Realization of God in the Age of Science by Moulana wahiduddin khan

Realization of God in the Age of Science by Moulana wahiduddin khan

There is an incident which I like a lot and is connected to my life in Rampur. I lived in Rampur for about three years. In that period, an incident occurred. There was a child of a poor father. He once asked his father to bring him a bicycle. The father ignored his request. The child requested for a bicycle again. The father again ignored. When the child asked the third time, the father said that he had no money and could not bring a bicycle. He added angrily that if the child repeated his request he would be beaten. On hearing this the child began to cry. He exclaimed: “You are my father! If I do not ask of you, then whom should I ask?” On listening to this, the father also began to cry and said that he would bring a bicycle the next day. He then arranged for money from somewhere and brought a bicycle for his child.

I often think that this is the biggest prayer a person can do before God. If a person brings himself very close to God so that he realizes that he is really nothing and his Lord is everything, if he understands this truly and sincerely – that God is everything and he is nothing at all, if a person realizes this truth and cries out: “O God, You are my Lord. If I do not ask of You, then whom should I ask!” If a person speaks in this way, then God also utters the same thing which the father in the above incident said to his child. I am not saying this out of my own speculation, rather I have understood this through a hadith. The Prophet once said: “I have never seen a person who should be desirous of Paradise, but is lying asleep; and I have never seen a person who should be running away from the Fire, but is lying asleep.” The same spirit is reflected in this hadith.

I remembered this incident because today I was asked a question from Maulana Iqbal Oomeri. The questions is, “What is that one discovery in the age of science which has increased your faith to a Himalayan extent?” This is a very important question. I have a very specific answer to this question, and that is, quantum physics. When I read about quantum physics, my conviction in God increased to such an extent that there has been no other limit which I need to cross now. I had discovered the truth about quantum physics before having read it. Before shifting to Delhi, I met a professor in Lucknow. He was an atheist.

I hope everyone is able to hear me clearly. I must tell that today when I moved out of my home, I thought that I may not be able to speak at all. I began to pray to God. Then I understood a reality: God who has given me the ability to speak in the first instance, will grant me the ability to speak again. This thought came to my mind and I moved out of my home. Right now, I am sitting here and speaking.

So, I was talking about an incident from my Lucknow days. I met a person who called himself an atheist. When I spoke to him, he asked me something strange: “What criterion do you have to prove God’s existence?” At this, I spontaneously uttered: “The same criterion which you have to prove anything else.” This statement was issued from my lips spontaneously. The professor became silent at my response. He was a very learned person. I used to think why this professor went silent. I realized this when I studied further, especially when I read about quantum physics. This is because quantum physics has informed human knowledge that the material world is as non-existent as an atheist would think that God is non-existence. The professor’s claim was that God is non-existent since He cannot be traced. When I gave my reply to him, it was out of my conviction and not a result of knowledge. But later I realized that my answer was exactly in accordance with human knowledge and this knowledge has been provided to us by quantum physics.

Quantum physics tells us that the material world cannot be completely seen by either a telescope or a microscope. We have no means through which we can know, see or understand the material world completely. Then why do we believe in the existence of the material world? Why do scientists believe in the material world? The reason why we believe in the existence of the material world is that although we cannot see the material world, we can see its effects. The last unit of matter is the subatomic particle. This subatomic particle can neither be seen by a microscope nor a telescope. The reason why we still believe in the existence of the subatomic particle is because we can determine its effects. The subatomic particle’s rotation generates heat, and this heat can be detected by our instruments. This is how we conclude that this effect indicates that the subatomic particle indeed exists. This principle is true also of God. The creation (takhliq) is the effect of God (Khaliq). We cannot know the Creator directly, but we can know the Creator through His effects in the creation spread out around us.

This reality was first demonstrated in the time of the Prophet Moses. The incident has been related in the Quran thus. “And when Moses came at Our appointed time and his Lord spoke to him, he said, ‘My Lord, show Yourself to me so that I may look at You.’ He replied, ‘You cannot see Me, but look at the mountain; if it remains firmly in its place, then only will you see Me.’ And when his Lord manifested Himself on the mountain, He broke it into pieces and Moses fell down unconscious.’” (7:143) God gave a manifestation of His Being on the mountain, and the mountain was destroyed into pieces. Moses collapsed at this event. This was a direct demonstration from God – you cannot see God, but you can see God’s effects. The effect was that when God showed a part of His manifestation on the mountain, the mountain broke into pieces and Moses fell down unconscious.

This is what I have discovered through scientific analysis. People say that God cannot be seen. But matter (material world) is also in the unseen, then why do they believe in matter? It is because the effects of matter can be seen all around. Similarly, a believer has faith in God because he can see God’s effects in the creation. I have faced several events that made me realize the truth and my personality was, as it were, destroyed. In these moments, I realized God very closely. I often ask: “Will I never see my Creator? The Creator whom I loved, whom I made my concern and desired to live in His neighbourhood – will I never see this Creator?” The answer is in the hadith. The Companions once asked the Prophet: “Will we see God in Paradise?” The Prophet replied: “Yes, you will see God as you see the sun and the moon.” This is metaphorical language. We will see God the way we see the sun and the moon, but we do not know exactly what this ‘seeing’ would be. We can know it only when we actually see God in the Hereafter. When a person makes God his everything, his sole concern, he then thinks in this pattern.

The greatest discovery of a person is to find God Almighty. When you discover God Almighty, naturally a spirit is awakened in you. The spirit is reflected in a prayer of Asiya bint Muzahim. This is the strangest prayer in the Quran. When Pharaoh decided to kill his wife Asiya, she prayed to God saying that she did not care what Pharaoh wanted to do, rather she only wanted God. She said: “My Lord, build me a house in nearness to You in Paradise.” (66:11) I do not find a prayer better than this. Asiya was indeed a strange woman, as she did this prayer while Pharaoh’s sword hung right above her head.

I will say only one thing. The aim of the Quran was to become a warner (nadhir) for all nations, that is, the message of the Quran should reach in understandable language throughout the world. You should make yourself part of this cause. Give whatever you can for this cause. If you do not have anything to give, then pray for those who are working for this cause. The Quran should be translated in the language of every people. God created an entire world. God established the British empire. This British empire was a creation of God – it helped to bring about an international language for the first time in history. But Muslims were so involved in other things that in spite of the fact that the English language emerged as an international language after a long process, Muslims continued fighting against the British empire. The Muslims could not discover the blessing that God had brought about through the British empire. The hadith had also predicted: “God will help this religion through a secular person.” The British were secular people, a secular empire, which had given birth to an international language. Muslims should have translated the Quran in this understandable language of the time. But they kept fighting and complaining. They only fought, complained and had hatred for the British. They did not care to translate the Quran in the international language of the time. The Christians at that time had already translated the Bible in the understandable language of the time. The Christian model had been established for Muslims to draw a lesson from. Today there are 55 translations of the Quran in English, but there is no clarity in any of these translations. The translation published from our centre (Centre for Peace and Spirituality) is very clear and easy to read. This has been acknowledged by Mr. Khushwant Singh of India and Mr. Federico from Poland. I can say that members of our organization were able to do what great Muslim leaders could not do. They prepared and published the translation of the Quran in the understandable language of today.

I request all those who are listening to me to become part of this movement. If they cannot be part of this work, then they should pray for this cause. May God guide us.

Question and Answer Session

Q1. I believe that the real problem of not being able to connect to God is due to unlimited desires in ourselves. These desires stop us from remembering God. How to eliminate these desires and adopt simple living?

A1. A person should make all effort from his side and then pray to God. This principle in Arabic is stated thus: “As-sayi minni wal-itmam minallah.” Prayer on the one hand and one’s efforts on the other hand can help one achieve a high level of God-realization.

Q2. Sometimes I feel my marefat (level of discovery and realization of God) is high and other times I feel it is low. I feel frustrated at this fluctuation. How can I always be in a state of high marefat?

A2. This desire of yours is unnatural – the level of marefat can never be smooth, there will always be ups and downs. You should not always desire a high level of marefat, but rather continue to make effort on your part.

Q3. Will God forgive our grave sins on the Day of Judgment? What should I think so that I get solace?

A3. The Quran has answered this question. A verse in the Quran is considered by the Companions of the Prophet and all respected scholars as the most hopeful (arju) verse. The verse is: “Say, [God says] ‘O My servants, who have committed excesses against their own souls, do not despair of God’s mercy, for God surely forgives all sins. He is truly the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful.’” (39:53) Whenever I read this verse, I reflect on the word ‘jami’, or ‘all’. That is, the greatest gift of God for people is that if they do sincere repentance and truly ask for forgiveness from God, then God will surely forgive them. This is the most hopeful verse of the Quran.

Q4. You say CPS provides the translation of the Quran in understandable language. In Arabia, the Quran was revealed in the seventh century in the language of its people. But today there is no difference between these Arab peoples and people of other countries. How to bring about change?

A4. Bringing about change is not our goal. Our goal is to convey the message of God. Bringing about change is in God’s domain. Even the Prophet could not bring about change, it was entirely in God’s hands. The Prophet could not help Abu Talib accept Islam. So bringing about change is not in your hands. It is impossible for a person to bring about change.

Q5. What is the reason for sectarianism in Muslims? How to remedy this phenomenon?

A5. It is very simple. You should read Ibn Abdul Barr’s book Jami Bayan al-Ilm wa-Fazlihi. In one sentence I will say that the responsibility for this state of affairs is our fuqaha (jurists). When they began to collect traditions of the Prophet, they found that there was variety in the traditions narrated from different Companions of the Prophet. For example, some would believe in Amin bil-Jahr (saying Amin loudly after reciting Surah Fatiha in Namaz), while others in Amin bil-Sahr (saying Amin softly after reciting Surah Fatiah in Namaz). The right way in all of these matters was to accept ta’ddud (diversity) and not yearn for tawahud (unity). The principle of the fuqaha that the truth is one and there should be no diversity or variety, is wrong. Please read my book ‘Tajdid-e-Deen’ on this topic.

Q6. God commands doing jihad in Surah Saff. The return for this jihad would be Paradise. What is the meaning of jihad here – battle against others or struggle against oneself?

A6. These verses on war in the Quran are applicable to the situation when the other side has already attacked Muslims. There is no room in Islam for initiating attack. If someone thrusts war upon you, you can fight back in defence. But there is no offensive war in Islam. In Islam, war is only as defense.

Q7. We often say everything has been written by God. I think this goes against the creation plan of God, as it suppresses the free will of humans. Please tell us about the reality of destiny.

A7. It is true that God has given total freedom to man. God has the power to detach Himself in this matter and allow complete freedom to man. I have written on this topic. You can read more from my books.

Q8. Can we derive from Moses’ above incident that we should study the sciences which deal with discovery and realization of God?

A8. You should increase your study. Studying science is supportive in the task of God-realization.

Q9. Can you recommend any other book apart from the Quran and Hadith?

A9. I cannot pinpoint any one book. There are many books. I too have written many books. You need to find out yourself the books you should read. No other person can tell you.

Q10. The hadith says we should read different Surahs of the Quran in different situations. How to follow this?

A10. There is no such concept of reading a certain Chapter of the Quran on a certain occasion or moment of time. You can read whenever you want, depending on your situation.

la ilaha il la'llah--- "There is no Allah but Allah”

 la ilaha il la'llah--- "There is no Allah but Allah”

la ilaha il la'llah (None has the right to be worshipped except Allah), and Muhammadur rasul Allah (Muhammad is the messenger of Allah)

One must always believe that the true and ultimate power is Allah (swt) alone. He controls as He wills. Thus trust must be put in Him and not in the means that He created (Emaan..Faith)

Someone asked Hassan Al Basri: "What is the secret of your piety?"

He replied, "I have understood 4 things:

1. My rizq can't be taken by anyone, so my heart is contended.

2. No one can do my good deeds, so I started doing them myself.

3. Allah Ta'ala is watching me, so I felt shame in doing wrong.(Taqwa..fear of Allah)

4. Death is waiting for me, so I started to prepare for my meeting with Allah Ta'ala. "

Allah knows best. May Allah guide us all.

One must always believe that the true and ultimate protector is Allah (swt) alone.

Our Hardwork,  Ruqyah and medications are means that He created and He controls as He wills. Thus trust must be put in Him and not in the means that He created. Allah (swt) commands His Messenger (saw): So seek refuge with Allah (only); verily, it is He who is all-Hearer, all-Seer. (Al Ghafir 40:56).

But, dont think that you don’t need modern medicine. Definitely, use all the means at your disposal. And after doing everything possible put  your trust in Allah.

Perform the Ruqyah, also Utilize the benefits of modern medicine.And put your trust in Allah that He will give you the best outcome.

What is Ruqyah?
The meaning most relevant to us when asking the question what is Ruqyah, is that Ruqyah is when a person recites part of the Qur’an such as Al-Fatihah or makes supplication using words transmitted from the authentic Hadith of the Prophet (saw) Ref. Fath-ul-Majid]
There are some important conditions that must be satisfied in a ruqyah to make it permissible. They were summarized by Ibn Hajar (AR):

"There is a consensus among the ‘ulama that Ruqyah are permissible when they satisfy three conditions:

1 – To be with Allah’s words or His names and attributes
2 – To be in Arabic or of an intelligible meaning
3 – And to believe that they do not have effect by themselves but by Allah (swt)." Fath ul Bari 10/240

In what follows, we discuss each of these conditions:

1. Must Be with Allah’s Words, Names, or Attributes
As we will see below, all forms of Ruqyah reported in the Sunnah satisfy this condition. They either consist of specific portions of the Qur’an, such as al-Fatiha or Ayat ul-Kursiy, or contain a praise of Allah (swt) and an invocation of His help and protection.

2. Must Be with Clearly Understood Words This is an important condition that must be satisfied in order to eliminate any magic factors from the ruqyah.

3. Believing That the True Benefit Is from Allah (swt)

Excessive arguing and disputing

When the intent to correct someone goes too far and is overtaken by the desire to be right, one walks into the realm of argumentation and dispute. That in turn is a weakness of faith. The Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon him) said, “No people will go astray after having being guided except that they become argumentative.” (Reported by Ahmad in al-Musnad, 5/252; Saheeh al-Jaami’, 5633).

Arguing with no proof and for no good reason leads one far away from the straight path, and most people enter into futile arguments without knowledge or guidance or reference to the Qur'an. Futile arguments should be avoided as the Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon him) said: “I guarantee a house in the outskirts of Paradise to the one who forsakes argument even when he is in the right.” (Reported by Abu Dawood, 5/150; Saheeh al-Jaami’, 1464).

Where arguments happen, calm yourself down first. Then try to come to common terms. Then try to tackle what it was that led to the argument slowly and carefully and try to unrest and each other's point of view. Except that everyone has a different opinion and outlook in life. Try to compromise. Listen to what the others say and try to accept what they say without any further conflict. Agree to disagree. Move on!

The Pervasive Effects of Humility

Source : https://hadithoftheday.com/the-pervasive-effects-of-humility/

By LOBNA MULLA 

“A spoonful of humility a day, keeps the ego away.”  Well, it’s not the original saying, but it sends a clear message.  Truly realizing the benefits of being humble can assist us in achieving success not only in this life, but also in the hereafter.

According to Merriam-Webster’s dictionary, to be humble is to not be proud, arrogant, or assertive.  In Arabic, tawaada (humility) literally means to lower one’s self or to submit.  Taking these definitions together and adding the characteristic of humility as relayed in Qur’anic verses and Prophetic examples, we begin to have a richer understanding of its importance and practical applications.

Three Degrees of Humility

Humility can be understood in relation to three important entities:

1) Humility before Allah – Exalted is He.

2) Humility in relation to the deen (religion).

3) Humility with Allah’s creation.

When analyzed in terms of these relations, we can begin to implement the characteristic of humility in all aspects of our lives: in our worship, in our understanding and attitude towards our deen, and in our interactions with Allah’s creation (such as people, animals and the earth).

Humility with Allah – Exalted is He

When we are humble in front of Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He), we understand that He is our Creator, the One who supplies all of our sustenance with no might or effort from His creation.  It is only when we submit ourselves to the Might and Glory of Allah that we are able to understand how to be humble.  This cyclical process helps us to perpetuate the feeling of humility.

Ponder for a moment the blessings in your life: family, guidance from Allah, wealth, talents, health, etc.  If one is disillusioned by his own personal efforts made towards attaining any of his blessings, how can he attain humility before Allah? Take for example one who is wealthy.  He may attribute his hard work in school, his long hours at the start of his business, and his proficient networking skills to his success.  Yet, he forgot that Allah (swt) gave him the opportunity to attend a good school, facilitated for him the ability to study, gave his family patience while he was busy with his business, and finally bestowed him with the gift of persuasive communication.

And what if that same businessman refused to give zakat (alms tax) because he felt that others should work as hard as he did so that they wouldn’t need zakat? Regardless of our level of wealth, we must remember the saying of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ as narrated by Abu Hurairah: “Wealth does not decrease due to charity, and Allah increases His slave in honor when he forgives others.  And no one humbles himself before Allah but Allah will raise him in status.”

This act of humility in front of our Creator necessitates our complete submission to Him.  To follow His commandments and avoid His prohibitions requires us to understand our lower position of weakness and helplessness in relation to our Lord.

Humility in Relation to the Deen

Fully appreciating and understanding our deen (way of life), obliges us to be humble.  When we come across a commandment of Allah, Qur’anic verse, or valid saying of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ that we do not understand, we should be conscientious of our reactions.  Let us replace thoughts of, “Well, that doesn’t make sense,” with “I wonder what this means.”  We are encouraged  to question so as to understand our religion, not to negate every aspect of our deen that does not align with our whims.  We should also be wary of those who come up with their own interpretation of the Qur’an with no reference to its context or without any scholarly research to say, “This is what this ayah (verse) means to me.”  To do so would be to follow the zaygh (perversion in our heart), as mentioned in the following ayat:

He is the One Who has revealed to you the Book. Some of its verses are decisive – they are the foundation of the Book – while others are allegorical. Those whose hearts are infected with perversion follow the allegorical part to mislead others and to give it their own interpretation, seeking for its hidden meanings, but no one knows its hidden meanings except Allah. Those who are well grounded in knowledge say: “We believe in it; it is all from our Lord.” None will take heed except the people of understanding.(Qur’an 3:7)

Remember what Moses said to his people: “O my people! Why do you vex me while you know that I am the apostle of Allah sent to you?” Then when they adopted perverseness, Allah let their hearts be perverted. Allah does not guide those who are transgressors.” (Qur’an 61:5)

Humility in understanding the deen compels us to see a gap in our understanding when we approach a matter we are not “comfortable” with, as opposed to a fault in the way of life as Allah (swt) has prescribed for us.

Humility with Allah’s Creation

Applying the principle of humility with Allah’s creation would have profound effects on the way the world operated if we all adopted this characteristic.  Imagine if we did not judge others, we felt compassion towards humanity, and we helped all of those around us (our parents, spouses, children, community, etc).  We could achieve these admirable feats if we were to contemplate and exhibit humility.  Not only would we treat others with respect, but we would also treat animals kindly and give them their due rights whether they are a work animal, a stray, or a pet.  Furthermore, if we humbled ourself and understood that this world does not belong to us, then we would be more conscientious about water conservation, recycling, and pollution reduction efforts.

Unfortunately, the tendency to develop the very opposite characteristic, arrogance, occurs for many reasons.  Perhaps we are more beautiful, intelligent, or have some position of power or authority, for example.  If we were to reflect on the first type of humility with Allah (swt), we would remember that these gifts are only possible by the Mercy of The Creator.  Imagine one who has studied Islam and has received many certifications and degrees in the field.  When she sees others, does she look down on them since they do not possess the same level of knowledge in that area? Or does she instead, look to her own faults and sees others for the qualities they possess that are greater than hers?  Allah tells us to take the second course of action:

And do not turn your face away from men with pride, nor walk in insolence through the earth. Verily, Allah does not like any arrogant boaster.(Qur’an 31:18)

We are also reminded in the Qur’an that what Allah cares for most, above social status, power, beauty, or wealth, is taqwa (God-consciousness):

Verily the most honored of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you. (Qur’an 49:13)

We should reflect on our inner thoughts and align them with teachings of humility in Islam so that we may be successful in the eyes of Allah (swt). May Allah make us humble and may He be pleased with us.  Ameen.

Original source: http://www.suhaibwebb.com/personaldvlpt/character/the-pervasive-effects-of-humility/

taqwa - al-Muttaqun

Make an effort to read the definition of *Taqwa* that follows... so we can judge for ourselves where we stand. Apparently all the promises of success are for those who possess taqwa - al-Muttaqun.

ان للمتقین مفازا۔ ۔ ۔ (سورة النبا)

*Taqwa* is not only in our manners..

*Taqwa* is not about looking islamic...

*Taqwa* is not about sporting a beard or wearing a Hijab...

*Taqwa* is not merely appearance...

*BUT*

*Taqwa* is when you miss a single prayer, you feel uneasy the whole day...

*Taqwa* is when you speak a lie , your instinct feels bad...

*Taqwa* is the guilt that follows when you hurt someone knowingly or unknowingly...

*Taqwa* is the shame and regret that follows a sin you did knowing fully well about it's stand in the sight of *ﷲ͜عَزَّوَجَــــل*

*Taqwa* is when you cannot sleep the whole night after disobeying or disrespecting your parents...

*Taqwa* is to cry in the depths of night fearing none but the One above the Arsh.

*Taqwa* is the fear that refrains us from sinning even when we are alone and nobody is looking...

*Taqwa* is the guts and the will to please *ﷲ͜عَزَّوَجَــــل*, even when the whole world is hell bent on displeasing Him...

*Taqwa* is to wear that beard and Hijab for the sole reason of pleasing Our Rabb and to keep it as per sunnah....

*Taqwa* is to stay happy and smiling even after knowing this world is a prison for believers...

*Taqwa* is the good manners and character that loving and fearing *ﷲ͜عَزَّوَجَــــل* brings in us...

*Taqwa* is the struggle to better yourself according to Islam with each passing day...

*Taqwa* is not only about rising in deen, it is more about falling but again rising up and never letting go...

*Taqwa IS ALL ABOUT WHAT LIES IN THE HEART*

التقوی ھھنا۔ ۔ ۔

And the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ و سلم pointed to his chest.

If this heart is filled with true *Taqwa,* then actions automatically follow...And the sweetness of these actions is so much better.

*May ﷲ͜عَزَّوَجَــــل make us of the al-mutaqeen.*

̶ آمـــــين يَارَبَّ الْعَــــالَمِينْ

TRUE SCHOLAR

Source of the article  https://news360.com/article/485554704

https://muslimvillage.com/2019/01/21/120698/12-signs-true-scholar/

Jan 21, 2019 | Filed under: Featured, Islam, Spirituality, What is Islam? | Posted By MV Media

By: Mawlana Muhammad Zakariyya Kandhalawi (translated by M. Tayyab Bakhsh Badayuni with editing by Ismaeel Nakhuda)

Source: Deoband.org

Hatim al-Asam (may Allah have mercy on him) was a renowned saint and favourite pupil of Shaqiq al-Balkhi (may Allah have mercy on him). Once the shaykh asked him, “Hatim, how long have you been here in my company?” He replied, “Thirty-three years.” The shaykhsaid, “What did you learn during these years from me?” Hatim (may Allah have mercy on him) replied, “I have learnt eight issues.” At this, Shaqiq (may Allah have mercy on him) out of sheer disappointment recited, “We are surely Allah’s and we shall surely return unto him.”

He said regretfully, “You learnt only eight lessons during these long years of association with me? I have wasted all my life in associating with you.” Hatim (may Allah have mercy on him) said, “I have learnt only eight lessons — I cannot lie to you”. The shaykh said, “Tell me, what are those eight lessons?” Hatim (may Allah have mercy on him) answered:

1] “I have found that everybody loves someone or something (wife, children, property, friends, etc.), but I know that as soon as he is laid in the grave, the loved-ones part company with him. Consequently, I have cultivated love for good deeds so that when I do pass into the grave my loved ones accompany me and after death I am not alone.” Shaqiq (may Allah have mercy on him) said, “You have done well.”

2] “I have read in the Holy Qur’an that Allah Most High says: ‘Whereas for the one who feared to stand before his Lord, and restrained his self from the (evil) desire, Paradise will be the abode.’ (Al-Nazi’at: 40-41)

“I know that whatever Allah Most High says is true. Therefore, I have restrained myself from worldly desires until I became steadfast in devotion to Him.

3] “I saw in the world that those things which are dearest and precious to men are preserved with great care and protected with diligence.

“Then I read in the Qur’an that Allah Most High says: ‘What is with you shall perish and what is with Allah shall last.’ (Al-Nahl: 96)

“Accordingly, whenever I came by something which was of great value to me, or which I prized above other things, I consigned it to the custody of Allah (spent it for the cause of Allah Most High), so that it should be preserved forever.

4] “I have observed that (for honour and glory) some men turn to wealth, some to nobility of parentage and others to other things of pride. That is, they take pride in wealth, high parentage etc., and assert their superiority over others.

“But I have read in the Qur’an that Allah Most High says: ‘Surely the noblest of you, in Allah’s sight, is the one who is most pious of you.’(Al-Hujarat: 13)

“I have therefore cultivated piety in myself, so that I should become the noblest of men in the sight of Allah Most High.

5] “I have noticed that people upbraid others, revile them or find fault with them. This is all out of jealousy in that one is jealous of the other.

“Then, I read in the Qur’an that Allah Most High says: ‘We have allocated among them their livelihood in the worldly life, and have raised some of them over others in ranks, so that some of them may put some others to work.’ (Al-Zukhruf: 32) (That is, if all men were alike and equal in rank, no one would work for others or serve anybody and, consequently, there would be disorder and chaos in the affairs of the world.)

“Therefore, I have restrained myself from jealousy and ceased to concern myself with other people’s affairs. I know for certain that the distribution of livelihood is entirely in the hands of Allah Most High and He grants as much as He pleases to whomsoever He likes. I therefore ceased to harbour enmity against anyone, realising that a man’s personal effort has little to do with his prosperity or adversity. It has rather been foreordained by Allah Most High Who is the Sovereign Lord of the worlds. So, I do not feel angry with anyone.

6] “I have observed that nearly everyone in this world is hostile to someone or the other. Having paid attention, I noticed that Allah Most High says in the Qur’an: ‘Surely Satan is an enemy for you. So, take him as an enemy. He only invites his group (to falsehood) so that they become inmates of the blazing fire.’ (Al-Fatir: 6)

“So, I have directed all my hostilities against Satan alone and I try to keep away from him by all possible means. Since Allah Most High has commanded us to treat him as an enemy, I bear no enmity against anyone save Satan.

7] “I have observed that all people are struggling hard to seek livelihood, so much so that they disgrace or abase themselves before others and adopt unlawful means for procuring their daily bread.

“But I have read in the Qur’an that Allah Most High says: ‘There is no creature on earth whose sustenance is not undertaken by Allah.’(Hud: 6)

“Considering that I am also one of the creatures that move on earth whose sustenance depends upon Allah Most High, I occupied myself with paying what I owe to Allah Most High and ceased to worry about what Allah Most High has taken the responsibility to provide.

8] “I have observed that all men have faith upon and put their trust in things which have themselves been created by Allah Most High.Some have faith in their estates or businesses, others in their own craftsmanship, and there are still others who trust their health and strength. In short, all people have put their trust in things that are created like themselves.

“I have read in the Qur’an that Allah Most High says: ‘And whoever places his trust in Allah, He is sufficient for him.’ (Al-Talaq: 3)

“I have, therefore, put my trust and faith in Him alone.”

Shaqiq (may Allah have mercy on him) thereupon said, “Hatim, may Allah bless you with tawfiq(divine aid for performance for good deeds). I have seen the teachings of the Torah, the Injil, the Zabur and the Holy Qur’an, and I believe that these eight moral lessons form a gist of all that is really good and beneficial for man. Therefore, anyone acting upon these precepts will be deemed to have practised the learning contained in all of the four scriptures revealed by Allah Most High.”

Such learning can only be attained by those ‘ulama who are really concerned about the hereafter (‘ulama al-akhirah). These truths lie too deep for those (so-called) ‘ulama who are ambitious for material wealth and who hanker after worldly honour and recognition.

The Pious "Drunkard" and "Fornicator"

The Pious "Drunkard" and "Fornicator"

Sultan Murad IV, the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1623-1640, would often anonymously go into the midst of the people and see their state. One evening, he felt an uneasiness in himself and the urge to go out. He called for his head of security and out they went. They came to a busy vicinity, and found a man lying on the ground. The Sultan prodded him but he was dead and the people were going about their own business. Nobody seemed to care about the dead man lying on the ground.

The Sultan called upon the people. They didn't recognise him and asked him what he wanted. He said, "Why is this man lying dead on the ground and why does no one seem to care? Where is his family?"

They replied, "He is so and so, the drunkard and fornicator!"

The Sultan said, "Is he not from the Ummah of Muhammad (saw)? Now help me carry him to his house."

The people carried the dead man with the Sultan to his house and once they reached, they all left. The Sultan and his assistant remained. When the man's wife saw his dead body, she began weeping. She said to his dead body, "May Allah have mercy on you! O friend of Allah! I bear witness that you are from the pious ones."

The Sultan was bewildered. He said, "How is he from the pious ones when the people say such and such about him? So much so that no one even cared he was dead!"

She replied, "I was expecting that. My husband would go to the tavern every night and buy as much wine as he could. He would then bring it home and pour it all down the drain. He would then say, 'I saved the Muslims a little today.' He would then go to a prostitute, give her some money and tell her to close her door till the morning. He would then return home for a second time and say, 'Today, I saved a young woman and the youth of the believers from vice.'"

The people would see him buying wine and they would see him going to the prostitutes and they would consequently talk about him. One day I said to him, "When you die, there will be no one to bathe you, there will be no one to pray over you and there will be no one to bury you!"

He laughed and replied, "Don't fear, the Sultan of the believers, along with the pious ones shall pray over my body."

The Sultan began to cry. He said, "By Allah! He has said the truth, for I am Sultan Murad. Tomorrow we shall bathe him, pray over him and bury him."

And it so happened that the Sultan, the scholars, the pious people and the masses prayed over him.

We judge people by what we see and what we hear from others. Only if we were to see what was concealed in their hearts, a secret between them and their Lord. If Allah knows, why does it matter who knows and who doesn't know?!

"O you who believe, abstain from many of the suspicions. Some suspicions are sins. And do not be curious (to find out faults of others), and do not backbite one another. Does one of you like that he eats the flesh of his dead brother? You would abhor it. And fear Allah. Surely Allah is Most-Relenting, Very-Merciful." (49:12)