Download PDF: [S] A Female Slave’s Love for Allah (Islamic Story)

Hadrat Sayyiduna Sirri Saqti – may Allah be pleased with him – narrates:

One night, I felt extreme spiritual ecstasy and I also felt extreme sadness. I could not sleep. I thought to myself, maybe it would be better for me to the go to the graveyard. I thought that by being there, by looking at the graves, I would be able to think about the Day of Judgement and the time when people would once more be brought to life. While thinking and pondering about these things, possibly, my sadness would disappear.

Consequently, I then went to the graveyard. However, even at this place, my heart could not find the spiritual peace that I was searching for. I thought that maybe I should enter the market place. By meeting other people, this stress could disappear. However, this condition of mine still persisted.

I then felt that perhaps I should visit the asylum where insane people were being kept. I thought that by looking at the behaviour and listening to the words of these people, this condition of mine would also disappear. I then asked Allah Almighty the reason for bringing me to this place and I was informed that very soon, I would come to know the reason for this.

As I entered this place, I saw a lady whose hands were tied to her neck and she was busy in the Dhikr of Allah Almighty. I heard her read a few lines which were: “I seek refuge in Allah Almighty because without any apparent reason my hands have been tied to my neck. Even though I have not been dishonest and have not I stolen. In my chest, I also have one single heart which continues to exist. Without doubt, it is based on truth.”

Hadrat Sayyiduna Sirri Saqti – may Allah be pleased with him – then asked the people around as to the reason this person had been locked in this manner. They informed him that her brain had lost their senses and because of this her master had her locked up.

When the female heard this, she remarked: “O People! I have not committed any crime, but I am an insane person and my heart is the friend of the Beloved (Allah Almighty). But you people have locked my hands even though my only crime is to claim love for Allah Almighty. I am lost in the love of Allah Almighty and will never move from this state. Whether you think better for me, that is bad for me and whether you think bad for me, that is better for me.”

Hadrat Sayyiduna Sirri Saqti – may Allah be pleased with him – narrates that when he heard these words, he also began to weep and his heart became extremely restless. When she saw this, she looked at me and said, “O Sirri! This is your condition after merely listening to the Divine Qualities of His Divine Being. What would have happened if you had truly been able to recognize Him?”

I thought to myself that it is very strange that this lady had recognized me when I had never seen her before. However, she knew my inner thoughts and then replied, “O Sirri! From the moment I gained the knowledge of Ma’rifah, I am no longer a Jaahil. From the moment I became busy in Ibadah, I have never been oblivious of anything. As long as I have arrived in His Divine Court, I have never been separated. From the moment I saw His Divine Presence, there is no veil present and those who in this state, are able to recognize each other.

She then said words similar to this: “Ma’rifah of the True Divine Being has been established within me and this light also is firmly engraved. My heart is only for Him and I continue to only describe the Divine Qualities of Allah Almighty. Tell me, is there a helpless servant who can truly describe his Master?”

Hadrat Sayyiduna Sirri Saqti – may Allah be pleased with him – then informed her, “I can see that you are uttering the words of Divine Love and these are seen in you. Who is that who you truly have love for?”

She replied, “For that Divine Being WHO has blessed me with His Divine Ma’rifah, Who has made me His beloved servant through His Divine Grace, Whose Divine Mercy is like rain upon me, Who is very close to the hearts of people. He is able to remove the sadness of people and also pardon those who are disobedient.”

I then asked her as to who had her locked in this place.

She replied, “Those are jealous and those who are my enemies. Those who have called me an insane person have locked me in this place even though they are more entitled for this title.”

She then mentioned a few lines which were: “There is no doubt that the Divine Being Who has seen me oblivious of His Divine Remembrance, has blessed me with His Divine Nearness. I was asleep and He has awakened me and I was in deep slumber and He has blessed me with vision.”

Hadrat Sayyiduna Sirri Saqti – may Allah be pleased with him – then narrates:

I then asked her, her name and she replied, “There is nothing important in a name. If you are able to listen to my advice and heed them, that is sufficient.”

She continued to mumble a few words and then her master also arrived. He then asked her keeper, “Where is Taufah?”

He replied, “She is with Hadrat Sayyiduna Sirri Saqti – may Allah be pleased with him. She has spoken to him with such eloquence that he is listening carefully to her words.”

When her master heard this, he approached the great Saint and kissed his hands. He then said, “Ya Sayyidi, possibly, through your effort, the heart of this female slave also becomes soft.”

I then asked him, “What habit of hers was something which you did not like?”

He replied, “This female used to play the flute and I used to enjoy listening to her play. I also purchased her for twenty thousand Dirhams. For two reasons, one was that she was very pretty and secondly, she played the flute very beautifully. And thirdly, I also felt that I would make a lot of profit from this. However, one day while she had the flute in her lap, she began to read the following words: ‘I swear by Your Divine Being that I have not broken the promise to You and I also swear that there is no Deity worthy of worship but You. I also make Du’a that You are pleased with me.’ When she had completed these words, she wept a lot. She then broke the flute into pieces and also began to scream. She had lost all her senses and I thought that perhaps this was because she knew someone else, but she displayed no such traits.”

Hadrat Sayyiduna Sirri Saqti – may Allah be pleased with him – then asked the female whether this was what had happened as her master had described. She replied: “Allah Almighty had addressed my heart and words of wisdom and guidance began to flow from them. After being away from Him, He has blessed me with His Divine Nearness and has also made me His Special servant. When He called to me, I also said ‘Labbaik’.”

Hadrat Sayyiduna Sirri Saqti – may Allah be pleased with him – then said to her master, “Free this person to me and I will pay you her price.”

However, her master screamed and said, “You are a Faqeer. Where will you be able to find this money?”

I then said to him that he should not be in a hurry and that I will make the arrangement.

Hadrat Sayyidua Sirri Saqti – may Allah be pleased with him –narrates:

I then went home and I was also weeping. My heart was also very sad for this poor female. During the night, I made a special plea to Allah Almighty and continued to implore Him the entire night. During the time of Sehri, I heard a knock at my front door and when I asked who it was. The person replied that he was my friend and had come to fulfil a task which he had been given by Allah Almighty.

When I opened the door, I found a young handsome person who was wearing very neat and clean clothes. He had a servant with him, a lantern and a pouch which carried ten thousand Dirhams. I said to him, “May Allah Almighty have mercy on you. Who are you?”

He replied, “I am Ahmed bin Muthannah. Allah Almighty has blessed me with forgiveness and He has not been miserly in this regard in blessing me with wealth and I have such wealth which a person would find difficult to carry himself.

“While I was sleeping, I heard a voice say to me, ‘O Ahmed! Are you prepared to fulfil a task?’ I immediately became fully awake and I mentioned that I would certainly be prepared to carry out this task. The voice then informed me to give so much of money to Sirri Saqti so that he can give this to the owner of Taufah and have her freed and for this, as a gift, you are free from the Fire of Hell. Consequently. I have brought this money to you and have also revealed everything to you.”

Hadrat Sayyiduna Sirri Saqti – may Allah be pleased with him –then narrates:

I then fell in Sajdah and when the sun had arisen, I held the hand of Ahmed bin Muthannah and we both went to the asylum. The guard who are guarding Taufah looked around but when he saw me, he declared, “Welcome! Please go immediately to Taufah and she is extremely sad. She indeed has a very lofty status with Allah Almighty and I was also informed in a dream of her eminent status. When I awoke I kept repeating these words until I saw you.”

When we approached Taufah, we heard her saying: “I have held the shawl of patience until my patience has spoken about Your Divine Love. I have concealed my madness, but could not conceal my true state from You. Your love has allowed me to wear this chain and this confinement and the patience in this regard is my jewellery. If this state of mine pleases You, then time does not concern me. You are the Only Being who cares for me and Your are my Creator. Without doubt, only You can remove my troubles and calamities.”

Hadrat Sayyiduna Sirri Saqti – may Allah be pleased with him – narrates that while she was reading these verses, her master also arrived and he was also weeping. I informed him that he had troubled himself. I was going to come to his house and hand him the money. However, he refused any monies from us and said that he was prepared to free Tayfah strictly for the Divine Pleasure of Allah Almighty.

He also revealed that during the night, he had seen a dream in which someone had scolded him by saying, “O enemy of Allah! You are disrespecting a friend of Allah Almighty?”

He also said, “I then awoke in extreme fear and from this moment onwards, I have no interest in this world, for the Divine Pleasure of Allah Almighty, I want you to bear witness that I have completely freed her.” He then ran away in spiritual ecstasy.

Hadrat Sayyiduna Sirri Saqti – may Allah be pleased with him – then narrates:

I then turned to Ahmed bin Mutannah and also found him weeping as well. There was also no doubt that he had been spiritually blessed and this could be clearly seen on him. I asked him the reason for his weeping and he replied, “Until now, I have not been able to please my Creator and have not found an instance where my wealth would be accepted. Therefore, bear witness that I have given all of this wealth in charity.”

I replied that this was all because of the Barakah of Taufah. She also changed her clothing to ordinary woollen clothing and began to walk away.

As she walked along, she then disappeared from our vision.

Her former master and Ahmed bin Muthannah spent a little time in my company. When her former master had passed away, we then decided to go for Hajj. As we were in the Haram Shareef, I heard a female voice crying to Allah Almighty. When I looked closely, she also seemed like someone who had lost her senses. When she saw me, she greeted me by my name. I then asked her who she was and she replied that she was the same female slave, Taufah. I then asked her what she had achieved in seclusion and she replied: “Allah Almighty has fulfilled all my wishes and hopes and has removed everything from my heart except His Divine Manifestation.”

She continued to weep. She looked at the sky and pleaded to Allah Almighty to take her away from this mundane world and her pleas were immediately accepted. She cried out and then fell to the ground. When I looked closely, I noticed that she had passed away. When Ahmed bin Muthannah who was standing near saw this, his heart also filled with spiritual ecstasy, he also fell to the ground and passed away.

The great Saint narrates that he then arranged the funeral rites of both these people and was extremely amazed by what he had seen unfolding in front of him.

There is no doubt that these blessed people did not shy away from fulfilling the Divine Commands of Allah Almighty. They looked at the state of ordinary people and learnt an important lesson from this. They also understood that true success and fortune only lay in the Divine Court of Allah Almighty which is why they were prepared to sacrifice everything they had for His Divine Pleasure. (Ar Roaud)