| In
the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. INSAF NAMA Solitude, Remembrance and Vision 55. Allah has said (in respect) Zachariah (AS): " Then did the angels call to him, even while he stood praying in the sanctuary (mihrab)…" (S. 3 : 39 SAL). It was not said that he was moving about in the market-place. When a seeker (sail) asks (for something) and does not leave the door, his request will be accepted. The hint in this is that when somebody goes to the kings with a request, it is necessary for him to stay at the door till his request is granted. It is said that Allah has said that He answers the prayers of his loyal servant. Hence, the person, who avoids serving Him, will be thrown into the disgrace of wildness. Allah says: "And whoso disregards My admonitions, (or remembrance) truly he shall have to live a life of misery, and We will raise him on the Day of Resurrection bereft of sight. He will say, 'O my Lord! Why has Thou raised me bereft of sight, whereas I had been endowed before with sight?' He (Allah) will reply, 'This, because thou didst neglect Our signs when they came to thee, (and as a result) thou art this day neglected" (S. 20 : 124 to 126 SAL) 56. It is narrated by Bandagi Miyan Bhai Muhajir (RZ) that Imam Mahdi (AS) came twice or thrice and saw that two or three brothers were sitting together. "Why are you sitting here." he asked. The brothers said: "We are talking about religion (deen)." Imam Mahdi (AS) said: "O brothers! You will not find Allah without remembering Him by just talking about religion." Allah has said: "O ye apostles! Eat of the things that are wholesome; and act aright; indeed, I am cognizant of what you do" (S. 23 : 51 SAL). Allah has again said: "To you hath He prescribed the Faith which He had commended unto Noah and which, We revealed to thee and which We had commended unto Abraham and Moses and Jesus enjoining, ' Adhere to this Faith and do not divide yourselves into sects.' Disconcerting to the polytheists is that ( the Faith) to which thou callest them. Allah draweth to Himself whom He will and guideth to Himself whosoever turns to Him" (S. 42 : 13 SAL). 57. Bandagi Miyan Syed Khundmir (RZ) has quoted Allah as saying this about Shariat in Quran as a stated above. Some people have understood that Shariat was about agriculture, lands, leasing and renting out and commerce. (This understanding is not correct). Allah has said: "They know only what is apparent in the life of this world; and scarcely realize what is beyond it" (S. 30 : 7 SAL). 58. Solomon (AS) said that remembrance of Allah was greater and better than everything. 59. Prophet Muhammad (SLM) said: "Should I not inform you about a deed which is the best (in the eyes) of your Lord and which is more chaste than all deeds, which improves your ranks, which is better than giving silver and gold in charity, and mutual killings between you and your enemies?" His companions asked: "O Messenger of Allah! What is that deed?" The Prophet said: "It is remembrance (zikr) of Allah, which is the head of all (good) deeds and which is better than all the deeds." 60. Prophet Muhammad (SLM) has said: "When your tongue is soaked in Allah's remembrance, you remain separated (alaheda) from the world." This tradition is reported in Mudarik. 61. During the period of Imam Mahdi (AS) and his companions, nobody used to read the Quran in a loud voice after the morning and Maghrib prayers. And if any child of a seeker of Allah were to cry, his father would take him out of the daira, so that the seekers in the neighborhood would not be disturbed in their remembrance of Allah by the cries of the child. 62. Now in our houses, there is sound and tumult as if the fisher-women are at each other's throat. This is against the sayings of Allah, His Prophet (SLM) and Imam Mahdi (AS). This also happens even after the Maghrib prayers. 63. It is narrated that Imam Mahdi (AS) said in Hindi: 64. Talking about Allah, Prophet Muhammad (SLM) said; 65. It is narrated with reference to Shaikh Junaid (RA) that he said: "I guarded heart for thirty years at the threshold of Shaikh Abdullah Siri Saqti (RA) and did not allow anything other than Allah to come in my heart (or mind) and said my night and morning prayers with one wazu (ablutions) for (another) thirty years. At this, a thought occurred to me that I had reached a (spiritual) position. Hatif (a voice from Heaven) said: 'We would show you the corner of the zunnar (the Hindu sacred thread).' Junaid asked: 'What is my fault?' The reply came: 'Your very existence is a sin, compared with which there is no (greater) sin. In other words, you look at your existence and you have not perished (fana) in Us.' COUPLET: 66. Allah has said: "... And remember thy Lord when thou forgettest..." (S. 18 : 25 MMP). In other words, when one forgets his self (nafas) for the sake of things other than Allah, (one should remember Allah). 67. Bandagi Miyan Syed Khundmir (RZ) has said that when one is famished, one sells a household utensil or buys another one, it is not trade and this (selling and buying) does not make one neglect the remembrance (zikr) of Allah, as Allah says: "Men whom neither merchandise not sale beguileth from remembrance of Allah…" (S. 24 : 37 MMP). But people, who go from one city to another for trade or in search of livelihood, neglect the remembrance of Allah in such commerce. 68. It is a well-known narration that there was a dog in the daira of Imam Mahdi (AS). It used to sit on its haunches (do-zanu) till about nine (ek-pahr-din) in the morning with his attention focused on Allah and engaged in secret remembrance of Allah. They tried to test it many times by placing some food in front of it, but it never ate it in the first quarter (pahr) of the day. May Allah bless us with this attribute of that dog by Imam Mahdi's (AS) intervention (tufail). 69. It is narrated that the rooms of Bandagi Miyan Syed Khundmir (RZ) and Miyan Makhdoom (RZ) were adjoining. Bandagi Miyan asked Miyan Makhdoom (RZ) what meaning Imam Mahdi (AS) had explained of the Quranic phrase, 'bil-guduwwi wal-aasali' (in S. 7 : 205) ( The Arabic words mean 'in the mornings and evenings'). Afterwards, Bandagi Miyan (RZ) regretted saying: "How much time have we wasted after the Maghrib prayers in this conversation!" Then he said: "The person, who indulges in useless conversation, neglecting the remembrance of Allah, after the Maghrib prayers, is against (the practice of ) Imam Mahdi (AS)." 70. It is narrated that Prophet Muhammad (SLM) was sitting on the side of the Zam Zam well (in Makkah). He turned his ring on his finger once or twice. Allah revealed to him the Quranic Verse which said: "We created not the heavens, the earth, and all between them, merely in (idle) sport" (S. 44 : 38 AYAY) 71. It is narrated by Miyan Malik Peer Muhammad (RZ), son of Bandagi Miyan Malik Ilahdad (RZ), that one day Imam Mahdi (AS) saw a brother (a companion of Imam Mahdi (AS)) break a stalklet of grass between his fingers, and said: "Give some respite to the angels." 72. It is narrated that a Khorasani came with a bottle of wine hidden in his sleeve to test the toleration (hilm) of Imam Mahdi (AS). Some of the brothers sought the Imam's (AS) permission to break the bottle. Imam Mahdi (AS) said: "This is a matter of understanding. The intoxication of wine disappears in a couple of hours. People with worldly drunkenness come to this servant (of Allah) and give it up." 73. Prophet Muhammad (SLM) has said a person, who became intoxicated with worldliness, would never regain his senses. Says Allah: "And be ye not like those who forget Allah: and He made them forget their own souls! Such are the rebellious transgressors!" (S. 59 : 19 AYA). Their souls (nafas) have forgotten them. They do not know their own zath (essence). And those who indulge in worldliness, do not know how many cycles (rak'at) of prayers they have performed, what they have recited and where their thoughts had been wandering. COUPLET: 74. Allah has said: "O ye who believe! Draw not near unto prayer when ye are drunken, till ye know that which ye utter…" (S. 4 : 43 MMP). 75.It is narrated that Imam Mahdi (AS) has taken 'sukara' to mean intoxication of the worldliness. 76. And for those people who forget the zikr (remembrance) of Allah, Satan bridles them in the mouth, as Allah has said: "Iblis said…. 'if Thou deferrest me till the Day of Judgement, I will surely seize his progeny (entirely, and bring them under my sway) save a few" (S. 17 : 62 AMD) 77. It is narrated that Imam Mahdi (AS) explained (divine) Love like this: "The royal falcon of (divine) Love flew from La Makan (absence of abode-an attribute of Allah), and reached the Heaven. Hare, it did not see its place. It flew further on, reached the mountains and did not see its abode. It flew further on, reached the dust (khak), found its abode, sat down and said: I am Love (muhabbat). There is no difference between 'muhabbat' (Love) and 'mehnat' (Labour) except for a dot. If the dot is below, it is muhabiat': if it is above it is 'mehnat'. (In Arabic, Persian and Urdu scripts, the single dot below denotes the sound of 'b' while the single dot above denotes the sound of 'n'. Hence 'muhabbat' becomes 'mehnat). 78. Allah says: "Verily, we offered the Trust (the Viceregency of Allah) to the heavens, and to the earth, and to the mountains, but they hesitated to undertake the responsibility thereof and feared to bear it. Man alone undertook to bear it…" (S. 33 : 72 SAL). 79. It is narrated that one day Imam Mahdi (AS), during one of
his explanations of Quran, referred to the (divine) Love. Mullah Darvesh
Khorasani (RZ), who was present in the audience, tore his shirt and
exclaimed: "Where shall we bring (divine) Love ('Ishq) from!"
Imam Mahdi (AS) said: "This servant speaks of the acquired (kasabi)
Love. Work and try. Do something which will generate Love. Prophets (AS)
are given (divine) Love (by Allah). It comes to them without an effort.
The others have to work for it, as Prophet Muhammad (SLM) has said:
"If you remain hungry, you might see me. If you achieve seclusion
(from the world), you will achieve the meeting (wisal) of Allah. Keep
your stomachs hungry and your livers thirsty and keep your bodies
relaxed, you may perhaps see Allah in this world." |