Mathnavi of Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi (133 pages, 7/18)
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e to destroy this valuable pearl. To destroy this pearl would amount to enmity towards your treasury". The King praised him profusely for his reply and also rewarded him with a royal robe of honour.
In this manner, one by one the King called sixty five officials from his government and everyone of them followed the example set by the Chief Minister. The King praised each one of them and also rewarded them with a royal robe of honour.
After he had tested all the officials, the King now called Ayaaz, handed the pearl to him and said: "0 Ayaaz, everyone of my officials have seen the pearl. You also have a look at its radiant light and then tell me, what is its value?" Ayaaz replied: "Sir, whatever value I am going to mention, this pearl will be worth much more than that". The King ordered: "Quickly, crush this valuable gem into pieces". Ayaaz knew the King's temperament and immediately realised that the King was putting him to a test. He broke the valuable pearl into small pieces and did not pay any attention towards receiving any royal robe as a reward. As he broke the pearl into pieces, all the officials began creating a loud noise so that in the King's Court a great commotion took place. The Minister of the State uttered: "By Allah! This man is a disbeliever, an ungrateful one, showing no regard for a valuable gem belonging to you. "
Ayaaz replied: "Respected brothers!, Is the command of the King more valuable or is this pearl more valuable? 0 people, in your sight the pearl is more valuable than the King's command. I will not remove
my sight from the importance of the King's command and like a Mushrik turn towards the pearl. To remove my sight from the King and turn it towards the pearl means performing shirk in the love and obedience towards the King."
Ayaaz said:
"Respected Sirs, is the command of the King more valuable or the pearl?
I shall not move my sight from the King and I will not turn my sight to the, pearl like a Mushrik.
O You unworthy ones, the actual pearl was the King's command. All of you broke down the pearl of the King's command."
When Ayaaz explained this secret to all the Ministers who were jealous of Ayaaz's closeness to the King, they became humiliated and disgraced by his understanding and success.
LESSON
In this story, we learn that the "command comes before respect". It means that when a command was given by the King, the correct line of action was to obey the command. Ayaaz had personal love for Sultan Mahmood whereas the Ministers and courtiers had love .for their own positions, ranks and wealth. The understanding and rational reasoning which Ayaaz displayed was an outflow of his love for Sultan Mahmood. This love teaches its own manner of I adab'. This true understanding and knowledge is not derived through the intellect. It is created out of love. Note that Shaytaan himself was a rational being and not a being filled with love. For this reason, he objected to the command of Allah the Ruler of all Rulers, whereas it would have been only proper that when an order came from Allah, it should have been immediately implemented. The result of his action was that he was banished from the Court of Allah. On the other hand, Nabee Adam (A.S.) and Hawa (A.S.) were lovers of Allah. When they committed a mistake, they did not feel any disgrace in admitting their fault to Allah. Together with admitting their fault before their Beloved, they busied themselves with gaining His pleasure, by shedding tears as they prayed for His pardon.
In this story there is a further lesson of the magnitude of the Divine Command which should be carried out without any hesitation. The relationship between Sultan Mahmood and Ayaaz was the relationship between Master and slave. Our relationship with Allah is even greater and deeper. Every atom of our bodies was created by Him, reared by Him and owned by Him. He has such an ownership over us wherein no one else shares with Him.
Muslims are commanded to perform Jehad. In Jehad we remember that the "Kufaar" (disbelievers) are also Allah's creation and Allah's bounties in rearing them is also provided for them just as it is provided for the believers.
"0 Allah, You are so kind that from Your unseen treasury You provide sustenance for the non-believers also."
But when a command is given to perform Jehad, it would be
inappropriate to think about shedding of the blood of so many people for whose fostering and nourishment the heavens, the earth, the sun, the moon, the stars, the clouds, the East, the West, the South, the North, the air, the sea, the mountains, the services of thousands of machines, thousands of factory workers and labourers and thousands of animals were utilised. It would be wrong to consider the shedding of the blood of so many people for whose fostering, rearing and continued life on earth so much provision has been made by Allah that He had saddled the whole creation for their services. Now in Jehad, those very same people for whom so much provisions have been I}1ade, are being destroyed within minutes and seconds. Now in Jehad there will be no time for hesitation because now the Order of Allah has come and in the face of Allah's command the whole world has no value whatsoever. When the command from Allah comes, the demand is that the necks of the Kufaar (disbeliever) should be struck in Jehad for they are enemies of Allah fighting against the Believers.
"Without Shariat's command, it is a crime even to drink water And when the fatwa of Jihad is sounded, it is obligatory to shed blood. "
In this story, Moulana Rumi (RA.) told us of one general law, through which a person can save his bondage from disobedience and from going astray. All those desires which are contrary to Allah's wishes, no matter how valuable, how pleasurable and how beautiful they may appear to us, the True Lover of Allah and the daring one should never act in accordance to those desires. In fact they should readily crush the pearl of their desires with the stone of Allah's commands. Neither should they cast an evil glance at a handsome beardless boy, nor at a strange woman even though there is danger of them losing their lives (first accidental gaze is forgiven).
THE STORY OF HAZRAT ZUN NOON MISRY (R.A.)
"How blessed that time when the heart is given to love. No Istikhara is required for such a deed of righteousness."
How blessed is that time when Allah granted Hazrat Zun Noon Misry (RA.) the pain and sorrow of His Love! A great agitation was created in the heart and he began weeping and lamenting. A little sorrow encountered through Allah's love is better than all the other nemats (bounties) of both the worlds. It is such a sorrow which sets one free from all other sorrows. It is also such a sickness which gives one safety from all other illnesses.
"Free from the sorrows of both worlds will you be quickly,
If one atom of sorrow from Allah's love touches you." (Akhtar)
The heart, which up to now had only been aware of the transitory worldly pleasures and which only reached up to this transitory world, now through the blessings of true Divine Love has flown up to the heavens and up to the Throne of Allah.
The true devotee of Allah, through the blessings of the special perception of communion with Allah, experiences within himself a wonderful feeling of contact with the hereafter and thus through this perception has only a nominal contact with this worldly existence. His major perception is the contact with the hereafter. My beloved Sheikh Hazrat Phulpuri (RA.) used to explain his condition to his Sheikh Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanwy (RA.) thus:
"Hazrat, it is as if I feel that I am not walking upon the ground of this world, but upon the floor of the hereafter. Being busy with worldly things does not prevent me from keeping the hereafter, before me."
In reality this is what actually happens when the heart develops a strong bond with Allah. Sometimes it also happens that for the special devotees of Allah, special favours are sent from the unseen world. The moments of these special favours are such that words cannot describe them. Only the soul of the person, on whom those special favours descend, can know them and enjoy the pleasures thereof.
Through the Divine Love, a strange condition came over Hazrat Zun Noon Misry (RA.). Hazrat Rumi (RA.) says that he was overtaken by such a feeling of madness and confusion that his sighs and utterances caused people to become greatly affected by it. It seemed that Divine Love brought nothing but crying and sorrow and as if there was nothing good in it.
"Through crying and lamenting, the way towards Allah is easily traversed
And so nearness is attained which is not reached through years of striving through spiritual exercises."
The overwhelming nature of his love was such that from the sighs and cries that he uttered people became helpless. Hence a group of irreligious people had him imprisoned in jail. When they took him to jail, he went willingly and happily. Some of his closest friends accompanied him in sympathy. When they locked the door behind him, the friends began to wonder: "What has happened? Such a great Sheikh has been imprisoned."
It seemed as if the Sheikh himself was hiding the inner condition under a cloud of madness. It may be that in order to avoid the vileness of people, he preferred himself going to. jai1. Possibly it may be that he had become fed up with the company of rational beings and presented himself as a mad one.
Hence, all those friends who visited him in the jail, said to him:
"Respected Sir, we all are your sincere friends and companions. We have come here to inquire about your health and condition. We are surprised and astounded as to who could have laid a charge of insanity against you. We look upon you as the very embodiment of sanity. These people who only look at the external appearances are completely unacquainted with your high position and rank of the nearness to Allah. They regard you as being insane, while we know that you are a True Lover of God. We are your sincere friends and lovers. We look upon. you as our beloved one in both the worlds. Please inform us the reason why you prefer to waste your time in this prison. Please do not keep the secret from us. "
Sheikh Zun Noon (R.A.) listened to their words and was not convinced by their sincerity. Hence to test their sincerity he picked up some stones and moved towards them. Like a mad man he ran in their direction as if he, was going to stone them. When they saw this they all fled, fearing of being hurt by the stones. Seeing this the Sheikh laughed at their claim of love and sincere friendship and exclaimed: "Have a look at these friends of the dervish; 0 You ignorant ones. What do you know of love and true friendship? "
"When does a friend keep himself aloof from the sorrow's of a friend?
The friendship of a friend is like a skin around him and he will bear all sorrows from his friend. A friend is like gold and calamities and misfortunes are like fire.
And pure gold shines even brighter when the heat of fire touches it. "
Moulana Rumi (R.A.) says:'
"0 You, when with one wound you retired from your love, Choosing the way of those who flee.
It is clear you have not yet been touched by love, And only mention it."
In other words, the path of true love is not an easy one to tread. You will have to shed blood from your heart and your liver. Then the path will open up to you.
Hence, one should tread the path of Allah in a manly way. A modern day saintly man - Babu Saheb, who was also a Khalifa of Moulana Thanwy (R.A.) said: "Accept and then resolve. In other words - first, make a strong contact of love with Allah and then resolve to bear all the trials that will come your way while on that path". For the sake of worldly business and employment a person will bear all kinds of calamities. But this is an affair of the hereafter, for which a person should be prepared to bear even greater burdens.
THE STORY ABOUT A CURE FOR SENSUAL LOVE
A certain devotee resided in the company of a saintly man for the sake of improving and rectifying his spiritual life. He diligently applied himself to the Zikr and deeds which the Sheikh prescribed for him. However there was one maid servant of the Sheikh who brought the food to them from the Sheikh's house. By continuously looking at her as she brought the food, his heart became filled with love for her. Thus whenever she brought the food, he cast lustful glances at her, instead of looking at the food.
The maid servant was also a devotee seeking for Allah. She soon realised that this man was casting lustful glances at her. Her enlightened heart perceived the lustful glances and thus she went to complain to the Sheikh: "Sire, a certain Mureed of yours is involved with lustful love. What benefit will there be for him from your prescribed Zikr and spiritual exercises? You should first cure him of this figurative love."
It is the practice of the saintly ones, as far as possible, that they do not expose or humiliate their companions nor those connected with them, so that these people do not loose heart through their disappointment. As the Sheikh is devoted to Allah, his sights are directed at Allah's grace and bounties:
"When Allah's Mercy comes pouring forth, The fire worshipper of a hundred years Can become the pride of all Saints.
Do not despise any disbeliever.
Who knows when Allah's Mercy may take him? It is possible that before death overtakes,
The Kaafir and the Mushrik can become Bayazid (one saintly one) This can happen within a blink of the eye. "
Hence the Sheikh, in spite of knowing the secret, did not scold
the Mureed and refrained from exposing him. However, within himself he was thinking of a way to cure him of this lustful love.
It so happened that from Allah's side he was inspired with a plan and he acted upon it. He gave the maid servant some laxative which caused her acute diarrhoea. He also instructed her to let the faeces that came out of her accumulate in one bucket.
Due to the purgative she had taken, she defecated about twenty times until she became very weak and thin. Her face became exceedingly pale and her eyes and cheeks turned hollow. Her face appeared frightful like one suffering from cholera. She appeared very unattractive and all her beauty had vanished. The
Sheikh then told her: "Take his food to him today and then quietly stand there."
When the Mureed saw the maid servant, instead of looking at her, he now turned his eyes away and told her: "Put the food down". As he uttered these words the Sheikh entered in the room and said: "0 you fool, why is it that today you turn your eyes away from this girl? What is missing from her today that your love for her has vanished?"
Then the Sheikh instructed the girl to bring the container in which all the faeces has been collected. When she placed it before him, the Sheikh said to the Mureed: "0 foolish one, apart from those faeces, nothing else was extracted from this girl. From this it seems that in actual fact you were in love with these faeces and now that it has gone out of her body, your love is also gone".
MATHNAVI-E-AKHTAR:
"What has become deficient in the body of this maid servant That you notice to make you turn away in disappointment?
What has departed from her body that you now experience aversion to her?
The Sheikh then showed the container
Which had become filled with the girl's faeces And said: "Look at it, 0 Seeker!
It is only this which had left her body.
Thus your beloved, in fact was these faeces.
It is over this thing that you became a mad man.
And now that through the purgative she has become weak and pale. The love that you felt has vanished and is gone."
The Sheikh asked the Mureed: "Tell me, if you really loved this girl then how is it that this love has now turned to dislike and aversion? "
Through this plan of the Sheikh, it soon dawned upon the Mureed that he had become involved with sensual love. He became ashamed of it and in sorrow and lamentations, he repented to Allah. Through this repentance and sorrow he was eventually endowed with true Divine Love.
Hazrat Moulana Rumi (R.A.) drew this advise from the story:
"0 people, today you fall in love with a well-musk-scented one with curly locks of hair. One day that same lock of hair will appear worse to you than the tail of an old donkey. "
"Those very eyes that cause you to become intoxicated And for which you 'are prepared to sacrifice your life, In old age will have dirty water dripping from, them.
Look at a beautiful child who through his beauty becomes Master among men But look when old age overtakes him, he becomes worthless among men.
Look how lovely and fresh the sun appears at the time of rising, But remember its death at the time of setting.
See how splendid the moon appears on the fourteenth night, But check how is its sorrowful state as it begins to wane.
O Man, you are in love with good food and fine outward form, But see the result thereof in the toilet afterwards.
The people of this world, like the world are truly unfaithful. When it turns its face towards you, then know it is not the face, It is merely the back of the head.
Now that you have come to know the unfaithfulness of the world and worldly people, Then establish love contact with the saints of Allah and with no other beings except them."
A sign of being accepted by Allah is to sit in the company of the friends of Allah and become disconnected from the worldly things. When being inclined towards Allah, one must be outwardly a follower of the Sunnat and at the same time seek the company of a saintly one, who also follows the Sunnat. After attaining this virtue, one should never seek miracles from them because miracles and Kashf are involuntary occurrences. Such involuntary occurrences have nothing to do with being accepted or not by Allah. Miracles are not a sign of being Allah's chosen one or not. Allah has not placed the criterion for acceptance by Him or nearness to Him on involuntary matters. Regarding the despicable and transitory nature of illusory beauty, I have written a poem entitled: "Word of warning regarding sensual love" and for the benefit of readers I quote it here. May Allah accept it and make it beneficial for all men.
A WORD OF WARNING REGARDING SENSUAL LOVE
(by Hakim Akhtar)
That troublesome curling lock which caused sedition in youth, Has transformed into the tail of a donkey in this perishable abode, in old age.
That coquetry glance, which was notorious in shedding the blood (of lovers),.
In old age has become too helpless to have any care for itself
O heart! Step carefully, in the spring of perishing beauty, Thousands of love-boats have sunk in the sea of youth.
Falling in love with perishable beauty is our spiritual death,
It is in safeguarding one's heart wherein lies the secret of eternal life.
Ah! That cheek which was the envy of a hundred gardens in youth, Now due to old age, it has become a disgrace to a hundred autumns, in this perishing garden.
Those eyebrows and eyelashes that had become an altar for the lovers yesterday,
Now due to old age, they are like the eyelashes of a donkey, with flowing matter discharging from them. That sweetheart of beauty who yesterday ruled the kings,
Today, due to old age, there is rebellion in her kingdom.
That glowing countenance which was being adorned by a volunteer love, Because of its declined beauty, is ashamed of its admiration.
That pride of charm which, until yesterday, was the adornment of Poetry and Literature,.
Why is it, that now, in old age it is subjected to criticism?
Now where is the veil of 'howdah' (of camel) and that deep sigh of separation? That idolised doll is being humiliated in the dust of camel driving.
The charms of a young beauty is the dawn of a rose garden, But look at the end of this rose garden in the eve of gardening.
That essence of the sweet love of lovers, and that inspiration for the love-song composition, In old age has been reduced to a withering rose in the spring of the
Poet's meeting.
Thousands of Beauties portraits are buried in tombs
Yet the fools {lovers) are still subjected to vain imagination.
If there is any true love, then it is the eternal love of the ever-living Lord,
The love of a perishing beauty is always a temporary one.
O Akthar do not be deceived by any charms of this Universe,
Rather remain in love with (Allah) the Creator of the Universe in this temporary world. LESSON
The lesson of the story is this: The seeker after Allah (the Mureed) became involved in sensual love and would not have found a way out of it. However, a saintly person's company saved him. Moulana Rumi (R.A.) says about this: The path towards Allah does not reach Him through reason alone. One will have to seek the company of saintly beings with whom one should reside with the intention of self- rectification and reformation. If one is going to avoid being obedient to those saintly beings, then one will at all times remain imperfect and will never be able to achieve complete results. Thus in this way Abu Ali Sina, who was the Master of the Philosophies, at the time of his death considered. 'Reason' as being of no benefit, calling it as being without benefit. He admitted that "we have ridden the horses of intellect and Reason in vain and having been deceived by the Reason and intellect, avoided the obedience and guidance of the saints of Allah and so continued to swim about in an imaginary world".
Moulana Rumi (R.A.) says: "It is completely useless to swim about in the sea of Reason and intellect. There is need for the ship of Nabi Nooh (A.S.) - i.e. The help of the friends of Allah. Look how Nabi Nooh's (A.S.) son - Kan'aan depended on Reason alone saying: "The high mountains shall save me from this storm". He considered the ark of Nabi Nooh (A.S.) as being despicable. The result was that the ship was saved during the deluge and reached the high mountain while Kan'aan was drowned.
Moulana Rumi (R.A.) says: "When you do not look with proper sight, then you look upon the love and company of the saintly ones and their obedience i.e. their ship as despicable, and you look upon your imitation of the people of Europe as the high mountains of Intellect and Reason. But, beware, do not look upon this ship as being of no value and a thing to be despised. It is true that the Ah-Iullah, the saints are usually dressed in old and tattered clothes and live simple lives, but do not look at the simplicity of their lives and consider them lowly and despicable. Instead look at the Grace of Allah that is with them. Look at the splendour of the one who arrives through the ship and do not look at the heights of the mountains of Reason.
The power of Allah is such that with one wave, He can turn the ship upside down. But the ship which travels in the shadow of Allah's Mercy, in spite of its outward weakness and the evil intention of Shaytaan, it will pass through all the trials in safety. If one is not going to follow this advise, then in the end one will have to admit the shortcomings of the intellect.
Hence, if a person needs to find safety from faults and sins, he will have to become closely connected in love with the saints of Allah. Then he will not suffer losses. People who wish to travel on the path of deen with only reason are breakers of their 'tobah'.
When Shaytaan gives one blow in their direction, their 'tobah' is broken down. Yet their arrogance is such that they look down upon the saints of Allah. Such people remain imperfect throughout their lives. So, 0 People! Seek for yourself a way towards Allah and consider the company of the saints as medicine.
THE STORY OF HAZRAT SHAH ABUL-HASAN KHARQANI (R.A.)
Once a, true dervish (seeker after truth) undertook a long journey from Taliqaan to Khaarqaan in order to pay a visit to Hazrat Shah Abul-Hasan Kharqani (RA.). Along this journey he had to cross many mountains and valleys. Along the way he bore great difficulties like thirst, but he endured all that patiently for the sake of his love. In this dervish there was such restlessness and longing for divine love
that it forced him to take up this journey. Such is the way of love. What happens in the case of Divine Love? It has a different effect upon different people.
"What word did you utter in the ear of the flower That it now laughs in pleasure.
And what did you mention to the nightingale
That now through the pains of love it weeps and laments?"
My Sheikh Moulana Phulpoori (RA.) used to tell me a story about a great Majzoob Soofi who used to live somewhere in the rural district. The condition of 'Qabz' descended on him from Allah's side. In the technical terms 'Qabz' is such a condition which the Soofi feels when he experiences spiritual inactivity, non-progress, depression and a lessening in the presence of Allah. His heart feels no joy in ibaadah and it seems as if there is no pleasure derived
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e to destroy this valuable pearl. To destroy this pearl would amount to enmity towards your treasury". The King praised him profusely for his reply and also rewarded him with a royal robe of honour.
In this manner, one by one the King called sixty five officials from his government and everyone of them followed the example set by the Chief Minister. The King praised each one of them and also rewarded them with a royal robe of honour.
After he had tested all the officials, the King now called Ayaaz, handed the pearl to him and said: "0 Ayaaz, everyone of my officials have seen the pearl. You also have a look at its radiant light and then tell me, what is its value?" Ayaaz replied: "Sir, whatever value I am going to mention, this pearl will be worth much more than that". The King ordered: "Quickly, crush this valuable gem into pieces". Ayaaz knew the King's temperament and immediately realised that the King was putting him to a test. He broke the valuable pearl into small pieces and did not pay any attention towards receiving any royal robe as a reward. As he broke the pearl into pieces, all the officials began creating a loud noise so that in the King's Court a great commotion took place. The Minister of the State uttered: "By Allah! This man is a disbeliever, an ungrateful one, showing no regard for a valuable gem belonging to you. "
Ayaaz replied: "Respected brothers!, Is the command of the King more valuable or is this pearl more valuable? 0 people, in your sight the pearl is more valuable than the King's command. I will not remove
my sight from the importance of the King's command and like a Mushrik turn towards the pearl. To remove my sight from the King and turn it towards the pearl means performing shirk in the love and obedience towards the King."
Ayaaz said:
"Respected Sirs, is the command of the King more valuable or the pearl?
I shall not move my sight from the King and I will not turn my sight to the, pearl like a Mushrik.
O You unworthy ones, the actual pearl was the King's command. All of you broke down the pearl of the King's command."
When Ayaaz explained this secret to all the Ministers who were jealous of Ayaaz's closeness to the King, they became humiliated and disgraced by his understanding and success.
LESSON
In this story, we learn that the "command comes before respect". It means that when a command was given by the King, the correct line of action was to obey the command. Ayaaz had personal love for Sultan Mahmood whereas the Ministers and courtiers had love .for their own positions, ranks and wealth. The understanding and rational reasoning which Ayaaz displayed was an outflow of his love for Sultan Mahmood. This love teaches its own manner of I adab'. This true understanding and knowledge is not derived through the intellect. It is created out of love. Note that Shaytaan himself was a rational being and not a being filled with love. For this reason, he objected to the command of Allah the Ruler of all Rulers, whereas it would have been only proper that when an order came from Allah, it should have been immediately implemented. The result of his action was that he was banished from the Court of Allah. On the other hand, Nabee Adam (A.S.) and Hawa (A.S.) were lovers of Allah. When they committed a mistake, they did not feel any disgrace in admitting their fault to Allah. Together with admitting their fault before their Beloved, they busied themselves with gaining His pleasure, by shedding tears as they prayed for His pardon.
In this story there is a further lesson of the magnitude of the Divine Command which should be carried out without any hesitation. The relationship between Sultan Mahmood and Ayaaz was the relationship between Master and slave. Our relationship with Allah is even greater and deeper. Every atom of our bodies was created by Him, reared by Him and owned by Him. He has such an ownership over us wherein no one else shares with Him.
Muslims are commanded to perform Jehad. In Jehad we remember that the "Kufaar" (disbelievers) are also Allah's creation and Allah's bounties in rearing them is also provided for them just as it is provided for the believers.
"0 Allah, You are so kind that from Your unseen treasury You provide sustenance for the non-believers also."
But when a command is given to perform Jehad, it would be
inappropriate to think about shedding of the blood of so many people for whose fostering and nourishment the heavens, the earth, the sun, the moon, the stars, the clouds, the East, the West, the South, the North, the air, the sea, the mountains, the services of thousands of machines, thousands of factory workers and labourers and thousands of animals were utilised. It would be wrong to consider the shedding of the blood of so many people for whose fostering, rearing and continued life on earth so much provision has been made by Allah that He had saddled the whole creation for their services. Now in Jehad, those very same people for whom so much provisions have been I}1ade, are being destroyed within minutes and seconds. Now in Jehad there will be no time for hesitation because now the Order of Allah has come and in the face of Allah's command the whole world has no value whatsoever. When the command from Allah comes, the demand is that the necks of the Kufaar (disbeliever) should be struck in Jehad for they are enemies of Allah fighting against the Believers.
"Without Shariat's command, it is a crime even to drink water And when the fatwa of Jihad is sounded, it is obligatory to shed blood. "
In this story, Moulana Rumi (RA.) told us of one general law, through which a person can save his bondage from disobedience and from going astray. All those desires which are contrary to Allah's wishes, no matter how valuable, how pleasurable and how beautiful they may appear to us, the True Lover of Allah and the daring one should never act in accordance to those desires. In fact they should readily crush the pearl of their desires with the stone of Allah's commands. Neither should they cast an evil glance at a handsome beardless boy, nor at a strange woman even though there is danger of them losing their lives (first accidental gaze is forgiven).
THE STORY OF HAZRAT ZUN NOON MISRY (R.A.)
"How blessed that time when the heart is given to love. No Istikhara is required for such a deed of righteousness."
How blessed is that time when Allah granted Hazrat Zun Noon Misry (RA.) the pain and sorrow of His Love! A great agitation was created in the heart and he began weeping and lamenting. A little sorrow encountered through Allah's love is better than all the other nemats (bounties) of both the worlds. It is such a sorrow which sets one free from all other sorrows. It is also such a sickness which gives one safety from all other illnesses.
"Free from the sorrows of both worlds will you be quickly,
If one atom of sorrow from Allah's love touches you." (Akhtar)
The heart, which up to now had only been aware of the transitory worldly pleasures and which only reached up to this transitory world, now through the blessings of true Divine Love has flown up to the heavens and up to the Throne of Allah.
The true devotee of Allah, through the blessings of the special perception of communion with Allah, experiences within himself a wonderful feeling of contact with the hereafter and thus through this perception has only a nominal contact with this worldly existence. His major perception is the contact with the hereafter. My beloved Sheikh Hazrat Phulpuri (RA.) used to explain his condition to his Sheikh Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanwy (RA.) thus:
"Hazrat, it is as if I feel that I am not walking upon the ground of this world, but upon the floor of the hereafter. Being busy with worldly things does not prevent me from keeping the hereafter, before me."
In reality this is what actually happens when the heart develops a strong bond with Allah. Sometimes it also happens that for the special devotees of Allah, special favours are sent from the unseen world. The moments of these special favours are such that words cannot describe them. Only the soul of the person, on whom those special favours descend, can know them and enjoy the pleasures thereof.
Through the Divine Love, a strange condition came over Hazrat Zun Noon Misry (RA.). Hazrat Rumi (RA.) says that he was overtaken by such a feeling of madness and confusion that his sighs and utterances caused people to become greatly affected by it. It seemed that Divine Love brought nothing but crying and sorrow and as if there was nothing good in it.
"Through crying and lamenting, the way towards Allah is easily traversed
And so nearness is attained which is not reached through years of striving through spiritual exercises."
The overwhelming nature of his love was such that from the sighs and cries that he uttered people became helpless. Hence a group of irreligious people had him imprisoned in jail. When they took him to jail, he went willingly and happily. Some of his closest friends accompanied him in sympathy. When they locked the door behind him, the friends began to wonder: "What has happened? Such a great Sheikh has been imprisoned."
It seemed as if the Sheikh himself was hiding the inner condition under a cloud of madness. It may be that in order to avoid the vileness of people, he preferred himself going to. jai1. Possibly it may be that he had become fed up with the company of rational beings and presented himself as a mad one.
Hence, all those friends who visited him in the jail, said to him:
"Respected Sir, we all are your sincere friends and companions. We have come here to inquire about your health and condition. We are surprised and astounded as to who could have laid a charge of insanity against you. We look upon you as the very embodiment of sanity. These people who only look at the external appearances are completely unacquainted with your high position and rank of the nearness to Allah. They regard you as being insane, while we know that you are a True Lover of God. We are your sincere friends and lovers. We look upon. you as our beloved one in both the worlds. Please inform us the reason why you prefer to waste your time in this prison. Please do not keep the secret from us. "
Sheikh Zun Noon (R.A.) listened to their words and was not convinced by their sincerity. Hence to test their sincerity he picked up some stones and moved towards them. Like a mad man he ran in their direction as if he, was going to stone them. When they saw this they all fled, fearing of being hurt by the stones. Seeing this the Sheikh laughed at their claim of love and sincere friendship and exclaimed: "Have a look at these friends of the dervish; 0 You ignorant ones. What do you know of love and true friendship? "
"When does a friend keep himself aloof from the sorrow's of a friend?
The friendship of a friend is like a skin around him and he will bear all sorrows from his friend. A friend is like gold and calamities and misfortunes are like fire.
And pure gold shines even brighter when the heat of fire touches it. "
Moulana Rumi (R.A.) says:'
"0 You, when with one wound you retired from your love, Choosing the way of those who flee.
It is clear you have not yet been touched by love, And only mention it."
In other words, the path of true love is not an easy one to tread. You will have to shed blood from your heart and your liver. Then the path will open up to you.
Hence, one should tread the path of Allah in a manly way. A modern day saintly man - Babu Saheb, who was also a Khalifa of Moulana Thanwy (R.A.) said: "Accept and then resolve. In other words - first, make a strong contact of love with Allah and then resolve to bear all the trials that will come your way while on that path". For the sake of worldly business and employment a person will bear all kinds of calamities. But this is an affair of the hereafter, for which a person should be prepared to bear even greater burdens.
THE STORY ABOUT A CURE FOR SENSUAL LOVE
A certain devotee resided in the company of a saintly man for the sake of improving and rectifying his spiritual life. He diligently applied himself to the Zikr and deeds which the Sheikh prescribed for him. However there was one maid servant of the Sheikh who brought the food to them from the Sheikh's house. By continuously looking at her as she brought the food, his heart became filled with love for her. Thus whenever she brought the food, he cast lustful glances at her, instead of looking at the food.
The maid servant was also a devotee seeking for Allah. She soon realised that this man was casting lustful glances at her. Her enlightened heart perceived the lustful glances and thus she went to complain to the Sheikh: "Sire, a certain Mureed of yours is involved with lustful love. What benefit will there be for him from your prescribed Zikr and spiritual exercises? You should first cure him of this figurative love."
It is the practice of the saintly ones, as far as possible, that they do not expose or humiliate their companions nor those connected with them, so that these people do not loose heart through their disappointment. As the Sheikh is devoted to Allah, his sights are directed at Allah's grace and bounties:
"When Allah's Mercy comes pouring forth, The fire worshipper of a hundred years Can become the pride of all Saints.
Do not despise any disbeliever.
Who knows when Allah's Mercy may take him? It is possible that before death overtakes,
The Kaafir and the Mushrik can become Bayazid (one saintly one) This can happen within a blink of the eye. "
Hence the Sheikh, in spite of knowing the secret, did not scold
the Mureed and refrained from exposing him. However, within himself he was thinking of a way to cure him of this lustful love.
It so happened that from Allah's side he was inspired with a plan and he acted upon it. He gave the maid servant some laxative which caused her acute diarrhoea. He also instructed her to let the faeces that came out of her accumulate in one bucket.
Due to the purgative she had taken, she defecated about twenty times until she became very weak and thin. Her face became exceedingly pale and her eyes and cheeks turned hollow. Her face appeared frightful like one suffering from cholera. She appeared very unattractive and all her beauty had vanished. The
Sheikh then told her: "Take his food to him today and then quietly stand there."
When the Mureed saw the maid servant, instead of looking at her, he now turned his eyes away and told her: "Put the food down". As he uttered these words the Sheikh entered in the room and said: "0 you fool, why is it that today you turn your eyes away from this girl? What is missing from her today that your love for her has vanished?"
Then the Sheikh instructed the girl to bring the container in which all the faeces has been collected. When she placed it before him, the Sheikh said to the Mureed: "0 foolish one, apart from those faeces, nothing else was extracted from this girl. From this it seems that in actual fact you were in love with these faeces and now that it has gone out of her body, your love is also gone".
MATHNAVI-E-AKHTAR:
"What has become deficient in the body of this maid servant That you notice to make you turn away in disappointment?
What has departed from her body that you now experience aversion to her?
The Sheikh then showed the container
Which had become filled with the girl's faeces And said: "Look at it, 0 Seeker!
It is only this which had left her body.
Thus your beloved, in fact was these faeces.
It is over this thing that you became a mad man.
And now that through the purgative she has become weak and pale. The love that you felt has vanished and is gone."
The Sheikh asked the Mureed: "Tell me, if you really loved this girl then how is it that this love has now turned to dislike and aversion? "
Through this plan of the Sheikh, it soon dawned upon the Mureed that he had become involved with sensual love. He became ashamed of it and in sorrow and lamentations, he repented to Allah. Through this repentance and sorrow he was eventually endowed with true Divine Love.
Hazrat Moulana Rumi (R.A.) drew this advise from the story:
"0 people, today you fall in love with a well-musk-scented one with curly locks of hair. One day that same lock of hair will appear worse to you than the tail of an old donkey. "
"Those very eyes that cause you to become intoxicated And for which you 'are prepared to sacrifice your life, In old age will have dirty water dripping from, them.
Look at a beautiful child who through his beauty becomes Master among men But look when old age overtakes him, he becomes worthless among men.
Look how lovely and fresh the sun appears at the time of rising, But remember its death at the time of setting.
See how splendid the moon appears on the fourteenth night, But check how is its sorrowful state as it begins to wane.
O Man, you are in love with good food and fine outward form, But see the result thereof in the toilet afterwards.
The people of this world, like the world are truly unfaithful. When it turns its face towards you, then know it is not the face, It is merely the back of the head.
Now that you have come to know the unfaithfulness of the world and worldly people, Then establish love contact with the saints of Allah and with no other beings except them."
A sign of being accepted by Allah is to sit in the company of the friends of Allah and become disconnected from the worldly things. When being inclined towards Allah, one must be outwardly a follower of the Sunnat and at the same time seek the company of a saintly one, who also follows the Sunnat. After attaining this virtue, one should never seek miracles from them because miracles and Kashf are involuntary occurrences. Such involuntary occurrences have nothing to do with being accepted or not by Allah. Miracles are not a sign of being Allah's chosen one or not. Allah has not placed the criterion for acceptance by Him or nearness to Him on involuntary matters. Regarding the despicable and transitory nature of illusory beauty, I have written a poem entitled: "Word of warning regarding sensual love" and for the benefit of readers I quote it here. May Allah accept it and make it beneficial for all men.
A WORD OF WARNING REGARDING SENSUAL LOVE
(by Hakim Akhtar)
That troublesome curling lock which caused sedition in youth, Has transformed into the tail of a donkey in this perishable abode, in old age.
That coquetry glance, which was notorious in shedding the blood (of lovers),.
In old age has become too helpless to have any care for itself
O heart! Step carefully, in the spring of perishing beauty, Thousands of love-boats have sunk in the sea of youth.
Falling in love with perishable beauty is our spiritual death,
It is in safeguarding one's heart wherein lies the secret of eternal life.
Ah! That cheek which was the envy of a hundred gardens in youth, Now due to old age, it has become a disgrace to a hundred autumns, in this perishing garden.
Those eyebrows and eyelashes that had become an altar for the lovers yesterday,
Now due to old age, they are like the eyelashes of a donkey, with flowing matter discharging from them. That sweetheart of beauty who yesterday ruled the kings,
Today, due to old age, there is rebellion in her kingdom.
That glowing countenance which was being adorned by a volunteer love, Because of its declined beauty, is ashamed of its admiration.
That pride of charm which, until yesterday, was the adornment of Poetry and Literature,.
Why is it, that now, in old age it is subjected to criticism?
Now where is the veil of 'howdah' (of camel) and that deep sigh of separation? That idolised doll is being humiliated in the dust of camel driving.
The charms of a young beauty is the dawn of a rose garden, But look at the end of this rose garden in the eve of gardening.
That essence of the sweet love of lovers, and that inspiration for the love-song composition, In old age has been reduced to a withering rose in the spring of the
Poet's meeting.
Thousands of Beauties portraits are buried in tombs
Yet the fools {lovers) are still subjected to vain imagination.
If there is any true love, then it is the eternal love of the ever-living Lord,
The love of a perishing beauty is always a temporary one.
O Akthar do not be deceived by any charms of this Universe,
Rather remain in love with (Allah) the Creator of the Universe in this temporary world. LESSON
The lesson of the story is this: The seeker after Allah (the Mureed) became involved in sensual love and would not have found a way out of it. However, a saintly person's company saved him. Moulana Rumi (R.A.) says about this: The path towards Allah does not reach Him through reason alone. One will have to seek the company of saintly beings with whom one should reside with the intention of self- rectification and reformation. If one is going to avoid being obedient to those saintly beings, then one will at all times remain imperfect and will never be able to achieve complete results. Thus in this way Abu Ali Sina, who was the Master of the Philosophies, at the time of his death considered. 'Reason' as being of no benefit, calling it as being without benefit. He admitted that "we have ridden the horses of intellect and Reason in vain and having been deceived by the Reason and intellect, avoided the obedience and guidance of the saints of Allah and so continued to swim about in an imaginary world".
Moulana Rumi (R.A.) says: "It is completely useless to swim about in the sea of Reason and intellect. There is need for the ship of Nabi Nooh (A.S.) - i.e. The help of the friends of Allah. Look how Nabi Nooh's (A.S.) son - Kan'aan depended on Reason alone saying: "The high mountains shall save me from this storm". He considered the ark of Nabi Nooh (A.S.) as being despicable. The result was that the ship was saved during the deluge and reached the high mountain while Kan'aan was drowned.
Moulana Rumi (R.A.) says: "When you do not look with proper sight, then you look upon the love and company of the saintly ones and their obedience i.e. their ship as despicable, and you look upon your imitation of the people of Europe as the high mountains of Intellect and Reason. But, beware, do not look upon this ship as being of no value and a thing to be despised. It is true that the Ah-Iullah, the saints are usually dressed in old and tattered clothes and live simple lives, but do not look at the simplicity of their lives and consider them lowly and despicable. Instead look at the Grace of Allah that is with them. Look at the splendour of the one who arrives through the ship and do not look at the heights of the mountains of Reason.
The power of Allah is such that with one wave, He can turn the ship upside down. But the ship which travels in the shadow of Allah's Mercy, in spite of its outward weakness and the evil intention of Shaytaan, it will pass through all the trials in safety. If one is not going to follow this advise, then in the end one will have to admit the shortcomings of the intellect.
Hence, if a person needs to find safety from faults and sins, he will have to become closely connected in love with the saints of Allah. Then he will not suffer losses. People who wish to travel on the path of deen with only reason are breakers of their 'tobah'.
When Shaytaan gives one blow in their direction, their 'tobah' is broken down. Yet their arrogance is such that they look down upon the saints of Allah. Such people remain imperfect throughout their lives. So, 0 People! Seek for yourself a way towards Allah and consider the company of the saints as medicine.
THE STORY OF HAZRAT SHAH ABUL-HASAN KHARQANI (R.A.)
Once a, true dervish (seeker after truth) undertook a long journey from Taliqaan to Khaarqaan in order to pay a visit to Hazrat Shah Abul-Hasan Kharqani (RA.). Along this journey he had to cross many mountains and valleys. Along the way he bore great difficulties like thirst, but he endured all that patiently for the sake of his love. In this dervish there was such restlessness and longing for divine love
that it forced him to take up this journey. Such is the way of love. What happens in the case of Divine Love? It has a different effect upon different people.
"What word did you utter in the ear of the flower That it now laughs in pleasure.
And what did you mention to the nightingale
That now through the pains of love it weeps and laments?"
My Sheikh Moulana Phulpoori (RA.) used to tell me a story about a great Majzoob Soofi who used to live somewhere in the rural district. The condition of 'Qabz' descended on him from Allah's side. In the technical terms 'Qabz' is such a condition which the Soofi feels when he experiences spiritual inactivity, non-progress, depression and a lessening in the presence of Allah. His heart feels no joy in ibaadah and it seems as if there is no pleasure derived
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