07.29.09
Why Our Dua’s Go Unanswered
Ibrahim Bin Adham (RA) was asked as to why our dua’s do not get accepted even though Allah Ta`ala has said, “And ask of me; I shall grant you…”
So Ibrahim Bin Adham (RA) answered:
Your dua’s do not get answered because your hearts are dead.
They said, ‘why are our hearts dead?’
He answered, because of 8 things….
1) You know the rights of Allah upon you but you do not fulfill them.
2) You read the Qur’an but you do not act on its commandments.
3) You claim that you love the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) but you don’t follow his way.
4) You say we fear death, but you don’t prepare for it.
5) Allah says, “Indeed shaytan is your enemy, so take him as your enemy…” but you obey him in committing sins and disobeying Allah.
6) You claim that you fear the hell fire but you have thrown yourselves therein.
7) You claim that you love paradise but you don’t make an effort for it.
8) When you get up from your beds in the morning, you throw your deficiencies behind your backs and involve yourselves with other peoples’ faults.
Thus you have angered your Lord, so why would He answer your prayers?
(Taken from: Ihya Ulum al-Din; Kitab Sharh `Aja’ib al-Qalb)
07.02.09
True Love Leads to True Value
Once, a beggar came to Hazrat Nizamuddin Awliyaa (RA) asking for some financial assistance. The Shaykh replied, “I will give you whatever I receive today.” It just so happened that the Shaykh had received nothing on that day. The Shaykh then told him, “Whatever I get tomorrow will be given to you.” The next day, too, the Shaykh had nothing. So, the Shaykh then gave his shoes to the beggar.
Amir Khusro (RA), who was a student of the Shaykh, was accompanying the king when he saw the beggar somewhere on a journey. Amir Khusro (RA) noticed that the beggar was extremely happy. He asked the beggar, “Where are you coming from?” He replied, “I am coming from Dehli.” Amir Khusro (RA) then asked about his Shaykh. The beggar informed him that the Shaykh was doing well. Amir Khusro (RA) told the beggar, “I sense some fragrant smell coming from you. Did the Shaykh give you something?” The beggar replied, “I have the Shaykh’s shoes. He had given them to me out his extreme kindness.”
Amir Khusro (RA) then asked the beggar, “Would you like to sell the shoes?” The beggar replied, “I had intended to sell the shoes so that I can acquire some money.” The beggar knew how much reverence Amir Khusro (RA) had for his Shaykh. The beggar then told Amir Khusro (RA) that he would sell the shoes for 500,000 rupees.
Amir Khusro (RA) happily paid the price for the shoes. Placing the shoes with the utmost care by him, he set off for Dehli to visit his Shaykh. Sultan al Mashaaikh, Hazrat Nizamuddin (RA) saw him approaching with the shoes and commented, “Khusro! You have bought those shoes for a cheap price.” Amir Khusro (RA) replied, “Hazrat, I only paid the price the beggar asked for; otherwise, I was prepared to give all of my wealth for these shoes.”
Subhaanallah! It is indeed intriguing to see the level of love Amir Khusro (RA) had for his shaykh. The pious of the past had value for the shoes of their shaykhs. Today, we don’t have value for our shaykhs, let alone their shoes. We overlook their feelings, likes and dislikes. We disrespect them and do not even realize it.
We pray to Allah that He grant us the ability to truly appreciate our shaykhs and to value them the way they deserved to be valued and appreciated.
06.30.09
How Undeserving We Are!
Commenting on the lamentable condition of the scholars, Hakeem-ul-Ummah, Hazrat Thanwi (RA) said:
“Nowadays, there is nothing but pride, arrogance, and advertising knowledge and ability. There no longer remains any sign of humility, humbleness, and modesty.”
It is amazing how these words hold true of ‘Ulama even today. If an ‘alim is not addressed with whatever title they assume that they deserve, their ego becomes injured. It has become all about how well a certain scholar can deliver a lecture. The main focus no longer remains the message, rather the focus has shifted to style of delivery.
One must never forget that an ‘alim is in no way equal to a layman, but this does not entail that the ‘alim is more virtuous (afdhal) than the layman. Often times, ‘ulama get caught up in their own ranks, positions and virtues, and shaytaan takes them down the most slippery slope of vanity.
We pray to Allah that He grant us all humility and humbleness, and that He protect us from pride and arrogance.
06.23.09
Hate Disbelief, Not the Disbeliever!
Hazratwala (DB) said:
“Mawlana Qasim Nanotwi (RA) once saw a Hindu street-cleaner that he knew, taking a stroll in Jannah in his dream. He asked him in the dream,
“O Lala Jee, how have you entered Jannah?”
The Hindu man answered, “At the time of death, I uttered that phrase…”
Notice that he is referring to the kalimah as “that phrase” due to the fact that for a Hindu, the kalimah is a phrase that must never be mentioned. But Allah granted him the tawfeeq of uttering it before his death. His whole life he had been worshipping idols and statues, but in the end, he was blessed with imaan.
This is the why having hatred in the heart for a disbeliever is haraam. Because we do not know what a person’s end will be upon.
Mawlana Rumi (RA) said,
Do not ever look at any disbeliever with hate,
Because there is still hope for him to become a believer!
Do not consider any disbeliever as low and inferior. Do not look at him with the eye of scorn. It might be that his end has been written to be amongst the believers. And in relation to oneself one should always meditate on the fact that it could possibly be that my end might be upon disbelief. We pray that Allah save us all and allow us to pass away in a state of imaan.
Hayat-e-Taqwa; pg. 24
Translator’s Note:
One of the most deadly spiritual diseases is the disease of kibr (looking down upon others and rejection of truth). Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “Anyone who has an atom’s weight of kibr in his heart will not enter Jannah.”
Pondering deeply over the above mentioned utterance of Hazratwala is an excellent antidote to this deadly disease. May Allah Ta`ala save us from all spiritual diseases.
03.11.09
Deen in Two Sentences
HazratWala (DB) said:
“Someone once requested a pious saint, ‘Can you advise me?’ He said, ‘I will present before you the entirety of Deen in two statements.
اعمل في الدنيا بقدر مقامك فيها
واعمل للاخرة بقدر مقامك فيها
Work for this life for as long as you need to reside here. Work for the Hereafter for as long as you need to dwell there.’
Tell me, is there or is there not the entirety of Deen in these two statements? Now, if one does not balance out things in their lives and is always busy in earning, so then tell me, what will he become? A man once said to me, ‘I wish to open another factory.’ I said to him, ‘If you are going to be earning more, then you will be coming to me less, and you will become weak in terms of your Deen. Earn to the extent that you can live with respect. Those who do not balance out their lives are stuck in this world day and night. In the word ‘balance’ isn’t there the word ‘beyl’? [A term in urdu, which means ‘a young bull’] So understand this that this type of person [the person who does not have a balance in life] is a young bull, not a human being, that he is busy in ruining the country and in building for a few days.”
-Zikrullah Aur Itminan e Qalb; Pages 25-26
