Summary & Main Points of a talk by Shaykh Abdul Mueed (Hafizahullah) of Sukkur – Pakistan
Tuesday, 6 March, 2018 – After Asar, Masjid Shanul Islam, Lenasia, South Africa
This discourse was the final after Asar Majlis for 2018 which terminated a series of discussions on the method of acquiring Talab (true desire for Deen and success in life)
1. Continuing with the discussion on how to attain true desire for Deen to be obedient and develop oneself into a true seeker of Allah Ta’ala. Without having true desire for something nothing can be achieved.
2. Contemplation on the mortality of this world is one very effective way of aligning the mind to one’s goal and purpose – for this contemplation we should remember that the end of the world will certainly take place, but more importantly we are expiring and moving towards our own end. One is the end of the world and one is our own end. Every person’s Qiyamat (real life) starts at death. The end of the world for each person is at the end of this temporary life.
3. Another method of attaining truth and reality is to deeply contemplate on the bounties of Allah Ta’ala. Disobedience is a sign that we are not conscious of Allah’s bounties – if we were truly appreciative of Allah’s favours we will not be disobedient.
4. No matter how much a person maybe afflicted with difficulties, in the midst of all difficulty and hardship, the favours of Allah are still pouring upon person – in all our difficulty we still enjoy countless favours of Allah Ta’ala. Unfortunately, we focus on our problem – we are consumed by the difficulty and tend to forget that in the midst of difficulty Allah Ta’ala continues to bless us with many other favours which we fail to be grateful for.
5. From the countless favours of Allah upon us, some are easily discernible to us and others are subtle and undetectable. An example is the bounty of the eye and our ability to see, this is a delicate and priceless bounty – many aspects of this bounty are beyond our understanding – similarly the tongue and the ability to speak is an unfathomable bounty – if Allah snatched this faculty what would we do ? Can we imagine if we were unable to speak – yet these great favours are not thought about or given the acknowledgement and gratitude they deserve. Think! the roof we are sitting under could crash and fall on us, but its Allah’s favour that he keeps it safely above our heads and protects us. In this manner, there are countless bounties that we enjoy that go unnoticed and Allah just continues to bless us with them. These bounties are so precious that we will never trade them for any amount of wealth. Every person, by virtue of Allah’s favours upon him is worth much more than all the wealth the world can offer him.
6. The bounties of Allah upon us are indeed priceless. Mufti Taqi Usmani Saheb DB once spoke to a kidney specialist and asked him whether science and technology with all its advancement could produce a kidney instead of making a patient undergo dialysis. The doctor advised that to make a kidney was extremely difficult, as the filtration system in the kidney was very complex and intricate. The specialist further explained that even if after spending a huge amount in research, etc. the filtration system was developed, the kidney has such a specialty that can never be duplicated or made by man. The kidney has an ability or kind of a ‘brain’ (the nephron) that advises it how much liquid should be released and how much it should retain. This can never be produced by man.
7. Hazrat Hakimul Ummat Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi Rahimahullah explains that today we complain of poverty, yet every person, in himself is worth many ‘millions’ – then if we consider the wealth of Imaan which is priceless, a person in his ‘poverty’ is extremely blessed and wealthy. Today, we do not ponder over the immense and immeasurable bounties that we enjoy.
8. To attain Ma’rifat (Allah’s recognition) we must ponder on the bounties of Allah – the more a person contemplates over the favours of Allah, the more one will identify with Allah, the more will one recognize the immense mercy and kindness of Allah – the more one recognizes Allah the more will one love Allah, as the criteria for love is recognition. As recognition increases, love will intensify. Love is in accordance to one’s understanding and recognition.
9. Generally, we identify with the bounty given to us but not the ‘Giver’ of the bounty. If we acknowledge the ‘Giver’ of the bounty we will never break the command of the ‘Giver’ – in this world we don’t displease the person who helps us or showers us with gifts and favours – Allah is the real ‘Giver’ – the person who is kind to you is also a recipient of the favours of Allah Ta’ala – Allah is the source of all favours and bounties. His favours are with us all the time – so why can’t we acknowledge the real Giver?
10. Hazrat Hakimul Ummat Maulana Thanwi (Rahimahullah) explains, everytime we eat a morsel of food, there is a danger – if that morsel enters the air passage it could be fatal. Who chanels the morsel into the food passage ? Our breathing, we think that our breathing is in our control – ponder over who controls our breathing when asleep ? Every bounty by its mere presence in our life demands gratitude – every bounty calls out to us “do not forget the Giver”.
11. Shukr (gratitude) is of 2 types, verbal and practical – we are generally accustomed to verbally being grateful but our actions do not reflect gratitude. True gratitude is to use the bounty for the pleasure of Allah.
12. To be disobedient to parents is ingratitude of this favour. A person’s very first sustenance is from the mother and therefore disobedience to the mother is a cause of poverty in one’s life. Children are a bounty from Allah and parents have a responsibility to give them a correct upbringing. Depriving them of a good upbringing is ingratitude to the favour of children. The wife is also a great bounty – to engage in illicitness despite having a lawful wife is ingratitude of this favour. When a person is involved in unlawful conduct, he forgets accountability to Allah and becomes oblivious of the hereafter.
13. The prevalence of negligence (forgetfulness of Allah) in our life has paralysed our inner senses and intuition. We have become numb to disobedience. A person afflicted by a stroke has no feeling, even if a hundred pins are inserted into that part of the body, he feels nothing. Similarly a person who is accustomed to sin and disobedience cannot sense the harmful effect of sin in his life.
14. Similarly, time is a great favour from Allah – its gratitude is to use it in the correct manner – spend quality time with the family. This requires commitment – sit with the family – bring oneself down to their level – tolerate their indiscretions – be humble and patient and speak lovingly and softly. It is the fault of the father that today the environment within the home is one of unpleasantness. Hazrat Shafiqul Ummat Maulana Muhmmad Farooq (Rahimahullah) use to advise that today we need to befriend our children – it is within the nature of the young one’s to have friends – if they do not find this friendship in the home they will seek it outside the home – and this is fraught with many dangers as everyone out there is not worthy of friendship. We should keep our children close to us, they should be able to confide in us rather that confiding in others – our children should have the confidence of discussing any matter they wish with us.
15. The more we ponder over our favours the more we will appreciate them and the more gratitude we show the more our vision and understanding of our Creator and Provider will increase. Dr. Abdul Hayy Arifi (Rahimahullah) use to advise, before partaking of your meal hold back your hand for few moments and think over the food that’s in front of you, how did it come to you and the different stages of harvesting and production it underwent till it reached your plate in the form of a delicious meal. With reflection and thinking over things, understanding is enhanced and realities open.
16. The incident of a Nawab (very wealthy person in India) is well known – despite his tremendous wealth physicians had restricted him to a diet that entailed placing mince in a muslin cloth from which he would extract and sip the liquid from it – that was all he could ‘eat’ and enjoy. This incident is an eye opener to show that no wealth can purchase the appetite and health to eat normally.
17. Allah’s favours are spread among people, some have wealth, some health, some knowledge, etc. The idea is to be grateful for what one has and be pleased with Allah’s decision for us. We should guard ourselves from ingratitude and be fearful of the the removal and loss of a favour. We should always remain wary and in fear of the changing of our condition as this could happen at anytime to anyone. Never be proud of oneself or one’s possessions – attribute all achievements and favours to Allah – submit and bow down to the Creator and Giver of everything. So always ponder over one’s favour in all conditions.
18. And lastly but importantly to develop the true desire for Deen and for Allah’s love and closeness one must frequent the company of the pious and make abundant Zikr. The company of the pious is the key to success. Impose the frequency of Zikr one one’s nafs (ego) – the nafs wants freedom from Zikr – it thrives on negligence and entertainment – so keep its demands at bay with Zikr – the effulgence of Zikr in the heart will help one to differentiate right from wrong.
May Allah Ta’ala make the attainment of true Talab (seeking) a reality for us and grant our reformation with easiness and salvation.
Muslims First 