MUSJIDUL HAQ

Download PDF: Adopt The Company of The Truthful

In Surah Taubah, verse 119, the Almighty (azza wa jall) declares:

یٰۤاَیُّہَا الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللہَ وَکُوۡنُوۡا مَعَ الصّٰدِقِیۡنَ ﴿۱۱۹﴾

O believers! Fear Allah and be with the truthful.

 

This title of “O you who believe” is a title which the Almighty (azza wa jall) has only used for the Ummah of the Holy Prophet (salal laahu alaihi wa sallam). If we look at the Quran, we will see that when He addresses either Christians or Jews, he uses the words “Ahlal kitaab or Bani Israeel”.

 

Hadrat Imam Ghazali (radi Allahu anhu) has explained that there are three types of Taqwah, they are:

1. Taqwa anish Shirk
2. Taqwa anil Ma’aasi and
3. Taqwa anil Bid’ah.

In spite of adopting all these types of Taqwa, it is imperative that we still adopt the company of the truthful. In other words, merely proclaiming to be truthful will not be sufficient, we have to be in the company of the truthful or those who are qualified with this trait. On the day of Judgement, when all worldly connections and relationship would be severed, even on that day, the only relationship and connection which would remain is the connection which we have with the real friends of Allah (azza wa jall).

 

In Zukhruf, verse 67, the Almighty (azza wa jall) declares that:

اَلْاَخِلَّآءُ یَوْمَئِذٍۭ بَعْضُہُمْ لِبَعْضٍ عَدُوٌّ اِلَّا الْمُتَّقِیۡنَ ﴿ؕ٪۶۷﴾

Bosom friends shall be foes to one another on that day except those who fear Allah.

Hence, we should adopt the friendship of those who will come to our aid and the friendship of those who will remain our helpers and friends both in this world and in the hereafter. Why are we told to adopt the company of the pious and truthful? It is very simple, it is the only group who according the Quran on which the satan has no control over. The Almighty (azza wa jall) has also informed the satan that he will have no power over His special friends. In this speech, we will deliberate a little of the different ways in which the satan attacks people so that we can be prepared for these attacks and protect ourselves from these attacks. We will then explain the power of the friends of Allah (azza wa jall) and the so called power of the friends of satan.

 

The satan is an ardent enemy of man

We notice that when someone is told not to travel on a certain path, they do not take the advice very seriously. Some people think that perhaps now it has become safer or perhaps the danger has now gone away etc. Yet, the Quran which is the Divine Word of the Almighty (azza wa jall) is clearly warning us of the path on which the satan is to be found and if we continue to be heedless of this Divine Advice, then we will have no one to blame for the consequences but ourselves.

The enemies which one finds in the world sometimes attack us for a certain period and then disappear, yet the satan is such an ardent enemy of man that from the day we are born, he is our enemy. In the hadith shareef, it is mentioned that:

مَامِنْ بَنِیْ اٰدَمَ مَوْلُوْدٌ اِلَّا یَمُسُّہٗ الشَّیْطَانُ حِیْنَ یُوْلَدُ فَیَسْتَھِلُّ صَارِخًا مِنْ مَّسِ الشَّیْطَانِ غَیْرَ مَرْیَمَ وَ اِبْنِھَا

“Whenever a human child is born and the devil definitely touches it at the time it’s being born, as a result of which the baby screams when the devil pokes it save Hazrat Maryam – may Allah be pleased with her – and her son (Hazrat Isa – peace be upon him).”

(Mishkaat shareef).

When this enemy does not even spare a little child who has not even committed any sin, where will he spare someone who has already become an adult. When he had threatened Nabi Adam (alaihis salaam) where will he spare the children of Adam.

When a person is busy making Wudu, even after Wudu, one cannot say that he is free from the attack of satan. Even in this moment, the satan is present to mislead a person. In the hadith shareef, it is said that the name of the satan which tries to confuse people in Wudu is called “Wal haan”.

(Tirmidi shareef)

 

The name of the satan which misleads and confuses people in salah is called “kanzab”.

(Mishkaat shareef).

The point we are making is that, even in this position of salah, where a person considers himself very close to his Creator, even in this, the satan is there to try and mislead a person! This satan even tried to unsuccessfully attack the Holy Prophet (salal laahu alaihi wa sallam) while he was in salah in Masjidun Nabawi shareef. This incident is to be found in the Mishkaat shareef.

 

Such an immense attack

The satan is able to whisper such sins in man that every part of this body becomes immersed in sin. Obviously, his intention is to make sure that we are not victorious on the day of Judgement. However, the Muslims are very fortunate in that when they make Wudu, every (minor) sin is removed through the washing of each part until even the sin from the eye lids are eradicated. Such is the Divine Mercy of the Almighty (azza wa jall) on the Muslims. We have also been told in the hadith shareef that he travels through the body of a person like blood travels through the body. He is such a powerful enemy that knowing we do not have the power to defeat him, the Almighty (azza wa jall) has advised Muslims to seek His Divine Help through the recital of the Ta’awwuz.

When we are sick, we spend lots of money trying to seek a cure, yet, Imaan which is connected to our soul, we do not even spend time trying to protect it. The Almighty (azza wa jall) has given us a most inexpensive cure against the satan which is the five times salah and the performance of Wudu for these salah, and yet, we show no concern for this. Have we not become the victims of satan already?

The satan is such an enemy that he even laughs at his own friends. It is said that when a person yawns loudly, the satan laughs at that person and in another hadith shareef, it is mentioned that the satan even enters the mouth of this person. Look at the history of the people who opposed Islam at the beginning, they were promised help by the satan and yet, at the last minute, he was the one who abandoned them. This was and will always be his method. He encourages people to do wrong and when they face danger, he is the first one to run away.

 

An important lesson to remember

The Holy Prophet (salal laahu alaihi wa sallam) had commanded us to awake in the morning and perform our salah in congregation, yet, as has become the method of people today, they have completely ignored this advice. In fact people are more concerned about what their friends and family would say than what the Almighty (azza wa jall) and His beloved Prophet (salal laahu alaihi wa sallam) had commanded us. In the hadith shareef it is mentioned that when a person does awake for Fajr salah, the satan urinates in his ear, perhaps this is the reason that people are in the habit of listening to all types of inappropriate things during the day because their ears are filled with satanic urine. When a person awakes for Fajr, his ears, eyes and heart are filled with Nur.

In the Mishkaat shareef, it is mentioned that, “Whosoever goes for salah in the morning, he has uplifted the flag of Imaan and those who awake without performing the salah, they have uplifted the flag of satan.”

 

The deceit of satan on the day of Judgement

In Surah Ebrahim, verse 22, the Quran explains that these are words which the satan will say on the day of Judgement:

وَقَالَ الشَّیۡطٰنُ لَمَّا قُضِیَ الۡاَمْرُ اِنَّ اللہَ وَعَدَکُمْ وَعْدَ الْحَقِّ وَوَعَدۡتُّکُمْ فَاَخْلَفْتُکُمْ ؕ وَمَا کَانَ لِیَ عَلَیۡکُمۡ مِّنۡ سُلْطٰنٍ اِلَّاۤ اَنۡ دَعَوْتُکُمْ فَاسْتَجَبْتُمْ لِیۡ ۚ فَلَا تَلُوۡمُوۡنِیۡ وَلُوۡمُوۡۤا اَنۡفُسَکُمۡ ؕ مَاۤ اَنَا بِمُصْرِخِکُمْ وَمَاۤ اَنۡتُمْ بِمُصْرِخِیَّ ؕ

And the Satan when the matter would have been decided will say, verily Allah had given you a true promise, and whatever I promised you I made it false to you, and I had no authority over you, but that I called you, then you responded to me, now then put no blame upon me, put the blame upon yourselves.’ Neither I could help you nor could you help me.

This is the state of the friends of satan in this world, now look at the state of the Muslims on the day of Judgement.

In the hadith shareef, Hadrat Sayyiduna Uqbah bin Amir (radi Allahu anhu) narrates that, “When the day of judgement occurs, the Muslims will look for an intercessor and after going from place to place.”

The Holy Prophet (sallAllahu Alaihi Wasallam) states:

فَیَاْتُوْنِیْ یَاْذَنُ اللّٰہُ لِیْ اَنْ اَقُوْمَ فَیَنْثُرُ  مَجْلِسِیْ مِنَ الطَّیْبِ رِیْحٌ شَمَّھَا اَحَدٌ حَتّٰی اَتٰی رَبِّیْ فَیَشْفَعُنِیْ وَیَجْعَلُ لِیْ نُوْرًا مِنْ شَعْرِ رَاْسِیْ اِلٰی ظَفْرِ قَدَمِیْ

They will then approach the Holy Prophet (salal laahu alaihi wa sallam). The Holy Prophet (salal laahu alaihi wa sallam) will then be given Divine Permission to intercede for people. When the Holy Prophet (salal laahu alaihi wa sallam) rises, there will emanate a very sweet fragrance from this company and everyone will be able to smell this sweet fragrance until I approach my Creator and He will allow me to intercede. I will then be blessed with Nur from head to feet.”

When this is seen by the disbelievers, they will say among themselves, “The Muslims have received an intercessor, come let us also find an intercessor” They will also declare, “Our intercessor can only be satan because he was the one who misled us” When they approach him, there will be a foul smell and he will run away from them. He will then declare, “There were two promises made to you. One was made by the Divine Creator (azza wa jall) and one was made by me. You ignored the promise made by Allah (azza wa jall) and came running to me. Go away, why do you curse me, you should heap scorn on yourselves. On this day, neither can I help you nor can you help me.” He will display screams and shrieks knowing that this is the day he was promised would ultimately come.

 

Disgrace and humiliation is their destiny

The friends of satan will be humiliated and they will be deceived on this day. On this day, the Holy Prophet (salal laahu alaihi wa sallam) and his companions and the Awliya will help other Muslims and prove beyond a shadow of doubt that these were the people of true Imaan and the people of truth. It will also be proven that if Muslims had committed Shirk as some silly people claim in the world, they would not enjoy this success which everyone will see theم enjoy on the day of Judgement. The Almighty (azza wa jall) had made twenty promises to the people of faith and everyone of them had been fulfilled. The satan had made seventy promises to his followers, yet, not one had been fulfilled. If a person still does not understand this, and continues to follow the path of the satan, what can be said about him?

Cut your ties with the satan and grab hold of the blessed company of the Holy Prophet (salal laahu alaihi wa sallam). This is that blessed company which will help you in both worlds.

 

Things are understood by their opposites!

It is reported that when Hadrat Kawaja Shah Sulayman Tonsahwi (rehmatullah alaihi) passed away, obviously at that time there were no radio or tv or such things, yet, people came from hundreds of miles to be part of his Janaza salah. When they were asked how they knew about this, they replied, “While we were sleeping, someone declared to us, “If you wish for salvation, go to Tonsah shareef.

On the other side, there was once a very famous poet in Pakistan named Majeed Amjad. He was so famous that even an academy was established in his name. He used to speak for hours on BBC, however when he died, only four people were present. They were also the only four people that carried his janaza!

 

Another side of the picture!

Look at the status of Hadrat Bahlul Daana (radi Allahu anhu). People used to refer to him as an insane individual although in reality he was a Majzub, (someone so immersed in the remembrance of Allah (azza wa jall) that nothing around him was of any interest). Sultan Harun Rashid is seen standing in front of him with hands folded begging him to grant him a mansion in Jannah as he had given to the wife of the Sultan, namely Zubaidah previously.

It is said that the picture of Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikh movement, is also to be found in his mazaar. This has been placed there by the Sikhs because this is where Guru Nanak is said to have found inspiration. The sikhs are also reported to have constructed a very beautiful mazaar for him. This is the same Bahlol Daana that eminent jurists like Imam Azam (radi Allahu anhu) used to visit. In fact, among the Mashaa’ikh of Imam Azam (radi Allahu anhu) the name of Hadrat Bahlol Daana (radi Allahu anhu) is also to be found! His mazaar shareef is in Baghdad and until the present day, leaders and kings still come to his mazaar like ordinary people seeking his blessing. It is said that he used to live in a graveyard which is why people used to called him “Diwaana” or an “insane person”. Yet the great Awliya used to call him “Daana” or the “intelligent one”.

Once people asked him to come and stay in the city because it was becoming difficult for people to visit him, he replied, “I live in the graveyard because I have affection for these people. They do not carry tales from me and do not deliver tales of others to me. The people of the city on the other hand, carry tales to me of others and carry tales from me to others.”

We also come to understand from this discussion that the most important foundation of Imaan aside from believing in One Allah, is to belief in the Prophethood of the Holy Prophet (salal laahu alaihi wa sallam). The reason is that satan has accepted everything else, but has refused to accept the Prophets and their supreme status. At the same time, because this world has many satans travelling around every minute of the day, we have to continuously seek the Divine Protection of the Almighty (azza wa jall) through the Ta’awwuz. At the same time, man by nature is always attracted to everything that glitters and he needs to understand that there are many people dressed as Khidr but are robbers of one’s Imaan.

 

The attack of the satan

In Surah Bani Israel, verse 64, the Quran declares:

وَ اَجْلِبْ عَلَیۡہِمۡ بِخَیۡلِکَ وَرَجِلِکَ وَشَارِکْہُمْ فِی الۡاَمْوٰلِ وَ الۡاَوْلٰدِ وَعِدْہُمْ ؕ وَ مَا یَعِدُہُمُ الشَّیۡطٰنُ اِلَّا غُرُوۡرًا ﴿۶۴﴾

“And startle whomever of them you can with your voice, and collect your cavalry and infantry against them; and share with them in wealth and children and make promises to them; and the Satan makes no promises to them except delusion. ”

 

First attack – Voice

In this regard, it would include all types of satanic sounds, whether they be songs from films or normal songs or whether they be speeches and lectures made against the Ahle Sunnah wa Jamaah beliefs or debates against the pure beliefs of the Ahle Sunnah wa Jamaah. He speaks via his lovers and students.

 

Second attack – cavalry or battalions

They attack the true believers in great numbers. The state of Muslim countries and the hoards of armies attacking them is a clear example. It is Fard for Muslims to fight against those who wish to annihilate the Muslims. Not through terrorism, as this is not allowed in Islam, but through every other justifiable means. When we speak of terrorism, we mean the killing of innocent people which is strictly forbidden in Islam.

 

Third attack – wealth and children

He attacks families by encouraging them to spend their wealth in wrong ways and tries different ways of misleading the children of these families. In other words, we strive to earn this wealth and allow satan to spend it for us! We make this excuse that this is our only son or daughter, and if we do not have dance and other entertainment, how will we enjoy this wedding or birthday party? Children grow up in Muslim homes, yet they are being taught satanic ways of living. Instead of concentrating on our children getting proper Islamic education, we are prepared to spend thousands so that he or she can get a good Western education. At the same time, those children who are inclined towards Islam are called insane or old fashioned. Yet, millions of examples are to be found in history that the candle of this religious child is the only light that you will truly see in the hereafter!

 

Fourth attack – false promises

Many people lose their Imaan and religion through these false promises. They completely forget about the Almighty (azza wa jall) and His beloved Prophet (salal laahu alaihi wa sallam) and this is indeed an immense attack from the satan. There are also so called peers who actually stop their mureeds from making sajdah to the Almighty (azza wa jall), yet think nothing of allowing their mureeds to make sajdah to them and then make all types of promises to these simple minded mureeds. These so called peers even claim that Ma’azallah, Allah is within them and that they remain hidden in salah twenty four hours a day! Therefore, there is “no need for me or my mureeds to read salah”. They then make up false poems and stop people from keeping fast and reading salah. Suddenly, one of these mureeds becomes super rich and everybody attributes this to the peer and with the result of this fake promise made to them, hundreds become mureeds of this super fake peer. Everyone is only interested in filling his stomach and does not think of the hereafter.

 

Last part of the attack is deceit and delusion!

People are misled in this delusion and in this way, they are moved away from the path of salvation. He creates all types of thoughts in their mind so that they lose all interest in ibaadah. He has always been the ardent enemy of man from the moment he refused to make sajdah to Nabi Adam (alaihis salaam). This appears many times in the Quran. The reason is that we should understand that even though the satan performed years of ibaadah, yet, in the end he was cursed for not showing respect for a Prophet.

Is this not the attack of the satan that you listen to music and consider it as a nourishment for the soul and yet do not even approach the Quran? What type of soul is this which it not nourished by the Quran, but is nourished by music. Muslims should not close their homes but rather run towards Allah (azza wa jall). The tragedy is that people do not understand that they are being destroyed and yet, they have no idea about it.

 

Understand quickly before its too late!

Hadrat Ghous Paak (radi Allahu anhu) has stated in his “Sirrul Asraar” that each letter in the word “Tasawwuf” has a different implication.

The letter “Ta” signifies Taubah.

The letter “Saad” signified safaa or the cleaning of one’s heart and though which saint hood is received.

This is signified by the next letter “Waa”.

And the last letter “Faa” signifies fanaa, which implies that one is lost in the Divine Presence of Allah (azza wa jall).

In other words, each letter signifies an upgrade in one’s state and condition. At the same time, Taubah is of two types, inner and outer which we have already explained. Therefore the first step for anyone is to achieve the state of making sincere Taubah before he wishes to progress any further. Taubah is something which nullifies sins and transgressions and changes sins into reward. When a person begins to feel guilty, he then starts to think of making Taubah.

Hadrat Abdullah ibn Abbas (radi Allahu anhu) narrates that when Nabi Adam (alaihis salaam) and Bibi Hawa became embarrassed for their unintended action, they did not eat and drink anything properly for nearly forty years. For a hundred years, Nabi Adam (alaihis salaam) did not approach his wife. It is said that they wept for nearly two hundred years. It is also reported that if the tears of the world were gathered, they would not match the tears shed by Nabi Dawud (alaihis salaam) and if all of this were added, they would not match the tears shed by Nabi Adam (alaihis salaam) and Bibi Hawa (alaihis salaam). Both of them also in embarrassment never picked their heads and looked at the sky for nearly three hundred years. This proves that although he was not guilty of any sin, yet, out of embarrassment, a sense of guilt was created within him and it is this which encouraged him to make further Taubah. The Awliya explain that this is the first step of Tasawwaf when a person begins to feel embarrassment for his actions and deeds and then moves on to the next step which making Taubah.

 

Try to become humble and not superior, or you will be held accountable!

It is said that the Nawab of Bahawalpur was a murred of Hadrat Kwaja Ghulam Fareed. Once a poor person approached him who was sent by his Peer. However, the Nawab did not even give the poor person a single glance. This poor person then returned to the Peer saheb and complained about the behaviour of the Nawab. The Peer then wrote a single line on a piece of paper and instructed the poor person to give it to the Nawab. When the Nawab saw this one line of text, he cried vigorously and then instructed his servants to help the poor person and also advised the poor person that if he needed anything in future, he would be welcome. We know that “zabar” stands above and “zer” stands below in humility and “pesh” in Urdu also means “to be presented”. The single line written by the Peer was: “Do not become very upper class like the Zabr, become humble like the Zer or else, you will become pesh (or presented in the Divine of Allah azza wa jall)” (for this display of pride and arrogance)”

Now that we have explained the dangers of satan and the different ways, he is able to mislead you, we move on to the Awliya who are the truthful and whom we have been instructed to be with.

In Surah Fatiha, we have been informed about the straight path which is the Siraataul Mustaqeem and in Surah An’am, we have been clearly told that it is the path of the Prophets, the Siddiqeen, the Shuhadaa and the pious. Hence, we can conclude that the path of the Holy Prophet (salal laahu alaihi wa sallam), the path of Hadrat Sayyiduna Abu Bakr, Hadrat Sayyiduna Husain, the path of Hadrat Ghous Paak (radi Allahu anhum) etc. is the straight path. These are the blessed souls who receive the Divine Grace and convey it to others in creation. They receive this Mercy in seclusion and distribute it publicly.

 

A leader should not fail!

It is also important that a person who is the religious leader of a community should not slip in his religious duties so that he can become someone whom it would be proper to follow. It is said that a simple comment made by a little child to Imam Azam (radi Allahu anhu) made such a great impact on him that he always used to remember those words. Hence he became one of the greatest jurist of Islam. Once, while he was walking in a small lane, it began to rain and he saw a child about to slip in this rain and grabbed the child’s hand. He also warned the child, “Be careful while you are walking.” The child replied, “It does not matter if I fall, however, you should look after yourself because if you slip, the Ummah will also slip.”

 

Nowadays, people are in the habit of saying that we should not go the mazaar of any Wali because this is shirk. We believe that these are the special friends of Allah (azza wa jall) and the closer we get to them, the closer we get to the Divine Mercy of the Almighty (azza wa jall). We do not believe that Ma’azzallah they are the Lord. No sensible Muslim believes this. However, the Almighty (azza wa jall) has created means for everything. We know that cure comes from Allah (azza wa jall), so why go to a doctor. We know that when you wish to cross a river, you need a boat. In reality, all these are means which the Almighty (azza wa jall) has created.

 

The entire worlds knows that a person who is extremely poor maybe someone who does not even have a house, may not even have good clothes to wear or even a pair of shoes, but we all know that if he makes Dua, his dua will be accepted. The Almighty (azza wa jall) does not refute this person and sometimes, this same person comes to us and we help him. In reality, it is the Almighty (azza wa jall) who has helped this person, yet, we are the means of distributing his Divine Mercy. In brief, He gives, and we become famous as being generous! In summary, the truthful are the Awliya and we have been instructed to remain and adopt their company.

 

The dream of a mureed

Once the mureed of Hadrat Bayazid Bustami (radi Allahu anhu) named Abu Moosa (rehmatullah alaihi) dreamt that he was carrying the Arsh on his shoulders and ran to his Spiritual Master to find out the meaning of this. However, when he arrived, he noticed that Hadrat Bayazid Bustami (radi Allahu anhu) had just passed away and people were carrying his Janaza. He also decided to give his shoulder in carrying this Janaza. He also wept and kept on pondering that he had come to ask a question about the meaning of his dream and it seemed that he was too late. Suddenly, Hadrat Bayazid Bustami (radi Allahu anhu) appeared from under the kafan and declared, “This is the meaning of your dream.”

 

The greatness of man

When we inspect man, we will find that he is considered as the greatest of creation. He has power over all the other creation. No matter how powerful an animal maybe, sooner or later, man will find a way to either tame this animal, capture it or kill it. It is the only creation which has been given intelligence and the power to think and deduce certain things. However, the great Ulama are of the opinion that the only reason that man enjoys this status is because within man, the greatest creation of Allah (azza wa jall), namely the Holy Prophet (salal laahu alaihi wa sallam) has appeared. This is the reason that man enjoys this status. Yet, if we look at man over the centuries, we will find that he has risen to the highest of position and lowered himself to the lowest of position. At times, this same man had become greater than the angels and at times, he had become worse than an animal. All this changed with the coming of Islam. It is only Islam which has secured for mankind a most unique position in history and in creation. Hence, we have been told to choose the company of the truthful because it’s only through them, we will be able to achieve the true purpose of our creation.

 

Some examples of their genuine concern for mankind

It is reported that once, the Murshid of Kwaja Saheb, namely Hadrat Kwaja Uthman Haruni (radi Allahu anhu) called his special mureed and informed him, “Tomorrow, when I complete the reading of all my Wazaa’if (special reading) and come out of my room, you must come in front of me, you will be pardoned (for all your sins and receive Jannah as reward). However, you should not reveal this to anyone and keep it secret.” However, such is the greatness of Kwaja saheb (radi Allahu anhu) that when he heard this declaration, a few minutes later, he placed a daff around his neck and went around the town announcing to people that whoever wanted to become a Jannati, they should stand in front of his Murshid’s door tomorrow. Suddenly the entire town was standing in front the Murshids door the next day.

 

The next day, when the great saint appeared from his room, he noticed a large crowd outside his door. He looked at Kwaja saheb and asked, “What have you done?” Kwaja saheb replied, “If the entire Ummah of my Nabi (salal laahu alaihi wa sallam) can gain Jannah by looking at my beloved Murshid, I am happy and satisfied. It does not matter what happens to me.” It is reported that this is also one of the reasons that he became known as Kwaja Gareeb Nawab (radi Allahu anhu)!

 

The Wish to travel to Ahmedpur

Once Hadrat Sultan Bahu (radi Allahu anhu) was working at his field when a Hindu wedding party went pass. They also asked him the direction to Ahmedpur (which was a village nearby). He asked them, “Shall I show you the direction or shall I deliver you there.” They replied that if he delivered them there, it would be better. He then instructed them to close their eyes. When they opened their eyes, they found themselves in front of the blessed green dome in Madina shareef. Obviously, they were mere village people and when they saw this, they asked, “We had requested you to deliver us to Ahmedpur which is in the area of Siyaal, where have you delivered us?”. The great saint replied, “I am only aware of this Ahmedpur!”.

 

The friends of Allah (azza wa jall) Vs. the friends of satan

As we have said before, the satan is a disease and the friends of Allah (azza wa jall) are the cure. The more powerful the illness, the more powerful the medication needs to be. Hence, when we know that the satan is able to see us everywhere and there are places we cannot even see him from, therefore, it becomes a priority to become close to the truthful who are the real friends of Allah (azza wa jall). In other words, close to people who have more power than what the satan has. If the satan is able to mislead you from all directions, then you need to have the protection of those special servants of Allah (azza wa jall) who can protect you from all sides. We have already seen the power that can be displayed by the satan and his friends, imagine the power of those who are the special friends of Allah (azza wa jall)? Yet, there are certain ignorant people in the world who accept the power of satan and refuse to accept the power of the friends of Allah (azza wa jall). This again is nothing but satanic influence. It also does not mean that when a special saint refuses to display a certain miracle, he does not have the power at that moment. Perhaps, the only reason why he is refusing to display these powers is because of the number of fake peers that have appeared on the scene in recent times!

 

The real vision and insight of the Awliya

Mulla Ali Qari (radi Allahu anhu) explains that, “When the friend of Allah (azza wa jall) reaches an extremely lofty state, he is able to view the Divine Tablet on his heart. When he looks at his heart, he is also able to clean it of all impurities.” Shaikh Abdul Aziz Dabbaagh (radi Allahu anhu) in his “Ibreez shareef” explains that, “When a saint is still living in this world, then nine parts of his concentration is on the Almighty (azza wa jall) and one part is on the creation. When he enters the grave, and since, he is now not confined to the fulfilment of Shariah law, the Mercy of the Almighty (azza wa jall) is fully upon him. At that time, nine parts of this saint’s attention is on the creation and one part is on the Almighty (azza wa jall)”.

 

Hadrat Baba Fareed (radi Allahu anhu) explains that he heard from his Murshid, namely Hadrat Qutbudeen Bakhtiyar Kaki (radi Allahu anhu) that, “On the day of judgment, the Almighty (azza wa jall) will call forward those who were His lovers in the world, the Awliya. On their shoulders, there will be a shirt made from hair. On each strand, there will be hundreds of other strands and ropes. They will then call their mureeds and on each strand, thousands of their mureeds will grab hold to. The Almighty (azza wa jall) will bless them with such super strength, that each one of them will be able to pull hundreds of thousands of their mureeds into Jannah. They will then leave these mureeds in Jannah and come again and call out to those people who, even though they were not their mureeds, but were people who never objected or ridiculed them. In this manner, each saint will be able to take hundreds of thousands into Jannah with him.” (As raarul Awliya).

 

A question asked by Nabi Moosa (alaihis salaam)

Shaikh Abu Talib Makki (radi Allahu anhu) explains in his “Qootul Qulub” that Nabi Moosa (alahis salaam) once asked the Almighty (azza wa jall), “O Allah! How will it be known that You are pleased with a certain servant?” The Almighty (azza wa jall) replied, “The person should inspect his own heart. If his heart is pleased with me, then I am also pleased with him.”

 

An important clarification

If a saint has reported a certain hadith shareef in one of his books and this hadith shareef is not found in the famous books of Hadith, it does not mean that it is a lie or a fabrication. We must understand that when an ordinary Muslim fears relating a deliberate lie to the Holy Prophet (salal laahu alaihi wa sallam), how will a true saint do this? They are the people who are able to see the Holy Prophet (salal laahu alaihi wa sallam) all the time. The people of the world go to Madina shareef by spending the wealth of this world, while the Awliya arrive in Madina shareef through their hearts and souls. They are able to ask the Holy Prophet directly (salal laahu alaihi wa sallam) about a certain issue and get their answers. We, who are immersed in this world, find it difficult to understand this because the world has become a veil and pardah for us. These blessed souls are all the time in the blessed Knowledge of the Almighty (azza wa jall) and His beloved Creation, the Holy Prophet (salal laahu alaihi wa sallam). Therefore, there is nothing which is hidden from them. These are the “truthful people” which we have been commanded to be in the company of.

 

Some amazing incidents of those who are the truthful

Moulana Rumi (radi Allahu anhu) narrates that once a poor person noticed the lifestyle of a few servants of the King who were living in luxury. He then complained to the Almighty (azza wa jall) in the following words, “O Allah! You are the King of all kings, yet look at the condition of those who believe in You and look at how comfortable the condition of the servants of this king is.” After a few days, the king was toppled and all his servants were arrested. They were also severely punished by the new ruler and given an ultimatum that if they revealed the whereabouts of the king, as a reward, they would be released. However, they replied that even if they were made into pieces, they would never reveal the whereabouts of the king because he was someone who had treated them with kindness. In this manner, Moulana Rumi (radi Allahu anhu) advises this poor Muslim in his own way, that instead of complaining about your present state, you should try to be like the loyal servants of the king first who were prepared to suffer untold punishment and yet still remained loyal to the king. In other words, as Muslims, instead of us complaining about our state and condition, what are we doing to change ourselves in the first place?  Are we Muslims merely in name and nothing else?

 

The entire court read Kalimah!

There was once a saint that was sitting in the train station of Sargodha city in Pakistan. Suddenly a handsome looking Sikh passed by and the mureed of this saint declared, “Hadrat, he is such a good looking person, it would be such a pity if he enters Hell and if he does, what is the value of your saint hood?’ The saint then looked at this young man and suddenly in front of everyone in the station, the young man read the Kalimah. Obviously, he belonged to a rich family and they complained to the authorities that their son was misled by this Faqeer. On the day the court hearing was held, the saint sat outside waiting his turn to present his testimony. When he entered the court, he did not look at the judge or anyone present. When the judge asked him whether it was true what he had done, the saint picked his head, looked at everyone and declared, “Did I ask you all to read the Kalimah?” Suddenly, everyone present read the Kalimah and accepted Islam.

 

Was the Hajj accepted this year or not?

It is reported that Hadrat Bayazid Bustami (radi Allahu anhu) had collected monies over a period and decided to go for Hajj that year. However, as he was walking on the road, he noticed a very sick dog on the side of the road. He then spent all his money which he had saved on treating this dog and obviously could not go for Hajj that year. When the Hajj was complete, people began to question whether the Hajj this year was accepted or not in the Divine Court of Allah, when suddenly they heard a voice declare, “This year whoever has performed the Hajj, their Hajj has been accepted because of Bayazid”.

 

What their blessed tongue utters, appears within a short time

When Kwaja saheb (radi Allahu anhu) arrived in Ajmer shareef, there was an angry conversation between one of his mureeds and the ruler of Ajmer shareef, namely Raja Prithvi. The great saint called the Raja to try and explain to him, however the Raja in arrogance declared that he was the ruler of Ajmer and that the saint should not interfere in this matter. When the great saint heard this, he replied, “I have captured Prithvi alive and handed him over.” A few days later, the army of Sultan Mohammed Ghouri entered Ajmer shareef and the first thing they did was they captured Raja Prithvi alive.

 

What is the condition of the Awliya in Madina shareef?

Once Hadrat Imam Jafer Sadiq (radi Allahu anhu) met the great saint from Balkh, namely Hadrat Shafiq Balkhi (radi Allahu anhu) and asked him about the condition of the Awliya in his region. He replied, “Their condition is such that when they get something, they give thanks and when they have nothing they have patience.” Hadrat Imam Jafer Sadiq (radi Allahu anhu) replied, “This is the condition of the dogs in Madina shareef, our state is such, that when we have nothing, we give thanks and when we get something, we give it away in the Path of Allah.”

 

What type of topi or hat was this?

Once a person asked a certain saint to give him his personal topi or hat. The saint replied that he could not wear this hat. However the person continued to insist and eventually, the saint gave him his personal topi. A few moments later, this person began to run around like an insane person. His face changed colour and he began to tremble in fear. The saint immediately removed his topi from the head of this person and asked the person what had happened. He replied, “I suddenly saw people in the form of different animals. Some were apes, some dogs and some were pigs.” The saint replied, “This is the form that a person takes when he commits any action. This is our strength that in spite of knowing and seeing all of this, we still embrace people.” In other words, the saints have this immense open heart and are always welcoming people no matter what their state is.

 

The saints also know how to straighten a person!

During the time of the British in the Indo-Pak subcontinent, there was and still is a mazaar in Mcloud road, Lahore. This is the mazaar of Hadrat Moosa Aahinghar (rehmatullah alaihi). The British wanted to straighten the road and therefore decided to bulldoze the mazaar. No one had the courage to go forward until a British officer took the pick and struck the mazaar himself. However, as he did this, the pick came back and struck his body and he died on the spot. A wise man, seeing this incident, declared, “You may think you have the power to straighten the path, but the Awliya have the power to straighten you.”

 

The Jalal and the Jamal of Mujaddid Alif Thaani (radi Allahu anhu)

When Pakistan was formed, a few Sikhs decided to visit the mazaar of Hadrat Mujaddid Alif Thaani (radi Allahu anhu) and as a joke decided to dance around the grave, sing and then place a sheet of cloth over the mazaar. The Sajjadah of that period then saw the Mujaddid in his dream who advised him “My inner self is based on the great mercy of the Holy Prophet (salal laahu alaihi wa sallam). However, my son Mohammed Masum is extremely jalaali (or one who is filled with anger and wrath). Therefore, you should advise these Sikhs to first visit his mazaar and place the cloth over his grave”. When these Sikhs visited this mazaar, the fourteen of them never left the mazaar alive!

 

When you cannot even safeguard a mouse!

There was once a mureed who kept insisting that he be given khilaafat, however, the Peer kept on dissuading him. One day, the Peer gave him a packet and asked him to deliver it to a certain person and that he was not to open it or look inside. On the way, his inquisitiveness got the better of him and when he opened the packet, he found that it was a mouse which also ran away. He began to think about whether this was something fit to give someone. When he returned to his Peer, his Peer declared, “If you could not look after a simple thing like a mouse, how would you be able to protect an important position as Khilaafah?”

 

The reward for the respect he displayed

When Hadrat Kwaja Allah Bakhsh Tonsawi ((radi Allahu anhu) became very old and feeble, he still insisted on joining the Congregational salah. His mureeds used to carry him on a palki which is a special seat carried by four people on four sides. On the way to the masjid he used to pass by a shop which was owned by a Hindu and whenever he passed by this shop, the Hindu, upon seeing the great Saint used to stand in respect and say, “The deeds of the pious are always noble.”

 

One day, as the saint was been carried to the masjid, the shop was closed and on inquiry he was told that the shop owner was very sick. He informed his mureeds to immediately go to the house of this person and after that, they would complete their salah. When they arrived there, they noticed that the entire Hindu community was present outside the house while the sick person was inside. They also stood with respect when they saw the saint. He asked to be shown the sick person but they insisted that in their religion, no one was allowed to visit someone who was about to die. They continued to insist on this and finally the saint declared, “If I am not allowed to visit him he will never die.” After a while, the Hindus realized their mistake and allowed the saint to enter the room. When he entered the room, the sick person uttered the same thing which he had always uttered when he saw the saint. He then requested the saint, “Kwaja! please teach me the Kalimah and allow me to see the beautiful features of the person whose Kalimah I am reading.” He then recited the Kalimah in front of the saint and died.

 

As per Hindu tradition, the people in his community insisted that his body be cremated and that his ashes be thrown into the Ganges. However, as much as they tried to burn him, not a single hair on his body could be burnt. When the saint saw this, he declared, “Enough of this, aside from your fire, not even the fire of Hell can burn him because he has recited the Kalimah of the Holy Prophet (salal laahu alaihi wa sallam).”

 

Their love and concern for everyone

During the time of Nabi Moosa (alaihis salaam) there was once a person who had performed so much of ibaadah that even a dent had appeared on the rock where he used to continue making Sajdah. However, the Almighty (azza wa jall) sent revelation to Nabi Moosa (alaihis salaam) to inform this person that he was dweller of Hell When Nabi Moosa (alaihis salaam) heard this, he asked the reason, the Almighty (azza wa jall) replied, “For many years now, we have sent a pomegranate to him through Angels and they even removed the seeds for him. However, not once in all these years, has he ever offered any of these angels even two seeds” When Nabi Moosa (alaihis salaam) brought the message to this person, he declared, “O Moosa! If by me going to Hell, pleases my Creator, then I make Dua that my body becomes so huge that I alone am able to inhabit hell without anyone else going into it”. These words pleased the Almighty (azza wa jall) and through it, this person was pardoned.

 

He merely mentioned “Ya Samadu” inadvertently!

Once, Jibareel Ameen (alaihis salaam) heard “Ya Abdi” coming from the Divine Court of the Almighty (azza wa jall) which means “My slave.”. Jibareel Ameen (alaihis salaam) replied, “O Allah! No Muslim at this moment had called out to You, so whose call were you answering?” The Almighty (azza wa jall) declared, “At this moment, there was person who was worshipping his idol and calling out “Ya Sanam or O my Lord.” and while feeling sleepy, he inadvertently called out “Ya Samadu”. In reply, I declared, “Ya Abdi” Jibareel Ameen (alaihis salaam) replied, “O Allah! he did not say this word while fully conscious.” The Almighty (azza wa jall) replied, “In whatever state he said it, if the idol did not reply and if I did not reply, then what would be the difference between Me and an idol.”

 

The Taqwa of Muhaddith Azam Pakistan

Once, Hadrat Moulana Sardar Ahmed (radi Allahu anhu), Muhaddith Azam Pakistan was not well and was sitting in the masjid and asked one of his students to bring some water. The student brought water from the container that was marked for making Wudu. When the student brought the water, the great Scholar asked him from where he had brought the water and he replied from the container of water earmarked for Wudu. He then replied, “Return the water from where you have brought it because this is Waqf (or public trust) set aside only for Wudu and only bring water from that container which is earmarked for drinking”.

 

They are independent of creation

Once Sultan Mahmud Ghaznawi asked Hadrat Kwaja Abul Hasan Khirqaani (radi Allahu anhu) whether he had any specific request that needed to be fulfilled and that would also make the great saint happy, the great saint replied, “Yes, from today, please never call me to your court and do not appear in front of me. In this lies my happiness.”

 

In the present age, the Ulama need to take heed of this advice. Especially those who think nothing of running to rich and powerful people merely for a few cents or a few good words. This is the reason that the leaders of today have no power over these influential people when they issue a certain Islamic verdict. Those who are in the habit of praising powerful political leaders and other business people should take a lesson from the stories of these saints.

 

A question to Peer Mehr Ali Shah (radi Allahu anhu)

Someone once asked the great Saint  his opinion about a certain king and a certain nawab of Hyderabad. He replied, “If you wish to ask me anything or any question, ask me about love for Allah (azza wa jall) and about the Holy Prophet (salal laahu alaihi wa sallam). I have no interest in reading about a certain king or a certain nawab.”

 

And this is how it should be. Why should you even think about other things when you should be concentrating on Allah (azza wa jall) and His beloved Prophet (salal laahu alaihi wa sallam)? These are those special servants of Allah (azza wa jall) who spent their entire life only remembering their Creator and these are those special people who when they walk past the fire of Hell, it will decrease because of the power of their Imaan. Muslims should strive to be in the company of such people.

 

This is the life they led!

It is said that Hadrat Bayazid Bustami (radi Allahu anhu) used to always ask his one mureed his name everyday. And for nineteen years, this mureed continued to tell the great saint his name. Finally, he asked the great saint, “Hadrat! nineteen years have passed by and still you do not remember my name?” The great saint replied, “Please do not get angry, this is not about you, I do not even remember my own name.”

 

What their enemies even say!

“Molwi” Waheeduz Zaman, a famous leader of the Ghair Muqallid clan and Anwar Shah Kashmiri, a famous leader of the Deobandi clan each in their own sharah of Bukhari shareef explain that, “When Imam Bukhari (radi Allahu anhu) passed away, many people fell ill. However, they used to go to the grave of Imam Bukhari (radi Allahu anhu) and rub the sand from this grave over their bodies and immediately get well. The sand of this grave also naturally possessed a very sweet fragrance”. When the sand is able to cure a person which is attached to a saint, why would the saint himself not be able to help and assist? This is also seen from the story of the dog that insisted on being in the company of the Ashaab-e-Ka’af. While many people will enter Hell, this dog will enter Jannah in the form of a human because of its love for the friends of Allah (azza wa jall)!

 

The difference between modern science and Divine Help!

No matter how modern and advanced science has become, there are still people who completely negate the powers of the saints. They also claim that science has given birth to many inventions such as the telephone, the radio, the TV etc. This proves the power of science. What have the saints created over the years? It must be remembered that the saints did not come to this world for material expansion, they came to teach people ethics and spirituality. If a small wire is severed in this invention of yours, then it ceases to work. Yet, Hadrat Sayyiduna Umar (radi Allahu anhu) was able to convey a message to Hadrat Saariyah (radi Allahu anhu) nearly three hundred miles away without a telephone. Hadrat Data Ghanj Bakhsh (radi Allahu anhu) was able to see the Kaba from Lahore without the need of a tv screen. Hadrat Ghous Paak (radi Allahu anhu) was able to make a person come alive not with a plastic heart device, but by merely kicking the grave with his blessed foot. People are able to accept these so called miracles of science, yet, when it comes to the miracles of the friends of Allah (azza wa jall) they display hesitation in accepting this.

 

Neighbours of the truthful ask for a better house price!

Once a neighbour of Hadrat Jafer Tayyar (radi Allahu anhu) wanted to sell his house. The normal price was about ten thousand, but he was asking for fifty thousand. The people were extremely surprised by this and asked him the reason for asking such a huge price. He replied, “The house is for ten thousand and forty thousand is for being able to live next to such a noble neighbour as Hadrat Jafer Tayyar (radi Allahu anhu)”.

 

Do you know the name of any of My friends?

In Naf’aatul Uns, Hadrat Moulana Jami (radi Allahu anhu) narrates that, “On the day of Judgement, a Muslim will be asked who is about to enter hell, “Do you know any of my pious servants?’. He will reply in negative. He will then be asked whether he knows any of their names, again he will reply in negative. Finally, he will reply, “However, O Allah! I did hear once about Your pious servant who was supposed to come to our village. However, I could not see him and could not find out his name.” It will be announced that this is sufficient and the person will be pardoned.

 

The rule of the truthful never ends

There are two types of governments in the world. One is outer and the other is inner. One is apparent while the other is hidden. The government in this world rules for a few days and then dies. Some even become a lesson in fear for others. Some leaders are hanged and some are even chased from their countries. Some are even called dogs and removed from their position. However, the government of the truthful saints rule even beyond the day of Judgement. This can be seen from the fact that the Urs shareef of these Awliya seem to increase on a yearly basis and more and more people visit their mazaars every day.

 

See the difference yourself

Go to a city like Dehli in India and see for yourself. On one side, you will find the graves of the ruling dynasty of their era and on the other side you will find the blessed mazaar shareef of Hadrat Mehboob-e-Ilaahi (radi Allahu anhu). You will find thousands of people visiting the blessed grave of Mehboob-e-Ilaahi, Hadrat Nizaamudeen Awliya (radi Allahu anhu) on a daily basis, placing flowers on the grave and people sitting, reading Quran etc. And you will find no one visiting the graves of these past sultans and kings! If you go to Lahore, it will be the same. On one side is the blessed grave of Data Ghanje Bakhsh (radi Allahu anhu) and on the other side is the grave of Sultan Jahangheer. Thousands of people come to the mazaar of this great saint on a daily basis and thousands of people are reading Quran every minute. As for Sultan Jahangheer, no one even bothers visiting his grave. If anyone does go there, they do not go there to read Fatiha, but merely as a tourist attraction. This clearly proves that the rule of the truthful never ends.

 

Even in salah, when we read the Surah Fatiha, we cannot read A’budu instead of Na’budu because then the salah would become invalid. This again proves to us that even when we make Dua, we should do it in a state where we are in the company of the truthful and pious. If you take raw onions and put it into butter, the butter will not have a very nice smell. However, as and when it becomes immersed in butter, it will also start to lose its smell. In other words, the minute you immerse yourself into something and become Fanaa in that, then whatever non-qualification you have, you lose that and become as qualified as the person you have joined. A rogue comes into the blessed court of Hadrat Ghous Paak (radi Allahu anhu) having the smell of stealing and thieving, and yet, leaves this blessed court having the sweet scent of being a Qutub. A mere brick placed in the masjid suddenly has immense respect, the same with a piece of paper on which the Quran is written. Water which appears from the blessed hands of the Holy Prophet (salal laahu alaihi wa sallam) is not treated as ordinary water any longer. In brief, as you become connected with the truthful, your outlook and what will happen to you suddenly changes.

 

Evil governments of today

Once some people came to Hadrat Sayyiduna Hasan Basri (radi Allahu anhu) and complained about the bad behaviour of Hujjaj and his oppressive methods and they also requested him to make special dua so that Hujjaj could change. The great Saint replied, “Change your behaviour and attitude, the Almighty (azza wa jall) will change the government. Evil governments are a punishment from the Almighty (azza wa jall) and this is not changed through the sword but through Taubah (of the people). “

 

Two appearance of the Quran

Hadrat Sayyiduna Imam Ghazzali (radi Allahu anhu) explains that, “There are two appearances of the Quran. The first is that which is bought from an ordinary store and this is its apparent form and the other is that Quran which is not found in a store but acquired from a special friend of Allah (azza wa jall). This is the hidden Quran. If the saint is still in this world, then he opens one door in your heart to receive spiritual blessing and the rest of the doors are opened to receive Divine Blessing. If the saint passes away, then seventy doors are opened in your heart to receive spiritual blessing.

 

The heart of the truthful is connected with Allah (azza wa jall). If a certain limb is cut, the person does not die, but if the heart is removed, the person will die. However, a person who has spent his entire life in the remembrance of the Almighty (azza wa jall) and in the love and respect for the Holy Prophet (salal laahu alaihi wa sallam), his heart never dies as we have seen in the examples above. This is the reason we say that: When a friend of Allah (azza wa jall) is in front of us, he is our leader, when he is behind us, he is our protector, when he is below us, he is a ship of salvation and when he is above us, he is our crown.

 

The sad state is that people accuse the Sunni Muslim of exaggerating the status of the Awliya and the true friends of Allah (azza wa jall) and the greatest tragedy is that those verses of the Quran which are meant to indicate the harmfulness of idols are then related to the Awliya. It is like the person in the following incident.

 

They do not understand the signs

There was once a person running very fast on the pavement. People began to think that perhaps he was a thief and they also ran behind him and finally caught up with him. When they asked him the reason for running, he replied, “It seems you are all ignorant people. You have not seen all the boards on the side of the road which says that the speed limit is 50 kilometres?” In other words, what was meant to be a notice for motorists, he thought that it was meant for him! In brief, he not only placed himself in difficulty, he also placed other people in difficulty and inconvenience. In like manner, those people who take verses of the Quran meant for idols and place them on Muslims, are only creating difficulty for themselves and for others.