The Shaikh is a Gardener and Each Mureed is his Individual Garden

My Shaikh, Hazrat Maulana Shah Hakeem Muhammad Akhtar Sahib related the following incident,

“My Shaikh, Hazrat Maulana Shah Abrar-ul-Haq Sahib (RA) became very upset with me on a certain issue while I was visiting him in Hardoi (a town in U.P. Inida). After some time had passed, he called me and said the following words, “A Shaikh is like a gardener, a land scape artist who does not approve of any uneven, or disconnected, or asymmetrical branch. The gardener will cut, or trim, or prune whatever is needed till the garden is up to par with the standards of beauty which exist for perfect gardens. The gardener will continue to do so till he is satisfied that now his garden has reached its pinnacle of perfection and has no doubts regarding this.

The Shaikh also desires that this high standard be maintained for his mureeds with this in mind that even though I am unworthy, I do not want to see any of my mureeds being unworthy.”

My Shaikh, Hazrat Hakeem Akhtar Sahib (DB) continued saying, “When Hazrat (Maulana Abrar-ul-Haq Sahib (RA)) said these words, I started to cry.” He then continued to say, “The Shaikh thinks with this in mind that my mureeds must become better than the Shaikh. Their conduct and character should be upright and free from any blemishes. That way, whoever looks at them (my mureeds) will be intoxicated with ecstasy because of the mureed’s exellence.”

–Mawaahib-e-Rabbaaniyah pg. 135-136

From the above we can see the attitude that our Shaikhs have. They only want what is best for us. If they at times are harsh, or even scold us, it is only because they want us to excel. But not only that, they want us to surpass them even. They want us to be better than them. This shows us the level of selflessness they have, and their extreme humbleness and humility, and their sincerity. No one on earth would want anyone to surpass them, but our Shaikhs are the only ones who desire this for us. Otherwise, everyone else in every other profession is caught up with themselves trying to be at the top. The above episode shows us the attitude and conduct a Shaikh should have, but it also demonstrates how a proper mureed should be as well. I make dua’ that Allah give us the taufeeq to value our Shaikhs and to instill within us these very same qualities. Aameen!

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