Dear Steve-A COLLECTION OF ANECDOTES ABOUT THE SAINTS

8/8/2019 Dear Steve-A COLLECTION OF ANECDOTES ABOUT THE SAINTS

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Dear Steve

A COLLECTION OF ANECDOTES ABOUT THE SAINTS

Author:

Dr. Ismaiel Mangera

Published by: Darul Uloom Ilahiya

http://islamkashmir.org/publications

Hadith

The reward of deeds depends upon the intentions and every person will get

the reward according to what he has intended. So whoever emigrated for

worldly benefits or for a woman to marry, his emigration was for what he

emigrated for.

(Bukhari 1:1)

Chapter No.:

1

Bismihi Ta'ala

After the WTC bombings there has been a tremendous interest in Islam among

the non-Muslims. It is reported that literature on Islam and copies of the

Qur'an Shareef in many countries were completely sold out and it was difficultto keep up with the increased demand for Islamic literature.

It is definitely a healthy sign that non-Muslims should have a fresh look at

Islam and Muslims. This should be an unbiased appraisal, without pre-

conceived ideas, and with a heart that is open to Truth.


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The most important quality that the non-Muslim should have is sincerity - a

sincere desire to search for the Truth should be the motivating force. Without

this important ingredient the "interest" in Islam may not produce the

important result of arriving at Truth.

Some problems in trying to explain Islam to a westerner are the following:there is the westerner who is looking for something exotic, something

unusual, something that is "different". The materialistic life of the westerner

is basically an empty life. Therefore, as a hobby, something exotic is studied

as a past-time, in the hope of filling this emptiness in him. Buddhism, Yoga

and different types of meditational programs have an appeal to this type of

person. He is looking for something similar in Tasawwuf. He is not in search of

the Truth, but in search of some recreational activity. Very often, something

that he can wear on his sleeve to show his social circle of friends.

Then, there are others are out for "kicks". They are in search of something

unusual that will give their empty souls a "kick". Where the teenager will goseek this in music and drugs, the older person searches for this in the cultures

of other nations, usually those that they consider to be "primitive".

Then there are the Orientalists. These are non-Muslims who study Islam as an

academic subject. They usually write academic articles which are published

in academic journals. Their purpose, in the main, is to study Islam with a view

of finding fault with it, or to lead others away from Islam by giving a distorted

picture of Islam. They find cushy jobs in universities and colleges and have

ample funds and grants to "research" Islam. This is all part of an ongoing

attack on Islam from the west. Of course, even if they know that Islam is the

Truth - which they must all know if they have studied Islam with an open,unbiased mind - they will never come into the fold of Islam. Who is prepared to

sacrifice his job and all the associated benefits in the form of prestige, grants,

invitations to conferences - all expenses paid - and a host of other fringe

benefits? That their knowledge is merely theoretical is quite obvious.

Professor A Doi (R.A.) put it very nicely when he said that you will find the

Orientalist sitting at his desk with the Qur'an in front of him, writing a

commentary of his own on some topic in the Qur'an, and in his hand will be a

ham sandwich and in front of him will be his whisky! That is, he professes to

have some in-depth knowledge of the Qur'an, so much so that he is writing a

paper or thesis on a particular aspect , but the reality of the teachings of the

Qur'an has escaped him in that he does not abstain from the simple forbidden

(haraam) items like pork and alcohol!

The Orientalist, as well as those non-Muslims who pride themselves on their

knowledge of Islam - but who have not accepted Islam - are described in the

Qur'an Shareef as follows, where reference is made to the scholars of the

Torah:


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Surah 62. Jumu'ah. Verse: 5

The likeness of those who are entrusted with the Law of Moses, yet apply it

not, is as the likeness of the ass carrying books. Wretched is the likeness of

folk who deny the revelations of Allah. And Allah guideth not wrongdoing folk.

Looking through some old e-mails, I came across a series of e-mails I had sent

to a person in America. "Steve" - this is not his real name - had shown some

interest in Tasawwuf and wanted to know more about the subject. Being a

very busy professional, he had stated that he did not have the time to wade

through lengthy articles or books. Were there no brief articles explaining

Tasawwuf?

The one problem is that Tasawwuf is not a subject that can be explained

briefly to an outsider, even though the person may be a Muslim, and especially

more so if the person is a non-Muslim. The other problem is that the non-

Muslim has a typical "western" approach which is not conducive to explainingan intricate subject like Tasawwuf. The westerner feels that a subject has to

be studied academically and then judged on its merits and then utilised to the

extent of interest in the subject. Although this approach may be adequate for

material and worldly subjects, it does not lend to understanding Tasawwuf as

Tasawwuf has to be understood. We thus find that non-Muslims may have

studied Tasawwuf and written huge tracts on the subject of Tasawwuf - and

some of the writings may be very in-depth and accurate - yet the authors

appear to have missed the essence of Tasawwuf completely.

It is not our contention that "Steve" fits into any of the categories of non-

Muslims listed in the beginning. Working on the premise that "Steve" wasgenuinely interested in Tasawwuf, not for any of the reasons outlined above,

but for the sole purpose of getting closer to the Creator, we thought it would

be a good exercise on our side to send some short anecdotes to him by e-mail

and add some comments to these anecdotes. This would give some insight

into Tasawwuf, but not necessarily explain the subject as in a textbook.

Initially, "Steve" was sent a copy of Mohammed Picthall's translation of the

Qur'an (without the Arabic) and a brief note was sent to him. (The note is

reproduced hereunder.) The interest that "Steve" showed in Tasawwuf and the

e-mails sent to him took place long before September 11th 2001.

It is hoped that, Insha-Allah, the reader may benefit from the series of

anecdotes that were sent to "Steve".

Bismihi Ta'ala

Dear "Steve",


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Knowing that you have an extremely busy schedule, I have not sent you the

copy of the translation of the Qur'an to extract any promises from you, but

merely to point out the road ahead. If you can avoid the traps and plots of your

enemies, then I have no doubt that you will definitely reach your (spiritual)

destination. Who are these enemies that I am speaking of? Man has only two

real enemies: these are Nafs and Shaytan.

You may or may not know about these two enemies, but let me pen down a

few lines about them, in any case.

Nafs:

This is that force in each and every individual and which looks after the well

being of the body. The ego is part of the nafs. The instincts are part of the

nafs. In other words, the nafs has similar qualities that all the creatures in the

animal kingdom have. The desire for food, for drink, for shelter and protection

from the cold and the heat, etc., etc., all arise from the nafs. So, why label thenafs as an enemy? The reason is that all the demands of the nafs are not in

accordance with the rules laid down by one's Creator. A simple example is the

following: When one's bladder is full there is a desire to urinate. One's

instincts inform one that the bladder has to be emptied. The nafs then creates

a demand on the mind/intellect to empty the bladder. Well and good. Now, if

one goes to the toilet and follows the laws of hygiene, modesty and decorum

that the Almighty has laid down, then the nafs is obedient and disciplined.

This disciplined nafs is not an enemy, but like a horse or a vehicle, it is a

means of taking us to our destination. (Our destination is a point in one's

spiritual journey, which can be summarised as attaining the Pleasure of one's

Creator all the time.) Take another situation: Instead of going to the toilet, aperson exposes himself in public and empties his bladder in the supermarket,

or the lounge of his home, it is obvious that this is not what the Almighty

wants from this person. It has made him behave like an animal in that it has

made the person follow his instincts without taking into account all the other

social and religious factors. In this instance the nafs is his enemy - it has

reduced him to the level of an animal. It should be noted that this control of

the bladder and observing the laws of hygiene and modesty do not come

naturally to people, but are learnt behaviours through toilet-training.

It follows that the disciplined nafs has to be trained. This, in turn, entails

having a set of rules, and, secondly having a guide /instructor to train one.

Further, it goes without saying that the rules/laws revealed to us by our

Creator are superior to any man-made systems.

Shaytan


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Shaytan (Satan/ The Devil) is not a fictitious character, but is a real entity that

was created by the Almighty. He has been given some special qualities which

Man does not have: Shaytan has been given a long life that will come to an

end on the Day of Judgement; he is invisible to Man; he can change forms; he

can course through the blood vessels of Man; etc.

Shaytan's objective is to divert Man from the Truth. Shaytan either tries to

make Man disbelieve in his Creator, or tries to involve Man in sin, or gets him

involved in some sort of distorted form of activities in the guise of worship; or

gets him involved in useless past-times; or allows him to do a lesser good,

thus preventing him from a greater good. There are many other aspects of

Shaytan's tricks and traps, which are so numerous that the scholars can not

possibly list them all.

It would seem that it is impossible to prevent oneself from falling into

Shaytan's clutches in some manner or other, however, this is not necessarily

so. One of the duties of the Spiritual Guide (Sheikh) is to assist the Seeker ofTruth to avoid Shaytan's scheming. This the Sheikh does with that inner sense

of wisdom that the Almighty has blessed him with. With this inner illumination

he can fathom what others cannot.

One can see that Shaytan does not bother about that person not on the

Straight Path. Those who are astray do not need Shaytan to mislead them -

they are already misled! Shaytan tries his utmost to stop the Seeker of Truth

from getting to his destination. Every step of the Seeker is fraught with

danger. It would not be an exaggeration to say that the Seeker has to tread as

carefully as that person walking on a tightrope does!

Anybody trying to get to his destination successfully is in dire need of a Guide.

Anybody who feels he can do it alone is a victim of Shaytan's trap!

You, in your capacity of a guide, should be able to understand this better than

anybody else. Take this illustration:

Somebody wants to undertake a journey into unknown territory. He has never

been on this journey before. He has no guide. All he has are some outdated

guidebooks, not factual, full of errors, with a lot of information based on myth

and hearsay in them, with much of the remaining factual information in these

books having being skillfully distorted to give an impression of authenticity.

This person is also warned that there are enemies who will try to stop him.

However, he does not know what forms the enemy will take. He is not aware

that the enemy may come as a friend. He has absolutely no idea how to

recognise the enemy, how to confront the enemy, or how to avoid the enemy.

He is not aware where his destination is! He has some vague idea about it, but

he is not fully aware of what to look for to see if he has arrived at his


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destination or not. He is not aware of the difference between a temporary

resting place and his true destination. Etc., etc.

How on earth is he going to reach his true destination? You will agree that

this will be impossible, especially when he chooses to ignore the advice of

those who had already made the journey and who are in a position to guideothers as well.

Who to choose as a guide? From your own past experiences, together with

what you have read - which must include a study of the Qur'an (Koran) - you

should have a very good idea of who is on the True Path. Together with this it

is essential to pray fervently to one's Creator for help and guidance. After all,

one's destination is to Him. Without His help one is completely lost. Appealing

to Him sincerely must produce results. He does not turn any of His creation

away, provided that they are sincere and are prepared to make the necessary

sacrifices to gain His pleasure.

Here now follows the actual e-mails sent to "Steve".

Dear "Steve",

Your reply has been received. I have been thinking about the most appropriate

matter to send to you in the context of you reply. The following you have

already:

1) What Tasawwuf is. (I prefer the term Tasawwuf to "Sufyism" which Iconsider to be a misnomer and very misleading.) This is explained in the book

"Good Character" and the various articles sent to you.

2) The method the beginner has to adopt to follow the program in Tasawwuf.

This appears in the booklet "For Friends" Number One.

3) A very detailed explanation of Tasawwuf and related subjects can be found

in the works of Imam Ghazali (R.A.), especially his "Ihya Ulumuddin". However,

he has written several volumes of very complicated treatises on this subject

and it is out of the question for you to study these with your full program and

limited time.

4) Imam Ghazali (R.A.), has summarised his works in the pamphlet I sent to

you, "The Way Of The Worshippers", wherein he describes the journey of

Tasawwuf to comprise of crossing Seven Valleys.

5) The Truth is to be found in the Qur'an, of which you do have a translation.


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Going through these works you should have a very good idea of what

Tasawwuf is. However, there is a difference between having information and

having knowledge. There is a vast difference between the two. One person

may have read about your excursions. Another may not have read anything but

has accompanied you on your journeys. The former will be said to have

information. The latter will be said to have knowledge. Similarly withTasawwuf.

What I, therefore, intend doing - the Almighty willing - is to send you short

articles that may have interesting aspects to them.

Of course, the reality of Tasawwuf will only come the moment the Almighty

instils in the heart that Light that will dispel the darkness of "Ignorance".

("Ignorance" - i.e Jaahaliyah - is that state in which the individual is still

searching for guidance and veils of darkness still cover the heart, and the

special illumination from the Almighty has not as yet removed the veils to

unveil the Realities of His Attributes.)

Should you have any queries do not hesitate to put them forward. In fact,

questions from your side will assist me a great deal in selecting the right

material to send to you.

Dear "Steve",

This is the first attempt to e-mail you what I had in mind. Below is a story that

has some lessons in it. I have added a few comments.

A man found a cocoon of a butterfly. One day a small opening appeared. He

sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its

body through that little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It

appeared as if it had protruded as far as it could, and it could go no further. So

the man decided to help the butterfly. He took a pair of scissors and snipped

off the remaining bit of the cocoon. The butterfly then emerged easily. But it

had a swollen body and small, shrivelled wings. The man continued to watch

the butterfly because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would

enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract in

time. Neither happened! In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling

around with a swollen body and shrivelled wings. It never was able to fly.

What the man, in his kindness and haste, did not understand was that the

restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through

the tiny opening were Allah's way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly

into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom

from the cocoon. Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our lives.

If Allah allowed us to go through our lives without any obstacles, it would


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cripple us. We would not be as strong as what we could have been. We could

never "fly"!

Comments:

1. The obvious lesson is that the Almighty has a reason for whatever He does.Man, with his puny mind, cannot fully fathom His wisdom. Occasionally, man

will get an inkling of what is going on.

2. The second lesson is as explained above, that we should look at our own

difficulties and struggles in the same light - that there is some wisdom in what

happens to us.

3. The lesson that the Sufi would try and derive is to try to get to know the

Almighty better. Getting closer to the Almighty entails getting to know Him

better. The more one can discern His plans, the greater the gnosis and the

greater the inner joy.

4. The Sufi goes one step further. With each new discovery he makes he tries

to approach even closer to the Almighty. This can only be achieved by being

more obedient to Him. The more obedient he becomes, the greater the

knowledge that the Almighty reveals to him, increasing him in his gnosis.

Dear "Steve",

Sending you another story. It also shows an amazing incident in "nature". Mycomments are appended at the end.

There was once a notorious robber among the Kurds (the name of a tribe in

the Middle East). He narrates his own story: "Once I was going with my gang

of robbers with the intention of a dacoity (robbery). We stopped to take a rest

at a place where we saw three date palms, of which two were laden with fruit

but the third was dry and barren.

"Time and again, a sparrow came to one of the green trees, took some fresh

dates in its beak and flew across to the dry palm. We were greatly surprised.

After I had counted ten trips of the bird, it occurred to me that I should climb

the tree and see what it was doing with the dates.

"I climbed up to the top of the palm tree and saw a blind snake lying there

with its mouth wide open: the sparrow had been putting fresh dates into the

mouth of the blind snake. The sight (of a sparrow feeding a blind snake)

awakened my conscience and I was moved to tears. I cried unto Allah Ta'ala,

O Allah! When this snake, which Your Rasul (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) has


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commanded us to kill, became blind, you appointed a sparrow to provide

sustenance for it. And I, who am Your slave, believer in Tawheed (belief in One

Deity), have been destined to loot the people.' At this, I heard a voice speaking

to me, from within my heart, thus: The door towards repentance is open to

everybody, at all times.' Instantly I broke the sword with which I used to rob

the people and (in the frenzy of remorse) began to throw dust on my head. Iwept and cried unto Allah, Forgive me, O Lord!'

"A Voice from the Unseen whispered in my heart, We have forgiven you! We

have forgiven you!' After a short while, I rejoined my companions. They

wanted to know what had happened to me. I said, I was led astray and was

estranged from My Lord. Now I have made peace with Him.' And I told them

the whole story. They said, We also will make peace with our Lord', and they

broke their swords, too. We abandoned all our looted property there, put on

Ihraam' (the white garb of a pilgrim) and set out to Makkah for Hajj." ["Virtues

Of Sadaqah"]

Comments:

Reflection/ meditation on the wonders of "nature", form an important part of

the program the Sufi has to follow. "Nature" is a very loose term. To the Sufi

everything that exists is the creation of the Creator (Allah). Thus "nature" is

the scheme that the Almighty has placed in operation for the running of the

universe.

This meditation allows the Sufi to come to know the Creator better. Just like

an author portrays himself in his works and a painter reflects himself in his

paintings, similarly the Sufi "sees" the Almighty in His creation.

Both this and the previous anecdote show the importance of studying "nature"

and reflecting on it. This is a means of strengthening one's belief in the

Almighty. (As you can see, I avoid use of the word God' as different people

have their own definitions of who God' is. The term Allah' denotes a very

strict monotheistic Being, the Creator of the universe, One Who has no son,

family, etc.)

This anecdote differs from the previous one in that the observer of this

wondrous phenomenon goes on to reflect on his own weaknesses in relation

to the Mercy that the Almighty was showing to the blind snake. He thus

changed his ways.

The Sufi is always doing this. At all times he reflects on his own deficiencies,

knowing that he is far from the Creator, and the only way to get closer to Him

is by correcting himself and removing his deficiencies.


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The above is a major difference with other groups who also have a programme

of meditation. Meditation for the sake of meditation is a ploy of Shaytan to

mislead the seeker into thinking that he is getting closer to the Creator.

Closeness to the Creator is achieved only when the seeker turns to the

Almighty in repentance and changes his ways.

Dear "Steve",

The following anecdote is an adaptation of one of the stories of Rumi (R.A.):

Once an ant saw an artist draw a beautiful sketch on paper with his pen and

pencil.

An ant said in admiration, "What beautiful figures!"

Another ant came and said, "It is the pen that has to be praised. It is the pen

that is making those beautiful figures."

Another ant came and said, "That pen is held in the fingers, so the fingers are

creating those wonderful figures. The pen is merely its instrument."

A fourth ant remarked, "Don't you see the arm? These control the fingers

which merely carry out the actions through the power of the arm."

The dispute was referred to the queen of ants and she said, "These figures do

not proceed from the pen, the fingers or the arm. These proceed from themind. The mind controls all these."

COMMENTS

The first ant is like those scientists who see only as far as their noses and are

not prepared to consider anything that exists beyond that.

The other ants represent those that can see a bit more, but are still deprived

of Reality.

The queen ant appears to be the most correct in her assessment. But is she?

There is a higher level of understanding: to realise that the mind of the artist

is also controlled. This control is by the Hand of the Almighty. He is in control

of everything. He gave the understanding and intelligence to the artist to be

able to uses his senses and talent to draw the figures.


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The Sufi's gaze falls not on the superficial and the outer trimmings of a

situation - he is more concerned about the Ultimate Reality, the Almighty, and

is not distracted by the external appearances of a situation.

You will notice that in most of the anecdotes related by the Sufis the central

theme of Monotheism is alluded to and reinforced time and again. At thisstage you should be introduced to a very important technical term. The term is

"TAWHEED". It means monotheism in the strict sense that Islam teaches:

Belief in One Creator, Who has no partners, family, etc. He is perfect in all His

Attributes. This means that He is faultless in all His qualities. Tawheed also

implies implicit belief in His commands for mankind and that these laws were

brought to mankind by specially chosen people, whom we refer to as

Messengers (Rasools). These were Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, and a whole

line of Messengers till the final Messenger, Muhammed (Peace be on all of

them). Anyone who has a firm belief in this Tawheed, believing in it with his

heart and testifying to it verbally, will be said to have submitted to his

Creator. The technical term for this person will be "Muslim" - one whosubmits. This will be so irrespective of the age in which he lived.

A Sufi cannot be a Sufi if he does not subscribe to this Tawheed. The talks of

the Sufis will thus include anecdotes referring to these Messengers as well as

the final Messenger, as part of their firm conviction in Tawheed. The following

anecdote was related to us by our sheikh:

Those who brought faith at the hands of Hadhrat Musa (AS) [Moses] and

recited " " [There is no deity worthy of worship; and

Moses is the Messenger of Allah.] were punished harshly by Fir'oun [Pharaoh].

He went to this length that he took a large cauldron, filled it with oil, placed iton a huge fire and hurled one who had brought iman [faith] into the boiling oil.

Hadhrat Jibril (AS) [Gabriel] immediately took him out. Fir'oun hurled him in

again. Hadhrat Jibril (AS) lifted him out again. Three times this happened.

Finally, this person, intoxicated with iman, turned to Hadhrat Musa (AS) and

said, "Janab! [Sir!] Please make du'a [supplicate] to Allah Ta'ala that He

should not take me out of the cauldron. For me it is much better that I

sacrifice my life for Islam on this Kalimah [faith] than undergo this difficulty."

Hadhrat Musa (AS) made du'a on his behalf. Fir'oun again hurled him into the

cauldron.

This time this sinless Ashiq [lover] of Allah Ta'ala was scalded by the oil into a

formless piece of charcoal. Hadhrat Jibril (AS) came to Hadhrat Musa (AS) and

said, "O Musa! Allah Ta'ala has also increased your reward and blessed him

also with an excellent reward! At the time all the doors of Jannat [Paradise]

were opened for his ruh [soul] to enter!"


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["The Reality Of Tawheed" by Hadhrat Maulana Maseehulah Khan Sahib (R.A.)]

Anecdotes like these fill the Sufi heart with fervour because it demonstrates

such a passionate love for one's Creator, that sacrificing one's life is

considered worthwhile in order to be able to meet Him!

Dear "Steve",

Your previous comment to go a bit deeper' prompts me to write the following:

The theoretical aspects of Tasawwuf have being discussed in great depth by

Imam Ghazali (Rahmatullaah Alayh) in his voluminous book "Ihya Uloom-ud-

Deen". I am certain you are not interested in this theoretical treatise, but that

you are more interested in the practical aspects of Tasawwuf. It is important

to know that the whole of Tasawwuf is based on the concept of Tawheed andRisalat, as explained previously. What is outside of these two is not

Tasawwuf. The depth of Tasawwuf is to delve deeper into these two aspects.

The object of Tasawwuf is to earn the pleasure of the Almighty. This means

complete submission to Him. Complete submission means to be obedient to

Him and to follow His Messenger (i.e. Muhammed [sallallaahu-alaihi-wasallam

- peace and blessings be on him]).

Imam Ghazali (Rahmatullaah Alayh) himself has described the journey the

Seeker has to undertake. I have posted the pamphlet to you previously,

however, I will reproduce the necessary segments again.

The Seven Valleys

Know, my brethren, that worship is the fruit of knowledge, the benefit of life

and the capital of virtues. It is the aim and object of men of noble aspirations

to have keen inward sight. It is their summum bonum and their everlasting

Paradise. "I am your Creator," says the Holy Qur'an. "Worship Me, You will

have your recompense and your efforts will be rewarded."

Worship, then, is essential for man but it is beset with difficulties and

hardships. It has stumbling blocks and pitfalls in its tortuous path which is

haunted by cut-throats and goblins, while helpers are scarce and friends are

few. But this path of worship must be dangerous, for says the Prophet (on

whom be peace and blessings), "Paradise is surrounded and covered by

tribulations, while Hell abounds in ease and free enjoyment of passions." Poor

man! He is weak, his engagements are heavy, times are hard and life is short.

But the journey from here to the hereafter being unavoidable, if he neglects


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taking necessary provisions, he is sure to perish. Ponder over the gravity of

the situation and the seriousness of our condition. By Allah, our lot is pitiable

indeed, for many are called but few are chosen.

When I found the path of worship so difficult and dangerous, I composed

certain works, chiefly 'lhya Uloom-ud-Deen' in which I pointed out the waysand means of surmounting those difficulties, facing the dangers boldly and

crossing the path with success. But certain persons, looking to the outward

expressions of my work, failed to understand the meaning and purpose of it

and not only rejected the book but treated it in a manner unbecoming of a

Muslim. But I was not disheartened, for there were persons who used to

ridicule the Holy Qur'an calling it "The Stories of the Ancients". Nor was I

offended, for I felt pity on them for they know not what they were doing to

themselves. I hate disputations now but I must do something for them. So out

of compassion for my brethren, I prayed to Allah to enlighten me on the

subject in a new manner.

Listen, then, and know that the first prerequisite which awakens man from the

lethargy of forgetfulness and turns him towards the path, is Allah's grace

which stirs the mind to meditate thus: "I am the recipient of many gifts - life,

power, reason, speech - and I find myself mysteriously protected from many

troubles and evils. Who is my Benefactor? Who is my Helper? I must be

grateful to Him in a fitting manner otherwise the gifts will be taken away and I

shall be undone. These gifts reveal their purpose like tools in the hands of an

artisan and the world appears to me like a beautiful picture leading my

thoughts towards the painter."

i. The Valley ofKnowledge

The soliloquy takes him to the Valley ofKnowledge where implicit faith in the

Divine Messenger leads the way and tells him:

The Benefactor is that One Being who has no associate with Him. He is thy

Creator who is omni-present though unseen, whose Commandments must be

obeyed, both inwardly and outwardly. He has so ordained that the good shall

be rewarded and the wicked punished. The choice is now thine, for thou art

responsible for thy actions. Acquire knowledge under God-fearing Ulema

(Scholars) with a conviction that knows no wavering.

When the Valley ofKnowledge is crossed man prepares for worship, but his

guilty conscience upbraids him saying, "Canst thou knock at the door of the

Sanctuary? Away with thy pollutious abominations'"


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ii. The Valley of Repentance

The poor sinner falls down in the Valley of Repentance when a voice is heard,

"Repent, repent! For thy Lord is forgiving." Now he takes heart and rising with

joy proceeds further.

Imam Ghazali goes on to describe the other five valleys that the Seeker has to

cross. Describing these valleys will serve no purpose because travelling

through these valleys one encounters such experiences which will make

sense only to the person travelling through them.

At this point I will relate an anecdote that demonstrates the beginning of the

path of Tasawwuf: this anecdote has been described by Imam Ghazali in his

'lhya Uloom-ud-Deen'.

It is related in Ihya Uloom-ud-Deen that they are was a pious man among the

Israelites, who always remained busy in the worship of Allah. A group ofpeople came to him and told him that a tribe living nearby worshipped a tree.

The news upset him and, with an axe on his shoulder, he went to cut down

that tree.

On the way Shaytan met him in the form of an old man and asked him where

he was going. He replied that he was going to cut down a particular tree.

Shaytan said, "The tree does not concern you. You better keep your mind on

your worship and do not give it up for the sake of something that does not

concern you."

"This is also worship," retorted the worshipper. Then Shaytan tried to preventhim from cutting the tree, and there followed a bout between the two, in

which the worshipper overpowered Shaytan. Finding himself completely

helpless, Shaytan begged to be excused, and when the worshipper released

him, he again said, "Allah has not made the cutting of this tree obligatory on

you. You do not lose anything if you do not cut it. If it's cutting was necessary,

Allah would have got it done through one of his Messengers."

The worshipper insisted on cutting the tree. There was again a bout between

the two and again the worshipper overpowered Shaytan.

"Well, listen," said Shaytan, "I propose a settlement that will be to your

advantage." The worshipper agreed and Shaytan said, "You are a poor man, a

mere burden on this earth. If you desist from the act, I will pay you three gold

coins everyday. You will daily find them lying under your pillow. With this

money you can fulfil your own needs, oblige your relatives, help the needy and

do so many other virtuous leads. Cutting this tree will only be one virtue,

which ultimately will be of no use because the people will merely grow

another tree."


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This proposal appealed to the worshipper and he accepted it. He found the

money on two successive days, but on the third day he found nothing. This

enraged the worshipper and he picked up his axe and went to cut the tree.

The old man again met him on the way and asked him where he was he going.

"To cut the tree," shouted the worshipper. "I will not let you do it," saidShaytan.

An encounter ensued between the two of them and this time Shaytan had the

upper hand and overpowered the worshipper. The latter was surprised at his

own defeat and asked Shaytan the cause of his success. Shaytan replied, "At

first your anger was purely for earning the pleasure of Allah and therefore

Almighty Allah helped you overpower me, but now it has been partly for the

sake of those gold coins and, therefore, you lost."

COMMENTS.

This is the first quality that the Seeker has to acquire once he has entered the

Valley of Monotheism (Tawheed). He has to develop a very pure sincerity. We

can see from the story above that Shaytan will try and prevent the Seeker

from reaching his goal. The need for a guide is obvious.

As long as one is sincere, Shaytan cannot overpower one. The moment this

sincerity leaves, Shaytan leads one astray.

The schemes of Shaytan do not vary very much: he attempts with wealth,fame, the opposite sex. Shaytan will try to involve the Seeker in some sin or

other.

Dear "Steve",

Going a bit deeper into the question of "sincerity". This is an absolute value

that the Seeker (Talib) has to develop. Once attained, this will cause him to

progress, provided he is not misled by Shaytan into other avenues, as seen in

the previous anecdote. The intention behind any action is vital in developing

sincerity. The intention should be that Allah is pleased with one. This is tricky,

for every person on earth thinks that the Almighty is happy with his actions,

even idol worshippers think so!

Here follows a short anecdote to illustrate the importance of one's intention.

(Taken from Tabligh ud-Din by Imam Ghazali):


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It was the period of the Bani Israel - i.e. during the period of one of the

Messengers that came after Hadhrat Masa (A.S.) [Moses]. There was a severe

drought and associated hunger in the land. One pious person was travelling

somewhere and he saw a sand-hill in the distance. He told himself, "If this

heap of sand can be converted to grain, I will distribute all the grain to the

needy!"

The Almighty knows the thoughts going through our minds. He instructed the

Messenger of the time to relay the good news to this person that Allah Ta'ala

had accepted his sincere intention and he will be rewarded with such a

reward as if he had actually distributed so much grain in charity to the

destitute!

COMMENTS:

Sincerity means to have a pure intention in one's heart, without any material

or ulterior motive. This was illustrated in the anecdote narrated last time

about the person wanting to cut down the tree people were worshipping.

"Pure intention" in turn, means that one wants to please the Almighty (Allah).

This, in turn, implies that one should seek out that knowledge that will enable

one to recognise what the Almighty wants from us and what pleases Him.

This, in turn, implies that one should turn to those authentic Scriptures which

He had sent down to us for our guidance.

N.B. Our definition of "sincerity" differs from that of the West. The Western

concept of sincerity is to be "free from deceit/ to be frank." (Oxford

dictionary). This does not make sense to us in the context of our definition of

sincerity. For example: If a person wholeheartedly and frankly and genuinely,

without telling any lies, robs a bank then he is sincere! If he does it half-

heartedly, telling a lie that he just wants to borrow some money, then he is

insincere!

Our definition of "sincerity" is to be obedient to the Almighty, whether one

does so whole-heartedly or not! For example: The Almighty wants us to pray

five times a day, fast in the month of Ramadhan, give charity (zakaat) and go

for pilgrimage to Makkah. Take it that a person does not want to do any of

these, but he forces himself because he realises that this is what the Almighty

wants from him, he will still be considered to be sincere and not a hypocrite.

The reason is quite simple: Within our definition, he is doing something that

Allah has ordered him to do. He is doing it out of respect for the Law


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Take another example: A person is in a hurry. The traffic light is red. There is

no other traffic and he could easily slip across against the red light, but he

does not do so. The respect for the law prevents him. He will be considered to

be a law-abiding citizen, even though he may be very unhappy at having to

stop and be late for his appointment.

Dear "Steve",

Another anecdote, still dealing with the topic of sincerity ("ikhlaas"). This

episode has an interesting twist to it!

Abu Hurairah (R.A.) narrates that Muhammed Rasulullah (Sallallahu alaihi

wasallam) said, "A man from the Bani Israel decided to give Sadaqah

(monetary charity) quietly at night. He took it and placed it in a person's hand.

In the morning, people started talking and saying, Last night, Sadaqah wasgiven to a thief!' The man said, O Allah, to Thee be praise! I gave it to a thief! I

could do nothing if it had been given to a worse person.' He decided to give

Sadaqah again on the following night and put it in the hands of a woman - he

might have thought that a woman would not be a thief. In the morning the

people were talking and saying, Sadaqah was given to a prostitute last night.'

The man said, O Allah, to Thee be praise! I gave it to a prostitute! My property

deserved worse than that.' He decided to give Sadaqah a third time on the

following night and placed it in the hands of an unknown person. In the

morning, the people were talking and saying, Last night, Sadaqah was given

to a rich man.' The man said, O Allah, to Thee be praise! I gave it to a thief, a

prostitute and a rich man!' He then had a dream in which he was told that hisSadaqah had been accepted. It was given providentially to a thief so that it

might result in his refraining from stealing; to a prostitute so that she might

repent of her immorality and to the rich man to teach a lesson - so that he may

spend out of that which Allah Ta'ala had given him, following the example of

the pious who gave Sadaqah, unnoticed.

Note: In another Hadith this story has been narrated differently. It may be a

separate one as there are, in fact, a number of similar stories, leaving no

cause for confusion. If the other one relates to the same case, it clarifies and

confirms the original story. Ta'oos (R.A.) says that a man took a vow to give

Sadaqah to the first person he saw in the locality. It so happened that he saw

a woman, to whom he gave the Sadaqah. People said that she was an

unchaste woman; then he gave Sadaqah to a man whom he saw next. The

people said that the recipient was the worst type of man. He then gave more

Sadaqah to the next one he saw. People said a rich man had received

Sadaqah.


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The giver of Sadaqah was most distressed over these happenings. At night he

dreamt that all the three acts of Sadaqah had been accepted by Allah Ta'ala.

He was told, "The woman was a prostitute, but she had adopted the

profession due to poverty; your Sadaqah has made her give up the evil

business. The thief also stole to overcome his poverty; he gave up stealing

after receiving your Sadaqah. The third person was a rich man but never gaveanything as Sadaqah. Your Sadaqah served as a lesson that, though he was

richer than you, you gave Sadaqah to him; it made him realise that he should

give more as Sadaqah than you; he now gives Sadaqah regularly".

It is clear from this Hadith that if Sadaqah is given with sincerity, but happens

to be misplaced, that also serves a Divine purpose and should not be

regretted. Man's responsibility is to keep his intentions pure, as the real

requirement is good intention and action. This Hadith also brings out the piety

of the man giving Sadaqah, for, though the results seemed to be wrong,

despite his repeated efforts, he did not stop giving Sadaqah. Due to his pure

intention and sincerity, all three were ultimately blessed with acceptance,which was revealed to him in his dream. ["Virtues of Sadaqah"]

COMMENTS:

This anecdote is self-explanatory. I do not think I can add anything to it.

Dear "Steve",

Received your e-mail in response to the previous anecdote. Hereunder is a

poem that is also very consoling to those involved in serving others with

complete sincerity. I first read it while I was at school:

ABOU BEN ADHEM

Abou Ben Adhem (may his tribe increase!)

Awoke one night from a deep dream of peace,

And saw, within the moonlight in his room,

Making it rich, and like a lily in bloom,

An angel writing in a book of gold.

Exceeding peace had made Ben Adhem bold,


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And to the presence in the room he said,

"What writest thou?" The vision raised its head,

And with a look made of all sweet accord,

Answered; "The names of those who love the Lord."

"And is mine one?" said Abou. "Nay, not so,"

Replied the angel. Abou spoke more low,

But cheerily still; and said: "I pray thee, then,

Write me as one that loves his fellow men,"

The angel wrote, and vanished. The next night

It came again with a great wakening light,

And showed the names whom love of God had blest,

And lo! - Ben Adhem's name led all the rest.

LEIGH HUNT -1834

COMMENTS:

1. Sincerity must of necessity show results.

2. Humility is the cherry on top of sincerity.

3. The Almighty looks not at the results we get, but at the efforts we make.

4. Consoling as they may be, more consoling is to make direct contact with

the Almighty. This is achieved only by treading the Path of the Sufis. Other

paths lead to cul-de-sacs or plain deviation.

5. What I would suggest is that you take a look at the Qur'an. (I had sent you a

translation of the Qur'an some time back.) The method I suggest is the

following: Whenever faced with a problem, make a plea in your heart for

guidance to solve the problem. Then open the Qur'an at any page at random

and read. You will, (the Almighty willing), be very pleasantly surprised!


20/47

Dear "Steve",

Two anecdotes, still to do with charity (Sadaqah) and sincerity (Ikhlaas).

Anecdote One:

Abu Salmah (R.A.) has also reported Rasulullah (Sallallahu alaihi wasallam) as

saying, "Sadaqah does not reduce wealth, so do give Sadaqah". Sadaqah does

not reduce wealth' obviously means that the return for it promptly comes from

Allah Ta'ala. Habib Ajmi (R.A.) was a famous saint; his wife kneaded flour for

bread and went to the neighbour's house to bring a little fire. In the meantime

a beggar came and Habib Ajmi (R.A.) gave away the available flour to him.

When she returned with the fire and found the flour missing, she asked herhusband about it. He replied that it had been sent to be baked into bread. She

did not believe him and, on further questioning, he at last told her that he had

given it away as Sadaqah. She said, "Allah be glorified! You should have

known that there was no more flour in the house for the family to eat. What

are we going to do without it?" While she was talking, a man came in with a

large bowl full of meat and plenty of bread. She exclaimed, "How quickly the

bread has been baked, and the meat is an addition!"

Such incidents occur very often but, due to our lack of correct relationship

with Allah Ta'ala, we do not notice or realise how a certain thing came to us

as a blessing for something that we had spent. We usually take such things aschance happenings, whereas they are a return for what we have spent.

Anecdote Two:

Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihi wasallam) was pleased to say that an unchaste

woman was granted Divine pardon for a simple act: she saw a dog standing

beside a well with its tongue hanging out due to severe thirst, as if about to

die, so she took off her shoe, tied it to her shawl and lowered it into the well

to draw water, which she gave to the dog to drink. Someone asked Rasulullah

(Sallallahu alaihi wasallam) whether they would receive reward for being kind

to the animals. The reply was that there was reward for being kind to any

living thing (Muslim or non-Muslim, man or animal).

Note: This is the story of a lewd woman from the Bani Israel, of which various

versions exist. (Kanz). A similar incident has also been narrated by Rasulullah

(Sallallahu alaihi wasallam) about a man who was traveling through a jungle.


21/47

He felt very thirsty and climbed down a well for a drink. When he climbed back

to the surface, he saw a thirsty dog rubbing its mouth in the mud, feeling

uneasy for want of water. The man realised that the dog was suffering from

thirst in the way he himself did before he had taken the drink of water. Finding

nothing with which to draw water, he took off his shoe and climbed down the

well, filled his shoe with water and climbed up, using both his hands andholding the shoe in his mouth, he gave the water to the dog to drink. Allah

Ta'ala graciously pardoned all his sins. ("Virtues of Sadaqah")

COMMENTS:

- The second anecdote deals with the spiritual benefit of sincerity and charity,

namely that one's sins are forgiven and the anger of the Almighty on us for our

transgressions, gets averted.

- The first episode deals with material benefit. Not all can see this. Only those

with their inner eyes focussed and sharpened will be able to detect this type

of "reward" for sincerity and charity.

- The recognition of the "inner eyes" is termed "ma'rifat" (gnosis). The degree

of gnosis will depend on the degree of progress along the Path of Tasawwuf.

- Those who are not true Sufis may also appear to have gnosis, but this is a

misconception. For example: An idol worshipper will conclude that the idol

that he is worshipping caused the result to flow from the action that preceded

it. A sun-worshipper will attribute the results to the sun he is worshipping, etc.

- Every good that a human being does is taken into account by the Almighty.

There is a difference between those who believe in Him as He should be

believed in and the Unbelievers. The former are rewarded in the hereafter and

may see the reward of their good actions in this world as well. The

Unbelievers are rewarded in this world only and not in the hereafter.

Dear "Steve",

Here is another anecdote about sincerity (Ikhlaas) and charity (Sadaqah). This

anecdote I have related several times to others. I am sure you will also find it

interesting.

It is said that the Sahabah (the Companions of Muhammed [Sallallahu alaihi

wasallam]) used to work as porters at night, to spend the earnings as

Sadaqah, and even whatever they had at home was used for the purpose of


22/47

Sadaqah. They utilised a bare minimum for their own needs under compulsion.

Once, when a person approached Ali (R.A) for a favour, he told Hasan - or

Hussain (R.A.) - his son - to ask his mother, Fatimah (R.A.), to give one Dirham

out of the six which he had given her to keep. The son returned with the reply

that he (Ali) had given those for purchasing flour. Ali (R.A.) said that no one is

sincere in his Imaan (Faith) unless his faith in what Allah Ta'ala has promisedis stronger than his belief in his worldly possessions, and told his son to ask

his mother to give all the six Dirhams. Fatimah (R.A.), who had hesitated

earlier only for the sake of reminding her husband of his original intention

before giving away the money as Sadaqah, at once handed the money to her

son for giving as Sadaqah, all of which Ali gave to the person. Ali (R.A.) had

not moved away from the place when a man arrived there with a camel for

sale. When Ali (R.A.) asked the man the price of the camel, he said it was

worth 140 Dirhams. Ali (R.A.) bought the camel, promising to pay the price a

little later. A short while later, another man came and asked Ali about the

owner of the camel. When Ali (R.A.) said that he himself was the owner, the

man asked if he wanted to sell the camel. Ali (R.A.), agreeing, indicated theprice as 200 Dirhams. The man took the camel and paid Ali (R.A.) 200 Dirhams,

out of which he paid the original owner 140 Dirhams and sent the remaining 60

Dirhams to his wife, Fatimah (R.A.), who asked him where the money came

from. Ali (R.A.) replied that Allah Ta'ala, through Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi

wasallam), has promised to give ten times the reward for every single virtuous

deed that is performed in this world.

This is yet another example of the Sahabah's spending out of their hard-

earned money. One had only six dirhams, which were meant to buy flour for

the family's food, but when his strong faith in Allah made him spend the whole

of that money for Allah's sake, it was repaid ten-fold, as the promised return in

this world. ["Virtues Of Sadaqah"]

COMMENTS:

- Cause and effect: Just as there is "cause and effect" in physics, so too there

is "cause and effect" in the spiritual realm.

- To recognise this phenomenon, one needs to develop one's "inner eye". This

is dependent on the degree of "ma'rifat" (gnosis), as mentioned previously.

- Sometimes Shaytan tries to mislead the Seeker by causing "miracles" to

happen. The ignorant are led to believe that they had reached a high degree of

spiritual elevation and attribute the so-called "miracles" to their "piety". They

are then diverted further and further away from their destination by other

tricks that Shaytan plays on them, even leading them to the brink of Hell. Eg.


23/47

A person may be duped into thinking that he is a Prophet of God. (Mirzah

Gulam Ahmed Qadiyan, is a classic example in recent times of one such

person who thought that he was Hadhrat Isa [Jesus] and, later, thought that

he was even more elevated than Hadhrat Isa or Muhammed, Sallallahu Alaihi

wasallam). Especially gullible are those who do not have an accomplished

sheikh (Sheikh-e-Kamil) to guide them.

Dear "Steve",

In a few days' time the month of Ramadhan will be upon us. Although all

Muslims look forward to this month, the Sufis especially yearn for this month

more than others. In this month of Ramadhan Muslims throughout the world

fast. That is, they do not eat or drink anything from before dawn to sunset.

Smokers are not allowed to smoke. Conjugal relations are forbidden during the

state of fasting.

The benefits of fasting are many, physical (health-wise) and spiritual. I am

sure that you are aware of these benefits, so I will not list them here. What I

wish to touch on are the spiritual benefits - these being the reasons for the

Sufis really appreciate this month of fasting than others. Before doing so, to

relate an anecdote that we heard from our Sheikh (R.A.):

A certain Sheikh had a number of disciples with him. One of the disciples he

favoured more than the others. The others became jealous and complained to

the Sheikh that they did not see why he favoured that one particularly and not

them as well. The Sheikh listened to them without comment. Some days laterhe summoned all his disciples and told them that he had a special task for all

of them. He needed some chickens slaughtered. He gave each a chicken to

slaughter, but laid down an important condition: Each had to slaughter the

chicken where he was not observed at all. They all had to be back at a certain

time. When they assembled again each one brought the slaughtered chicken

with him, with an explanation of how he managed to slaughter it without being

seen. The one said that he went behind a bush and slaughtered his chicken;

another did it behind a wall; another did it in a shed; another did it in the

woods; and so forth. The favoured disciple's turn was last. He shame-facedly

produced the LIVE chicken from behind his back. The other disciples burst

into mocking laughter. The favoured one could not even carry out such a

simple task! Truly the Sheikh was mistaken in favouring him! Could he not

even slaughter a chicken where he could not be seen? What a foolish person!

When the commotion had died down the Sheikh enquired of him, "My son, why

have you not slaughtered the chicken as I directed you to?" The disciple

replied, "Hadhrat (Sir), I tried to follow your instructions to the letter. You

commanded us to slaughter the chicken where we would not be seen. I went


24/47

behind a bush, then I went behind a wall, and then I went in an empty shed,

and then I went into the woods, and then I sought out other secluded spots

but, Hadhrat (Sir), wherever I went ALLAH WAS WATCHING ME! Your

instructions were that we should slaughter the chicken where we would not

be seen. This I find to be an impossible task, because wherever we are He

watches our every action!" The Sheikh turned to the other disciples and said,"This whole exercise was to demonstrate to you the reason why he is

favoured by me. In a short while here he has developed this lofty status of

being aware of the Almighty at all times, whereas you have been here a long

time and have not reached this status!"

COMMENTS:

- Fasting is that spiritual exercise which develops consciousness of the

Almighty more than other exercises. Nobody is there to know whether aperson is fasting or not. Someone can secretly eat and drink and nobody else

will be the wiser for it. It is only the thought that the Almighty knows and sees

everything that prevents a person from eating and drinking.

- The Sufi goes further than just abstaining from food and drink. Fasting is that

exercise that enables him to develop a consciousness of the Almighty to that

extent that all his actions and speech bear an aura that is a manifestation of

this awareness.

- Fasting is that exercise that weakens the carnal self - the Nafs. This is basic

to getting closer to the Almighty. Anybody who thinks he is close to theAlmighty but has not undergone a process of disciplining his Nafs is merely

deceiving himself.

- During fasting one is able to engage oneself in other forms of worship -

prayer, reciting the Qur'an, making "zikr", etc. In other words, fasting then

lends added splendour to these acts of worship.

- There is a special delight in worship in the month of Ramadhan. The Sufi will

experience more episodes of ecstasy in this month than at other times. Etc.,

etc.

There is a wonderful book "Virtues of Ramadhan" which has a wealth of

information about the month of Ramadhan. I am not too certain whether it is

available over there. I shall try and see if I cannot obtain a copy and send you

extracts during this coming month of Ramadhan, (the Almighty willing).


25/47

Dear "Steve",

Half of Ramadhan has already passed! This is a very hectic month with very

little time to spare, as one tries to perform as many acts of worship as one

can. Trying to catch up on sleep is also a challenge, as the nights are short

and one has to perform more acts of worship at night than in other months.

Sending you a copy of a Hadith (narration of Muhammed -Sallallahu Alaihi

wasallam) on the virtues and benefits of the month of Ramadhan:

Salmaan (R.A.) reports, "On the lost day of Shabaan [i.e. the month before

Ramadhan] Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi wasallam) addressed us and said, O

people there comes over you now a great month, a most blessed month in

which lies a night more greater in virtue than a thousand months. [See

comment below.] It is a month in which Allah has made fasting compulsory by

day. And has made sunnah the Taraaweeh by night.[See comment below.]

Whosoever intends drawing near to AIlah by performing any virtuous deed, forsuch person shall be the reward like the one who had performed a fardh in any

other time.[See comment below.] And whoever performs a fardh, shall be

blessed with the reward of seventy faraa-idh in any other time. This is indeed

the month of patience, and the reward for true patience is Jannat (paradise), it

is the month of sympathy with one's fellow men. It is the month wherein a true

believer's rizq (sustenance) is increased. Whosoever feeds another who

fasted, in order to break the fast (at sunset), for the feeder there shall be

forgiveness of sins and emancipation from the fire of Jahannam (Hell), and for

such feeder shall be the same reward as the one who fasted (whom he fed)

without that persons reward being decreased in the least."

Thereupon we said, "O messenger of Allah, not all of us possess the means

whereby we can give a fasting person to break his fast." Rasulullah (Sallallahu

Alaihi wasallam) replied, "Allah grants the same reward to the one who gives

a fasting person to break the fast a mere date, or a drink of water, or a sip of

milk.

"This is a month, the first of which brings Allah's mercy, the middle of which

brings His forgiveness and the last of which brings emancipation from the fire

of Jahannam.

"Whosoever lessens the burden of his servants (bondsmen) in this month,

Allah will forgive him and free him from the fire of Jahannam.

"And in this month four things you should continue to perform in great number,

two of which shall be to please your Lord, while the other two shall be those

without which you cannot do. Those which shall be to please your Lord are

that you should, in great quantity, bear witness that there is no deity to

worship except Allah (i.e. recite the Kalimah Tayyibah: Laa-ilaaha illallahu)


26/47

and make much Istighfaar (beg for Allah's forgiveness by reciting the words

Astaghfirullaah').

"And as for those without which you cannot do, you should beg of Allah

entrance into paradise and ask refuge in Him from Jahannam (Hell).

"And whoever gave a person who fasted water to drink, Allah shall grant that

giver to drink from my fountain, such a drink whereafter that person shall

never again feel thirsty until he enters Jannat (Paradise)." ["Virtues of

Ramadhan"]

COMMENTS

-"a night more greater in virtue than a thousand months." This refers to a very

special night wherein there is untold spiritual benefits, greater than spendinga thousand months in perfect and sincere worship. This night is not specified,

but occurs in the last ten nights of Ramadhan. Everybody, but especially the

Sufis, makes a very concerted effort to spend the last ten nights in performing

as many acts of worship as possible. Numerous people will even stay in the

mosque ALL these ten days and nights in worship.

-"the sunnah Taraaweeh by night." In addition to the five congregational

compulsory daily prayers, in Ramadhan there is the extra congregational

prayer called "Taraaweeh." This lasts about an hour to ninety minutes. A

portion of the Qur'an is recited every night, with the aim of completing the

whole Qur'an during the month. The Qur'an is recited completely frommemory. At some venues the whole Qur'an is recited from memory in about

ten nights.

-"one who had performed a fardh in any other time." The compulsory acts of

worship (five times prayer, fasting, giving of charity, the Haj) carry great

importance and the reward is also great. In Ramadhan the reward is multiplied

seventy times. For non-obligatory acts of worship and, in fact, any good deed,

the reward is increased to that of a compulsory act of worship.

-The joy of Ramadhan cannot be expressed in words. Only those who behave

as they should in this month will experience the joy that the Sufis experience,

for they are the ones who recognise the inner secrets of this month and take

full advantage of this month, and experience an exhilaration one cannot put

down in words!

Dear "Steve",


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Ramadhan has ended and we are celebrating the day of Id (Eid). Sending you

two short excerpts, still in connection with Ramadhan:

Ibn Abbas (R.A.) says that he heard our Messenger, Rasulullah (Sallallahu

Alaihi wasallam) say, "Verily Jannat (Paradise) becomes perfumed with the

sweetest flagrance in Ramadhan. From the beginning of the year till the end, itis being brightly decorated for the coming of this blessed month. And when

the first night of Ramadhan appears, a wind blows from beneath the Arsh (The

Throne/ Seat of Power of the Almighty). It is called Mutheerah. and causes the

leaves of the trees of Jannat to rustle and door handles to sound, whereby

setting forth such a melodious sound as had never been heard before. The

dark-eyed damsels of Jannat then step forth till they appear in the centre of

the balconies of Jannat. exclaiming: Is there anyone making du'a

(supplicating) to Allah for us that Allah may join us in marriage to him?' Then

these damsels call out: O Ridhwaan. keeper of Jannat, what night is this?' He

replies: I am present. This is indeed the first night of Ramadhan, when the

doors of Jannat are opened to those who observe the fast from among theUmmah (followers) of Muhammad (Sallallahu Alaihi wasallam).' Rasulullah

(Sallallahu Alaihi wasallam) further said, "Allah says, O Ridhwaan, open the

doors of Jannat, and O Maalik, (keeper of Jahannam [Hell]) close the doors of

Jahannam for those who fast from among the Ummah of Ahmad. O Jibraeel

(Gabriel), proceed down to the earth and bind the rebellious Shaytans (devils)

in chains and cast them in the oceans so that they make no mischief, thereby

spoiling the fast of the Ummah of My beloved Muhammad (Sallallahu Alaihi

wasallam).'" ["Virtues of Ramadhan"]

COMMENTS

- Narrations like these are there to motivate people to fast in the month of

Ramadhan.

- There are many people without knowledge who object to the material

pleasures of Paradise (Jannat). They object especially to the concept of

having access to the pure damsels mentioned above. In the main, the critics

are those who do not know the beauty of marriage and the sacredness of

marital relations, which form part of the acts of worship of Muslims. A

simplified explanation for the bounties offered in Paradise is the following:

When the true slave of the Almighty is completely obedient to Him and carries

out all His injunctions, viewing all his acts as sacred and part of worship, his

eating and drinking, his speaking, his sleeping , his marriage, etc., then he is

rewarded for this submission to the Almighty. The reward has to be

appropriate. Because he prevented his carnal self - his nafs - from all that is

impure (haraam/ non-kosher) like pork, alcohol, fornication, etc., the carnal


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self is then rewarded with pure substitutes of these in Paradise. If this was

not so then there would be no justice, which is incompatible with the

Almighty's attribute of being the Most Just. Of course, man has a spiritual side

as well (the rooh/ soul) which is separate from the carnal self (nafs). The rooh

is rewarded differently in Paradise. Its reward is spiritual ecstasy, which is the

result of seeing' the Almighty.

- The Shaytans - some of them - are definitely locked up. There is no other

explanation for the change for the better that we see in people in the month of

Ramadhan!

The narration ends:

"On the morning of Id, Allah sends down the angels to all the lands of the

earth where they take their positions at access points of roads, calling out

with a voice that is heard by all except man and Jinn. O Ummah of

Muhammad (Sallallahu Alaihi wasallam), come forth from your houses towardsa Lord that is noble and gracious, who grants much and pardons the major

sins'. When they proceed towards the places for their Id prayer, Allah says to

the Angels: What indeed is the reward of that employee who had rendered his

services?' The Angels reply, O Lord and Master, it is only right that he should

receive his reward in full for his services.' Allah then says, I call you to

witness, O My Angels, that for their having fasted during the month of

Ramadhan, and for their having stood before Me in prayer by night, I have

granted to them as reward My pleasure and have granted them forgiveness. O

My servants, ask now of Me, for I swear by My honour and My greatness, that

whatsoever you shall beg of Me this day in this assembly of yours for the

needs of the Hereafter, I shall grant you; and whatsoever you shall ask forworldly needs, I shall look at you favourably. By My honour I swear, as long as

you shall obey My commands, I shall cover your faults. By My Honour and My

Greatness do I swear that I shall never disgrace you among the evil-doing

ones and disbelievers. Depart now from here, you are forgiven. You have

pleased Me and I am pleased with you.' The Angels, on seeing this great

reward bestowed by Allah upon the Ummah of Muhammad (Sallallahu Alaihi

wasallam) on the day of Id, become greatly pleased and happy." ["Virtues of

Ramadhan"]

COMMENTS

- The reward is proportional to the extent with which the person had kept

proper fasts, as explained earlier, not only abstaining from food, drink and

marital relations while fasting, but also abstaining from bad behaviour and

major and minor sins.


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Dear "Steve",

This is the season for the Pilgrimage to Makkah (Haj). Many have left already

and many are still preparing for the journey. Wonderful are the tales of thosewho go with sincerity, seeking only the Pleasure of the Almighty. Falling in

this group are the Sufis, who experience amazing incidents while travelling to

the Holy Places or while performing the rites of Haj. A book, "Virtues of Haj"

contains a number of such incidents. I think I shall copy some of these for you.

Story Number 58.

A saintly man says, while performing tawaaf [circumambulation of the

Kaabah] once, I saw a girl carrying a very young child on her shoulder. The girl

called out loudly: "O Noble Lord, great thanks to You for Your great favour to

me in times gone by." I asked her: "Pray, tell me what is that great favour thathas passed between Allah and yourself?"

She replied; "We were once on a boat at sea. A great storm arose with

hurricane winds blowing fiercely. With us there were many traders and as the

boat sank they were all drowning except myself, this child and one

dark-skinned man. While we were left holding onto a log, the dark-skinned man

was hanging onto another. No one else was saved. We held onto the raft right

through the night. When the light of dawn broke, the dark man saw me and

dragged himself through the water towards my raft. When he came next to me

he left his raft and held onto ours next to me. He uttered evil words intending

evil acts with me, whereupon I said to him, Fear Allah. Do you not realize theterrible danger wherein we find ourselves, from which it is very difficult to be

released? How can you think of sin at a moment like this?' He replied

determinedly: Stop that talk. Whatever I intend with you shall be done, no

matter what happens.' At that moment this child was asleep in my lap. Quietly

I pinched him and he cried. Seeing the man's determination I said: Just wait a

while until I have put this child lo sleep. Whatever Allah had predetermined

shall happen.' The man took the child from me by force and threw him into the

sea. Seeing this I called out: O Allah, Who intervenes even between a man

and his intentions! O Rabb (Sustainer)! Do intervene between this man and

myself and save me. You alone have the power to separate and You have

power over all things.'

"I swear by Allah, these words had hardly left my mouth when I saw a huge

monster raising its head from beneath the water. The monster got hold of him

and swallowed him before it again disappeared under the water. Thus did

Allah save me from this man. He alone has power over all and great indeed is

His Glory. Thereafter the waves of the sea pushed me along until I reached an


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island, where I landed. I said so myself that I would eat grass and drink water

there for as long as Allah pleases. For four days I remained there. On the fifth

day I saw a big boat passing near the island. I climbed onto a hill and waved

frantically with my clothes in order to attract their attention. They saw me and

three men came in a small boat and took me to the ship.

"In the boat I was shocked to see this child also. This child that the dark

skinned man had thrown into the sea. This was a great surprise to me and I

fell upon the child, kissing him and holding him tightly to my breasts as I

exclaimed: This is my child, this is my beloved child.' They said: Are you

mad? Are you out of your senses?' I replied, I am neither mad nor out of my

senses. I have a strange tale to tell.' Then I told them the whole story.

"When they had heard it they lowered their heads in confusion and disbelief

and said: You have told us an almost unbelievable story. Now we shall tell you

a similar unbelievable incident. We were sailing quite comfortably in this boat

with the wind in our favour when, all of a sudden, a huge monster camealongside us with this child on its back. We heard a voice saying: "If you do

not take this child from the back of the monster, your ship shall be sunk." One

of us lifted the child off the monster's back. The monster disappeared under

the water. Both your story and ours are amazing. And now we all promise that

Allah shall not see us again in sin in the future. We repent for all our sins.'"

The girl continued, "How great is Allah, How merciful He is, aware of the

troubles of His slaves. Numerous are His favours, and He releases His

servants from all their calamities." (Rowdh)

COMMENTS

-Not much to comment on. This story indicates the power of Faith and belief in

the Almighty. May the Almighty grant us all such conviction and

determination. Aameen.

Dear "Steve",

Sending you another interesting anecdote, again taken from "Virtues of Haj":

Story Number 60.

Sheikh Yusuf bin Hamdaan (R.A.) says:


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I once travelled to Makkah from Basra, together with a group of poor pilgrims.

Among these hujjaaj (those going for Haj) was a young man who proved to be

a very righteous and saintly person, always busy with zikrullah (the

remembrance of the Almighty) and righteous works. It was a pleasure to be in

his company. I became very fond of him because of these qualities.

When we reached Madina, he became ill and we did not see him for a few

days. One day we went to visit him. When we saw him we became worried

about his health and among ourselves it was resolved that a doctor should be

consulted to diagnose the illness and to treat him. Some medicine may cure

him.

He heard us making this decision and opened his eyes and, smiling, he said:

"Respected brothers and friends! What a bad thing it is that agreement should

be followed by disagreement and opposition. Is it not against Allah's will and

desire that He chooses for us one way and we on the other hand prefer

another?" We heard these words and felt ashamed of ourselves.

He looked at us and said: "If ever medicine is to be found for one who has the

illness of the love for Allah, then seek medicine from such a person who has

already been healed from such love. Let it be known that these illnesses we

see are in fact ways of attaining purity of body and forgiveness for sins. Illness

causes us to remember the Hereafter."

Then he recited three couplets:

"My medicine is only in Allah's hands:

He alone knows my disease.

Through having followed my desires

I persecute my soul unjustly.

When for an ailment I drink medicine

My disease only increases."

COMMENTS

- Presumably the youth did not recover and must have passed away.

- The youth displayed a very high degree of trust in the Almighty. In Sufi

terminology this is termed "Tawakkul." Not everybody can display this degree


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of trust in the Almighty. It requires a very high degree of faith (Imaan),

abstention of sin according to the Islamic code of Laws (the Shariah), and

strength of heart. Those who do not have these qualities are advised to resort

to medication for their illnesses.

- The youth had reached a very high level of gnosis (ma'rifat). He saw illnessnot as an illness, but as a purification.

- The youth also gave his own diagnosis. His illness was not a physical illness,

but something completely else. This was a spiritual state that results from a

tremendous love of Allah. In Sufi terminology it is called ishq.

- The secret behind the deeds and states of the Sufis is the degree of ishq that

devours them internally. This ishq is the propellant that propels them to

unbelievable spiritual heights.

May the Almighty grant us all true and sincere ishq! Aameen.

Dear "Steve",

Another short anecdote, also taken from "Virtues Of Haj":

Story 23

Abdur Rahmaan bin Khafief (R.A.) says, "While travelling towards Makkah for

haj. I once stopped in Bagdad. At the time I was very deeply inclined towardsthe mystic way of life and had discarded everything from my life except Allah.

"For forty days I had not eaten, and neither did I visit Junaid Bagdaadi (R.A.)

[Junaid of Bagdad was a very prominent Sufi.] I left Bagdad and walked

towards Makkah. On the way I came to a well which was filled right to the top.

I found a small buck drinking water from the well. The buck went away as I

approached. I was very thirsty, but as I came upon the well the level of the

water fell to the bottom.

"Disappointed, I continued on my way and said: O Allah! Am I indeed not the

equal of a buck in Thy sight?' From behind me came a voice: We have only

tested you and you bore no patience. Return and drink of the water. The buck

came without a cup and a rope whereas you had both of these.'

"When I returned to the well I found the water had risen to the top. I filled my

cup, drank from it and made wudhu [ablution]. The water never diminished and

only finished when I reached Madina. After haj I came to Bagdad again. There,

as I entered the Mosque, Junaid (R.A). saw me from afar and said: lf you


33/47

should have had patience, water would have flowed from under your feet.'"

(Rowdh)

COMMENTS

- The help of the Almighty comes to everyone, if only we could see with our

inner eyes. However, the special assistance of the Almighty, as illustrated in

this anecdote, comes to the select few. These are those who have placed

their complete reliance on Him.

- This reliance comes only after one has cut off hopes from the creation and

one depends completely on the Creator.

- Another important condition is that the Seeker has completely submitted to

Him. That is, brought complete faith in Him. This in turn means that the personhas brought Iman (faith) in Islam.

- Many people will argue that the help of the Almighty comes to people of

other religions as well, as well as to atheists and pagans. This is true. But

there is a difference. If the person to whom help is rendered realises that the

help is from the Almighty and he repents and comes into Islam, then definitely

it is a mercy from the Almighty. If he feels that his paganism or atheistic

views were the reason for the help he got, then this is deception from Shaytan

.

Dear "Steve",

Hadhat Hasan of Basrah was a great Sufi saint. Some of his advices and an

anecdote follows:

Counselling Hadhrat Saeed Bin Jubair (rahmatullah alayh), Hadhrat Hasan

said: "Never enter into companionship with kings. Never reveal your secrets to

anyone. Never listen to music. The end result is always calamitous."

Hadhrat Maalik Bin Dinaar (rahmatullah alayh) asked: "In what lies the

corruption of the people?"

Hadhrat Hasan: "In the death of the heart."

Maalik Bin Dinaar: "What is the death of the heart."

Hadhrat Hasan: "The love of the world."


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Hadhrat Hasan's neighbour, Sham'oon, was a fire-worshipper. Sham'oon was

in his death-throes. Hadhrat Hasan visited him. He observed that Sham'oon's

face had darkened as a result of his years of fire-worshipping.

Hadhrat Hasan: "Abandon fire-worship and become a Muslim. Perhaps Allah

will have mercy on you."

Sham'oon: "Three things have turned me away from Islam. One: The world

according to you (Muslims) is evil, but you remain in its pursuit. Two: You

believe that death is true, but you do not make preparations for it. Three: You

claim the wonder of Allah's Vision, but on earth you act in conflict with His

wishes."

Hadhrat Hasan: "This is a sign of those who recognise the truth. The true

Mu'min acts accordingly. But tell me, what have you gained by destroying your

life in fire-worship? Even if a Mu'min does no good, at least he testifies to the

Unity of Allah. You have worshipped the fire for seventy years. If you and I fallinto the fire, it will burn us both without caring for your worship. However, my

Allah has the power of preventing the fire from burning me." So saying,

Hadhrat Hasan took Allah's Name and plunged his hand into the fire. He held

his hand for a long time in the fire which had no effect on him.

Seeing this, Sham'oon's heart opened up. The light of guidance had penetrated

his heart. He said: "I have worshipped the fire for 70 years. What can I achieve

in the few moments that there remain of life?"

Hadhrat Hasan: "Become a Muslim!"

Sham'oon: "Write a document stating that if I embrace Islam, Allah will forgive

me."

Hadhrat Hasan wrote the document and presented it to Sham'oon who said:

"Let the pious elders of Basrah endorse it with their signatures." This request

was complied with.

Sham'oon said: "O Hasan, when I die, give me ghusl [ritual bath] and bury me.

Place the document in my hand so that I have proof of my Islam." Sham'oon

recited the Kalimah and died. His wasiyyat [dying testimony] was fulfilled by

Hadhrat Hasan.

Hadhrat Hasan returned home overwhelmed by worry. He thought: "When I

myself am immersed in sin, how could I have furnished a guarantee of

forgiveness to another man?" In this distressful state he fell asleep. In a

dream he saw Sham'oon, attired in beautiful garments and with a crown on his

head, strolling in Jannat.


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Hadhrat Hasan: "How did it fare with you?"

Sham'oon: "Allah forgave me by His mercy. I am unable to explain the bounties

He has bestowed on me. There now no longer remains on you any

responsibility. Here, take your document. I no longer have need of it."

When Hadhrat Hasan's eyes opened he discovered the document in his hand.

He profusely thanked Allah and said: "O Allah! You act without cause.

Everything is dependent on Your act. When you have forgiven a man merely on

one statement (the Kalimah) after he had worshipped the fire for seventy

years, why will You not forgive a man who had worshipped you for seventy

years?"

(The boundless rahmat [mercy] of Allah Ta'ala can be understood from this

episode.)

[Taken from "Scattered Pearls", by Mujlisul 'Ulama of SA, Port Elizabeth.]

COMMENT

This is a once-in-a-while occurrence that the glad tidings of Paradise are made

apparent to the Sufi saints. Yet, it serves the purpose of encouraging others.

Dear "Steve",

Hadhrat Habib Ajmi (R.A.) was another great Sufi Saint from the earlier times

of Islam. An anecdote concerning him was related to you previously. He was

not always a saintly person, until a change came into his life. Something about

him:

Prior to his reformation, Hadhrat Habib Ajmi was an extremely wealthy

money-lender. He gave loans on interest to the people of Basrah. [Taking and

giving interest is unlawful in Islam. He was thus sinning by taking interest on

loans.] His daily routine was to visit his debtors

Documents

Dear Steve-A COLLECTION OF ANECDOTES ABOUT THE SAINTS