Mula came upon a frowning man walking along the road to town. “What’s wrong?” he asked. The man held up a tattered bag and moaned, “All that I own in this wide world barely fills this miserable, wretched sack.”

“Too bad,” said Mula, and with that, he snatched the bag from the man’s hands and ran down the road with it.

Having lost everything, the man burst into tears and, more miserable than before, continued walking. Meanwhile, Mula quickly ran around the bend and placed the man’s sack in the middle of the road where he would have to come upon it.

When the man saw his bag sitting in the road before him, he laughed with joy, and shouted, “My sack! I thought I’d lost you!”

Watching through the bushes, Mula chuckled. “Well, that’s one way to make someone happy!”

"Expel from your heart all envy of other men.

Close your heart against worldly things.

Know that suffering is a precious prize,

and see that all affairs are of God.

Then set foot on the water and walk."

(Habib al-`Ajami)

Taken from Tadhikurut al-Awliya, by Abu Nu`aym al-Isfahani

(If Allah touches you with affliction, none can remove it but He; if He touch you with happiness, He hath power over all things. He is the Omnipotent over His slaves; and He is the Wise, Acquainted with all things.) (Al-An`am 6:17-18)

. Allah knows everything and He is with us wherever we are. He has power and might. He is wise and merciful.

Ibn `Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported:

I was (once) behind the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) when he said to me, “Boy, I teach you (a few) words: Remember Allah, and He will protect you. Remember Allah (observing His commands and avoiding His prohibitions), and you will find Him close to you. When you have to ask for something, ask of Allah. When you seek help, seek Allah’s help. Believe firmly that if all the creation desires to benefit you in anything, they can never benefit you, but that which Allah has decreed for you. If they all unite to harm you, they will not be able to harm you in anything, but that which Allah has decreed for you.” (At-Tirmidhi)

Walk on Water 

Abu Hurairah has quoted a Prophetic saying, “Hoping for good is also an act of worship of Allah.” (Tirmidhi and Hakim)

In a hadith-e-qudsi our blessed Prophet has quoted the Divine words, “I am what my bondsman thinks of me, and where he remembers Me, there 1 am with him.” (Bukhari and Muslim).

The following is a summary and partial translation from the hagiography of Rumi, "Manâqibu 'l-`ârifîn" (The Glorious Talents and Abilities of the Knowers of God, chapter 3, section 579, written in Persian by Shamsuddîn Ahmad Aflâkî (died, 1353): Aflâkî relates (pp. 587-590) that when Mawlânâ ("our master," in Arabic) was on his death bed, he quoted the following verse from the Qur'an: "Do as you are commanded, (for) you will find me, God willing, among those who are patiently submitting" (Q. 37:102). He asked for a basin of water, in which he put his feet, and from time to time rubbed water on his chest and forehead and recited some poetry. Then some minstrels came in and sang this quatrain of Rumi's, in bitterness of the coming separation:

(My) heart bears suspicion toward you, (when) far away from you,
That (is) also because of its weakness (which) it bears, (when) far away from you.
(There is) bitterness in the mouth of every bitter-hearted person;
Sugar itself bears a grudge toward you, (when) far away from you.

del bar tô gomân-é bad bar-ad dûr az tô
w-ân nêz ze-Za`f-é khwad bar-ad dûr az tô
talkhê ba-dahân-é har delê Safrâ'î
khwad bar tô shakar Hasad bar-ad dûr az tô

After this poem was sung, those who were present wailed and wept. Mawlânâ responded, "Yes, it is (just) as (my) friends are saying. But if the house is being destroyed, what is the benefit (of wailing and weeping)? . . . My friends are drawing me (to) this side, and Hazrat-é Mawlânâ Shamsudîn [Shams-é Tabrîz] is calling me (to) that side." He quoted the verse, "Respond to God's summoner and believe in Him" (Qur'an 46:31). He then told his son, Sultân Walad to go lay his head down to get some rest, for the latter had been sleepless and sobbing constantly. When his son had put his head down, Mawlânâ composed his last poem to console him:

Go lay (your) head on the pillow (and sleep). Leave me (to be) alone; leave me (to be) ruined, night-wandering, and afflicted.
I am alone with a wave of passion, from night until day. If you wish, come with mercy; if you wish, go (and) be harsh.
Escape from me, so that you may not also fall into affliction! Choose the path of safety (and) shun the path of affliction.
With the tears of (my) eyes, I have crawled into the corner of sorrow. Grind the mill hundreds of times upon the tears of my eyes.
For me there is an oppressor who has a heart like a hard rock. He kills, (and) nobody tells him to arrange payment of the blood- price!¹
For the king of the beautiful-faced ones, loyalty is not necessary. (But) you be patient and faithful, O sallow-faced lover!
It is a pain for which there is no remedy except to die. So how can I ask that this pain be cured?
Last night I dreamed of an elder in the lane of Love: he gestured to me with (his) hand, (meaning) "Make (your) aim (to come) to me."
If there is a dragon on the road, Love is like an emerald (which will blind it); drive away the dragon with the (green) flash of this emerald!
Stop, since I am losing myself!² If you are (a man) of abundant knowledge, recite the History of so-and-so³ (and) admonish so and so!
(Persian text below)⁴

--Translation of Rumi's Ghazal No. 2039 from the Persian by Ibrahim Gamard, 12/98; revised 12/00 (with gratitude for Arberry's 1979 British translation) (c) Ibrahim Gamard (translation, footnotes, & transliteration)

Sometime during the night after composing this poem, Mawlânâ died. It was the night of December 17, 1273, Sunday, the fifth of the Islamic lunar month, Jumâda 'l-âkhir, A.H. 672.

Musab ibn Umayr

Musab ibn Umayr was born and grew up in the lap of affluence and luxury. His rich parents lavished a great deal of care and  attention on him. He wore the most expensive clothes and the most stylish shoes of his time. Yemeni shoes were then  considered to be very elegant and it was his privilege to have the very best of these. 

As a youth he was admired by the Quraysh not only for his good looks and style but for his intelligence. His elegant bearing  and keen mind endeared him to the Makkan nobility among whom he moved with ease. Although still young, he had the  privilege of attending Quraysh meetings and gatherings. He was thus in a position to know the issues which concerned the  Makkans and what their attitudes and strategies were. 

Among Makkans there was a sudden outburst of excitement and concern as Muhammad, known as al-Amin (the  Trustworthy), emerged saying that God had sent him as a bearer of good tidings and as a warner. He warned the Quraysh  of terrible chastisement if they did not turn to the worship and obedience of God and he spoke of Divine rewards for the  righteous. The whole of Makkah buzzed with talk of these claims. The vulnerable Quraysh leaders thought of ways of  silencing Muhammad. When ridicule and persuasion did not work, they embarked on a campaign of harassment and  persecution. 

Musab learnt that Muhammad and those who believed in his message were gathering in a house near the hill of as-Safa to  evade Quraysh harassment. This was the house of al-Arqam. To satisfy his curiosity, Musab proceeded to the house  undererred by the knowledge of Quraysh hostility. There he met the Prophet teaching his small band of companions, reciting  the verses of the Quran to them and performing Salat with them in submission to God, the Great, the Most High. 

The Prophet welcomed him, and with his noble hand tenderly touched Musab's heart as it throbbed with excitement. A deep  feeling of tranquility came over  him. 

Musab was totally overwhelmed by what he had seen and heard. The words of the Quran had made a deep and immediate  impression on him. 

In this first meeting with the Prophet, the young and decisive Musab declared his acceptance of Islam. It was a historic  moment. The keen mind of Musab, his tenacious will and determination, his eloquence and his beautiful character were now  in the service of Islam and would help change the course of men's destinies and of history. 

On accepting Islam Musab had one major concern his mother. Her name was Khunnas bint Malik. She was a woman of  extraordinary power. She had a dominant personality and could easily arouse fear and terror. When Musab became a  Muslim, the only power on earth he might have feared was his mother. All the powerful nobles of Makkah and their  attachment to pagan customs and traditions were of little consequence to him. Having his mother as an opponent, however,  could not be taken lightly. 

Musab thought quickly. He decided that he should conceal his acceptance of Islam until such time as a solution should come  from God. He continued to frequent the House of al-Arqam and sit in the company of the Prophet. He felt serene in his new  faith and by keeping all indications of his acceptance of Islam away from her, he managed to stave off his mother's wrath,  but not for long. 

It was difficult during those days to keep anything secret in Makkah for long. The eyes and ears of the Quraysh were on  every road. Behind every footstep imprinted in the soft and burning sand was a Quraysh informer. Before long, Musab was  seen as he quietly entered the House of al-Arqam, by someone called Uthman ibn Talhah. 

At another time, Uthman saw Musab praying in the same manner as Muhammad prayed. The conclusion was obvious. 

As winds in a storm, the devastating news of Musab's acceptance of Islam spread among the Quraysh and eventually  reached his mother. 

Musab stood before his mother, his clan and the Quraysh nobility who had all gathered to find out what he had done and  what he had to say for himself. 

With a certain humility and calm confidence, Musab acknowledged that he had become a Muslim and no doubt he explained  his reasons for so doing. He then recited some verses of the Quran - verses which had cleansed the hearts of the believers  and brought them back to the natural religion of God. Though only few in number, their hearts were now filled with wisdom,  honor, justice and courage. 

As Musab's mother listened to her son on whom she had lavished so much care and affection, she became increasingly  incensed. She felt like silencing him with one terrible blow. But the hand which shot out like an arrow staggered and faltered  before the light which radiated from Musab's serene face. Perhaps, it was her mother's love which restrained her from  actually beating him, but still she felt she had to do something to avenge the gods which her son had forsaken. The solution  she decided upon was far worse for Musab than a few blows could ever have been. She had Musab taken to a far corner of  the house. There he was firmly bound and tethered. He had become a prisoner in his own home. 

For a long time, Musab remained tied and confined under the watchful eyes of guards whom his mother had placed over him  to prevent him from any further contact with Muhammad and his faith. Despite his ordeal, Musab did not waver. He must  have had news of how other Muslims were being harassed and tortured by the idolators. For him, as for many other Muslims,  life in Makkah was becoming more and more intolerable. Eventually he heard that a group of Muslims were preparing secretly  to migrate to Abyssinia to seek refuge and relief. His immediate thoughts were how to escape from his prison and join them.  At the first opportunity, when his mother and his warders were off-guard, he managed to slip away quietly. Then with utmost  haste he joined the other refugees and before long they sailed together across the Red Sea to Africa. 

Although the Muslims enjoyed peace and security in the land of the Negus, they longed to be in Makkah in the company of  the noble Prophet. So when a report reached Abyssinia that the conditions of the Muslims in Makkah had improved, Musab  was among the first to return to Makkah. The report was in fact false and Musab once again left for Abyssinia. 

Whether he was in Makkah or Abyssinia, Musab remained strong in his new faith and his main concern was to make his life  worthy of his Creator. 

When Musab returned to Makkah again, his mother made a last attempt to gain control of him and threatened to have him  tied up again and confined. Musab swore that if she were to do that, he would kill everyone who helped her. She knew very  well that he would carry out this threat for she saw the iron determination he now had. 

Separation was inevitable. When the moment came, it was sad for both mother and son but it revealed a strong Persistence  in kufr on the part of the mother and an even greater persistence in iman on the part of the son. As she threw him out of her  house and cut him off from all the material comforts she used to lavish on him, she said: 

"Go to your own business. I am not prepared to be a mother to you." Musab went up close to her and said: 

"Mother, I advise you sincerely. I am concerned about you. Do testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is  His servant and His Messenger." 

"I swear by the shooting stars, I shall not enter your religion even if my opinion is ridiculed and my mind becomes impotent,"  she insisted. 

Musab thus left her home and the luxury and comforts he used to enjoy. The elegant, well-dressed youth would henceforth  be seen only in the coursest of attire. He now had more important concerns. He was determined to use his talents and  energies in acquiring knowledge and in serving God and His Prophet. 

One day, several years later, Musab came upon a gathering of Muslims sitting around the Prophet, may God bless him and  grant him peace. They bowed their heads and lowered their gaze when they saw Musab, and some were even moved to  tears. This was because his jalbab was old and in tatters and they were immediately taken back to the days before his  acceptance of Islam when he was a model of sartorial elegance. The Prophet looked at Musab, smiled gracefully and said: 

"I have seen this Musab with his parents in Makkah. They lavished care and attention on him and gave him all comforts.  There was no Quraysh youth like him. Then he left all that seeking the pleasure of God and devoting himself to the service of  His Prophet." The Prophet then went on to say: 

"There will come a time when God will grant you victory over Persia and Byzantium. You would have one dress in the morning  and another in the evening and you would eat out of one dish in the morning and another in the evening." 

In other words, the Prophet predicted that the Muslims would become rich and powerful and that they would have material  goods in plenty. The companions sitting around asked the Prophet: 

"O Messenger of Allah, are we in a better situation  in these times or would we be better off then?" He replied: 

"You are rather better off now than you would be then. If you knew of the world what I know you would certainly not be so  much concerned with it." 

On another occasion, the Prophet talked in a similar vein to his companions and asked them how they would be if they could  have one suit of clothes in the morning and another in the evening and even have enough material to put curtains in their  houses just as the Kabah was fully covered. The companions replied that they would then be in a better situation because  they would then have sufficient sustenance and would be free for ibadah (worship). The Prophet however told them that  they were indeed better off as they were. 

After about ten years of inviting people to Islam, most of Makkah still remained hostile. The noble Prophet then went to Taif  seeking new adherents to the faith. He was repulsed and chased out of the city. The future of Islam looked bleak. 

It was just after this that the Prophet chose Musab to be his "ambassador" to Yathrib to teach a small group of believers  who had come to pledge allegiance to Islam and prepare Madinah for the day of the great Hijrah. 

Musab was chosen above companions who were older than he or were more closely related to the Prophet or who appeared  to possess greater prestige. No doubt Musab was chosen for this task because of his noble character, his fine manners and  his sharp intellect. His knowledge of the Quran and his ability to recite it beautifully and movingly was also an important  consideration. 

Musab understood his mission well. He knew that he was on a sacred mission. to invite people to God and the straight path  of Islam and to prepare what was to be the territorial base for the young and struggling Muslim community. 

He entered Madinah as a guest of Sad ibn Zurarah of the Khazraj tribe. Together they went to people, to their homes and  their gatherings, telling them about the Prophet, explaining Islam to them and reciting the Quran. Through the grace of God,  many accepted Islam. This was especially pleasing to Musab but profoundly alarming to many leaders of Yathribite society. 

Once Musab and Sad were sitting near a well in an orchard of the Zafar clan. With them were a number of new Muslims and  others who were interested in Islam. A powerful notable of the city, Usayd ibn Khudayr, came up brandishing a spear. He  was livid with rage. Sad ibn Zararah saw him and told Musab: 

"This is a chieftain of his people. May God place truth in his heart." "If he sits down, I will speak to him," replied Musab,  displaying all the calm and tact of a great daiy. 

The angry Usayd shouted abuse and threatened Musab and his host. "Why have you both come to us to corrupt the weak  among us? Keep away from us if you want to stay alive." Musab smiled a warm and friendly smile and said to Usayd: "Won't  you sit down and listen? If you are pleased and satisfied with our mission. accept it and if you dislike it we would stop telling  you what you dislike and leave." 

"That's reasonable," said Usayd and, sticking his spear in the ground, sat down. Musab was not compelling him to do  anything. He was not denouncing him. He was merely inviting him to listen. If he was satisfied, well and good. If not, then  Musab would leave his district and his clan without any fuss and go to another district. 

Musab began telling him about Islam and recited the Quran to him. Even before Usayd spoke, it was clear from his face, now  radiant and expectant, that faith had entered his heart. He said: 

"How beautiful are these words and how true! What does a person do if he wants to enter this religion?" 

"Have a bath, purify yourself and your clothes. Then utter the testimony of Truth (Shahadah), and perform Salat. Usayd left  the gathering and was absent for only a short while. He returned and testified that there is no god but Allah and that  Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. He then prayed two rakats and said: 

"After me, there is a man who if he follows you, everyone of his people will follow him. I shall send him to you now. He is 'Sad  ibn Muadh." 

Sad ibn Muadh came and listened to Musab. He was convinced and satisfied and declared his submission to God. He was  followed by another important Yathribite, Sad ibn Ubadah. Before long, the people of Yathrib were all in a flurry, asking one  another. 

"If Usayd ibn Khudayr, Sad ibn Muadh and Sad ibn Ubadah have accepted the new religion, how can we not follow? Let's go  to Musab and believe with him. They say that truth emanates from his lips." 

The first ambassador of the Prophet, peace be on him, was thus supremely successful. The Prophet had chosen well. Men  and women, the young and the old, the powerful and the weak accepted Islam at his hands. The course of Yathribite history  had been changed forever. The way was being prepared for the great Hijrah. Yathrib was soon to become the center and  the base for the Islamic state. 

Less than a year after his arrival in Yathrib, Musab returned to Makkah. It was again in the season of pilgrimage. With him  was a group of seventy-five Muslims from Madinah. Again at Aqabah, near Mina, they met the Prophet. There they solemnly  undertook to defend the Prophet at all cost. Should they remain firm in their faith, their reward, said the Prophet, would be  nothing less than Paradise. This second bayah or pledge which the Muslims of Yathrib made came to be called the Pledge of  War. 

From then on events moved swiftly. Shortly after the Pledge, the Prophet directed his persecuted followers to migrate to  Yathrib where the new Muslims or Ansar (Helpers) had shown their willingness to give asylum and extend their protection to  the afflicted Muslims. The first of the Prophet's companions to arrive in Madinah were Musab ibn Umayr and the blind Abdullah  ibn Umm Maktum. Abdullah also recited the Quran beautifully and according to one of the Ansar, both Musab and Abdullah  recited the Quran for the people of Yathrib. 

Musab continued to play a major role in the building of the new community. The next momentous situation in which we meet  him was during the great Battle of Badr. After the battle was over, the Quraysh prisoners of war were brought to the  Prophet who assigned them  to the custody of individual Muslims. "Treat them well," he instructed. 

Among the prisoners was Abu Aziz ibn Umayr, the brother of Musab. Abu Aziz related what happened: "I was among a group  of Ansar...Whenever they had lunch or dinner they would give me bread and dates to eat in obedience to the Prophet's  instructions to them to treat us well. 

"My brother, Musab ibn Umayr, passed by me and said to the man from the Ansar who was holding me prisoner: 

'Tie him firmly... His mother is a woman of great wealth and maybe she would ransom him for you.'" Abu Aziz could not  believe his ears. Astonished, he turned to Musab and asked: "My brother, is this your instruction concerning me?" "He is my  brother, not you," replied Musab thus affirming that in the battle between iman and kufr, the bonds of faith were stronger  than the ties of kinship. 

At the Battle of Uhud, the Prophet called upon Musab, now well-known as Musab al-Khayr (the Good), to carry the Muslim  standard. At the beginning of the battle, the Muslims seemed to be gaining the upper hand. A group of Muslims then went  against the orders of the Prophet and deserted their positions. The mushrikin forces rallied again and launched a  counterattack. Their main objective, as they cut through the Muslim forces, was to get to the noble Prophet. 

Musab realized the great danger facing the Prophet. He raised the standard high and shouted the takbir. With the standard  in one hand and his sword in the other, he plunged into the Quraysh forces. The odds were against him. A Quraysh  horseman moved in close and severed his right hand. Musab was heard to repeat the words: 

"Muhammad is only a Messenger. Messengers have passed away before him," showing that however great his attachment  was to the Prophet himself, his struggle above all was for the sake of God and for making His word supreme. His left hand  was then severed also and as he held the standard between the stumps of his arms, to console himself he repeated:  "Muhammad is only a Messenger of God. Messengers have passed away before him." Musab was then hit by a spear. He fell  and the standard fell. The words he repeated, every time he was struck were later revealed to the Prophet and completed,  and became part of the Quran. 

After the battle, the Prophet and his companions went through the battlefield, bidding farewell to the martyrs. When they  came to Musab's body, tears flowed. Khabbah related that they could not find any cloth with which to shroud Musab's body,  except his own garment. When they covered his head with it, his legs showed and when his legs were covered, his head  was exposed and the Prophet instructed: 

"Place the garment over his head and cover his feet and legs with the leaves of the idhkhir (rue) plant." 

The Prophet felt deep pain and sorrow at the number of his companions who were killed at the Battle of Uhud. These  included his uncle Hamzah whose body was horribly mutilated. But it was over the body of Musab that the Prophet stood,  with great emotion. He remembered Musab as he first saw him in Makkah, stylish and elegant, and then looked at the short  burdah which was now the only garment he possessed and he recited the verse of the Quran: 

"Among the believers are men who have been true to what they have pledged to God." 

The Prophet then cast his tender eyes over the battle field on which lay the dead companions of Musab and said: "The  Messenger of God testifies that you are martyrs in the sight of God on the day of Qiyamah." 

Then turning to the living companions around him he said: "O People! Visit them, send peace on them for, by Him in whose  hand is my soul, any Muslim who sends peace on them until the day of Qiyamah, they would return the salutation of peace.

Shaikh Dehlwi (rahmatullah alayh) commenting on this hadith, says that the Qur’aanic aayat which was recited the whole night by Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) is the statement of Nabi Isaa (alayhis salaam), which he will be making (on the Day of Qiyaamah) in regard to his Ummah. Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) presented his Ummah’s case for Maghfirat (forgiveness) to Allah Ta’ala in the same manner. This loving attitude of Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) bears testimony to his great love for his Ummah. For the sake of this love, he sacrificed the comfort of whole nights, petitioning and appealing to Allah Ta’ala to forgive his Ummah. It will only be a callous and a heartless one whose heart is not moved when he hears of the great love which Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) had for the Ummah.

basically it was a hadith about a lady female companion, May Allah be pleased with her. She (RA)  was looking for her son when the muslims were returning from an expedition. She was informed he was martyred..  In the time of grief she went to the Prophet salallahu alahi wasalam to confirm this. However even in her time and moments of trauma and grief she had not forgot to cover her face, etc. . The other muslims commented on this and She (RA) told them:

"I might have lost my son but I didn't lose my haya (modesty). "

(Subhanallah... such spirit.. their hearts were so imbued with  faith)

The reference  for the above hadith is in the book of Abu dawuud, I can't remember the exact detail but it was 2488 I think.

), I saw that I still had it with me. Abu `Ali (al-Hasan's nickname), I went all the way back to Sham to return the pen to its owner!"

6 - You should be brave, and hide your good deeds:

In `Sifat as-Safwah' (2/329), `Abdah bin Sulayman said: "We were on an expedition in the lands of the Romans with `Abdullah bin al-Mubarak. We met the enemy, and when the two armies met, a man came out from their side calling for a duel. One of our men went out to him and dueled with him for an hour, injuring him and killing him. Another came out, and he killed him. He called for another duel, and another man came out. They dueled for an hour, and he injured and killed him as well. The people gathered around this man, and I was with them, and saw that he was covering his face with his sleeve. I took the edge of his sleeve and pulled it away to find that it was `Abdullah bin al-Mubarak," and in the version reported by adh-Dhahabi, he made him swear not to reveal his identity until the day he died.

7 - You should have a tender heart.

In `Sifat as-Safwah' (2/330), al-Qasim bin Muhammad said: "We were on a journey with Ibn al-Mubarak, and I was always asking myself: what is so special about this man that he is so famous? If he prays, so do we. If he fasts, so do we. If he fights, so do we. If he makes Hajj, so do we.

One night, we spent the night in a house travelling on the way to Sham. The lamp went out, and some of us woke up. So, he took the lamp outside to light it, and stayed outside for a while. When he came back in with the lamp, I caught a glimpse of Ibn al-Mubarak's face, and saw that his beard was wet with his tears. I said to myself: "This fear of Allah is what has made this man better than us. When the lamp went out and we were in darkness, he remembered the Day of Resurrection. ""

8 - You should be generous to your friends.

In `Sifat as-Safwah' (2/329), Isma'il bin `Ayyash said: "I don't know of a single good trait except that Allah has placed it in `Abdullah bin al-Mubarak. My friends told me that they were travelling with him from Egypt to Makkah, and he was serving them khabis (a sweet flour dish) while he was fasting the entire trip."

9 - You should not give in to Satan's whispers.

In `Tartib al-Madarik' (1/159), it is related that Ibn al-Mubarak was making ablution, and Satan came to him and said: "You did not wipe over this part of your body." Ibn al-Mubarak said: "I did." Satan said: "No, you didn't." So, Ibn al-Mubarak said: "You are the one making the claim, and you must therefore bring proof to back the claim up."

10 - You should sincerely pray for people to accept Islam.

In `Tartib al-Madarik' (1/162), it is related that al-Hasan bin `Isa bin Sirjis would walk by Ibn al-Mubarak, and he was a Christian. Ibn al-Mubarak asked who he was, and was told: "He is a Christian." So, Ibn al-Mubarak said: "O Allah, grant him Islam." So, Allah answered his supplication and al-Hasan became an excellent Muslim, and he travelled to seek knowledge and became one of the scholars of the Ummah."

The first lesson in the esteemed Naqshbandi Silsilah is Latifa-e-Qalb. Upon this, the seeker traveling the spiritual path (salik) engages in the spiritual exercise of muraqabah, where he or she sets aside some private time to sit and reflect on Allah. In this exercise the salik entering the heart and erasing its darkness. As if in gratitude to being cleansed of darkness the heart joyfully calls out the Name of Allah over and over again… Allah! Allah! Allah! strives to empty the heart of all thoughts and imagines the blessings and mercy of Allah

A general scientific principle states that whenever a vacuum is created, something comes in to fill it and therefore the vacuum does not stay as is. Similarly when we sit and strive to remove all thoughts from our heart the aim is to create a void that will hopefully be filled with thoughts of Allah.

Darkness and light cannot coexist in the same space. Hence the more we strive to rid our hearts of filth, the hope is that divine light, goodness and blessing will enter to replace the darkness that was there. This is why it is extremely important to do muraqabah in abundance. Wherever in the Holy Quran we find the command to practice dhikr, the word is accompanied with the adjective signifying abundance (dhikr-e-kathir).

O you who believe! Celebrate the praises of Allah, and do this often [33:41]

What then is meant by abundant dhikr? At all times a person is either lying down, sitting or on his feet. Abundant dhikr refers to remembering Allah at all times in all these states.

To clarify this, the elders usually present the example of a man who falls ill and is running a high fever. Under this scenario his doctor prescribes antibiotics three times a day for seven days, so that it would take a total of 21 pills to cure the fever. Now, if this person breaks this sequence and has one pill every 3 days, even if he were to have a total of 22 his illness will not be cured.

Why then is the illness not cured even though the person takes more of the medication? Despite the accuracy of the diagnosis and the effectiveness of the medicine, it was not taken in the quantity prescribed by the physician and so the person remains ill. This indicates that quantity counts for a lot in some matters, especially here. Thus even if a patient skips a dose of his medication just one time, the doctor tells him to start the course again from the beginning for the sake of effectiveness.

Consequently, quantity in dhikr is absolutely crucial for a seeker on this path. A little dhikr does the seeker no benefit.

Little do they hold Allah in remembrance [4:142]

The result of this is;

(They are) distracted in mind even in the midst of it, being (sincerely) for neither one group nor for another whom Allah leaves straying, never wilt thou find for him the way [4:143]

A person whose dhikr is insufficient becomes a victim of doubt. He does not tread with confidence the path that leads him to his destination - his feet falter and he constantly changes direction. On the other hand, abundance of dhikr eliminates the darkness of the heart. It is thus that our elders tell us that the filth of thought (fikr) is only removed by the abundance of remembrance (dhikr).

How can a person tell whether a particular thought is inspired by Allah or the Devil (Shaitan)? Remembrance (dhikr) and piety (taqwa) reveal this distinction. The Holy Quran says Allah grants furqan to whoever has taqwa.

He will grant you a criterion (to judge between right and wrong) [8:29]

Furqan is the ability to distinguish between right and wrong, the insight that distinguishes between good and evil. While there may be no apparent basis for making this distinction, this internal light [1] allows a person to differentiate between righteousness and wickedness. This furqan is a blessing that Allah grants to those who engage in plentiful dhikr.

So we must strive to remember Allah lying down, sitting, and whenever we are on our feet. The hearts of the believers should be connected with their Lord in every situation until the very traces of sinfulness are erased from every vein and muscle of their bodies. Constant remembrance leads to spiritual connection (nisbah) to Allah, and cleanses a person completely when it permeates the body. Such a person submits his entire being to Allah and his life and death become only for Allah, and Allah does not let down a person who so completely gives himself up to Him. The Glory of Allah is His alone, and He never abandons the one who submits to Him, but rather protects His servant.

The basic rule for one who seeks to gain all this benefit is to engage in abundant dhikr, and this is one criterion that the majority of seekers fail to meet. They give bay'ah [2] and most of them even change their lifestyle and appearance, but fail to do sufficient dhikr. If they sit for muraqabah at all it only lasts five or ten minutes, and they fail to realize that Allah is not found through mere minutes of muraqabah! Even the world cannot be gained with just a few minutes of effort, so how can we expect to reach the Lord of the worlds by such a meager attempt?

It is commonly understood that if one wishes for a meeting with someone of importance, then he or she will have to wait in line for one's turn just because of the high rank and demand of the individual or party sought after. For example, people line up for hours and sometimes days for an audience with a famous movie or sports star just because of that individual's high status in society. Now if people are required to wait for a meeting with another human being, then surely a meeting with Allah the Lord of the Worlds mandates a waiting period also. This waiting time is fulfilled through muraqabah.

A person who thus spends his life sitting with his head lowered yearning for a meeting with Allah , fulfills his waiting time on the Day of Judgment. Consequently the one who does not do this in the world will have to spend the necessary wait time in the Hereafter. But the wait time in the Hereafter is indeed grueling! Someone will have to stand in wait for a thousand years - someone for a thousand more.

Abundance in dhikr is so important that Allah ordained it upon His Prophets. Allah commanded Prophet Musa:

Go, you and your brother, with My Signs, and slacken not either of you in keeping Me in remembrance [ 20:42 ]

Whenever our elders say or command something their words carry potency and weight. How incredibly important must dhikr be in our lives if Allah is issuing the command and on the receiving end are two prophets?

So if we want the love of the world and the darkness of sin to be erased from our hearts, the only way to achieve this is through abundant dhikr. Just like the earth is cleansed when rain falls upon it, hearts are purged when mercy rains down upon them through abundant dhikr.

Hadrat Shah Waliullah Muhaddith Dehlvi (may the mercy of Allah be upon him) has written that there are two ways in which the earth regains purity if there is filth upon it.

1. Water pours down in such abundance that the filth is completely washed away.
2. The sun shines down so intensely that all trace of filth is burned away.

Similarly, there are only two ways to attain purification of the heart. One way is to engage in so much dhikr that mercy rains down upon one's heart to such an extent that it eliminates the filth and cures the diseases of the heart. The other is to remain in the company of a righteous Shaykh and serve him, and like the sun the heart of the Shaykh shines its rays upon his heart. The resulting blessing (faidh) removes all signs of the filth and a person's heart is rendered pure.

Thus, we should be frequent and regular in our dhikr so that Allah grants us annihilation of the heart (fana-e-qalbi), a blessing attained after the heart is purified in which a person is forever occupied in the remembrance of his Lord. However, this does not mean that he always sits in prayer and forsakes all other responsibilities. Rather the opposite is true and he takes care of all his worldly and family responsibilities but with a constant awareness of and a deep connection with Allah.

The love of the world has taken over our hearts and we are constantly thinking about it! Even if we make the firm intention not to think about worldly affairs during prayer or throughout the day we cannot let go of these thoughts. This is called annihilation in the world (fana-fid-duniya). Today we are so absorbed in the world that despite our best efforts we are not able to rid our hearts of preoccupation with it. If only we would gain such a level of annihilation in Allah (fina-fillah) that we wouldn't be able to forget Him even if we tried. Such is the station that we aspire towards, and how pitiful is our present state! It is our prayer that Allah grants us this lofty station, so that our life is spent upon goodness and our feet remain firm on the path that leads us to Him. Ameen.

Narrated AbudDarda':

Kathir ibn Qays said: I was sitting with AbudDarda' in the mosque of Damascus.

A man came to him and said: AbudDarda, I have come to you from the town of the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) for a tradition that I have heard you relate from the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him). I have come for no other purpose.

He said: I heard the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) say: If anyone travels on a road in search of knowledge, Allah will cause him to travel on one of the roads of Paradise. The angels will lower their wings in their great pleasure with one who seeks knowledge, the inhabitants of the heavens and the Earth and the fish in the deep waters will ask forgiveness for the learned man. The superiority of the learned man over the devout is like that of the moon, on the night when it is full, over the rest of the stars. The learned are the heirs of the Prophets, and the Prophets leave neither dinar nor dirham, leaving only knowledge, and he who takes it takes an abundant portion.

My Caravan of Dream

The Yogi, The Priest and the Sufi - A sufi teaching from 2 different perspectives

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Hello friends,

Synchronicity! I came across 2 very similar stories one attributed to Mulla Nasrudin and the other to Rumi. Take a look at the two stories below. I wonder what time, place,person, and mental environment will allow each story to flower and fill the seeker mind with the fragrance of revelation.

Nasrudin put on a Sufi robe and decided to make a pious journey. On his way he met a priest and a yogi, and they decided to team up together. When they got to a village the others asked him to seek donations while they carried out their devotions. Nasruddin collected some money and brought halwa with it.

He suggested that they divide the food , but the others, who were not yet hungry enough, said that it should be postponed until night.  They continued on their way; and when night fell Nasrudin asked for the first portion ‘because I was the means of getting the food’. The others disagreed: the priest on the grounds that he represented a properly organized hierarchical body, and should therefore have preference; the yogi because, he said, he ate only once in three days and should therefore have more.

Finally they decided to sleep. In the morning, the one who related the best dream should have the first choice of the halwa. In the morning the priest said: ‘In my dream i saw the founder of my religion, who made a sign of benediction, singling me out as especially blessed.’ The other were impressed but the Yogi said: I dreamt that I visited Nirvana, and was utterly absorbed into nothing.”

They turned to Mulla Nasrudin. “I dreamed I saw the Sufi teacher Khidr, who appears only to the most sanctified. “He said: ” Nasrudin, eat the halwa -now! And of course, I had to obey

Now we have a similar story from Rumi.

Three devout men of different religions fall in together by chance traveling. They stop at a caravanserai where the host brings as a gift a sweet dessert, some taste of God’s nearness. This is how people out in the country serve strangers. The Jew and the Christian are full, but the Muslim has been fasting all day. The two say, “Let’s save it for tomorrow.” The one, “No. Let’s save self-denial for tomorrow!” “You want it all for yourself!” “Divide it into three parts, and each can do as he wants.” “Ah, but Muhammed said not to share.” “That was about dividing yourself between sensuality  and soul. You must belong. to one or the other.”

But finally, for some reason, he gives in, “I’ll do it your way.” They refrain from tasting. They sleep, and then wake and dress themselves to begin morning devotions. Christian, Jew, Muslim, shaman, Zoroastrian, stone, ground, mountain, river, each has a secret way of being with the mystery, unique and not to be judged. This subject never ends! Three friends in a grand morning mood “Let us tell what dreams we had last night; whoever has had the deepest dream gets the halvah.”  Agreed. The Jewish man begins the wanderings of his soul. “Moses met me on the road;  I followed him to Sinai: an opening door, light within light. Mt. Sinai and Moses and I merged in an exploding splendor, the unity of the prophets.” This was a true dream. Many Jews have such.

Then the Christian sighs, “Christ took me in his arms to the fourth heaven, a pure vast region….I cannot say….” His is also deep. The Muslim, “Muhammed came and told me where you two had gone. ‘You wretch,’ he said, you’ve been left behind! You may as well get up and eat something.” “No!” laughed the Christian and the Jew. “How could I disobey such glory? Would you not do as Moses and Jesus suggest?” “You’re right,” they say. Yours is the truest dream, because it had immediate effect in your waking life.”  What matters is how quickly you do what your soul directs.

Patience brings the object of desire, not haste. Have patience-and God knoweth best what is right.