sibghatullah
20-06-2009, 07:15 PM
Dil ka Sukoon - Contentment of the Heart
from the article..
Hazrat Thanvi (rahmatullahi alayh) once said that this search for happiness can be paralleled to a story of four travelers gathered in one location. A fifth man passed the four men and gave them one dirham. The four began discussing what to spend this single dirham on. Each of the four men wanted to eat grapes, and each said so in their own language. As none of the others understood each others tongue, a brawl began over what to buy. They all thought they were alone in their desire to eat grapes and did not realize they each wanted the same thing. Back and forth each shouted out “grapes” in their own language and refused to allow the other to buy what he wanted. The four words were different, but the aim was the identical. During this quarrel, deciding which of the four “different” options they would choose to spend this dirham on, a man passed by who understood all four languages and offered to settle the dispute. He offered to bring each of the four men what they desired from the single dirham. He took the dirham and placed grapes in front of the four men. The four were content and happily devoured the fruit.
In the same way if you reflect, all inhabitants of the world are seeking the same contentment of the heart but have understood different methods to attain this. Some think it will be attained through religiosity, and others believe it will be attained through secularism or distance from religion. Some find it to be in wealth and others, in distance from wealth.
Why don’t we ask the Creator of the Heavens and the Earth, where to find peace of the heart? He who is the Creator of Peace, He who is the Creator of Hearts, He who is the Creator of Life and Death, He who is the Creator of Happiness and Distress, why don’t we ask Him? He will speak the truth as to what produces easiness and comfort in the hearts of mankind.
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There was once a poor man who became a king. He met an old friend who asked the king his condition. The king replied, “Before I was concerned about a simple meal of my own, which I would consume and sleep away worry free. Now I have to remain in anxiety about the whole country’s sustenance!”
So do not think there is peace in becoming leaders and holding kingships.
full article..http://www.khanqah.com/articles/ss_contentment.htm
The link is: http://www.khanqah.com/khanqah/articles/ss_contentment.htm
Dil ka Sukoon - Contentment of the Heart
Hazrat Mohammad Sufi Sarwar (damat barakatuhum)
The glory and dignity in Muslims should have rested in a natural inclination to thoroughly question themselves before beginning any act. A question inquiring, “Does such and such act have any benefit for me in the Akhirah?” This should have been the magnificence in Muslims. But due to our weaknesses, our situation is what we see before us in the world. In reality, our state is such that before we begin any act we question whether or not there is any worldly benefit.
As I have mentioned such a weakness of Muslims before you, I also will refer to an ayat from Allah Ta’ala revealing the worldly benefits of good deeds. The inhabitants of the world, no matter where they live, no matter what work they are involved in, regardless of what religion they associate themselves with or what language they speak, their main objective is to live life in such a way that they will experience peace and tranquility. This is the main objective and purpose of their actions. Various individuals have acquired various methods to attain this state of peace. Some think that the accumulation of wealth and worldly possessions will grant them peace and tranquility of the heart. Others believe that if they stay away from such worldly possessions and luster, only then will they reach the truest state of comfort.
There is a narration of a king who offered a large sum of cash to a buzurg out of respect. Upon receiving this offer the buzurg declined saying, “What will I do with such a sum of wealth? Keep it with you, for you are a king and such sums of wealth are of avail to kings. I have but meager expenses which are easily accounted for.” The king took back the money and a higher level of respect and admiration for buzurgs developed in his heart. There was, however, a man who was nearby ready for commentary. He said to the king, “Whatever this gentleman has just said to you is against the teachings of Hadith. In his heart there is greed to take the money and in fact a great desire to ask for even more than what you have put forth. But out of formality and in order to increase your admiration and respect for him, he is saying he does not need this lum sum.” This man was an Alim, a knowledgeable man, but one who did not practice on his knowledge. So continued on and presented the Hadith narrating, “Upon old age there are two traits in man that come into youth. The first is greed, and the second is to hold high, unachievable expectations.”
In regards to holding high expectations, we see day to day that people indeed have a tendency to hold high expectations. There is a story of Sheikh Thili. One man requested for him to take a jar of oil into the bazaar, and in return for this service he would receive two rupees. Sheikh Thili accepts the deal and goes along his way into the bazaar. With the jar of oil on his head, he thinks, “Hmmm…I will receive two rupees for this service, with the two rupees I will buy two eggs. I will place these eggs under someone else’s chicken [as he did not have any chickens of his own], and after due time they will hatch into male and female chicks. Then the chickens will reproduce, and I’ll eventually have a farm of chickens. I’ll sell all these chickens for goats. Slowly, slowly the number of goats will also increase, and then I’ll sell the goats as well for cows. As they reproduce, I’ll eventually have a farm of cows. Then I’ll sell those for buffalo, I’ll have a house of buffalo!! I’ll sell all these buffalo for camels and elephant. Oh! Then I will be set! I will have such leadership and such a high standard beyond everyone else. Of course then I will have to marry the daughter of a king and nothing less. We will have kids. When my son gets older he will be walking with me one day and say, “Dad give me money, dad give me money,” and I will abruptly refuse saying, “Hush, I won’t give you any money!” Upon acting out this hasty gesture, the pail of oil fell from Sheikh Thili’s head and splattered into pieces on the floor. The owner of the oil shrieked, “What have you done? You’ve wasted my oil and broke my container!” Shaikh Thili retorted in grief, “You may have lost your oil and one container, but I’ve lost my whole future and coming generation! There goes my estate, my chickens, cows, elephants and whole generation… my chickens and goats are lost…”
This is called lambi omeedaeyn or high expectations.
So, returning back to the original narrative, the Alim was criticizing the buzurg. He went on proclaiming to the king, “He is saying to you, ‘No, no I don’t want this sum of money’, but in actuality he wants to take more than what you brought forth. There is greed in him. And in the Hadith it states that upon old age two qualities become young in a man. The first is greed and the other is to hold long expectations. We both see that this man is old, and due to this old age without doubt these qualities are present in him. What he has just said to you was purely out of formality, in order to increase your respect for him. The Hadith I narrated to you earlier has proven this.”
The buzurg replied, “You have not understood the meaning of the Hadith.”
When someone adopts taqwa (genuine fear of Allah Ta’ala) he acquires a sharp intellect through the blessing of Allah Ta’ala. This intellect allows him to comprehend Hadith and Quran correctly.
The buzurg continued, “He has not understood the Hadith properly. The Hadith indeed stated that so and so qualities come into youth. Well, only those things are capable of coming into youth which were once in infancy and then grew into childhood. Only then is it possible for something to attain youth. Now tell me how something can come into youth if it has never even been given birth in this world? If it has never crossed these preliminary stages, then tell me how it can ever reach youth? It is through the blessing of Allah Ta’ala upon me that even during my childhood I remained pure of all types of greed and remained pure from holding long expectations. So, the possibility of such traits coming into youth within me is out of the question."
This buzurg was not an Alim however, but due to taqwa, his intellect had become significantly sharp.
Understand well that only through taqwa can one’s intellect become sharp. If you read numerous forms of literature day any night but do not adopt taqwa, it is impossible for your intelligence and common sense to increase. Such a person will undoubtedly remain a dim-wit with weak sense and weak intellect.
As I was saying, all inhabitants of the world seek tranquility and peace in their hearts yet each individual is taking his or her own route and putting into practice his or her own methods to attain this state. Some believe that the accumulation of wealth will grant peace; others think that distance from such wealth and material goods will grant peace; others believe loud music and orchestrated noise will produce contentment in the heart. And there are others who accept that if I protect myself from sins my heart will remain happy.
On one occasion, the administration of a country decided to confine one of its leaders to a city. They said to this man, “We want to enclose your sight within a certain city. Now it is your decision as to which city you would like your prospect to be refrained within. Which ever you decide, that shall be the city.” The leader said with a filthy intention, that he wanted his sight to be enclosed in the city of Makka. His dirty and unblessed intention was centered on the idea of women and children from all over the world going to Makka. And during the times of Hajj, specifically during Ehram, some women become careless in regards to purdah. The hukum is that no cloth should touch the face of the woman during Ehram. But numerous women take advantage of this opportunity and become sluggish in concealing their appearance. Those who are not strict with purdah freely remove the niqab and those who are austere in purdah place an extended boundary around their face and then let a cloth hang over this extension.
So, this man said to enclose him in Makka Mukarrama so that he could glare at all the different types of women from around the world coming for Hajj. This was his dirty intention. And to have an intention for sin in a blessed location has a punishment numerous folds more severe. He intended to do badhnazree in Makka. He was thinking that if it is compulsory to be enclosed somewhere, then why not be restricted in a place where he can do badhnazree with ease and supposedly keep his heart in contentment. He believed that by glaring at women all day and night, his heart would remain satisfied. This is similar to today’s condition with pictures, television, and cinemas. Watching women walking on the street with a dirty intention, and thinking that by examining these women, the heart will remain happy. To think that there is happiness in fulfilling ones desires is the peak of ignorance. In fact, discomfort, uneasiness and the destruction of the soul increase with such actions.
Sheikh Saadi narrates, “I once saw a saint in a cave on a mountain. I questioned him as to why he does not reside in the city. I told him he is torturing himself in this cave in solitude and kindly invited him to the city where he can experience a bit of relief. He replied, ‘I do not live in the city because the women of the city do not adopt purdah, and I am scared that my sight will fall on such a woman. Therefore I have left the city completely and set up a tent in the jungle. I am frightened of falling into such a ghunah. God forbid my sight was to slip!’”
This gentleman believed that the further he stayed away from ghunah the happier his heart would be.
All inhabitants of the world seek easiness of the heart, they seek happiness of the heart but different methods of attaining this peace have been adopted and different methods understood.
Hazrat Thanvi (rahmatullahi alayh) once said that this search for happiness can be paralleled to a story of four travelers gathered in one location. A fifth man passed the four men and gave them one dirham. The four began discussing what to spend this single dirham on. Each of the four men wanted to eat grapes, and each said so in their own language. As none of the others understood each others tongue, a brawl began over what to buy. They all thought they were alone in their desire to eat grapes and did not realize they each wanted the same thing. Back and forth each shouted out “grapes” in their own language and refused to allow the other to buy what he wanted. The four words were different, but the aim was the identical. During this quarrel, deciding which of the four “different” options they would choose to spend this dirham on, a man passed by who understood all four languages and offered to settle the dispute. He offered to bring each of the four men what they desired from the single dirham. He took the dirham and placed grapes in front of the four men. The four were content and happily devoured the fruit.
In the same way if you reflect, all inhabitants of the world are seeking the same contentment of the heart but have understood different methods to attain this. Some think it will be attained through religiosity, and others believe it will be attained through secularism or distance from religion. Some find it to be in wealth and others, in distance from wealth.
Why don’t we ask the Creator of the Heavens and the Earth, where to find peace of the heart? He who is the Creator of Peace, He who is the Creator of Hearts, He who is the Creator of Life and Death, He who is the Creator of Happiness and Distress, why don’t we ask Him? He will speak the truth as to what produces easiness and comfort in the hearts of mankind.
Haqq Ta’ala proclaims, “Beware! Only and only remembrance of Allah Ta’ala will produce contentment in the hearts of man. Without a doubt there is nothing else that can produce contentment.”
With great purity Allah Ta’ala has declared this. The Creator of Peace and Comfort has spoken this, not a mere human being! The Creator of Tranquility has answered us pronouncing that if you are seeking peace of heart, then make zikr. Remember zikr is not defined solely as the repeated verbal declaration of Allah Ta’ala’s existence, but rather it is defined as adherence to the laws of Allah Ta’ala with strictness. This is known as zikrullah. Those who are engaged in sins, they have forgotten Allah Ta’ala. Even he who is committing a single sin, during the commission of that single crime, he has forgotten Allah Ta’ala. Zakir is he who is steadfast in Deen and it is in those zakirs hearts that Allah has placed the contentment of the heart. Without a doubt it is in absolutely nothing else. The Creator of Tranquility is proclaiming that He has only placed contentment of the heart in adhering to the laws of Islam and in nothing else of this world has He placed peace. Nothing else in the world can produce this! Try and find an alternative for hundreds of years and you will, for sure, find that there is nothing besides the adherence to Deen that will give you easiness and happiness.
Some think it is through large amounts of wealth that they will find this. If you think closely, you will see that there are many burdens and a good deal of distress associated in attaining large sums of wealth. You start from close to twenty years of schooling. Then through searching and searching some stumble upon a job, others remain in the search. Much time and wealth is lost in misfortune. After some profit there is again loss. Some wealth is lost in mistakes. And then finally after due time only a bit of wealth is accumulated by still only a very few number of individuals. The remainders remain in the game. Then there is additional worry in maintaining this wealth. Day and night there is agony. If God forbid there is a theft, a new worry must be dealt with. Now there was distress during the years of schooling, there was distress in finding a means to make wealth, there was distress in maintaining the wealth, and now there is a new distress in theft.
There is a story of a man who set out to sell his horse. A man approached him and asked to purchase the horse. The man agreed. However, the buyer asked to ride the horse before purchasing it for good. The man agreed again and the buyer took off his shoes and road off with the horse. Waiting and waiting with the man’s shoes, he soon realized that the two shoes in his hands were all he was to receive in exchange for his horse. As he moped back to his hometown someone asked, “You were just seen walking around with a horse, what has happened to your horse? Have you sold it? For how much?” Angrily the man replied, “I sold it for what it was worth, I got these shoes in return.”
This is the condition of our wealth. There is distress in earning it and distress in spending it and theft is out of the question. So how will there be peace in wealth? There is agony wherever you turn. We are in error to think that the more you have the greater the pleasure.
There was once a poor man who became a king. He met an old friend who asked the king his condition. The king replied, “Before I was concerned about a simple meal of my own, which I would consume and sleep away worry free. Now I have to remain in anxiety about the whole country’s sustenance!”
So do not think there is peace in becoming leaders and holding kingships.
Hazrat Umar Farooq (radhi allah ta’ala anhu) would work strenuously day and night seeking out Muslims in distress to assist them. On one occasion, he saw an old woman outside of Madina with children. Nearby there was a pot cooking over the fire. The woman was putting the children to sleep and simultaneously saying, “The food is almost ready, the food is almost ready, the food is almost ready”. Hazrat Umar was baffled, and wondered why this woman was putting the children to sleep and at the same time keeping them in anticipation for food. The woman answered Hazrat Umar (ra), not recognizing him to be the Caliph, saying, “I don’t have food to satiate their hunger, there is nothing but water and rocks in this pot. I am putting up this drama to give hope to the children and ease their hunger pangs. After a while they will fall sleep and forget about the ‘food’.” She did not recognize Hazrat Umar (ra), who further questioned, “Why don’t you go to Umar, the Caliph? He will definitely provide you with sustenance for yourself and the children.” She replied, “This is not my job! It is Umar’s job to come to me. It is not my job to go and spread my hand in front of Umar, it is his responsibility to search out who in his estate is in difficulty, and who is in ease!” Hazrat Umar stated, “How is the poor fellow to know of your state if you do not inform him that you are in difficulty?” She snapped back, “If he could not find out, then why did he accept the position of Caliph? If he could not find out who in his sultanate would live in comfort and who would live in distress, then why did he become Caliph?” This affected Hazrat Umar (ra) very severely, and he returned personally carrying a load of food on his back for the children and woman. Upon his return he said, “As I saw these children cry before my eyes out of starvation, feed them in front of me so I may see them eat and laugh before my eyes as well.”
So, leadership is not a station of rest and pleasures, it is a station of responsibility and hardship. The higher the position of leadership one is stationed in, the greater the responsibility one has. However, if the intention of the individual is to relax in delight, then such a gentleman was never fit for this position of leadership. Hazrat Umar Farooq (ra) appointed a man governor of a particular region. One evening as Hazrat Umar (ra) passed by the governor’s house, he heard the governor’s wife reciting a poem, “Oh! We will spend days in comfort visiting so and so region and relaxing in so and so region in bliss!!!...”. Hazrat Umar, immediately declared this man unfit for the position of governor and removed him from the rank. When the state of his wife and children was such, he himself is not suitable for the position of leadership.
Some think that the accumulation of material goods has peace incorporated in it. Specifically women have the habit of collecting dishes and persistently saying that there is nothing in the house when asked. Despite there being trunks full of decent clothes in the house, they will say there is nothing. Whether or not there is a need for dishes or shoes or clothes etc, they persist in saying there is nothing. They collect more and more in a belief that they will find ease and peace in these material things. This is absolutely wrong.
Hazrat Thanvi (rahmatullahi alayh) once stated that a burden would remain on his heart as long as there was something extra in his house. If there was something lying around serving no purpose and not being utilized, he felt uneasy. For this reason, every year he would survey all his possessions and whichever possession in his house served no immediate purpose, he would sell it right away.
If one experiences true happiness, even the accumulation of useless things puts a burden on the heart. There is, in fact, no pleasure in material goods such as dishes and clothes; in reality there is burden in it. Whatever is present in the world today, if viewed with great detail, whether it is wealth or material goods, there is indeed only peace in adhering to Allah Ta’ala’s laws. Only in practicing on Deen is there peace.
Hazrat Thanvi (rahmatullahi alayh) once narrated that a man had a great desire to meet with Hazrat Khizr (alayhis salam). After numerous dua’s they met and Hazrat Khizr questioned, “Why have you aspired for our meeting?” The man answered, “I have heard that your dua’s are accepted. Please make dua for me that I shall never have any distress in this world. Make dua that I will always be at peace and constantly absorbed in pleasures.” Hazrat Khizr (alayhis salaam) responded, “I’m sorry I cannot make such a dua for you. What I can do, is have you find one person in this world who is in constant delight. After you find this person, return to me asking to make dua for you to be like him. This I can do. To make dua that you will have no distress this world, this I cannot do. I promise I will be back in three days, go find the person of your choice.” So the man set out searching and he did not find any such person without a worry of the world, not a single person. After some time, he did come across one such person who had a great sum of wealth and a great estate and appeared to be in great happiness. So he thought to ask Hazrat Khizr (alayhis salaam) to make dua to be like this person. Before making this final decision, he wanted to ask this man if he had any disease, as diseases are not apparent. Upon approaching the man and relating his tale, the man abruptly retorted, “For God’s sake! Please do not make dua to be like me, I am in great misery. My wife was once sick and I started crying. While on her deathbed she angrily said, “Yes, all men are such that they cry on our deathbeds and immediately after we die, they have a brand new wife ready for marriage.” I assured her I would never do such a thing. The small sickness in her vanished immediately and she returned to normal health. She was of a very young age and consequently began engaging in all sorts of sin and is presently in a similar state of sin. Now this is my situation. I am aware of the pitiful circumstances. They are such that I cannot even speak up, nor do I have the courage to do so. This is the misery I am in, so please do not make dua to be like me!” The poor fellow went along his path to further find someone in peace to bring before Hazrat Khizr (alayhis salaam). Along his way, he received a suggestion to make dua to become Allah Ta’ala’s Wali. There is no better condition for peace and tranquility. This indeed was the dua he asked Hazrta Khizr (alayhis salaam) for, to become a Wali, a practicing Muslim adhering to all the laws of Allah Ta’ala. Allah Ta’ala Himself has declared the fact that there is only peace in this. The circumstances and conditions are present before you and they have proven that there is only tranquility in Allah’ Ta’ala’s Deen.
Hazrat Jilani (rahmatullahi alayh) relates a story about Shah-e-Sanjar who sent a message to him saying, “I have an estate, called Neem Roz (Mid Day) and I am kindly presenting this estate to you as a gift, so please accept. You can use it as you need for your guests.” Hazrat responded, as he was a big saint and intellectual, “You say you want to give me this large estate, God as my witness, there is not an ounce of desire or greed in my heart for this estate. And if I am lying, then may my heart and my future be destroyed.” He thus cursed himself and went on, “Ever since Allah Ta’ala has made me the king of Neem Shab (Mid Night), and given me strength for worship in the late hours of the night, and strength for tahajjud and strength for zikr, and strength for Quranic recitation, since then I have not found any need left for leadership over estates such as Mid Day.”
What is this passion? This is the relationship with Allah Ta’ala. Specifically this relationship is manifested during the late hours of the night in solitude, while one is immersed in remembrance and worship. This condition has been given preference over monarchy.
There was a saint who arrived at the doors of a city while out on a walk. He noticed the doors of the city were closed even though it was daytime. Back in the day when there were no airplanes, wars were fought in this manner. The doors of the city would be shut and rocks and other such forms of defense were thrown from the rooftops aimed at the enemy. The man inquired as to why the doors of the city were closed in the daytime when there was no enemy near. He received a response that the king of the city has lost his bird, and he fears that it will escape the city, so he has ordered to close the doors of the city to prevent it from leaving. The buzurg laughed profusely thinking, “What restriction can closed doors be to a flying creature? It will easily fly over the walls and escape, as there is no rooftop over the entire city.” The buzurg went on saying, “Ya Allah, you have made such idiots kings of large cities who do not even know that closed doors cannot be of any harm to certain creatures. This is a foolish man and you have made him king? Yet there are people like myself who remain in your ibadaat from sunrise till after sunset and you have not even provided me with shoes to walk in.” This complaint to Allah Ta’ala slipped his mouth due to pride and egotism. Immediately Allah Ta’ala responded, “Okay, so this is your condition? We will make you a king but the relationship you have with Me is finished. Go be a king.” Immediately the man fell in prostration crying, “No! Ya Allah! I do not need kingship, I need the relationship with you. I do not have any need for kingship!!”
Now reflect. Was there anything above kingship? Indeed, it was a relationship with Allah Ta’ala, in front of which the collective leaderships of the world hold no reality, absolutely no value. This relationship is produced only through pious actions and adherence to the laws of Allah Ta’ala. There is no other method to attain this relationship. Sincere worship, spiritual conditioning and devotion, remaining within all the restrictions of Shari’ah, increase the relationship with Allah Ta’ala. This is what we called Waliyat.
Allah Ta’ala declares Himself, “Fear Me and adhere to the boundaries I have set for you and indeed you will be granted a unique friendship with Me.” The doors to Prophethood are closed, but keep in mind that the doors for Waliyat are still open. He who desires can still become the Wali of Allah Ta’ala, as the doors are yet open. One buzurg commented, “If kings were to come to know of the peace and tranquility we are in, out of jealousy they would attack and murder us, not leaving a single one of us alive. Never could they accept that there is in fact someone in greater peace than themselves.”
There was another buzurg who gave his shirt to his attendant requesting him to find any lice that may have crept in. A few moments later, the attendant came running in a panic crying, “Hazrat! The king has arrived, Hazrat! The king has arrived!!” The buzurg, disturbed, replied, “Ugh! I thought you had brought lice to show me that you had come in such a hurry.”
So for the buzurg, kingship was equivalent, or perhaps less than, finding lice. How can we gain such indifference? We can gain this only through a connection with Allah Ta’ala.
I will relate one reason for this. If we look at the matter at hand through a cause and effect theory, we can conclude that due to Deen one receives a blessing known as khohnal Al-Huda. Haqq Ta’ala asserts that those who do praiseworthy, virtuous deeds they receive the treasure of being on the righteous path. This is known as khohnal Al-huda, to be on the guided path. This is the reward of piety and the sole source of peace and happiness.
One man mounted a bus with the intention of going to Peshawar while the car was on a route toward Karachi. He sat down and the bus started to move. As it started to move faster, the man asked where the vehicle was headed. Strangely, this individual, like others, inquire about the destination of a vehicle after mounting it and after it starts to move. Anyhow, he received a reply that it was headed for Karachi. The man upset wailed, “Oh no! I wanted to go to Peshawar!” There was no option of the bus stopping for this individual. The next transfer point was a great distance from their present location at Multan, or Shalimar. So now, the remainder of the passengers were at total peace, assured that they were on the right path, and this one man was in immense distress. It was one vehicle ten men are happy, and one is in anguish. What is the reason? Ten are thinking they are on the right path going the right way, and one feels worried because he is on the wrong path. To be on the wrong path is cause of distress, and to be on the right path is a cause of contentment.
Those individuals who are pious, who have strong faith and practice on Deen; those people who live their lives within the limits of Shari’ah and have fully incorporated themselves within a Deeni lifestyle, they are at peace with the correct understanding that they are on the right path. Those who are not on the path of Deen, or God forbid have no faith, or have faith but are involved day in, day out in sins, can never feel this peace in the heart assured that he or she is on the right path. They will remain tense and uneasy all day and night. In the path of Deen, there is something called the love of Allah Ta’ala and due this love, the largest imaginable calamity is not even felt to be a calamity.
One buzurg relates the story of how he came onto the path of Deen. He used to own a drug store, selling medicine. One dervish began gazing at the medicine upon which the buzurg commented, “What are you looking at? If you want something, purchase it, and if not, then take your way.” The dervish replied, “I am wondering how your soul, which is stuck in these materials goods, will leave such objects.” The sheikh replied, “The same way your soul will leave your body, the same way my soul will leave such objects.” The dervish spoke, “You speak of soul? What is there of my soul? Look, my soul will leave my body right now in front of you.” After saying this, he lied down in front of this man’s very store on a sheet and after some time, his soul left his body. He died simply after saying, “You speak of soul? What of my soul? It can leave my body right now.” This incident posed such an effect on the buzurg’s heart, that he immediately incorporated complete Deen into his life and detached from the unlawful world.
Remember, Shari’ah has only prohibited you from those things of the world which are unlawful. There is no restriction on worldly things which are allowed. We must stay away from those things which will lead to our destruction. Otherwise, we can earn thousands of dollars a day and there is no harm or danger in this. But the moment we earn one cent that is haram, it will take us directly toward the Hellfire.
So, this is one reason for experiencing ease and contentment even at times of adversity, Allah Ta’ala’s love. Even death becomes painless when we have a firm relationship with Allah Ta’ala. The largest calamity of death is made simple. Keep in mind that death is the path to our meeting with Allah Ta’ala. The friends of Allah cry for this worldly life to finish so they can meet Allah Ta’ala. When Hazrat Farid (rehm-allah ta’ala) was on his deathbed, the eight heavens were revealed to him and he was told that he may enter which ever he wishes. Listen closely, all the souls of Muslims enter Heaven and freely tour the eight heavens immediately after death. If your sins prevent you, then they prevent you. Otherwise, this is the instant destination of the Muslim soul after death. The body, however, enters Heaven after the Day of Judgment. Some relationship remains with the body from which punishment or reward is felt.
So, he was shown the eight heavens. His grandeur was something mystical and extraordinary. And what he said after traveling throughout the heavens was something that is not fitting on every individual. He said to Allah, “My whole life I was anxious to meet you, and now that the time for our reunion has come, you show me the heavens? Why don’t you show me yourself? If I spent my entire life in worship for this, then it has been wasted.” Gradually as his soul left his body, the meeting with Allah Ta’ala indeed commenced. When the soul officially leaves the body, it reaches the Akhirah, and it is here that the reunion with Haqq Ta’ala can take place.
If you reflect, the biggest calamity is considered death. But for the friends of Allah Ta’ala the calamity of death is felt as an expression of love and an opportunity to meet with Allah Ta’ala. It is equivalent to reuniting with a friend after six years and he squeezes you firmly under his arm as a gesture of adoration. For the friends of Allah Ta’ala, the largest misfortune and calamity is viewed exactly in this respect. It is considered as though Haqq Ta’ala is displaying a gesture of love. This love is a great portion of Deen, which is also attained by remaining near to Auliya.
Some say that we have been reading namaaz for a full ten years and still we do not feel the glory and peace in Deen. The reply is that, out of the hundred aspects involved in Deen, you have only adopted three or four, what about the remaining facets? How is it possible for you to feel the beauty and comfort in Deen if this is the case? And, in fact, even then you should have a knowledgeable person evaluate you as to how much you are practicing and how much you are being neglectful in your adherence to ibadaat.
In order to be successful in Deen, it is compulsory to develop the love of Allah Ta’ala.
Just as it is necessary to reform your ibadaat, and reform your transactions and social dealings; similarly it is necessary to develop a connection and relationship with the buzurgs to reform your exemplary conduct, or else Deen will not be of assistance to you. For example, if you are cooking a meal, it is necessary to include all the ingredients or there will not be a proper taste. If any ingredient such as fresh meat, spices or ghee, potatoes or salt is left out, you will not have a satisfying meal. Even if a single item is left out of the cuisine, the full enjoyment in eating will not be experienced. In the same way in Deen if you have not corrected all the features involved, then you are wrong to say that you have adopted a Deeni lifestyle and you cannot expect peace and tranquility.
The Ulama will tell you rulings in regards to day-to-day transactions and daily ibadaat. In addition to this, one also needs spiritual instruction, to inform you of internal diseases and selective mistakes. There was one man who told his Sheikh that he was experiencing a great deal of sorrow upon the death of his sister-in-law. His sheikh responded, “Due to your unlawful relationship with her, you are having this extraordinary sorrow.” As this was his spiritual guide, he understood that this man had developed an unlawful attachment with his sister-in-law and this was the reason for his sorrow. Masha’ikh understand the inner tricks weaved into human nature, Ulama do not recognize such intricate flaws. To be associated with masha’ikh is a part of Deen, in order to cure yourself and clean yourself of these internal deficiencies.
One buzurg asked another, “How are you doing?” He received a response, “You are asking the condition of such a person where all the events of the world take place according to his wishes. How can he be in any state other than bliss?” The buzurg commented, “All events of the world according to his wishes? There is no way I can believe that.” The man spoke, “I have completely incorporated all my desires into the desires of Allah Ta’ala. And since everything in this world functions according to the desires of Allah Ta’ala, it goes without saying that they are functioning according to my wishes as well.” This is a very high level of imaan, known as tawakul, where one has sacrificed all his desires and has rested his happiness on whatever Allah Ta’ala decides. He has full trust in Allah Ta’ala. In this condition there are solely pleasures and peace. Since all the things of the world occur through the will of Allah Ta’ala, then it is as if they are occurring according to your will as well.
When tawakul is attained, then you will feel peace. And if this state is not achieved, then you will always be in a state of anxiety. Tawakul is a major pathway to the state of happiness and peace.
There is something which we call, worry of the Akhirah, worry of the Akhirah. Hazrat Thanvi (rahmatullahi alayh) relates that the worry of the Akhirah can be compared to the staff of Hazrat Musa (alayhis salaam). This staff swallowed all the snakes of Pharoah’s magicians in the form of a snake.
So, when one begins to feel worry for the Akhirah, the combined worries of the world are “swallowed”, leaving only a single worry remaining, which is worry for the Akhirah. This worry, unlike the others, is very sweet. When this is the only worry we have left in our lives, then without doubt Allah Ta’ala’s love will descend upon us and we will be granted the state of tawakul. If we were to struggle to accumulate pious deeds, as we struggle to accumulate money, imagine what a treasure we would acquire in the Akhirah.
Pious people hold expectations, and these expectations are what motivate them in this world. This is what leaves the lives of the pious so peaceful, due to expectations.
We have to view this world as a place of tourism.
Only in the remembrance of Allah Ta’ala, and the adherence to the laws of Deen, is there peace. There is nothing in this world, not wealth, or women, or material possessions which will ever grant you peace or lift the burden on your heart. After you try to remain within these boundaries, make dua to Allah to give you the strength to adhere to these laws with firmness. And make dua that you are given the special relationship with Allah, and make dua that He grants you peace in this life and peace in the Hereafter.
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