Mathnavi of Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi (133 pages, 15/18)
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glance and attitude is not generally acquired. There is a big difference between the sight of the eyes and the insight of the heart. The sight of the eyes is subject to the heart's perception. If the heart's perception is correct, the sight of the eyes will also be correct. If the heart is ill due to Kufr and iniquity and the spiritual darkness that is created through that, then the eyes too will not function properly. In such a case it will of necessity follow that due to wrong inner perception one will become involved with the wrong sight.
Here is an example in this world: A person who is a seeker of Allah Taala, will consider it an honour for himself and his good fortune to pick up the shoes of the saintly ones and carry them for him. On the other hand there is the person who is a seeker after worldly goods, who turns away from Allah. He will consider it an honour and a pleasure to flatter the worldly ones, serve them and do his utmost to please them. Therefore you will notice that their inner perception of the hearts are different, their attitudes are in contrast to each other.
In similar fashion, we may look at the era of the Sahabah. On the one hand we have Abu Hurayra with his correct insight and perception. He said: "The face of Rasulullah shone so brightly that it seemed as if his face was the (bright) morning sun".
On the other hand we have Abu Jahl and his wrong insight and wrong perception, which made him practically blind to the truth. In fact, he only saw his own ugliness in the shining mirror of Nabi's face.
The anecdote of a dark ugly looking Abyssinian is quite wellknown. He was on a journey somewhere and along the route he saw a mirror lying on the ground. He picked it up and looking into the mirror, he saw his own reflection. He said: "If you had not been so ugly and dark with such thick lips, then why would someone have thrown you here, in this jungle, with such unconcern".
This man did not realise that he was looking at his own reflection.
3. The third point is this that the ordinary man looks at the Saints of Allah with his imperfect empty life and sight and thinks that they too are empty and deprived of all good and happiness.
Once a spiritually bankrupt person told Hajee Imdadullah Muhajir Makki (R.A.): "I am surprised that Moulana Mohamed Qaasim Nanotwi (RA.) the founder of Darul Uloom, Deoband and Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanwy (RA.) became Mureeds of yours".
Hajee Imdadullah replied: "Yes brother, I am also surprised that these persons chose someone like myself, to become Mureeds"
Since Hajee Imdadullah Saheb (R.A.) had completely annihilated his nafs, he did not show any displeasure at this criticism. May Allah make us all His sincere lovers, Ameen.
Khwaja Majzoob (R.A.) says:
"I found some complaining day and night I found some in worries day and night
I did not find anyone happy under the skies,
Only Majzoob I found happy in this place of sorrow.
If they desire protection (Oh! Allah) from grief and sorrow They should become Your mad lovers."
THE STORY OF MAJNOON WRITINO LAYLA'S NAME ON THE SAND
Once Majnoon was sitting on the bank of a river repeatedly writing the name of Layla on the sand. A passer by saw him and asked:
"O Majnoon, what are you busy doing? To whom are you writing this letter?" Majnoon replied:
"When parting from my Layla distresses me, I write her name repeatedly
And in this way give consolation to a heart grieved by separation. " ;
Now Moulana Rumi (R.A.) gives advise:I
"0 people, this is the effect of sensual love.
Can the true love for the Master be any less than that?" LESSON:
In this story there is an answer to those without inner sight who criticise those who continuously and repeatedly recite the name of Allah. They ask: "Why do these devotees make so much Zikr and project so much love for Allah. Why do they continue pouring
out before Him their complaints, sighs and lamentations? We have also studied so many books. We also possess libraries. We also give lectures and talks. Why is it that we do not acquire the same state as them? "
Then after these questions, they explain their own deprivation by saying: "These devotees do their Zikr, spiritual vigils, their sighs and crying before Allah, to be seen by men, to attract people towards them and to-gain worldly benefit." If only these unjust ones could observe these saintly ones in the privacy of their inner rooms, engaged in praying and Zikr. Who is there to witness their" prostrations. For whom are these prostration's made in privacy, for whom do they wet their places of prostration with their tears?
Who is there to see them sending their sighs and Ah's up to Allah, before whom they complain of all their pains and distresses?
"Majzoob has cried over all the calamities of this world;
Now to grant him blessings and acceptance is left to you, Dh! Allah".
These are the saints of Allah whose Ah's, their Salaams and their messages continuously reach up to the Throne of Allah and who have a strong connection with Him. They remain silent here on earth but still their hearts declare their love for Him.
"The saintly ones are silent
But their repetition of their cries reach the Beloved And reach up to His Throne.
To whom are they showing their blessed solitude, So that they reap material benefit?
In fact their "Ah's" are hidden from the whole universe."
Now from this story we turn to something else. If Layla, who was a mere corpse, producing stinking urine and faeces could make someone fall madly in love, then what about that Being who creates thousands of Laylas and then destroys them, and who is the fountain head of all beautiful forms and the centre of all beauty? Can that Being with its perfect beauty and love not make one mad in love with Him. He is that Holy and Perfect Being. His mad ones are also holy. The Prophets and Saints are His mad lovers who will continue to be His successful and honoured ones in both worlds. Allah grants this bountiful present to His lovers.
In contrast to that, what does Layla's Majnoon get? Majnoon gets worldly love which is something figurative - not true love. Figurative means something which is not the true thing. As such, he who is involved with figurative love will always be in deception. The beauty, for which he is prepared to die, departs when the object of that beauty dies. On the other hand the one who is involved with Divine Love, his object of Love is the Being of Allah, which is Everlasting and never perishes. For this reason, his love remains forever and when the lover passes away he carries with him the pleasure of the hope of meeting his true Love.
"When either the lover or the beloved dies
Or through old age there is a lessening of beauty, Figurative love fades.
While true love remains as strong as ever".
After death from the life of "Barzakh" (the grave) till the gathering place of Qiyamat and right up to paradise, the Lovers of Allah will continue to have His name on their lips repeatedly.
From the story of Layla and Majnoon one should not have the doubts about the permissibility of 'illicit' love which is completely haraam. Illicit sensual love is the opposite of true love and the meeting of two opposite entities is impossible.
Moulana Rumi (R.A.) narrates the story of Layla and Majnoon to give the lesson of love for Allah. This is like teaching small children how to read Urdu by starting to teach the letters of the Alphabet: 'Laam' is for 'Laddu' (a sweetmeat). Everyone knows
the aim is not to draw attention to Laddu. It is only used to teach I the letter Laam.
Similar is the case in teaching the 'Alif'.1f one says 'Alif' is for Ullu (Owl). The aim is not to draw attention to the owl but by taking into consideration the temperament of children, this is a means of teaching them to remember the alphabets.
"The whole creation are children except the lovers of Allah and the darling servants of Allah,
And for as long as one does not attain freedom from the jungle of desires of the, self that body will remain immature".
In other words even if the body becomes a hundred years old it will remain immature as long as it is not freed from the desires of the flesh. Readers would have understood clearly that Moulana's aim in telling the story of Layla and Majnoon is taking into consideration our childlike nature, so that through this we should learn the love of Allah. If Majnoon had. to dig up the grave of Layla and see her rotten and smelling corpse, he would have considered his own life as having been wasted and would surely have repented of his love. Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanwy (RA.) said that the deeds Majnoon committed after becoming mad will not be taken into account on the day of reckoning and there will no punishment.
But he could be called to account for those actions which led him to become mad, which could have been avoided i.e. "Why did he give his life for worldly love?"
Hazrat Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanwy (RA~) says: "Figurative, sensual, illicit love is a form of Allah's punishment." May Allah protect us all from it. Once Moulana's nephew Moulana Shabbir Ali sent a handsome young beardless student to him on an errand. Moulana was at that time busy writing in an upstairs room in solitude. The young student came into Moulana's room. As soon as Moulana saw him, he got out of the room and came down to the ground floor. He did not find it suitable to stay with the young boy in the privacy of the room for one minute.
He said to Moulana Shabbir Ali: "Don't ever send a beardless young boy to me in private". Moulana Thanwy (RA.) wanted to teach his mureeds a lesson of Taqwa.
In the path of Allah privacy with a strange woman and with a handsome beardless boy is as dangerous as deadly poison. Those who desire to follow the path 'of tassawuf and those who are seekers after Allah, should avoid these things just as they would
avoid a poisonous snake.
"If you are going to go after passing beauty, This is a spotted snake which will bite you".
From no other sins will the Saalik be more harmed, than from casting evil glances and from illicit love. Very strong darkness is caused by figurative love. In fact a person's direction of Qiblah becomes changed through it. If we take the heart to be a compass and take the needle to point towards Allah, at ninety degrees west, other sins will cause the needle to move away two or four degrees towards the south or north. By making towbah it will quickly move back to ninety degrees. But when the heart becomes involved with Haraam love for women or young boys and this love settles in the heart, the needle of the compass moves to one hundred and eighty degrees to the east and the heart moves very far away from Allah.
May Allah protect Akhtar and his physical as well as spiritual children as well as all Muslims of this world from Haraam love and its punishment. Ameen. 0 Lord of the Universe, through Your Mercy and through Your Nabi, the Nabi of Mercy.
If it should happen that a person becomes plagued with bad desires and involved in illicit love, one should speedily take refuge with one of the Saints of Allah. These Walis have the perfect and effective treatment for this disease. Thousands of Allah's bondsmen have been healed of it. Their prescriptions are most effective against this great poisonous disease. Just as arsenic is deadly, similarly to act upon the demands of the self is also deadly poison for our spiritual and physical self. To remove these poisons from the path of truth is beneficial indeed.
THE STORY OF HAZRAT MOOSA (A.S.) AND TOWHEED
Revelation once came to Nabi Moosa (A.S.) wherein Allah said to him: "O Moosa, I have made you My Chosen One".
Hazrat Moosa (A.S.) replied: "0 Lord, what is the special quality through which you make Your Chosen Ones, so that I may increase in it and rise in' Your esteem?"
Allah replied:
"I love My bondsmen very much
When they behave towards Me like infants,
Who in spite of their mother's punishment and anger, Still attach themselves to her, instead of fleeing.
When that mother gives him a slap, he still flees to her And while crying, holds onto her strongly".
I have seen on many occasions how a mother beat her three or four year old child, telling him to get out of the house, but the child, shouting and crying, held fast onto the mother's legs.
(O Allah, I beg of You through Your Mercy and Grace that you grant this Akhtar a strong relationship with You, even stronger than that between a mother and child and also grant
this same favour to all the Muslims, Ameen).
"The small child does not want help from anyone save the mother He even shows no inclination to his father
Instead only looks upon his mother
As the source and origin of all good and evil.
O Moosa (A.S.), your imagination and connection with Us in good and evil is similar to that,
That except for Us, your attention is not drawn to anyone else. O Moosa (A.S.), in your view, anyone other than Us
Is ineffectual like a clod of earth or a stone.
Whether that one is an infant, a young man or an old man". LESSON:
In this story Moulana Rumi (R.A.) has explained Nabi Moosa's (A.S.) conception of towheed and then gives the advise that we too should try to bring our contact with Him on the same level. We should also pray for and work out plans to bring it to that level, so that it becomes like the relationship a small child has with its mother and have the same dependence on Him, as a small child has on its mother. No matter in what condition Allah keeps us, whether in calamities or in comfort, in health or in sickness, whether in a stage of want or of plenty! whether He keeps us pleased or displeased, whether He brings about sweet conditions or bitter circumstances, whether He brings about conditions in accordance with our temperaments and to our liking or conditions against our temperaments and not of our liking - in all these cases and circumstances, we should turn to Him and not flee from Him. No matter what the conditions, we should still rub our foreheads against the frame of His door, and cry before Him, as we beg of Him to keep us safe from all evils, and beg of Him pardon for sins committed. Apart from Allah, we should look at no one else as our place of refuge and no matter what conditions He causes to. be brought upon us/ we should be satisfied therewith, saying: "Alhamdu lillahi alaa kulIi haal, - All praise be to Allah in every condition".
Should we become displeased and impatient at conditions that prevail over us/ the calamity will most definitely not subside, but our Imaan can leave us. That means that together with the loss of the worldly things, our success in the hereafter can also
be destroyed.
When there is a delay in the acceptance of your duahs, do not become distressed, but retain your hope. Consider despairing of Allah' s mercy as being of Kufr. Nabi Yaqoob (A.S.) prayed earnestly for his missing son Hazrat Yusuf (A.S.). After forty years this duah was accepted and answered. Allah is the Ruler (Haakim) and at the same time He is also the Wise One (Hakeem). He knows what progress is made by a person spiritually in his Imaan and Ikhlaas through sorrows. And He knows what rank is acquired through patient perseverance, ranks which cannot be attained through spiritual strivings (Mujahada).
Remember the calamities which faced the Prophets, the Sahabah and the saints. That will supply you inner strength. Visit the gatherings of the saintly ones and inform them of your spiritual conditions and consult with them. Continue to admit before Allah -your weakness and inability, seeking from Him your safety and welfare.
Think earnestly about His attribute of being the Most Merciful One, the Wise One. All these things will be easily understood from attending the gatherings of the saintly ones:
Another point worth bearing in mind is this that a minor calamity is a protection from a major calamity. One should therefore say: "0 Allah, thank you that you did not send a bigger calamity over me. 0 Allah, we are weak. Change this calamity through Your merciful Grace, to a bounty of safety".
A certain holy man set forth one morning from his home. As he came out his head struck the door frame and the blow was so heavy that he was forced to lie down. He uttered the words: "Alhamdu lillahi alaa kulli haal - All praise be to Allah at every condition". Allah is the Wise One All Knowing. In each and every of His actions for a servant there is good and wisdom, which is hidden. His servant objected to this utterance of his: "I don't understand. And I cannot see what benefit there was for you in this blow (which struck your head)".
A short while later it became known that the direction in which the saintly one was proceeding from his house, a few enemies with sticks were waiting to attack him and murder him. When this became known, everyone understood.
May Allah grant us such righteous belief which will become a means towards becoming beloved in His sight and accepted by Him, Ameen.
THE STORY OF NABI SULAYMAN (A.S.) AND HIS INVITATION TO BILQEES
Nabi Sulayman (A.S.) sent a messenger to BiIqees inviting her to Islam:
"O Bilqees, arise and look at your actual homeland and proper contact with Allah1 And on the banks of the river of truth seek the pearls of the pleasures of Allah.
O Bilqees, Your sisters who have already embraced Islam
Are through the blessing thereof residing in the enlightened heavens. O Bilqees, what has come over you
That you are still in love with this dead world? Allah has granted those sisters of yours
Such great favours and bounties. Do you know that? O Bilqees, arise and come to see the inner wealth And come and enjoy the fruits of our treasure.
O Bilqees, arise and come to the ocean of generosity And enjoy the benefit even without means.
The means we possess is not ours
But the bounty and Grace of the Divine Being.
Your believing sisters are enjoying the pleasures of a life of faith.
And for how long will you continue to tolerate the sorrows of worldly distress? O Bilqees, arise and become the companion of good fortune.
And become disconnected from the Kingdom of Saba which is a temporary abode. In pleasure you resemble that Faqir who in spite of his poverty starts beating a drum And says I am King of the unworthy ones.
Leave that aside and become inclined to the everlasting life of the hereafter. O Bilqees, arise and of your own choice prefer to accept guidance
Before this worship of impurity and this dead world
And before death should come along and leave you no choice.
O Bilqees, come along and before death overtakes you accept Islam And see the Kingdom of Allah's nearness and its everlasting nature.
O Bilqees, discard your misplaced pride and arrogance
For before Allah humility is acceptable and arrogance has no worth. O Bilqees, arise and do not oppose fate, otherwise death will come
And take you by the ear to the true Kingdom and then regret will be of no avail. O Bilqees, if out of your own choice you do not embrace Islam now,
At Death your ear will be pulled just like a policeman pulls the ear of a thief at the police station. O Bilqees, for how long are you going to continue stealing shoes from these donkeys.
If you are to steal, come and accept Islam and then start stealing rubies.
O Bilqees, your believing sisters have acquired the everlasting wealth of Islam and Imaan And here you are still pleased wit1t this despicable world.
Blessed is the one who has been freed from this temporary world. For death will come and take away this world and its pleasures
And the good one is he who does not put his mouth to this unfaithful world.
O Bilqees, arise and come to witness the everlasting Kingdom of Kings of deen, Which they carry around with them as they walk".
(They are as Allah explains: "They have a noor with which they walk among men." Allah grants a noor in the hearts of the righteous believers, which they take with them as they walk among men. That noor is their garden and their springtime but ordinary men do not see it).
"Come and fly in the heavens without wings and feathers Like the sun, the full moon and the crescent moon".
(In other words: Learn Allah's love and connect yourself to the Lord of the Throne so that you become enlightened like the sun or the full moon).
"O Bilqees, through the blessings of embracing Imaan
You will at all times experience the inner Kingdom and possess the Royal Throne. Because He who blesses kings with Throne and Crown
Will always be with you in your heart,
So imagine your Kingdom and good fortune.
O You who have been blessed with the great treasure of Allah's love and nearness And been endowed with this everlasting wealth.
Your life is in itself a great bounty,
At death When all shall be separated,
Your Kingdom of Allah's love will not be separated from you".
(In other words, the great wealth of inner nearness to Allah which has entered your life, your soul will take it with, to be presented before Allah because your Kingdom and wealth has become your self).
Nabi Sulayman (A.S.) gave this invitation to Bilqees to enter Islam, saying to her: "O Bilqees, discard this outer world of 'your Kingdom of worldly wealth and create spiritual wealth within yourself. Through that all the pomp and splendour will be created inside you and there will be no need to involve yourself with outer show of pomp and splendour. In the retention of those outer signs of wealth you only appear to be fortunate, but in fact. you and your fortune are two different things. The two of you are contrasting entities. But if you embrace Islam, fortune will become your very existence through the blessings of your inner wealth and thereafter that wealth will remain with you forever more. "
THE STORY OF NABI MOOSA IA.S.) INVITING FIR. AUN TO ISLAM
Nabi Moosa (A.S.) said to Fir-aun: "Accept my one plea to you and be blessed with four bounties". Fir-aun asked: "What is your one plea?"
Nabi Moosa (A.S.) said: "Announce publicly that there is no God save Allah. He is the creator of the heavenly bodies on high and the stars. Here on earth, He is the creator of men, Shaytaans, linn and animals. He is also the creator of mountains, the oceans, the forests and the deserts. His Kingdom is unlimited and He is without equal
and without a likeness. He is the watcher over every person and supervisor over every place in the universe. He grants sustenance to every living being. He is the keeper of the heavens and the earth. He creates flowers in plants and is aware of the inner secrets of the hearts of men. He is the Ruler over the
rebellious ones and the punisher of them. He is King over every King. His is the right to rule with authority. And whatever He wishes, He does. No one can oppose Him.
Fir-aun listened to all this and asked: "What are the four things that I will receive in exchange for that? Perhaps the promise of those things will cause my belief to become weak and through my acceptance of Islam the locks of unbelief of numerous other souls may be broken and they will also embrace Islam. Perhaps through these things our land may become green and fertile with the true knowledge of Allah. Quickly tell me what those four things are, for it is possible that the door towards my Hidaayat will open up".
Nabi Moosa (A.S.) then through the command of Allah started mentioning to him the four promises. He said to him: "If you embrace Islam, you will remain in good health always and will never become sick.
You will continue to be desirous of death. (In other words, in accepting Islam you will have formed such a close contact with Allah that through it you will see the prospects of such a treasure, that you will in expectancy thereof make all your selfish desires become subject and subordinate to the pleasure and wishes of Allah. You will be prepared to exert yourself spiritually to such an extent that you will even be prepared to sacrifice your life. If in someone's house there is a treasure buried, that person will willingly and with pleasure be prepared to break down that house to get to the treasure. So also the true lovers and seekers after Allah will be prepared to destroy their lustful desires, in order to attain the pleasure of Allah and close contact with Him. After this destruction, the great bounty and favour they acquire is the envy of the whole world. It is only after one tears away the clouds of desire, that the true light of the sun shines through).
O Fir-aun, just as the worms attacking the vine's green leaves deprive the plants of producing grapes, so also does this despicable world make you busy with the pleasures of the flesh. But when Allah's bounty and favour prevails, then you will become wakeful and aware and discard the worldly pleasures and become busy with the truth. The result will be that every vein and fibre of yours will be filled with the remembrance of Allah and you will become endowed with the character of Allah.
The third promise is this: At the moment you have
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glance and attitude is not generally acquired. There is a big difference between the sight of the eyes and the insight of the heart. The sight of the eyes is subject to the heart's perception. If the heart's perception is correct, the sight of the eyes will also be correct. If the heart is ill due to Kufr and iniquity and the spiritual darkness that is created through that, then the eyes too will not function properly. In such a case it will of necessity follow that due to wrong inner perception one will become involved with the wrong sight.
Here is an example in this world: A person who is a seeker of Allah Taala, will consider it an honour for himself and his good fortune to pick up the shoes of the saintly ones and carry them for him. On the other hand there is the person who is a seeker after worldly goods, who turns away from Allah. He will consider it an honour and a pleasure to flatter the worldly ones, serve them and do his utmost to please them. Therefore you will notice that their inner perception of the hearts are different, their attitudes are in contrast to each other.
In similar fashion, we may look at the era of the Sahabah. On the one hand we have Abu Hurayra with his correct insight and perception. He said: "The face of Rasulullah shone so brightly that it seemed as if his face was the (bright) morning sun".
On the other hand we have Abu Jahl and his wrong insight and wrong perception, which made him practically blind to the truth. In fact, he only saw his own ugliness in the shining mirror of Nabi's face.
The anecdote of a dark ugly looking Abyssinian is quite wellknown. He was on a journey somewhere and along the route he saw a mirror lying on the ground. He picked it up and looking into the mirror, he saw his own reflection. He said: "If you had not been so ugly and dark with such thick lips, then why would someone have thrown you here, in this jungle, with such unconcern".
This man did not realise that he was looking at his own reflection.
3. The third point is this that the ordinary man looks at the Saints of Allah with his imperfect empty life and sight and thinks that they too are empty and deprived of all good and happiness.
Once a spiritually bankrupt person told Hajee Imdadullah Muhajir Makki (R.A.): "I am surprised that Moulana Mohamed Qaasim Nanotwi (RA.) the founder of Darul Uloom, Deoband and Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanwy (RA.) became Mureeds of yours".
Hajee Imdadullah replied: "Yes brother, I am also surprised that these persons chose someone like myself, to become Mureeds"
Since Hajee Imdadullah Saheb (R.A.) had completely annihilated his nafs, he did not show any displeasure at this criticism. May Allah make us all His sincere lovers, Ameen.
Khwaja Majzoob (R.A.) says:
"I found some complaining day and night I found some in worries day and night
I did not find anyone happy under the skies,
Only Majzoob I found happy in this place of sorrow.
If they desire protection (Oh! Allah) from grief and sorrow They should become Your mad lovers."
THE STORY OF MAJNOON WRITINO LAYLA'S NAME ON THE SAND
Once Majnoon was sitting on the bank of a river repeatedly writing the name of Layla on the sand. A passer by saw him and asked:
"O Majnoon, what are you busy doing? To whom are you writing this letter?" Majnoon replied:
"When parting from my Layla distresses me, I write her name repeatedly
And in this way give consolation to a heart grieved by separation. " ;
Now Moulana Rumi (R.A.) gives advise:I
"0 people, this is the effect of sensual love.
Can the true love for the Master be any less than that?" LESSON:
In this story there is an answer to those without inner sight who criticise those who continuously and repeatedly recite the name of Allah. They ask: "Why do these devotees make so much Zikr and project so much love for Allah. Why do they continue pouring
out before Him their complaints, sighs and lamentations? We have also studied so many books. We also possess libraries. We also give lectures and talks. Why is it that we do not acquire the same state as them? "
Then after these questions, they explain their own deprivation by saying: "These devotees do their Zikr, spiritual vigils, their sighs and crying before Allah, to be seen by men, to attract people towards them and to-gain worldly benefit." If only these unjust ones could observe these saintly ones in the privacy of their inner rooms, engaged in praying and Zikr. Who is there to witness their" prostrations. For whom are these prostration's made in privacy, for whom do they wet their places of prostration with their tears?
Who is there to see them sending their sighs and Ah's up to Allah, before whom they complain of all their pains and distresses?
"Majzoob has cried over all the calamities of this world;
Now to grant him blessings and acceptance is left to you, Dh! Allah".
These are the saints of Allah whose Ah's, their Salaams and their messages continuously reach up to the Throne of Allah and who have a strong connection with Him. They remain silent here on earth but still their hearts declare their love for Him.
"The saintly ones are silent
But their repetition of their cries reach the Beloved And reach up to His Throne.
To whom are they showing their blessed solitude, So that they reap material benefit?
In fact their "Ah's" are hidden from the whole universe."
Now from this story we turn to something else. If Layla, who was a mere corpse, producing stinking urine and faeces could make someone fall madly in love, then what about that Being who creates thousands of Laylas and then destroys them, and who is the fountain head of all beautiful forms and the centre of all beauty? Can that Being with its perfect beauty and love not make one mad in love with Him. He is that Holy and Perfect Being. His mad ones are also holy. The Prophets and Saints are His mad lovers who will continue to be His successful and honoured ones in both worlds. Allah grants this bountiful present to His lovers.
In contrast to that, what does Layla's Majnoon get? Majnoon gets worldly love which is something figurative - not true love. Figurative means something which is not the true thing. As such, he who is involved with figurative love will always be in deception. The beauty, for which he is prepared to die, departs when the object of that beauty dies. On the other hand the one who is involved with Divine Love, his object of Love is the Being of Allah, which is Everlasting and never perishes. For this reason, his love remains forever and when the lover passes away he carries with him the pleasure of the hope of meeting his true Love.
"When either the lover or the beloved dies
Or through old age there is a lessening of beauty, Figurative love fades.
While true love remains as strong as ever".
After death from the life of "Barzakh" (the grave) till the gathering place of Qiyamat and right up to paradise, the Lovers of Allah will continue to have His name on their lips repeatedly.
From the story of Layla and Majnoon one should not have the doubts about the permissibility of 'illicit' love which is completely haraam. Illicit sensual love is the opposite of true love and the meeting of two opposite entities is impossible.
Moulana Rumi (R.A.) narrates the story of Layla and Majnoon to give the lesson of love for Allah. This is like teaching small children how to read Urdu by starting to teach the letters of the Alphabet: 'Laam' is for 'Laddu' (a sweetmeat). Everyone knows
the aim is not to draw attention to Laddu. It is only used to teach I the letter Laam.
Similar is the case in teaching the 'Alif'.1f one says 'Alif' is for Ullu (Owl). The aim is not to draw attention to the owl but by taking into consideration the temperament of children, this is a means of teaching them to remember the alphabets.
"The whole creation are children except the lovers of Allah and the darling servants of Allah,
And for as long as one does not attain freedom from the jungle of desires of the, self that body will remain immature".
In other words even if the body becomes a hundred years old it will remain immature as long as it is not freed from the desires of the flesh. Readers would have understood clearly that Moulana's aim in telling the story of Layla and Majnoon is taking into consideration our childlike nature, so that through this we should learn the love of Allah. If Majnoon had. to dig up the grave of Layla and see her rotten and smelling corpse, he would have considered his own life as having been wasted and would surely have repented of his love. Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanwy (RA.) said that the deeds Majnoon committed after becoming mad will not be taken into account on the day of reckoning and there will no punishment.
But he could be called to account for those actions which led him to become mad, which could have been avoided i.e. "Why did he give his life for worldly love?"
Hazrat Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanwy (RA~) says: "Figurative, sensual, illicit love is a form of Allah's punishment." May Allah protect us all from it. Once Moulana's nephew Moulana Shabbir Ali sent a handsome young beardless student to him on an errand. Moulana was at that time busy writing in an upstairs room in solitude. The young student came into Moulana's room. As soon as Moulana saw him, he got out of the room and came down to the ground floor. He did not find it suitable to stay with the young boy in the privacy of the room for one minute.
He said to Moulana Shabbir Ali: "Don't ever send a beardless young boy to me in private". Moulana Thanwy (RA.) wanted to teach his mureeds a lesson of Taqwa.
In the path of Allah privacy with a strange woman and with a handsome beardless boy is as dangerous as deadly poison. Those who desire to follow the path 'of tassawuf and those who are seekers after Allah, should avoid these things just as they would
avoid a poisonous snake.
"If you are going to go after passing beauty, This is a spotted snake which will bite you".
From no other sins will the Saalik be more harmed, than from casting evil glances and from illicit love. Very strong darkness is caused by figurative love. In fact a person's direction of Qiblah becomes changed through it. If we take the heart to be a compass and take the needle to point towards Allah, at ninety degrees west, other sins will cause the needle to move away two or four degrees towards the south or north. By making towbah it will quickly move back to ninety degrees. But when the heart becomes involved with Haraam love for women or young boys and this love settles in the heart, the needle of the compass moves to one hundred and eighty degrees to the east and the heart moves very far away from Allah.
May Allah protect Akhtar and his physical as well as spiritual children as well as all Muslims of this world from Haraam love and its punishment. Ameen. 0 Lord of the Universe, through Your Mercy and through Your Nabi, the Nabi of Mercy.
If it should happen that a person becomes plagued with bad desires and involved in illicit love, one should speedily take refuge with one of the Saints of Allah. These Walis have the perfect and effective treatment for this disease. Thousands of Allah's bondsmen have been healed of it. Their prescriptions are most effective against this great poisonous disease. Just as arsenic is deadly, similarly to act upon the demands of the self is also deadly poison for our spiritual and physical self. To remove these poisons from the path of truth is beneficial indeed.
THE STORY OF HAZRAT MOOSA (A.S.) AND TOWHEED
Revelation once came to Nabi Moosa (A.S.) wherein Allah said to him: "O Moosa, I have made you My Chosen One".
Hazrat Moosa (A.S.) replied: "0 Lord, what is the special quality through which you make Your Chosen Ones, so that I may increase in it and rise in' Your esteem?"
Allah replied:
"I love My bondsmen very much
When they behave towards Me like infants,
Who in spite of their mother's punishment and anger, Still attach themselves to her, instead of fleeing.
When that mother gives him a slap, he still flees to her And while crying, holds onto her strongly".
I have seen on many occasions how a mother beat her three or four year old child, telling him to get out of the house, but the child, shouting and crying, held fast onto the mother's legs.
(O Allah, I beg of You through Your Mercy and Grace that you grant this Akhtar a strong relationship with You, even stronger than that between a mother and child and also grant
this same favour to all the Muslims, Ameen).
"The small child does not want help from anyone save the mother He even shows no inclination to his father
Instead only looks upon his mother
As the source and origin of all good and evil.
O Moosa (A.S.), your imagination and connection with Us in good and evil is similar to that,
That except for Us, your attention is not drawn to anyone else. O Moosa (A.S.), in your view, anyone other than Us
Is ineffectual like a clod of earth or a stone.
Whether that one is an infant, a young man or an old man". LESSON:
In this story Moulana Rumi (R.A.) has explained Nabi Moosa's (A.S.) conception of towheed and then gives the advise that we too should try to bring our contact with Him on the same level. We should also pray for and work out plans to bring it to that level, so that it becomes like the relationship a small child has with its mother and have the same dependence on Him, as a small child has on its mother. No matter in what condition Allah keeps us, whether in calamities or in comfort, in health or in sickness, whether in a stage of want or of plenty! whether He keeps us pleased or displeased, whether He brings about sweet conditions or bitter circumstances, whether He brings about conditions in accordance with our temperaments and to our liking or conditions against our temperaments and not of our liking - in all these cases and circumstances, we should turn to Him and not flee from Him. No matter what the conditions, we should still rub our foreheads against the frame of His door, and cry before Him, as we beg of Him to keep us safe from all evils, and beg of Him pardon for sins committed. Apart from Allah, we should look at no one else as our place of refuge and no matter what conditions He causes to. be brought upon us/ we should be satisfied therewith, saying: "Alhamdu lillahi alaa kulIi haal, - All praise be to Allah in every condition".
Should we become displeased and impatient at conditions that prevail over us/ the calamity will most definitely not subside, but our Imaan can leave us. That means that together with the loss of the worldly things, our success in the hereafter can also
be destroyed.
When there is a delay in the acceptance of your duahs, do not become distressed, but retain your hope. Consider despairing of Allah' s mercy as being of Kufr. Nabi Yaqoob (A.S.) prayed earnestly for his missing son Hazrat Yusuf (A.S.). After forty years this duah was accepted and answered. Allah is the Ruler (Haakim) and at the same time He is also the Wise One (Hakeem). He knows what progress is made by a person spiritually in his Imaan and Ikhlaas through sorrows. And He knows what rank is acquired through patient perseverance, ranks which cannot be attained through spiritual strivings (Mujahada).
Remember the calamities which faced the Prophets, the Sahabah and the saints. That will supply you inner strength. Visit the gatherings of the saintly ones and inform them of your spiritual conditions and consult with them. Continue to admit before Allah -your weakness and inability, seeking from Him your safety and welfare.
Think earnestly about His attribute of being the Most Merciful One, the Wise One. All these things will be easily understood from attending the gatherings of the saintly ones:
Another point worth bearing in mind is this that a minor calamity is a protection from a major calamity. One should therefore say: "0 Allah, thank you that you did not send a bigger calamity over me. 0 Allah, we are weak. Change this calamity through Your merciful Grace, to a bounty of safety".
A certain holy man set forth one morning from his home. As he came out his head struck the door frame and the blow was so heavy that he was forced to lie down. He uttered the words: "Alhamdu lillahi alaa kulli haal - All praise be to Allah at every condition". Allah is the Wise One All Knowing. In each and every of His actions for a servant there is good and wisdom, which is hidden. His servant objected to this utterance of his: "I don't understand. And I cannot see what benefit there was for you in this blow (which struck your head)".
A short while later it became known that the direction in which the saintly one was proceeding from his house, a few enemies with sticks were waiting to attack him and murder him. When this became known, everyone understood.
May Allah grant us such righteous belief which will become a means towards becoming beloved in His sight and accepted by Him, Ameen.
THE STORY OF NABI SULAYMAN (A.S.) AND HIS INVITATION TO BILQEES
Nabi Sulayman (A.S.) sent a messenger to BiIqees inviting her to Islam:
"O Bilqees, arise and look at your actual homeland and proper contact with Allah1 And on the banks of the river of truth seek the pearls of the pleasures of Allah.
O Bilqees, Your sisters who have already embraced Islam
Are through the blessing thereof residing in the enlightened heavens. O Bilqees, what has come over you
That you are still in love with this dead world? Allah has granted those sisters of yours
Such great favours and bounties. Do you know that? O Bilqees, arise and come to see the inner wealth And come and enjoy the fruits of our treasure.
O Bilqees, arise and come to the ocean of generosity And enjoy the benefit even without means.
The means we possess is not ours
But the bounty and Grace of the Divine Being.
Your believing sisters are enjoying the pleasures of a life of faith.
And for how long will you continue to tolerate the sorrows of worldly distress? O Bilqees, arise and become the companion of good fortune.
And become disconnected from the Kingdom of Saba which is a temporary abode. In pleasure you resemble that Faqir who in spite of his poverty starts beating a drum And says I am King of the unworthy ones.
Leave that aside and become inclined to the everlasting life of the hereafter. O Bilqees, arise and of your own choice prefer to accept guidance
Before this worship of impurity and this dead world
And before death should come along and leave you no choice.
O Bilqees, come along and before death overtakes you accept Islam And see the Kingdom of Allah's nearness and its everlasting nature.
O Bilqees, discard your misplaced pride and arrogance
For before Allah humility is acceptable and arrogance has no worth. O Bilqees, arise and do not oppose fate, otherwise death will come
And take you by the ear to the true Kingdom and then regret will be of no avail. O Bilqees, if out of your own choice you do not embrace Islam now,
At Death your ear will be pulled just like a policeman pulls the ear of a thief at the police station. O Bilqees, for how long are you going to continue stealing shoes from these donkeys.
If you are to steal, come and accept Islam and then start stealing rubies.
O Bilqees, your believing sisters have acquired the everlasting wealth of Islam and Imaan And here you are still pleased wit1t this despicable world.
Blessed is the one who has been freed from this temporary world. For death will come and take away this world and its pleasures
And the good one is he who does not put his mouth to this unfaithful world.
O Bilqees, arise and come to witness the everlasting Kingdom of Kings of deen, Which they carry around with them as they walk".
(They are as Allah explains: "They have a noor with which they walk among men." Allah grants a noor in the hearts of the righteous believers, which they take with them as they walk among men. That noor is their garden and their springtime but ordinary men do not see it).
"Come and fly in the heavens without wings and feathers Like the sun, the full moon and the crescent moon".
(In other words: Learn Allah's love and connect yourself to the Lord of the Throne so that you become enlightened like the sun or the full moon).
"O Bilqees, through the blessings of embracing Imaan
You will at all times experience the inner Kingdom and possess the Royal Throne. Because He who blesses kings with Throne and Crown
Will always be with you in your heart,
So imagine your Kingdom and good fortune.
O You who have been blessed with the great treasure of Allah's love and nearness And been endowed with this everlasting wealth.
Your life is in itself a great bounty,
At death When all shall be separated,
Your Kingdom of Allah's love will not be separated from you".
(In other words, the great wealth of inner nearness to Allah which has entered your life, your soul will take it with, to be presented before Allah because your Kingdom and wealth has become your self).
Nabi Sulayman (A.S.) gave this invitation to Bilqees to enter Islam, saying to her: "O Bilqees, discard this outer world of 'your Kingdom of worldly wealth and create spiritual wealth within yourself. Through that all the pomp and splendour will be created inside you and there will be no need to involve yourself with outer show of pomp and splendour. In the retention of those outer signs of wealth you only appear to be fortunate, but in fact. you and your fortune are two different things. The two of you are contrasting entities. But if you embrace Islam, fortune will become your very existence through the blessings of your inner wealth and thereafter that wealth will remain with you forever more. "
THE STORY OF NABI MOOSA IA.S.) INVITING FIR. AUN TO ISLAM
Nabi Moosa (A.S.) said to Fir-aun: "Accept my one plea to you and be blessed with four bounties". Fir-aun asked: "What is your one plea?"
Nabi Moosa (A.S.) said: "Announce publicly that there is no God save Allah. He is the creator of the heavenly bodies on high and the stars. Here on earth, He is the creator of men, Shaytaans, linn and animals. He is also the creator of mountains, the oceans, the forests and the deserts. His Kingdom is unlimited and He is without equal
and without a likeness. He is the watcher over every person and supervisor over every place in the universe. He grants sustenance to every living being. He is the keeper of the heavens and the earth. He creates flowers in plants and is aware of the inner secrets of the hearts of men. He is the Ruler over the
rebellious ones and the punisher of them. He is King over every King. His is the right to rule with authority. And whatever He wishes, He does. No one can oppose Him.
Fir-aun listened to all this and asked: "What are the four things that I will receive in exchange for that? Perhaps the promise of those things will cause my belief to become weak and through my acceptance of Islam the locks of unbelief of numerous other souls may be broken and they will also embrace Islam. Perhaps through these things our land may become green and fertile with the true knowledge of Allah. Quickly tell me what those four things are, for it is possible that the door towards my Hidaayat will open up".
Nabi Moosa (A.S.) then through the command of Allah started mentioning to him the four promises. He said to him: "If you embrace Islam, you will remain in good health always and will never become sick.
You will continue to be desirous of death. (In other words, in accepting Islam you will have formed such a close contact with Allah that through it you will see the prospects of such a treasure, that you will in expectancy thereof make all your selfish desires become subject and subordinate to the pleasure and wishes of Allah. You will be prepared to exert yourself spiritually to such an extent that you will even be prepared to sacrifice your life. If in someone's house there is a treasure buried, that person will willingly and with pleasure be prepared to break down that house to get to the treasure. So also the true lovers and seekers after Allah will be prepared to destroy their lustful desires, in order to attain the pleasure of Allah and close contact with Him. After this destruction, the great bounty and favour they acquire is the envy of the whole world. It is only after one tears away the clouds of desire, that the true light of the sun shines through).
O Fir-aun, just as the worms attacking the vine's green leaves deprive the plants of producing grapes, so also does this despicable world make you busy with the pleasures of the flesh. But when Allah's bounty and favour prevails, then you will become wakeful and aware and discard the worldly pleasures and become busy with the truth. The result will be that every vein and fibre of yours will be filled with the remembrance of Allah and you will become endowed with the character of Allah.
The third promise is this: At the moment you have
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