The time to change is NOW part 2

 

   بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

Al-Hadid (Iron) - Is it not time that the hearts of all who have attained to faith should feel humble at the remem­brance of God and of all the truth that has been bestowed [on them] from on high, 57:16

This is a second blog post about the same transformative ayat, Al-Hadid 57:16, of the Qur'an, which was mentioned in the blog post "The time to change is Now"

Ismail Haqqi (Hakki) Bursevi, a renowned Turkish scholar and mystic, writes in his tafsir Rūḥ al-bayān, one of the most prominent mystical interpretations of the Quran, about the transformative power of this verse. He references the stories of Abdullah bin Mubarak and Malik bin Dinar, illustrating how this verse profoundly impacted their lives.

Abd Allah ibn al-Mubarak (may Allah have mercy on him) once said:

"One day, when I was young, I was in an orchard with my companions. We ate and drank, and as I was fond of playing the lute, I picked it up at night to play. But suddenly, the lute spoke to me and recited: ‘Has the time not come for those who believe that their hearts should become humble for the remembrance of Allah?’ (Quran 57:16). In that moment, I struck the lute against the ground, breaking it, and abandoned all distractions that diverted me from Allah."

Similarly, it is narrated that Malik ibn Dinar (may Allah have mercy on him) was once asked about the reason for his repentance. He recounted:

"I was a policeman, deeply immersed in drinking alcohol. Then, I purchased a beautiful slave girl, and she became very dear to me. Over time, she bore me a daughter, whom I loved dearly. As she grew older and began to walk, my love for her only deepened. She became attached to me, and I to her. Whenever I would place a goblet of wine before me, she would come and knock it over, spilling it on my clothes.

When she turned two years old, she passed away. The grief over her death overwhelmed me.

Then, on the night of the 15th of Sha’ban, which was a Friday, I drank heavily and, in my drunken state, neglected to perform the Isha prayer. That night, I had a dream. It was as if the graves had opened, and people were being gathered for judgment. I was among them. Suddenly, I heard a terrifying sound behind me. When I turned around, I saw a massive serpent, the largest I had ever seen. It was dark blue and black, with its mouth wide open, rushing towards me at great speed.

Terrified, I ran. I passed by an old man, dressed in white and fragrant with a pleasant scent. I greeted him and pleaded, ‘Help me! Save me!’

The old man replied, ‘I am too weak to help you. This creature is far too strong for me. But run ahead—perhaps Allah will provide you with a means of escape.’

I fled, running in desperation, until I reached the edge of the Hereafter. I saw the fires of Hell before me, and I almost fell into them out of fear. But then, a voice called out, ‘Turn back! You are not among its people!’

Relieved, I turned back, only to find that the serpent was still in pursuit.

I ran back to the old man and said, ‘I begged you to help me, yet you did nothing!’

The old man wept and said, ‘I am too weak. But go to that mountain over there. It holds the trusts of the believers. If you have a deposit there, it will protect you.’

I looked towards the mountain and saw it was circular, full of windows, each covered with fine silk curtains. Every door and window had golden panels adorned with precious jewels. As I ran towards it, the serpent followed closely behind.

Then, an angel called out, ‘Lift the curtains! Open the doors! Look out, all of you! Perhaps this desperate man has something among you that can save him!’

At once, the doors opened, and radiant children with faces like full moons looked out. The serpent was drawing near, and I stood frozen in fear.

One of the children suddenly shouted, ‘All of you, hurry and help him!’

A group of them emerged, and among them, I saw my daughter. When she saw me, she wept and said, ‘By Allah, that is my father!’

She leaped from the group like an arrow and landed before me. She stretched out her left hand, grasping my right, and with her right hand, she warded off the serpent, which then fled.

She then seated me, climbed onto my lap, and lovingly stroked my beard. She said, ‘O my father, has the time not come for those who believe that their hearts should become humble for the remembrance of Allah?’ (Quran 57:16).

I wept and asked, ‘My dear child, do you know the Quran?’

She replied, ‘O father, we know it better than you do.’

I asked her, ‘Tell me about that serpent that was chasing me.’

She said, ‘That was your evil deeds, which you nourished with your sins until it became so strong that it was about to throw you into Hell.’

I asked, ‘And the old man I met on the way—who was he?’

She replied, ‘That was your good deeds. You had weakened them so much that they could no longer help you.’

I asked, ‘And what is this mountain?’

She replied, ‘These are the children of the believers, who have passed away in their innocence. We dwell here until the Day of Judgment, waiting for you to join us, so we may intercede for you.’

At that moment, I awoke, terrified. When morning came, I abandoned my past way of life, repented to Allah, and this is how I returned to Him.’"

What are we waiting for?

Act. Implement.

   بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

And thereupon We made you their successors on earth, so that We might behold how you act.  10:14

Maulana Ubaidullah Sindhi was a famous South Asian scholar and political activist famous for many things, notably being the Home Minister of first Provisional Government of India established in Afghanistan in 1915. However, this was not to last and under indirect pressure from the British, he had to migrate to Russia. There is no clear evidence that he was able to meet an ailing Lenin, although it is mentioned that he did. Nevertheless it is evident from his writings that he was impressed by the socialist movement, and made an impassioned plea in front of the Russian government.


He appealed to them to look at the Qur'anic principles of social justice, arguing that despite so many sacrifices and so much bloodshed, the revolutionaries were not able to establish the social justice that they had set out to establish. He underlined the natural law and the principal of justice that was outlined in the teachings of Islam and spoke about the khilafah al-rashidah and the was able to address the questions asked by the Russian government.


It is said that the head of the Russian government (or according to another version, Lenin himself), said that whatever Maulana Ubaidullah is saying makes sense. It appeals to the intellect as well as to the principles of natural justice. However, what stumped Maulana was the follow-up question. There are so many lands under Muslim rulers, is there any place we can go visit to see the implementation of these ideal and principles?


Maulana had no option but to bow his head in shame. His remaining life he lamented the fact, which pains the writer of this blog as well. When will Muslims act and implement the teachings of Islam, even in a tiny piece of land, rather than merely talk about the ideals? 

Let us start now by enacting in our lives these principles that we claim to hold dear. May Allah help us in this endeavor.

Allah loves the doers of that which is good and beautiful

  بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

 

And persevere in doing what is best and most beautiful: behold, Allah loves the doers of that which is good and beautiful ! part of 2:195

While sailing across a large body of water, Maʿrūf Karkhī and his students found their peace disrupted by a lively group of youths on the same boat. Reveling in the rhythm of their music and the haze of wine, the young men presented a stark contrast to the tranquil demeanor of the saint and his followers. The more they drank the more noise they started to make, and with the tambourines and the singing, the students of Ma'ruf started to get annoyed. 

They talked amongst each other, ''They disobey God openly! Let us request our shaykh to pray to Allah to punish them!’. One of them went up to the saint and asked him to do a prayer against them, hoping that they get struck by lightning, or drown or something. Ma’ruf, ever the embodiment of calm, asked them to join in with him as he prayed for them, which they readily agreed. However to their surprise, he prayed:

 ‘My Allah, make them as joyful in the Hereafter as you make them joyful and merry in this world!’"

The sentiment left Ma’ruf's students bewildered. They asked: 'We hoped that you will pray for their punishment, instead you are praying for their happiness in the Hereafter?' This sentiment reflected that being close with the Shaykh had not yet benefited them in realizing that the ultimate role of the human being is to be a manifestation of Divine Character, and one of the most beautiful characters is that of Cmpassion and Mercy. 

News of this act of Ma'ruf spread throughout the boat. Some of the youth realized that they are the focus of the attention of the people in the boat and started asking around as to what the saint and the disciples were talking about. Once they heard what had happened, it resonated deeply with them. A realization dawned upon them about the depth of Divine Compassion. Feeling a sudden introspection, they set aside their drinks, laid down their instruments, and approached the sage with humility.

To his disciples, Ma’ruf remarked, "Your hearts' wishes have been met, yet not a soul was harmed."


Through this encounter, the youths discovered that true contentment lay not in fleeting distractions but in sincere reflection and connection to the Divine. And Ma’ruf's students learned a more nuanced lesson: to be on a spiritual path does not signify its completion. One must aspire for universal salvation and compassion, extending it even to those who appear to diverge from the path.

Hold fast to the rope of Allah

  بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

 

Overshadowed by ignominy are they wherever they may be, save [when they bind themselves again] in a bond with God and a bond with men ! part of 3:112

In a distant town bordered by the desert, tales of a notorious highwayman spread like wildfire. This robber, together with his gang of bandits, preyed on caravans, pilfering wealth and leaving tales of dismay in his wake.

One day, this group ambushed a particularly noteworthy caravan. They seized everything, from gold and silver to garments and horses. Among the looted possessions were the life's work of a revered scholar of Islam. Gold, garments, and more were seized, but the scholar’s heart ached for his invaluable manuscripts and books. Driven by his love for knowledge and the value he placed on his works, he decided to track down the highwayman's hideout and retrieve his cherished books.

His journey led him, against all odds, to the highwaymen's camp. Rather than attacking him, they surprisingly welcomed him and offered him a seat at their fireside. As the aroma filled the air and conversations flowed, the scholar noticed the leader abstaining from the brew. Curiosity piqued, the scholar questioned, "Why don't you drink the coffee?"

The leader looked to the heavens and responded, "I am fasting."

Surprised, the scholar retorted, "You plunder and commit grave sins, yet you observe an optional fast. What good do you hope it brings?"

The leader sighed deeply. "It's my rope, my effort to maintain a connection, however fragile, to Allah. This thin rope might be my salvation. Perhaps, someday, He might pull me out of the abyss and He might guide me back to the right path."

Saying this he gave the scholar his books and sent him on his way without further incident.

Years later, the scholar undertook a pilgrimage to Mecca. In the midst of the sea of believers, he spotted a man with a radiant aura, deeply engrossed in prayer, clutching the kiswah of the Kaaba. Intrigued, the scholar approached and was astounded to recognize the face. It was the leader of the highwaymen, but this time his visage bore no signs of crim, only profound peace, and his aura now spoke of redemption and grace.

The scholar inquired, his voice thick with astonishment, "How did you find yourself here?"

The former leader of the bandits, his face alight with joy and humility, responded, "The thin rope of Allah. It led me to repentance and pulled me from darkness to light. Now I serve the very souls I once harmed."

The metamorphosis of the highwayman underscores the infinite grace and benevolence of Allah, illustrating that salvation is perpetually at hand, regardless of the frailty of our ties. It reminds us to continually forge bonds with the Divine, valuing every act of goodness, no matter how minor, and always striving to absolve ourselves of transgressions.

Miracle of Transformation

 بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

 

Behold, God has full knowledge of what is in [their] hearts ! part of 3:119

Niaz Fatehpuri, a famous albeit somewhat misguided Urdu poet who had won many awards and accolades in South Asia was a strong critic of religion. Once in Lucknow, he was arguing with Maulana Manzoor Nomani against the existence of miracles in general, and specifically that the Prophet ﷺ had not performed any miracles.

Maulana politely said that between the two of us, can we come up with a strategy to fix this city and rid it of the misguided and corrupt people?  Niaz replied,  "Maulana you are crazy, this is impossible!"

To which Maulana replied, "You are well read and erudite, and you cannot even entertain the idea, and yet you saw how an unlettered Prophet with no worldly teacher, within a portion of his lifetime, managed to transform the worse of the jahiliyyah Arabs into arguably the best of all human race. Is it not a miracle enough?"

This stunned Niaz, and he became much more amicable towards religion after that.

 

 

An example of this exemplary transformation is the story below:

As was his habit, one night the Caliph Umar al-Faruq رضي الله عنه went out in disguise to see the condition of the people. This time he was with his companion Ibn Abbas رضي الله عنه or Aslam (رضي الله عنه). As they were moving from one quarter to another, they reached a colony where among the poorest of the poor lived. In one small dwelling there was light emanating and it seemed like there was a disagreement going on. They could figure it out that a mother was complaining to her daughter that the amount of money earned by her from the sale of milk that day was very little. She further said that when she was young, and used to sell milk, she always mixed water with milk, and that led to an increase in the earnings. She was compelling her daughter to do the same.

The girl replied "You adulterated milk when you were not a Muslim. Now that we are Muslims, we cannot continue in the same old corrupt ways."

The mother said "What does Islam have to do with adulteration of milk?"

The daughter said, "Do you not know that the Caliph has instructed according to the commandments of Islam that food should not be adulterated?"

The mother said, "The Caliph has forgotten us. We are so poor, what else should we do but adulterate milk in order make two ends meet?"

The daughter said "Such earnings would not be lawful, and as a Muslim I would not do anything whereby other Muslims are deceived."

The mother persisted, "But, child, there is neither the Caliph nor any of his officers here to see what we do. Daughter you are still a child. Go to bed now and tomorrow I will myself mix the milk with water for you."

The girl refused to fall in with the plan of her mother. She said, "Caliph may or may not be here,  but how can we escape the notice of Allah and our own conscience."

Thereupon the mother remained quiet. The lamp was extinguished and the mother and the daughter went to sleep.

The next day, the Caliph sent someone purchase milk from the girl. The milk was unadulterated. The girl had kept her resolve and stayed firm. Umar رضي الله عنه  turned to his companion and said, "The girl has kept her resolve in spite of the exhortation of her mother."

The next day the Caliph summoned the daughter and the mother to his court. The mother trembled as she stood before the mighty ruler. But the girl faced the Caliph boldly and there was an impressive dignity about her. Then before the gathering, Caliph Umar رضي الله عنه related how he had overheard the mother and the daughter, and how the daughter had kept her resolve despite the exhortations of the mother .

Someone suggested that the mother should be taken to task. The Caliph said that ordinarily he would have punished the mother, but he had forgiven her for the sake of her daughter. Turning to the girl the great Caliph said, "Islam needs daughters like you and as a Caliph of Islam it I would like to propose that you become my daughter." The Caliph called his sons, and addressing them said, "Here is a gem of a girl who would make a great mother. I desire that one of you should take this girl as wife. I know of no better bride than this girl of sterling character. "

Abdullah and Abdur Rahman the elder sons of the Caliph were already married. Asim the third son was yet unmarried, and he offered to marry the girl. Thereupon with the consent of the milkmaid and her mother Asim was married to the girl, and milkmaid became the daughter-in-law of the Caliph.

From this union was born a daughter Layla bint Asim, who became in due course the mother of Umar bin Abdul Aziz.

Umar bin Abdul Aziz was elected as Caliph and served for a short period during 717 - 720.

While other Caliphs of the Ummayad dynasty reveled in luxury, Umar bin Abdul Aziz as a Caliph set standards for austerity and simplicity in accordance with Islamic teachings. He preferred simplicity to the extravagance that had become a hallmark of the Umayyad lifestyle, depositing all assets and finery meant for the caliph into the public treasury. He abandoned the palace and instead preferred to live in modest dwellings. He wore rough linens instead of royal robes, and often went unrecognised. He even persuaded his own wife – who had been daughter, sister and wife to three separate caliphs – to donate her jewellery to the public treasury. It is said that if ever there was a noble Caliph after the first four “Rightly guided Caliphs,”such a man was Umar bin Abdul Aziz. And he inherited the noble qualities of the milkmaid who married the Caliph's son, and those of Caliph Umar Farooq who had the eye to discern the nobler qualities of sterling character in a poor girl.

There is a related incident that the relatives complained to Umar's aunt, meaning the sister of Abd al-Aziz ibn Marwan, that he is repossessing our endowments and distributing to the poor and our lifestyles will be lost.   She went to him and asked him to let the relatives enjoy the state wealth. But he did not relent as they were using the state exchequer to enrich themselves and he insisted on all of that to be returned for the welfare of the community. It is notable here that she grumbled that when we married off into a family like his, what else would we expect other than honesty and austerity?

The cause of his death is attributed to the reforms he initiated, which greatly angered the Umayyad nobility. It is reported that they bribed a slave of his to administer a deadly poison. The Caliph having felt the effect of the poison sent for the slave and asked him why he had poisoned him. The slave replied that he was given one thousand dinars for the purpose. The Caliph deposited the amount in the public Treasury and freeing the slave asked him to leave the place immediately, lest anyone should kill him.

He reportedly left behind only 17 dinars with a will that out of this amount the rent of the house in which he died and the price of the land in which he was buried would be paid.

Depend solely on your Lord

 

بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

seek, then, all [your] sustenance from God, and worship Him [alone] and be grateful to Him: [for] unto Him you shall be brought back! part of 29:17


Depend solely on your Lord

In the well known historical compilation Al-Bidāya wa-n-Nihāya (البداية والنهاية), The Beginning and The End, by Ibn Kathir, there is mention of the story of the grandson of sayyidina Umar ibn al-Khattabؓ, known as Sālim ibn Abdullahؓ ibn Umarؓ.

Once when Hisham bin Abdul Malik, one of the Umayyad rulers was performing Hajj, he saw Sālim performing Tawaf around the Ka'aba.  Unadorned, with simple attire and handling pair of sandals in need of repair, the austere appearance caused an idea to form in the ruler's mind.  Perhaps he is needy and I should help him, after all, I am the rich and generous ruler. He went close to him and said,"Sālim, let me know if you are in need of anything so that I can help you."

Sālim looked visibly disturbed, and replied:  'Have some humility. How can you want me to ask other than Allah for my needs, while we are in the house of Allah?'

Hisham realized his audacious mistake and he left him alone while observing him complete the obligations of his pilgrimage. Yet not one to give up easily, he kept observing and followed him out of the House of Allah. As soon as they were outside, he caught up to him and said, 'O Sālim, now that we are outside the House of Allah, and your reason for not telling me earlier is not applicable, so now tell me what are you needs that I can fulfill them?'

Sālim asked, 'Are you referring something worldly or my needs in the Hereafter?' 

Hisham promptly replied, 'Of course, something worldly. Only Allah can fulfill your needs of the Hereafter.'

Perhaps realizing that the poor ruler needs to understand the truths of the world, Sālim said, 'O Hisham, I swear by Allah, I have yet to ask anything worldly from the One who owns the world, so how do you expect me to ask of someone who does not own it?'

This piercing lesson caused Hisham's eyes to be welled up with tears and he said, 'I would give up my entire kingdom to be like Sālim.' At that moment, he probably meant it.

Know your Limits and Limitations

بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

a Sovereign Doer of whatever He wills. 85:15


Know your Limits and Limitations

This is a story whose origins lie in a debate with one of my acquaintances who was from the Ahmadiyyah community (which us Muslims often call Qadiani or Mirzai, in a derogatory way), before reverting back to Islam after renouncing his beliefs in the community.  Knowing that I am from Kashmir, he had tried to form a connection using the name of Hakeem Noor-ud-din, who spend several years as the court physician of the Maharaja of Kashmir. Hakeem Noor-ud-din was of the most well read and well traveled of those involved in the missionary activity in the cause of the Ahmadiyyah, and was influential in shaping their discourse.  I read up on his biography, and on page 106, I found an interesting story, which not only showcases the vision of true scholars of the ummah such as Maulvi Abdul Qayyum, but also has lessons for all of us.  

The story goes like this.

When Hakeem Noor-ud-din was leaving Bhopal after studying for a while with a famous scholar of Hadith at the time, Maulvi Abdul Qayyum, he asked him for some advice. Knowing his student has not completed his studies yet, and probably realizing what the future holds for him, Maulvi Abdul Qayyum gave him the following, somewhat cryptic, advice in Urdu:

خدا نہ بننا اور رسول نہ بننا

Roughly translated, it means "Do not (ever) try to be God, nor a prophet."

Obviously flustered by such an outwardly outrageous statement, Noor-ud-din pleaded ignorance regarding understanding the message behind such a statement. Not only that, he claimed that no one present in the audience, however august, could not decipher the meaning behind the statement.

Seeing that the message has been missed, Maulvi Abdul Qayyum asked, "Whom do you consider God?" meaning, what is the quality, in your mind that defines God. Noor-ud-din blurted that "God is the One Who possesses the attribute "a Sovereign Doer of whatever He wills" (referring to the Qur'anic verse 85:15). Maulvi sahib replied "This is what I am referring to. If something that you desire does not come to fruition, then (do not distress but) tell your ego that are you God?" (that all what you want is bound to  happen).

Similarly, since a prophet gets direct commandments from God, he feels distressed when people disobey those, worrying for their well-being in this world and the Hereafter whether they might end up in the Fire. But if someone rejects your opinion, or disagrees with it, does that necessarily mean they will end up in the same Fire? So you need not take that personally.

It is not apparent that Hakeem Noor-ud-din benefited from this advice, but for sure we can benefit from it and learn to know ourselves, especially our limits and limitations.