The labourer who was prince

A’la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ تَـعَـالٰی عَـلَـيْـه was once invited to a religious gathering in some neighbourhood of Bareilly. The devotees arranged for a palanquin A conveyance carried by means of poles resting on the shoulders of several men. A’la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ تَـعَـالٰی عَـلَـيْـه got onto the palanquin. Four labourers picked it up on their shoulders and started to walk. After they moved just a few steps, A’la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ تَـعَـالٰی عَـلَـيْـه suddenly called out, ‘Stop the palanquin.’ The palanquin stopped. He رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ تَـعَـالٰی عَـلَـيْـه got off immediately and asked the labourers humbly, ‘Tell me truthfully which one of you is a Sayyid A descendant of the grand family of the Beloved Nabi صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَ? I feel the fragrance of the Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَ.’ Stepping forward, one of the labourers said, your honour! ‘I am a Sayyid.’

No sooner had he completed his sentence than the great Mujaddid of the era, A’la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ تَـعَـالٰی عَـلَـيْـه took off his blessed ‘Imamah and put it at the feet of the Sayyid. Then, with tears streaming from his eyes and hands clasped together, A’la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ تَـعَـالٰی عَـلَـيْـه beseeched the Sayyid seeking forgiveness in these words: Honourable prince! Forgive this mistake of mine. I have unintentionally made this mistake. Oh how dreadful! I took ride on the shoulders of the prince whose blessed slipper is the crown of my head. If, on the Day of Judgement, the Noble Rasool صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَ asked me, ‘O Ahmad Raza! Was it the use of the delicate shoulders of my son to bear the burden of your palanquin?’ Then what reply I would give and how great insult it would be to my claim of love for the Holy Rasool صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَ!’

Having made the prince forgive him verbally several times, A’la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ تَـعَـالٰی عَـلَـيْـه expressed his last wish saying, ‘Dear prince! The only way to compensate for what I have done unknowingly is that now you sit in the palanquin and I would carry it on my shoulders.’ Upon hearing it, people’s eyes welled up in tears and some of them even screamed emotionally. Despite his repeated refusal, the “labouring prince” had to get on the palanquin. What a heart-rending scene it was! The Imam of the Ahl-us-Sunnah sacrificed the honour of his divinely-gifted abilities and worldwide fame at the feet of an unknown labourer (prince) for the sake of pleasure of the Greatest Rasool صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَ. (Anwaar-e-Raza, pp. 415)

May Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ have mercy on him and forgive us without accountability for his sake!

اٰمِیْنْ بِجَاہِ النَّبِیِّ الْاَمِیْنْ صَلَّی اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم

Tayri nasl-e-pak mayn hay bachchah bachchah noor ka 

Tu hay ‘ayn-e-noor, tayra sab gharanah noor ka 

(Hadaiq-e-Bakhshish)

صَلُّوْا عَلَی الْحَبِیْب! صَلَّی اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَلٰی مُحَمَّد

An amazing parable of his expertise in different disciplines

Dear Islamic brothers! Who can realize how great devotee of Rasool the person is who has so much affection for the descendant of the Rasool صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَ?

A’la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ تَـعَـالٰی عَـلَـيْـه was not only a great devotee of the Holy Rasool but also a Wali blessed with miracles. He رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ تَـعَـالٰی عَـلَـيْـه was a great Islamic scholar as well. He رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ تَـعَـالٰی عَـلَـيْـه possessed expertise in more or less 50 disciplines. By the blessing of his immense Islamic knowledge, amazing knowledge of worldly sciences was also bestowed upon him. In this regard, read the following parable and rejoice.

Doctor Sir Ziyauddin, the vice chancellor of ‘Ali Garh Muslim University, acquired education in Europe. He was one of the prominent mathematicians of the sub-continent. He once faced a problem in mathematics which he could not resolve despite making several efforts. Hence, he decided to go to Germany for the solution. In those days, ‘Allamah Sayyid Sulayman Ashraf Qaadiri Razavi رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ تَـعَـالٰی عَـلَـيْـه was the head of the department of Islamic Studies in the same university. He insisted on Sir Ziyauddin meeting A’la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ تَـعَـالٰی عَـلَـيْـه in Bareilly, which was at a distance of few hours, to seek the solution to his problem instead of taking pains to go to Germany. Dr. Ziyauddin argued, ‘How can a Maulana, who has never been to any college, solve a mathematical problem? I will not go to Bareilly to waste my time.’ However, he agreed to meet A’la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ تَـعَـالٰی عَـلَـيْـه due to the repeated insistence of Sayyid Sulayman Shah Sahib.

A’la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ تَـعَـالٰی عَـلَـيْـه was a little ill at that time. Dr. Ziyauddin said, ‘Maulana! My problem is extremely complex; it can’t be described at once. It is better that you listen to my problem when you are at ease.’ A’la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ تَـعَـالٰی عَـلَـيْـه said, ‘Tell me the problem.’ He described the problem which was solved by A’la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ تَـعَـالٰی عَـلَـيْـه instantly. Amazed by listening to the correct answer, Dr. Ziyauddin said spontaneously, ‘I have heard of ‘Ilm-e-Ladunni Knowledge which is bestowed upon somebody by Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ directly, but I have observed it today. I was committed to go to Germany for the solution to this problem but Maulana Sayyid Sulayman Ashraf Qaadiri Razavi رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ تَـعَـالٰی عَـلَـيْـه guided me to come here.’

Imam of Ahl-us-Sunnah رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ تَـعَـالٰی عَـلَـيْـه then had one of his handwritten booklets brought which largely consisted of sketches of triangles and circles. Seeing the booklet, Dr. Ziyauddin became even more astonished and said, ‘I travelled from country to country spending a lot of money and acquired some knowledge from European experts but, having come to know about your immense knowledge, I consider myself only a student. Will you please let me know who your teacher is in this art?’ A’la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ تَـعَـالٰی عَـلَـيْـه replied, ‘There is no teacher of mine in this field. I learnt four basic mathematical principles – addition, subtraction, multiplication & division from my respected father as they are needed for the rulings of inheritance. I had just started reading the book ‘Chughmeeni’ but my father advised me, ‘Why do you waste time? These disciplines will be bestowed upon you from the court of the Holy Rasool صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَ.’ Therefore, what you have seen is the benevolence of the Noble Rasool صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَ.’

Masa`il zeest kay jitnay bhi thay paycheedah paycheedah 

Nabi kay ‘ishq nay hal ker diye posheedah posheedah

Dr. Sir Ziyauddin was so impressed by the vast knowledge and good manners of A’la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ تَـعَـالٰی عَـلَـيْـه that he became regular in offering Salah and observing Sawm, and adorned his face with the Sunnah of beard.

(Summarized from: Hayat A'la Hadrat, vol. 1, pp. 222-229)

May Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ have mercy on him and forgive us without accountability for his sake!

اٰمِیْنْ بِجَاہِ النَّبِیِّ الْاَمِیْنْ صَلَّی اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم

Nigah-e-Wali mayn woh taseer daykhi 

Badalti hazaraun ki taqdeer daykhi

صَلُّوْا عَلَی الْحَبِیْب! صَلَّی اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَلٰی مُحَمَّد

Manqabat A’la Hadrat

Tu nay baatil ko mitaya ay Imam Ahmad Raza 

Deen ka danka bajaya ay Imam Ahmad Raza

Daur-e-baatil aur dalalat Hind mayn tha jis ghari 

Tu mujaddid ban kay aaya ay Imam Ahmad Raza

Ahl-e-Sunnat ka chaman sar-sabz tha shadab tha 

Aur rang tum nay cherhaya ay Imam Ahmad Raza

Tu nay baatil ko mita ker Deen ko bakhshi jila 

Sunnataun ko phir jilaya ay Imam Ahmad Raza

Ay Imam-e-Ahl-e-Sunnat! Naa`ib-e-Shah-e-Umam! 

Ki-jiye ham per bhi sayah ay Imam Ahmad Raza

‘Ilm ka chashmah huwa hay mauj-zan tahreer mayn 

Jab qalam tu nay uthaya ay Imam Ahmad Raza

Hashr tak jaari rahay ga fayz kyun kay tum nay hay 

Fayz ka derya bahaya ay Imam Ahmad Raza

Hay ba-dargah-e-Khuda ‘Attar ‘aajiz ki Du’a 

Tum pay ho rahmat ka sayah ay Imam Ahmad Raza

صَلُّوْا عَلَی الْحَبِیْب! صَلَّی اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَلٰی مُحَمَّد

A Fortunate ILL Person

Sayyid Qana'at 'Ali Shah Sahib was a faint-hearted person. On hearing about a patient's critical surgery, he once became unconscious. Many attempts were made to bring him back to consciousness but in vain. A request was made in the court of A'la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ تَـعَـالٰی عَـلَـيْـه. A'la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ تَـعَـالٰی عَـلَـيْـه came and placed the head of Sayyid Sahib onto his lap with great affection. Then, he placed his blessed handkerchief onto the Sayyid's face. Suddenly, the Sayyid Sahib regained consciousness and opened his eyes. Seeing his head in the lap of a great Wali (i.e. friend of Allah), the Sayyid Sahib became overjoyed and tried to get up in honour but could not do so due to weakness.

May Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ have mercy on him and forgive us without accountability for his sake!

اٰمِیْنْ بِجَاہِ النَّبِیِّ الْاَمِیْنْ صَلَّی اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم

Sar-e-baaleen inhayn rahmat ki ada layi hay 

Haal bigra hay to beemar ki ban aayi hay

صَلُّوْا عَلَی الْحَبِیْب! صَلَّی اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَلٰی مُحَمَّد

Revealed what was in the heart

In Bareilly, there was a person who did not pay respect to the saints of Islam and believed that saints misuse discipleship and cheat people. Some people of his family were disciples of A’la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ تَـعَـالٰی عَـلَـيْـه. One day, they persuaded him into meeting A’la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ تَـعَـالٰی عَـلَـيْـه. On the way, they passed a confectioner’s shop where Amrityaan (a type of sweets) were being fried. Seeing delicious sweets, his mouth watered and he said, ‘I will go only if you give this sweet to me.’ They told him that he will be given the sweets while returning from the court of A’la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ تَـعَـالٰی عَـلَـيْـه.

Anyway, they all reached the court of A’la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ تَـعَـالٰی عَـلَـيْـه. Meanwhile, a man entered with a basket full of hot Amrityaan. After Fatihah, the sweets were served to all. It was a tradition in the court of A’la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ تَـعَـالٰی عَـلَـيْـه that the descendants of the family of the Beloved Nabi صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَ and those who have adorned their faces with the Sunnah of beard used to be given two pieces of sweet. Since that person did not have a beard, he was given only one piece of sweet. A’la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ تَـعَـالٰی عَـلَـيْـه ordered the distributing person to give him two. He said, ‘Your honour! He does not have a beard.’ A’la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ تَـعَـالٰی عَـلَـيْـه smiled and said, ‘He has a strong appetite for it, give him one more.’ Seeing that saintly miracle, the person became a disciple of A’la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ تَـعَـالٰی عَـلَـيْـه and began to respect the saints of Islam. (Tajalliyat Imam Ahmad Raza, pp. 101)

May Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ have mercy on him and forgive us without accountability for his sake!

اٰمِیْنْ بِجَاہِ النَّبِیِّ الْاَمِیْنْ صَلَّی اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم

صَلُّوْا عَلَی الْحَبِیْب! صَلَّی اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَلٰی مُحَمَّد

Downpour

Once, an astrologer came in the court of A’la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ تَـعَـالٰی عَـلَـيْـه. He رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ تَـعَـالٰی عَـلَـيْـه asked the astrologer, ‘Tell me when it would rain according to your computation.’ Having made computation, the astrologer said, ‘There is no water in this month. It will rain the next month.’ A’la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ تَـعَـالٰی عَـلَـيْـه said, ‘Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ is Omnipotent. If He عَزَّوَجَلَّ wills, it may rain even today. You are looking at the stars but I am looking not only at the stars but also at the omnipotence of the Creator of the stars.’

There was a clock on the wall. A’la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ تَـعَـالٰی عَـلَـيْـه asked him, ‘What time is it?’ The astrologer replied, ‘It is quarter past eleven.’ A’la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ تَـعَـالٰی عَـلَـيْـه further asked, ‘How much time is left in 12 o’clock?’ He replied, ‘Forty-five minutes.’ A’la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ تَـعَـالٰی عَـلَـيْـه asked again, ‘Can it be 12 o’clock before forty-five minutes?’ He replied in the negative. Listening to it, A’la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ تَـعَـالٰی عَـلَـيْـه stood up and rotated the hands of the clock. The clock instantly chimed 12 o’clock. A’la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ تَـعَـالٰی عَـلَـيْـه then said, ‘You said that it cannot be 12 before forty-five minutes, so how is it 12 o’clock right now?’ The astrologer replied, ‘You changed the position of the hands of the clock otherwise it would have taken forty-five minutes to be 12 o’clock.’

A’la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ تَـعَـالٰی عَـلَـيْـه said, ‘Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ is Omnipotent; He عَزَّوَجَلَّ may move a star anywhere at any time. You predicted that it would rain next month but if my Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ wills, it may start raining today at the very same moment.’ As soon as A’la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰ -هِ تَـعَـالٰی عَـلَـيْـه uttered that, clouds appeared on the sky and it began to rain! (Anwaar-e-Raza, pp. 375)

May Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ have mercy on him and forgive us without accountability for his sake!

اٰمِیْنْ بِجَاہِ النَّبِیِّ الْاَمِیْنْ صَلَّی اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم

صَلُّوْا عَلَی الْحَبِیْب! صَلَّی اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَلٰی مُحَمَّد

Beholding Sayyiduna ‘Ali (كَـرَّمَ الـلّٰـهُ تَـعَـالٰی وَجْـهَـهُ الْـكَـرِیْم)

Abdul Maajid Bin ‘Abdul Maalik, an aged scribe of Bab-ul-Madinah (Karachi), told a faith refreshing parable to some Islamic brothers. He said: I was only 13 at that time. My step-mother had become insane. She had to be kept in chains on the top floor of the house. She was given even long-term medical treatment but in vain. On someone’s advice, I and my father managed to take her from Pilibhit to Bareilly whilst still in chains. My mother continued to swear all the way. When she saw A’la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ تَـعَـالٰی عَـلَـيْـه, she shouted and said, ‘Who are you! And why have you come here!’ A’la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ تَـعَـالٰی عَـلَـيْـه told her very gently, ‘I have come for your betterment.’ My mother harshly said, ‘Will you do what I wish?’ He رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ تَـعَـالٰی عَـلَـيْـه replied, ‘اِنْ شَـآءَ الـلّٰـهُ عَزَّوَجَلَّ.’ My mother said, ‘Make me behold Sayyiduna ‘Ali كَـرَّمَ الـلّٰـهُ تَـعَـالٰی وَجْـهَـهُ الْـكَـرِیْم.’

Hearing it, A’la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ تَـعَـالٰی عَـلَـيْـه removed his blessed shawl from his blessed shoulders, covered his blessed face with it, and then uncovered his face. Now, instead of A’la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ تَـعَـالٰی عَـلَـيْـه, Sayyiduna ‘Ali كَـرَّمَ الـلّٰـهُ تَـعَـالٰی وَجْـهَـهُ الْـكَـرِیْم with his luminous face was in front of us. My elderly mother was lost in beholding Sayyiduna ‘Ali كَـرَّمَ الـلّٰـهُ تَـعَـالٰی وَجْـهَـهُ الْـكَـرِیْم. I and my father also beheld Sayyiduna ‘Ali كَـرَّمَ الـلّٰـهُ تَـعَـالٰی وَجْـهَـهُ الْـكَـرِیْم in the state of wakefulness. Sayyiduna ‘Ali كَـرَّمَ الـلّٰـهُ تَـعَـالٰی وَجْـهَـهُ الْـكَـرِیْم then covered his blessed face with the shawl and then removed it, now A’la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ تَـعَـالٰی عَـلَـيْـه was present in front of us with his smiling face. Thereafter, giving some medicine in a small bottle, A’la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ تَـعَـالٰی عَـلَـيْـه said, ‘These are two doses; give a single dose to the patient but do not give at all the second dose if not required.’

اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ عَزَّوَجَلَّ! My mother recovered from insanity with just a single dose of medicine and, since then, she did not suffer from any mental disorder during the rest of her life.

May Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ have mercy on him and forgive us without accountability for his sake!

اٰمِیْنْ بِجَاہِ النَّبِیِّ الْاَمِیْنْ صَلَّی اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم

Qismat mayn lakh paych haun, saw bal hazaar kaj 

Yeh saari gutthi ik tayri seedhi nazar ki hay (Hadaiq-e-Bakhshish)

صَلُّوْا عَلَی الْحَبِیْب! صَلَّی اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَلٰی مُحَمَّد

The blessed penny

Once, A’la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ تَـعَـالٰی عَـلَـيْـه was to go to harbour to welcome the Hujjaj (Hajj pilgrims). The hired transport got late. One of the devotees, Ghulam Nabi went to bring a horse-drawn cart without informing anyone. When he returned with the horse-cart, he saw that the booked vehicle had also arrived. He then gave a penny (i.e. a quarter of a rupee) to the cart owner and let him go. Nobody else was aware of it.

After four days, Ghulam Nabi came in the great court of A'la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ تَـعَـالٰی عَـلَـيْـه who gave him a penny. He asked, 'What is this penny for?' A'la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ تَـعَـالٰی عَـلَـيْـه replied, 'That day you gave a penny to that cart man.' Ghulam Nabi became astonished as he had not told anybody about it yet A'la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ تَـعَـallٰـهِ عَـلَـيْـه became aware of it. Seeing him in deep thought people said, 'Why are you losing this penny, take it as a sacred relic.' He then took the penny. As long as that sacred penny remained in his possession, he did not face financial problem.

(Summarized from: Hayat A'la Hadrat, vol. 3, pp. 260)

May Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ have mercy on him and forgive us without accountability for his sake!

اٰمِیْنْ بِجَاہِ النَّبِیِّ الْاَمِیْنْ صَلَّی اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم

Haath utha ker aik tukra ay Kareem! 

Hayn sakhi kay maal mayn haqdar ham 

(Hadaiq-e-Bakhshish)

صَلُّوْا عَلَی الْحَبِیْب! صَلَّی اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَلٰی مُحَمَّد

Release from imprisonment...

An aged woman was a disciple of A'la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ تَـعَـالٰی عَـلَـيْـه. Her husband was sentenced to twelve years imprisonment and a penalty of five thousand rupees as a result of a murder case. She lodged an appeal in the court. She said that she visited the blessed court of A’la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ تَـعَـالٰی عَـلَـيْـه daily since the day of lodging the appeal. A few days before the date of court’s decision, she came to A’la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ تَـعَـالٰی عَـلَـيْـه while observing proper veil and requested for help. A’la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ تَـعَـالٰی عَـلَـيْـه advised her to recite ﴿حَسْبُنَا اللّٰهُ وَنِعْمَ الْوَکِیْلُ﴾ abundantly. She left. Thereafter, she came to the court of A’la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ تَـعَـالٰی عَـلَـيْـه several times and he رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ تَـعَـالٰی عَـلَـيْـه advised the same.

At last, the date of the court’s decision arrived. She came and requested, ‘Your honour! Today the decision will be made.’ He رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ تَـعَـالٰی عَـلَـيْـه replied, ‘Keep reciting the same invocation.’ Listening to the same reply, she became slightly annoyed and began to return muttering, ‘When my Peer [i.e. spiritual guide] does not help, why would anybody else help!’ When A’la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ تَـعَـالٰی عَـلَـيْـه observed the situation, he called her back and said, ‘Take the Paan (betel leaf).’ She replied, ‘I am already chewing a Paan.’ A’la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ تَـعَـالٰی عَـلَـيْـه insisted but she was a little displeased. Then, giving the Paan to her with his own blessed hand, A’la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ تَـعَـالٰی عَـلَـيْـه said, ‘He has been released, now take and chew this Paan.’ Listening to it, she took the Paan happily and went home. When she reached near her home, her children came to her hurriedly saying, ‘Where were you, a person with a telegram is waiting for you.’

Receiving the telegram, she happily went home where she got the telegram read out and learnt that her husband had been released. (Hayat A’la Hadrat, vol. 3, pp. 202)

May Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ have mercy on him and forgive us without accountability for his sake!

اٰمِیْنْ بِجَاہِ النَّبِیِّ الْاَمِیْنْ صَلَّی اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم

Tamanna hay farmaiye rauz-e-Mahshar 

Yeh tayri riha`ee ki chitthi mili hay 

(Hadaiq-e-Bakhshish)

صَلُّوْا عَلَی الْحَبِیْب! صَلَّی اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَلٰی مُحَمَّد

Mufti-e-A’zam Hind from Bareilly to Madinah

Dear Islamic brothers! You must have realised how much benevolent our Blessed Rasool صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم was towards the Imam of Ahl-us-Sunnah, A’la Hadrat. He صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم would even call our A’la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه from Bareilly to Madinah without any apparent means of transportation. Not only A’la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه, his son Mufti-e-A’zam Hind Maulana Mustafa Raza Khan رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه was also blessed with similar privilege. Therefore, one of the disciples of Mufti-e-A’zam Hind, who is also a responsible Islamic brother of Dawat-e-Islami, mailed me a photocopy of a piece of writing from Nagpur, India which contained the following details reported by a preacher of Dawat-e-Islami:

In 1409 AH, my parents and elder brother with his wife were privileged to perform Hajj. They beheld two very faith-refreshing scenes in Madinah Munawwarah:

My respected father saw that Mufti-e-A’zam Hind رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه, with his face as bright as the moon and his head adorned with ‘Imamah [Islamic turban] as usual, was present along with his particular Madani Qafilah near the blessed mausoleum of the Holy Nabi صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. My father was very amazed to see Mufti-e-A’zam Hind about eight years after his demise. (My father goes onto say) In the state of amazement and happiness, he went to look for his elder son to inform him about it. When he met his son, he discovered that the son was also in search of the father because he had also watched that blessed scene. When both father and son came back to the same place, Mufti-e-A’zam Hind رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه had departed along with his Madani Qafilah.

May Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ have mercy on him and forgive us without accountability for his sake!

اٰمِیْنٌ بِجَاہِ النَّبِیِّ الْاَمِیْنٌ صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم

Passed away when in the court of the Holy Rasool

2. Relating the second parable, my father said: I saw a tall and strong young man at the blessed court of the Holy Rasool صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. He was praying with his hands raised whilst standing towards the blessed feet of the Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. All of a sudden, he collapsed and fell dead in the court of the Holy Nabi صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. A lot of people gathered around the fortunate deceased young man. The Muslims present over there began to express envy at the faith-refreshing demise of that fortunate young man in their own different languages.

Yoon mujh ko maut aaye to kya poochhna mayra

Mayn khaak per, nigah dar-e-yar ki taraf

(Zauq-e-Na’at)

صَلُّوْا عَلَی الْحَبِیْب  صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلٰی مُحَمَّد

Back to his home from gallows

Once Amjad ‘Ali Khan Qaadiri Razavi who was a disciple of A’la Hadrat went hunting. He fired a bullet, but the bullet missed its target and hit a passer-by causing his death. The police arrested Amjad ‘Ali. He was convicted of murder and was sentenced to be hanged. A few days before the execution, his family members came to prison and met him weeping. Amjad ‘Ali said: Don’t worry, I cannot be hanged because in my dream, my Murshid Sayyidi A’la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه gave me the good news, ‘We have released you.’ The grieved family members departed.

On the day of execution, his mother came weeping to prison for seeing her beloved son for the last time. سُبْحٰنَ اللہ عَزَّوَجَلَّ! What a strong belief Amjad ‘Ali had in his Murshid! He said to his mother with great confidence, ‘Dear mother, don’t be sad; go home. اِنْ شَآءَ اللہ عَزَّوَجَلَّ, I will have today’s breakfast after coming back at home.’ After she left, Amjad ‘Ali was brought to the gallows to be hanged. Before the noose was put around his neck, he was customarily asked to express his dying wish. He replied, ‘There is no need to ask this as the time of my death has not yet approached.’ People thought that he had gone mad due to the fear of death. The executioner put the noose around his neck but at the very same moment, an official order was received declaring that a certain number of murderers and prisoners would be released in happiness of the coronation ceremony of Queen Victoria. The noose was immediately removed [from the neck of Amjad ‘Ali]. He was brought down from the gallows and set free.

On the other hand, there was absolute mayhem at home and preparations were being made for receiving his corpse. Amjad ‘Ali Qaadiri Razavi reached his home alive and said, ‘Bring the breakfast! I had told you that I would have breakfast at home, اِنْ شَآءَ اللہ عَزَّوَجَلَّ.’ (Tajalliyat Imam Ahmad Raza, pp. 100; amended)

May Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ have mercy on him and forgive us without accountability for his sake!

The Spiritual Journey: Miracles of A’la Hadrat

No matter how hard Satan tries to make you feel lazy, read this booklet in its entirety with the intention of reward. You will have blessings not only in your worldly life but also in your afterlife.

Excellence of Salat-‘Alan-Nabi ﷺ

Sayyiduna Ubayy Bin Ka’b رَضِىَ اللهُ تَعَالَى عَنْهُ humbly said to the Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالَى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ: I shall (discontinue all my invocations and) devote all my time to the recitation of Salat [Durood]. Our Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالَى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ replied, ‘This is sufficient to remove your worries, and your sins will be forgiven.’

(Sunan-ut-Tirmizi, vol. 4, pp. 207, Hadees 2465)

In those days, I (the author i.e. Ameer-e-Ahl-e-Sunnat) used to lead Salat-ul-Fajr wearing the blessed ‘Imamah (turban) of Mufti-e-A’zam Hind, Maulana Mustafa Raza Khan رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه in Haydari Masjid adjacent to the sacred mausoleum of Sayyiduna Muhammad Shah Doolha Bukhari Sabzwari رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه,

situated in Kharadar, a locality of Bab-ul-Madinah (Karachi). اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ عَزَّوَجَلَّ, the blessed ‘Imamah of a perfect Wali (friend of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ) has touched my hands and head many times; اِنْ شَآءَ الله عَزَّوَجَلَّ the fire of Hell will not touch my hands and head. Obviously, if it does not touch my hands and head, the whole body of mine will also remain safe, اِنْ شَآءَ DNA عَزَّوَجَلَّ.

Actually, ‘Allamah Maulana Hameed-ur-Rahman Qaadiri Razavi رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه – son of the Khalifah of A’la Hadrat Maulana Jameel-ur-Rahman Qaadiri Razavi, the Khalifah of A’la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه – used to lead Salah in that Masjid. Since his blessed house was situated almost 6 to 7 kilometres from the Masjid, I was privileged to lead the Jama’at of Fajr Salah whilst wearing the blessed ‘Imamah of Mufti-e-A’zam Hind رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه thus gaining its blessings. Once, whilst mentioning the virtues of A’la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه, Maulana Hameed-ur-Rahman رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه told me the following parable:

In those days, I was a small child. I clearly remember that A’la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه would always talk to me and other children courteously. He did not have the habit of scolding, rebuking, or treating any one disrespectfully. One Thursday, I was present in the blessed house of A’la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه in Bareilly. Meanwhile, somebody came to meet him but it was not the time when A'la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه met people. Since he was insistent on meeting, I went to the private room of A’la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه to inform him of the visitor but I did not find him anywhere in the entire home. We were surprised at it, thinking where he had gone. We all were standing in complete astonishment when, all of a sudden, A’la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه emerged from the very same room of his! We asked the secret of his sudden emergence from the room despite the fact that we looked for him throughout the home including that room. When we insisted, A’la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه explained, ‘اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ عَزَّوَجَلَّ, I humbly visit Madinah Munawwarah from my room (i.e. from Bareilly) every Thursday at the very same time.

May Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ have mercy on him and forgive us without accountability for his sake!

Confirmation through Qutb-e-Madinah

اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ عَزَّوَجَلَّ, Imam of Ahl-us-Sunnah was a true devotee of the Holy Rasool. The Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالَى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ was extremely benevolent towards him. Now read another faith-refreshing parable of him visiting Madinah from Bareilly.

Al-Haaj Muhammad ‘Arif Ziyaee who was a resident of Madinah Munawwarah told me this parable. He narrated: Once, my Murshid Sayyidi Qutb-e-Madinah, Maulana Ziyauddin Ahmad Qaadiri Razavi رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه said to me: In those days, A’la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه was alive. Once I humbly visited the sacred mausoleum of the Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالَى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ. After reciting Salat and Salam, I came to ‘Bab-us-Salam’ where I glanced towards the Golden Grilles. To my surprise, I saw that A’la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه was standing in reverential posture in front of the sacred Muwajahah. I was amazed to see that A’la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه has come to Madinah Munawwarah but I am unaware of it. Hence, I moved towards the Muwajahah but A’la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه was no longer there! I then went back towards Bab-us-Salam and glanced towards the Golden Grilles; I saw A’la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه again in front of Muwajahah! I moved towards Muwajahah for the second time, but he رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه was not there again! This happened even for the third time. I realized that it was something special between the Beloved Nabi صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالَى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ and his beloved devotee and that I should not interfere in it.

May Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ have mercy on him and forgive us without accountability for his sake! اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ عَزَّوَجَلَّ! In this way, the evidence of my Murshid Qutb-e-Madinah رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه was also obtained regarding the spiritual visit of A’la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه from Bareilly to Madinah Munawwarah.

Know the Difference Between Assets and Liabilities to Build Wealth

The real tragedy is that the lack of early financial education is what creates the risk faced by average middle class people. The reason they have to play it safe is because their financial positions are tenuous at best. Their balance sheets are not balanced. Instead, they are loaded with liabilities and have no real assets that generate income. Typically, their only source of income is their paycheck. Their livelihood becomes entirely dependent on their employer. So when genuine “deals of a lifetime” come along, these people can’t take advantage of them because they are working so hard, are taxed to the max, and are loaded with debt.

As I said at the start of this section, the most important rule is to know the difference between an asset and a liability. Once you understand the difference, concentrate your efforts on buying income-generating assets. That’s the best way to get started on a path to becoming rich. Keep doing that, and your asset column will grow. Keep liabilities and expenses down so more money is available to continue pouring into the asset column. Soon the asset base will be so deep that you can afford to look at more speculative investments: investments that may have returns of 100 percent to infinity; $5,000 investments that are soon turned into $1 million or more; investments that the middle-class calls “too risky.” The investment is not risky for the financially literate.

If you do what the masses do, you get the following picture:

As an employee who is also a homeowner, your working efforts are generally as follows:

1. You work for the company.

Employees make their business owner or the shareholders rich, not themselves. Your efforts and success will help provide for the owner’s success and retirement.

2. You work for the government.

The government takes its share from your paycheck before you even see it. By working harder, you simply increase the amount of taxes taken by the government. Most people work from January to May just for the government.

3. You work for the bank.

After taxes, your next largest expense is usually your mortgage and credit-card debt.

The problem with simply working harder is that each of these three levels takes a greater share of your increased efforts. You need to learn how to have your increased efforts benefit you and your family directly.

Once you have decided to concentrate on minding your own business—focusing your efforts on acquiring assets instead of a bigger paycheck—how do you set your goals? Most people must keep their job and rely on their wages to fund their acquisition of assets.

As their assets grow, how do they measure the extent of their success? When does someone know that they are rich, that they have wealth?

As well as having my own definitions for assets and liabilities, I also have my own definition for wealth. Actually, I borrowed it from a man named R. Buckminster Fuller. Some call him a quack, and others call him a genius. Years ago, he got architects buzzing because he applied for a patent for something called a geodesic dome. But in the application, Fuller also said something about wealth. It was pretty confusing at first, but after reading it, it began to make some sense:

Wealth is a person’s ability to survive so many numbers of days forward—or, if I stopped working today, how long could I survive?

Unlike net worth—the difference between your assets and liabilities, which is often filled with a person’s expensive junk and opinions of what things are worth—this definition creates the possibility for developing a truly accurate measurement. I could now measure and know where I was in terms of my goal to become financially independent.

Although net worth often includes non-cash-producing assets, like stuff you bought that now sits in your garage, wealth measures how much money your money is making and, therefore, your financial survivability.

Wealth is the measure of the cash flow from the asset column compared with the expense column.

Let’s use an example. Let’s say I have cash flow from my asset column of $1,000 a month. And I have monthly expenses of $2,000. What is my wealth? Let’s go back to Buckminster Fuller’s definition. Using his definition, how many days forward can I survive? Assuming a 30-day month, I have enough cash flow for half a month.

When I achieve $2,000 a month cash flow from my assets, then I will be wealthy.

So while I’m not yet rich, I am wealthy. I now have income generated from assets each month that fully cover my monthly expenses. If I want to increase my expenses, I first must increase my cash flow to maintain this level of wealth. Also note that it is at this point that I’m no longer dependent on my wages. I have focused on, and been successful in, building an asset column that has made me financially independent. If I quit my job today, I would be able to cover my monthly expenses with the cash flow from my assets.

My next goal would be to have the excess cash flow from my assets reinvested into the asset column. The more money that goes into my asset column, the more my asset column grows. The more my assets grow, the more my cash flow grows. And as long as I keep my expenses less than the cash flow from these assets, I grow richer with more and more income from sources other than my physical labor.

As this reinvestment process continues, I am well on my way to becoming rich. Just remember this simple observation:

• The rich buy assets.

• The poor only have expenses.

• The middle class buy liabilities they think are assets.

So how do I start minding my own business? What is the answer? Listen to the founder of McDonald’s in the next chapter.

The Hidden Risks and Ongoing Costs of Owning a Home (Analytical)

So here is the argument I put forth. I really don’t expect most people to agree with it because your home is an emotional thing and when it comes to money, high emotions tend to lower financial intelligence. I know from personal experience that money has a way of making every decision emotional.

• When it comes to houses, most people work all their lives paying for a home they never own. In other words, most people buy a new house every few years, each time incurring a new 30-year loan to pay off the previous one.

• Even though people receive a tax deduction for interest on mortgage payments, they pay for all their other expenses with after-tax dollars, even after they pay off their mortgage.

• My wife’s parents were shocked when the property taxes on their home increased to $1,000 a month. This was after they had retired, so the increase put a strain on their retirement budget, and they felt forced to move.

• Houses do not always go up in value. I have friends who owe a million dollars for a home that today would sell for far less.

• The greatest losses of all are those from missed opportunities. If all your money is tied up in your house, you may be forced to work harder because your money continues blowing out of the expense column, instead of adding to the asset column— the classic middle-class cash-flow pattern. If a young couple would put more money into their asset column early on, their later years would be easier. Their assets would have grown and would be available to help cover expenses. All too often, a house only serves as a vehicle for incurring a home-equity loan to pay for mounting expenses.

In summary, the end result in making a decision to own a house that is too expensive in lieu of starting an investment portfolio impacts an individual in at least the following three ways:

1. Loss of time, during which other assets could have grown in value.

2. Loss of additional capital, which could have been invested instead of paying for high-maintenance expenses related directly to the home.

3. Loss of education. Too often, people count their house and savings and retirement plans as all they have in their asset column. Because they have no money to invest, they simply don’t invest. This costs them investment experience. Most never become what the investment world calls “a sophisticated investor.” And the best investments are usually first sold to sophisticated investors, who then turn around and sell them to the people playing it safe.

I am not saying don’t buy a house. What I am saying is that you should understand the difference between an asset and a liability. When I want a bigger house, I first buy assets that will generate the cash flow to pay for the house.

My educated dad’s personal financial statement best demonstrates the life of someone caught in the Rat Race. His expenses match his income, never allowing him enough left over to invest in assets. As a result, his liabilities are larger than his assets.

The following diagram on the left shows my poor dad’s income statement. It is worth a thousand words. It shows that his income and expenses are equal while his liabilities are larger than his assets.

My rich dad’s personal financial statement on the right reflects the results of a life dedicated to investing and minimizing liabilities.

Why the Rich Get Richer

A review of my rich dad’s financial statement shows why the rich get richer. The asset column generates more than enough income to cover expenses, with the balance reinvested into the asset column. The asset column continues to grow and, therefore, the income it produces grows with it. The result is that the rich get richer!

Why the Middle-Class Struggle

The middle class finds itself in a constant state of financial struggle. Their primary income is through their salary. As their wages increase, so do their taxes. Their expenses tend to increase in proportion to their salary increase: hence, the phrase “the Rat Race.” They treat their home as their primary asset, instead of investing in income producing assets.

This pattern of treating your home as an investment, and the philosophy that a pay raise means you can buy a larger home or spend more, is the foundation of today’s debt-ridden society. Increased spending throws families into greater debt and into more financial uncertainty, even though they may be advancing in their jobs and receiving raises on a regular basis. This is high-risk living caused by weak financial education.

The massive loss of jobs in recent times proves how shaky the middle class really is financially. Company pension plans are being replaced by 401(k) plans. Social Security is obviously in trouble and can’t be relied upon as a source for retirement. Panic has set in for the middle class.

Today, mutual funds are popular because they supposedly represent safety. Average mutual-fund buyers are too busy working to pay taxes and mortgages, save for their children’s college, and pay off credit cards. They do not have time to study investing, so they rely on the expertise of the manager of a mutual fund. Also, because the mutual fund includes many different types of investments, they feel their money is safer because it is “diversified.” This educated middle class subscribes to the dogma put out by mutual-fund brokers and financial planners: “Play it safe. Avoid risk.”