Download PDF: [S] Feeding the Poor and Destitute (Islamic story)

It is mentioned that at the beginning, Hadrat Sayyiduna Nizaamudeen Awliyah – may Allah be pleased with him – was very apprehensive when he used to see crowds of people appearing in his blessed court. This crowd increased even more when he went to Ghiyaspur. However, at the same time, he also knew that instead of being in a barren area, it was better to be serving people and also educating them.

 

At the beginning, Hadrat Sayyiduna Nizaamudeen Awliyah – may Allah be pleased with him – experienced extreme poverty and at times, he used to remain hungry for nearly three days at a time. Even the Sultan of that era presented him with an entire village through which he could support himself and his Mureeds, and yet he refused to take anything.

 

However, when the doors of sustenance was opened to him, thousands of people used to eat in his blessed court. But, even in this state, Hadrat Sayyiduna Nizaamudeen Awliyah – may Allah be pleased with him – used to keep fast continuously. At the same time, he even refused to eat anything at the time of Sehri because he had sympathy for those who had slept hungry that night. It was this concern that made him one of the most eminent people of his era. If someone came to him to complain about lack of monies to perform the marriage of their daughters, he gave them so much which is even more that what they required.

 

One day, his eminent Master, Hadrat Sayyiduna Baba Fareed – may Allah be pleased with him – made a special Du’a for him, “Almighty Allah must make you such a tree with such an expansive shade that every traveller must comfort and solace under this shade.”

 

This Du’a was certainly accepted and people used to arrive in great trouble and when they left his blessed court, they left in peace and solace.

 

It is reported that once when Hadrat Sayyiduna Nizaamudeen Awliyah – may Allah be pleased with him – was in the blessed company of his Master, he actually gave his turban as a mark of guarantee and then purchased some vegetable for his Master. Hadrat Sayyiduna Nizaamudeen Awliyah – may Allah be pleased with him – also made sure that there was the proper amount of salt in this food. When this was presented to the great Master, he replied, “We have certainly prepared this food in the proper manner and have also placed the right amount of salt in the food. May Allah Almighty make it such that in your kitchen also, hundreds of pounds of salt is also distributed.”

 

It is mentioned that the pot in the kitchen of the Hadrat Sayyiduna Nizaaumdeen Awliyah – may Allah be pleased with him – used to always have food for people. In other words, thousands and thousands used to come daily and they used to be fed on a daily basis. No one left this blessed hungry.

 

In other words, the Awliyah understood the great spiritual benefit that once receives when one feeds the poor and destitute. If the Muslims of the present era can do this wherever they live, it would certainly create a better respect and status for Islam and the Muslims in general. Crime today is mostly caused by people who go hungry and are on the prowl to find food. No doubt that there are also people who commit crime merely for the sake of greed and money, but in the large, there are many people who commit crime merely because they are looking for a loaf of bread.

 

Yet, when we look at the method of the Awliya, we will see that they had already given the Muslims years before the perfect method and manner of creating racial harmony and peace. Most people feed today with the intention of coming on national TV and not with sincerity, therefore, the results we hope for are not seen. May Allah Almighty give Muslims the strength to understand this.