36.
Leftover bones
Dear Islamic brothers! Sayyidunā
Shaykh 'Abdul Waĥĥāb Muttaqī Qādirī Shāżlī رَحْمَةُ
اللّٰہِ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ was a great saint. He رَحْمَةُ اللّٰہِ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ would often remain
hungry. Once, while discussing the wisdom of hunger, asceticism and avoidance
of asking anyone for anything, he stated, 'There was a time when I used to pick
up the left over bones thrown from the shops of butchers and the dry stalk of
barley which people threw away on the farms. I would wash and boil them in a
cauldron and survive on a bowl of this soup. When people came to know of this
state of mine, they started bringing different types of (delicious) foods for
me. In order to avoid such gifts, I decided to leave that place and never
stayed anywhere for more than three days.'
(Al-Akhbār-ul-Akhyār ma'
Maktūbāt, pp. 277)
May Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ
have mercy on him and forgive us without accountability for his sake!
صَلُّوْا عَلَى الْحَبِيْبِ ! صَلَّى اللّٰهُ
تَعَالٰى عَلٰى مُحَمَّد
37.
Fear before eating
Sayyidunā Waĥb Bin Ward رَحْمَةُاللهِتَعَالٰیعَلَیْہِ used to eat only one
flatbread after remaining hungry for two or three consecutive days. Before
eating, he used to supplicate to Almighty Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ
in the following manner, 'O Allah! You are aware that I am not strong enough to
worship You without eating; I am fearful of weakness and grief. O Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ! If there is something unlawful or Ḥarām
in this bread, do not punish me if it enters my stomach unknowingly.' After
making this Du'ā, he would soak the bread in water and then eat it.
(Minĥāj-ul-'Ābidīn, pp. 98)
May Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ
have mercy on him and forgive us without accountability for his sake!
We
should weep after eating
Dear Islamic brothers! We should be
alarmed that we eat virtually anything that comes to our hand without
considering (its permissibility). We should fear the accountability of the
Hereafter.
Sayyidunā Imām Muhammad Ghazālī عَلَيْهِ رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ الْوَالِي has stated in Iḥyā-ul-'Ulūm,
'The one who weeps after eating and the one who plays and enjoys after eating
cannot be equal.'
(Iḥyā-ul-'Ulūm, vol. 2, pp. 8)
He رَحْمَةُاللهِتَعَالٰیعَلَیْہِ
has further stated, 'One should repent and express sadness in case of eating
doubtful food so that his tears and sadness can put off the fire of Hell which
he might face due to eating the doubtful food.' The Holy Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم
has also stated, 'The meat nurtured with Ḥarām, fire (of Hell) is more entitled
to it.'
(Shu'ab-ul-Īmān, vol. 5, pp. 56,
Ḥadīš 5761)
صَلُّوْا عَلَى الْحَبِيْبِ ! صَلَّى اللّٰهُ
تَعَالٰى عَلٰى مُحَمَّد
38.
Piece of dry bread
Sayyidunā Junayd Baghdādī عَلَيْهِ رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ الْقَاهِر has narrated:
Sayyidunā Ḥāriš Bin Asad Muḥāsibī رَحْمَةُ اللّٰہِ
تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ walked past my house. He رَحْمَةُ اللّٰہِ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ appeared to be hungry
so I requested, 'My dear uncle, please come and eat something.' He رَحْمَةُاللهِتَعَالٰیعَلَیْہِ came to our house but
there was nothing for eating except some wedding food, which our neighbours had
sent. I offered the same food to him. He رَحْمَةُاللهِتَعَالٰیعَلَیْہِ
took a morsel, placed it into his mouth and kept moving it in his mouth without
swallowing. Instead of eating the morsel, he went to the porch and spat it out.
Then, he رَحْمَةُاللهِتَعَالٰیعَلَیْہِ
left. When I came across him after some days, I asked him about the food I gave
him. He رَحْمَةُاللهِتَعَالٰیعَلَیْہِ
replied, 'I was certainly hungry and wanted to eat the food you offered so that
I could please you, but there is a promise between me and Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ that no doubtful food would go down my
throat and it is the reason why I could not swallow it.' I told him that the
food had come from my neighbour's house on a wedding occasion. I then asked him
to come to my house so that I could serve him again. When he رَحْمَةُاللهِتَعَالٰیعَلَیْہِ entered, I served a piece of dry bread
which he consumed. He رَحْمَةُاللهِتَعَالٰیعَلَیْہِ
then said, 'You should present this type of food to the mystic saints.'
(Risāla-tul-Qushayriyyah, pp. 429-430)
May Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ
have mercy on him and forgive us without accountability for his sake!
39.
His vein would pulsate
Dear Islamic brothers! Did you see
that our saints would never consume any doubtful food despite experiencing
extreme hunger? Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ
had especial mercy on Sayyidunā Hāriš Muḥāsibī, as Sayyidunā Abū 'Alī Daqāq رَحْمَةُاللهِتَعَالٰیعَلَیْہِ الرَّبَّانِيّ
has narrated that whenever Sayyidunā Hāriš Muḥāsibī رَحْمَةُاللهِتَعَالٰیعَلَیْہِ
used to stretch out his hand towards any doubtful food, a vein in his finger
would start to pulsate. He would immediately refrain from eating that food.
(ibid, pp. 429)
Similarly, many other saints are
also reported to have the saintly miracle of becoming aware of doubtful and
Ḥarām food in advance.
May Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ
have mercy on them and forgive us without accountability for their sake!
صَلُّوْا عَلَى الْحَبِيْبِ ! صَلَّى اللّٰهُ
تَعَالٰى عَلٰى مُحَمَّد
40.
Worshipper and pomegranate
It is reported that a worshipper
used to live on a mountain. In the vicinity was a pomegranate tree on which
three pomegranates grew every day. He would eat them and continue his worship.
Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ willed to test the
worshipper. One day, the pomegranates did not grow but the worshipper remained
patient. The same thing happened the next two days. Worried and weakened by
hunger, he descended down from the mountain. A house of a non-Muslim lied
beside the mountain. The worshipper approached the non-Muslim and begged him
for some food. The non-Muslim gave him 4 pieces of bread. (As the worshipper
left), the dog of the non-Muslim began to bark at him. The worshipper gave one
piece to the dog. After eating it, the dog pursued and barked again. He gave
another piece but the dog was still barking. Eventually, he gave all four
pieces of bread but the dog did not become silent. Enraged, he said to the dog,
'O despicable and greedy dog! You have no shame, I have begged your master for
food which I have given to you but you still do not leave me.' The dog replied,
'I am not more shameless than you! Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ
bestowed upon you a nice sustenance for many years without any struggle, when
He عَزَّوَجَلَّ tested you a little
you became so worried that you went to His enemy's house to beg.'
(Aḥsan-ul-Wi'ā, pp. 144)
Dear Islamic brothers! We have
learnt from the foregoing parable that if Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ,
who bestows upon us innumerable bounties, ever tests us, we should be patient
instead of complaining. The following parable would further clarify this point.
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