused to accept
the truth. I then asked him his name and his father's name. He
answered accordingly.
"Have you seen the fatherhood of your father? You have seen a
person but have you seen the basis for which you have referred to
him as your father?" There was a deafening silence.
D i s c o u r s e s o f F a q e e h - u l - U m m a t P a g e | 32
A hollow claim
"What a mammoth statement you have made. I will not believe in
its existence until I see it!
"Tell me, have you seen the president of India? Have you seen
Makkah? Have you seen Madinah? Have you seen England? You
have not seen any of these with your eyes but you are convinced of
their existence." The truth was slowly dawning upon him.
I continued, "Very well! Tell me. Initially you wanted to see Allah
Ta`ala using all five senses. We have terminated the possibility of
seeing Him using four of the senses. But does this render these
senses futile? Are you now declaring the sense of sight as useful and
rendering the other four futile? You will only accept something if
you see it! So if you acquire knowledge via the other four senses,
will you not accept it? Your conclusion is that from the five senses,
only one is useful and the others are futile? So to what degree will
this claim: 'Until I do not see with my eyes, I will not accept,' be
correct? This claim is palpably incorrect. In future, do not discuss
such matters with intelligent people. Phrase your question in this
way," I suggested. "Can we see Allah Ta`ala or not?"
"Very well. Inform me about this," he said.
"Yes, we will see Allah Ta`ala", I assured him. "But tell me, if you
wish to see the president of America, sitting here in India, will you
be able to see him? You will not be able to see him. You will have to
first undertake a journey, using different conveyances, to that
country. You will have to apply for a visa and passport. Upon your
arrival, the customs will search your luggage to ensure that you are
not carrying anything illegal. You will then have to learn their
language, don their attire, build up some form of contact with the
president's associates and then perhaps you might get a chance of
seeing him whereas he is just a human being like you."
D u r o o d a n d S a l a a m P a g e | 33
Off to meet the king
"Now sitting here in India, when you are unable to see a human
being like yourself, how do you expect to see the King of all kings
who is the Creator of the universe?
"You will have to first traverse the trial of the grave. There,
munkar and nakeer will interrogate and test you to see if you had
brought anything illegal from the dunya. You will be kept in transit
therein for a period of time. Thereafter, you will be brought to the
plains of resurrection where a complete reckoning will be taken and
all your actions will suddenly appear before you to be weighed.
Allah Ta`ala alone knows whether we will receive our book of deeds
in the right hand or the left.
"Thereafter, you will have to cross the pul-siraat and eventually
you will be able to see Allah Ta`ala. Even this earthly body and eyes
will be of no benefit. They will perish and you will receive a
different set of body, eyes, brains, and strength. This body is
designed for this world. Thousands of illnesses affect it and we have
to seek the proper medical attention to cure them. Youth terminates
and we become old. Happiness in this world is temporary and is
often followed by grief. The point is that in this world various
calamities and difficulties affect you.
"In the hereafter, they will not exist. Over there, you will be
granted such youth, which will not attain old age, such strength
after which there will be no weakness, such health that will not be
affected by any ailments and such a life after which there will be no
The truthful informer
"The truthful informer, Rasulullah has informed us that seeing the
gracious countenance of Allah Ta`ala is one of the greatest bounties
of Jannah.
D i s c o u r s e s o f F a q e e h - u l - U m m a t P a g e | 34
"After the reckoning will take place, an announcement will be
made that everyone should seek the refuge of that object which they
had taken as a deity in this world. Some people had worshipped the
moon, others the sun, fire and water. They will be instructed to seek
refuge from their false deities. The Muslims, who had worshipped
Allah Ta`ala alone, will remain. A form will appear before them and
claim: 'I am your deity, sustainer.'
"On seeing it the Muslims will deny and say, 'No, you are not
our deity.'
"Thereafter another Being will become manifest and declare, 'I
am your Sustainer,' upon which everyone will fall in prostration."
Sayyid Abdul Aziz Dabbaagh's -,·- =· ->_ answer to an
At this juncture, a scholarly objection is made that when the first
form will appear and claim to be Allah Ta`ala, why will the Muslims
refute it? They had not seen Allah Ta`ala before nor did they ever
hear his voice. The hereafter is a place of truth. Hence, why will they
then deny it and why will they immediately fall in prostration on
hearing the second voice, saying, "Yes, YOU are our Sustainer?"
Hadhrat Sayyid Abdul Aziz Dabbaagh ·,· = ·~_ has given the
answer to this objection. He says that while living in the dunya, we
experience the favours, bounties, mercy, kindness and compassion
of Allah Ta`ala. The voice of the first form will be harsh and devoid
of mercy and compassion. This will be the reason for their denial.
A father calls for his son, who is in another room, and he answers
in a cruel and harsh voice saying, "Yes!"
The father thinks to himself that my son does not talk harshly to
me, therefore, he could not have answered in this manner. Someone
else must have answered. Similarly, the tone of the first voice will be
harsh whilst the second will be filled with mercy and compassion,
the like of which they had experienced in the world.
D u r o o d a n d S a l a a m P a g e | 35
In the hereafter, we will see Allah Ta`ala. Here in this world we
do not have the ability of seeing Him. We cannot even see the sun,
which is His creation, when it has reached its zenith. The strength of
our eyes is very weak. We cannot see Allah Ta`ala using them. We
will be able to see Him using another set of eyes.
A gift to the beloved
We have to bring within ourselves the conviction that whatever
Rasulullah has said is true.
"Whoever recites Durood on Rasulullah from whichever part of
the world, the angels convey it to Rasulullah exactly in the
manner it was read."
If we recite Durood at the blessed grave of Rasulullah , he hears
it directly; this is established in a Hadeeth of Baihaqi. It is also
mentioned in another Hadeeth,
"Whoever recites Durood on me by my grave, I can hear him and
whoever reads Durood upon me from afar, it is conveyed to me."
Therefore, we should not place our confidence and reliance on
our eyes. The aspect to place our confidence in is the blessed sayings
of Rasulullah , whether we are able to see it or not.
Tonight is the night of Jumu`ah. Recitation of Durood on Jumu`ah
and the night of Jumu`ah has been emphasised upon in the Hadeeth.
Rasulullah becomes extremely pleased when anyone reads Durood
upon him. Therefore, recite Durood as much as possible. Actually,
we should be continuously reciting Durood. May Allah bless us with
the correct taufeeq. Aameen.
Discourse 3 Discourse 3 Discourse 3 Discourse 3
Contemptibility Contemptibility Contemptibility Contemptibility
of Pride of Pride of Pride of Pride
C o n t e m p t i b i l i t y o f P r i d e P a g e | 39
Pride - Challenging the power of Allah Ta`ala
<,´ ·,_ _· ¸. , ·- ·, ·' . ·
Allah Ta`ala states in a Hadeeth-e-Qudsi:
¸ ··· ·,,_ ¸ , _ ·-·' ,· -, _·_ ¸· ¸__¸ ·=· , ¸·_ .,_´
_ , ¸ . ·´· .·· ,
"Majesty is My upper-garment and greatness is My lower-garment.
Whoever attempts to snatch any of the two away from Me, I will enter him
into the fire of hell."
Hadeeth-e-Qudsi is an explanation, by Rasulullah , of a statement
made by Allah Ta`ala. He attributes it to Allah Ta`ala but it is not
part of the Qur'aan Shareef. In this Hadeeth-e-Qudsi, Allah Ta`ala
¸·_ .,_´
"Majesty is My upper garment."
What will we think of a person who tries to snatch away the
garment of someone else? We will say that he is a very immoral and
wicked person. Thus that person who wants to establish his
greatness, who wants to show his superiority over others, he
displays his arrogance towards others, he is in fact trying to snatch
the upper-garment of Allah Ta`ala. Do we realise the consequence of
a person who tries to snatch away the garment of Allah Ta`ala?
If someone tries to snatch away your garment, you can challenge
him, even if he is two or three times more powerful than you are.
You can challenge him by using an instrument or object as an aid
but the greatness and power of Allah Ta`ala has no limits. It is
:¸ :ﺎ
ﺮ ¸ ﻫﺎ
D i s c o u r s e s o f F a q e e h - u l - U m m a t P a g e | 40
"And He is the One who has complete power over His slaves." (al-
ﻣ ﺎ
¸¸ :ﺎ
_ ﺎ
"He is all able to punish you from above or under your feet or put you into
conflicting factions and make you taste the vengeance of one another." (al-
Allah Ta`ala has complete and absolute power. The entire
universe is the creation of Allah Ta`ala. The snake and the scorpion
are the creation of Allah Ta`ala. The lion and the wolf are the
creation of Allah Ta`ala. Allah Ta`ala has the power to punish any
criminal using any of his creation. Sicknesses that affect man are the
enemies of man. Natural disasters are also hidden enemies. A
person is diagnosed with a tumour, another with TB. Cholera breaks
All these and many other sicknesses are the 'creation' of Allah
Ta`ala as well. Allah Ta`ala can punish any sinner using whichever
'creation' He desires. And Allah Ta`ala can also punish one, who
tries to snatch away His garments, by using any of His 'creations' as
From where to where
Therefore, we should not allow greatness to become embedded
within the heart. Man should ponder over his mode of creation. He
was created from impure sperm, from a detestable liquid, from clay
and from decomposed mud. He was created in such a way that
when his father and mother indulged in intimate relations, they had
to do so in privacy. They desired that no one must be able to see
them. And the end result of this intimacy was that they were
declared impure by the shari`ah, not worthy of even touching the
Qur'aan. In this way, man was transferred from the back of his
father to the womb of his mother.
C o n t e m p t i b i l i t y o f P r i d e P a g e | 41
Reflect and ponder
It is mentioned in the Hadeeth that when the sperm is transferred to
the womb, an angel who is appointed to oversee it says:
·= ` ._ ,
"O my Sustainer! What is your command regarding this sperm? Should it
be aborted or allowed to live?"
If it is allowed to live, it is transformed into a clot of blood over a
period of forty days. Thereafter, the angel asks:
·· ` ._ ,
"O my Sustainer! What is your command regarding this clot of blood?"
If it is allowed to live, it is transformed into a piece of flesh over a
further period of forty days. Thereafter the angel asks:
··.· ` ._ ,
"O my Sustainer! What is your command regarding this piece of flesh?"
If it is allowed to live, the limbs begin to form and then life is
transferred into this body.
The menstrual blood that a woman discharges every month
terminates when she falls pregnant. This blood is now required for
the development of the child's body. After the child is given life,
that blood becomes his nourishment and, when the child is born,
Allah Ta`ala changes its nourishment from blood to milk. The
child's condition is such that it cannot discern anything. It possesses
no knowledge, and it does not have any strength. It cannot turn on
to its sides, and it cannot sit, speak or explain its discomforts. If any
part of its body aches, it cries endlessly to such an extent that, on
trying to comfort and relieve him, we become exhausted. If it gets
soiled in impurity, it remains in that state unaware of its condition.
It begins to lick its hand even though it is covered with impurity. It
does this unknowingly. This is how man is born.
D i s c o u r s e s o f F a q e e h - u l - U m m a t P a g e | 42
Thereafter he progresses slowly. His condition and senses begin
to improve. He learns to eat different types of food, speak and
understand different concepts. The point is that how can a person,
whose beginning is so primitive, become so proud and arrogant? He
should ponder about himself, as the Qur'aan commands:
"Do you not ponder about yourself?" (az-Zaariyaat:21)
We should contemplate over the way that we were created and
the changing conditions and phases of life through which we pass.
Childhood terminates with the arrival of youth. Youth is a stage of
madness. A famous saying is,
.,- ¸· ·· .
"Youth is a branch of madness."
In youth one has more strength but, at the same time, it is a stage
filled with calamities. On a daily basis how much does a youth not
urinate? How much does he not defecate? If one eats an apple or a
guava, in what form does it become apparent three hours later? We
do not want to take its name nor do we want to see it nor do we
want to smell it or even touch it! This is how food is transformed
after its association with man. Delicious food, expertly prepared,
enters the stomach resulting in its colour, taste, and smell being
completely altered. Every unique quality of it is ruined and in this
condition it emerges from the body.
Man is extremely weak. Whilst sleeping, if a snake falls from the
roof onto his bed, and bites him, what can he do? If a thief enters his
house and strangles him, what can he do? If a scorpion stings him,
what can he do? If an earthquake occurs and the earth swallows
him, what can he do? He can do nothing. None of these events are
within his volition and control.
C o n t e m p t i b i l i t y o f P r i d e P a g e | 43
An episode
A person from Saharanpur extended his house by building a new
room. It was the monsoon season and it began to rain heavily
during the night while he was relaxing in the old room. He thought
to himself that I should rather go to the new section as this old room
may collapse. So he took his wife and children to seek refuge in the
new room. But upon entering it, the roof collapsed and everything
was destroyed. The purpose of the room was to protect himself and
his family but it got destroyed. Allah Ta`ala alone is the Protector!
Man is surrounded by many enemies, who are both external and
internal. He is engulfed by impurities and filth. What pride can he
then possess? How can he dare display arrogance and pride? If he
rationalises to himself that I am a wrestler, I am very strong, then,
no doubt, wrestlers have great strength; but if he becomes
paralysed, he will not be able to even chase a fly away! He will not
be able to move at all.
If he reasons in this way, "I have an abundance of wealth in
cash." He then strikes a single match to his notes and the entire
wealth will be destroyed. The following episode transpired this
From crops to ashes
In Sha`baan I had travelled to Hathora, which is one of the districts
of Banda. When the crops were harvested and the corn was
gathered, an electrical cord snapped and fell onto the entire crop
setting it ablaze. Whatever grain was gathered, all was burnt to
ashes. What plans the farmer may have had, that his daughter is to
get married and that he can sell the grain and arrange for her bridal
garments. Also, his son is to marry hence he will be able to afford a
walimah. Also, he will be able to build a house, pay his debts and go
for Hajj. The fire broke out and all his plans were destroyed. The
sole protector is Allah Ta`ala, no one else.
D i s c o u r s e s o f F a q e e h - u l - U m m a t P a g e | 44
Therefore, on what basis can man, who is needy and surrounded
by necessities and enemies, be proud and arrogant?
Knowledge – A light of the heart
Rasulullah has mentioned in a Hadeeth that whoever has an
atom's bit of pride in his heart cannot enter Jannah until he is burnt
in the fire of Jahannum and this pride is removed. He will not enter
Jannah before that.
So, that quality which Allah Ta`ala has kept exclusive for himself,
does it make sense for anyone, and especially such a person who has
acquired Deeni knowledge, to try and snatch it away? If a person
gains even a little knowledge, he becomes so intoxicated that – Allah
Ta`ala forbid – such intoxication cannot be found even in alcohol.
He considers himself to be superior to everyone else. Whereas
knowledge is a quality belonging to Allah Ta`ala, the reflection of
which is manifested on the heart.
Imaam Maalik ·,· = ·~_ has mentioned,
. ¸ = ··., _, ,· ·¸ ·,,, ·,·¯ ¸· ,· ¸,
"Knowledge is not an abundance of narrations. It is a light which Allah
Ta`ala places in the heart."
When this light is embedded in the heart, the first thing to
become manifest is the condition of the heart itself. Take for example
a dark basement. You will not know what is hidden inside until you
light up a gas lamp or a bulb. Now, you can see that in one corner
there is a snake and in the other corner there is a scorpion and you
will be able to protect yourself from them. So with this light (of
knowledge) one is supposed to be able to see the condition of the
"Within my heart is jealousy, miserliness, ostentation, the desire
to steal and cause harm to others, etc." The first thing one should
realise through the light of knowledge is how ignorant one is. This is
the correct benefit of knowledge, acknowledging one's ignorance.
C o n t e m p t i b i l i t y o f P r i d e P a g e | 45
Hadhrat Thanwi ·,· = ·~_ has narrated that Shaikh-ul-Hind ·,· = ·~_
used to say:
"After acquiring `ilm, we realised how ignorant we really are."
Moulana Anwar Shah Kashmiri ·,· = ·~_ used to address the
students as Jaahileen (ignorant ones) and after the completion of
Bukhaari Shareef as Juhhaaleen (very ignorant). What benefit is that
knowledge, which does not show a person his faults? The greatest
benefit of knowledge is that it aids in acquainting oneself to one's
personal flaws and sins. It opens one's eyes to one's weaknesses,
which are the means of Allah's displeasure. However, if knowledge
becomes a means of searching for the faults of others and criticising
them, making us oblivious to our own faults and reformation, it will
become a means of destruction for the Ahl-e-`ilm.
I once asked my father about a certain person, from the Ahl-e-
bid`at, whether he was an Aalim or not. He replied, "Can a person
who cannot distinguish between bid`at and Sunnat ever be an
Hadhrat Sayyid Abdul Qadir Jilaani -,·- =· ->_ and the
golden goblet
Hadhrat Sayyid Abdul Qadir Jilaani ·,· = ·~_, who is called Ghaus-e-
A`zam, is from amongst the special friends of Allah Ta`ala. It is
recorded in his biography that once he perceived a very close
proximity to Allah Ta`ala and experienced a shower of His special
blessings. Many supernatural events were becoming manifest to him
and in the midst of this condition he felt thirsty. Immediately a hand
appeared from the unseen with a golden goblet filled to the brim
with cool crystal clear water.
Now due to this incident and the fact that many miracles
occurred at his hands, people's beliefs regarding him have become
corrupt. People have misconstrued this event and feel that
distribution of sustenance was made over to him. Hence, they ask
D i s c o u r s e s o f F a q e e h - u l - U m m a t P a g e | 46
for sustenance directly from him and not from Allah Ta`ala. This is
Anyway, when the water was presented to him he intended to
drink from it. Then the thought struck him that usage of gold
utensils is haraam, so he hesitated. This thought was followed by
some type of inspiration which said:
"Who are the ones who declare things to be haraam? We made it
haraam and now we make it halaal for you. Drink! Otherwise you
will be expressing ingratitude for our bounty for which you will be
taken to task."
After this inspiration he decided to drink from the golden goblet
but he again thought to himself that this seems like the trickery and
deception of Shaitaan because there is no abrogation in the Shari`ah
of Rasulullah . The laws of Islam will remain until Qiyaamah and
utilising golden utensils will not become permissible no matter who
says so.
He recited, 'La Howla wa la Quwwata' and immediately the hand,
the golden goblet, the light and blessings all disappeared. Shaitaan
had prepared such a trap in order to lead astray a great wali of the
When Hadhrat Abdul Qadir Jilaani ·,· = ·~_ recited 'La Howla'
Shaitaan fled, declaring remorsefully: "Your knowledge has saved
you. At this juncture, I have caused many Auliya to be sent to the fire
of hell."
Hadhrat Sayyid Abdul Qadir ·,· = ·~_ thought to himself that
Shaitaan could never say anything good and beneficial to mankind.
Hence, this must be a trap as well.
¸¸ \
"Indeed Shaitaan is an open enemy of mankind." (Yusuf:5)
"My knowledge has not saved me," Hadhrat Sayyid Abdul Qadir
·,· = ·~_ exclaimed. "It was the grace of Allah Ta`ala that has saved
C o n t e m p t i b i l i t y o f P r i d e P a g e | 47
me. If the grace of Allah Ta`ala was not directed towards me, what
benefit could knowledge have? It would be of no benefit."
Imaam Raazi's -,·- =· ->_ debate with Shaitaan
It is recorded in the biography of Imaam Raazi ·,· = ·~_ that whilst
travelling, he met Shaitaan and they began to debate. At a distance,
they saw a farmer approaching who was carrying a ploughshare on
his shoulder.
Imaam Raazi asked him, "Is my Imaan stronger or the Imaan of
the peasant?"
"I can get rid of your Imaan in no time," Shaitaan assured him.
"The Imaan of that farmer is stronger."
"My Imaan is based on proofs and research whereas his Imaan is
based on emulation. How can you destroy something based on
proofs?" They began debating on this point when the farmer drew
"Brother how many gods are there?" asked Shaitaan.
"One," replied the farmer defiantly.
"What if I establish the existence of two gods with proofs?"
The farmer picked up his plough and said belligerently; "I will
tear open your stomach with this ploughshare."
"What answer do I give for such a proof?" Shaitaan sighed.
Hadhrat Sahl bin Abdullah Tastari ·,· = ·~_ and
Shaikh Muhyiddeen Ibn Arabi ·,· = ·~_ has recorded the following
incident in Futuhaat-e-Makkiyyah, which is also narrated by Shaikh
Sha`raani ·,· = ·~_. Hadhrat Sahl ·,· = ·~_ was a very high-ranking
friend of Allah Ta`ala. He once met Shaitaan on the way to the
D i s c o u r s e s o f F a q e e h - u l - U m m a t P a g e | 48
musjid. He had recognized Shaitaan and Shaitaan also realised that
Hadhrat Sahl ·,· = ·~_ had identified him.
"O Sahl, you say that I will not be forgiven and mercy will not be
shown to me," Shaitaan asked cynically, "Whereas Allah states in
the Qur'aan:
_ .
"Indeed My mercy encompasses everything." (al-A`raaf:156)
This verse is inclusive of everything. Am I not a thing? Am I non-
existent? To say that I am non-existent is impossible since I am
standing in front of you."
Hadhrat Sahl ·,· = ·~_ described his condition upon hearing this
objection, "I was stunned and remained silent for a few moments.
My condition deteriorated to such an extent that I could not breathe
properly and my mouth became dry. This was a very strong
"I read 'La Howla' in my heart and replied: 'For whom is this
mercy ordained?
ﻟ ﺎ
ﻓ It is for those who
establish Salaah, give zakaat and do other righteous deeds. You do
not fulfil these; hence you are deprived of this mercy.'"
"It would have been better for you to have remained silent,"
bellowed Shaitaan. "O Sahl, limitation and restriction are your
qualities. Allah's qualities and powers are unlimited. You have
restricted His mercy. Comparing something visible with something
invisible is incorrect. Similarly drawing an analogy between a being
who is eternal (Allah Ta`ala) with one who is perishable (yourself) is
Shaitaan then departed having mocked Hadhrat Sahl ·,· = ·~_ in
this way. Hadhrat Sahl ·,· = ·~_ stated that he had no answer to this
C o n t e m p t i b i l i t y o f P r i d e P a g e | 49
Shaitaan confuses us in this manner. He presents such proofs that
leave us dumbfounded. Moulana Anwar Shah Sahib ·,· = ·~_ has also
narrated this incident in Faidh-ul-Baari.
"It is a shame," comments Hadhrat (Anwar Shah Sahib) ·,· = ·~_.
"I do not understand the reason for Hadhrat Sahl's ·,· = ·~_ silence.
Shaitaan is no match for the knowledge of the Ahl-e-`ilm. If he had
debated with me, I would have presented the appropriate answer."
He then gave the answer that the verse of the Qur'aan means that
everything can be encompassed in the mercy of Allah Ta`ala. To
understand this, let us consider the following example: If a person
says: "This room has the capacity to take 50 people."
So even though at this moment no one is in the room, if people
wish to enter, 50 can be accommodated. Hence, the mercy of Allah
Ta`ala has the capacity to encompass everything and whoever wants
to enter into the mercy of Allah Ta`ala, may do so. Now, if someone
does not want to, then can we force him to do something that he
ﻛ ﺎ
. What fault is there in the mercy
of Allah Ta`ala if Shaitaan himself refuses to enter into it?
The point being emphasised here is that Shaitaan creates
confusion in those who have acquired some knowledge. The most
important thing to understand is that knowledge is given to a
person to realise and rectify his own faults. Shaitaan uses the
knowledge against an Aalim in such a manner that the Aalim begins
to pick out the faults of others and thus becomes oblivious to his
own faults. Pride eventually becomes embedded in his heart. This is
an extremely dangerous scenario.
Also, in such knowledge, there are no blessings and benefits.
What good can there be in the knowledge of a person who is puffed
up with pride and disdains others? It is imperative, especially for
the Ahl-e-`ilm to save themselves from the malady of pride.
Otherwise, all the effort put in learning and teaching others will be
in vain. The condition of those whom Allah Ta`ala had blessed with
knowledge, together with his grace, is different.
D i s c o u r s e s o f F a q e e h - u l - U m m a t P a g e | 50
Scattered pearls
Someone had seen Imaam Muhammad ·,· = ·~_ in a dream after his
"How did it fare with you?" Imaam Sahib ·,· = ·~_ was asked.
"A hand was placed on my shoulder and it was told softly in my
ear, 'O Muhammad, if we wanted to punish you, we would not have
protected our knowledge in your bosom.' That was all. I was not
questioned or taken to task."
He was then asked: "In what condition did you die?" He replied:
"What can I say? I was pondering over a mas'alah regarding a
mukaatab slave and the next thing I knew, I was dead."
Someone had seen Imaam Shaafi`ee ·,· = ·~_ in a dream and
asked: "How did it fare with you?"
"I was seated on a throne of gold, on the right side of the `Arsh,
and pearls were raining down on me," replied Imaam Shaafi`ee.
Imaam Muhammad ·,· = ·~_ was asked:
"What is the rank of Imaam Abu Yusuf ·,· = ·~_?"
He said that the rank of Imaam Yusuf ·,· = ·~_ was above his, and
when the person enquired about Imaam Abu Hanifah ·,· = ·~_, he
replied that Imaam Sahib had been granted a very lofty status in
What can be said about the lives of those whom Allah Ta`ala has
blessed, not only with knowledge but also with His grace, which
encompassed everything, thus saving them from the interference of
Shaitaan. Wherever the grace of Allah Ta`ala is not found, distress
and difficulties are prevalent. Allah Ta`ala bestows His grace on
whomsoever He wishes. One will only receive the grace of Allah
Ta`ala when he considers himself to be insignificant and thinks
nothing of himself, which can be attained by pondering over the
following points:
C o n t e m p t i b i l i t y o f P r i d e P a g e | 51
What am I created from? How much filth is within me? How
many corrupt deeds and actions am I not involved in? I will become
sick and after my death I will be consumed by the insects of the
grave. My body will decay, blood and pus will pour out of my body,
my limbs will decompose. What will happen to this beautiful face of
mine? What will happen to my strength etc.?
If a person ponders over all these matters, he will be saved from
the malady of pride, and the grace of Allah Ta`ala will always be
with him. He will acquire the correct understanding and there will
be such blessing in his knowledge that a single person will be a
guide for thousands of people.
May Allah Ta`ala bless us with taufeeq. Aameen.
Discourse 4 Discourse 4 Discourse 4 Discourse 4
The Reality of The Reality of The Reality of The Reality of
Gratitude Gratitude Gratitude Gratitude
T h e R e a l i t y o f G r a t i t u d e P a g e | 55
The Reality of Gratitude
<,´ ·,_ _· ¸. , ·-
,,-, ¸=, ¸· =, ·,·' ,,-, ¸~, = ,,
¸¸ \
Allah Ta`ala states in the Qur'aan-e-Kareem:
¸¸ \
"If you continue to be grateful to Me, I will continue to increase My
favours on you and if you are ungrateful, then verily My punishment is
severe." (Ebrahim:7)
It is essential that we continuously ponder over the bounties of
Allah Ta`ala.
Is it not a great favour of His that He has given us the taufeeq to
fast? Observe and see how many people are dishonouring the
month of Ramadhaan by eating and drinking candidly. Allah Ta`ala
has saved us from this sin.
There are two ways in which the laws of Allah Ta`ala are
Covertly or secretly. For example a person steals and others are
aware of his actions but he is not caught.
Overtly or openly flouting the laws of Allah Ta`ala. To break the
law is tantamount to protesting against the law.
The divine law in the month of Ramadhaan is to fast the entire
day. Many food establishments are open during the day for
business. They serve their customers with food and drink. Alas,
some of them do not even know if the month of Ramadhaan has
come or gone.
This is a flagrant transgression of Allah Ta`ala's divine law in a
collective manner. It is mentioned in the Hadeeth that when drinking
D i s c o u r s e s o f F a q e e h - u l - U m m a t P a g e | 56
alcohol and playing music will become rampant and Allah Ta`ala
will be disobeyed openly and there will be none to correct them, it is
very likely that Allah Ta`ala will send a general punishment upon
the people. .·, ,,` ·, .' = :,'
This punishment will seize everybody, those who perpetrated the
wrong deeds as well as those who did not. Hence, the owners of
these establishments should not think that they are absolved of any
wrongdoing. They are equally guilty of this crime. These people,
despite not being a direct party to the sin, will still be held
answerable for their actions.
Open transgression
A father sees his son not fasting but he does not admonish him.
However, if that very same son came late to the shop or did not go
to work, then see how angry the father becomes and how sternly he
will reprimand him. If the son refuses to help in the family business,
the father becomes enraged. If he abandons the family traditions, he
is discarded. I know of a family where the males keep thick long
moustaches and shave their beards. This is contrary to the Hadeeth
which commands us to lengthen the beard and clip the moustache.
When the Bani Israeel complained of eating mann and salwaa and
instead wanted dhaal and onions, they were instructed to enter a
certain town prostrating and saying:
ﺣ \
_ \
ﻟ\ \ﻮ
"O our Sustainer! Forgive our sins and shortcomings." (al-Baqarah:58)
But what did they do? They entered the town, lying on their
backs, stretching out their legs and insolently calling out:
· =` - – "We want wheat," instead of,
ﺣ – "Forgive us."
This is the condition of those who earn the wrath of Allah Ta`ala.
They openly violate the commands of Allah Ta`ala and His Rasul .
T h e R e a l i t y o f G r a t i t u d e P a g e | 57
Rasulullah commanded us to lengthen our beards and clip our
moustaches. A certain family's custom was contrary to this. A boy
from this family reached the age of puberty and did not abide by the
family custom. His father reproached him and threatened to disown
him and even deprive him of his inheritance. Eventually he was
disowned by his father and thrown out of the house, simply because
he was not 'respecting' the family tradition.
A burning concern
This family custom was so revered that the failure of the son to
practise upon it resulted in the father renouncing him and throwing
him out of the house. But if this same son disobeys the laws of Allah
Ta`ala, does not perform Salaah or keep Roza; the father remains
silent. Then there are no threats and no promises of punishments.
Will the father not be questioned on the Day of Qiyaamah? Did
you not become angered when the Sunnah of Rasulullah was
violated? Did you value your moustache more than Our command
and the Sunnah of Our Rasulullah ? What answer will the father
give? There can be no reply from him!
Nowadays, if a father is asked: "Why did you not tell your child
to perform Salaah?"
"I told him but he does not listen, so what can I do?" Regretfully,
this will be his retort. He will then proceed to lecture us on the
merits and demerits of good actions. "He is going to sleep in his
grave and I am going to sleep in mine."
Yes, this is correct that he is going to sleep in his grave and you
are going to sleep in yours but remember: If all the houses of a
village have thatched roofs and one foolish person sets his roof
alight, what will the neighbours do? Will they reason in this way
that since his house is burning, how does it concern us? No. The
entire neighbourhood will come to his rescue and try to extinguish
the fire as quickly as possible. Even if the immediate neighbour is
his enemy, he will be the first to try and extinguish the fire. If
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anyone points out to him that this is his enemy's house, what will be
his reply? He will say that his enemy's house will not burn alone.
The fire will engulf everyone's home.
So as far as worldly matters are concerned, we do not say that he
is going to sleep in his grave and I am going to sleep in mine. We
only utter these statements when it pertains to matters of Deen. This
manner of reasoning is extremely detrimental. Rasulullah has
mentioned that when the disobedience of Allah Ta`ala will become
rife and no one will endeavour to correct them, then await such a
punishment that will seize one and all. No respite will be given to
If the son does not perform Salaah, no one has the courage to
reprimand him. If he shaves his beard, no one has the capability of
rebuking him. If he drinks alcohol no one has the ability of
reproaching him. If he disobeys the laws of Allah Ta`ala no one tells
him anything. But dare he disobey the father in worldly matters
then everyone starts fuming and reprimands him. What a great
injustice this is!
This is why Allah Ta`ala has declared:
¸¸ \
"If you are grateful, I will increase My favours on you, and if you are
ungrateful, then indeed My punishment is severe." (Ebrahim:7)
When the punishment of Allah Ta`ala strikes – may Allah protect
us – no one can be saved. The pages of history are replete with such
incidents and reports. If you have to read about the condition in
Baghdad and what happened at the time of the revolt your hair will
stand on end.
The Muslim rulers, intoxicated with power, had oppressed and
persecuted the disbelievers. They were the downtrodden people of
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the society. An old man climbed to the peak of a mountain, raised
his hands and supplicated:
"O lord of the Muslims." He did not supplicate to his gods. "The
Muslims claim to be just. Is this how your beloved servants should
be treating us? Is this justice?"
"Attack the Muslims. Our help is with you," was the reply
received from the unseen.
The old man gathered his people and attacked the Muslims.
Those who were slaves, who were the oppressed, whose rights were
not recognised by the government and with whom trade dealings
were not conducted in a fair and honest manner and who were
forced to live like animals, attacked the Muslims. They annihilated
the Muslims. It is recorded in Tareekh Al-Kaamil of Ibn-ul-Atheer
that a group of 150 armed Muslim soldiers were fleeing for their
lives when a person from the Tartars saw them.
"Where are you all going?" he shouted. "Wait here! I don't have a
knife. I will retrieve my knife from my tent, and slaughter all of
The feet of the Muslims froze. They could not move. The Tartary
brought his knife and commanded the 150 Muslims to lie down.
They lied down and he slaughtered the lot like chickens. This was
the amount of awe struck into the hearts of the Muslims. The reason
for it was the disobedience of Allah Ta`ala. They had unjustly
treated Allah Ta`ala's creation, hence Allah Ta`ala had caused their
destruction at the hands of the Tartars.
Fifty Muslims were hiding at a certain place. A Tartary woman
came and sliced them like how vegetables are sliced into pieces.
Approximately 1.4 million Muslims were killed out of a population
of two million. What was the reason for this annihilation? This was
the divine punishment of Allah Ta`ala unleashed upon the people.
They had openly and flagrantly transgressed the laws of Allah
Ta`ala and no effort was made to rectify them. When open
transgression becomes prevalent, divine punishment will certainly
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"I foresee the streets of Delhi flowing with blood"
This type of divine punishment occurred in India as well. Hadhrat
Shah Waliyyullah ·,· = ·~_ went from door to door in Delhi pleading:
"O Slaves of Allah! Refrain from the disobedience of Allah. I foresee
the streets of Delhi flowing with blood."
But the people did not believe him. "This is the only work Molvis
can do. They are all mentally demented."
Eventually whatever was decreed, took place. A calamity and
disaster befell upon them to such an extent that we cannot even
fathom it. May Allah Ta`ala save us! May Allah Ta`ala save us!
Ahmad Shah Abdaali and Naadir Shah had come to attack the
kingdom. When the king was informed of this he boldly said: "Do
not worry about that. Bring me another glass. The best thing to do
with this letter is to drown it." He took the letter, immersed it in a
glass of wine and roared: "Bring me another glass."
When the enemy reached the royal gates, the ministers had no
other recourse but to welcome them and honour them as the royal
guests. After the enemy had eaten, the king who was lying down in
a drunken stupor shouted:
"Kill them. Kill them. Kill the army of Naadir."
"O dear," sighed Naadir Shah. "It seems as if this invitation was a
He sat on the wall of the Sanhari Musjid in Delhi and withdrew
his sword. This was an indication to launch a total onslaught. The
bridge of the Jamna River was congested with dead bodies. So many
people were killed and flung into the river that it ceased to flow. The
Jami Musjid of Delhi, the Musjid of Fatah Puri and the Qadhi pond
were filled with dead bodies and truly, the streets and galleys of
Delhi flowed with blood. Shah Waliyyullah ·,· = ·~_ had foreseen this
tragic event.
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Eventually, a few influential people managed to secretly arrange
a meeting with Naadir Shah. They placed their turbans at his feet
and begged him: "This fight is between two kings. What did the
innocent people do to deserve this type of punishment? Why are
they being slaughtered in this manner?"
After this intercession, Naadir Shah sheathed his sword and the
slaughter terminated.
Haramain Shareefain
These genocides occurred many a times, at different places, in
history. It occurred in Makkah Mukarramah and Madinah
Munawwarah as well. The pages of history are replete with such
Why did these events take place? These events occurred when
the respect for Allah Ta`ala came out of the people's hearts. They
began sinning openly and their hearts were unaffected by it.
If someone slaps a person's son, he becomes affected by it and is
prepared to defend his child. But when the commands of Allah
Ta`ala are openly flouted and the Ahaadeeth of Rasulullah are
trampled upon, then this does not affect him in any way. This is a
very serious matter. Allah Ta`ala does not like this type of injustice
and He becomes very angry.
The rule of the Tartars
In Baghdad, of the 2 million Muslims, 1.4 million were killed.
Thereafter, those who had taken up the courage to kill the Muslims,
who were previously treated like slaves and who had been the
downtrodden people of the society, called up a meeting and said:
"We had not asked for assistance from our Gods but rather we had
asked the God of the Muslims for help. He had heard our call and
responded to it. So it seems that the religion of Islam is true. These
Muslims did not remain steadfast on their religion. They did not
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abide by the commands of Islam. Hence, they were disgraced. Now
we understand. Therefore, we shall all accept Islam." Thus they
accepted Islam.
\ \
ﺛ ǔ
ﻏ ﺎ
¸¸ \
"And if you turn away (from the obedience of Allah Ta`ala) He will replace
you with another people who will be better than you." (Muhammad:38)
The tragedy of these people was that, despite being Muslims,
they had incurred the wrath of Allah Ta`ala. The divine punishment
had destroyed them. Successful were those who had killed them and
thereafter accepted Islam. They went on to rule Baghdad for 16-17
generations. This is why it is stated in the Qur'aan:
¸¸ \
"If you are grateful, I will increase My favours upon you. But if you are
ungrateful, indeed My punishment is severe." (Ebrahim:7)
The punishment of Allah Ta`ala is indeed a thing to be feared.
See, what a great favour it is of Allah Ta`ala that He has given this
entire gathering the taufeeq of fasting. What a great favour it is of
Allah Ta`ala that He has given us the taufeeq of performing
Taraaweeh Salaah and listening to the Qur'aan recited by the Huffaaz.
What a great favour is it of Allah Ta`ala that He has allowed us to be
gathered here in peace and comfort. How many people are, right
now, involved in stealing, visiting escort agencies, fighting with one
another, catching thieves, etc.?
Allah Ta`ala has saved us from these actions. Allah Ta`ala has
given us the opportunity to perform Salaah in peace, read Qur'aan
in peace, make His tasbeeh in peace and engage in His ibaadat in
peace. What a great favour is it of Allah Ta`ala that none of us have
to cook, make tea or buy goods from the markets. He has made the
arrangements for all of these things for us. Allah Ta`ala has arranged
food for us by inspiring the people with these thoughts, "My
servants have come here to spend Ramadhaan. They will be fasting
and sitting in I`tikaaf. So, see to their needs."
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Value your time
Therefore, we need to value our time. We should not waste it in
futile conversation. Time is precious and futile conversation is
dangerous. Your every breath is like a string of pearls. How much
work can be done in a single breath? How many times Subhanallah,
Alhamdulillah, Durood Shareef or Surah Ikhlaas can be recited in one
breath. Great benefit and rewards are accrued in continuous
recitation of Durood Shareef, Qur'aan Shareef and performance of
Salaah. All these actions will bring an increase in Allah Ta`ala's
Allah Ta`ala has blessed us with good health. Many people are
afflicted with very serious illnesses. Today a woman from this area
had passed away. I had heard she was afflicted with a very
debilitating sickness. Her family tried to stop her from fasting, but
they failed. She partook of sehri despite the seriousness of her illness
and began to fast. Allah Ta`ala called her in the state of fasting.
That person who passes away in the month of Ramadhaan, will
Insha-Allah, not be taken to account and will not be questioned in
the grave. This is also a great favour of Allah Ta`ala. It is therefore
imperative that we value our time, ponder over the favours of Allah
Ta`ala and take advantage of these favours. To a great degree we
should look after, and use to our benefit, the favours of youth,
health and free time. These are very great favours indeed!
The fasting of Abdullah bin Amr bin Aas
Hadhrat Abdullah bin Amr bin Aas used to fast everyday.
Rasulullah learnt about this and enquired from him whether this
information was true. He replied in the affirmative. Rasulullah
prevented him from doing so and advised him to fast on the 13
and 15
of every month. He requested permission to fast more
often since he was still young. He continued asking for permission,
to fast regularly, until Rasulullah instructed him to fast every
second day.
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This is the way our pious predecessors valued their youth i.e. by
using their strength for the ibaadat of Allah Ta`ala. Most of today's
youngsters are involved in some vice or another. They claim to be
the servants of the Sahaabah , but their lifestyle is in complete
contradiction to that of Sahaabah .
Sa`d bin Abi Waqqaas and the animal skin
When youth, wealth and free time are gifted to an individual, know
well that the source of corruption is also found in them. However,
by using these very three favours advantageously, one can earn the
pleasure of Allah Ta`ala and acquire a very high status in the sight
of Allah Ta`ala.
The lifestyle of our pious predecessors was such that once
Hadhrat Sa`d bin Abi Waqqaas was walking in the city when
someone flung some dirt in his path. Embedded in that heap of dirt,
was a piece of animal skin. Hadhrat Sa`d on seeing it, said
ecstatically: "Alhamdulillah! Food arrangements for three days have
been made."
He washed, cleaned, dried and burnt it to ashes and ate that for
three days. This was their outlook towards acquiring food. They did
not concern themselves about eating special types of food, having a
separate income, opening a shop or cultivating a piece of land. This
one piece of skin, found in a heap of dirt, was sufficient as food for
three days.
This was the same Sa`d bin Abi Waqqaas who mounted his
horse and conquered the land of Persia. Their concern for the Deen
of Allah Ta`ala and for themselves was totally different.
People possessing such characteristics cannot be imagined in
today's era. When he had gone in Jihaad, he had an abscess on his
back due to which he was unable to fight physically. However, this
did not deter him and he climbed up to a high post where he could
see the entire battlefield and directed the Muslims against the
attacks of the enemy.
T h e R e a l i t y o f G r a t i t u d e P a g e | 65
Du`aa accepted
He neither had a binoculars nor a loud speaker, but he kept a
vigilant check of every soldier's position and every now and then,
he would call out: "So and so! Advance ten steps. So and so! Guard
the rear. So and so! Watch your right. So and so! Check the left
He directed the army in this manner. During the battle, intense
fighting had taken place. On that day Hadhrat Sa`d descended
from his position and displayed his abscess, so that no one should
have any suspicions about him not taking an active part in the battle
However, a poet recited some poetry the gist of which was:
"Today was a day of intense fighting, many children became orphans
and many women became widows; but our commander in chief remained at
his point of safety in comfort and luxury."
This poetry reached the ears of Sa`d . He immediately raised his
hands and made du`aa,
· _=· ,, – "O Allah! Cut off his tongue."
Hadhrat Sa`d was mustajaab-ud-da`awaat. Rasulullah made
du`aa that Allah Ta`ala grants him this honour. Hadhrat Sa`d's
hands had not yet reached his face when an enemy's arrow struck
the poet in his throat and killed him on the spot. This was the toil
and difficulties he undertook for the sake of Deen. There are many
incidents of Hadhrat Sa`d in relation to him being mustajaab-ud-
Hadhrat Sa`d's behaviour regarding his personal self
Once, while he was the governor of Kufa, someone had complained
about Sa`d to Umar , the Ameer-ul-mu'mineen. He lodged several
complaints and amongst them was that Hadhrat Sa`d does not
know how to perform his Salaah. Hadhrat Umar summoned
Hadhrat Sa`d and questioned him about this matter.
D i s c o u r s e s o f F a q e e h - u l - U m m a t P a g e | 66
"I shall be at a great loss if I do not know how to perform Salaah,"
explained Hadhrat Sa`d . "I have learnt it directly from Rasulullah
Hadhrat Umar asked him to demonstrate his Salaah and he did
as he was commanded.
"I remember Rasulullah performing the Salaah in the very same
manner. This complaint levelled against him is false." Hadhrat
Umar emphatically rejected this accusation.
Anyhow, Hadhrat Sa`d was dismissed from his position and
Hadhrat Muhammad bin Maslamah was deputed to inform the
people. Ibn Maslamah purchased a bundle of grass and set it
alight outside his front door and let it burn until the flames rose up
high. This was the manner of gathering people in a certain locality.
Thereafter, in front of everyone, Hadhrat Sa`d was dismissed.
He remained sitting, deep in thought, saying nothing and nor did
he invocate any curse on Umar . This was his behaviour regarding
his personal self.
"Lash me but, do not curse me"
On one occasion, Umar was walking in the bazaar. A young
woman was also passing through the bazaar when a sudden gust of
wind blew, raising her garment, and exposing her shin. Umar
raised his whip to hit her for not walking carefully. Hadhrat Sa`d
was also present.
"It was not her fault that her shin was exposed," Hadhrat Sa`d
objected. "She had come out properly covered. A sudden gust of
wind blew and exposed her shin. She does not have control over the
wind. I am going to make du`aa against you."
Umar immediately held Sa`d's lips, gave him the whip and
pleaded: "Lash me but, do not make du`aa against me."
Such was the conviction that the people had of the acceptance of
his du`aa. Our pious predecessors' direction in life was different
T h e R e a l i t y o f G r a t i t u d e P a g e | 67
from our direction in life. May Allah Ta`ala rectify us and grant us
the ability to do good deeds. Aameen.
Discourse 5 Discourse 5 Discourse 5 Discourse 5
The blessed The blessed The blessed The blessed
month of month of month of month of
Ramadhaan and Ramadhaan and Ramadhaan and Ramadhaan and
the acceptance the acceptance the acceptance the acceptance
of of of of du`aa
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The blessed month of Ramadhaan and the acceptance
of du`aa
<,´ ·,_ _· ¸. , ·-
This auspicious month is filled with great rewards bestowed upon
the ummah by Allah Ta`ala. We receive great blessings and are
readily forgiven. The mercy of Allah Ta`ala is continuously
showered upon us. A person receives so many blessings that his
mind cannot even grasp it.
Human beings are a weak creation. We have been created weak.
Every faculty of ours, including our understanding, is weak. We
only understand that which is in accordance to our capabilities.
How can we understand that which is beyond our capacity?
Two hundred Rupees
A very poor person from a village saw the Jama Musjid in Delhi. He
inspected the Musjid thoroughly from inside and outside and
concluded: "This indeed is a very big Musjid. They must have spent
a great sum on building it, approximately 200 Rupees!"
For that poor villager, 200 Rupees was a lot of money!
"O Allah! Bring me back quickly"
That is why, under the explanation of the Hadeeth Shareef, "A
person's du`aa gets accepted," it is mentioned that sometimes a
person makes a du`aa and whatever he asks for is granted
immediately. This person becomes amazed and says, "Surely my
du`aa has been accepted."
Sometimes it gets accepted so quickly that a person wonders why
he made such a du`aa.
D i s c o u r s e s o f F a q e e h - u l - U m m a t P a g e | 72
Once I was travelling to Madinah Tayyibah from Makkah
Mukarramah by taxi. I sat in the taxi, looked at the Haram Shareef
and made this du`aa: "O Allah, bring me back quickly."
We had barely travelled a short distance when the driver stopped
at a garage to fill petrol and asked the passengers to pay the fare.
There was a Turkish person who had not paid his fare but insisted
that his fare had been paid. He showed a form or a receipt to the
driver to verify his claim. However, that payment did not apply to
the private taxi. The driver spoke in Arabic and the individual in
Turkish. The driver could not understand him nor could he
understand the driver. The argument prolonged and both were
getting angry at one another. Eventually the driver threw his
luggage out of the taxi and drove off.
Now, we were one passenger less. So we returned to Makkah
Mukarramah to pick up another passenger. I thought to myself that
how quickly my du`aa got accepted. I had returned to Makkah
After completing my stay at Madinah Tayyibah I proceeded to
Jeddah. In Jeddah, while boarding the flight, again I made a du`aa,
"O Allah, bring me back quickly."
As the plane started moving and preparing to take off, the crew
seemed very worried and concerned, pacing from one end to
another. Eventually an announcement was made that there was
some technical fault with the plane and we were returning to
Jeddah. Again, I recalled the du`aa that I made and I thought to
myself that I had not meant it in this way!
Ways of acceptance
It is mentioned in a Hadeeth Shareef that on certain occasions Allah
Ta`ala orders the angels to grant us exactly what we had asked for,
irrespective whether the supplication is correct or not. The request is
fulfilled in the same manner that it was asked for. That is why we
must exercise great caution in our speech.
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Sometimes it occurs such that the supplication is not granted.
Instead, something better and of a superior quality is obtained
which we never even dreamt of. This is also the result of the du`aa.
Sometimes, it transpires that neither the du`aa made for is
granted, nor is a similar or better thing attained. Instead, a calamity
which was to have befallen on oneself due to some wrong action
committed, is obliterated (cancelled). This is also in fact the result of
the du`aa being accepted.
Sometimes it also transpires that in this world there are no
apparent signs of one's du`aa being accepted. However, in the
hereafter it will be revealed to us that a certain du`aa made in this
world, which was apparently not accepted, had been accepted and
this is the reward for it. We will receive such great rewards that our
minds cannot even perceive them. That is the time you will exclaim,
"It would have been better had none of my du`aas been accepted in
the world, so that I could be fully rewarded here. The rewards here
are so much greater."
This world is going to terminate. The thoughts of the human
mind will also come to an end, so will the desires of the heart.
Whatever one asks for in this temporary world, it is as if one is
asking for such things that will eventually terminate. A person's
reasoning does not perceive those things that last forever. Allah
Ta`ala bestows rewards upon an individual in accordance to His
great magnanimity.
The similitude is not the same as a person asking someone for
two Rupees and he is given those two Rupees only. Allah Ta`ala,
according to His status, gives from His unlimited treasures. A
human being cannot comprehend the vast and unlimited treasures
of Allah Ta`ala.
Month of blessings
This is the month of Ramadhaan, a month of great blessings.
Enormous and vast favours are showered upon the Ummah. The
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angels descend onto the earth. In this month the great night of Qadr
is experienced. If the habit of daily recitation of the Qur'aan is
inculcated in the month of Ramadhaan then, insha-Allah, the
blessings of this habit will remain with us throughout the whole
There are so many people who are habituated to drinking alcohol
but, only due to the respect of the holy month of Ramadhaan, they
abstain from drinking alcohol. Due to the blessings of Ramadhaan,
Allah Ta`ala enables them to stop this habit forever.
There are so many people who do not perform namaaz but, due to
the blessings of Ramadhaan, they become punctual upon their
namaaz. Allah Ta`ala grants us the taufeeq to abstain from all evil
habits, due to the blessings of this month.
In this month, Allah Ta`ala has revealed the Qur'aan, which is
also from His unlimited treasures. We should endeavour to make
the following du`aa, "Whichever sins I know of and whichever sins I
do not know of, all are in Your knowledge, O Allah. Protect me from
all of them."
Allah Ta`ala will grant us the ability to refrain from them and our
du`aas will be accepted. If however, we could not refrain from those
sins the reward of the du`aas will not be lost. We will definitely
benefit from them.
An inattentive heart
But brothers, there are some conditions for the acceptance of du`aa,
just as namaaz is an ibaadat and it has certain pre-conditions for its
What are these conditions? The place must be paak (pure and
clean). The clothes must be paak. The body must be paak and one
must face the qiblah. These are all the pre-conditions for the
acceptance of namaaz. If a person leaves out any of these conditions
and performs his namaaz, then will his namaaz be correct? The
answer is "no" and if a person leaves out a condition
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contemptuously, considering it to be trivial matter, then do not be
surprised if a Mufti Sahib issues a severe fatwa against him,
rendering him out of the fold of Islam! This is a dangerous state of
affairs. That is why there are certain pre-conditions for the
acceptance of du`aa as well.
It is stated in the Hadeeth Shareef:
"Allah Ta`ala does not accept the du`aa of a person whose heart is
We are supplicating with our tongues, but the mind is
somewhere else. Our attention is not focussed on the du`aa we are
making. Du`aa has to be made with full conviction and
The trader in Mina
A buzurg (pious person) narrates that he saw a person in Makkah
Mukarramah who, for the entire day, held himself to the cover of the
Baitullaah. He was lifting his hands and making du`aa, but not for a
single moment was his heart's attention focused towards Allah
Ta`ala. On the other hand, he saw a person in Mina conducting
business. He earned great profits, but not for a single moment was
the attention of his heart focused away from Allah Ta`ala. This aayat
is mentioned in the Qur'aan Shareef,
ﻻ ǔ
ﻛ¸ :
¸ ,
"There are men whose trade does not distract them from the remembrance
of Allah Ta`ala." (an-Noor:37)
This is the reason why a person making du`aa, does not have any
of his du`aas accepted because the heart and mind are not present.
We know that a person, who is mentally retarded, is perpetually
talking of many things at the same time. He swears and praises you
in one breath, but nobody pays any attention to him because he is
not saying it from the heart.
D i s c o u r s e s o f F a q e e h - u l - U m m a t P a g e | 76
· · . .,- .. - "An insane person does not have any intentions."
That is why a du`aa which is made inattentively, not focusing
with the heart, is not accepted.
, ¸.
., ¸
.< .¸·
, ¸..:·¸
.. ¸ ¸
"Words spoken from the heart have an effect
They do not have the wings to ascend, but they do."
Dusty, dishevelled and dejected
For the acceptance of du`aa, it is also necessary to eat halaal food. It is
stated in the hadeeth-e-paak that a person on a journey, is covered in
dust, his hair is dishevelled and he lifts his hands and makes du`aa:
"O Allah! O Allah!" But his food is haraam, his drink is haraam, his
clothes are haraam, and he earns haraam. Then how can his du`aa be
accepted in that state?
Consuming haraam creates very evil effects. The only abode for
that piece of flesh, which is nourished from haraam earnings, is the
fire of hell.
Generally, funds donated to the Madaaris are of various origins, a
greater portion of which is derived from haraam earnings. Thus,
good and beneficial results are not attained. There are no signs of
righteousness and blessings in such knowledge. It is not even
practised upon and the degree of sincerity is even more remote. That
wealth which a person cannot use on himself or on his wife and
children, and which he cannot give to his parents, such wealth is
given to the Madaaris.
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Very interesting
Once, in Deoband, a person sent a money order accompanied with
the following note: "I am bay`at to a certain person. I had money
deposited in a bank and this has accrued interest. I am sending it to
you. Please utilise it on the students learning Hadeeth."
I returned it to him with a very stern reprimand, "Is this the
value you have for Hadeeth Shareef in your heart? You are sending
money that is cursed, to be spent on the students learning Hadeeth.
Do you not have any halaal money from your earnings for them?
Convey my salaams to your Shaikh and inform him that I have
returned the money together with some advice. Thereafter,
whatever suggestion he gives for my reformation or yours, please
inform me of it."
Till today, I have not received any reply from him.
I really cannot comprehend how we utilise our intelligence. The
postman who used to deliver my post commented: "Hadhratjee!
Why did you return it?" I told him that since it was unlawful
money, it was not worthy of acceptance.
"Maybe it could be of use to someone else. I could have used it."
This is the appalling situation prevalent nowadays.
Therefore, to eat of halaal earnings is a great blessing. Even if we
receive a little sustenance but it is of halaal origin, it creates great
inner strength. What was the condition of the Sahaabah-e-Kiraam ?
Many a days would pass in the state of hunger. Yet, they possessed
a great deal of strength. They rode on horseback, ran on foot,
engaged their enemies in battle and defended themselves with
swords and arrows. Yet, what was the condition of their food? It
was very simple.
Where did this strength emanate from? This was the strength
derived from halaal sustenance. Allah Ta`ala took work from them
and provided them with halaal food. Hence, they served Deen,
protected Deen and spread Deen throughout the four corners of the
world. In the path of Allah Ta`ala, they never thought their lives to
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be their own lives, they never thought their wealth to be their own
wealth. They strove relentlessly in their quest for shahaadat
A question was posed to me that, when we page through the annals
of history and study the battles fought by the Muslims, the Muslims
were fewer in number and poorly armed. The enemies were even
stronger in their physique. In comparison to their enemies, the
Muslims had virtually nothing but, when they went into battle, the
Muslims kept advancing whilst the enemies kept on retreating. They
even left the battlefield and ran away. What was the reason for this?
"Oh!" I proclaimed in astonishment. "Even now, you have yet
not understood the reason for this?"
It is a fact that the Muslims never fought with the intention that
they will kill the enemy, gain victory and capture all their goods and
wealth. Instead, they fought with the intention that their lives
should be used for the benefit of Deen and they become shaheed.
Their aim and objective was to advance and go into the enemy battle
camp, only to attain shahaadat (martyrdom). Their only hope and
zeal was to thrust themselves into the cauldron of the battlefield and
attain shahaadat.
On the contrary, their opponent's only desire was to save
themselves from being killed and the way to achieve this was by
running away from the battlefield. The Muslim's direction and
motive is the former, and the enemy's concept is the latter. If the
enemies also had the same reasoning, they would not run away
from the battlefield. The purpose of running away was to save their
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Dynamites come in small packages
This passion that is created in the Muslims to sacrifice their lives for
the sake of Allah, for the Deen of Allah Ta`ala, how is it created? It is
created because they have full conviction and confidence in the
promises of Allah Ta`ala. And, of course, they eat halaal food. Halaal
provisions may be less in quantity but the effects and results are
Today, we find that small tablets have become widely used. In
appearance they are very small, but their effects are great. The
nature of the bombs that are being used nowadays seem to be small
in appearance but the damage they cause is very great. The entire
destruction is concentrated in that small package.
Those Muslims who eat halaal food, their du`aas are readily
accepted. If through proper investigation, you are sure that certain
goods (items) are haraam, then never dare go near them or even
touch them. However, without having the proper proof, to conclude
that food or goods are haraam, is incorrect. To entertain a low
opinion of others is also wrong. Yes! If you have investigated that
this food is haraam and your heart also attests to it, then you should
abstain from it completely.
It is something to ponder upon that a person who stays away
from haraam solely to comply with the commands of Allah, will
Allah Ta`ala keep him hungry? On the other hand, that person who
eats haraam, breaking Allah's commands, i.e. commits sins, will he
only receive sustenance? To consider that Allah Ta`ala feeds the one
and keeps the other hungry is foolish. Allah Ta`ala provides
sustenance to everybody. A person will acquire his sustenance from
the source that he seeks it from.
Your cane, my gain
Once, in my area, I visited a nearby farm. The farmer accompanied
me as we walked through the open fields. He turned to me and
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grievingly said, "Molvi Sahib! In our livelihood, only haraam is
destined. What should we do?"
"What curse is there on you, that only haraam has been destined
for you?" I asked.
"Molvi Sahib. This is my farm and that is my neighbour's farm,"
he explained. "This farm has the same sugar cane as that one. When
I need sugar cane, I will take it from his farm, without his
permission, and when he (the neighbour) needs sugar cane, he will
take it from my farm without my permission. Both sugar canes are
the same. These are chana (gram) farms as well. Whichever night he
wishes to roast chana (gram) at home, he will take it from my farm
and I will take from his farm when I desire to eat it. Both have the
same chana. What should we do?"
Since he has addicted and habituated himself to eating from
haraam sources, what excuse can he present to justify his actions? If
someone does not have halaal food and is dying of hunger, he can
eat the flesh of a dead animal. In a desperate situation, it will be
permissible. But here, the situation is totally different. Whatever he
does, he does through his own accord. He spares his own wealth
and eats from the wealth of others. When a person loses his senses,
its basis is mainly due to the consumption of a surfeit of haraam
food. This is the ill effect of it.
May Allah grant everyone halaal sustenance and save us all from
consuming haraam food. May He also make us abide to all the
conditions attached to the acceptance of du`aa and grant us sincerity
as well. May He grant us the taufeeq to make that du`aa which
originates from the heart. May Allah Ta`ala accept our du`aas.
Discourse 6 Discourse 6 Discourse 6 Discourse 6
The Path of The Path of The Path of The Path of
Salvation Salvation Salvation Salvation
T h e P a t h o f S a l v a t i o n P a g e | 83
Three advices
<,´ ·,_ _· ¸. , ·-
Hadhrat Uqbah bin Aamir once asked Rasulullah :
·- ·
"What are the means of gaining salvation?"
:·,=- _· :, , :,, :·, , : :,· :·'
"Control your tongue, let your house be sufficient for you and cry over
your sins."
This was the salient advice presented by Rasulullah .
Anarchy and corruption are rampant all over the world. Nabi
mentioned three actions, which will save us from this evil if they are
strictly adhered to. And, it would seem as though these advices
were given especially for those sitting in i`tikaaf. The first advice is to
control the tongue and not to let it control you. The second is to
remain indoors and the third is to cry over one's sins.
If a riot breaks out and people are getting injured and maimed
and the riot police are trying to arrest the culprits, what does a
person do in such a scenario? He remains within the confines of his
home. He does not emerge from his house lest he should get caught
up in the riot. He could get injured or even falsely arrested.
Similarly, today there is a dire need for us to save ourselves from
fitnah (corruption) that lurks outside our homes. It is recorded in the
Hadeeth that some fitnahs are of such a nature that a person lying
down has a greater chance of salvation than a person who is sitting,
and a sleeping person has a greater chance of salvation than one
who is awake.
In another Hadeeth, it is recorded that a person lying down in his
house has a greater chance of salvation than one sitting, and a
person sitting has a greater chance of survival than one who is
standing as the one standing gets an urge to go outside and see what
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commotion is taking place. The person walking has a greater chance
of salvation than the one who is running. The more one distances
oneself from these fitnahs, the greater are his chances of salvation.
The first type of fitnah
One type of fitnah is that which takes place in the form of riots,
armed robbery, murders and arson. Nabi has shown us an
excellent way of saving ourselves from such fitnah and that is by
remaining indoors. On such occasions, one should lock the door and
not even contemplate going outdoors or even witness what is
transpiring. Whosoever dares to look at a fitnah, it will draw him
towards it. This has been witnessed many a times.
The second type
The second type of fitnah is that of sin and disobedience. We
however, do not regard this as a fitnah. Often, a person becomes
involved in sin the moment he steps out of the house. Our gazes will
fall on na-mahram women (women whom we are supposed to
observe purdah from) or on a person not covering his satr (private
area). Today, women are sauntering about without observing
purdah. There are an abundance of haraam actions that will entice us
to commit a sin.
How can we safeguard and protect ourselves? Remain indoors!
Don't come out of your homes unnecessarily.
Under control
: :,· :·' – "Control your tongue."
Do not allow it to utter any incorrect statements. A Sahaabi once
came to Nabi requesting some advice. Nabi pointed towards his
tongue and said: "Keep this under control."
T h e P a t h o f S a l v a t i o n P a g e | 85
It is mentioned in a Hadeeth that in the early part of the morning,
all the limbs make the following supplication to the tongue: "O slave
of Allah! If you behave yourself, say that which is correct, our day
will go well. However, if you say something wrong, we shall all
have to face the consequences."
The chief reason behind disputes and marital arguments, etc., is
the incorrect usage of the tongue. If one of the spouses exercises
patience by remaining silent, the other will blab on for a while and
thereafter also remain silent.
Moulana Yahya's -,·- =· ->_ control over his tongue
Moulana Yahya ·,· = ·~_, Hadhrat Shaikh's ·,· = ·~_ father, used to
reside in Gangoh. His duties included being in charge of the night
duties in the khanqah, writing the fatwas and making arrangements
for the guests. Once, Moulana Yahya ·,· = ·~_ was engaged in his
work when someone called on him and began using vulgar and
obscene language. Moulana ·,· = ·~_ turned his attention away from
him and continued with his work. The same incident took place on
the following two days. There was a Munshi Muhammad Sahib who
used to work in Moulana's bookshop, not as a salaried worker but
rather as a friend.
He angrily asked Moulana: "What has happened to you? Have
you lost your sense of speech? What has happened to your sense of
dignity? He has uttered such evil things about you and you couldn't
reply to him?"
Moulana ignored his chiding as well and continued with his
work. This angered Munshi Sahib even more who exclaimed: "Now
you have categorised me as that person. I am your friend. I desire to
wish well for you and this is how you treat me."
"Munshi Jee!" replied Moulana. "He was using vulgar language
against me. When he uses the same vulgar language on you, you can
reply to him. You have a tongue in your mouth as well."
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Moulana had realised that if he had also replied, then Allah
Ta`ala alone knows how long they would have carried on with this
argument. It is therefore imperative that we control our tongues.
When the husband and wife quarrel, it inevitably results in a
divorce and in most cases the cause of the quarrel was the incorrect
usage of the tongue.
Shaitaan's loyal deputy
It is recorded in the Hadeeth that every evening Shaitaan sets up his
throne on the ocean and holds a gathering for all his disciples to
report directly to him the day's work they had done i.e. to mislead
mankind. One disciple comes forward and says: "I made a person
miss his Salaah today."
"You have not accomplished anything," replies Shaitaan
Another gives his report and Shaitaan tells him the same thing.
One by one they give their reports and Shaitaan ruefully says: "You
all have not accomplished anything."
Eventually one disciple comes forward and says: "Today I caused
a dispute between a husband and wife. The moment the husband
arrived home, I instigated the wife to say: 'You are the one who has
spoilt this thing.'
I then prompted the husband to say: 'You are a liar. You broke
the item, not me.'
I thereafter continued to incite both the wife and the husband to
counter reply to each other resulting in the wife leaving her husband
and going to her father's home."
Shaitaan on hearing this report embraces this disciple and
gleefully says: "You are my true deputy! You are my true deputy!"
What is the reason for this overwhelming joy? When this quarrel
and this separation take place between the husband and wife, she
will go to her father's home. Some of their children will accompany
T h e P a t h o f S a l v a t i o n P a g e | 87
her whilst the others will remain with the father. The wife will relate
all the 'bad' things that her husband had told her whilst
conveniently forgetting to relate the harsh and obscene language she
had spoken. If what she says is true, this is gheebat (back biting).
Thus, a special gathering is being held for committing this sin of
gheebat. Imagine what a great sin this is! If however, what she says is
false, this is a slander against him, the sin of which is greater.
Similarly, the husband will complain to his family and friends
that his wife said this to him and said that to him. He will not
mention the evil things he said to her. If what he says is true, then
this will also be gheebat and, if not, it is slander against as well.
Poisonous tree
It is recorded in the Hadeeth that every Monday and Thursday, the
actions of Allah Ta`ala's slaves are presented to Him and the sinners
are pardoned. However, those two persons entangled in a quarrel,
resulting in them severing ties with one another, will not have their
actions presented in the court of Allah Ta`ala. Thus, they will be
deprived of his forgiveness. It is recorded in a Hadeeth that two
people who have severed ties with one another because of a
disagreement, their du`aas are rejected and prevented from entering
the court of Allah Ta`ala.
Thus, the husband and wife will be deprived of Allah Ta`ala's
forgiveness (and their du`aas will not be accepted).
The husband has desires and passion and so does the wife. If they
'give in' to their desires and allow their lust to control them, they
will satisfy themselves in haraam avenues and bring disgrace upon
Their children will also be a means of ruination for them. Those
who have an attachment for the father will develop hatred for the
mother and vice versa. Shaitaan has planted a seed, which has grown
into a gigantic tree whose branches have spread far and wide. These
branches are covered with thorns and bears poisonous fruit. The
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husband and wife will only say those things by means of which they
can vent their anger. They will not say anything of Deeni benefit.
That is why Nabi has instructed us to control our tongues. We
are sitting in I`tikaaf in the Musjid, which is the house of Allah
Ta`ala. Let us control our tongues. We are also fortunate to be
comfortably accommodated in this Musjid. Therefore, it should not
happen that we leave the Musjid. The I`tikaaf becomes invalid if one
steps out of the Musjid unnecessarily. Similarly, if a person emerges
from his house, unnecessarily, in the time of fitnah, he will undergo
some difficulty.
In the riots of 1947, many such incidents had occurred. At that time
in Madrasah Mazaahir-ul-Uloom, Saharanpur, there were just a few
rooms where the new dormitory is now built. The people of the
Madrasah, the Ustaads and students, set up a camp for the refugees.
They made arrangements for their food and sleeping.
Effort was also undertaken to teach the refugees the kalimah,
Salaah, tahaarat (wudhu and related aspects), etc., which were
foreign to them. As they assisted them, the astonishing thing they
discovered was that the items which the refugees regarded as
valuable and brought along with them, were bottles of alcohol. Thus
their actions were continuously monitored by the Madrasah. But
alas, the refugees considered being taught the kalimah and the
principles of Deen to be a worse punishment than the burning of
their homes and belongings, since they could not get the
opportunity of fulfilling their desires (drinking alcohol). Hence, they
ventured out of the camp and were shot at or stabbed.
What was the need for them to go out when all the necessary
arrangements were made for them in the camp?
:,, :·, , - "And let your house suffice you."
T h e P a t h o f S a l v a t i o n P a g e | 89
Do not go out of your homes. If you do, then remember that
Shaitaan has laid his traps everywhere. He (Shaitaan) has pledged:
ﻗ ۙ﴿ ۱۶ ﴾
¸ ,
O Allah! Because You had misguided me [due to Adam ], I shall wait in
ambush for them [the children of Adam] on the straight path. I shall then
attack them [and mislead them] from the front, the rear, the right and the
left. (al-A`raaf:16/17)
This is precisely what happens. The moment one steps out of the
house, he is surrounded by fitnah. Therefore, one should not
unnecessarily leave the house and, once inside, do not look at what
is happening outside. If you want to look at anything, then look into
the pages of the Qur'aan Shareef or the Hadeeth Shareef. If you look
outside, you are most likely to become entrapped in the fitnah as
Moulana Gangohi -,·- =· ->_ in the market
During Moulana Gangohi's ·,· = ·~_ student days in Delhi, he used to
take the side streets and small avenues to go to the Madrasah and
not the main street through the market place. Someone asked him
the reason for this action of his.
"The market is filled with many different items," explained
Moulana ·,· = ·~_. "It is possible that my gaze may fall on something
resulting in the desire to purchase it. But I don't have the money to
purchase it. Thus, the desire for acquiring it will settle in my heart.
Therefore, I don't take the main road through the markets to save
myself from these desires."
"Don't use your tongue unnecessarily."
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If there is a need to speak, then refrain from exceeding the
boundaries of the specific subject. Nabi has mentioned in a
"There are two limbs in the body which Allah Ta`ala created without a bone
– the tongue and the private part. Whoever guarantees me the protection of
these two limbs from haraam, I will guarantee his entrance into Jannah."
:·,=- _· :, , – "And cry over your sins."
Read Qur'aan, make zikr, engage in ibaadat and whatever extra time
you have, cry over your sins. Remember the sins that you have
committed and cry and plead to Allah Ta`ala for His forgiveness. If
one doesn't cry when pondering over one's sins, he will then fall
under the malady of 'picking out' the faults and sins of others,
thereby committing gheebat and slander. Ultimately, he has gained
nothing but amassing a huge pile of sins which is more detrimental
to him than being torn apart by bullets in a riot.
Nabi has showed us and informed us of these three actions
being a means of salvation for us. If we indulge in beneficial talks,
recite the Qur'aan Shareef and make the zikr of Allah Ta`ala, this is
certainly better than silence, and silence is better than permissible
talks because one will be taken to account for even permissible
actions, and maintaining silence is undoubtedly better than
impermissible talks.
It is, in fact, fardh to withhold the tongue from impermissible
talks. If we study the lives of our pious predecessors, we will
discover what great precaution they had exercised in their speech. It
is recorded that one of the Khulafaa-e-Raashideen used to catch hold
of his tongue and say: "This is the means of putting oneself into
danger. If it behaves itself, everything will be fine. If it says that
which is incorrect, it will have to face the consequences for it."
When we have come to the house of Allah Ta`ala, for i`tikaaf, it is
a sanctuary for us. The verse:
T h e P a t h o f S a l v a t i o n P a g e | 91
"Whoever enters therein shall be safe" (Aal Imraan:97)
refers to the Haram Shareef.
There are two meanings for the word 'safe.' One is that if a
criminal enters the Haram Shareef, it will be improper for anyone to
arrest him. The second is that the animals of the Haram Shareef
cannot be hunted down or captured. The Musjid is also a place of
safety. When one enters the Musjid, he will be saved from many
fitnahs. He will be saved from looking at na-mahram women, from
being sworn at, from swearing others, from making immoral
statements and indulging in incorrect actions. We need to appreciate
this safety. If we appreciate it, it will yield beneficial results for us.
May Allah Ta`ala benefit the speaker and the listener. Aameen.
Discourse 7 Discourse 7 Discourse 7 Discourse 7
The Importance The Importance The Importance The Importance
of I`tikaaf of I`tikaaf of I`tikaaf of I`tikaaf
T h e I m p o r t a n c e o f I ` t i k a a f P a g e | 95
Insaan – The paragon of creation
·,_ _· ¸. , ·- <,´
If a riot breaks out and people are wantonly slaughtering each other
and, in this dismal state, a government official provides us
sanctuary in his house, is this not a great favour of his? Here, (on the
occasion of i`tikaaf) Allah Ta`ala has given us sanctuary in His house.
This is indeed a great favour of Allah Ta`ala. It is obligatory upon us
all to express our gratitude to Him. Undoubtedly, Allah Ta`ala has
greatly favoured us.
Firstly, He has created us purely out of His grace. Had He not
created us we would have been non-existent, worthless. Secondly,
He created us as human beings. Animals such as donkeys, dogs,
cats, swine, snakes, scorpions, etc., are also His creation, but Allah
Ta`ala has created us human beings. If He created us as snakes or
scorpions, what would have happened to us? The moment
somebody sees us, he would either run away from us or rush forth
to kill us.
If He created us as donkeys, heavy burdens would have been
placed on our backs. If He created us as oxen, we would have been
toiling endlessly away in the fields. No! Allah Ta`ala has created us
as man, who is the best of creation, and Allah Ta`ala continuously
showers His favours on us at all times. But alas, we don't give any
thought to this by pondering over these favours. Expressing
gratitude to Allah Ta`ala is an alien concept for us.
Points to ponder
Amongst mankind, some worship idols, others worship stones and
many worship the sun, fire and water. Allah Ta`ala has saved us
from this and made us Muslims to worship Him alone but, even
amongst Muslims, we find many who disobey the commands of
Allah Ta`ala – they don't ever come to the Musjid, don't read the
Qur'aan Shareef, etc. Alas, there are even those who do not even
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know what Salaah is and what the Qur'aan Shareef is. Thus, it is
indeed a great favour of Allah Ta`ala that He has given us the taufeeq
of coming to the Musjid, reciting the Qur'aan Shareef and engaging
ourselves in ibaadat.
The more a person appreciates and expresses his gratitude for
these favours, the greater the taufeeq will he receive to engage
himself in these actions. Allah Ta`ala states in the Qur'aan-e-
¸¸ \
"If you are grateful to Me (for my favours), I shall grant you more. And if
you are ungrateful, verily My punishment is severe." (Ebarihim:7)
It is therefore incumbent on us to express our gratitude to Allah
If a person rearing a dog feeds it well and cares for it, it will
guard his house the entire night. On seeing his master, it will sit
obediently before him and wag its tail to express its delight. The dog
knows how to be grateful but, sad to say, we don't know how to be
grateful. Thus, in spite of being created as the best of creation, our
condition becomes worse than that of animals! Is this the way of
expressing gratitude to the favours of Allah Ta`ala?
One more chance
It is Allah Ta`ala's greatest favour on us that he has allowed us to
see this month of Ramadhaan. How many people had seen the last
Ramadhaan, recited the Qur'aan in abundance, kept roza and sat in
i`tikaaf, but have passed away before the arrival of this Ramadhaan.
On the Night of Baraa'ah the angel of death is informed of all those
who have been decreed to pass away in the coming year. The entire
details are provided to him: the soul of so and so must be taken
away on a certain date, at this time and in this certain place, etc.
We have been afforded another opportunity this year to engage
in the ibaadat of Allah Ta`ala, to repent and ask Allah Ta`ala for His
T h e I m p o r t a n c e o f I ` t i k a a f P a g e | 97
forgiveness, to please our Allah Ta`ala and to express our gratitude
for His bounties.
More time for more dimes
In the lifetime of Nabi , two Sahaabah ,· = ¸._ accepted Islam
simultaneously. After some time, one of them was martyred and the
other passed away a year later. A few Sahaabah made du`aa and
asked Allah Ta`ala to grant the second Sahaabi the same rank as
the first Sahaabi (who was martyred).
Nabi commented: "You have not made a favourable du`aa for
him. The rank of the second Sahaabi is far superior to that of the first
Sahaabi, because the second Sahaabi performed many more salaah,
recited much more Qur'aan, performed more good deeds and
abstained from more sins than the first Sahaabi."
Allah Ta`ala had given us the entire year to take advantage of His
favours but, unfortunately, the entire year has elapsed and we were
negligent of making His ibaadat. Instead, we engaged ourselves in
committing sins and fulfilling our desires. Now Allah Ta`ala
through His Mercy has given us the blessed month of Ramadhaan to
plead for His favours and earn innumerable rewards.
Ramadhaan specials
Just as December is a month wherein businessmen reap great
profits, Ramadhaan is a month wherein we can earn great rewards
from Allah Ta`ala for the hereafter.
It is recorded in the Hadeeth that one who performs a nafl act in
Ramadhaan is rewarded with that of a fardh action performed out of
Ramadhaan, and one who performs a fardh action receives the
reward of 70 faraa'idh actions performed out of Ramadhaan.
It is mentioned in the Hadeeth, that the smell emanating from the
mouth of a fasting person is better than the smell of musk in the
sight of Allah Ta`ala. This is the value of our actions in the month of
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Ramadhaan and this is the status of a fasting person. Whatever has
been created; has been done solely for the benefit of man:
ﰲ ﺎ
"Whatever is in the earth has been created for your benefit," (al-
but unfortunately the slaves of Allah Ta`ala do not take benefit
from this month in the manner they were commanded to do so.
The month of patience for the sake of Allah Ta`ala
This is a month of sabr. Sabr means to force the nafs to undergo
difficulties and abandon its never-ending pursuit of fulfilling its
desires, for the sole purpose of pleasing Allah Ta`ala. In the
morning, one has the great urge to drink tea. However, the law of
Allah Ta`ala instructs us to abstain from it. Hence, one does not
fulfil his desire but gives preference to the command of Allah Ta`ala.
Those who are accustomed to eating paan and smoking undergo
great difficulty in curbing these desires, but they will do so to please
Allah Ta`ala. We have a variety of food and drinks in our homes,
but we abstain from consuming them and even engaging in conjugal
relations with our wives, in order to gain the pleasure of Allah
This is the essence of Roza and this is how one exercises sabr. Sabr
enjoys a very great status in the court of Allah Ta`ala. Sabr is one of
the qualities of perfection found in the Ambiyaa ·· ,,,·. Allah
Ta`ala mentions in the Holy Qur'aan about one of the Ambiyaa ,,,·
_ ﺎ
ﻧ¸ \
"Indeed we found him to be patient. What an excellent servant was he."
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The closer and the more beloved one gets to Allah Ta`ala, the
greater the difficulties he will have to undergo. He will be faced
with many conditions that are contrary to his desires, and to tolerate
them will be very difficult for him. Ponder over the difficulties the
Ambiyaa ·· ,,,· underwent. Look at the difficulties that were
experienced by Ibrahim , Moosa , `Isa , Dawood and
Sulaiman . Nabi has said,
"From all the Ambiyaa ·· ,,,·, I underwent the greatest of trials
and difficulties."
Gone camping!
Although all the favours and benefits of this world and the hereafter
were primarily created for Nabi , yet fasting was made fardh upon
him as well, and despite having the full capacity of extracting
revenge on his enemies, Nabi was discouraged from taking
revenge and was advised to maintain sabr. People swore at him,
pelted him with stones, deprived him of food and drink, severed
relations with him and even surrounded his house with the
intention of assassinating him, yet he was advised to exercise
patience and not to take revenge.
The rank of sabr is very lofty. Ramadhaan is a month of sabr. The
stomach makes sabr by remaining hungry; the tongue makes sabr by
remaining silent. The speech which was previously impermissible
will still remain impermissible, but one is also asked to refrain from
unnecessary permissible talks. That is why the most difficult act to
achieve whilst in i`tikaaf, is abstaining from speaking of worldly
matters. Read the Qur'aan Shareef, make tasbeeh and make zikr but
don't engage in a conversation with anyone.
Once we indulge in futile talks, most certainly something will be
said that will displease Allah Ta`ala. We intended to sit in the
Musjid to perform ibaadat but, ultimately, we end up displeasing
Allah Ta`ala.
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The tongue has a desire to taste different types of food and drink.
During Ramadhaan however, it is not allowed to eat and drink
anything from the morning till the evening. People are accustomed
to enjoying certain personal pleasures but they undergo difficulty,
by abstaining from them. They are prevented from indulging in
their personal pleasures.
A person's wife is at home. He desires to gratify his passionate
feelings with her and she is prepared and willing for him to fulfil his
desires, but they are prevented from such an action.
The advice of Nabi to Hadhrat Anas
We have all gathered in the Musjid in the state of roza. We should
think along this line that we have come to the camp of Allah Ta`ala,
which is a camp of safety. Neither can Shaitaan nor our nafs attack
us. Our external condition and internal conditions are safeguarded
from these two enemies. We must not harbour enmity towards
anyone. Anas narrates that Nabi said:
¸· , _ ¸· :· , _, , ¸· , ¸··· -. ¸· :· ¸ ¸, , ¸· , _. .' ._· .¸ _, ,
·- ¸ ¸·· .¯ _-' ¸· , _-' · _ .-'
"O my beloved son! If you are able to spend the morning and evening,
without entertaining malice in your heart for anyone, then do so."
We need to distance ourselves from malice, enmity and
animosity. The heart is a mirror. It is a jewel. It should be filled with
the remembrance of Allah Ta`ala, not with these evil qualities. Nabi
thereafter said: "O my son! Not harbouring malice for anyone is
my way, my Sunnat. Whosoever loves my Sunnat, loves me and
whomsoever loves me will be with me in Jannah."
Which Muslim will not desire to be in the company of Nabi ?
Gaining the company of Nabi is the fervent desire of every
Muslim. However, we can gain his company only if we lead our
_,,.' ·´· – · , .´, ·.·. ., · ¸ · / ¸·, ¸ · ¸ ··
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lives according to the way shown to us by Nabi . It is therefore
imperative that we exercise extreme caution in the usage of our
tongue. Refrain from passing unjust remarks about anyone.
Today if a person commits a sin, his so-called well-wishers
involve themselves in many other sins. They gleefully discuss
amongst themselves that so and so has this fault in him. This is
gheebat (backbiting) and the Qur'aan explicitly states:
"And do not make gheebat of one another." (al-Hujuraat:12)
If a person sins, he sins against Allah Ta`ala. Allah Ta`ala is most
forgiving, most kind and most merciful. He will forgive the greatest
of sins, but when we begin to discuss the faults of a person, when
we begin to make gheebat, Allah Ta`ala will not forgive us until that
person forgives us. Gheebat is a very grave sin and a very serious
offence in the court of Allah Ta`ala. In the month of Ramadhaan, we
fast and abstain from those things which are halaal and thereafter
consume the flesh of our Muslim brothers.
How can the flesh of a dead Muslim brother ever be halaal? When
we indulge in gheebat, we are actually consuming the flesh of our
dead Muslim brother.
One for you and three for me
In the month of Ramadhaan, we have managed to abstain from that
which is halaal, but consumed that which is forbidden. It is recorded
in the Hadeeth that Nabi had received a complaint regarding two
women who were fasting and the fast was very difficult upon them.
Nabi stated that they had consumed human flesh by making
gheebat. When they were forcefully made to vomit, pieces of human
flesh were found amongst the contents.
Once, a person uttered certain incorrect statements in the
presence of Nabi . Nabi instructed him to pick his teeth.
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He replied: "I have not eaten meat."
Nabi said: "You have consumed meat by eating the flesh of
your Muslim brother."
When he picked his teeth, he found bits of flesh embedded in his
teeth. It is of paramount importance that we refrain from making
When discussing the habits of anyone, we usually create a certain
nickname for him as well, whereas Allah Ta`ala has stated in the
"Do not address one another using nick-names." (al-Hujuraat:11)
To address a person with a nickname that he finds offensive is
impermissible. Thereafter, we go even further and mock the sinner
in his absence whereas, Allah Ta`ala states in the Qur'aan Shareef:
_ ,
ﻻ \
"O Believers! Do not mock one another." (al-Hujuraat:11)
A person has committed one sin against Allah Ta`ala and
through that one sin, he becomes involved in numerous other sins.
Our Ustaaz, may Allah Ta`ala shower His mercy and forgiveness on
him, used to always say that whoever points a finger to another
person, by picking on his faults, he is actually admitting to his own
faults. This is so because only one finger is pointing towards that
person and three fingers are pointing towards himself.
Retain and gain
We need to exercise extreme caution whilst sitting in i`tikaaf. Our
time must be utilised in seeking the forgiveness of Allah Ta`ala
constantly. We should make this du`aa: "O Allah! Forgive all the sins
that we have committed in our lives right until now."
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We should also make this du`aa: "O Allah! None besides You can
free us from the sins which we have become habitual of. O Allah!
Through Your grace and benevolence, free us from these sins. Just as
the Sahaabah spent many years in kufr, shirk and evil practices but,
when they joined the company of Nabi and repented for their past
mistakes, they were freed from all these sins. O Allah! Forgive our
sins as well."
We must also spend a great portion of our time in reciting the
Qur'aan and making Zikr. If there is a genuine need to speak, for
example, if we need to ask a certain mas'alah, then we can do so.
However, there is no permission granted to indulge in futile and
baseless talks. In any case, indulging in futile talks is impermissible,
let alone indulging in it during the month of Ramadhaan whilst
sitting in i`tikaaf.
Ramadhaan is the month of patience and restrain. Thus, we
should restrain our tongues from speaking whatever it desires. If
our eyes desire to wonder about, then we ought to restrain our eyes
as well.
When our stomachs desire to eat certain types of foods, we
restrain ourselves because it has become impermissible to enjoy of
these foods. Permission has only been granted to eat and drink at
the time of iftaar. On the other hand, the impermissibility of those
things which are haraam even out of Ramadhaan, is emphasised to a
greater degree during Ramadhaan.
The purpose of i`tikaaf
Thereafter, we should understand what the purpose and aim of
i`tikaaf is. The aim of i`tikaaf is to be exonerated from each and every
sin committed in our entire life. We should recall every sin and beg
Allah Ta`ala for His forgiveness. When reciting istighfaar, we should
understand it in the following light: "It is like a man, whose body
and clothes are covered in filth, standing under an open shower. The
water is constantly falling on him and he is washing off the dirt
from his body and clothes."
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Similarly, we should bear in mind that we are covered from head
to toe in sin. Not a single action of ours is void of sin. When reciting
istighfaar we should picture it to be the stream of Allah Ta`ala's
forgiveness, which is falling upon us and washing away our sins.
We should recite istighfaar with this frame of mind.
Most pure! (Subhanallah)
When reciting the third Kalimah – _¯' = , = .¸ ·¸ . , = - , = ¸-, we
must reflect that 'Subhanallah' refers to the fact that Allah Ta`ala is
All Pure. Everything of the world, every creation has faults and
deficiencies. The least fault every creation has is that it will expire.
One day, its life is going to cease, but Allah Ta`ala is free from all
faults, deficiencies and weaknesses. Whatever faults are found in the
creation, none of them can be attributed to Allah Ta`ala in any way.
Allah Ta`ala is free and far above any fault.
'Alhamdulillah' denotes that only Allah Ta`ala is worthy of all
praise. Every favour and benefit is from Allah Ta`ala. Every form of
beauty and excellence is from Allah Ta`ala. Our qualities of beauty
and excellence will eventually perish, but His beauty and excellence
will never terminate. Allah Ta`ala is the pinnacle of perfection. He is
free from all faults.
Most worthy of worship
"Laa Ilaaha Illallah" – Only Allah Ta`ala is worthy of worship. The
only being worthy of us forging a strong bond and contact with, is
Allah Ta`ala. Allah Ta`ala is the sole Sustainer. We should place our
trust only in Allah Ta`ala for our sustenance. When we ponder over
our upbringing, we should realise that Allah Ta`ala is the true
Nurturer. Allah Ta`ala is the most forgiving, most merciful and most
compassionate. Whatever requirements we may have, Allah Ta`ala
alone can fulfil them. No human being can ever fulfil our needs and
desires. He is the owner of everything. Whatever we receive, we
receive through Him. If the king presents someone with a gift,
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although you will receive it via the post or have it personally
delivered by the king's servant, the actual giver is the king and the
servant is merely the courier or the means through which we have
received that gift.
The mango tree
The system of the world operates in a similar manner. The giver of
mangoes is Allah Ta`ala and the tree is the means of obtaining it.
The giver of every fruit is Allah Ta`ala and He has made the trees
the means of obtaining them. The provider of everything is Allah
Ta`ala and He has created the means for us to attain these things.
Thus, we should focus our attention primarily to Allah Ta`ala. If He
has decreed anything for us, we will certainly receive it and if it has
not been decreed for us, we will certainly not receive it.
Whatever Allah Ta`ala has decreed for us, will definitely reach
us. No one can 'snatch' it away from us. Therefore, the only Being
worthy of relying and trusting upon and attaching our hearts to, is
Allah Ta`ala.
To summarise: we have discussed 3 aspects. Firstly, Allah Ta`ala
is free from all faults and deficiencies. Secondly, Allah Ta`ala is the
true possessor of every beauty and excellence. Thirdly, the only
Being worthy of placing our trust and reliance upon, is Allah Ta`ala.
'Allahu Akbar' – Allah Ta`ala is the greatest. His greatness is
beyond our comprehension. We are incapable of doing anything on
our own. Allah Ta`ala has the complete power to do anything as He
We are ignoramuses and Allah Ta`ala is all-knowing and all-
wise. How can the ignorant comprehensively understand the One
who is all wise? We are perishable whilst Allah Ta`ala is ever-
lasting. How can the perishable comprehend the One who is ever-
lasting? Therefore, we should not even try and fathom the existence
of Allah Ta`ala. We should go on saying, "Allahu Akbar," for
whatever we believe to understand or seem to understand.
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Allah Ta`ala is far above whatever we can even begin to
comprehend. If we read the third Kalimah, bearing these points in
mind, then Insha-Allah, we will acquire the noor and blessings of
these mubaarak words.
The greatest bounty
When reciting Durood Shareef we should contemplate upon this fact
that, from the innumerable favours bestowed upon us from Allah
Ta`ala, the greatest favour showered upon us is that we are the
ummatees (followers) of Nabi . Allah Ta`ala has sent Nabi for our
guidance. Nabi has many rights over us and the greater the
blessing or favour enjoyed by us, the greater the gratitude we need
to express for it.
Allah Ta`ala says in the Qur'aan, addressing Nabi :
ﻟ ¸ ﷲ\
ﻣ _ ﺔ
¸ ﺎ
"It is through the mercy of Allah Ta`ala that you (O Nabi ) are soft with
the people." (Aal Imraan:159)
Nabi was extremely soft and gentle in his dealings with people.
Anybody could ask Nabi for anything they desired.
¸ ,
¸ ,
:¸ \
"Indeed, Allah Ta`ala has bestowed a great favour on the Believers when
He sent to them a Messenger from amongst themselves who recited to them
the Qur'aan, taught them its laws, purified their souls and taught them the
hikmah."(Aal Imraan:164)
Nabi is a great favour upon us. Therefore, we ought to express
the appropriate amount of gratitude. Nabi himself has showed us
an easy way to express our gratitude for this favour, i.e. following
the Sunnah and reciting Durood Shareef abundantly. If we lead our
lives according to the Sunnah and recite Durood Shareef in
abundance, we will be displaying true gratitude.
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A gift to the beloved
Recitation of Durood Shareef is no difficult task. It is recorded in the
Hadeeth that whoever recites Durood Shareef once, Allah Ta`ala
sends down ten mercies upon him.
It appears in another hadeeth that Allah Ta`ala has appointed a
group of angels who traverse the earth in search of those who recite
Durood. When any person recites Durood, these angels take the
Durood and convey it to Nabi .
It is recorded in the Ahaadeeth that an angel is appointed by the
Qabr-e-Mubaarak (blessed grave) of Nabi with the sole duty of
informing Nabi of the Durood conveyed upon him. He mentions
not only the name of the one who has recited the Durood but also the
individual's father's name. Nabi becomes pleased and makes
Du`aa-e-Rahmat for that person. What a great favour it is of Allah
Ta`ala on us that He has permitted Durood to be conveyed to Nabi
who, in turn, makes Du`aa-e-Rahmat for us. It is essential that we
abundantly recite Durood Shareef.
When reciting Durood Shareef, we should visualise that our
Durood is being taken by the angels and presented to Nabi who in
turn becomes extremely pleased and makes Du`aa-e-Rahmat for us.
Those who do not recite Durood Shareef should take heed of the
warnings mentioned, for not reciting Durood in the Ahaadeeth. It is
recorded in one Hadeeth: "Indeed, distant from the gardens of Jannah
is he who did not recite Durood upon me when my name was
mentioned in his presence."
In another hadeeth it is mentioned: "He who does not recite
Durood upon me when my name is taken in his presence is a miser."
Nabi has also stated in another narration: "That person, who
did not recite Durood upon me when my name was mentioned in his
presence, has done a great injustice to me."
When reciting Durood, we should bear in mind the warnings
narrated in the Ahaadeeth for not reciting Durood and the rewards for
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reciting Durood. A lesser number of Durood recited with attention,
keeping in mind the rewards and warnings mentioned have a
greater chance of acceptance than a voluminous number of Durood
recited inattentively. Similarly, if du`aas, Durood, istighfaar, etc., are
recited in the abovementioned manner, one will reap tremendous
benefit thereof.
However, if these azkaar are made with underlying intentions
that whatever knowledge which is contained in the seven skies and
the seven earths should be revealed to oneself, this will be a
momentous error, not to mention that it is also contrary to ikhlaas.
Our desire should be to gain only the pleasure of Allah Ta`ala.
The extent of the happiness of Allah Ta`ala is unknown to us, but
an avenue of attaining His pleasure is adherence to the Sunnah.
Whatever action is done following the Sunnah will be a means of
winning the pleasure of Allah.
Advice of Moulana Gangohi -,·- =· ->_ regarding tasbeeh
Once someone complained to Moulana Gangohi ·,· = ·~_ that he
spends a great deal of time in reciting tasbeeh but he didn't find any
benefit from it. Moulana advised him to recite tasbeeh with an
attentive heart, keeping in mind what I have explained.
"If you recite tasbeeh with sincerity," Moulana pointed out, "you
will certainly receive such rewards. And if you do not receive it,
then on the Day of Qiyaamah, catch me by the hand, take me in front
of Allah Ta`ala and say: "O Allah Ta`ala! This person has deceived
Our primary goal in life is to attain the pleasure of Allah Ta`ala.
Kashf (divine inspiration), karaamat (miracle), 'enlivening' of the
heart, inspiration or seeing visions of the angels are not the
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So near, yet so far
If we do not acquire any of these, but attain the pleasure of Allah
Ta`ala, we have achieved our goal. If on the other hand, we acquire
certain supernatural qualities like kashf, this is no real
accomplishment as kashf is a quality that is gained through effort. It
is not a sign of acceptance. Acceptance and attaining proximity and
a high rank are two separate entities. Neither is proximity necessary
for gaining acceptance, nor is acceptance a pre-requisite for
A king appoints his son as a governor in a certain country. Daily,
the son receives instructions from the king and implements the
rulings in his country. Now apparently, it would seem that the son
is distant from his father as he does not have proximity with his
father. However, this could not be further from the truth. The son
has gained acceptance from his father. His father appreciates his
services and gleefully reads the progress reports of that place.
On the contrary, we have a thief who manages to break into the
king's palace to steal the royal treasury. He apparently has close
proximity with the king but, if he gets caught, he will suffer a severe
Thus, he who does not have Imaan and doesn't follow Nabi
cannot enter Jannah and gain the pleasure of Allah Ta`ala even
though, through his efforts, his heart is 'enlivened' or brightened up.
The yogi from Himalaya
A Yogi who used to stay in the Himalaya Mountains and performed
spiritual exercises, came to Gangoh and accepted Islam at the hands
of Moulana Gangohi ·,· = ·~_.
He narrated the following episode: "In the Himalaya Mountains I
had seen a pillar of light, stretching from the earth and reaching the
sky. I went in its direction to see from where it was originating and I
saw that it was coming from Gangoh."
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As a result of his spiritual exercises, he could see Moulana
Gangohi's spiritual effulgence right from the Himalaya Mountains,
whereas Moulana's students, who were with him in Gangoh,
couldn't see it. They did not indulge in these types of exercises,
hence they could not perceive it.
He began to see animals and orchards …
Whilst sitting in the majlis of Moulana Gangohi ·,· = ·~_, a person
experienced kashf. Animals, orchards and gardens, that were distant
away, were made visible to him. He had spent a short while
enjoying these experiences when Moulana angrily said: "Who is
engaged in this futility? Is this the purpose of coming here?"
At that time, Moulana had lost his sight. Thus, everyone was
clueless as to who the culprit was. The moment Moulana mentioned
these words, that person's kashf terminated.
The pigeon and the Neem tree
This is just a type of amusement that comes by the way and if we are
going to become embroiled in these types of activities, how can we
ever reach our goal? If one experiences these types of events, one
should close one's eyes and pay no attention to them, because this is
not one's objective and goal. Our goal is to gain the pleasure of
Allah Ta`ala.
These qualities are not something experienced by the pious only.
My respected father used to say that even animals have acquired
this quality. He once narrated to me: "In our garden, a wild pigeon
had built its nest in a Neem tree. If it were going to rain in the night,
the pigeon would not rest in the nest but rather fly into the house as
soon as evening began setting in. Accordingly, we were also
'informed' that it would rain during the night."
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The Hindu and the rain
There was a Hindu in our village. Allah Ta`ala only knows what his
name was. Anyhow, in the summer months, he used to sleep on the
porch. He also informed us if it was going to rain during the night
or not. When questioned in this regard, he replied: "If it was going
to rain at night, my dog will remain indoors, otherwise it sleeps with
me. Through this, I come to know whether it is going to rain or not."
What is the need in exerting so much effort to attain something
that kaafirs and animals have acquired? The scholars have explained
that the piety and sainthood of a saint who did not experience such
events, is far superior to the saint who has had such experiences.
The reason being that the Imaan of the former is based totally on the
unseen. Nothing of the unseen has been 'revealed' to him.
Child's play
Sayyid Ahmad Shaheed ·,· = ·~_ began 'seeing' certain supernatural
visions on the nights of Lailat-ul-Qadr and Lailat-ul-Baraa'ah. He had
seen the stars, the trees and the ocean prostrating. He related these
experiences, to his shaikh, Shah Abdul Azeez ·,· = ·~_. Shah Sahib
advised him in the following manner, "These are experiences which
the children of the spiritual path experience."
These conditions are not worth paying any due attention
towards. The only real objective and goal in life, is to attain the
pleasure of Allah Ta`ala. If our intentions and methodology are
correct then, Insha-Allah, we will be successful. If our actions are in
accordance to the Sunnah and done solely for the pleasure of Allah
Ta`ala we will, Insha-Allah, be successful.
May Allah Ta`ala grant us the taufeeq (ability) to practise on what
has been mentioned. Aameen.
Discourse 8 Discourse 8 Discourse 8 Discourse 8
The Manner of The Manner of The Manner of The Manner of
attaining Taqwa attaining Taqwa attaining Taqwa attaining Taqwa
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The manner of attaining taqwa
<,´ ·,_ _· ¸. , ·-
ﷲ ﻮ
ﺗ ﻮ
Allah Ta`ala states in the Qur'aan:
ﷲ ﻮ
ﺗ ﻮ
"O Believers! Inculcate taqwa and remain with those who are truthful."
In this aayat, the believers are addressed and instructed to adopt
taqwa and remain in the company of the truthful.
What is Imaan? What is taqwa? What is truthfulness?
Imaan means to believe wholeheartedly in the laws revealed by
Allah Ta`ala and accept the complete teachings of Nabi , having
ultimate reliance on Him. After accepting these two beliefs, we must
now resolve to live our lives according to these beliefs. Imaan does
not merely mean to know the truth. Even the disbelievers
acknowledge the truth. Allah Ta`ala states in the Qur'aan:
ﻟ ﺎ
ﻻ\ ¸ ﻪ
ﺑ ﺎ
ﻣ ¸ .ﺂ
"And if you ask them (the disbelievers) who created the skies and the earth,
they will most certainly reply, Allah!" (al-`Ankaboot:63)
But alas! Their acknowledgment of Allah Ta`ala is to this extent
that when they journey by ship and encounter turbulent waters,
when surely they are on the verge of sinking and they despair for
salvation, they beseech Allah Ta`ala for His divine help. They
accept, at this time, that the only being who is All-Powerful is Allah
Ta`ala and their deities cannot save them from their peril. They
firmly acknowledge that none other than Allah Ta`ala has the power
to rescue them from certain doom.
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However, they still do not intend and they do not desire to spend
their lives according to the teachings of Nabi . Therefore, Imaan
means resolving to spend one's life according to the Deen outlined to
us by Nabi .
ﻳ ﻮ
ﻣ (O you who believe …) will thus mean: "O you who
have resolved to lead your lives according to the Deen brought to
you by Nabi ."
In this world, a government has the knowledge of another
government's strengths, laws and weaknesses as well as their aerial
superiority and the capability of their navy and army. When one
government refuses to be subordinate to the other, this results in a
There is also another scenario where a person despite knowing
the laws, ministers, courts and the punishments of a country, is
unprepared to be subjected to the laws of the government. What are
such people termed as? They are termed as rebels or traitors. Are
rebels ignorant of the laws of the country? Of course not! They are
well acquainted with them!
If Imaan merely meant possessing knowledge of the truth,
everyone would have been a mu'min (believer). However, a mu'min
is he who has resolved to lead his life according to the teachings of
Nabi . One who is prepared to adhere to the laws of his
government is termed a loyal citizen. Otherwise, he is termed a
rebel. Whoever has agreed to be a citizen of a country, will abide to
the laws of that place. If he breaks the law mistakenly, it is possible
that the government may either punish him or forgive him.
This is also the system of Allah Ta`ala. That person who has
resolved to be loyal to Allah Ta`ala, to lead his life according to the
laws of Allah Ta`ala and the teachings of Nabi , is a mu'min.
Thereafter, if he breaks any command of Allah Ta`ala mistakenly, it
is possible that Allah Ta`ala may forgive him and it is possible that
Allah Ta`ala may punish him.
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However, Allah Ta`ala will not allow him to remain in Jahannum
forever. The rebel is the one who will remain in Jahannum forever.
For him, there is no way of salvation.
¸¸ \
: ﺎ
"Verily Allah Ta`ala does not forgive (the sin of) ascribing partners to Him
and He forgives every other sin of whomsoever He wishes."(an-Nisaa:48)
Allah Ta`ala sent Nabi as a messenger and revealed the
Qur'aan to him. Those who accepted him and lead their lives
according to his teachings were termed believers. The believers are
addressed in the Qur'aan,
"O Believers! [When you have accepted to be under Our rule; when you
have made a pact of being loyal to Us; when you have resolved to lead your
life according to Our divine law], inculcate taqwa within yourselves. [Lead
your life with extreme caution. Be vigilant in not transgressing the laws of
Allah Ta`ala.]"
When we plant a sapling, we undertake great pains to protect it,
either from being eaten by an animal or from wilting due to severe
heat or from drying up due to severe cold. It is watered according to
its requirements and it grows and produces fruit only when it is
carefully tended to. The creation of Allah Ta`ala takes benefit from
its leaves, its branches, its flowers and its fruit. It becomes a tree of
great value and benefit. But if it is not protected and nurtured, it will
be destroyed and benefit no one.
Imaan is also a sapling, which has been planted within the heart.
The reality of Imaan has been explained [in the previous lines] as 'the
resolve to lead one's life according to …'
It is of utmost importance to protect this sapling of Imaan. When a
sapling is well guarded, it becomes firm and strong. This protection
of Imaan is called taqwa, i.e. to protect the sapling of Imaan from the
disobedience of Allah Ta`ala.
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The sapling of Imaan
Just as it is necessary to protect a sapling from being destroyed by
severe heat and cold, from wilting and from being eaten by animals
and insects, it is imperative to protect one's Imaan from the
disobedience of Allah Ta`ala. It is recorded in the Hadeeth that, just
as iron rusts, Imaan also rusts. Therefore, keep on polishing and
renewing your Imaan. ,´·¸ ,·` - (Renew your Imaan.)
The Sahaabah asked: "O Rasulullah ! How do we go about
polishing our hearts?"
Nabi replied: "Recite = .¸ ·¸ . – La ilaaha illallah in abundance.
Doing so removes the rust of the heart."
Just as clothes become dirty and need to be washed, houses need
to be re-painted and utensils need to be cleansed. Similarly,
negligence, an evil environment and sin also taint Imaan. And the
method of protecting and renewing one's Imaan is to inculcate taqwa.
If one's Imaan is not adorned with taqwa, it will dry up, rust and
become corrupt. The reason is that every person has a nafs (inner-
self) within him.
- ¸, _ : ·,· ¸·' .¸ :,
Indeed your most dangerous enemy is your nafs which is within you.
The second enemy who always accompanies man is Shaitaan.
¸¸ \
"Most certainly Shaitaan is man's open enemy." (Yusuf:5)
Shaitaan's enmity for man is crystal clear, but his ways of
expressing that enmity are very discreet. Very few people are versed
and educated with this knowledge. It is crucial that we save
ourselves from this enemy. Similarly, few people as well have the
knowledge of the evils of the nafs.
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The evils of the nafs
Hadhrat Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi Sahib ·,· = ·~_ once
mentioned: "During my childhood, I was my father's scribe and
replied to his letters. He used to dictate them to me. Once, he used a
word 'istimzaaj' which means confirmation of an opinion being
correct. It is of Persian origin. The meaning of the Arabic word is
different. My father dictated this word to me because the custom at
that time was to correspond in the Persian language. I did not know
the meaning of the word, so I told him: 'It is possible that the
addressee will not know the meaning of this word. Therefore use an
easy synonym for it.'
"My father used an easier synonym. In reality, this was a ploy of
my nafs to conceal my ignorance from my own father. It did not
allow me to say that I did not know the meaning of the word.
Instead, it prompted me to say that perhaps the addressee will not
know the meaning. Ignorance is such a disease that a person is not
prepared to admit it."
The nafs is undoubtedly our greatest enemy as mentioned in the
Qur'aan. The traps of the nafs are very discreet. We know that it is
evil but the ways it uses to expresses its evil is known only to a few
and select people.
Similarly, Shaitaan is known to be our open enemy but only a few
people know the methods he uses to express his enmity. We witness
in the world how enemies plot to destroy one another. Sometimes,
they tie a wire on the ground (to trip someone), sometimes pour
boiling water on them, sometimes dig trenches and utilise various
other methods. Many a time, an innocent person falls into the trap
and is annihilated.
Allah Ta`ala also makes his own plans. Abraha took an army of
elephants and marched towards Makkah Mukarramah, intending to
destroy the Ka`bah Shareef. What was Allah Ta`ala's plan? Allah
Ta`ala sent an army of small, clawed birds who carried stones in
their beaks to destroy Abraha and his army. Where could Abraha
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have ever fathomed that small birds, armed with stones which were
like miniature atom bombs, would destroy his army? The stones fell
on the soldiers' heads, went through their bodies and came out
through their posteriors. They became:
ﻛ (Like devoured
crops.). Abraha was unaware of the plan of Allah Ta`ala.
Similarly, we do not know what the nafs is plotting against us.
But this much is known that the nafs is within us as mentioned in the
Hadeeth "within you".
The strength of an external enemy can be learnt through spies
and other forms of espionage, but an enemy who is within us cannot
be seen. Thus, how are his strength and plots estimated? It is a very
difficult task indeed.
Shaitaan also moves within the body of man. It is mentioned in a
· ¸,- .¸ ¸· ¸,- .=, .¸
Verily Shaitaan moves about within man as blood [flows within man].
Thus, how can a person save himself from an enemy who is so
skilled and well equipped? Why and how did this enemy become so
well equipped?
Shaitaan's du`aa
It is mentioned in a Hadeeth that, when Allah Ta`ala had decided to
send Aadam to the world and banished Shaitaan from Jannah
with the collar of Allah Ta`ala's curse around his neck, Shaitaan
made this du`aa:
"O Allah! My punishment was because of Aadam (). Allow me to
live till the day of Qiyaamah (so that I may mislead mankind)."
No matter how dangerous an enemy can be, once he dies, the
danger no longer remains. Hence, there is always the possibility that
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through enemy's demise, peace and safety will prevail. However,
Shaitaan had asked Allah Ta`ala for respite,
"O Allah! Grant me respite till the day all will be resurrected." (al-Hijr:36)
Shaitaan made this du`aa in order to escape death. When the
trumpet will be blown for the first time, everyone will die.
Thereafter, when it is blown for the second time, everyone will be
resurrected. Thus Shaitaan begged Allah Ta`ala to allow him to live
till the day of resurrection, in order to escape death. Allah Ta`ala's
reply was:
"You will certainly be granted respite till a known time, i.e. till the first
blowing of the trumpet when everyone will die." (al-Hijr:37/38)
Shaitaan also asked Allah Ta`ala to grant him power over Aadam
and his progeny, since his banishment was due to Aadam . He
was told: "You will be granted power over mankind by being able to
move in his veins like blood."
Shaitaan then asked for more. Allah Ta`ala said: "Very well!
When man cohabits with his wife, you will be allowed to cohabit
also. When a man's sperm settles in his wife's ovary, your sperm
will also settle in her ovary. When life will be given to man's foetus,
life will be given to your foetus as well. When man's child will be
born, your child will also be born. From then onwards your child
will be given power over man's child."
It is mentioned in a Hadeeth:
.=, ¸· ··, _, ¸- ·,,' _,.
At times, a child cries unexpectedly because of being poked by Shaitaan.
Shaitaan had promised:
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ﻗ ۙ﴿ ۱۶ ﴾
¸ ,
¸ ,
"O my Sustainer, because You had misled me, I shall wait in ambush for
them on the straight path. I shall then attack them from the front, from the
rear, from the right and from the left. You will then find most of them
ungrateful i.e. they will be under my control." (al-A`raaf:16/17)
Thereafter, Aadam begged: "O Allah Ta`ala! You have
granted Shaitaan power over me. Grant me a way of saving myself
from him."
Man has been created weak.
"When Shaitaan's child will be given power over your child, we
shall appoint an angel to protect your child."
Therefore, it is mentioned in the Ahaadeeth that angels drive away
the Shaitaan from the child just as a person swats away flies from
honey. If the person stops swatting, even for a few moments, the
flies will totally devour the honey.
Similarly, if the angels do not prevent the shayaateen from
attacking the child even for a few moments, they will attack him and
wipe him out completely. May Allah Ta`ala protect mankind.
Aadam's du`aa
Aadam asked for a greater form of assistance as well. Allah
Ta`ala said: "The reward of every good action will be multiplied
tenfold. If you commit a sin, I will pardon it. If I shall punish you for
a sin, the punishment will be according to the sin (not multiplied by
Aadam then asked for an even greater form of reward.
Shaitaan made three du`aas and Aadam made three du`aas as
well. Allah Ta`ala accepted his du`aa and said: "Whenever you and
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your progeny will make taubah before death, I shall accept that
Shaitaan became depressed saying to himself, "My entire life's
effort will be wasted. I shall make man commit sin upon sin, but if
he makes taubah before passing away, all his sins will be forgiven
and my entire effort shall be in vain."
Allah Ta`ala has sent man to this place of examination (the
world), to this prison. He (man) is surrounded by difficulties and
hardships. However, Allah Ta`ala has made arrangements for his
protection. Man has many external enemies as well. Snakes,
scorpions, wolves and lions are his enemies. Cholera, plague and
other sicknesses are also his enemies. Open a book of medicine and
you will find it replete with the various forms of ailments, which are
the enemies of man.
Ponder and look around you and you will see the number of
enemies that man has. If he experiences a pain in a tooth, he
becomes restless. If he feels a pain in his heart or liver, he becomes
agitated. If he is unable to pass urine, it causes him great
inconvenience. Thus, this world is a place of test. Tests will come
upon man from all directions.
However, Allah Ta`ala did not leave man helpless and desperate.
Allah Ta`ala has promised to assist him as long as he fulfils his
covenant to conduct himself in the correct manner. A poet once said:
_ ._ç ¯ . ¯.· ./ ¸
_ ._ç· ¸-, ,_ ¸¸¸
Be faithful to Muhammad and Allah Ta`ala will be yours.
What is this world? Everything will be yours.
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Loyalty to Nabi
If man is prepared to become loyal to Nabi and lead his life
according to the teachings of Nabi , Allah Ta`ala's assistance will
always be with him.
When he will sleep, who will protect him from his enemies?
Allah Ta`ala is the one who will protect him. When he will eat
different types of food, who will make this food acceptable to his
system? Allah Ta`ala will make the food acceptable and beneficial to
his system. Allah Ta`ala has created such machinery in the body,
which extracts the nutrition from the food and makes it a means of
strength for the body. Who does all of this? Allah Ta`ala does this.
We are sitting in this building with the roof suspended above us.
Allah Ta`ala is the One who is keeping the roof above us. If Allah
Ta`ala commands the roof to fall, it will fall immediately and no
matter what arrangements are made to keep it suspended, it will be
of no benefit. We move on the earth with ease, conducting our work
and the earth does not cave in on us. Who is the being that has not
allowed the earth to cave in? Allah Ta`ala is the Being who has not
allowed the earth to cave in and destroy us. Allah Ta`ala has made
the necessary arrangements for our protection.
Allah Ta`ala has sent His slave (man) as His deputy to the earth.
Do you think that Allah Ta`ala will leave this slave of His,
surrounded by enemies and other great creations of His, helpless
and unprotected? Never! Allah Ta`ala will never allow something
like that to transpire. Allah Ta`ala loves His creation.
Nabi once asked the Sahaabah : "Can there be such a mother
who will throw her child in a fire?"
The Sahaabah replied: "There can never be a mother who will
throw her child in a fire."
Nabi then said: "Allah Ta`ala's love for His creation is even
greater than a mother's love for her child."
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Allah Ta`ala will protect man. The life in this world is a few days
of test. Whoever has taken the oath of loyalty to Allah Ta`ala and
Nabi should lead his life accordingly. If he commits a sin
mistakenly, he will be forgiven. Even in the hereafter, there will also
be a great door of forgiveness. However, we should make the
resolution from our side that we shall lead our lives in conformity to
the teachings of Nabi .
Coming back to the point that taqwa protects Imaan, Allah Ta`ala
ﷲ ﻮ
ﺗ ﻮ
"O Believers! Inculcate taqwa."
With taqwa, Imaan will remain protected and it will progress. The
more a person brings taqwa into his life and adheres to the
commands of Allah Ta`ala and abstains from sin, his Imaan will
strengthen accordingly.
Incident of Hadhrat Abdullah bin Umar
Abdullah bin Umar was once in the jungle at midday and it was
extremely hot. He sat down to partake of his meals. He saw a
shepherd herding goats and invited him to partake of meals.
"Please excuse me for I am fasting," the shepherd answered
"Why are you fasting in this extreme heat," queried Ibnu Umar
in astonishment. "It is neither the month of Ramadhaan nor any
date wherein fasting holds special virtue, like the 10
of Muharram,
Sha`baan or the 9
of Zul Hijjah."
"I am putting my Ayyaam-ul-Khaaliyah (free days) to use."
What is Ayyaam-ul-Khaaliyah (free days)? It is mentioned in the
Qur'aan that it will be said to those obedient slaves of Allah Ta`ala
who had underwent the difficulties of hunger and thirst (they
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ﻟ\ ¸ ,ﺎ
ﺑ ﺎ
ﻫ \
_ \
ﻛ ﺔ
"Eat and drink with ease because of those actions which you performed in
the days gone by [free days]." (al-Haaqqah:24)
The shepherd further explained: "My master has not tasked me
with any difficult work today. I thought to myself that why should I
let such a day go to waste. Let me use it to my advantage. Therefore
I am fasting."
His rationale pleased Ibnu Umar , who appreciated good deeds
and liked to reward those who performed good deeds.
"Very well, give me a goat to slaughter and I shall give you some
of the meat," instructed Ibnu Umar .
"I am not the owner of the goats. I am a mere shepherd and a
shepherd has no right to give away the owner's animals without his
To test him, Ibnu Umar casually said: "I am sure that your
master does not count the goats every day. You can present this
excuse that a wolf devoured a goat or a goat got lost. For a goat to
get lost from such a large flock is not a far-fetched notion."
"And where is Allah Ta`ala?" snapped the shepherd. "I may be
able to deceive my master, who is not present that a sheep got lost
or was devoured by a wolf, but I am unable to deceive Allah Ta`ala
who is present at all times." This was the consciousness of Allah
Ta`ala that was embedded in his heart.
Ibnu Umar was extremely impressed with his character. He
found out who the master of this shepherd was, went up to him and
bought the flock together with the shepherd. Ibnu Umar
thereafter went to the shepherd and informed him of this
"May Allah bless you in the flock," exclaimed the shepherd.
Ibnu Umar then informed him that he had purchased him as
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"May Allah Ta`ala bless you in this purchase of yours as well,"
the shepherd replied softly.
"I free you and give you this flock as a gift," disclosed Ibnu Umar
This person was a mere shepherd who did not have the authority
to give away a single goat to anyone. Now he had become the owner
of the entire flock. It is imperative that we develop within ourselves
the consciousness that Allah Ta`ala is always watching.
An old woman's resolve
During the khilaafat of Umar an old woman, who suffered from
leprosy, used to make tawaaf of the Ka`bah. This inconvenienced and
distressed many people. Umar prevented her from making tawaaf
and instructed her to remain at home. She acted accordingly. When
Umar passed away, someone came up to her and said: "The one
who prevented you from making tawaaf has passed away. You may
now go and make tawaaf without having any reservations."
"Umar was not a man who was to be obeyed in his lifetime
only and disobeyed after his death," she replied. "I shall therefore
remain at home and not go to make tawaaf."
This was the state of her resolution. Though she had a great zeal
to reap the rewards of making tawaaf, but due to the instruction and
wisdom of the Ameer-ul-Mu'mineen, she did not go to make tawaaf.
When a Muslim has resolved to lead his life according to the
teachings of Nabi , it is of utmost importance for him to remain
steadfast on this resolution. How can a person achieve this? By
inculcating taqwa within himself.
A saint was once asked: "What is taqwa?"
He replied with a practical example: "Taqwa is the way a person
will walk upon a pathway adorned with thorny plants on either
side. He will carefully thread along this pathway, watching every
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step of his, lest he should get scratched or his clothes will get caught
in the thorns. This is taqwa."
It is vital to inculcate taqwa in our lives, in order to be obedient to
Allah Ta`ala.
In the month of Ramadhaan, everyone educates himself with the
laws pertaining to fasting and they exercise great caution in all their
actions, lest their fast breaks. They do not gargle thoroughly whilst
making wudhu. If they are requested by their wives to taste the
gravy and see if the salt is enough, they blankly refuse. This very
same precaution should be found in all the laws of Deen. We should
ensure that we do not do anything that will displease Allah Ta`ala.
ﷲ ﻮ
ﺗ ﻮ
"O Believers! Inculcate taqwa."
If we inculcate taqwa, our tree of Imaan will strengthen, produce
fruits and spread its branches far and wide and we shall be blessed
with taufeeq to perform good deeds.
It is narrated from Ibnu Umar : · ¸, .·· , .·· .¸ ¸´ ¸·_· .,
(Everything has a mine, and the mine of taqwa is the hearts of the
Aarifeen [those who have recognised Allah Ta`ala]). Allah Ta`ala has
blessed them with the treasure of taqwa. Whosoever sits in their
company, pays careful attention to their teachings and adheres
strictly to them, will also be blessed with taqwa.
The Sahaabah sat in the company of Nabi . The conditions
that overcame them were such that they felt as though Jannah and
Jahannum were before them. How did this condition arise? The
company, of that person that you frequent, will have an effect on
you. The level of Nabi's yaqeen (conviction) was so high that Nabi
was not oblivious of the aakhirah (hereafter) even for a single
moment. This effect fell on the Sahaabah who used to sit in the
company of Nabi .
The grief a mother experiences on the death of her child is
extremely great. If she sits in anybody's company, there is no need
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for her to explain her grief to anyone. Those sitting in her company
will automatically get affected.
Hadhrat Moulana Ilyaas Sahib ·,· = ·~_ has said: "We have
become accustomed to taking messages from the words of people,
whereas words are a very weak means of getting the message
across. It has a great possibility of being erroneous. The
fundamental way of receiving a message is from the personality of a
He once mentioned: "I wrote a letter to Hadhrat Moulana Khaleel
Ahmad Saharanpuri ·,· = ·~_ informing him of my desire to spend
time in his company."
"There is no need for you to come and stay in my company,"
advised Moulana Khaleel Ahmad ·,· = ·~_. "Being in my company or
not is irrelevant. You will attain the same benefit"
When the resemblance with the ahlullah (friends of Allah)
becomes a dominant factor in our lives, this is a very great
achievement indeed. If our contact and link with the friends of Allah
Ta`ala strengthens to such a level that we even resemble them in our
physical appearance, then most certainly taqwa will enter our hearts.
If we do not attempt to inculcate taqwa in our lives, this will result
in opening the doors to the disobedience of Allah Ta`ala. Just as
Imaan strengthens with good deeds – it gets weaker by committing
sins and it continues to weaken until a person remains a mu'min by
name only. No sign of Imaan remains in him. Therefore, Allah Ta`ala
has instructed us in this way: "O Believers! Keep your Imaan firm by
inculcating taqwa,"
"And frequent the company of the pious."
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Join the caravan
A caravan is travelling to a certain place. The people of the caravan
are aware that their ameer (leader) is experienced and knows the
route well. He knows where the road inclines and declines, which
areas are dangerous and at which places their respective needs can
be easily fulfilled. If a person joins this caravan, he will reach his
destination with great ease.
If a person wants to proceed for Hajj on his own, his journey will
be extremely difficult. However, if he joins a group of people who
have been for Hajj several times, his journey will become very easy.
A person has accepted Islam today. To teach him how to make
wudhu and how to perform Salaah on your own is difficult.
However, if you take him to the Musjid and he practically sees how
the musallees make wudhu and perform their Salaah, he will learn
very quickly. Allah Ta`ala instructs us in the Qur'aan:
"And remain with the truthful."
Who are the truthful? The truthful are those whom Allah Ta`ala
has blessed with truthfulness in their hearts. They have correct
beliefs, which are the basis of Imaan and salvation. {Those
fundamental beliefs that Allah Ta`ala had revealed upon Nabi
who then clarified it for our understanding.} They believe in the
being of Allah Ta`ala and His qualities, as they ought to be believed.
The truthful are those who also have truthfulness in their actions,
character, lives and it is also evident on their tongues.
If we remain in the company of such people, Insha-Allah we will
also be blessed with correct beliefs, excellent character, taufeeq to
carry out good deeds and correct utilisation of the tongue. In due
time, Insha-Allah, we shall be blessed with a high level of taqwa as
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Forty days with the Tableegh Jamaat
A person is accustomed to using vulgar languages, not reading
namaaz, drinking alcohol and perpetually quarrelling and fighting
with people. He does not know Surah Fatihah, Attahiyyaat or any
other surah. He joined the Tableegh Jamaat for forty days. After forty
days, note the distinct difference in him. For forty days he refrained
from drinking alcohol. Drinking alcohol is such a serious crime that
the curse of Allah Ta`ala descends on such a person and the
punishment for it is eighty lashes.
For forty days he refrained from swearing and speaking lies. It is
recorded in a Hadeeth that when a person speaks lies, the angels run
miles away from him because of the stench that emanates from his
mouth. For forty days he did not swear. For forty days he made
wudhu and performed Salaah. Not a single Salaah of his became qadha
during the forty days. From where did these blessings arise? It arose
as a result of spending forty days in the company of the pious.
My beloved brothers! Allah Ta`ala has sent a large group of
people to this gathering. We do not know who from amongst this
group holds a special position in the sight of Allah Ta`ala. We do not
have the eyes to recognise who are the friends of Allah Ta`ala. Allah
Ta`ala has sent this group, and Insha-Allah, this is a group of pious
and truthful people.
Insha-Allah, by staying with them for a month, reformation of the
heart, beautification of character and correction of actions will take
place. Allah Ta`ala will protect us from evil habits. This gathering is
an example of:
"Stay with the truthful."
The saints of the past used to make their disciples stay with them
for forty days at a time and, during that period, they were subjected
to great sacrifices. They stressed upon them to cure themselves from
their spiritual maladies via unorthodox exercises.
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For example, a person may have the malady of pride, whereas it
is mentioned in the Ahaadeeth that whomsoever has an atom of pride
within his heart will not enter Jannah. He will be flung into Jahannum
until the pride is removed and thereafter will he only enter Jannah.
Allah Ta`ala states in a Hadeeth-e-Qudsi:
¸·_ .,_´
Pride is my upper-garment.
Whoever is proud is actually trying to snatch away the garment
of Allah Ta`ala.
Remedy for pride
A saint had prescribed for a certain person afflicted with the malady
of pride, to straighten everyone's shoes in the khanqah. This cured
him of his malady. Another saint instructed another person,
suffering from the same malady, to stand up after every Salaah and
announce to the people: "Respected brothers! I am a very proud
person. Please make du`aa that Allah Ta`ala cures me off this
These actions are the choice of the saints. They prescribe
whatever remedy they feel appropriate for a specific individual. Our
opinion plays no rule in these remedies for spiritual maladies. Our
duty is to hand over ourselves entirely to the saints and adhere
strictly to their prescriptions.
If anyone is admitted to hospital to undergo an operation, he
consumes what the doctor tells him to consume and abstains from
whatever the doctor instructs him to abstain from. He does nothing
without consulting his doctor. In the interim, if he goes through any
difficulty, he bears it patiently because, he is convinced that
whatever the doctor is doing is solely for his benefit.
Similarly, we should accept the remedies of our spiritual mentors
without questioning them and having the full conviction that
whatever treatment is prescribed, is for our benefit.
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A certain mureed had reached the rank of qurb-e-nawaafil. Qurb-e-
Nawaafil is the rank, which is attained by the performance of
abundance of nawaafil (voluntary deeds). Through the blessings of
the nafl ibaadaat, a person becomes so close to Allah Ta`ala that, as
mentioned, Allah Ta`ala becomes his tongue by means of which he
speaks, Allah Ta`ala becomes his legs by means of which he walks
and Allah Ta`ala becomes his limbs by means of which he performs
his actions.
This Hadeeth means that, whatever he says, whatever actions he
conducts everything pleases Allah Ta`ala. Sometimes whatever
these people utter becomes a reality.
Are you blind?
Once this mureed was sleeping and someone had entered to sweep
the room. While sleeping, the broom struck the mureed who awoke
and angrily said: "What is the matter? Are you blind?"
The moment he said this, the person sweeping became blind. The
mureed went and informed the shaikh of what had transpired.
"Why did you utter such a statement?" reprimanded the shaikh.
"I lost my temper," the mureed acknowledged.
"What remedy do you think is required" the shaikh enquired.
He replied that whatever the shaikh suggested.
"You will now be in charge of all his needs. You will take him to
the toilet, help him to make wudhu, take food for him and see to his
needs at all times."
During the latter part of the night, the mureed awoke to perform
tahajjud Salaah. He had just started his Salaah when the blind person
expressed his need to relieve himself. The mureed was forced to
complete his Salaah and take him to the toilet. After a while, the
mureed sat down to make zikr and the blind person now expressed
his need to make wudhu. Khidmat (serving) of the blind person had
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resulted in an interruption to the mureed's ma`mulaat (daily practices)
causing him a great deal of distress.
When the shaikh had seen that he had been cured of his malady,
he instructed the blind person to find out where the mureed was
sleeping and to strike him again whilst he was asleep. The blind
person did as he was instructed and the mureed awoke and said:
"Open your eyes and walk," and in so saying, the sight of the blind
person was restored by Allah Ta`ala.
Test of character
A special benefit of staying in such a large gathering is that
reformation of the character takes place. A person's name was once
mentioned in the presence of Hadhrat Umar . Hadhrat Umar
asked the opinion of those around him regarding the said
individual. They praised him and said that he was a good person.
Hadhrat Umar thereafter asked them if they had ever travelled with
that person, did any dealings with him or had been his neighbour.
They replied in the negative. Hadhrat Umar then said: "Perhaps
you all had reached this conclusion due to seeing him engaged in
some nafl ibaadat."
There are only three ways of gauging the true character of a
person. Firstly, by travelling with him, where generally everything
goes against a person's temperament. Secondly, by being his
neighbour, where one can be observed day and night. Thirdly,
through financial dealings. His honesty, truthfulness and
trustworthiness will be tested. Thus, by staying together in this
gathering, great reformation of one's character will take place.
The gist of the aayat is that it is obligatory on that person who has
resolved to lead his life according to the teaching of Nabi , to
inculcate taqwa in his life. We can inculcate taqwa within ourselves
by staying in the company of the truthful. Allah Ta`ala, through His
grace and mercy, has made it easy for us to be in the company of the
pious. We must value this opportunity. May Allah Ta`ala grant us
taufeeq. Aameen.
Discourse 9 Discourse 9 Discourse 9 Discourse 9
The passion of The passion of The passion of The passion of
our Akaabir for our Akaabir for our Akaabir for our Akaabir for
Deeni Deeni Deeni Deeni
knowledge knowledge knowledge knowledge
T h e p a s s i o n o f o u r A k a a b i r f o r . . . P a g e | 137
<,´ ·,_ _· ¸. , ·-
The buzurg and the yogi
A buzurg, who lived in Delhi, trained his disciple in the field of
spirituality. The buzurg prescribed various azkaar and other rigorous
spiritual exercises for. When the disciple attained competence in this
field, he sent him to Multan to preach Islam. The disciple set off with
great fervour, zeal and enthusiasm. Whilst on his journey, he
reached Paanipat, which was on the way to Multan.
In Paanipat, there was a yogi who used to spiritually attack the
hearts and the Imaan of Muslims passing by. This yogi could
perform supernatural feats. Thus, when the disciple neared
Paanipat, the yogi became aware of it and launched an attack on his
heart but failed dismally. The yogi confronted the disciple, and
asked: "Who are you? Where are you going? What do you say?"
"I am a Muslim. I am going to Multan and I say La ilaaha illallah."
When the disciple said, "La ilaaha illallah," he focused on the yogi's
heart resulting in him becoming insane. The yogi fled in haste and
advised whomever he met, "Do not go there! Do not go there! There
is a Muslim who is reciting La ilaaha illallah. Do not listen to this La
ilaaha illallah of his."
Hence, this very person, who tried to become an obstruction to
Deen, became a means of spreading the kalimah.
On the other hand, the buzurg in Delhi, learnt of this incident and
became displeased. The disciple also perceived that something was
amiss. The spiritual effulgence emanating from his heart had
decreased. Therefore, instead of proceeding on his mission, he
returned to his spiritual mentor who reproached him: "I had sent
you to preach Islam in Multan, not on the way to Multan."
He kept him in his company for another 40 days and thereafter
sent him to Multan, emphasising on preaching Islam in Multan only.
D i s c o u r s e s o f F a q e e h - u l - U m m a t P a g e | 138
The disciple followed his instructions and went to Multan where 80
000 people accepted Islam at his hands.
Subsequently we observe that the understanding and attitude of
the Muslims of the past eras was unique. Whatever strength or
capability one possessed, be it physical strength, mental, spiritual
ability, financial dominance or status, every quality or possession
was used for the benefit of Deen. This world is not a place of
enjoyment, comfort or luxury. It is a place of serving the Deen of
Allah Ta`ala. Enjoying comforts and luxuries are reserved for the
Today, our misconception is that every boon and favour of Allah
Ta`ala is solely for us. We feel we have the right to enjoy ourselves.
And in this delusion we have forgotten our responsibilities. The
bounties bestowed upon us by Allah Ta`ala are ordained to assist us
in fulfilling these responsibilities. However, enjoyment and pleasure
have become our primary objectives and that which is our primary
duty has been forgotten.
In whichever walk of life we may be engaged, we must
endeavour to spread the Deen of Rasulullah to the best of our
ability. Wherever we may be, whoever we may be, everyone should
take advantage of every opportunity to disseminate Deen: amongst
one's wife, children, relatives, friends and the general community.
We must be constantly uttering these words that this is Rasulullah's
teaching for this action and that is Rasulullah's teaching for that
Hadhrat Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi ·,· = ·~_ once came to
Saharanpur for a certain treatment. Shaikh-ul-Hadeeth Moulana
Zakariyya Sahib ·,· = ·~_ arranged for some talbeenah (a type of
medicinal food) to be prepared for Moulana Thanwi ·,· = ·~_. He sent
the food together with a letter advising, "I am saying this merely to
put your mind at ease. I had informed your doctor of the detailed
ingredients of this talbeenah and he assured me that it will not affect
your health in any way. Encouragement for eating such food is also
T h e p a s s i o n o f o u r A k a a b i r f o r . . . P a g e | 139
mentioned in the Hadeeth because, it strengthens the heart. Please
accept and partake of it."
Shaikh-ul-Hadeeth ·,· = ·~_ informed Hadhrat Thanwi ·,· = ·~_ of
its benefit, its harmlessness and the Deeni point relevant to it, i.e. the
encouragement in the Hadeeth for eating such food. Shaikh-ul-
Hadeeth did not mention the Deeni point because Hadhrat Thanwi
was unaware of it. No, Hadhrat Thanwi was an ocean of knowledge.
Rather, Shaikh-ul-Hadeeth ·,· = ·~_ just mentioned it because this
was his 24 hour occupation, i.e. continuously spreading the
knowledge of Deen, thereby ensuring that the mind is moulded in
the light of knowledge. Hence, whatever actions are performed, are
conducted in the light of knowledge.
Food for thought
Hadhrat Thanwi ·,· = ·~_ read the letter and replied, "My beloved
friend! In the zeal of your love, you have forgotten to abide by basic
principles. From the very beginning, you have mentioned the
Hadeeth to me. I now fear that, if I dislike this talbeenah, I will dislike
something, which has been encouraged in the Hadeeth. It would
have been better and more comforting to me if I partook of it first
then, had I liked it, you mention the Hadeeth to me. Now if I dislike
something encouraged in the Hadeeth, what will be the
consequences? I have therefore kept aside your gift and sent this
letter and a blank page to you, anticipating a reply."
Hadhrat Thanwi did not return the gift, taking into consideration
Shaikh-ul-Hadeeth's feelings. We understand that these people had
such value for the Hadeeth of Rasulullah that they could not even
tolerate having a dislike for something encouraged in the Hadeeth.
And yet people have the audacity to say that such luminaries
show disrespect to Rasulullah . Think for yourself! Is it possible
today to find anyone who values and respects Ahaadeeth as much as
they did?
D i s c o u r s e s o f F a q e e h - u l - U m m a t P a g e | 140
Shaikh-ul-Hadeeth ·,· = ·~_ counter-replied: "Hadhrat! As far as
the food being delicious or unappetising, this depends on the
expertise of the cook. An expert cook can make a simple meal
sumptuous, whereas an incompetent cook can make an expensive
dish unpalatable. If the meal is not enjoyable, blame it on the cook's
inability to prepare it properly. The second point to bear in mind is
that the Hadeeth declares such food to be beneficial, not appetizing.
Just as medication may be beneficial in removing an illness, at the
same time it may be unpleasant in its taste. A third point to keep in
mind is that it is mentioned in one riwaayat (narration): ¸,,' ·,´, (The
sick person will dislike it). Therefore, partake of it without any
Hadhrat Thanwi ·,· = ·~_ thereafter partook of it but did not
comment whether it was appetising or not.
Just the two of us
Our pious predecessors were imbued with the fervour for acquiring
knowledge. They kept the Ahaadeeth before them and desired to
practise on each one. Once, someone sent a plate of food to Shaikh-
ul-Hadeeth ·,· = ·~_. The instruction was to partake of it and
distribute it amongst those present with him. Shaikh-ul-Hadeeth
had it distributed and at the end only Shaikh-ul-Hadeeth and the
person distributing the food were left.
"Now only me and you remain," Shaikh-ul-Hadeeth remarked.
What was the intention of this statement from Shaikh-ul-Hadeeth
·,· = ·~_? It was to conform to the action of Rasulullah ·,· = ·~_.
On one occasion, someone gifted a bowl of milk to Rasulullah .
Hadhrat Abu Hurairah , who was suffering from starvation,
thought to himself that this bowl would be sufficient for me only.
Rasulullah asked Hadhrat Abu Hurairah to call the Ashaab-us-
Suffah to partake of the milk.
T h e p a s s i o n o f o u r A k a a b i r f o r . . . P a g e | 141
Rasulullah then instructed Hadhrat Abu Hurairah to serve
them. Through the miracle of Rasulullah , everyone drank to their
satisfaction from this one bowl of milk until Rasulullah and Abu
Hurairah were left. Rasulullah then said: "Only me and you are
Such was their adherence to the Sunnah. They had the knowledge
for every aspect of Deen at their fingertips.
A sweet bargain
Moulana Thanwi ·,· = ·~_ had many pre-conditions for accepting
gifts. He did not accept gifts in a hurry. However, there were some
exceptions to the rule. Once, someone brought a small amount of
red sugar and offered it as a gift to Moulana Thanwi ·,· = ·~_.
Moulana accepted it and distributed it amongst those who were
Thereafter, this person expressed his desire of becoming a mureed
of Moulana. Moulana replied that, this was not in conformity to the
rules of becoming a mureed. He acknowledged that he was ignorant,
of the rules but his sole desire was to be accepted as a mureed.
Moulana refused his request.
"Very well. I want my sugar back," he disclosed.
"Was this the reason for giving the sugar?" Moulana Thanwi = ·~_
·,· queried.
He replied in the affirmative.
"Why did you not say so?"
"You did not ask, that is why I did not inform you," he quipped.
"Very well. How much was the sugar?'
"I do not want the cash value," he revealed. "I want the very
same sugar which I had given to you."
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Seen that he was in an inescapable situation, Moulana initiated
him as a mureed. He then asked for some zikr to be prescribed to him.
Moulana prescribed some zikr for him, whereas it was Moulana's
rule that zikr was not prescribed at the very inception of bay`at.
Thereafter, he requested to be given a personal possession of
Moulana's as a blessing. Moulana ·,· = ·~_ gave him a tasbeeh. He
then asked for the privilege of making khidmat. Moulana stretched
out his leg and after massaging it for a while, he departed. Moulana
later commented on this episode.
"He was very fortunate that all his demands were met,"
exclaimed Moulana.
Cool as a cucumber
Once, a farmer brought a cucumber as a gift for Moulana Thanwi ·~_
·,· =.
"Why did you not ask me for permission before presenting this
gift?" demanded Moulana.
He acknowledged his error.
"What do you think is a suitable punishment for this error?"
asked Moulana.
"Whatever Moulana suggests," he replied softly.
"At that point is a notice outlining the rules of presenting a gift,"
Moulana said, pointing towards a pillar. "Go read it and then return
and ask me permission for presenting a gift. If I give you
permission, you may present the gift."
"But I have already read that notice," he argued.
"Now you have annoyed me," scolded Moulana.
He acknowledged his mistake again and Moulana asked him to
affix an appropriate punishment, to which he replied, "Whatever
Moulana suggests."
T h e p a s s i o n o f o u r A k a a b i r f o r . . . P a g e | 143
Moulana ·,· = ·~_ instructed him to take his cucumber and return
home. Thereafter, return to the khanqah, request his (Moulana's)
permission for presenting a gift and present it if he is given the
consent to do so.
"How must I go all the way back to my farm and then come all
the way back to the khanqah?" he objected.
Moulana frowned. "Now you have upset me even further."
"I have erred," he admitted.
As a punishment, Moulana told him to take his cucumber and go
home, never to return. He picked up his cucumber, made salaam and
walked out. Moulana merely replied to his salaam.
Sweet talk
Some of those who were given permission to present gifts, used to
behave strangely as well. One individual came as a guest to the
khanqah. At that time, there was no station in Thanabawan, and one
had to disembark at Jalalabad. He hired a servant to transport three
earthenware jars to the khanqah. When they reached the khanqah, a
dispute broke out between the two regarding the payment for the
service rendered. This person wanted to give a lesser amount than
the servant was asking for. Eventually, they settled on a price.
Moulana Thanwi ·,· = ·~_ came to the door, greeted and shook his
hands. The person presented the three jars to Moulana.
Moulana ·,· = ·~_ asked, "What is this?"
"This is Baalu shaahee (a type of sweetmeat) which I have brought
for you as a present," he smiled.
"Did you ask for permission?"
He replied in the affirmative. Moulana asked for the proof. He
produced a piece of paper, the contents of which were: "I desire to
have delicious Baalu shaahee prepared to present to Moulana. Please
D i s c o u r s e s o f F a q e e h - u l - U m m a t P a g e | 144
allow me to bring some," to which Moulana ·,· = ·~_ had replied: "I
give permission for three pieces only."
"I had permitted only three pieces," Moulana pointed out.
"These are only three pieces," he beamed. "I had asked the
confectioner to prepare three pieces of Baalu shaahee, each piece
being as big as an earthenware jar. It was my heartfelt desire to
present a larger amount of mithaai (sweetmeat) to Moulana, but
Moulana had restricted it to three pieces. The solution which I came
up with, in order to fulfil my desire and at the same time abide by
Moulana's restriction, was to make each piece as big as an
earthenware jar."
Cut the long story short
An aalim used to write very lengthy letters concerning his
reformation. Moulana Thanwi ·,· = ·~_ prohibited him from
communicating with him, in the future via letters that were longer
than three lines. The aalim wrote the next letter, just as lengthy, on a
piece of paper extended in breadth, in three lines.
"See what he has understood my letter to mean!" Moulana
Moulana did not read his letter and wrote back stating that each
line should be as long as a nose. An individual who was present at
that time, remarked, "Specify also that it should not be a foot long. I
say this because if he writes a letter, which is a foot long, it will still
be okay because Moulana did not affix a length for the nose. Just
now he may write a letter with each line as long as an elephant's
nose and this will make the matter more serious."
Hadhrat Thanwi -,·- =· ->_ and Hadhrat Madani -,·- =· ->_
These types of incidents used to occur frequently. However, there
were exceptions to Moulana's rules. Once, someone asked Moulana
T h e p a s s i o n o f o u r A k a a b i r f o r . . . P a g e | 145
Husain Ahmad Madani ·,· = ·~_ to describe his very first journey to
Thanabawan and what had transpired.
"The train reached the station at night," Moulana narrated. "I
placed my bedding on my head and went from Jalalabad to
Thanabawan. I enquired where the khanqah was and knocked on the
"Who is there?" cried the caretaker from behind the door.
"Husain Ahmad," I responded.
"The rule of the khanqah is that once the door is closed at night, it
will not be opened until the morning," and in so saying, the
caretaker retired to his room.
"I thought to myself that where can I go now? I am not
acquainted with anyone here. Eventually, I found out where
Moulana Thanwi's ·,· = ·~_ house was, spread out my bedding in
front of his door and lay down to sleep. In the morning, whilst
rolling up my bedding, Moulana opened the door and asked: "Who
is there?"
"Husain Ahmad."
"What are you doing here at this part of the morning?" Moulana
asked, puzzled.
I related the events that transpired during the night. He took me
to the khanqah and explained to the khaadims that I was excluded
from the rule. The door should be opened for me whenever I
Thus, there were a few people who were excluded from Moulana
Thanwi's ·,· = ·~_ rules. Those who were not excluded, however,
were dealt with very differently.
Moulana was once very angry with someone. As a way of
reformation, Moulana expelled him from the khanqah and instructed
a khaadim to remove his luggage. Another person, who had
previously spent lengthy periods in the company of Moulana, had
D i s c o u r s e s o f F a q e e h - u l - U m m a t P a g e | 146
just arrived. He felt sorry for the person being expelled and said to
the khaadim, "What is this? How can you take him out of the khanqah
with his luggage?"
The khaadim informed Moulana of this person's statement.
Moulana instructed the khaadim to help him out of the khanqah as
"Did he come here for his reformation or mine?"
The gift watch
Once, Moulana Khaleel Ahmad Saharanpuri ·,· = ·~_ and Moulana
Thanwi ·,· = ·~_ were travelling by train. They stopped at a certain
place and one of Moulana Thanwi's ·,· = ·~_ khaadims who resided
there, presented him with a watch as a gift. A little while later, when
they were alone, Moulana Saharanpuri ·,· = ·~_ said to Moulana
Thanwi ·,· = ·~_, "If you do not require that watch, will you sell it to
"Hadhrat, I belong to you and my possessions belong to you.
Why are you even mentioning about purchasing it? I present it as a
gift to you," Moulana Thanwi ·,· = ·~_ answered.
"Since I have already initiated the sale, it cannot be given as a gift
now as it can be construed to be a very subtle way of asking for it,"
Moulana Saharanpuri ·,· = ·~_ pointed out. "If you had given it to me
before my offer to purchase it that would have been a different
After some discussion, a price was fixed and Moulana
Saharanpuri ·~_ ·,· = purchased the watch.
This entire transaction, however, did not remain a secret.
Somehow the wind seemed to have spread the news. Nowadays,
news is spread via airwaves through the radio. The news of the deal
reached the ears of the person who had originally given the watch to
Moulana Thanwi ·,· = ·~_.
T h e p a s s i o n o f o u r A k a a b i r f o r . . . P a g e | 147
"If I wanted, I could have presented some cash to Moulana
Thanwi ·,· = ·~_. The whole purpose of giving the watch was so that
Moulana could use it," he lamented.
The sorrow of this person reached the ears of Moulana Thanwi
·,· = ·~_. Thus, Moulana approached Hadhrat Saharanpuri ·,· = ·~_
and respectfully asked, "Moulana! Could you please return the
watch which I had sold to you?"
"Was there an option in the sale?" queried Moulana Saharanpuri
·,· = ·~_.
Moulana Thanwi ·,· = ·~_ replied in the negative but informed
Moulana Saharanpuri ·,· = ·~_ about the sorrow expressed by his
"Was the condition made in the sale that if the one who had
given the gift was unhappy, the watch must be returned?" added
Moulana Saharanpuri ·,· = ·~_.
Moulana Thanwi ·,· = ·~_ again replied in the negative upon
which Moulana Saharanpuri ·,· = ·~_ stated that the deal was then
"Since the deal is complete, let us now cancel it," Moulana
Thanwi suggested.
"In order to cancel the transaction, both parties need to be happy
and I am not pleased with this proposal. So this deal cannot be
"Hadhrat, you are my senior," pleaded Moulana Thanwi ·,· = ·~_.
"Seniors usually show a lot of kindness to their juniors. Please be
kind to me and return the watch."
What was the reasoning behind this statement? Moulana
Thanwi·,· = ·~_ realised that he was not progressing in terms of
principle, so he began to exploit the bounds of friendship.
D i s c o u r s e s o f F a q e e h - u l - U m m a t P a g e | 148
"Certainly, I would have returned the watch to you," assured
Moulana Saharanpuri ·,· = ·~_. "But my friend made me his proxy to
buy a watch for him. I purchased this watch from you with the
intention of purchasing it for him. He made me a proxy in so far as
purchasing it, not selling it. Therefore, I have no right to cancel the
deal and return the watch to you."
The next day in the majlis, when the khaadim had arrived,
Moulana Saharanpuri ·,· = ·~_ returned the watch to Moulana
Thanwi ·,· = ·~_.
"Hadhrat, what about the explanation you had given me
yesterday about not having the right to cancel the deal?" Moulana
Thanwi ·,· = ·~_ asked, baffled.
"The matter is as I had stated. However, I have complete
confidence in my friend that, if I inform him of my action, he will
not become displeased."
Whatever factors were discussed amongst our pious predecessors
were always linked to `ilm. From this single anecdote, how many
masaa'il can be extracted! An important etiquette of presenting a gift
was learnt from this incident, i.e. the giver should not become
displeased with the decision taken by the recipient because he has
the volition to do as he pleases with the gift. When people listen
attentively to the anecdotes of our pious predecessors, they gain
tremendous benefit.
Hadhrat Raipuri -,·- =· ->_ and Shaikh-ul-Hadeeth =· ->_
Once, Moulana Raipuri ·,· = ·~_ came to Saharanpur. It was the
period of struggle for political power between the Majlis-e-Ahraar
and the Muslim league. Moulana Habeeb-ur-Rahman Ludhyanwi
·,· = ·~_, leader of the Ahraar had also arrived. A khaadim of Moulana
Raipuri ·,· = ·~_, who was a resident of Baht and a supporter of the
T h e p a s s i o n o f o u r A k a a b i r f o r . . . P a g e | 149
Muslim League, entered the room. Moulana Raipuri ·,· = ·~_ stood
up out of respect for him. Shaikh-ul-Hadeeth Moulana Zakariyya ·~_
·,· = also stood up. (At that time he was able to walk easily.)
This khaadim paid no attention to Moulana Habeeb-ur-Rahman ·~_
·,· = nor did he shake hands with him. He completed his work with
Moulana Raipuri ·,· = ·~_ and left. Afterwards, Moulana Habeeb-ur-
Rahman ·,· = ·~_ said: "I think I have erred. When such a buzurg
stood up out of respect, I should have also stood up. The point that
prevented me from doing so was a Hadeeth of Baihaqi which states
that whoever humbles himself before a wealthy person, a portion of
his Deen is destroyed."
Shaikh-ul-Hadeeth ·,· = ·~_ remarked: "It is mentioned in another
·¸ ·,·,¯'· ·,· <,¯ ,¯.-
When an honourable person of a community comes to you, then honour
Moulana Habeeb-ur-Rahman ·,· = ·~_ then said, "Hadhrat, there
seems to be a contradiction between these two Ahaadeeth. How do
you reconcile between them?"
Shaikh-ul-Hadeeth ·,· = ·~_ requested Moulana Raipuri ·,· = ·~_ to
elucidate on this matter. However, Moulana Raipuri ·,· = ·~_ insisted
on Shaikh-ul-Hadeeth ·,· = ·~_ explaining the matter and reconciling
between the two Ahaadeeth. Shaikh-ul-Hadeeth ·,· = ·~_ agreed to
reconcile between the two Ahaadeeth on condition that Moulana
Raipuri ·,· = ·~_ freely criticises his answer if need be.
"If the answer is correct, how can I say that it is incorrect?"
objected Moulana Raipuri ·,· = ·~_. "I shall have to agree with it."
Shaikh-ul-Hadeeth ·,· = ·~_ then explained, "The Hadeeth of
Baihaqi states:
D i s c o u r s e s o f F a q e e h - u l - U m m a t P a g e | 150
·,· · .·· ·· _· _., ¸·
Whoever humbles himself for an affluent person due to his affluence, two-
thirds of his Deen has been ruined.
One Hadeeth uses the word 'tawaadhu`' (to humble oneself) and
the other has the word 'ikraam' (to honour someone). Humility is an
action related to the heart. The heart has been created to humble
itself, subjugate itself to Allah Ta`ala alone. As far as honouring
someone is concerned, that is related to the external limbs.
Therefore, humbling oneself and honouring someone are two totally
different actions. Thus no contradiction remains between the two
Ahaadeeth." All were extremely happy with this answer.
"I become so elated whenever I am able to reconcile between two
apparently contradictory Ahaadeeth that I do not experience such
elation in anything else," admitted Shaikh-ul-Hadeeth ·,· = ·~_.
This is what an aalim's outlook towards Deen should be. At every
moment of our life, be it whilst walking, talking, sitting or eating, at
every juncture, we must discuss `ilmi points and then point out the
practice of Rasulullah for that specific action. The result of this
will be that the lifestyle of Rasulullah will always be in front of us
and we will realise that we have been created to lead our lives only
in the manner shown to us by Rasulullah .
Moulana Thanwi ·,· = ·~_ has written that the aim of sitting in the
company of the pious is not to gain knowledge but rather the drive
to practise upon knowledge acquired. Moulana Gangohi ·,· = ·~_ has
written that when Ulama take bay`at at the hands of one who is not
an aalim, their aim is not to learn masaa'il from him. No! Their aim is
that the knowledge, which they had gained and were not practicing
upon due to the laziness of their nafs, will become easy to practise
after establishing contact with a friend of Allah Ta`ala.
T h e p a s s i o n o f o u r A k a a b i r f o r . . . P a g e | 151
Hadhrat Gangohi -,·- =· ->_ and Haji Imdaadullah =· ->_
On one occasion, Hadhrat Gangohi ·,· = ·~_ was a guest at Haji
Imdaadullah's ·,· = ·~_ place in Makkah Mukarramah. Haji Sahib ·~_
·,· = accepted an invitation to attend a meelaad. He extended the
invitation to Moulana Gangohi ·,· = ·~_ who declined in an
extremely beautiful manner: "Hadhrat, in India we prevent people
from attending meelaads because of the evil practices that take place.
Here, the meelaads are not contaminated with these evil practices.
Unfortunately, people will not look at this point. If the people of
India learn about this, they will say, 'Here in India he stops us from
attending meelaads, but there in Hijaaz he himself attends with his
Shaikh.' Therefore, please excuse me from attending the meelaad with
Haji Sahib ·,· = ·~_ attended the meelaad.
"Moulana," he remarked upon his return. "I would not have
experienced such happiness by you accompanying me like the
happiness I had experienced in you excusing yourself."
When Haji Sahib ·,· = ·~_ had left for the meelaad, one of
Moulana's khaadims had surreptitiously followed him.
"Had Moulana ·,· = ·~_ seen the practices prevalent at that
meelaad, he would not have prevented it from taking place," he
disclosed upon his return.
Moulana Thanwi ·,· = ·~_ has commented on this matter: "This
entire matter is based upon a principle wherein Imaam Abu Hanifah
·,· = ·~_ and Imaam Shaafi`ee ·,· = ·~_ differ. Imaam Abu Hanifah ·~_
·,· = says that if evil practices are introduced in an act of worship,
which is mustahab, then it ceases to remain mustahab – it becomes
makrooh. Imaam Shaafi`ee ·,· = ·~_ says that such an action will still
remain mustahab. However, the evil practices introduced in it must
D i s c o u r s e s o f F a q e e h - u l - U m m a t P a g e | 152
be removed. Thus, Moulana Gangohi ·,· = ·~_ had chosen the view of
Imaam Abu Hanifah ·,· = ·~_ that such evil practices had entered into
the meelaad gatherings that emancipation from them is difficult.
Therefore it becomes makrooh.
On the other hand, Haji Sahib ·,· = ·~_ chose the view of Imaam
Shaafi`ee ·,· = ·~_ that it remains mustahab. However, it should be
cleansed of the evil practices introduced in it. It is therefore written
in the kitaabs that, in principle, these gatherings are correct but the
additions made to them are incorrect and to stay away from them is
practically impossible."
Moulana Madani ·,· = ·~_ once narrated the following incident: "At
one stage, my elder brother was the scribe for Moulana Gangohi ·~_
·,· =. Moulana ·,· = ·~_ was once stationed in Bhawalpur when a
person wrote to Moulana expressing his desire to resign from his
work and spend time in Moulana's company. Moulana Gangohi ·~_
·,· = prohibited him from doing so. My brother asked: "Hadhrat,
why are you prohibiting him from doing so? Will it not benefit
"Certainly there is benefit in coming and sitting in seclusion,"
explained Hadhrat Gangohi ·,· = ·~_. "However, by seeking
permission to do so indicates that seclusion will not benefit him at
this present moment in time."
Moulana Nanotwi ·,· = ·~_ once asked Haji Sahib ·,· = ·~_,
"Working and earning is contrary to tawakkul. Should I leave my
"When you do not have the need to ask, then leave your work,"
advised Haji Sahib ·,· = ·~_.
T h e p a s s i o n o f o u r A k a a b i r f o r . . . P a g e | 153
Moulana Thanwi ·,· = ·~_ has explained that asking is an
indication of doubt, and doubt is proof that one's tawakkul is
Anyway, the point of this talk is that the disposition of our pious
predecessors was an `ilmi one, such that they were very vigilant in
observing the Sunnah in all spheres of life. May Allah Ta`ala bless us
all with the taufeeq to lead our lives in accordance to the Sunnah as
well. Aameen.
Discourse 10 Discourse 10 Discourse 10 Discourse 10
The Rights of The Rights of The Rights of The Rights of
Rasulullah Rasulullah Rasulullah Rasulullah
T h e R i g h t s o f R a s u l u l l a h P a g e | 157
·- <,´ ·,_ _· ¸. , . ·, ·' ·
,,-, ¸~, = ,, ,,-, ¸=, ¸· =, ·,·'
ﻳ ﺎ
_ ¸ ﻪ
ﻋ \
ﺻ \
Shower of love
To recite Durood upon Rasulullah once is fardh-e-`ain (obligatory
upon every individual). Ulama are unanimous on the opinion that
to recite Durood once in a lifetime is fardh-e-`ain due to the command
of the Qur'aanic aayat. Thereafter, to recite Durood whenever one
mentions or hears the name of Rasulullah is waajib.
There are two views of the fuqahaa concerning reciting Durood
Shareef if Rasulullah's blessed name is repeated several times, for
example in a bayaan or in a lesson of Hadeeth. One view is that to
recite Durood once is waajib. {Similar to performing only one Sajdah-
e-Tilaawat when reciting an aayat of sajdah several times.} The second
view is that it is waajib to recite Durood every time the name of
Rasulullah is mentioned.
There is leniency in the first view, whilst caution is being
exercised in the second view. However, the dictates of reverence
should ensure that Durood be recited every time the name of
Rasulullah is mentioned.
Allah Ta`ala, the angels and mankind, all recite Durood on
Rasulullah . The Ulama have discussed at great length whether the
Durood and Salaam of all the specified parties is the same or not.
When Durood is attributed to Allah Ta`ala, the meaning is different,
when attributed to the angels, the meaning is also different and
when attributed to man, the meaning is different as well.
Whatever the different meanings may be, the primary point is
that it is incumbent upon everyone to recite Durood upon Rasulullah
. Hadhrat Moulana Fadhl-ur-Rahman Ganj Muradabadi ·,· = ·~_
D i s c o u r s e s o f F a q e e h - u l - U m m a t P a g e | 158
has translated Durood as the shower of Allah Ta`ala's love on
Rasulullah .
The gist of Durood is beseeching Allah Ta`ala to shower His
complete mercy and peace of both the worlds on Rasulullah . It is a
du`aa for Rasulullah .
In earlier eras, it was customary upon everyone, be he rich or
poor, a professional or an ordinary labourer, to make du`aa for the
king. Shaikh Sa`di ·,· = ·~_ used to make the following supplication:
"O Allah, protect me with Your special glance of mercy from the evil
glance of Shaitaan. O Allah, make me a true servant of Yours in this dunya
by gracing me with the taufeeq to obey Your commandments. Keep me
steadfast on taqwa and piety. Fulfil all my ambitions of this world and the
next. Allow me not to be concerned about Your enemy. Let me not be
harmed with the passage of time."
There was once a qaadhi (judge) in a certain village who in his
fervour for the propagation of Deen, commanded the people of the
village to perform Salaah and threatened to ex-communicate anyone
who did not perform their Salaah. Thus, the people began to perform
their Salaah.
Salaam to the king of kings
In the Haram Shareef, I had once seen the king arriving to make
tawaaf. At that time, Saudi Arabia's relations with Egypt were good.
Hence, when the king arrived, all the Egyptians began to make du`aa
for him: "May Allah Ta`ala assist you. May Allah Ta`ala help you!"
For whomsoever you have a deep attachment and reverence
towards, your du`aa and respect for him will be accordingly.
Rasulullah's rights over us are innumerable. For whom were the
skies, the earth, the moon, sun and stars, the winds, plants and
different animals created?
Had it not been for the creation of Rasulullah , nothing would
have been created. Whatever came into existence was solely due to
T h e R i g h t s o f R a s u l u l l a h P a g e | 159
the blessings of Rasulullah . Shaikh Akbar has mentioned that
Rasulullah was the master of existence.
Furthermore, he has written that the substance used to create the
heart is more refined and delicate than the substance used to create
the body. The sense and perception of the various limbs of the body
are different. The sense of the foot is different from the rest of the
limbs. One can walk on stones, hot sand and sometimes even on
The physical exertion that can be accomplished with the leg is
greater than the physical exertion that can be accomplished with the
hand. The endurance of the leg is greater than that of the hand. The
hand as well can endure certain difficulties.
The eye, in comparison, is so delicate that it cannot even endure a
spec of dust and the heart is the most refined of all the organs. The
legs have a limited capability. After walking for a while, they tire.
The hand as well has a limited capability. It can carry up to a certain
amount of weight and no more. A person's voice can travel up to a
certain distance and no further. The limitation of one's sight is very
These are all the external faculties but the heart, embedded in the
body, is the king of all the limbs and the most powerful organ. The
power of the heart is greater than that of the limbs. The eyes can see
till the sky, whereas the heart can reach beyond that. It can traverse
up to the Lauh-e-Mahfooz, even till the `Arsh, and the speed at which
the heart travels is greater than the speed at which sight travels.
As mentioned earlier, the substance used to create the heart is
very refined, therefore, the strength of its perception is very great.
The substance used to create the hearts of the common people is
used to create the bodies of the exclusive friends of Allah Ta`ala.
Therefore, their hearts will be more refined.
The substance used for creating the hearts of the exclusive friends
of Allah Ta`ala, is the same substance used for the creation of the
D i s c o u r s e s o f F a q e e h - u l - U m m a t P a g e | 160
bodies of the Ambiyaa ·· ,,,·. Therefore, their hearts are further
The substance used for the creation of the hearts of the Ambiyaa is
the same substance used for the creation of Rasulullah . Therefore,
Rasulullah's heart is even more refined.
Love, belief and obedience
It is widely accepted that one should express one's gratitude to the
person who has showered one with his favours. Thus, if the favours
of Rasulullah upon us are to be examined, it will be obligatory
upon us to express our gratitude to Rasulullah . The entire
universe was created because of him. How wonderful is the
statement made by a certain person,
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"Salaam be upon you O leader of the children of Aadam .
Salaam be upon you O means of the existence of the universe."
Also, who was the means of us receiving the noble Qur'aan?
Rasulullah was the means. Who was the means of us receiving
namaaz and roza? Rasulullah was the means. Rasulullah is the
means for us receiving every bounty bestowed upon us, in this
world and the hereafter. Therefore, Rasulullah enjoys the most
rights over us.
After a careful analysis, the rights of Rasulullah are categorised
into the following three:
1. Love
2. Firm belief
3. Obedience.
If these three rights are diligently practiced upon, then Insha-
Allah, all the rights of Rasulullah will be fulfilled.
T h e R i g h t s o f R a s u l u l l a h P a g e | 161
The first right of love
It is necessary upon everyone to inculcate love for Rasulullah .
There are two types of love;
1) Natural love, which is beyond one's control.
2) Mental love, which is developed by reflecting over the kindness,
favours and merits of the beloved.
A person has a three-year-old daughter. When he returns from a
journey, his daughter comes rushing to meet him shouting, "Daddy!
He picks her up, kisses her on the cheek, places her on his lap and
puts a sweet in her mouth. This is one degree of love. It is the dictate
of the love for a child. When that very same three-year-old girl
grows up and becomes a woman, her father will not express his love
to her in the same way. The method will differ. Similarly, the love
for one's parents differs when compared to the love for one's
What type of love should one have for Rasulullah ? The love for
Rasulullah should be unique, just as Rasulullah himself was
unique. There was never anyone like him and nor will there ever be
anyone like him. As far as being a human, Rasulullah resembled
the Sahaabah ,
ǖ ﺎ
"Indeed I am a man like you." (al-Kahf:110)
But as far as the perfection which Allah Ta`ala blessed Rasulullah
with, none has ever possessed them nor will anyone ever possess
That is why Rasulullah questioned the Sahaabah , "Which of
you can be like me? My Sustainer feeds me and gives me drink."
(Rasulullah said this when the Sahaabah desired to observe
saum-e-wisaal and he had prohibited them from it. [Saum-e-wisaal is
D i s c o u r s e s o f F a q e e h - u l - U m m a t P a g e | 162
to fast for many days continuously without partaking of sehri and
The point is that the love for Rasulullah should be a unique
and totally different category of love. This example can be found in
the lives of the Sahaabah . To express it in words is difficult
indeed. The way to express it is that one should bring the correct
aqeedat into one's life.
The second right – Aqeedat
The love one has for Rasulullah should assume the form of
aqeedat. What does this mean? This means that the belief embedded
in the heart, is that my greatest benefactor from the creation is non
other than Rasulullah , and whatever he has mentioned is the
absolute truth.
The statements of great leaders, doctors and intellectuals of the
world can be deceiving but the statements of Rasulullah are the
transcendental truth. This is the gist of aqeedat. This will make us
successful. Without this level of aqeedat, we will be unsuccessful.
Love minus belief
During the forty years prior to prophethood, the people had
witnessed the purity of Rasulullah's life. During his childhood, he
did not play like other children. As he grew older, Rasulullah did
not get embroiled in mischief making like other children. As a
youth, he did not entertain desires and fanciful ideologies like other
The piety of Rasulullah was acknowledged by all and sundry.
He was titled "The trustworthy one" and "The truthful one". People
left their possessions in his trust. Rasulullah never
misappropriated the wealth of anyone. Never had a wrong word
ever been uttered by the blessed tongue of Rasulullah . He never
T h e R i g h t s o f R a s u l u l l a h P a g e | 163
said anything to disgrace anyone nor had he ever looked at anyone
with contempt.
That Rasulullah was a paragon of perfection was unanimously
accepted by the Arabs. Thereafter, Rasulullah began receiving
revelation and after a period of time, the following aayat was
"And warn your close relatives." (ash-Shu`araa:214)
The first people to whom Rasulullah was commanded to
convey the message of Islam were to his close relatives. The reason
for this is that the life of the messenger who is commissioned to
convey the commands of Allah Ta`ala to the people, has to be pure
and his family members easily attested to the purity of his life. Thus,
Rasulullah gathered his family members to warn them of Allah's
Rasulullah ascended Mount Safa and began calling out to his
family members individually by their names. In that era, there were
not so many buildings in Makkah Shareef as presently found and
the population as well was much smaller in comparison. Allah
Ta`ala made it such that the voice of Rasulullah was heard by one
and all. If Allah Ta`ala wanted to do it directly (without the medium
of Rasulullah ), He could have done so.
Abu Lahab
On hearing the voice of Rasulullah , the people became perturbed
as this did not sound like the voice of an ordinary person. This was
the voice of Rasulullah who was instructed by Allah Ta`ala to
make this call. Thus, his voice had a majesty and magnanimity to it.
When the people heard his voice, they became fearful and quickly
left their work and gathered at Mount Safa. Those who could not
come due to some unforeseen circumstance sent others in their
D i s c o u r s e s o f F a q e e h - u l - U m m a t P a g e | 164
Before addressing them, as a test Rasulullah , with great tact
and wisdom, made the people admit to one fact.
"Inform me! If I say that an enemy is at the bottom of this hill,
waiting to launch an attack on you in the morning, will you believe
me?" Rasulullah asked.
A customary practice amongst the Arabs was that they used to
launch attacks on the enemy in the last portion of the night when
people are generally relaxed and negligent. If the presence of the
enemy is known beforehand, suitable arrangements could be made.
Rasulullah asked them if they would believe him in such a
"Most certainly," they admitted. "We have not heard any false
statement uttered from your mouth."
Not once was an incorrect statement ever uttered from the
blessed tongue of Rasulullah in the past forty years. The people
were ready to believe him whether they saw the enemy or not.
When they had admitted to his truthfulness, he () then warned
them of Allah Ta`ala's punishment.
Present in the gathering was the one who professed the greatest
love for Rasulullah , the paternal uncle of Rasulullah , Abu
Lahab. Abu Lahab was the first person to deny Rasulullah .
"May your hand be destroyed," he indignantly retorted. "Was
this the only reason for gathering us here?'
This blasphemous statement could not be tolerated in the court of
Allah Ta`ala. So Allah Ta`ala Himself replied by revealing the verse:
"May both hands of Abu Lahab be destroyed!" (al-Lahab:1)
The point being made is that to suffice on love only is incorrect.
Abu Lahab had great love for Rasulullah . Allah Ta`ala only knows
how many times Abu Lahab must have taken Rasulullah in his
lap. Abu Lahab had a slave girl by the name of Thuwaybah. When
T h e R i g h t s o f R a s u l u l l a h P a g e | 165
she had informed him that his nephew, i.e. Rasulullah , was born
he became so pleased with this good news that he freed Thuwaybah
with an indication of his hand.
Thereafter, Rasulullah began reciting the Qur'aan and
spreading its message. Some people believed in his message, whilst
others did not. After Abu Lahab's demise, Hadhrat Abbas had
seen him in a dream and asked him about his condition. Abu Lahab
replied that he was undergoing severe punishment. Only the finger
that was used to free the slave girl was saved from punishment.
People become over sentimental when they hear about this
dream and they say: "See. Because of the love for Rasulullah even
Abu Lahab got saved from Allah's punishment."
Where did Abu Lahab gain salvation from Allah's punishment?
Allah Ta`ala explicitly states in the Qur'aan:
: \
"Soon he will enter into a raging fire." (al-Lahab:3)
And whose dream was this? Only the dreams of the Ambiyaa ,,,·
·· are true, not the dreams of everyone. Also, Abu Lahab himself
has stated in the dream that he is undergoing severe punishment
and only his finger has received emancipation. Is this any form of
salvation? What about the rest of the body?
During his lifetime, how many a times had he not carried
Rasulullah on his shoulders, or placed him on his lap. But these
parts of the body did not get saved from the severe chastisement of
Allah Ta`ala! Love alone is insufficient. Together with love the
correct aqeedat has to be inculcated. Abu Lahab did not possess the
correct aqeedat.
Abu Jahal's testimony
Akhnas bin Shareeq once asked Abu Jahal: "O Abu Jahl! Now we
are alone. Be truthful to me. Is Muhammad speaking lies?"
D i s c o u r s e s o f F a q e e h - u l - U m m a t P a g e | 166
"The fact is that whatever Muhammad says is the truth. He
does not speak lies. However the revelation that comes to him is
false," Abu Jahal admitted.
Having experienced the truthfulness of Rasulullah for the last
forty years, Abu Jahal did not have the courage to dare accuse
Rasulullah of speaking lies.
Thus, Imaan is based on two testimonies – To testify that Allah
Ta`ala is one and that Rasulullah is the last nabi. Accepting the
Oneness of Allah Ta`ala alone is insufficient. One also has to accept
the prophethood of Rasulullah . Whoever does not believe in the
prophethood of Rasulullah can never gain salvation.
Moulana Jaami ·,· = ·~_ has written in his book, Nafakhaat-ul-Ins
that once, while on a journey, he stopped at a Musjid to rest. During
the night, in his dream, he saw a gathering at the other end of the
Musjid. He enquired the reason for the gathering and was told that
Rasulullah had arrived. He joined the gathering and had the
privilege of meeting Rasulullah . He queried about the condition of
several people that had left the world.
When he asked about Imaam Ghazaali ·,· = ·~_, he was told that
Imaam Ghazaali succeeded in attaining his goal. He then asked
about Ibn-e-Seena.
"He tried to reach Allah without me, hence he was flung into the
fire of Jahannum," Rasulullah replied.
It is impossible to reach Allah Ta`ala without following
Rasulullah . It is therefore imperative that together with love for
Rasulullah , we also have the correct aqeedat. The love will be of
benefit only when it is accompanied with the correct aqeedat. Abu
Lahab, as well as all the Arabs, had love for Rasulullah but they
did not have the correct aqeedat. Without aqeedat, the love cannot
become a means of salvation in the Hereafter.
T h e R i g h t s o f R a s u l u l l a h P a g e | 167
The third right – Obedience
The third right that Rasulullah enjoys over us is obedience.
Together with love and aqeedat, one has to inculcate obedience as
well. When the highest levels of love and aqeedat are inculcated,
automatically the highest level of obedience will be acquired.
If we examine the lives of the Sahaabah , these concepts will
come to light. It is recorded in the books of Ahaadeeth that the first
battle of Islam was the Battle of Badr. In this battle, a structure was
built for Rasulullah so that the Sahaabah could consult with
him () if they desired.
Hadhrat Abu Bakr was appointed to guard Rasulullah . If
any enemy merely raised his eyebrows and glared at Rasulullah ,
Hadhrat Abu Bakr would dart like an arrow in his direction and
launch an attack on him. Amongst those who ventured with their
swords to attack Rasulullah was the son of Abu Bakr .
At a later period, when he was also blessed with accepting Islam,
he mentioned to Hadhrat Abu Bakr : "O my father. During the
battle of Badr, I had a chance to kill you. I spared you on account of
you being my father."
"You had spared me because of my relation to you. If I had the
opportunity to kill you, I would have most certainly done so," Abu
Bakr emphatically disclosed.
Rasulullah has mentioned: "None of you is a perfect believer
until I am more beloved to you than your parents, children and all
Imaan demands that the love for Rasulullah be greater than the
love for anyone else. This can be best assessed at the time of a crisis.
The father of a Sahaabi once uttered blasphemous words against
Rasulullah . This Sahaabi could not tolerate his father's caustic
speech against Rasulullah . Therefore, he struck his father across
the face.
D i s c o u r s e s o f F a q e e h - u l - U m m a t P a g e | 168
He then presented himself before Rasulullah and, after
reporting what had transpired, requested Rasulullah to make
du`aa for his father's hidaayat. Rasulullah made du`aa and his
father was blessed with Islam.
This Sahaabi fulfilled the right of Rasulullah by slapping his
father and he fulfilled his father's right by requesting Rasulullah
to make du`aa for him.
Hadhrat Umm-e-Habeebah ·,·- =· _=_
Abu Sufyan, until he accepted Islam, was the commander of the
army fighting against Rasulullah . He once went to visit his
daughter, Umm-e-Habeebah ,· = ¸._, one of the chaste wives of
Rasulullah and the sister of Mu`aawiyah .
When Abu Sufyan came to her house, she immediately folded up
the bedding and placed it aside. "O my daughter. What is this?"
asked Abu Sufyan, shocked at her action. "It is a known etiquette
that a daughter will spread out her bedding for her father."
"This bedding is the bedding of Rasulullah and you are
impure. Therefore, you are not worthy of sitting on this bedding,"
Umm-e-Habeebah ,· = ¸._ explicitly stated.
We understand that her love for Rasulullah was greater than
that for her father.
Prior to Islam, the Sahaabah used to marry numerous wives
and many of them even had as many as ten wives. When the laws
pertaining to marriage were revealed and Rasulullah announced
that marrying more than four women was impermissible, they
immediately separated themselves from their surplus wives, despite
having developed a deep bond of attachment to them.
T h e R i g h t s o f R a s u l u l l a h P a g e | 169
Hadhrat Khubaib
Hadhrat Khubaib was captured in one of the battles. His captors
asked him: "Would you not prefer that you be released and
Muhammad be killed in your place?"
"O you wretched lot," he snapped back. "You are asking me such
a question? I will not be able to tolerate relaxing at home whilst even
a thorn is pricking Rasulullah ."
In the battle of Uhud, Hadhrat Talhah used his hand as a
shield to protect Rasulullah from the enemies' arrows. It resulted
in his hand becoming paralysed. The Sahaabah loved Rasulullah
more than themselves.
Hadhrat Fatimah ·,·- =· _=_
Hadhrat Fatimah ,· = ¸._ was the most beloved daughter of
Rasulullah . The level of her love and aqeedat for Rasulullah was
of a very high standard. The proof of her love for Rasulullah is
understood from the following Hadeeth:
"Fatimah (,· = ¸._) is part of me. Whoever harms her, harms me,"
whilst the proof of her aqeedat is that Rasulullah has said:
"Fatimah ( ._ ,· = ¸ ) will be the leader of the women in Jannah."
Despite her high level of love and aqeedat, Rasulullah gave her
the following warning: "O Fatimah! Take from me how much you
want of the dunya. In the Hereafter, only your good deeds will be of
benefit to you. Do not fall into the misconception that you are the
daughter of a nabi."
From this we conclude that it is necessary to have obedience
together with love and aqeedat.
D i s c o u r s e s o f F a q e e h - u l - U m m a t P a g e | 170
Hadhrat Abdullah bin Mas`ood
On one occasion, Rasulullah ascended the mimbar and instructed
the Sahaabah to sit. All the Sahaabah immediately sat down.
Abdullah bin Mas`ood , who was still outside the Musjid by the
shoe section, also sat down. He did not think to himself that the
instruction is only for those inside the Musjid. The Sahaabah
always kept death in front of them. Hadhrat Ibnu Mas`ood
thought to himself, "If I die before entering the Musjid and
tomorrow on the Day of Qiyaamah Allah Ta`ala will ask me: 'You
heard the instruction of My nabi to sit and you did not comply. Why
did you not sit?' What reply will I have?" Therefore, he immediately
sat down.
When Rasulullah saw him sitting outside, Rasulullah said:
"O Ibnu Mas`ood, come inside."
This was the level of the Sahaabah's obedience to Rasulullah
coupled with the highest levels of love and aqeedat.
May Allah Ta`ala bless us with a fraction of such love, aqeedat and
obedience. Aameen.
Discourse 11 Discourse 11 Discourse 11 Discourse 11
Etiquettes of Etiquettes of Etiquettes of Etiquettes of
Durood Durood Durood Durood
Shareef Shareef Shareef Shareef
E t i q u e t t e s o f D u r o o d S h a r e e f P a g e | 173
<,´ ·,_ _· ¸. , ·-
ﺑ ۲ ﴾
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To recite Durood Shareef on the blessed soul of Rasulullah is not
only a great fortune but it is a requirement of Imaan and the dictates
of love. We should recite Durood as much as possible.
I had seen a unique custom in a town based in Kashmir. I went to
the Musjid for Salaah. The Musjid was full and there were a few
minutes left before the Salaah commenced. In one corner of the
Musjid, a person stood up and began to recite 'allaahumma salli `ala
Muhammad'. A second person replied by saying 'as-salaatu was-
salaamu `alaika ya-Rasulallah'. This practice continued in such a
manner that a person from one side of the Musjid recited Durood,
followed by the recitation of another person from the other side of
the Musjid and intermittently all the musallees recited together.
To recite Durood both loudly and softly is correct and to recite it
from a place situated far away from the blessed grave of Rasulullah
is also correct. However, the beliefs of some people have become
totally corrupt. They believe Rasulullah is omnipresent like Allah
Ta`ala. Just as Allah Ta`ala hears the call of everyone directly, they
believe that Rasulullah can hear the Durood of everyone directly.
Others have taken it one step further and have declared that
Allah Ta`ala is not Omnipresent but Rasulullah is omnipresent.
They have made the exclusive quality of Allah Ta`ala exclusive to
Rasulullah . May Allah forgive us.
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In a book entitled Jaa-'al-Haq, it is stated that Allah Ta`ala is not
omnipresent but Rasulullah is. In one Musjid I have seen the
kalimah written on the mihraab in the following way - that
Muhammad is on the right (first) and "laa-ilaaha-illallah" was on
the left (second).
Lamentably as well, two estranged parties have been formed.
One party claims to uphold the name of Allah Ta`ala and the second
claims to uphold the name of Rasulullah . These parties also have
disciples. One party has made the following audacious claim, "We
have such love for Rasulullah that whatever we receive, we
receive directly from Rasulullah . What does Allah Ta`ala have by
him besides Oneness?"
This is the extremism that is prevalent in the world and is the
root-cause for many a problems. Therefore, there is a dire need for
us to correct out beliefs. If our beliefs are incorrect, our Imaan will be
ruined and we will never attain salvation.
If a person recites Durood from a place situated far away from the
blessed grave of Rasulullah and his belief is that the angels will
convey his Durood to Rasulullah , who upon receiving it will
become pleased and make du`aa for him, this belief is correct. There
is no harm in reciting Durood in this way.
Similarly, if a person pictures himself in Madinah Munawwarah,
standing in front of the blessed grave of Rasulullah and reciting
Durood, there will be no harm in him saying 'as-salaatu was-salaamu
`alaika ya-Rasulallah'. The similitude of this action is like a person
writing a letter to his father. He addresses his father in the letter as if
his father is present, even though his father will only receive the
letter a few days later. If the son believes his father to be physically
present, witnessing what he is writing, this will be incorrect.
Respect for Rasulullah
I was once on a journey and I stopped at a certain place to perform
Jumu`ah Salaah. I decided to board the next train and my journey
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would not be disrupted in any way. When I arrived at the Jami
Musjid, after asking the local people for directions, the Imaam Sahib
requested me to give the bayaan. I accepted and commenced with the
bayaan. The local congregation realised that I was a 'different' person
because I did not instruct them to recite the Durood. A person sitting
next to the Imaam prompted him to ask me if there is anything
wrong in saying 'as-salaatu was-salaamu `alaika ya-Rasulallah'.
"If he is a Deobandi, he will say it is impermissible and if he is a
Barelwi, he will say it is permissible. Thus we will come to know
what kind of a person he is." The Imaam Sahib forwarded the
question to me.
One of the musallees tried to stop him. "What kind of question is
that?" he growled.
However I told him, "This is not related to you. He is asking me a
question, not you. I have to leave immediately after Salaah and I do
not know if I will have time to answer the question or not."
"Ask whatever you want to ask," I said, turning my gaze to the
Imaam Sahib.
"Moulana! Is there anything wrong in saying 'as-salaatu was-
salaamu `alaika ya-Rasulallah'?" he asked.
"If you have enlightened every facet of your life with the Sunnat
of Rasulullah ," I explained, "and every action conforms to the
Sunnat of Rasulullah through which you have developed a great
love for Rasulullah and you have inculcated such a level of `ishq
(love) by means of which all the veils from here to Madinah have
been raised for you and you can see the Rowdha-e-Mubaarak, then
there is nothing wrong in saying 'as-salaatu `alaika ya-Rasulallah'.
However, if the veils have not been removed for you and you
cannot see the Rowdha-e-Mubaarak, it shows that there is a deficiency
in your `ishq. Therefore, if you are reciting Durood from here, then
recite 'Allahumma …..' If you desire to read in the aforementioned
manner, then undertake some difficulty and travel to Madinah
Shareef and present yourself before the Rowdha-e-Mubaarak and,
with utmost respect and in a low voice, recite 'as-salaatu ….' To
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address one's seniors from afar, in a loud voice, is disrespectful. This
is the habit of the villagers. They address one another by screaming
from a distance. We should speak with respect when addressing our
Qur'aan speaks
"The following verse of the Qur'aan was revealed regarding respect
for Rasulullah :
"O Believers! Do not raise your voices above the voice of Rasulullah and
do not address him loudly as you do amongst yourselves, lest your good
deeds get destroyed without your knowledge." (al-Hujuraat:2)
\ ¸ ﷲ\
¸¸ \
"Those who lower their voices before Rasulullah , Allah Ta`ala has
examined their hearts as to whether their hearts are filled with taqwa." (al-
"After the revelation of these aayaat, some Sahaabah lowered
their voices to such an extent that they were asked to repeat what
they had said. They had done so out of fear for the destruction of
their actions if they raised their voices above the voice of Rasulullah
ﻟ\ ¸ .\
¸¸ \
"Those who shout for you from outside the houses; most of them are
ignorant." (al-Hujuraat:4)
"The Qur'aan has declared that calling out aloud or raising one's
voice to address someone from afar, is an act of ignorance. Hence,
the Qur'aan declares that anyone who calls out 'ya-Rasulallah' aloud,
from here or any other place, to be an ignorant person. Therefore, to
E t i q u e t t e s o f D u r o o d S h a r e e f P a g e | 177
stand from afar and to shout and read Durood Shareef, similar to
school children learning multiplication tables where one child says
one table aloud followed by the rest of the children in unison, is
"Reciting Durood in this way is not established in the Qur'aan,
Hadeeth and the practice of the Sahaabah or in the practice of the
a'immah-e-mujtahideen. If you wish to recite Durood, seclude yourself
in a corner and with total devotion and concentration, recite Durood
to your heart's content. No one will have the right to prevent you
from reciting Durood in this manner. If someone tries to stop you,
ignore him."
I said this much and thereafter continued with the bayaan.
Perhaps I would not have got another chance to elucidate on this
matter, thus Allah Ta`ala gave me the chance on that occasion.
In summarising: To recite Durood addressing Rasulullah in a
manner where everybody says it aloud in unison, is incorrect. And
to entertain this belief simultaneously that Rasulullah in person
has come to hear the Durood, is an even more erroneous concept.
Flights of Durood
There are people present amongst us who recite Durood Shareef four
to five thousand times daily. The benefits of reciting Durood Shareef
can be seen in this world and will be seen in the Hereafter. In a
Hadeeth recorded in Nasai Shareef, Rasulullah has mentioned:
¸_. ¸ ¸-, ·´·· = .¸
Allah Ta`ala has appointed a group of angels who travel all over the world
and convey to me the Durood of every person who recites it upon me.
In a Hadeeth of Baihaqi, Rasulullah has also mentioned,
··- ¸_· · ¸· _. ¸·
Whoever recites Durood upon me by my grave, I personally hear it and
whoever reads Durood upon me from afar, it is conveyed to me.
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Rasulullah becomes extremely pleased when anyone recites
Durood Shareef upon him. We come to know from a Hadeeth that an
angel is always present by the blessed grave of Rasulullah . This
angel informs Rasulullah of the name of that individual who has
recited the Durood, as well as his father's name.
The thought may occur to someone that, perhaps Rasulullah's
entire time is spent replying to the Durood Shareef, because people
around the world at virtually every moment are reciting Durood
upon him. Therefore, the assumption is made that replying to all the
Durood conveyed to him, must be very difficult on him.
Firstly, we cannot compare Rasulullah to ourselves. We find it
difficult to reply to the salaam of a few people. Secondly, when one
enters the realm of barzakh (stage after death) one's faculties are
enhanced. The degree of perception of our faculties is greatly
enhanced many times over after death.
The glowing lantern
Moulana Nanotwi ·,· = ·~_ has mentioned that the demise of
Rasulullah was not like the passing away of an ordinary person,
where the soul separates from the body. Rasulullah's soul is still
protected within his body.
For example, a burning lamp is placed on the ground and
covered with a utensil. The light of the lamp, which was spreading
far and wide, is now encapsulated within the utensil. The benefit of
this is that, as long as the light was spreading, it was dim and weak.
Now the light has strengthened due to it being protected in one
Moulana's research shows that the demise of Rasulullah had
taken place in a similar way. The proof of this is in the Qur'aan
Shareef where the death of Rasulullah is mentioned separately
from the death of others.
ﻧ¸ \
ﻧ¸ \
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"Indeed you will pass away and indeed they will pass away." (az-
From this we come to know that the passing away of Rasulullah
was unique and different from the passing away of ordinary
The realm of Barzakh
Allah Ta`ala enables His special servants to overcome many intricate
and complex problems. Therefore, it is not difficult for Rasulullah
to hear and reply to all the Durood sent upon him, recognising
everyone and becoming pleased with them. Imaam Raazi ·,· = ·~_
has said that to draw a comparison between something that is
present and something that is absent is incorrect. Rasulullah is
absent from our sight, so how can we compare ourselves to him?
The conditions of the realm of the barzakh cannot be compared to the
conditions of our realm.
The story of a saint
A saint once presented himself before the Rowdha-e-Mubaarak. He
made salaam, recited Durood and said a few couplets, the gist of
which was: "Until now I used to send my soul to visit you and recite
Durood upon you. Today, I present myself physically before you.
Please stretch forth your blessed hand so that I may kiss it."
The blessed hand of Rasulullah stretched forth from the
Rowdha-e-Mubaarak. Its noor (radiance) was as bright as the midday
sun. Whoever was present had seen the blessed hand of Rasulullah
. The saint, with great respect and reverence, kissed Rasulullah's
blessed hand and it returned to the qabr. This incident took place in
the year 555 A.H. and at that time, there where many other great
saints present in Musjid-un-Nabawi. Amongst them was Hadhrat
Abdul Qadir Jilaani ·,· = ·~_.
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Thereafter, people began respecting and revering this saint.
When he realised this, he lay down and instructed everyone to walk
on him. One saint, who was a Sahib-e-Kashf, did not walk on him.
(Sahib-e-Kashf is a person for whom Allah Ta`ala unveils some of the
mysteries of the unseen).
"Why did you not obey this saint and walk on him?" someone
enquired from him.
"Those who walked on him are ignorant of his position in the
sight of Allah," pointed out the saint. "He is so great and close to
Allah Ta`ala that had I placed my foot on him, divine lightning
would have struck me, reducing me to ashes."
Sometimes it transpires such that the conditions of the grave are
made apparent to some of those who are still alive, but not to
Moulana Khaleel Ahmad Saharanpuri ·,· = ·~_ had recited the
entire Qur'aan Shareef to Rasulullah in taraaweeh. How did he
read it to Rasulullah ? We do not know. We did not ask and nor
did Moulana inform us the manner in which it was achieved. It is
possible that he read the Qur'aan to Rasulullah whilst standing by
the feet of Rasulullah or at some other place, and if Rasulullah
hears the Durood and salaam of the people, what is the difficulty in
him listening to the Qur'aan Shareef?
Hadhrat Saharanpuri's - =· ->_ -,· janaazah
An individual narrated that the son of the chief judge of Madinah
had a great yearning to see Rasulullah in a dream. To achieve this,
he used to recite a lot of wazeefahs. Once, he had seen in his dream
that Rasulullah was coming out of the Rowdha-e-Mubaarak.
He asked: "Ya-Rasulallah ! Where are you going to?"
Rasulullah replied: "Moulana Khaleel Ahmad Saharanpuri has
passed away. I am going out of the Musjid because Moulana Khaleel
Ahmad Sahib had made a bequest for his janaazah to be performed
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outside the Musjid, since according to Imaam Abu Hanifah ·,· = ·~_
performing the janaazah Salaah in the Musjid is Makrooh."
The people of bid`ah, after hearing of this incident, proclaim that
since Moulana Saharanpuri ·,· = ·~_ was disrespectful to Rasulullah
and was an irreligious person, his janaazah was not performed in
Musjid-un-Nabawi. But, they are blind to the fact that Rasulullah
himself came out to join Moulana's janaazah. It is not a far-fetched
notion that Rasulullah personally came out of the Rowdha-e-
Mubaarak, with the permission of Allah Ta`ala.
It is possible for an individual to see Rasulullah in a wakeful
state but to believe that Rasulullah is omnipresent, is not
established anywhere. Yes, as a miracle, he could have gone to
participate in Moulana Saharanpuri's janaazah Salaah.
The same fragrance
It is recorded in the book of Moulana Ahmad Raza Khan, "When my
peerbhai passed away (a peerbhai is a person who is bay`at to the same
shaikh) and I placed him in the qabr, without any exaggeration, I
perceived the same fragrance which I had perceived at the blessed
grave of Rasulullah on my first visit to the grave."
I asked someone, "How did the fragrance of Madinah come over
"It is our belief that Rasulullah comes into the grave of every
believer. Thus he would have brought the fragrance. Now what is
your concern if someone perceived the fragrance?" he replied
"When will Munkar and Nakeer point to Rasulullah and ask,
who is this man? They will question him after the people bury him
and go away. Here this person was only placed in the grave and not
buried as yet. How could the fragrance of Rasulullah then be
perceived? If this is your belief, then it should be established in the
D i s c o u r s e s o f F a q e e h - u l - U m m a t P a g e | 182
Qur'aan. Where about in the Qur'aan is this stated?" He was silent
and could not answer me.
"What about establishing this belief in kitaabs of Aqaa'id such as
Sharh-ul-Aqaa'id, Sharh-ul-Maqaasid and Sharh-ul-Mawaaqif?" The
poor fellow never even heard of such kitaabs.
"Very well," I added. "What is your opinion of a person who
believes that it is not established in any authentic Hadeeth that
Rasulullah comes to the grave of every believer?"
"Such a person is a kaafir, murtad, zindeeq, cursed, jahannumy, the
enemy of Allah Ta`ala and his Rasul ," and every other form of
vituperation which could be found in his dictionary, was spewed
from his mouth.
"Moulana Raza Khan has written in his book," I disclosed,
"which has been published in Barelwi Shareef, that it is not
established through any Shar`ee proof that Rasulullah comes to the
grave of every believer. You have now decreed such an abode
(Jahannum) for him (Moulana Ahmad Raza)."
Therefore, in the fervour of our love for Rasulullah , our beliefs
should not be corrupted. It is imperative that we adopt the correct
Worthy of Sajdah
The Sahaabah , on returning from their expeditions, said to
Rasulullah , "We have seen the non-Arabs prostrating before their
leaders. O Rasulullah ! You are more worthy of prostration than
The Sahaabah said this statement out of love. Allah Ta`ala
forbid! The Sahaabah did not want to prostrate before Rasulullah
because they considered him as a deity. They wanted to do so out
of love and respect for Rasulullah .
"After my demise, will you make sajdah to my grave?" The
Sahaabah replied in the negative.
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Rasulullah then said, "If it was permissible to make sajdah to
anyone besides Allah Ta`ala, I would have instructed the wife to
make sajdah to her husband."
The Sahaabah even in their fervour of love for Rasulullah did
not do anything contrary to the doctrines of Islam, anything which
could have altered their beliefs fundamentally. It is extremely
important for us to safeguard and protect our beliefs. The fervour of
love resulted in the Jews believing Uzair to be Allah's son. The
fervour of love resulted in the Christians believing `Isa to be
Allah Ta`ala's son.
It is the fervour of love, which makes every idolater believe that
his idol is his God. Islam has restricted and drawn borders for
expressing our love.
Shah Waarith -,·- =· ->_ and the mureed
Many beliefs contrary to the noble status of Rasulullah have
become and are becoming rife. It is of paramount importance to
rectify these incorrect concepts. We must never despair and become
disconsolate. One should explain to the people with understanding,
love and affection. Some people are such that they will accept
whatever we say. At the same time, there are others who are
obstinate. This will come apparent when they brand you as a
Wahhaabi and a Deobandi. To work amongst them requires a great
deal of patience.
However, by working with a positive attitude, explaining to them
affectionately, showing them the various kitaabs and relating to them
the seerah of Rasulullah as far as possible, that these are the rights
of Rasulullah , this was his work and this work has now become
our responsibility, which we have to fulfil, etc., many will reform
and change their lives.
This does not mean that we should compromise in matters which
are wrong. No! Compromise is something else but if we begin to
expose every error of theirs and publicise it, they will become
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alienated and will not adhere to any advice we give them. They will
become abusive and bitter towards us and they will form shallow
opinions about our seniors and us.
There was a buzurg, in Lucknow, by the name of Shah Waarith
Hasan Sahib ·,· = ·~_. He used to stay by Moulana Gangohi ·,· = ·~_
and had studied in Deoband. He memorized the entire Mishkaat
Shareef and had recited it to Shaikh-ul-Hind ·,· = ·~_. Shah Waarith
was the son of Moulana Fakhruddeen Hasan Sahib ·,· = ·~_. He
resided near the Tele Wali Musjid and he was affectionately known
as Bare Mia. He was his father's mureed and received khilaafat from
him as well. A person once came to him and said: "I would like to
take bay`at at your hands. However, I harbour evil opinions about
Moulana Gangohi ·,· = ·~_, Moulana Nanotwi ·,· = ·~_, Moulana
Saharanpuri ·,· = ·~_ and Moulana Thanwi ·,· = ·~_. My opinion is
that they are not Muslims. If you have no objection, then please
accept me for bay`at." He was accepted for bay`at.
Sometime later, he came back to Hadhrat Shah Waarith Hasan ·~_
·,· = trembling and crying. Shah Sahib asked him what the matter
"I had seen Rasulullah and Hadhrat Moulana Gangohi ·~_ ·,· =
in my dream. (Now he was using the terms "Hadhrat" and
"Moulana"). "Hadhrat = ·~_ ·,· was sitting in the tashahhud position,
with his head lowered before Rasulullah . His hands were on the
feet of Rasulullah and he was saying: 'O Rasulullah ! What is
wrong with me that these people speak badly about me?' Rasulullah
took hold of him, picked him up, embraced him and said: 'I do not
speak evil about you.' This is his relation with Rasulullah . I have
come to make taubah (repent) and I will not utter any evil statements
about them anymore. They are truly very great people."
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For whomsoever hidaayat is decreed, Allah Ta`ala will guide him
and for whom hidaayat is not decreed, he will not be guided – people
like Abu Lahab and Abu Jahal. Therefore, by explaining
affectionately, it can be hoped that a change can come about. We
must not despair with respect to the hidaayat of any individual.
I once told someone that it is my heartfelt desire to explain those
matters wherein there are differences (between us and ahl-e-bid`at) in
public gatherings, that the answer is actually like this and these are
the proofs but others have distorted the whole matter.
"What benefit will that serve? Those who disagree are doing so
out of obstinacy," he said, despairingly.
"First of all," I remarked. "The only one who can declare that
they disagree out of obstinacy is the one who knows the condition of
their hearts. Secondly, even if they are denying out of obstinacy,
they have not taken a vow never to accept the truth. Denying out of
obstinacy means that they have not accepted for the time being. It
does not mean that they will never accept in the future. They are
unable to read the kitaabs wherein these discussions are found, since
these kitaabs, authored by our seniors, are written in Arabic and
Persian. They do not understand them."
Nevertheless, efforts are being undertaken to translate these
kitaabs into the spoken language. May Allah Ta`ala bless us with the
correct understanding. Aameen.
Discourse 12 Discourse 12 Discourse 12 Discourse 12
Disorder Disorder Disorder Disorder
caused by the caused by the caused by the caused by the
love of wealth love of wealth love of wealth love of wealth
and its remedy and its remedy and its remedy and its remedy
D i s o r d e r c a u s e d b y t h e l o v e o f w e a l t h P a g e | 189
·, ·' . <,´ ·,_ _· ¸. , ·- ·
= ···_ .¸ = -' _., · , ` ,· .¸ ,·, · = ·_ · , ¸· ¸· ··. .. ·
Allah Ta`ala has bestowed upon Nabi-e-Akram such intelligence
and diplomacy which no human being has ever possessed. And
after bestowing Huzoor with these qualities, Allah Ta`ala sent
Nabi for the reformation of the entire world. Huzoor pondered
over the destruction encompassing the entire world and understood
the root causes. What are these root causes?
Basically, it is a result of three things and these three things have
resulted in creating a conflict between father and son, between
brother and brother, between mother and son, between sister and
brother, between neighbours, between relatives, etc.
What is the first cause?
It is the love for wealth and materialism. In whose heart the love for
materialism and wealth is deeply rooted, it is very difficult for that
person to attain spiritual reformation. For example, a person
indulges in usury, in spite of it being mentioned in the Hadeeth that a
person taking interest is cursed and the person giving interest is also
cursed. Those goods purchased through a source which is cursed,
what benefit can be derived from them? It will spread mischief and
anarchy. It has also been mentioned in the Hadeeth that to take one
dirham (a currency) of interest is worse than committing adultery
thirty six times. How repulsive is such an action!
When a person is consumed with the love for wealth, he usurps
the wealth of others; he snatches away the possession of others. He
usurps people's property unlawfully, goods unlawfully, etc. It is
mentioned in the Hadeeth that if a person usurps one hand span of
another person's property, on the Day of Qiyaamah he will be yoked
with the seven earths. How repugnant is such an action!
When a person hankers after wealth, he accepts bribes whereas, it
is mentioned in the Hadeeth that:
D i s c o u r s e s o f F a q e e h - u l - U m m a t P a g e | 190
_ ¸ ··¯ ¸,' , ¸,
Both parties will go to hell, i.e. the one who has taken the bribe and the one
who gives the bribe.
When a person has implanted the love for wealth within himself,
then upon the demise of a family member, he will deprive the
rightful heirs of their shar`ee rights. Their rights will be usurped and
they will be oppressed. This surely is a very dangerous state of
Instead of adopting friendly relationships, he will sever relations.
The courts are replete with these types of cases. Driven by the love
for wealth, people lay various charges against each other and go to
court to seek their 'right'. False accusations and allegations are made
against each other.
Then there are 'predatory' people who prey on both parties.
"Look, if you conduct your case in this manner, you will be
victorious," one party will be assured.
Every lawyer convinces his client that his claims are very strong
and that his case is very strong. False witnesses are produced and
false documents are presented. In short, there is nothing but
mischief and anarchy that has resulted. This is a result of the love for
Incident of two brothers
A person passed away and left some property and wealth for his
two sons. Both sons distributed the property amongst themselves
and only a tree remained to be distributed. The elder son claimed it
belonged to him while his younger brother laid the same claim. Both
began arguing over this trivial matter, resulting in a court battle.
When a case reaches the court, then Allah Ta`ala alone is the
protector! It is like a miniature form of Qiyaamah. There is no way of
freeing oneself from its clutches.
D i s o r d e r c a u s e d b y t h e l o v e o f w e a l t h P a g e | 191
The case prolonged until neither brother was left with any cash.
Whatever wealth they inherited, was utilised to pay for the legal
costs incurred. Eventually, the verdict was passed that the tree be
cut in two and the wood be distributed equally amongst them. Sad
to say, they did not even have sufficient money to pay for felling the
tree. How stupid was it for them to become entangled in such a
drawn-out affair.
What was the cause for this tragic event? Their unquenchable
quest for wealth. If they were not inflicted with this malady, the
elder brother would have said, "No problem. He is my small brother
– he is just like my child. Although it is mine I am giving it to him."
In the same vein, the smaller brother would also have had the
same understanding and taken consideration for his elder brother.
"My elder brother has taken the position of my father," is the way
that he would have reasoned. "I, as well as my wealth, belong to my
father. There is no harm in giving every thing to him."
Their relationship would have remained intact. Their inheritance
would have been intact and no infighting and disunity would have
resulted. A person gets embroiled in extremely difficult situations
only due to the love of wealth. The anarchy that prevails and the
long drawn out cases fought in the civil courts daily are a result of
the love for wealth and materialism.
Nabi-e-Kareem has presented the solution to these problems in
one sentence.
¸· ¸· ··. .. ·
Charity does not decrease wealth.
Give charity. By giving charity your wealth will not decrease.
This is what Huzoor has prescribed. The reality of the matter is
that, when a person has developed an attachment or love for
something, his sole desire would then be to hold on to it, and
separating from it is an unbearable scenario. Happiness and
contentment can only be found in acquiring more of it. Its separation
D i s c o u r s e s o f F a q e e h - u l - U m m a t P a g e | 192
is very difficult for us to bear. The poets understand and explain
very eloquently what separation is.
When we accumulate wealth, the love of wealth demands that it
be kept as close as possible to us. Only by giving charity and
separating ourselves from it, will the affection and love for acquiring
it diminish.
That person, whose needs are fulfilled by this charity, will make
du`aa on our behalf and Allah Ta`ala will accept his du`aas. This
person will also be saved from all hardships and difficulties.
¸· ¸· ··. .. ·
Charity does not decrease wealth.
Twenty-five Rupees
However, a person may argue that charity does decrease one's
wealth. For example, if from a thousand Rupees, twenty-five Rupees
are given out in charity, how much remains? Nine hundred and
seventy-five will remain. It has become less. If we physically count
it, we will certainly attest to that.
Now understand this very carefully! Do you bring faith in what
you can see or do you have a firm conviction in the sayings of Nabi
? The demand of Imaan is that we bring conviction on the unseen.
Even though we cannot witness it with our own eyes, it nevertheless
still exists and because our Nabi has declared it to be so, therefore
it is correct! Do not place total reliance or trust on our eyes.
You may question this statement, since we normally depend on
them. We witness all events through them and when something is
witnessed with the eyes, all proofs are rendered worthless.
However, you tell me, all these accidents that take place daily, do
the drivers drive with their eyes closed? No, they drive with their
eyes open! They drive cautiously but in spite of this, they still
become involved in accidents. Thus what trust can be placed on
these eyes?
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Whilst on a hunting trip, imagining something to be a buck, a
hunter fires at his target but it turns out to be a man. Yes, he has shot
a man but he had fully evaluated before shooting that it was not a
man but an animal, a buck. The hunter aimed and deliberately shot
his 'target' with his eyes wide open. The hunter did not shoot with
his eyes closed. These eyes, which have had such tragic experiences,
do we have trust and faith on them or do we have trust and faith in
the sayings of Nabi ? Obviously, we should have trust and faith in
the sayings of Nabi and not on our eyes.
One of our well-respected and admired pious predecessors was a
personality by the name of Mufti Mahdi Hasan Sahib ·~_ ·,· = . He
has related that once he was busy working out a problem
concerning distribution of inheritance. It was a lengthy calculation
and he went through it and solved it but the calculations were not
balancing. He just could not find the error. He kept on checking it
again and again. The entire night was spent perusing this document
until dawn finally set in. He decided to lie down for a little while but
as he did so, he could not fall asleep. Thus, he got up to recheck his
calculations and now it was correct.
What was the error? While counting, he was repeating 2 + 2 = 6
but 2 + 2 = 4. It is an accepted fact that 2 + 2 = 4. It was also written
down properly that 2 + 2 = 4 but, with his tongue he was repeating 2
+ 2 = 6.
This is the type of mistake that takes place using the eyes and
brains without intentionally meaning to do so. The eyes are perfect
and the calculations are also correct and there was no question that
he did not know how to count but in spite of that, he still made a
mistake. Hence, what trust can we place on these faculties that can
make such elementary mistakes? We must have complete trust and
conviction on the sayings of Rasulullah in which there are no
possibilities of error.
If the eye is infected with jaundice, a sickness unrelated to the
eye, a person will see everything yellow in colour. Even a doctor
will tell you this. In actual fact, the objects are not yellow but,
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because of the disease, the eye sees everything as yellow. Without
any disease of the eye or any pain inflicted on the eye, defects are
noticed in the eye. If there really is a disease in the eye, then won't
there be a greater degree of malfunctioning in the eye?
Some people suffer from a condition called squint-eyed. In
Arabic, it is termed "ahwal". They observe everything as double.
Moulana Rumi ·,· = ·~_ has also written a story about an "ahwal". A
teacher told a student, "There is a bottle in the room, bring it to me."
"There are two bottles, which one should I bring?" he queried.
"Break one and bring the other one," the teacher suggested
He broke one and returned to the teacher crying: "Both are now
Obviously, there was only one but he was seeing two. An eye
that is prone to such diseases, is it worthy of placing our trust or
confidence upon?
A person desires to go to Surat from here and he has one
thousand Rupees with him. It is dark and someone advises him,
"Brother instead of walking, travel by bus."
"My money will decrease," he replies scornfully.
His friends explain to him that by spending twenty-five rupees,
his wealth will not decrease significantly but he refuses to listen to
them. Thus, he sets off walking. On the way, thieves attack him, hit
him and steal his clothes and all his money.
Now reflect! If he should have spent twenty-five Rupees on
transport and took the bus, would his life not have been spared, his
clothes saved and the money still in his possession? By spending a
small amount and keeping the remainder safe, no intelligent person
will say that his money has been spent.
In a similar vein, the goods upon which zakaat has been paid out
come under the protection of Allah Ta`ala.
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Hafiz Fadhl-ul-Haq and the rogues
There was a person in Saharanpur by the name of Hafiz Fadhl-ul-
Haq Sahib. He repeatedly used the following words: "With Allah's
fadhl (blessings)."
Whilst talking, between every sentence he used these words,
"With Allah's fadhl it happened thus, with Allah's fadhl it happened
He was a very pious and a very generous person. When Hadhrat
Moulana Mazhar Sahib ~_ ·,· = · was teaching Hadeeth, he stood
behind him and fanned him with the hand fan.
One morning he came to Moulana and exclaimed, "Molwiji! (This
was his manner of speech.) Last night, with Allah's fadhl, a terrible
thing happened."
"Hafiz Sahib, what terrible thing could have happened with
Allah's fadhl?" Moulana asked affectionately.
"You see," he explained. "I was sleeping and suddenly I heard
some tapping sounds. I saw three or four people tampering with my
lock, trying to break it. I lifted my head from the pillow and asked,
'Who are you? Are you thieves?'"
"'Yes, we are,' they admitted.
"'Well all my money is in there and this lock costs only six paisa
but you will not be able to break it. I have heard from Molwiji that a
person who gives out his full zakaat has his goods under the
protection of Allah Ta`ala. I have paid out the zakaat. Thus, the
money is in the protection of Allah Ta`ala. You will never be able to
steal it.' I then turned around and continued sleeping. The thieves
kept on tampering with the lock till the morning but could not
succeed in opening it. When morning arrived, they ran away."
If our Imaan is strong, divine blessings and protection will be
received from the side of Allah Ta`ala. That is why it is essential to
have trust and confidence in the teachings of Nabi . Huzoor was
truthful, trustworthy and honest. He was completely truthful, so
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much so that the enemies (kuffaar) and non-believers also believed
his words to be true, in spite of having a hostile attitude towards
him. They never accepted Imaan, but they were confessors of
Huzoor's truthfulness.
Incident of Umayyah bin Khalaf
An Ansaari Sahaabi, Hadhrat Sa`d bin `Ubaadah , came to
Makkah Mukarramah. He had an association with Umayyah, a
mushrik who had not accepted Islam. Therefore, he used to stay at
his place and when Umayyah visited Madinah, he would reside at
Hadhrat Sa`d's home.
"I intend making tawaaf. Try and determine which time is most
appropriate," Hadhrat Sa`d confided to Umayyah.
"When the sun gets a bit higher and it gets warm, that is the most
appropriate time," suggested Umayyah.
Therefore, at the specified time, he went to perform the tawaaf.
Abu Jahal saw them and asked Umayyah, "Who is this with you?"
He was told that it is Hadhrat Sa`d bin `Ubaadah .
"Oh, he is an Ansaari of Madinah! You are giving refuge to those
people who went away from here, whom we have expelled. Now he
is making tawaaf with great peace and ease?" he howled.
"Bear in mind," warned Hadhrat Sa`d . "If you are going to
stop me from making tawaaf, I will block your access to Syria. When
you travel to Syria, you have to pass near Madinah. Because of the
fact that you are a Haashimy and Quraishy, we don't obstruct your
path but if you stop me from making tawaaf, I will block your access
to Syria. Your livelihood is dependent on this route." He spoke in a
very harsh and loud tone.
Umayyah told his visitor, "Do not speak so harshly. This is Abu
Jahal. He is the chief of the valley."
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"Move away! I have heard Huzoor saying that he will kill
you," Hadhrat Sa`d revealed to Umayyah.
"Me?" gasped Umayyah.
"Yes, you!"
"Where? In Makkah or out of Makkah?" Beads of perspiration
were streaming down his face.
"This was not mentioned," Hadhrat Sa`d pointed out.
Henceforth, this created a fear and uneasiness in him, but he still
did not accept Islam and was even prepared to fight against the
Muslims. He came home and narrated this incident to his wife.
"Where did he say you are going to be killed - in Makkah?" she
asked in horror.
"This was not mentioned," he revealed. "I will never go out of
Makkah. I will just stay here."
When the time for the battle of Badr arrived, Abu Jahal began
inciting the people of Makkah to go and fight against the Muslims.
"Let us go," he bawled. "Your caravan from Syria is arriving and
Huzoor is on his way to block it. You should go and extend your
help to the caravan."
He urged the people to go and fight the Muslims. He even
encouraged Umayyah, who said, "I will not go because I have been
told that I will be killed."
"See, if you do not go, other people will also not go. Travel for a
short distance and return secretly," advised Abu Jahal.
"This is a good idea," Umayyah conceded. He made an intention
of going and told his wife to prepare his armoury for the trip.
"Do you remember what your Ansaari brother told you?" she
reminded him.
"Yes, I do remember, but I do not intend reaching the battlefield.
I will travel for a short distance and return."
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However, at every stop he repeatedly decided to return but he
could not do so for some reason or the other. The final result was
that he was killed.
The point is that those who were mushriks and refuted Huzoor
openly, their hearts did not refute Nabi's statements. In their
hearts, they had full conviction in the veracity of Rasulullah
statements, but outwardly they rejected it. This rejection was a lie –
a disbelieving lie.
"And they rejected them, while their inner selves were convinced thereof,
out of injustice and haughtiness." (an-Naml:14)
Truth was the embodiment of Huzoor's speech. Thus, every
statement of his () had an effect on the hearts of the disbelievers as
well because it was completely true. Therefore, all experiences and
accounts are rendered useless in the face of Huzoor's statements.
A dog without a religion?
The postman once came to deliver a telegram for 'kutta-be-deen' (a
dog without a religion). What possible reason is there for a 'dog
without a religion' to be in the Madrasah? In the Madrasah, there is no
place for any type of dog! Actually, the name was, 'Qutb-ud-deen'.
He distorted it and read it as, 'kutta-be-deen'. What was written was
one thing and what was being read out was something else.
Those Asaatiza-e-Kiraam who teach the Qur'aan Shareef, are well
acquainted with these types of mistakes. A child reads
ﻳ instead
. The Ustaad tells him to look inside and read again. He does
as he is told but reads
ﻳ again. The Ustaad instructs him to look
properly and read. He repeats the mistake. The Ustaad gives him a
hard slap.
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In teaching and imparting the Qur'aan, a person normally
develops jalaal (unique majestic power). This is termed as Qur'aani
jalaal, in which state there is no consideration even for one's own
son. If the student however is also jalaali, the situation will change
A Nawaab Sahib from the frontier region employed an Aalim to
tutor his son. On reading something incorrectly, the Ustaad caught
hold of his ear and gave him a slap. The child was the son of a
Pathaan and immediately ran home to fetch his gun. The poor
Ustaad Sahib ran to the child's father for assistance.
"Khan Sahib! Your son wants to shoot me!" he protested.
"Oh Mulla! Oh Mulla! Wait! Wait!" pleaded the Khan Sahib.
"Many more Mullas will be found. However, this is my son's first
try and it should not be a wasted opportunity."
Returning to our discussion: when the Ustaaz slaps the boy for
reading incorrectly, only then does he realise his error. The two dots
are not at the bottom but are on top. Numerous mistakes are made
whilst reading. And this is not confined to the Qur'aan Shareef only.
People who read the Qur'aan Shareef have plenty of experience in
this regard, and people who read Arabic also make many mistakes
of this nature as well.
These types of mistakes were quite common in the past when
there were no nuqtahs (dots) placed on the Arabic alphabets.
Mistakes of the past
There was once a person who independently studied the Qur'aan
without the guidance of any ustaad. He read: ·` , · .`, _ . (there is no olive
oil therein) in place of: ﻪ
ﻓ ȩ
ﻟ (this is a book free of
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Similarly, instead of reading: ﻪ
ﺟ (He placed the
utensil in his brother's luggage) someone read: ·` , - ' ¸` - _ ` ¸ · (in his brother's
We should be grateful that nuqtahs have now been placed and
there is no more possibility of such mistakes occurring.
Once a group of students were transcribing ahaadeeth when a
muhaddith came and addressed them: "O lads of Abu Umayyah!
How do you read the ahaadeeth? ,' – Aseed, ,' – Usaid and ,' –
Usayyad are the names of three raawis (narrators) of hadeeth. They are
all written in the same manner. Without the guidance of an ustaad
you will never be able to distinguish the difference between them.
He will explain the correct pronunciation of each name."
Therefore, the error of the eyes occur very frequently.
Whilst reading the chain of narrators, someone read
_- · , , ·,· = _. = ¸,_ ¸-_ ¸· = ¸· ¸,_- ¸ (Nabi narrated to me
from Jibra'eel who narrated from Allah and He narrated from a
man.). A listener asked him, "Who is this great person who has
become the shaikh (instructor) of Allah Ta`ala."
It was not to be read as ¸-_ ¸· (from a man). Instead, it was
¸-, ,· = ¸· ¸,_- ¸·. He read · ` , as · ` ¸ and , - ¸ as _ ` - ¸ ¸ , which meant that
Allah has an ustaaz or shaikh from whom He narrates.
Yazeed bin Haroon ·,· = ·~_ was a great muhaddith of the past.
Once, whilst reporting ahaadeeth, he said "·· ·, _- (Many have
transmitted this hadeeth to me.)". A person from the audience asked,
"¸· ¸, ·· (Whose son is ··?)"
In reporting hadeeth, the father of the narrator has to be
mentioned to verify the background of the narrator. If someone had
to say: = · _- (Abdullah reported this hadeeth to me.), he will be
asked: ¸, = · ¸· (Whose son is Abdullah?) Is it Abdullah ibnu
Mas`ood, Abdullah ibnu `Umar, Abdullah ibnu Abbas or Abdullah
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ibnu Zubair? That is why the person had asked the muhaddith ¸, ··
¸·. However, how could ·· (many) be the son of someone? (It isn't
the name of an individual.) Thus, he (the muhaddith) answered, " ¸,
:=· (It can only be your son)."
Therefore, mistakes are made when reading something or
looking at something; irrespective of whether it is the Qur'aan,
hadeeth or any other article.
A letter to Kanpur
A letter had arrived for a certain person in Kanpur. The local
residents concluded that it was in the Sindhi language and could
thus not interpret it. Coincidentally, I was stationed there for a short
period. When they showed it to me, I told them, "Brothers, this letter
is in Urdu."
The entire letter was in Urdu, written illegibly. Hence, they could
not decipher it and thought it was written in Sindhi.
That is why the only thing worthy of placing our trust and faith
upon is Nabi's sayings, which are free and pure from all faults.
This is the essence of Imaan.
Whenever mischief and anarchy are rampant, it is a result of the
love for wealth. Take the example of a person who steals. It is
mentioned in the Hadeeth Shareef:
¸·,· ,· , ·,, ¸- ·_ ·,, . ,
At the actual time of stealing, a person's Imaan does not stay with him.
How severe are the warnings of the hereafter and how serious
are the repercussions of this action even in this world. These
tragedies are a result for the love of wealth and materialism. Huzoor
has said,
¸· ¸· ··. .. ·
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Charity does not decrease wealth.
When Huzoor had explained the virtues of charity, some
Sahaabah would remain in a state of hunger and without
sufficient clothing. However, they would work and toil the entire
day just to earn some money which they could spend in charity and
earn its virtue. They desired to surpass others in this righteous
action as well. Huzoor has provided the universal remedy to the
mischief and evils spread by the love of wealth, very intelligently
and tactfully, in one simple sentence.
.. · ¸· ¸· ··.
Charity does not decrease wealth.
Two very important aspects should also be remembered. The
wealthy should be advised in this manner: "Don't instil the love of
wealth within yourselves – give it out in charity." This is being
addressed to the wealthy.
The needy, on the other hand and as far as possible, must not
make their needs known to anyone. Their needs should be put
forward to Allah Ta`ala only. Allah Ta`ala promises that if a person
bears hunger for one day and does not disclose it to anyone,
explicitly or implicitly, he will be given one year's halaal sustenance
in return for that day's hunger.
You! Not me
Nowadays, due to the love of wealth, a new trend has started. The
poor have memorised the following aayat,
ﺰﻟ ﻮ
"And discharge zakaat."
"Why are you not giving zakaat? Brother, it is the command of
Allah to give zakaat," they boldly state.
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The wealthy on the other hand, have acquainted themselves with
the injunction that is addressed to the poor, "It is forbidden to beg."
Hence, their advice to the poor and needy is: "You should not
beg. That person who begs will not have flesh on his face on the Day
of Qiyaamah. It will dry out and he will be left with bones only.
Therefore, you should not beg."
The obligation that has been placed on the shoulders of the
wealthy has been ignored and the beggar has now come to him to
remind him of it. Similarly, the advice given to the poor has been
ignored as well and the wealthy have taken on the task of reminding
the poor of their responsibility.
In short, the wealthy person has neglected his obligation to the
poor and vice versa. What is the underlying factor behind this? It is
due to the love of wealth. That is why Huzoor has advised the
wealthy in this manner, "Brother, give to the poor and needy from
your wealth. That person is not a true believer who sleeps with a full
stomach at night whilst his neighbour stays hungry."
Stealing to help others
A vile and despicable notion that people have entertained is to
snatch away the belongings of the wealthy.
"Don't leave them with any possessions," is the salient advice
that is spread around.
This is not the teaching of Islam! The needy have been
commanded: "When you see wealth bestowed upon a person, don't
even incline towards it. Don't even lift your gaze at it. It is pomp
and a show. Whatever it is, don't lift your gaze and look at it."
The erroneous belief is that if they have an orchard, snatch it
away! If they have a car, snatch that away too! If they have a house,
snatch that away from them as well. So much so, that if he has a
wife, take her away as well!
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This is a highly deviated form of thinking that is being spread
and, because of this, uncontrolled mischief is spreading throughout
the entire world. The correct remedy lies in practising on the sayings
of Nabi .
The rich should be encouraged to give charity as much as
possible, whilst the poor and needy should be encouraged not to put
their needs before anyone and live with patience and endurance.
In this way, the respect of both groups will be upheld. Both are
the guardians of Allah Ta`ala's trust. The rich are His guardians; the
poor are His guardians as well. This group guards its trust and that
group guards its trust respectively. May Allah Ta`ala bestow upon
us His divine assistance. Aameen.
Discourse 13 Discourse 13 Discourse 13 Discourse 13
The Reality of The Reality of The Reality of The Reality of
Taubah Taubah Taubah Taubah
T h e R e a l i t y o f T a u b a h P a g e | 207
Mere lip service
¸. , ·- <,´ ·,_ _·
,,-, ¸~, = ,, ,,-, ¸=, ¸· =, ·,·'
:¸ :ﺎ
"Allah Ta`ala accepts the repentance of His servants." (ash-Shura:25)
When a person makes taubah Allah becomes extremely happy. The
object of taubah is to regret and be remorseful over one's actions.
One should ponder in this manner: "I have committed this error
whereas I was not supposed to have done so."
By showing remorse and regret, a person is pleading before
Almighty Allah Ta`ala to forgive his wrongdoings and shortfalls.
However, some necessary steps are essential for the acceptance of
this repentance. Paying mere lip service and proclaiming,
"Forgive my sins. I am repenting", is insufficient.
In Kanpur, one of my friends complained to me that his four-
year-old child was always asking for money.
"Why are you asking for money?" I said, reprimanding him.
He immediately caught hold of both his ears with his hands (in a
manner of repenting).
"Will you ask for money in future?" I added.
"No, never again," he assured me.
Thereafter, he struck his father on his knee and said: "Now give
me the money since I have repented."
Our repentance, nowadays, is similar to this child's repentance.
We feel that merely mentioning the word taubah is sufficient and no
other recourse is required.
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Covering up
Some sins are of such a nature that taubah alone does not suffice and
qadha becomes obligatory. For example, a person did not perform his
Salaah. (It is essential that together with making taubah he performs
the qadha of the missed Salaah). Not performing qadha and merely
saying: "O Allah! Forgive me. I have not performed my Salaah. I will
perform it in future," is definitely inadequate.
It is absolutely incumbent on that person to perform qadha of the
Salaah omitted. (Then only will the taubah be accepted.)
If a person did not fast in the month of Ramadhaan, it will be
obligatory upon him to make qadha of the missed fasts. Not
observing the qadha and merely resorting to repentance and
pleading: "O Allah! I am repenting, I will fast in future", will not
Similarly, if a person did not pay his zakaat, for his taubah to be
accepted he will have to discharge the outstanding amount. Without
paying out the due zakaat, it will also not suffice for him to say, "O
Allah! Forgive me. I will discharge my zakaat in future."
The crux of the matter is that those laws of the Shari`ah which can
be recompensed by making qadha Shari`ah has made its qadha
obligatory. The acceptance of taubah requires that we fulfil the qadha
as well as beg for forgiveness for not having fulfilled the obligation
at its prescribed time.
The similitude to this situation is where a person is in debt or has
to pay a government tax at a stipulated date but has missed the
deadline. He presents himself before the magistrate and begs for
leniency saying: "I did not pay my tax on time, please forgive me, I
am begging your forgiveness."
It is possible that he may be pardoned for not meeting the
deadline but does this mean that he will be absolved from paying
the outstanding tax as well? Definitely not! The tax will still have to
be paid out. Similarly, in the Shari`ah there are many obligations
which, if not fulfilled, will make qadha incumbent upon an
T h e R e a l i t y o f T a u b a h P a g e | 209
individual. A person's taubah will not be accepted without fulfilling
the qadha.
As far as the violation of the rights of human beings is concerned,
the dictates of taubah require that the particular right (which was
usurped) be fulfilled. For example, a person usurped another's
"I beg your forgiveness," he wails. "Please forgive me. I have
taken your wealth."
This is insufficient. He is required to first pay out the wealth that
he owes and then seek the victim's forgiveness.
Furthermore, taubah should be made in accordance with the
manner in which the sin was committed. The taubah should
reciprocate the degree or severity of the sin. If a sin was committed
in solitude, the taubah should be made in solitude as well. If a sin
was committed in the presence of a few people then the repentance
too should be executed in the presence of those people. In this
situation, to make taubah in solitude will not be acceptable.
The example of this is backbiting or speaking ill of another
person in his absence and that individual has learnt about it. Making
taubah in solitude will be inadequate. He has to repent in the
company of those in whose presence he had committed this evil
deed and seek Allah Ta`ala's pardon as well.
Chunks of meat
The Qur'aan has explicitly prohibited backbiting. Allah Ta`ala states
in the Qur'aan:
ﻓ ﺎ
ﻣ ¸ ﻪ
"Do not speak ill of each other behind their backs. Would any of you like to
eat the flesh of his dead brother?" (al-Hujuraat:12)
Thus, backbiting can be ascribed to a person who breaks off
chunks of meat from his dead brother's corpse and consumes it. It is
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reported in a Hadeeth that Nabi once asked the Sahaabah : "Do
you know what backbiting is?"
The Sahaabah replied: "Allah Ta`ala and his Rasul know
Nabi explained: "To mention something about your brother, in
his absence which, if pointed out to him in his presence, will be
disliked by him."
"What if that weakness is actually found in this person?" the
Sahaabah enquired. (Will it then still constitute backbiting?)
"Yes," answered Nabi . "This will indeed be backbiting for if
the weakness is not found in him, you have slandered him."
Crossing over Jahannum
Regarding the sin of slandering, it has been recorded in the books of
Hadeeth that the person who had slandered another in this world,
will be stopped whilst crossing the bridge of Siraat. He will be asked
to furnish the evidence for his false allegation against his fellow
brother. He will also be asked to bring forth witnesses to support his
claim and, until and unless they are not brought forth, he will not be
allowed to proceed. He will be made to stand on the bridge of Siraat
and beneath him the flames of Jahannum will be constantly rising.
Some people will cross over with the speed of lightening, others
like the wind, whilst some will cross over it with the speed of a fast
horse. The fire would not harm them whatsoever. But as for that
person who is in this unfortunate position, he will be made to stand
motionless, and it will be demanded of him: "Bring forth your
How will it ever be possible to produce false evidence on that
day? In this world, false evidence can be manufactured. This has
been predicted as one of the signs of Qiyaamah. Nabi is reported to
have said:
T h e R e a l i t y o f T a u b a h P a g e | 211
.,,, . , .,,,
People will give evidence without even being asked to do so.
How will it ever be possible to bring forth false evidence in the
hereafter? This crime of slandering another person is such a heinous
Pen him down!
Just as backbiting can be committed by means of one's speech, so
too can it be done by means of one's pen. In fact, the backbiting
committed by one's pen is even more severe than that of the tongue
because that which has been spoken has come to an end (after the
conversation). Some may remember the discussion whilst others
may forget. However the person who made gheebat with the pen, by
printing and circulating it or merely by printing pamphlets or small
booklets, this sin will remain forever.
This is a continuous sin, which is extremely dangerous. The pen
is known as one of the two tongues. One tongue is found in a
person's mouth whilst the other is in his hand, i.e. his pen. We have
now understood how contemptible this sin is.
One form of backbiting occurs by merely gesturing with the
hands. A person may be short. To indicate that so and so is short by
gesturing is also backbiting. Another person may be tall. To make an
indication of this with one's hand whereby that person may resent it
is also a form of backbiting. Others may be inflicted by other forms
of deficiencies and to indicate this by means of gestures, will also
constitute backbiting.
Subtle trouble
There is also another subtle form of backbiting which people do not
even consider as backbiting. For example, a person begins praising
someone in a gathering saying that so and so is a very wonderful
D i s c o u r s e s o f F a q e e h - u l - U m m a t P a g e | 212
person. Another person in the gathering then sarcastically says:
"Yes, it is so," or he may very sarcastically shake his head in the
In this instance, although he has not made any verbal statement
but, by shaking his head, he implies that you are unaware of the
praised individual's shortcomings.
"I know what type of a person he really is."
This also represents gheebat. It is of a very dangerous nature
because one does not even realise that he is backbiting.
Caution: Danger ahead
There is yet another type of backbiting that Allamah Shaami ·,· = ·~_
has regarded as kufr. This is of an extremely perilous nature. The
example of this is speaking ill of your brother and then rejecting the
admonishment not to indulge in this sin.
"How can I be backbiting," we indignantly retort. "What I am
saying is absolutely true. In fact I can tell it to him on his face."
It is as though we are regarding backbiting as permissible so long
as it is true, whereas gheebat actually constitutes that which is true.
The Qur'aan, on the other hand, totally prohibits it and regards it as
haraam. Thus, we are in actual fact refuting a Nass-e-Qat`ee (definite
injunction). An act, which is prohibited through Nass-e-Qat`ee, is
being regarded as permissible. This is kufr. That is why Allamah
Shaami ·,· = ·~_ has classified it as kufr. May Allah Ta`ala save and
protect us all.
Kicking the habit
Allah Ta`ala has gathered us here in this Musjid (Darul Uloom
Musjid in Dabhel). I continuously tell those who go out in the path
of Allah Ta`ala (Tableegh Jamaat) that when a habitual drunkard goes
out for a chillah (forty days), forty days would have elapsed without
T h e R e a l i t y o f T a u b a h P a g e | 213
him drinking alcohol. Remaining in his home would have made it
very difficult for him to abandon his evil habits. But, since he came
out in jamaat, he was saved from consuming alcohol.
He may have had the foul habit of swearing but once he had
come out for forty days he did not swear. He always used to fight
and quarrel with others. For forty days he did not do so. He was a
constant thief but for forty days he did not steal.
A person may be involved in a variety of sins ranging from
physical sins to sins relating to one's character but, once he has come
out for forty days, Allah Ta`ala has protected him from these
maladies. And, upon his return, the effect of this environment
remains with him. And if he has to go out in jamaat again, this will
benefit him even more. However, if he becomes negligent then
slowly but surely his previous evil habits will resurface.
Similarly, Allah Ta`ala has sent us here to this Musjid. We are
prohibited from leaving the Musjid without a valid Shar`ee or
acceptable, sound reason. Those evil habits, which we may have
possessed at home, have been left outside and Allah Ta`ala has
given us an excellent opportunity to free ourselves from such evil
habits. By staying here, we can even guard our tongues. To protect
our tongues is extremely important.
Once, a companion of Nabi requested for some special advice.
Nabi pointed to his tongue and said: "Guard this!"
It is recorded in the hadeeth that every morning, all the limbs of
the body address the tongue begging of it: "O servant of Allah
Ta`ala! If you remain upright we will remain upright (safe), but if
you do not remain upright then we too will suffer the
consequences." Hence, to protect the tongue is of paramount
The companions of Nabi once enquired that if something
undesirable was uttered, will they be taken to task for this on the
Day of Qiyaamah?
D i s c o u r s e s o f F a q e e h - u l - U m m a t P a g e | 214
Nabi replied: ":·' :´ – May your mother cry over you. A
large number of people will be flung overturned into the fire of
Jahannum because of this."
Thus, we have an excellent opportunity here to guard and protect
our tongues. What a tremendous benefit is gained by familiarising
our tongues with the recitation of the Holy Qur'aan, tasbeeh, zikr,
Durood Shareef, istighfaar, etc., instead of involving it in backbiting,
swearing, arguing and quarrelling.
Weigh your words
It is recorded in the Ahaadeeth that, at times, a person may utter a
seemingly insignificant word. However, due to this very utterance
he will be flung into Jahannum. That is how dangerous just one word
can be. An excellent chance has been provided to us now to protect
our tongues. Sometimes whilst quarrelling and arguing amongst
ourselves, we do not even get the opportunity of reflecting upon
what we are uttering, and Shaitaan becomes overwhelmed with joy.
The thorny tree
It is stated in a Hadeeth that in the evening Shaitaan spreads his
throne on the ocean and seats himself on it. All his subordinates
gather around him to render an account of their day's work. One
disciple will relate:
"I have caused a person to miss his Salaah today."
"You have done nothing," Shaitaan bemoans. "Your deed is very
This rendering of accounts will continue until one disciple says:
"Today, I caused a fight between a husband and wife. When the
husband came home, I whispered to his wife to accuse him of doing
something wrong. I incited the husband to flatly refute this
accusation and advised him how to respond to his wife's accusation
T h e R e a l i t y o f T a u b a h P a g e | 215
and vice-versa, until both their blood pressures rose and their
tempers flared, resulting in the wife leaving her husband and going
to her parents' home."
Hearing this, Shaitaan becomes elated. "Indeed you have done
something very laudable. You are really worthy of being my
deputy." He then embraces this disciple.
The wife has now gone to her parents' home. Her parents,
brothers, sisters, aunts, etc., will gather around her to ascertain what
had transpired. She will relate every minute detail, resulting in
backbiting and even slandering. Thus, a special gathering of
backbiting and slandering involving every household member will
take place.
The husband's family, friends and associates will also come and
question him and a similar scenario will occur there. This
acrimonious bickering will continue between them and they will
stop communicating with each other.
It is narrated in a Hadeeth that our actions are presented before
Allah Ta`ala every Monday and Thursday. Everyone is forgiven
except for two people who have severed ties with each other. Their
actions are not even presented before Allah Ta`ala, resulting in them
being deprived of His forgiveness. It is said regarding them that
until and unless they do not reconcile, they will not be forgiven and
their deeds will not be presented to Allah Ta`ala.
It is reported in another Hadeeth that when two Muslim brothers
cease to communicate with each other because of some argument
and fight and they break off ties with one another, the du`aas of both
are rejected.
Furthermore, the husband and wife have desires and passions.
The husband will fulfil his lust and desires unlawfully and vice
versa. The offspring of these illicit relationships will be a source of
even greater hardship for them. Due to a disagreement between the
parents the children get affected as well.
D i s c o u r s e s o f F a q e e h - u l - U m m a t P a g e | 216
As a result of the viperous tongue, this conflict has thrown their
lives into such a lamentable and sorrowful state. Shaitaan has
planted a tree of sins, yielding thorny branches, and these will
constantly grow and bear poisonous fruit, and various types of
worms and insects will then inhabit it.
Nevertheless, we have been provided with an excellent
opportunity to protect our tongues. Hence, during i`tikaaf, we
should not speak unnecessarily. However, amongst our friends
something or the other will be spoken. An eleven-month-old habit is
impossible to give up in just a single day. But definitely this habit
will be decreased. We will definitely experience some change when
we make the correct and sincere intention.
We have come here to ask of Allah Ta`ala, to beg His forgiveness
and to repent for our shortcomings. We are beseeching Him to
protect us in the future as well. Thus, divine assistance will come
from the side of Allah Ta`ala. Our previous sins will be forgiven
and, Insha-Allah, we will be protected in the future as well. May
Allah Ta`ala grant us all the ability of practising upon what has been
mentioned. Aameen.
Discourse 14 Discourse 14 Discourse 14 Discourse 14
The Benefits of The Benefits of The Benefits of The Benefits of
the Company of the Company of the Company of the Company of
the Pious the Pious the Pious the Pious
T h e b e n e f i t s o f t h e c o m p a n y o f . . . P a g e | 219
<,´ ·,_ _· ¸. , ·-
It is narrated in the books of Hadeeth that the Sahaabah explained
to Nabi that when they sat in his company it is as though Jannat
and Jahannum were before them. However, when they left his
company and went to their families, the same feeling no longer
remained with them. Consequently, some even considered
themselves to be hypocrites as only a hypocrite's condition could be
described in this manner.
Nabi informed them that had they perpetually experienced
that same spiritual condition, the angels would come and shake
their hands on the streets. This is an experience that is rarely felt and
is not a lasting condition.
The environment of this material world continuously affects
human beings, thus causing us to experience a constant change in
our spiritual condition. Therefore, there is a dire need for us to sit in
the company of a Shaikh-e-Kaamil (expert spiritual guide).
Come to My door
The month of Ramadhaan especially, comes with the specialty of
saving us from being exposed to harmful environments. It is as if
Allah Ta`ala is calling out and saying: "O My servant! Why are you
wasting your time in farming? Come to My door. O My servant!
Why are you sitting in your businesses and consuming interest?
Come to My house, My Musjid. O My servant! For how long will
you continue making shoes and sewing clothes? Leave all that and
come to My door."
Allah Ta`ala has called us here to distribute gifts to us. He has
called us here to forgive our sins and reform the condition of our
hearts. Instead of engaging in swearing, backbiting, etc., acts that we
do in our shops and factories, we have the opportunity now to recite
the Qur'aan, take the name of Allah Ta`ala, read tasbeeh, Durood
Shareef, istighfaar, engage in Nafl Ibaadat, etc.
D i s c o u r s e s o f F a q e e h - u l - U m m a t P a g e | 220
What a great honour it is that Allah Ta`ala has chosen us as His
guests and gathered us here. He has locked up Shaitaan – that very
Shaitaan who has troubled us throughout the year and educated us
on how to perpetrate various sins. We have been saved from him.
Everyone cannot easily comprehend the evil and mischief spread by
Shaitaan. In fact, it is quite difficult to understand him. Shaitaan is
afraid of the pious and he runs away from them.
Incident of Hadhrat Raipuri _ > -,·- =· - and Moulana
Allah Bakhsh _ > -,·- =· -
Hadhrat Moulana Abdul Qadir Raipuri ·,· = ·~_ narrated that when
Shah Abdur Raheem ·,· = ·~_ came to Raipur, a majlis used to be
conducted and everyone would come out of their rooms at
approximately eight or nine 'o' clock.
One day, Moulana Allah Bakhsh ·,· = ·~_ came out of his room
and Hadhrat Shah Moulana Abdur Raheem Sahib ·,· = ·~_ was
sitting in the majlis area. Hadhrat Moulana Abdur Raheem Sahib
saw Moulana Allah Bakhsh and said to him: "Come and sit here."
Moulana Allah Bakhsh did as he was told.
Hadhrat Moulana Abdul Qadir Sahib ·,· = ·~_ relates that
afterwards I went up to Moulana Allah Bakhsh and asked him:
"Hadhrat! What was the reason for you being treated with special
importance today?"
"What can I say," Moulana Allah Bakhsh sighed. "I awoke at 2
a.m. this morning and from that time onwards a voice was
continuously echoing in my heart saying: 'Verily I am Allah.' I tried
my level best to subdue it but this voice refused to stop. However,
as soon as Hadhrat ·,· = ·~_ saw me and asked me to sit next to him,
that voice immediately stopped."
T h e b e n e f i t s o f t h e c o m p a n y o f . . . P a g e | 221
That which cannot be even achieved through years of sacrifice, is
instantly conferred to one by Allah Ta`ala merely by sitting in the
company of these pious servants.
Dr. Allamah Iqbal with Allamah Kashmiri -,·- =· ->_
Hadhrat Moulana Anwar Shah Kashmiri ·,· = ·~_ once went to
Lahore and stayed there for a considerable period of time. Hadhrat
had many students in Lahore and they used to attend his gathering.
Dr. Iqbal was still living at that time. Some of his friends told him:
"Why don't you also come?" He did not entertain much confidence
in any aalim, hence he never frequented their gatherings. Then by
chance, a very close friend said to him: "You are touring the entire
world. What harm will there be if you go there?"
"Very well," he relented and also attended the majlis.
Just as he sat in Hadhrat Shah Sahib's ·,· = ·~_ majlis, his mind was
directed to the Hadeeth wherein the Sahaabah explained that when
they sat in Nabi's majlis, it was as though birds were perched on
their heads. The slightest movement would have caused them to fly
off. This meant that they used to sit with utmost respect and dignity.
Looking around him, he saw the exact same scenario.
Everyone sat with great respect. While observing Hadhrat Shah
Sahib's majlis, he thought to himself that the majlis of Nabi must
have been conducted in this manner.
People asked various questions in Shah Sahib's majlis and Shah
Sahib ·,· = ·~_ gave them a very in-depth answer. He would say that
so and so has written this and he has erred because in a certain kitaab
it has been recorded in this way and in another kitaab the matter is
recorded like this and the author has actually misunderstood the
situation. He would discuss the finer details of everything.
It was for this reason that Hadhrat Shah Sahib ·,· = ·~_ was
considered to be a 'walking library'. Dr. Iqbal heard the different
answers to the various questions. He returned for the next majlis. A
D i s c o u r s e s o f F a q e e h - u l - U m m a t P a g e | 222
question was posed regarding the creation of the world. In reply,
Hadhrat Shah Sahib ·,· = ·~_ recited one of his poems. Hearing his
poetry, Dr. Iqbal realised that this is no ordinary person. Since Dr.
Sahib himself was a very famous poet, he appreciated Shah Sahib's
He too, began asking questions. He asked regarding the
definition of 'zamaan – time' and 'makaan – place'. Shah Sahib ·,· = ·~_
answered his questions. Dr. Iqbal then quoted Newton's theory on
the subject. Hadhrat Shah Sahib replied that whatever Newton had
written was actually taken from a thesis prepared by Allamah Iraqi.
Shah Sahib explained that in his opinion it was a deception by
Newton not to have attributed this theory to Allamah Iraqi.
Dr. Iqbal then asked him who Allamah Iraqi was and where was
the thesis that he had prepared. Shah Sahib ·,· = ·~_ informed him
that the thesis was in Deoband, which he later sent to him.
Dr. Iqbal posed various questions and Hadhrat Shah Sahib ·~_ =
·,· gave him satisfactory answers to all of his objections. Thus, Dr.
Sahib had now taken a great liking for Shah Sahib.
When Hadhrat Shah Sahib ·,· = ·~_ noticed that Dr. Sahib had
taken a special liking for him, he one day said to him, "Dr. Sahib, I
am not pleased with you." This was in reference to Dr. Sahib's
association with Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani's 'Jamaat-e-Ahmadi'.
Dr. Sahib was the secretary for the organization. Hadhrat Shah
Sahib ·,· = ·~_ detested this organisation and was infuriated with
Ahmad Qadiani for criticising the Ambiyaa ·· ,,,· and reviling
them. Ghulam Ahmad considered himself to be superior in status to
the Ambiyaa ·· ,,,· as is apparent from his poem:
·:,.·. <,¸ ÷ , .¸+·.¸
(Stop talking about Hadhrat Isa (). Ghulam Ahmad is better than him.)
These were the types of statements that he had uttered. He
negated Khatm-e-Nubuwwat (finality of the prophethood of Nabi )
T h e b e n e f i t s o f t h e c o m p a n y o f . . . P a g e | 223
and claimed prophethood for himself. Therefore, Shah Sahib ·,· = ·~_
was naturally disinclined to him and his pseudo-organisation. Dr.
Sahib understood what Shah Sahib meant. He immediately left his
presence, resigned from the said organisation, repented and
returned to Hadhrat Shah Sahib.
"Hadhrat!" he respectfully said, "That thorn which was causing
you discomfort has been removed."
Hadhrat Shah Sahib ·,· = ·~_ focused his attention towards Dr.
Iqbal, resulting in Dr. Sahib experiencing such a feeling in his heart
which he was unacquainted with. He never imagined that such a
feeling could be experienced. In relation to these experiences he
composed the following poetry:
¸¸¸ ¸---_, _, ¸ ¸< . ¸· ¸,
.× ·, ¸
r ¸· ¯× ±·.-¸-_ .
. ¸__ . ¸ ¸-
´ __ ç: ¸
» . ¯, ¸¸· ·.· : ¸¸-
. . ¸×
,- ¸ . ¸
The ecstasy and enjoyment of their souls are able to set alight the lamp of a
O Allah! What is it that is concealed within the bosoms of the ahl-e-dil
Don't enquire regarding these ragged-clothed people; look at them if you
really have the intention to do so.
They have assigned themselves to one spot whilst sitting with miracles
tucked within their sleeves.
If it is your heart's desire then serve the pious,
For you will never find these gems even in the treasures of the kings.
Since then, the direction of Dr. Sahib's poetry took on a new path.
He composed very strange poetry prior to this but now his poetry
was in the mould of Moulana Rumi ·,· = ·~_. He also started
expounding on the topics that Moulana Rumi ·,· = ·~_ had discussed.
D i s c o u r s e s o f F a q e e h - u l - U m m a t P a g e | 224
Whatever Dr. Sahib's condition may have been, it is apparent from
his poetry that he certainly had a very deep attachment and love for
the personality of Nabi . One of his couplets is:
.¸...>,:·. ¸ ¸ç. ··
, :¸ ¯
, ¸¿ ¸·: :
.¸. _. ¸ .
"O Allah! You are independent and I am a pauper. On the Day of
Qiyaamah accept my excuses for my sins and shortcomings.
If you have to take an account from me, then do not do so in the presence of
Nabi ."
"Do not expose me to Nabi because he might feel ashamed that
from amongst his followers such an account is being taken."
This was the calibre of his poetry.
This entire revolution in his life came about as a result of the
company of Hadhrat Shah Sahib ·,· = ·~_. But, alas! Today, in this
modern society, we do not find the need for such company, and we
do not regard it to be significant. Thus, we remain deprived of the
special mercies of Allah Ta`ala.
Allamah Kashmiri -,·- =· ->_ with Shaikh-ul-Hind-,·- =· ->_
Hadhrat Shah Sahib ·,· = ·~_ himself possessed an extremely great
degree of respect for his elders. When Shaikh-ul-Hind ·,· = ·~_
returned from Malta, he used to conduct a majlis after Fajr Salaah at
his home. This was predominantly a gathering of Ulama where
various Shar`ee matters were discussed.
Sometimes, Hadhrat Shaikh-ul-Hind ·,· = ·~_ would participate in
the discussions, but Hadhrat Shah Sahib would remain absolutely
silent. He used to sit in tashahhud position with his head lowered.
When the majlis would end and everybody would leave, Hadhrat
T h e b e n e f i t s o f t h e c o m p a n y o f . . . P a g e | 225
Shaikh-ul-Hind ·,· = ·~_ himself would say: "Shah Sahib! Is there
anything you would like to ask?"
Shah Sahib would then raise his head and respectfully say:
"Hadhrat! I wish to know something regarding this Hadeeth."
He would never ask of his own accord but would wait until
Shaikh-ul-Hind himself questioned him. Others would engage in the
conversation but Shah Sahib would not participate in any of their
conversations. He would remain focused towards his Shaikh.
Shaikh-ul-Hind going to Malta
When Hadhrat Shaikh-ul-Hind ·,· = ·~_ was leaving India to be
incarcerated in Malta, after being falsely convicted, there was a
discussion among the Ulama concerning who would be appointed as
the sadar mudarris (head of teachers). When this news reached the
ears of Hadhrat Shaikh-ul-Hind ·,· = ·~_, he said: "In the presence of
Moulana Anwar Shah Sahib Kashmiri, I do not see why such a
question has arisen as to who would occupy the office of the sadar
His position and personality was such that he had to only
mention this and everyone fell silent. Eventually, Moulana Anwar
Shah Sahib was chosen as the sadar mudarris.
Hadhrat Shah Sahib ·,· = ·~_ came into the classroom to teach a
lesson of Tirmizi Shareef. He opened the kitaab and the contents
were read out but he was unable to explain even one word. This was
due to the severe grief he was experiencing from the imminent
departure of Hadhrat Shaikh-ul-Hind ·,· = ·~_. He closed the kitaab
and went directly to Hadhrat Shaikh-ul-Hind Sahib's house.
Hadhrat was seated on his bed. He knelt down and embraced
Hadhrat Shaikh-ul-Hind's shins and burst out crying
uncontrollably. This was the very same Shah Sahib who was unable
to even speak in front of Shaikh-ul-Hind ·,· = ·~_. He had acquired
an unknown strength that he himself did not realise he possessed.
D i s c o u r s e s o f F a q e e h - u l - U m m a t P a g e | 226
Hadhrat Shaikh-ul-Hind did not react immediately and allowed him
to cry. When his sobbing subsided, Hadhrat Shaikh-ul-Hind ·,· = ·~_
placed his hand on his head and placating him said: "Shah Sahib!
Due to my presence here you were always confronted with
objections and doubts. In my absence such doubts will not occur. If
they do occur then Allah Ta`ala Himself will guide you. Go now in
Allah Ta`ala's care."
Allamah Kashmiri -,·- =· ->_ with Hadhrat Saharanpuri
-,·- =· ->_
The love that these people had for their tutors and elders was
unsurpassed. This is something that is no longer found.
Hadhrat Moulana Khaleel Ahmad Saharanpuri ·~_ ·,· = used to
travel from Saharanpur to Deoband to visit the library.
Upon reaching Deoband, if the library was open, he would go
straight in and refer to whichever kitaab he needed and thereafter
return to Saharanpur. If upon reaching Deoband he found the
library to be locked, he would go to the person in charge of the
library, take the key from him and complete his work. If some time
remained, before his train could depart, he would go and visit
On one occasion after completing his work, he went to visit Shah
Sahib ·,· = ·~_. Hadhrat Shah Sahib's room was at the top of the
staircase. When Hadhrat Shah Sahib ·,· = ·~_ saw him approaching,
he quickly ran bare-footed to meet him.
"Shah Sahib! There is no reason for such formality that you have
come bare-footed to greet me. I was coming to you anyway,"
Hadhrat Saharanpuri pointed out.
Nevertheless, Hadhrat Shah Sahib ·,· = ·~_ grasped both his hands
and led him to his room. Hadhrat Shah Sahib then dismissed his
special students. (These students remained in his company after the
T h e b e n e f i t s o f t h e c o m p a n y o f . . . P a g e | 227
normal class periods had ended). After discussing in private,
Hadhrat Saharanpuri ·,· = ·~_ would return to Saharanpur.
Moulana Kifaayatullah with Hadhrat Saharanpuri =· ->_
Moulana Kifaayatullah _ ·,· = ·~ used to stay in Gangoh. He studied
in Saharanpur and even taught there. He had taken bay`at at the
hands of Hadhrat Shaikh-ul-Hind ·,· = ·~_. At the time when Shaikh-
ul-Hind was in Malta, a strange condition overcame Moulana
Whilst in the midst of his zikr, he would get the urge to commit
suicide. He would pick up a knife or he would go and peer down
into a well. But, because he was an aalim, neither the knife nor the
well were of any benefit to him. Also, he was extremely distressed
because his Shaikh was not present – he was in Malta. He
contemplated on this issue and his mind went straight to Hadhrat
Saharanpuri ·,· = ·~_ as he was the first khaleefah of Hadhrat Gangohi
·,· = ·~_. He wrote to him about his predicament and asked him for
assistance. Hadhrat Saharanpuri ·,· = ·~_ replied: "I am surprised
that you are of the opinion that I am worthy of such a major task. I
definitely am not worthy of it."
Moulana Kifaayatullah ·,· = ·~_ became even more distressed and
decided to go to Thanabawan to visit Hadhrat Thanwi ·,· = ·~_. He
first had to take a train from Meerut to Saharanpur. From
Saharanpur he had to take another train, which he missed. Thus, he
went to Madrasah Mazaahir-ul-Uloom to meet Hadhrat Saharanpuri
who received him very warmly. When everyone had left, Moulana
Saharanpuri ·,· = ·~_ said to Moulana Kifaayatullah: "What was it
that you wrote? I find it very strange that a learned person like you
could write something of that nature. How can I ever be worthy of
such a task?"
D i s c o u r s e s o f F a q e e h - u l - U m m a t P a g e | 228
"Hadhrat!" observed Moulana Kifaayatullah. "If someone were
to say that you are not worthy of it then this is not an objection
against your good self. Rather, this is an objection against Hadhrat
Gangohi ·,· = ·~_ as to why he gave you khilaafat? Was it his habit to
confer khilaafat upon unworthy people? That door from which you
have achieved everything is the very same door from which I was
nurtured. Hence I also have a right over you."
Moulana Saharanpuri ·,· = ·~_ remained silent for a while and
then remarked, "You may stay here."
In the evening after Esha Salaah, when Hadhrat Saharanpuri was
going home, he changed the sequence of Moulana Kifaayatullah's
zikr. He asked him to sit in the upper level of the guest room during
the latter portion of the night and to make zikr loudly enough for it
to reach Hadhrat Saharanpuri's house. Hadhrat's house was
situated very close to the Madrasah. Upon this instruction, Moulana
Kifaayatullah said: "I do not know how to make Zikr!"
Hadhrat replied, "Do not get worried. Continue with whatever
you are doing. A person with a similar problem such as yours, once
came to Hadhrat Gangohi ·,· = ·~_ and he prescribed the same
remedy for him."
For Moulana's peace of mind, Hadhrat Saharanpuri presented
the proof for this method that it was prescribed by Hadhrat Gangohi
·,· = ·~_. Hadhrat Saharanpuri then departed.
Moulana Kifaayatullah ·,· = ·~_ woke up in the latter portion of
the night and began making his zikr. It was Hadhrat Saharanpuri's
habit that he would awaken at the time of dawn, come to the
Madrasah and remain there for some time engrossed in deep
meditation. The Fajr Salaah would then take place. Accordingly, he
came and sat down in the Musjid. After Fajr Salaah, Hadhrat asked
him: "How do you feel now?'
"I am now at ease. I no longer experience the condition I was
afflicted with," disclosed Moulana Kifaayatullah.
T h e b e n e f i t s o f t h e c o m p a n y o f . . . P a g e | 229
Hadhrat ·,· = ·~_ then said: "Very well, now sit here."
He seated him close to his room, entered it and closed the
windows. Moulana Kifaayatullah ·,· = ·~_ narrates, "I did not know
where Hadhrat was sitting or what he was doing in the room.
However, I began experiencing a strange feeling that there was a
wound on my heart and Hadhrat was pressing it and blood and
matter was pouring out. I was very startled by this because I could
not see Hadhrat anywhere. He was in the room and the door was
closed. This condition lasted right up to the time of Ishraaq."
Hadhrat read his Ishraaq and then came out of the room.
"How do you feel now?" he asked, emerging from the room.
Moulana Kifaayatullah replied that he was totally at ease.
"Come with me," he requested and took me to the Bukhaari
Shareef lesson. Hadhrat ·,· = ·~_ seated him and then commenced the
Moulana Kifaayatullah comments that the amount of noor and
radiance that he saw emanating caused his heart to quiver. He had
never seen such spiritual effulgence before and he desired that
Hadhrat should lengthen the discussion. However, Hadhrat's
method of teaching was to deliver concise lectures.
Hence, Moulana Kifaayatullah began asking many questions.
Hadhrat sometimes elaborately answered the questions whilst at
other times he would say: "Do not look for the answers in any kitaab.
It is not found there."
Sometimes a question would be posed and Hadhrat _ ·,· = ·~
would give the answer and then he would say that another objection
arises here which the commentators have overlooked. He would
explain the objection and give the answer as well. In this manner, he
conducted the lesson with great ease. Moulana Kifaayatullah then
requested Moulana Saharanpuri ·,· = ·~_ to allow him to visit
D i s c o u r s e s o f F a q e e h - u l - U m m a t P a g e | 230
"By all means, but on your return spend a night here as there is
still some rawness left in you," explained Moulana Saharanpuri.
Moulana Kifaayatullah was baffled as to what 'rawness' could be
left in him. Nevertheless, he went to Thanabawan and, on his return
trip, he remained in Saharanpur for two days.
Moulana Kifaayatullah ·,· = ·~_ relates: "I now realised what the
'rawness' was, which previously I was unable to perceive. When I
sat outside the room meditating in the morning, I could feel
something being filled into my heart and that, actually, was a sense
of great happiness and spiritual strength. My heart was imbued
with these two qualities. During my first visit, pollution and
contamination were erased and during my second visit, this
pollution was replaced with spiritual energy."
Hadhrat ·,· = ·~_ then said, "Go, Insha-Allah, you will now
experience peace of mind."
The above remedy is a direct result of the companionship of the
pious people. This is not the work of any doctor. The company of
the pious people is necessary to treat these types of ailments. The
Sahaabah sat in the company of Nabi . The Taabi`een sat in the
company of the Sahaabah. The Tab-`e-Taabi`een sat in the company of
the Taabi`een and this method continues to this day.
Hadhrat Thanwi -,·- =· ->_ and Hadhrat Gangohi =· ->_
Severe spiritual problems are solved easily and comfortably, by
merely sitting in the company of the pious. Hadhrat Thanwi ·,· = ·~_
recalls: "I used to frequent the company of Hadhrat Gangohi ·,· = ·~_
when any doubts or objections plagued me but I would not even get
a chance of asking any questions. Without even asking, I suddenly
understood the answers. Sometimes, someone else would ask the
questions which I wished to pose and Hadhrat Gangohi ·,· = ·~_
T h e b e n e f i t s o f t h e c o m p a n y o f . . . P a g e | 231
would answer it. Sometimes, Hadhrat Gangohi ·,· = ·~_ himself
would speak on the very same topic that was troubling me and
those doubts were immediately obliterated. At other times, absolute
silence would prevail over the majlis without Hadhrat saying
anything at all and all doubts would disappear. I would ask
Hadhrat one or two questions and he would say: 'Who posed this
"'Ashraf Ali,' I would reply, eagerly awaiting an answer.
"But Hadhrat ·,· = ·~_ would not answer. He would neither reply
by saying that I am looking for answers to such simple and easy
questions nor would he say that the answer was very difficult to
comprehend. He would not even ask me to repeat the question.
Nothing at all! Absolute silence would prevail. I later realised that if
Hadhrat had answered, then too it would not have clarified the
matter as much as it was clarified by Hadhrat's silence."
What is the lesson in this incident? The lesson is that the original
grace comes from Allah Ta`ala into the heart of the spiritual guide.
This same grace is then conferred to those around the Shaikh on
condition that there is some relationship with him and they believe
him to be the right person for their spiritual development.
However, if you entertain some doubt in him then you will not
derive the necessary benefit. Only if the heart is clean and receptive
will one attain benefit. The original benefactor is Allah Ta`ala. The
heart of the Shaikh is only a means of acquiring this benefit. The pure
rain that falls upon the marble roof will flow off that roof in the very
condition that it originally fell. If there is a gutter that is attached to
this roof then whoever comes and stands beneath it will benefit.
Water was not created in the gutter. The water came from the skies.
This gutter is only the means of receiving the pure water.
It is, however, necessary to maintain the connection with the
means as well. If a person has to place some filth in the gutter, the
water flowing out of this gutter will be polluted – dirty and filthy
water will flow out. The water did not fall from the skies in that
D i s c o u r s e s o f F a q e e h - u l - U m m a t P a g e | 232
form. It was absolutely clean but, due to the gutter being
contaminated, it became dirty.
Clear relationship
This is the example of a Shaikh. If he is a true and sincere Shaikh who
recognises Allah Ta`ala, then whatever benefits Allah Ta`ala
showers on him will be absolutely pure. If the mureed does not have
any faith in the Shaikh – he harbours ill thoughts about him and
constantly picks out faults in the sayings and actions of the Shaikh –
this will definitely have an adverse effect on the mureed.
Once the Shaikh has some reservations about the mureed, the
mureed will not benefit from him. The proof of this is found in the
Hadeeth as well. Hadhrat Wahshi had martyred Hadhrat Hamzah
in such a manner the he disfigured him completely. He removed
his heart and liver and cut his nose and ears. When he accepted
Islam after the conquest of Makkah and pledged allegiance at the
hands of Rasulullah , Rasulullah asked him if it was possible for
him not to come in front of him ().
The reason being that he was reminded of the brutal savagery of
his beloved uncle at the hands of Wahshi and this caused a great
deal of distress to him. Rasulullah was concerned that if every
time he saw Hadhrat Wahshi and was reminded of his uncle,
Hadhrat Wahshi will be deprived of acquiring benefit from him.
Hence, he () chose this prescription for Hadhrat Wahshi
because distance does not pose as an obstacle for acquiring benefit
for the one who has developed a connection and link through Imaan.
Whatever has been decreed for us, we will definitely receive.
Therefore, this solution was adopted.
It was the habit of the hypocrites to constantly complain to
Rasulullah about the Sahaabah , the most sincere Muslims.
Rasulullah would say: "Do not complain about my companions. I
want my heart to be absolutely clear when I meet them. There must
be no reservation for them in my heart at all."
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Similarly, the true mashaayikh do not like to harbour any
reservations whatsoever with respect to their mureeds so that they
(the mureeds) may receive complete benefit from them. If the Shaikh
harbours any doubts in his heart, no benefit will be transferred to his
mureeds but rather an adverse effect will result.
Conversely, a mureed as well must not entertain any ill feelings in
his heart for the Shaikh. It is essential for both their hearts to be
linked and, once this link has been established, there will be rapid
progress on the path of the mureed.
Jalaaluddeen Thanesri -,·- =· ->_ with Shah Abdul
Quddoos -,·- =· ->_
Hadhrat Shaikh Jalaaluddeen Thanesri ·,· = ·~_ had taken bay`at at
the hands of Hadhrat Shah Abdul Quddoos Gangohi ·,· = ·~_. Once,
he wrote to his Shaikh explaining his spiritual condition. Hadhrat
Shah Abdul Quddoos replied:
.· ¸.
Although it is a bit late, but the gazelle has eventually come into the claws
of the lion.
With regards to our outer limbs, a stronger person can overpower
a weak person using his might and tactical acumen. But those inner-
debasing qualities that are within our volition, like that of nafs-e-
ammarah (evil propensity) and the power to commit evil deeds, these
are the snares of Shaitaan and to overpower them requires another
greater form of strength. Thus, if the Shaikh's inner strength is
greater, then he can overpower these debasing qualities of the
mureed and reform his spiritual condition benefiting him
tremendously. However, if the poor Shaikh is weak then Allah Ta`ala
have mercy on him and the mureed! Aameen. Both of them require
His mercy.
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