Saturday, August 22, 2026

The Power of Good Company: Divine Help, Spiritual Transformation and a Faithful Death

21. Blessing of a saint's company

Sayyidunā Ibrāhīm Khawāṣ رَحْمَةُ اللہِ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ was once travelling in a jungle; a person approached him and said, 'I wish to accompany you.' When he رَحْمَةُ اللہِ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ looked at the person with spiritual insight, he رَحْمَةُ اللہِ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ felt a sense of resentment towards him. After a little while, the person disclosed, 'I am a non-Muslim monk and I have come from Rome to join your company.' The reason for the resentment was now obvious – it was the Kufr of the monk. He told the monk, 'I do not have anything to eat and drink, you may get into trouble.' The monk replied, 'Yā Sayyidī! You are renowned throughout the world for your Taqwā (asceticism), but you are still worried about food and drink!'

Surprised at this reply, Sayyidunā Ibrāhīm Khawāṣ رَحْمَةُ اللہِ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ permitted the monk to accompany him on his journey. They travelled for seven days without eating and drinking anything. The monk, hungry and thirsty, pleaded, 'Yā Sayyidī! I can no longer bear, please arrange for some food and drink.' Sayyidunā Ibrāhīm Khawāṣ رَحْمَةُ اللہِ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ prostrated and pleaded, 'O Allah ! This unbeliever has pinned his hopes on me. My honour is in Your Power. Do not disgrace me in the eyes of this unbeliever.' As soon as he raised his head from prostration, he saw that there was a tray containing two pieces of bread and two glasses of water. They ate the food, drank water and resumed their journey.

After travelling for another seven days without food, they stopped somewhere. The monk prostrated and made Du'ā. Suddenly, a tray appeared on which there were four pieces of bread and four glasses of water. Sayyidunā Ibrāhīm Khawāṣ رَحْمَةُ اللہِ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ became astonished and intended not to eat that food as it was apparently sent for an unbeliever. The monk said: Yā Sayyidī! Please eat and listen to two glad tidings. The first is that I embrace Islam, he then recited the Kalimaĥ. Secondly, you hold a very high status in the court of Allah . When I was in prostration, I made the following Du'ā, 'O Allah ! If Muhammad صَلَّی اللہ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم is Your true Prophet, bestow upon me two pieces of bread and two glasses of water and if Sayyidunā Ibrāhīm Khawāṣ رَحْمَةُ اللہِ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ is Your friend, please bestow two more pieces of bread and two glasses of water.' Having finished the Du'ā, when I arose from the prostration, I found this tray of food and drink here. Listening to this, Sayyidunā Ibrāhīm Khawāṣ رَحْمَةُ اللہِ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ ate the food. اَلْحَمْدُلِلّٰہِ the new Muslim also gained a high status among the Auliyā.

(Kashf-ul-Maḥjūb, pp. 433 to 435)

May Allah have mercy on them and forgive us without accountability for their sake!

صَلُّوْا عَلَی الْحَبِیْب ۔ صَلَّی اللہ تَعَالٰی عَلٰی مُحَمَّد

Dear Islamic brothers! Auliyā (often) bear hunger for many days. They are blessed with divine help and food is sent for them from Ghayb. By the mercy of Allah and the blessing of the company of Sayyidunā Ibrāhīm Khawāṣ رَحْمَةُ اللہِ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ even an unbeliever not only embraced Islam but also attained sainthood. Everyone should endeavour to join the company of the pious and refrain from evil company. A Ḥadīš states, 'A good companion is the one whose sight reminds you of Allah , whose speech increases your (good) deed and whose silence reminds you of the Hereafter.'

(Al-Jāmi'-uš-Ṣaghīr, vol. 2, pp. 247, Ḥadīš 4063)

صَلُّوْا عَلَی الْحَبِیْب ۔ صَلَّی اللہ تَعَالٰی عَلٰی مُحَمَّد

22. Good company, faithful death

Man is influenced by the company that surrounds him. If a sesame seed is placed in the petals of a rose, it acquires the rosy colour and fragrance. Similarly, by the blessings of the Madanī environment of Dawat-e-Islami and the company of the devotees of Rasūl, even a worthless stone turns into a precious sparkling diamond by the mercy of Allah and His Noble Prophet صَلَّی اللہ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم and departs from this world in such a glorious way that others develop a desire to emulate and aspire for a similar death instead of remaining alive. Hence, a person from Tando Allah Yar (Sindh, Pakistan) joined Dawat-e-Islami and began to offer Ṣalāĥ five times a day with the blessing of the company of devotees of Rasūl. In Ramadan, he attended the 10-day Sunnaĥ Inspiring I'tikāf organized by Dawat-e-Islami and memorized some Quranic Sūraĥs, Du'ās and Sunnaĥs. He also made the intention of growing a fist-length beard, wearing a green turban, attending the weekly Sunnaĥ-Inspiring Ijtimā' and travelling with Madanī Qāfilaĥs. In short, a Madanī transformation took place in his life. He sincerely repented of his past sins and strived to live according to Sunnaĥ.

One day, unfortunately his clothes caught fire, burning almost eighty percent of his body. Even in this critical condition, he was constantly reciting Ṣalāt-'Alan-Nabī and making Żikr instead of complaining. He was also reciting the Du'ās and Sūraĥs he had memorised during the I'tikāf in the company of the devotees of Rasūl. He kept reciting Du'ās and Quranic Sūraĥs for almost 48 hours and, at dawn, during the Ażān of Fajr Ṣalāĥ, he passed away reciting the Kalimaĥ لَآ اِلٰہَ اِلَّا اللّٰہُ مُحَمَّدٌ رَّسُوْلُ اللّٰہِ.

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

23. Bad company, bad death

Dear Islamic brothers! I presume that the deceased has succeeded. Now listen to a parable of a horrific and frightening doom that highlights the consequences of the prevalent wicked company, non-Islamic environment in homes, watching and listening to movies and songs through T.V, internet, mobiles etc.

The same doctors who treated the fortunate young deceased person remarked, 'Surprisingly, a few days ago a young burnt girl was also brought for treatment in the same ward where the fortunate Islamic brother of Dawat-e-Islami passed away reciting Kalimaĥ. At the time of her death, Allah forbid, the girl said, "Let me listen to a song, let me listen to a song, let me watch scenes of dancing, let me watch scenes of dancing." The unfortunate girl died repeating the same words again and again.' If she was a Muslim, may Almighty Allah forgive her!

آمِیْن بِجَاہِ النَّبِیِّ الْاَمِیْن صَلَّی اللہ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم تُوْبُوْۤا اِلَی اللہ اَسْتَغْفِرُ اللہ

Dear Islamic brothers! There is no doubt that everyone will die one day. Would that we also pass away reciting the Kalimaĥ and Salāt-'Alan-Nabī and beholding the Holy Prophet صَلَّی اللہ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم! اَلْحَمْدُلِلّٰہِ Dawat-e-Islami, a global & non-political movement for the preaching of Quran and Sunnaĥ, is spreading the message of Sunnaĥ throughout the world. For the betterment in the world and the Hereafter, every one should join the Madanī environment of Dawat-e-Islami and make up his mind that 'I must strive to reform myself and the people of the entire world اِنْ شَآءَ اللہ عَزَّوَجَلَّ.'

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