41.
Maḥmūd, Ayāz and slice of cucumber
It is reported that once a person
gifted a cucumber to Sultan Maḥmūd Ghaznawī عَلَيْهِ
رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ الْقَوِي, a renowned devotee of Rasūl. The sultan
accepted the gift and gave the person a reward. He then cut off a slice and
handed it to his beloved slave Ayāz who consumed the slice relishing its taste.
Then, Sultan Maḥmūd cut another slice, this time for himself. As soon as he put
it into his own mouth, he spat it out instantly, as it was too bitter.
Astonished at Ayāz, he asked, 'Ayāz! How did you eat such a bitter thing? Even
your facial expression did not reveal any sign of displeasure.' Ayāz replied,
'Respected Sultan! There is no doubt that the piece of cucumber was extremely
bitter. When I placed it in my mouth, my wisdom asked me to spit it out but my
love told me, "O Ayāz, beware! This is the same hand which gives you sweet
things to eat every day. If it gives you something bitter to eat only one day,
it does not matter. To spit it out is contrary to the etiquette of love."
Therefore, following the command of love, I consumed the bitter slice of
cucumber.'
(Rahbar-e-Zindagī, pp. 167)
May Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ
have mercy on them and forgive us without accountability for their sake!
Dear Islamic brothers! Being a
Muslim, we all should have the same frame of mind. If Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ, who has bestowed upon us countless
favours, ever tests us with troubles and trials, we should accept them happily.
The great is not the one who is loyal only when his object of devotion shows
affection for him, but the one who is loyal even when he is ignored by the one
he has affection for.
Woh
'ishq-e-ḥaqīqī kī laẕẕāt nahīn pā saktā
Jo ranj-o-muṣībat say dauchār nahīn ĥotā
He cannot taste the true love and devotion
Who does not
face adversity and harsh condition
صَلُّوْا عَلَى الْحَبِيْبِ ! صَلَّى اللّٰهُ
تَعَالٰى عَلٰى مُحَمَّد
42.
Non-Muslim monk embraces Islam
Making individual effort, a saint
once presented Islam to a non-Muslim monk. After a lengthy debate and argument,
the monk replied, 'It was a miracle of Sayyidunā Prophet 'Isā عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام that he would not eat anything for forty
consecutive days. This act can only be performed by a Prophet and a Ṣiddīq.'
The saint رَحْمَةُاللهِتَعَالٰیعَلَیْہِ
replied, 'If I remain hungry for fifty consecutive days, would you embrace
Islam giving up your religion and realize that Islam is the true religion and
that you are following falsehood?' The non-Muslim replied 'Yes.' Therefore, the
saint رَحْمَةُاللهِتَعَالٰیعَلَیْہِ
stayed with him for fifty consecutive days without consuming anything. He رَحْمَةُاللهِتَعَالٰیعَلَیْہِ then stayed hungry
for another ten days. Having seen this saintly miracle, the monk embraced Islam
forthwith.
(Iḥyā-ul-'Ulūm, vol. 3, pp. 98)
Dear Islamic brothers! No one should
misunderstand this parable. It must not be assumed that the saint surpassed
Sayyidunā Prophet 'Isā عَلٰی نَبِیَّنَا وَعَلَیْہِ
الصَّلٰوۃُ وَالسَّلَام in status. It is a fundamental Islamic
belief that no saint can ever surpass the status of a Prophet عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام. The one believing that a saint is greater
than a Holy Prophet عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام
immediately becomes a Kāfir (unbeliever). The monk was under the impression
that after Sayyidunā Prophet 'Isā عَلٰی نَبِیَّنَا
وَعَلَیْہِ الصَّلٰوۃُ وَالسَّلَام, no devotee of Prophet Muhammad صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم
could stay hungry for forty days. The saint cleared the misconception of the
monk by showing the saintly miracle of staying hungry for 40 days, making it clear
that staying hungry for 40 days is not the unique attribute of Sayyidunā
Prophet 'Isā عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام, and the devotees of
the Holy Prophet can remain alive despite staying hungry for 60 days.
43.
Rice and fish
It is reported that a saint رَحْمَةُاللهِتَعَالٰیعَلَیْہِ from Basra refrained
from eating fish, rice and bread for 20 years despite the strong desire of his
Nafs. After his death, someone saw him in a dream and asked as to how Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ treated him. He replied, 'Words cannot
express the bounties Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ
has bestowed upon me. First, I was given fish, rice and bread and was told to
eat as much as I wished.'
(Ihyā-ul-'Ulūm, vol. 3, pp. 103)
May Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ
have mercy on him and forgive us without accountability for his sake!
Dear Islamic brothers! Did you see
how great the status of those who do not follow their Nafs is? Congratulations
to those fortunate people who succeed in bearing hunger, avoiding worldly joys
and thus opposing their Nafs just for the pleasure of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ! After death, they will be blessed with
superb bounties in Paradise. Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ
says in Sūrah Al-Ḥāqqah, verse 24:
كُلُوْا وَاشْرَبُوْا هَنِيْٓئًۢا بِمَآ
اَسْلَفْتُمْ فِى الْاَيَّامِ الْخَالِيَةِ
Eat
and drink with relish, recompense for that you sent forth in the days gone by.
[Kanz-ul-Īmān
(Translation of Quran)] (Part 29, Sūrah Al-Ḥāqqah, verse 24)
44.
Beneficial to one's heart
Sayyidunā Shaykh Abū Sulaymān Dārānī
قَدَّسَ سِرُّهُ الرَّبَّانِيّ has said, 'To refrain
from any desire of Nafs is more beneficial to the heart than a year's fasting
and staying up at night (in worship).'
(Iḥyā-ul-'Ulūm,
vol. 3, pp. 103)
May Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ
have mercy on him and forgive us without accountability for his sake!
صَلُّوْا عَلَى الْحَبِيْبِ ! صَلَّى اللّٰهُ
تَعَالٰى عَلٰى مُحَمَّد
45.
Valīmah in Paradise
Hujjat-ul-Islam, Sayyidunā Imām
Muhammad Ghazālī عَلَيْهِ رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ الْوَالِي
has stated, 'The saints walking on the path of the Hereafter would avoid the
fulfilment of their desires because if a person eats different delicious things
to satisfy his desires, his Nafs becomes arrogant and his heart becomes hard.
Further, he becomes so interested in the delicious worldly things that the love
of worldly joys permanently stays in his heart and he forgets that he will have
to stand before his Creator, Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ.
The world is like Paradise and death is like a prison for such a person. On the
contrary, the one who treats his Nafs strictly and deprives it of worldly
pleasures; the world becomes like a prison for him, he feels uncomfortable in
the world and his Nafs likes to get free from the imprisonment of life by
leaving the world through death.' Referring to the same point, Sayyidunā Yaḥyā
Mu'āẓ Rāzī رَحْمَةُاللهِتَعَالٰیعَلَیْہِ
has stated, 'O the Ṣiddīqīn! In order to eat Valīmah (wedding-feast) in
Paradise, keep yourself hungry because the desire for food intensifies as much
as the Nafs remains hungry.
In other words, when a person is
extremely hungry, he really feels the joy of eating. This is the same thing
experienced by every fasting person. Therefore, remain as hungry as possible in
the world so that you can enjoy the delicious food of Paradise.
(ibid, pp.
99)
May Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ
have mercy on him and forgive us without accountability for his sake!
صَلُّوْا عَلَى الْحَبِيْبِ ! صَلَّى اللّٰهُ
تَعَالٰى عَلٰى مُحَمَّد
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