adhesive, i.e. create an extremely strong link to Him in your heart. Therefore,
Maulana Rumi ⊑ࢫ ڬ says:
“Do not he foolish like a certain king. He had the water of five rivers channeled into his palace, but he had no well of his own in the palace itself. A wise minister advised him, 'O King! Why do you not dig a well inside the palace also? Have you thought what would happen if your enemy attacks you one day and cuts off your water
supply from these rivers which lead to your palace. If you do have a well in your palace it would be of great assistance to you if such an eventuality does arise.”
This advice greatly upset the king who said: "It seems you have been sitting in the company of some Mulla to have such negative and pessimistic thoughts in your
mind. Who cares about such outcomes?"
ᙺ༶ ẵ⋐
ᓥᆽ ᥑʮⓗ⇘
Live in comfort and luxury today,
Leave the outcome to Allah!
Finally, that fateful day dawned about which the minister had expressed his fears.
32
Connection with Allah Ta’ala
The enemy attacked and on discovering the water supply to the palace, immediately blocked it off. There was no other water resource in the palace and after some time, the king, the princes and all the palace dwellers died of thirst.
Contentment
Maulana Rumi ⊑ࢫ ڬ says:
“Similarly is the case with your body. Your body is like a palace and you bring joy and satisfaction to it through five mediums. Joy is experienced through the eyes, the ears, the nose, the tongue and the sense of touch. Apart from this there exist no other means whereby joy can be experienced.”
Maulana Rumi ⊑ࢫ ڬ asks:
“How long are you going to allow your body to enjoy itself through these five
mediums. A day is to come when Hazrat Izra’eel
will cut off the joys which
originate from these sources. The eyes, the ears, the nose, the tongue and the sense of touch will no longer be able to afford you any joy. The eyes will be closed, or even open, but you will not be able to see. Your little children will be standing beside you crying, 'O Father! Look at us', but you will not look. You will not have the ability to look.
◺ ᤥᙴྂ ◵ ͚┺
ེ
᫋ດᎇ ҍᙴ༶ Ⱦ
In front of death the senses become useless, O Akbar,
The eyes are open but they are unable to see.
The wife and children will be waiting at your side, begging you to look at them, but you will not be able to look. Your safe, stacked with wads of notes will also be present. People used to greet you because of this sale, but now, none of this will be of any benefit. For the sake of worldly fame, people forget Allah. They do not care to remember Him to that extent that they befriend Him. They have a nominal and
weak relationship with Him. They are quite satisfied with that weak link.
33
Connection with Allah Ta’ala
Imam Ghazali ⊑ࢫ ڬ says:
I have seen that kings are quite content with minimum Deen,
But I have never found any of them to be contented with minimum Dunya.
So friends, it is most unwise and foolish for us to be contented with a very little love of Allah and to perform hasty and broken Salaats in the hope of getting that
permanent abode in which we are to reside forever.
Maulana Rumi ⊑ࢫ ڬ says:
“You shall regret it, the day these five senses can bring you no joy any longer. On that day, our wives and children will stand beside us and cry out, 'O husband', and
'O father', but despite having ears we will be unable to hear.
If it is then said, 'Here, try some of these Shaami Kabobs which are your favorite', the tongue will not be able to taste, in spite of it being there. If a servant brings a stack of notes and offers it to us, saying, 'Here, take same of this money which you loved to earn and count, and for which you sacrificed your Salaat with Jamaat.'
We will not be able to lift a finger to even feel the notes. If a bottle of fragrant perfume is placed before our noses, we will not be able to smell it. One should
constantly ponder about that day, the day when all joys that are experienced
through these means are terminated. The only treasure that will benefit anybody on that Day is the love of Allah Ta'ala.
Those who remembered Allah constantly in this temporary life, and never
displeased Him, i.e. they abstained from sins, they will find that as soon as the light of this temporary life is extinguished, immediately a permanent Noor will be
illuminated for them which will accompany them to Barzakh (the life of the grave), Qiyamah (Day of Judgment), and into Jannah (Paradise).
So provide that treasure in your heart for yourself now, regarding which Hazrat
Shah Waliullah Muhaddith Dehlawi ⊑ࢫ ڬ said:
34
Connection with Allah Ta’ala
ౌ ∧
ጶ આ
༗ᓥઈ ႍ
“O People of the world! Waliullah has such a heart in his bosom in which there are the pearls of Allah's love. Which millionaire is there to compete with me? Because when I die, I shall take this wealth of the love of Allah Ta’ala that is in my Rooh with me into my grave. As for the Kings and wealthy people of this world, they shall leave their wealth and crowns above the ground, while they proceed empty handed
beneath the ground.”
Hazrat Sa’di Sherazi ⊑ࢫ ڬ says:
ᆽŊ⎌ ᘞ ᚩ
᥏ᠻ ᚪ ౕ ᚪ
When the moment of departure is announced for leaving this world,
Then it makes no difference whether one dies on the throne or on the earth.
Downfall
A friend of mine who is a special adviser to the president of Pakistan once related the following incident to me: "When Field Marshall, Muhammad Ayub Khan was
president; I was once invited as a state guest. On reaching Islamabad, I encountered large contingents of troops patrolling the city. In the presidential court, the sight of President Ayub was simply awesome as he sat there, causing a shiver to run down
my spine.
However, after his death, I happened to visit his grave in Haripur, and on seeing the neglected and desolate grave, tears filled my eyes: 'O Allah! Is this the grave of the same president who used to be honored with the 'Twenty-one Gun Salute'? Whose
very uniform used to strike terror in the hearts of the people, and for whom the streets of Karachi used to be blocked off, and in whose honor thousands of soldiers used to parade? Here lies that same president whose body must have been eaten
by thousands of insects and worms by now."
35
Connection with Allah Ta’ala
Ah! This world is not worth attaching one's heart to. We have come here to this
world to acquire the friendship of Allah Ta'ala. Friends, to which heart can I explain the insignificance of this world? For Allah's sake, remove the Dunya from your
heart, and learn the Love of Allah from some Wali.
Importance of Suhbat for the Ulama
The doors of Wilayat (friendship of Allah) are open even today. Today as well, we are in the position of lighting up the names of our predecessors, on the condition that we practice upon this saying of Hazrat Maulana Muhammad Ahmed Saheb ڬ
⊑ࢫ , who said:
"O Ulama! Do not be proud about your knowledge,
and do not be proud about your eloquent lectures and Arabic poetry."
If someone is a good poet or speaks Arabic eloquently, then he should not have
pride in his poetry and Arabic. But rather one should accompany the Ahlullah and spend time in their service and reduce one's status and fame of scholarship to dust.
Then one shall see how the sweetness of Allah's love comes in one's heart.
Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi ⊑ࢫ ڬ said: "We are unable to talk Arabic like Abu Jahl nor do we know poetry like him. We cannot become more eloquent than him.
One does not become a Waliullah by merely speaking Arabic but one attains
Wilayat through lmaan and Taqwa. Possessing knowledge of Arabic and Arabic
poetry, does not make one a Buzurg nor does it give him piety.
Someone asked Hazrat Maulana Rasheed Ahmed Gangohi ⊑ࢫ ڬ : "Hazrat, you
are a great Alim, who teaches Bukhari Shareef. What was the need for you to go to Haji Imdaadullah Saheb?" He replied: "I did not go to him to ask about any mas'ala (issues pertaining to jurisprudence). I went to him to strengthen myself so that I am able to practice those actions that the Nafs is so lazy to practice upon, and which overpower me. Through Haji Saheb's Barkat, the Nafs was overpowered. Strength
was what we went to seek from Hazrat Haji Saheb and not any mas'ala."
Maulana Rumi ⊑ࢫ ڬ says: "Regardless of what a great Alim, you may be, you will 36
Connection with Allah Ta’ala
always be overpowered by the Nafs if you do not choose the companionship of a
Buzurg."
⍣ ᙴൊ ง
ῇ ⋡ ጶ ⋡
Do not company those who have become overpowered, O Rebellious one!
Accompany one who has overpowered his Nafs so that you may also become dominant.
And be able to practice upon the knowledge that you have acquired. And if one
always stays in the company of those who are overpowered by their Nafs then he
will also remain a slave of this base desires. This because the one who himself is enslaved, how can he free someone else? One prisoner cannot release another
prisoner. Only if one of them is released will he be able to bail the other out. These people are the Ahlullah who have freed themselves from the slavery of the Nafs.
Maulana Muhammad Ahmed Saheb ⊑ࢫ ڬ encourages the Ulama to build a
connection with the Ahlullah through this couplet:
ƫ⚙ ᠻᆽ ʯẵʯᓥᆽᑋ
᪄ й
᪄ ጶ
I do not know what will eventually happen,
If the turban of graduation is finally lost in the Love of Allah.
If the Ulama who take great pride in their certificates of graduation and diplomas were to allow themselves in the companionship of an Allah-Wala, then there is no telling what heights they will reach and what ranks they will be elevated to.
Hazrat Thanwi Saheb ⊑ࢫ ڬ says: “Bring two Ulama to me. One of them must be
such that he has spent some time in the companionship of a Shaikh and has
received spiritual training from him, while the other must be one who has not spent any time in the company of a Shaikh and received no training from him. Do not tell me which one has, and which has not sat in the company of a Shaikh. I will be able to tell that to you within five minutes.”
37
Connection with Allah Ta’ala
Tazkiah (Purification of the Nafs)
I once gave an example in this regard in Ilaahabad and also at the home of Haji
Sulaiman Saheb in Madina Munawwarah: Two plums fell from a tree. A
confectioner who was passing by said to them, "I am going to pick you up and make jam out of you." They asked: "What process are you going to use to turn us into jam?" He replied: "First I will prick a huge needle into you to extract your sour water and bitter juices."
In other words, "I will first purify you. Thereafter, I will dip you in syrup and place you in an earthen jug. Once you are processed, your value will increase. Great
personalities, presidents, prime ministers, kings, Ulama and Muftis who are afflicted with heart ailments will yearn for you, eat you, and strengthen their hearts." One of the plums said: "In that case, I am prepared to undergo the process." The other plum however, responded, "What nonsense is this? As for myself, I am not prepared to become somebody's slave. I refuse to be enslaved! I want to be free and
liberated. I refuse to undergo the disgrace of being a subject and slave to anybody!"
͚
⛨
ᑋ
╣ Ռ ⚮
A slave does not have control over another slave,
The nightingale restlessly remained trapped in the cage.
The confectioner said: "All right then. If that's how you feel, you may remain here."
He picked up the other plum and left. This plum was left lying in the sun and the rays of the sun shone upon it, causing it to become discolored and ugly. Some time later a petty shopkeeper passed that way and on seeing this dried plum scooped it into his sack and went to his shop, where he left it lying in one corner. Some days later, a customer suffering from acute constipation entered the shop and requested a laxative.
The shopkeeper removed the dried plum from the sack and sold it to him for a very cheap price saying: "This was the end result of this dried plum which finally ended up as an aid to remove excreta from someone's constipated bowels. This was the
disgrace he suffered for refusing to undergo the process of Tazkiah (purification). As for the other plum, which gave the sacrifice of undergoing self-purification, it was prescribed by Hakim Ajmal Khan to the Nawab (high government officials) of
38
Connection with Allah Ta’ala
Rampur for strengthening his ailing heart." The disgraced plum come to hear about his friend's honor and cried out in jealousy: "But that is the same plum which grew with me on the some tree and we fell off together. How did he receive such honor?"
Reformation and Purification
The above example clearly illustrates that if an Alim has undergone the process of Tazkiah (purification of the Nafs) under the guidance of a Shaikh, then he too
becomes connected to Allah Ta’ala. He becomes a Sahib-e-Nisbat. He will be the
cause of treating, reviving and remedying the dead hearts of thousands of people who are afflicted with spiritual maladies, turning them into Auliya. His friends who studied with him in the same Madrasah will be amazed at his success, wondering as to why the words of their friend have such effect on people, that they throng to him from all direction.
They will ponder: "What a concerned heart he carries in his bosom!" and they will be jealous. They will say: "He is the same fellow who studied with us and then he went into the company of some Shaikh and became his Mureed. Now he is being
respected by people who invite him to lavish banquets and meals." What these jealous friends fail to realize is that if they too had reformed and purified
themselves, liberating themselves from carnal desires and the love of material
things, they too would be enjoying the same honor and prestige. Why is it that no one turns towards them? if they too had strove and struggled for attaining internal purification, tolerating the reprimands of their mentor and Shaikh, they too would have acquired that special link with Allah. Why would Allah Ta’ala then not bestow His special favors upon them?
He who burns his unlawful desires for Allah, then Allah Ta’ala fills up the entire world with his fragrance. As far as outward honor and prestige is concerned, in the form of people thronging around the Wali, inviting him to their homes, etc. is one of absolutely no importance. If we were only aware of the internal state that they
enjoy, we will realize that even a thousand of these worldly kingdoms have
absolutely no value in their eyes. Therefore fling yourselves into the fires of
Mujahada (spiritual training and struggle), and then see what you will achieve!
An Alim once debated with Hazrat Thanwi ⊑ࢫ ڬ saying: "Hazrat, I accept the importance and Farziat (obligation) of self reformation and self purification, but 39
Connection with Allah Ta’ala
what I do not understand is why one must adopt the company of a Shaikh or a
reformer. I can simply read a book and thereby purify myself."
Hazrat Thanwi Saheb ⊑ࢫ ڬ then used a grammatical point to answer his
question. He asked the Alim: "Is the word Tazkia a transitive or an intransitive verb?" The Alim replied: "It is a transitive verb."
Hazrat Thanwi ⊑ࢫ ڬ said: "The rule of a transitive verb is that it does not terminate on the subject but goes beyond onto an object."
(Grammatically, therefore, in the case of Tazkia, the reformer/purifier who is the subject, has the task of purifying his object, and the object can only be purified if he has a purifier above him, i.e. the Shaikh.)
Hazrat Thanwi ⊑ࢫ ڬ says: "Allah has made all the issues pertaining to Shariat and Tariqat clear to me. The greatest Alim can question me and Insha-Allah I will
furnish him with a satisfactory reply within five minutes." The Alim in the above case was astonished at Hazrat Thanwi's reply on Tariqat that was given through a rule of grammar.
Further, if we study the lives of the Noble Sahaba ࢫ
, we will find that they too
were not in the position to purify themselves.
Allah Ta’ala says regarding their purification:
"And he purifies them."
i.e. Sayyiduna Rasulullah
purifies the Noble Sahaba ࢫ . He purified their
hearts. Today as well, the deputies of Rasulullah
are fulfilling this task. Today
the Auliya continue to purify the hearts of the people.
Shamsuddeen Tabrezi
Search for the Aashiqeen (the Lovers of Allah)! There are many Shamsuddeen
Tabrezis hidden all over. They were not confined to the period of Maulana Rumi
40
Connection with Allah Ta’ala
only. There will be many more Shamsuddeen Tabrezis to come until the Day of
Judgment, who will continue to make many more Jalaluddin Rumis. I always make
this Dua. You all make it as well.
ⓔ ႍ ẵ ∑
᳃
ᨪẵ⒧͚የᙴេⓔ
O Allah! Let me meet Your Lovers,
Through whose beneficence the earth and the skies are existing.
I always make Dua to Allah Ta’ala to let me meet His Lovers. I compiled the
following couplet:
ጹ
ኀᣒ ᙺᓼᒎ
ᠻ ৗ
Ɠ ᐿ
My heart desires that I live in a place where,
One whose heart is permeated with the Love of Allah, lives.
I would love to live and die amongst great Auliya like Haji Imdaadullah, Hazrat
Shams Tabrezi, Hazrat Thanwi ⊓ࢫ ᤆ .
I have one verse in this regard as well:
ᶲ◵ᢽ ᠷ◵Տ
ὂ⇘ ᑹ
ὂ⇘
The object of my life, the reason for my existence,
Is to live among Your Lovers, and to die among Your Lovers.
Formula for Becoming a Waliullah
So my friends, today Akhtar is giving you the formula for becoming a Waliullah. This also is through the blessings of my respected elders. I have not come to you as a preacher, but rather as your servant. This place is the seat of my elders. The
purpose of this discussion is sure to over joy the souls of Hazrat Haji ImdaaduIlah Saheb and Hazrat Maulana Rahmatullah Saheb ⊓ࢫ ᤆ . May Allah increase the
41
Connection with Allah Ta’ala
Noor of these noble souls. It is the right of their progeny that we, the servants, place before them the legacy of their ancestors. Today as well, people can become Auliya.
Our elders and Mashaa'ikh have mentioned that the first condition for becoming a Wali of Allah is humility and humbleness.
(Mishkaat: Page 434)
Only the Nafs has to be humbled, then the next stage of elevation will come (Allah will elevate him). But, when humbling one's self, the intention should not be to acquire elevation. It is for this reason Rasulullah
has said: "He who humbles
himself for Allah, will (as a reward from Allah Ta'ala) be elevated by Him."
It is important that when humbling one's self, the sole motive should be to please Allah Ta’ala alone, and there should be no other motive, otherwise it will be pride.
This is the reason why Rasulullah
has said, 'LILLAH' (only for Allah) ... This 'Iaam'
is to denote specification which will give the meaning: "HUMBLE YOURSELF ONLY
FOR THE SAKE OF ALLAH."
Linage of Maulana Rumi
If we are very wealthy today, the thought may occur to us, 'What is the need to sit in the company of a Shaikh?' My friends, as we sit here today, listening to the
lessons of Mathnawi Shareef of Maulana Jalaluddeen Rumi ⊑ࢫ ᤆ , have we
asked ourselves, “Who, after all, is this Maulana Rumi ⊑ࢫ ᤆ ?”
He was the grandson of the Shah of Khawarzam, i.e. his father and the Shah were
cousins. He was from royalty. He was not a poor Mullah who thought, “Well, let me resort to Peeri-Mureedi and thereby become famous, and consequently amass a
large fortune of wealth from my followers.” No! He had so much worldly status that when he used to proceed for Bukhari Shareef lessons, the students used to run
behind him with his shoes in their hands.
42
Connection with Allah Ta’ala
Amaanat
In the meantime Hazrat Shamsuddeen Tabrezi who was nearing the end of his life
made the following Dua:
“O Allah, It seems my end is near. Please send to me such a servant into whose
heart I may transfer this Amanat (trust) of the fire of love that is in my heart. Let it be such a heart which is capable of accepting and deserving of this Amanat.”
He was inspired thus: "O Shamsuddeen, go to Konya where you will find my servant Jalaluddeen Rumi. Transfer this trust into his heart. His heart is capable of bearing this trust. This trust is much more valuable than the earth and the skies and his heart is capable of receiving this Amanat." At this point we may ask, 'Why is this trust more valuable than the skies and the earth?' The Quràan replies to us:
“They (the skies, and the earth) refused to
accept it (the Amanat) and man accepted it.”
The earth and the skies feared this Amanat and refused to accept it while the heart of the Aashiqeen (Lovers of Allah) accepted it. This small heart which weighs less than half a kilogram accepted this great Amanat. Beware! Do not judge the heart by its size or weight. Maulana Rumi ⊑ࢫ ᤆ used to say with regard to the heart.
ᆽ
∇
᳃ ᕫ ∇
The lives and hearts of the Ahlullah are so vast and expansive,
That the space of the seven skies is indeed very narrow in comparison.
The Allah-Walas are the special friends of Allah and He creates this vastness in their hearts to such an extent that the space of the seven skies becomes restricted before their hearts.
Jigar Muradabadi said:
43
Connection with Allah Ta’ala
͚ ᥏
ᷪ ★★
᳃ ᕫᠻ ྂ⚮
At times, the seven skies made Tawaaf of this
handful of dust (the heart of the Aashiqeen).
So we see that Maulana Rumi did not look at himself when faced with this Amanat.
When he gave himself over into the service of Shamsuddeen Tabrezi, he recited
these couplets:
ᠻ ϑ Ῡ
ᨨ
ൻ⍺
ో ∧
Such a renowned Shaikh has now become a beggar wandering from place to place,
When love of Allah enters the heart then one does not fear any blame.
Of course, this service to Shamsuddeen Tabrezi was in fact servitude to Allah Ta’ala, because he had in actual fact sacrificed himself for Allah Ta’ala. Only those who have the yearning for Allah Ta’ala will show respect and honor to Ahlullah.
The Transformation of Love
Hazrat Khawajah Saheb ⊑ࢫ ᤆ was a deputy collector and a B.A. graduate from
Ilaahabad. But after spending a few days in the company of Hazrat Thanwi ⊑ࢫ ᤆ
he established a link with Allah Ta'ala. On his departure from Thana Bhawan he
recited the following couplet:
ᣆ Ƴ
ႍƓ ᎇ Ɠ ᎃ
The magnificent beauty of Allah has wiped away the temporary shapes and forms of these idols,
He transformed my eyes and my heart into real eyes and a real heart,
44
Connection with Allah Ta’ala
ᓥ
ʯẵ ᶰƓᘁ
Ɠ ᠻᾲ
You melted iron with the heat of the heart,
You converted the one who was unacquainted with Your pain of love into true lover.
ᠻ
༗ ᙺ ᆽẵ
୵
ឳ ◵ ᓥᣆὌ⁆
Majzoob is leaving this door with his containers filled,
A hundred thanks, (the search for) Truth made me a beggar to you.
What happened then? Even Hazrat Maulana Abrarul Haq Saheb turned to him and
became his Mureed.
Khaleel
An Alim once wrote to Hazrat Thanwi ⊑ࢫ ᤆ : "I have chosen Hazrat Khawajah
Azizul Hasan Saheb as my Shaikh and Reformer."Hazrat Thanwi replied: "You have made a unique choice." This deputy collector and B.A. graduate is now a Shaikh of the Ulama. Mufti Jameel Ahmad Saheb Thanwi of Jamia Ashrafia, Lahore, also
chose him as his Shaikh. He used to correspond with Khawajah Saheb, seeking
guidance from him. Hazrat Khawajah Saheb once wrote to him:
You will never attain your goal as long as you do not give yourself over totally to a Shaikh, Who can then guide you towards Allah? He also added these couplets:
ᆽ ਜ਼ Ỻଷ
ᆽ ਜ਼ હ
Before a Murshid become (Zaleel) humble,
Follow him without (Daleel) proof.
45
Connection with Allah Ta’ala
ᆽ ዡ᭝
ᆽ ᧴͚ᣆᤌ
Then you will become truly Jameet,
Then you will become a Khaleel (a close friend of Allah).
Attainment of Allah through Hardship
Once somebody said to him: "Hazrat, give me that gift which you acquired from Hazrat Thanwi ⊑ࢫ ᤆ .” He replied:
᨞ᙴᠻ ቸ ╯ ᨩ ᨪჹ
ʮถ ႍჹ ถƓ⛨
͑
I did not receive it just like that, my heart and liver became blood in the process (i.e. I worked hard for it),
Why should I give it to anyone for free, my efforts were not for free.
ln other words, this great bounty is not attained for free. You must first undergo hardship and sacrifice yourself, and then your heart will truly be a heart.
ᙺ Ƴ Ʋ
ᙺ ᠴ
ᙺ
ẵ഻
ᝲষᑋ⚙
The heart will become like a polished mirror after much abrasion,
Do not ask, the heart is reformed with great difficulty.
Hazrat Thanwi ⊑ࢫ ᤆ said: "If