Recite the Qur'an as it should be recited

 بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

إِنَّ هَٰذَا ٱلۡقُرۡءَانَ يَهۡدِي لِلَّتِي هِيَ أَقۡوَمُ 

Inna haazal Quraana yahdee lillatee hiya aqwamu 

Part of Al-Isra (The Night Journey) 17:9 VERILY, this Qur'an shows the way to all that is most upright....

Recite the Qur'an as it should be recited

As I was growing up in Kashmir, I would come across a well-known saying from the patron saint of Kashmir, Sheikh Noor ud-Din Wali (RA), popularly known as Nund Rishi, which went like this:

Quran Paran Kono Mooduk, Quran Paran Goi No Soor
Quran Paran Zindeh Koh Rooduk, Quran Paran Dodh Mansoor

Why didn't you get annihilated reciting the Qur'an  ?
Why did you not turn to ashes reciting the Qur'an ?
How come you are still alive after reciting the Qur'an

(While) Mansour, reciting the Qur'an, went up in flames?

I would wonder what it meant, and how is it that we are expected to be annihilated while reciting the Qur'an, until one day I came across this passage in the Futūḥāt al-Makkiyya by Shaykh al-Akbar, Ibn Arabi, with the title (المراد بتلاوة القرآن التدبر لمعاني القرآن) or "What is meant by the tilawah/recitation of the Qur'an?":

رَوَيْنَا فِي هَذَا الْبَابِ، عَلَى مَا حَدَّثَنَا بِهِ شَيْخُنا الْمُقْرِئُ أَبُو بَكْرٍ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ خَلَفِ بْنِ صَافٍ اللَّخْمِيُّ، عَنْ بَعْضِ الْمُعَلِّمِينَ مِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ، أَنَّ شَخْصًا صَبِيًّا صَغِيرًا كَانَ يَقْرَأُ عَلَيْهِ الْقُرْآنَ، فَرَآهُ مُصْفَرَّ اللَّوْنِ، فَسَأَلَهُ عَنْ حَالِهِ، فَقِيلَ لَهُ: إِنَّهُ يَقُومُ اللَّيْلَ بِالْقُرْآنِ كُلِّهِ.

فَقَالَ لَهُ: يَا وَلَدِي، أُخْبِرْتُ أَنَّكَ تَقُومُ اللَّيْلَ بِالْقُرْآنِ كُلِّهِ. فَقَالَ: هُوَ مَا قِيلَ لَكَ. فَقَالَ: يَا وَلَدِي، إِذَا كَانَتْ هَذِهِ اللَّيْلَةُ فَأَحْضِرْنِي فِي قِبْلَتِكَ، وَاقْرَأْ عَلَيَّ الْقُرْآنَ فِي صَلَاتِكَ، وَلَا تَغْفُلْ عَنِّي. فَقَالَ الشَّابُّ: نَعَمْ.

فَلَمَّا أَصْبَحَ قَالَ لَهُ: هَلْ فَعَلْتَ مَا أَمَرْتُكَ بِهِ؟ قَالَ: نَعَمْ يَا أُسْتَاذُ. قَالَ: وَهَلْ خَتَمْتَ الْقُرْآنَ الْبَارِحَةَ؟ قَالَ: لَا، مَا قَدَرْتُ عَلَى أَكْثَرَ مِنْ نِصْفِ الْقُرْآنِ. قَالَ: يَا وَلَدِي، هَذَا حَسَنٌ. إِذَا كَانَتْ هَذِهِ اللَّيْلَةُ، فَاجْعَلْ مَنْ شِئْتَ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَمَامَكَ، الَّذِينَ سَمِعُوا الْقُرْآنَ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَاقْرَأْ عَلَيْهِ، وَاحْذَرْ؛ فَإِنَّهُمْ سَمِعُوهُ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فَلَا تَزَلْ فِي تِلَاوَتِكَ. فَقَالَ: إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ يَا أُسْتَاذُ، كَذَلِكَ أَفْعَلُ.

فَلَمَّا أَصْبَحَ سَأَلَهُ الْأُسْتَاذُ عَنْ لَيْلَتِهِ، فَقَالَ: يَا أُسْتَاذُ، مَا قَدَرْتُ عَلَى أَكْثَرَ مِنْ رُبُعِ الْقُرْآنِ. فَقَالَ: يَا وَلَدِي، اتْلُ هَذِهِ اللَّيْلَةَ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ الَّذِي أُنْزِلَ عَلَيْهِ الْقُرْآنُ، وَاعْرِفْ بَيْنَ يَدَيْ مَنْ تَتْلُوهُ. فَقَالَ: نَعَمْ.

فَلَمَّا أَصْبَحَ قَالَ: يَا أُسْتَاذُ، مَا قَدَرْتُ طُولَ لَيْلَتِي عَلَى أَكْثَرَ مِنْ جُزْءٍ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ، أَوْ مَا يُقَارِبُهُ. فَقَالَ: يَا وَلَدِي، إِذَا كَانَتْ هَذِهِ اللَّيْلَةُ فَلْتَكُنْ تَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ بَيْنَ يَدَيْ جِبْرِيلَ الَّذِي نَزَلَ بِهِ عَلَى قَلْبِ مُحَمَّدٍ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فَاحْذَرْ، وَاعْرِفْ قَدْرَ مَنْ تَقْرَأُ عَلَيْهِ.

فَلَمَّا أَصْبَحَ قَالَ: يَا أُسْتَاذُ، مَا قَدَرْتُ عَلَى أَكْثَرَ مِنْ كَذَا، وَذَكَرَ آيَاتٍ قَلِيلَةً مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ. قَالَ: يَا وَلَدِي، إِذَا كَانَتْ هَذِهِ اللَّيْلَةُ فَتُبْ إِلَى اللَّهِ، وَتَأَهَّبْ، وَاعْلَمْ أَنَّ الْمُصَلِّيَ يُنَاجِي رَبَّهُ، وَأَنَّكَ وَاقِفٌ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ تَتْلُو عَلَيْهِ كَلَامَهُ، فَانْظُرْ حَظَّكَ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ وَحَظَّهُ، وَتَدَبَّرْ مَا تَقْرَؤُهُ؛ فَلَيْسَ الْمُرَادُ جَمْعَ الْحُرُوفِ، وَلَا تَأْلِيفَهَا، وَلَا حِكَايَةَ الْأَقْوَالِ، وَإِنَّمَا الْمُرَادُ بِالْقِرَاءَةِ التَّدَبُّرُ لِمَعَانِي مَا تَتْلُوهُ، فَلَا تَكُنْ جَاهِلًا.

فَلَمَّا أَصْبَحَ انْتَظَرَ الْأُسْتَاذُ الشَّابَّ، فَلَمْ يَجِئْ إِلَيْهِ، فَبَعَثَ مَنْ يَسْأَلُ عَنْ شَأْنِهِ، فَقِيلَ لَهُ: إِنَّهُ أَصْبَحَ مَرِيضًا يُعَادُ. فَجَاءَ إِلَيْهِ الْأُسْتَاذُ، فَلَمَّا أَبْصَرَهُ الشَّابُّ بَكَى، وَقَالَ: يَا أُسْتَاذُ، جَزَاكَ اللَّهُ عَنِّي خَيْرًا، مَا عَرَفْتُ أَنِّي كَاذِبٌ إِلَّا الْبَارِحَةَ، لَمَّا قُمْتُ فِي مُصَلَّايَ، وَأَحْضَرْتُ الْحَقَّ تَعَالَى، وَأَنَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ أَتْلُو عَلَيْهِ كِتَابَهُ.

فَلَمَّا اسْتَفْتَحْتُ الْفَاتِحَةَ، وَوَصَلْتُ إِلَى قَوْلِهِ: إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ، نَظَرْتُ إِلَى نَفْسِي فَلَمْ أَرَهَا تَصْدُقُ فِي قَوْلِهَا، فَاسْتَحْيَيْتُ أَنْ أَقُولَ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ: إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ، وَهُوَ يَعْلَمُ أَنِّي أَكْذِبُ فِي مَقَالَتِي؛ فَإِنِّي رَأَيْتُ نَفْسِي لَاهِيَةً بِخَوَاطِرِهَا عَنْ عِبَادَتِهِ.

فَبَقِيتُ أُرَدِّدُ الْقِرَاءَةَ مِنْ أَوَّلِ الْفَاتِحَةِ إِلَى قَوْلِهِ: مَلِكِ (مَالِكِ) يَوْمِ الدِّينِ، وَلَا أَقْدِرُ أَنْ أَقُولَ: إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ؛ إِنَّهَا مَا خَلَصَتْ لِي. فَبَقِيتُ أَسْتَحْيِي أَنْ أَكْذِبَ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ تَعَالَى فَيَمْقُتَنِي، فَمَا رَكَعْتُ حَتَّى طَلَعَ الْفَجْرُ، وَقَدْ رُضَّتْ كَبِدِي، وَمَا أَنَا إِلَّا رَاحِلٌ إِلَيْهِ عَلَى حَالَةٍ لَا أَرْضَاهَا مِنْ نَفْسِي.

فَمَا انْقَضَتْ ثَالِثَةٌ حَتَّى مَاتَ الشَّابُّ. فَلَمَّا دُفِنَ، أَتَى الْأُسْتَاذُ إِلَى قَبْرِهِ، فَسَأَلَهُ عَنْ حَالِهِ، فَسَمِعَ صَوْتَ الشَّابِّ مِنْ قَبْرِهِ، وَهُوَ يَقُولُ لَهُ: يَا أُسْتَاذُ، أَنَا حَيٌّ عِنْدَ حَيٍّ، لَمْ يُحَاسِبْنِي بِشَيْءٍ.

قَالَ: فَرَجَعَ الْأُسْتَاذُ إِلَى بَيْتِهِ، وَلَزِمَ فِرَاشَهُ مَرِيضًا، مِمَّا أَثَّرَ فِيهِ حَالُ الْفَتَى، فَلَحِقَ بِهِ.

The story implies what the Shaykh a considers as a real reading of the Qur'an in the presence of the Being.  I will try to translate it as best as I can:

We have related in this chapter, according to what our shaykh, the Qur’an-reciter Abū Bakr Muḥammad ibn Khalaf ibn Ṣāf al-Lakhmī, told us from one of the righteous teachers, that a small boy used to recite the Qur’an to him. One day he noticed that the boy’s face had turned pale, so he asked about his state. He was told, “He spends the night in prayer with the whole Qur’an.”

So he said to him, “My son, I have been told that you spend the night with the entire Qur’an.” The boy replied, “It is just as you were told.” He said, “My son, when tonight comes, place me before you as you pray, and recite the Qur’an to me in your prayer. Do not be heedless of me.” The young man said, “Yes.”

The next morning he said to him, “Did you do what I instructed you to do?” He replied, “Yes, teacher.” He said, “And did you complete the Qur’an last night?” He answered, “No. I could manage no more than half of the Qur’an.” He said, “My son, that is good. When tonight comes, place before you whomever you wish from among the Companions of the Messenger of God—those who heard the Qur’an from the Messenger of God himself—and recite to him. Be careful, for they heard it from the Messenger of God, so keep your recitation steady.” He replied, “God willing, teacher, that is what I shall do.”

When morning came, the teacher asked him about his night. He said, “Teacher, I could manage no more than a quarter of the Qur’an.” So he said, “My son, tonight recite before the Messenger of God, the one to whom the Qur’an was sent down, and know in whose presence you are reciting.” He said, “Yes.”

Then the next morning he said, “Teacher, all through the night I could manage no more than one section of the Qur’an, or something close to that.” The teacher said, “My son, when tonight comes, let your recitation be before Gabriel, who brought it down upon the heart of Muḥammad. So be careful, and know the rank of the one before whom you recite.”

Then the next morning he said, “Teacher, I could manage no more than such-and-such,” and he mentioned only a few verses of the Qur’an. The teacher said, “My son, when tonight comes, repent to God, prepare yourself, and know that the one praying is in intimate converse with his Lord, and that you are standing before Him, reciting His words back to Him. So consider what share you take from the Qur’an, and what claim the Qur’an has upon you. Reflect upon what you recite. The aim is not merely to gather letters, arrange them, or repeat phrases and reports. Rather, the point of recitation is to contemplate the meanings of what you are reciting. Do not be ignorant.”

The next morning the teacher waited for the youth, but he did not come. So he sent someone to ask about him, and he was told, “He has fallen ill, and people are visiting him.” The teacher went to him. When the young man saw him, he wept and said, “Teacher, may God reward you well on my behalf. I did not know that I was a liar until last night, when I stood in my place of prayer and brought the Real, exalted is He, before my awareness, while I stood before Him reciting His Book to Him.

“When I began al-Fātiḥah and reached His words, ‘You alone we worship,’ I looked at myself and saw that it was not telling the truth in what it was saying. I felt ashamed to say before Him, ‘You alone we worship,’ while He knew that I was lying in that claim. For I saw my soul distracted from His worship by its own passing thoughts.

“So I kept repeating the recitation from the beginning of al-Fātiḥah up to His words, ‘Master of the Day of Judgment,’ and I could not say, ‘You alone we worship.’ It did not come from me with sincerity. So I remained ashamed to lie before Him, exalted is He, lest He despise me. Thus I did not bow until dawn broke. My very core was crushed, and I am now only on my way to Him in a state that I do not accept from myself.”

Before a third day had passed, the young man died. When he had been buried, the teacher came to his grave and asked about his condition. Then he heard the young man’s voice from within his grave, saying to him, “Teacher, I am alive with the Ever-Living, and He has not called me to account for anything.”

The narrator said: The teacher returned to his house and took to his bed ill, so deeply had the young man’s state affected him, and he soon followed him (in death(. 

Shaykh al-Akbar Ibn 'Arabi concludes from this: 

  فَمَنْ قَرَأَ: إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ عَلَى قِرَاءَةِ الشَّابِّ فَقَدْ قَرَأَ.. 

Then: “Whoever recites, ‘You alone we worship,’ in the manner of that young man has truly recited...”
 

Plant fruit-bearing trees

 بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

 

...وَأَحۡسِنُوٓاْۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحِبُّ ٱلۡمُحۡسِنِينَ

wa ahsinoo; innal laaha yuhibbul muhsineen

Part of Al-Baqarah (The Cow) 2:195 (last part of the ayat)... and persevere in doing good: behold, God loves the doers of good.. 

 

Plant fruit-bearing trees

At the dawn of creation, when Allah created mankind, He decided to give each and everyone of us a small piece of arable land for cultivation. We could grow all kinds of crops in it to feed ourselves as well as feed others.  He also sent many people to guide us on how to best cultivate crops, and what to do with the produce.

Eventually, mankind understood that they needed to plant some fruit bearing trees, and although the trees might not bear immediate fruit, if we persevered and took good care of the trees, one day they would bear fruit. Lots of fruit. And this fruit could be consumed by us, or shared with our friends and neighbors, and shared with those who did not have anything to eat so that they could eat to their heart's content.

Most people would plant good quality fruit bearing trees, and tasty, sweet fruit was in abundant supply. And it was all good.

Then one day, a few of us had this idea.  Instead of putting all our energy into planting trees, why don't spend time and energy to encourage others to plant trees. This will be better use of our time, since we would now be responsible for the plantation of many more trees, rather than just a few trees that would fit our land.  So we became good at motivating others. Also, we developed infographics, memes, videos, and step-wise instructions on how to grow good trees. Which ones are the best trees to grow? Which ones are the best fruits?  We started arguing over whose farming methods are the best? And why other peoples methods won't bear fruit.  We started having a great number of followers who used to listen to us.

But instead of listening to us and planting trees, our followers really liked our techniques of motivation, and representation of information, so they ended up sharing this information with others. And spent most of their time sharing with others on how to plant good trees. They figured, if it works for us, it will work for them. And so more and more people became busy in talking about agriculture, and less and less people actually planted trees.

So it happened that one day it was discovered that there was severe shortage of fruit in the market, and those who previously would not go hungry, also had to go hungry.  However, techniques on growing trees, and highly detailed agricultural nuances and differences were in abundance. Alas, that day we discovered that we cannot eat infographics, articles or videos.   If only we had spent our time growing fruit instead...

Your Lord is Most Compassionate, and loves the doers of that which is good and beautiful

 بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

 

...إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ بِٱلنَّاسِ لَرَءُوفٞ رَّحِيمٌۭ

innal laaha binnaasi la Ra’oofur Raheem

Part of Al-Baqarah (The Cow) - 2:143....behold, God is most compassionate towards people, a Dispenser of Grace"
 

...وَأَحۡسِنُوٓاْۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحِبُّ ٱلۡمُحۡسِنِينَ

wa ahsinoo; innal laaha yuhibbul muhsineen

Part of Al-Baqarah (The Cow) 2:195 (last part of the ayat)... and persevere in doing good: behold, God loves the doers of good.. 

 

Your Lord is Most Compassionate, and loves the doers of that which is good and beautiful 
A Muslim must be kind. Those whose Lord is named ٱلْرَّحْمَـٰنُ (’Ar-Raḥmaān/The Most Gracious) and ٱلْرَّحِيْمُ(’Ar-Raḥīm/The Most Merciful) , and whose Prophet(ﷺ), is the Prophet(ﷺ) who was not sent except as رَحْمَةً لِّلْعَالَمِينَ (Mercy to the worlds), can they be anything other than kind?

Lesson 1: 
A story is narrated by Shaykh Mukhtar Al-Kunti in his book Fath al-Wadud, page 358-359:

يُرْوَى أَنَّ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ اسْتَضَافَهُ مُشْرِكٌ فَحَرَمَهُ، فَلَمَّا أَصْبَحَ انْصَرَفَ وَقَدْ يَئِسَ مِنَ الْقِرَى، فَنَزَلَ عَلَيْهِ جِبْرِيلُ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ فَقَالَ لَهُ: إِنَّ رَبَّكَ يُقْرِئُكَ السَّلَامَ وَيَقُولُ لَكَ: لِمَ حَرَمْتَ عَبْدِي؟ فَقَالَ لَهُ: إِنَّهُ مُشْرِكٌ. فَقَالَ لَهُ جِبْرِيلُ: إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَقُولُ لَكَ: أَأَنْتَ خَلَقْتَهُ أَمْ أَنَا؟ فَقَالَ: بَلْ أَنْتَ. ثُمَّ قَالَ لَهُ: إِنَّهُ يَقُولُ لَكَ: أَكَانَ كُفْرُهُ بِكَ أَمْ بِي؟ فَقَالَ: بَلْ كَانَ كُفْرُهُ بِكَ. قَالَ: إِنَّهُ يَقُولُ لَكَ: أَأَنْتَ كُنْتَ تَرْزُقُهُ فِيمَا مَضَىٰ مِنْ عُمْرِهِ أَمْ أَنَا؟ قَالَ: بَلْ أَنْتَ رَازِقُنِي وَرَازِقُهُ. قَالَ: إِنَّهُ يَقُولُ لَكَ: أَهُوَ خَلَقَ الْكُفْرَ فِي قَلْبِهِ أَمْ أَنَا خَلَقْتُهُ وَجَبَلْتُهُ عَلَيْهِ؟ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ: بَلْ أَنْتَ. قَالَ جِبْرِيلُ: إِنَّهُ يَقُولُ لَكَ: أَكَانَ كُفْرُهُ يَضُرُّهُ أَوْ يَضُرُّكَ؟ قَالَ: بَلْ يَضُرُّهُ. قَالَ لَهُ: إِنَّهُ يَقُولُ لَكَ: إِنْ كَانَ ذَٰلِكَ كَذَٰلِكَ، فَلِمَ حَرَمْتَهُ وَهُوَ عَبْدِي وَأَخُوكَ؟ فَإِنَّهُ لَا يَخْلُو مِنْ حَالَتَيْنِ: إِمَّا أَنْ أُشْقِيَهُ فَأَجْعَلَهُ غِذَاءً لِنَارِي وَمَحَلًّا لِجَرَيَانِ وَاجِبِ غَضَبِي وَاقْتِدَارِي، وَإِمَّا أَنْ أَتُوبَ عَلَيْهِ فَأَجْعَلَهُ مِنْ جُمْلَةِ أَحِبَّائِي وَأُسْكِنَهُ دَارَ رَحْمَتِي وَعَطَائِي؛ فَلَحِقَهُ إِبْرَاهِيمُ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ، وَلَقِيَهُ وَجِيفًا، فَتَلَطَّفَ بِهِ، وَرَاوَدَهُ عَلَى الرُّجُوعِ لِمَطْعَمِهِ، فَقَالَ لَهُ: إِنَّ لَكَ نَبَأً: حَرَمْتَنِي أَوَّلًا، ثُمَّ تَلَطَّفْتَ آخِرًا، وَكَأَنَّكَ أَنْتَ الَّذِي تَطْلُبُ الْحَاجَةَ إِلَيَّ! فَقَالَ: إِنَّ رَبِّي عَاتَبَنِي فِيكَ. فَقَالَ لَهُ: نِعْمَ الرَّبُّ رَبُّكَ إِذْ يُعَاتِبُ حَبِيبَهُ فِي عَدُوِّهِ، فَأَسْلَمَ وَلَازَمَ الْعِبَادَةَ مَعَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ حَتَّىٰ مَاتَ، رَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ.

It is related that a polytheist once sought hospitality from Abraham, peace be upon him, but he (Abraham) withheld (provisions) from him. (Note: Abraham had asked him to recite the basmalah, when offered payment, and the idolater refused to offer basmalah because he did not believe, leading to a heated debate.)Waking up from a nap, the man departed, having lost hope of any hospitality. Then Gabriel, peace be upon him, descended to Abraham and said, “Your Lord sends you peace and says to you: Why did you withhold (provisions) from My servant?” Abraham replied, “Because he is a polytheist.” Gabriel said, “God says to you: Did you create him, or did I?” Abraham said, “Indeed, You did.” Then he said, “He says to you: Was his unbelief directed against you, or against Me?” Abraham answered, “Indeed, his unbelief was against You.” He said, “He says to you: Were you the one providing for him throughout the years of his life that have passed, or was it I?” Abraham said, “Indeed, You are the one who provides for me and for him.” He said, “He says to you: Was it he who created the unbelief in his heart, or was it I who created him and fashioned him upon it?” Abraham said, “Indeed, You did.” Gabriel said, “He says to you: Did his unbelief harm him, or harm you?” Abraham answered, “Indeed, it harms him.” He said, “He says to you: If that is so, then why did you withhold (provisions) from him, when he is My servant and your brother? He can only be in one of two states: either I decree misery for him and make him fuel for My Fire, a place for the unfolding of the due force of My wrath and My power; or I turn to him in mercy, make him one of My beloved ones and settle him in the abode of My mercy and My bounty.”

So Abraham, peace be upon him, went after the man and found him hurrying on. He treated him gently and urged him to return to his food. The man said to him, “There is something remarkable here: first you turned me away, then later you treated me gently, as though you were the one in need of something from me!” Abraham said, “My Lord admonished me concerning you.” The man replied, “What a Lord your Lord is, that He reproves His beloved on account of His enemy.” Then he embraced Islam and remained devoted to worship with Abraham, peace be upon him, until he died. May God’s mercy be upon him.

(Note: A similar story is mentioned in the risalah of Qushayri, although not in so much detail. )

Lesson 2: 

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.

Lesson 3: 

Once the disciples of Mevlana Rumi came late from the masjid. Upon being asked the reason for the delay, he answered, “A preacher had mounted the pulpit and was giving advice. I suddenly felt overwhelmed, as did the others, and we weret able to leave.”

 “What did he say that made everyone overwhelmed?” asked our Master.

 “He was basically talking about this verse:"

 

  الْحَمْدُ لِلّهِ الَّذِي هَدَانَا لِهَـذَا وَمَا كُنَّا لِنَهْتَدِيَ لَوْلا أَنْ هَدَانَا اللّهُ لَقَدْ جَاءتْ رُسُلُ رَبِّنَا بِالْحَقِّ ...

"All praise is due to God, who has guided us unto this; for we would certainly not have found the right path unless God had guided us! Indeed, our Sustainer's apostles have told us the truth!" (Part of 7:43)'

 

"And he was arguing about our superiority over the others and of those of different faiths. This made almost everyone in the mosque abandoned themselves to supplication and lament.”

Our Master, smiling sadly, said “What a malicious one! Witness how the blind are leading the blind!  They look down on the others, thinking, gloating: ‘I am better than you.’

But we should instead be measuring ourselves by the standards of Prophets and Friends of God—then we would see our proper worth and understand what constitutes real religious perfection."

 

“Bahauddin, if you want to remain forever in the gardens of paradise, befriend everyone and let no grudge against anyone live in your heart.”  

 

Then he recited: 

با دل گفتم ز دیگران بیش مباش

رو مرهم ریش باش چون نیش مباش

خواهی که ز هیچکس به تو بد نرسد

بدگوی و بدآموز و بداندیش مباش

I said to my heart:
do not set yourself above others.
Be a balm for wounds, not a sting.
If you want no harm to come to you from anyone,
speak no ill, teach no wrong, and think no ill.   

 

 

A slightly different version of the poem is preserved in Nafahāt al-uns, where Jāmī quotes Sultan Valad reporting Rumi’s advice to Baha al-Din. 

 
«بهاءالدّین! اگر خواهی که دایما در بهشت برین باشی، با همه کس دوست شو و کین کسی را در دل مدار!»

“Bahauddin, if you wish to live forever in the highest paradise, be a friend to everyone and keep no resentment toward anyone in your heart.” 

بیشی طلبی ز هیچ کس بیش مباش
چون مرهم و موم باش چون نیش مباش
خواهی که ز هیچ کس به تو بد نرسد
بدگوی و بدآموز و بد اندیش مباش

Do not ask for more, and do not place yourself above others.
Be gentle and healing, not sharp and stinging.
If you do not want harm to come to you from anyone,
do not speak ill, teach what is wrong, or think ill.

«تمامی انبیا علیهم السلام این کرده‌اند و این سیرت را به صورت آورده، لاجرم کافّه عالمیان مغلوب خلق ایشان گشته‌اند و مجذوب لطف ایشان شده. چون دوستان را یاد می‌کنی، بوستان درونت از خوشی می‌شکفد و از گل و ریحان پر می‌شود و چون ذکر دشمنان می‌کنی، باغ درونت از خار و مار پر می‌شود و پژمرده خاطر می‌گردی.» 

 

 “All the prophets, peace be upon them, lived this way and gave visible form to (embodied/actualized) this character. That is why all people were won over by their conduct and drawn to their kindness. When you remember your friends, the inner garden of your heart blossoms with joy and fills with flowers and fragrant herbs. But when you dwell on your enemies, that inner garden fills with thorns and snakes, and your spirit grows tired and begins to wither.”

 

 

 

Do not think of yourself as being better than others

 بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

...هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِكُمْ إِذْ أَنشَأَكُم مِّنَ الْأَرْضِ وَإِذْ أَنتُمْ أَجِنَّةٌ فِي بُطُونِ أُمَّهَاتِكُمْ ۖ فَلَا تُزَكُّوا أَنفُسَكُمْ ۖ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَنِ اتَّقَىٰ

huwa a’lamu bikum iz ansha akum minal ardi wa iz antum ajinnatun fee butooni umma haatikum falaa tuzakkooo anfusakum huwa a’lamu bimanit taqaa

Part of ayat An-Najm (The Star) - 53:32 He is fully aware of you when He brings you into being out of dust,  and when you are still hidden in your mothers’ wombs: do not, then, consider your­selves pure - [for] He knows best as to who is conscious of Him.

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا يَسْخَرْ قَومٌ مِّن قَوْمٍ عَسَى أَن يَكُونُوا خَيْرًا مِّنْهُمْ وَلَا نِسَاء مِّن نِّسَاء عَسَى أَن يَكُنَّ خَيْرًا مِّنْهُنَّ وَلَا تَلْمِزُوا أَنفُسَكُمْ وَلَا تَنَابَزُوا بِالْأَلْقَابِ بِئْسَ الاِسْمُ الْفُسُوقُ بَعْدَ الْإِيمَانِ وَمَن لَّمْ يَتُبْ فَأُوْلَئِكَ هُمُ الظَّالِمُونَ  

Yaaa ayyuhal lazeena aamanoo laa yaskhar qawmum min qawmin ‘asaaa anyyakoonoo khairam minhum wa laa nisaaa’um min nisaaa’in ‘Asaaa ay yakunna khairam minhunna wa laa talmizooo anfusakum wa laa tanaabazoo bil alqaab; bi’sal ismul fusooqu ba’dal eemaan; wa mal-lam yatub fa-ulaaa’ika humuz zaalimoon

Al-Hujurat (The Private Chambers)  49:11 O YOU who have attained to faith! No men shall deride [other] men: it may well be that those [whom they deride] are better than themselves; and no women [shall deride other] women: it may well be that those [whom they deride] are better than them­selves. And neither shall you defame one another, nor insult one another by [opprobrious] epithets: evil is all imputation of iniquity after [one has attained to] faith; and they who [become guilty thereof and] do not repent - it is they, they who are evildoers!

Lesson 1:

Once there was a diligent young man who wanted to learn Islam from the best of the best scholars. Perfect teachers. He came up with the criteria that a great scholar is one who is great in his deeds, so he will only learn from those within whom he does not find any mistakes, let alone sins.

He went up to a scholar, and requested permission to stay with him, and to learn from him with the caveat that if he finds any shortcomings, he will leave without further ado.  And it so happened that after several days he found something in the scholar that he did not like, and so he left.

Then he went looking for another scholar, and after several weeks, he found one, and repeated the process. After a few days, he left dejected due to something similar.  Finally, after several years of seeking, and spending time in the company of scholars, it is said that the number of scholars rejected by him reached ninety nine. So he was hoping against hope that the next one, that is, the hundredth one will rise up to his standard, so that he learns from him.

So, he told this hundredth fellow, a pious old wise man, the terms of his search. The old saint arranged for him to be well fed and rested, and said he will reply the next morning. Here is what he had to say:

"Son, do not wait to find one defect/flaw in me, for rest assured, I have many. You will be wasting your time. So, I have asked my family to prepare provisions for your return journey. However, since you have traveled far and wide to get here, let me offer you an idea, or an advice, if you so wish it."

The young man was open to listening to the advice. So the old man went on:

"Based on what you said, you have traveled thousands of miles and spend years in seeking out a perfect teacher or scholar, and yet, all you have to show for it is ninety-nine flaws that you found in others. Had you decided, instead, to pick one good trait from each of them, as of now, you would have been richer by ninety nine good character traits, and who knows, maybe had become a teacher in your own right. How wonderful would it have been?"

Hearing this, the youth was shocked, and was awakened to his folly and at the same time was hit with the realization that this hundredth teacher is the teacher that he was looking for.

Lesson 2:
 

There was this old gentleman, in ordinary clothes, queuing up for security check at the gates of the banquet hall.  On clearing the metal detector and the physical search, he entered the banquet hall said “As-salaamu Alayikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh ”. He had yet to reach the Mercy of Allah (“Rahmatullah”) in his utterance, he was surrounded by the  guards and the Assistant Banquet Manager (ABM), who, not impressed by his attire, told the gentleman:
    “This is a closed event.  Are you aware that you cannot enter the banquet hall, unless invited?”
    “Oh, but I am….. Invited, I mean”, he said calmly.
    “Yeah sure, but the banquet is reserved for distinguished guests only, so may I please see your invitation?” they said, not believing him. After all, how come someone with such poor attire be a guest at the Sultan's banquet.
    “Actually, I am not carrying it with me,” he replied confidently.
    “So you are a distinguished guest?” the the ABM asked.
    “Well, no,” replied the old man.
    “Then you must be more than that, a diplomat perhaps?” asked the ABM he said, in a ridiculing tone.
    “No, not really”, said the old man.
    “So you are a minister, perhaps?”
    “No, not that too”.
    "Oho! So you must be the Sultan himself, sir," said the ABM sarcastically, obviously running low on his patience reserves.
    “No, I am sure I am not the Sultan!”
    “Hmm? So you must be higher than the Sultan?  But wait, nobody is higher than the Sultan in this land! Get rid of this beggar” so saying he signaled to the guards to get rid of him.
    “Now you have it,” he exclaimed, and everyone froze, “I am ‘Nobody!’” he continued.  Before anyone could make sense of what he had said, sounds of commotion were heard near the main gates, indicating the arrival of the Sultan.  Everyone ran to their respective positions, and the gentleman shrugged his shoulders and proceeded towards the exit.

Several hours later, a vaguely familiar guest was behaving rather strangely, dipping his cuffs in the punch-bowl.  As if that was not weird enough, he started ladling custard down the front of his rather dazzling brocade coat (with ivory buttons and semi-precious stones lining the epaulets).  Not only that, he put his turban on the banquet table and applied caviar on to it.
    The head-waiter rushed towards him, as if with the intent of offering him a juice or something to calm him down.  Suddenly in one swift, unexpected motion he picked and threw the bottle across the hallway, smashing it to smithereens. A hushed silence pervaded across the banquet table, as the attention of the Sultan was drawn to him.  We did not know what to expect, when the gentleman uttered:
    “Apparently the juice has taught the bottle to fly, but it has yet to teach it the the art of landing properly.”  Then addressing his coat and turban, he said “Thanks to Allah, you have had your fill.”
    So saying the merry gentleman, covered in all sorts of delicious sweetmeats excused himself from the table, when the Sultan addressed him, much to the surprise of all and sundry.
    “O Noble and August Shaykh Nasruddin, did anything displease you?”, asked the Sultan, with utmost respect.
    “No,” replied the gentleman, who, it seems was Nasruddin Hodja.
    “No, not at all, I was just feeding these robes of brocade for what is their right,” said he, rather nonchalantly.
    At this point, the Sultan asked “What could be the meaning of this, O Master of Masters?”
    He replied, “The banquet invitation was meant for these robes, for they were welcome here, and not I, when I came a while back without them”.
    So saying, he took leave and left.

Know your messenger peace be upon him

 بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

 

لَقَدۡ جَآءَكُمۡ رَسُولٞ مِّنۡ أَنفُسِكُمۡ عَزِيزٌ عَلَيۡهِ مَا عَنِتُّمۡ حَرِيصٌ عَلَيۡكُم بِٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ رَءُوفٞ رَّحِيمٞ

Laqad jaaa’akum Rasoolum min anfusikum ‘azeezun ‘alaihi maa ‘anittum hareesun ‘alaikum bilmu’mineena ra’oofur raheem

At-Taubah (The Repentance) 9:128 

 Now has come unto you a Messenger from amongst yourselves: it grieves him that ye should perish: ardently anxious is he over you: to the Believers is he most kind and merciful.

Know your Messenger, and Honor him(ﷺ)


Abū Bakr Ibn Mujāhid was a scholar of Islamic studies and famous reciter, used to get up to greet Shibli, which was contrary to his usual habit for anyone else.  Once his companions protested, "You rise for ash-Shibli and you do not rise for Ibn 'Isa, even though he is the wazir?"

He replied "Shall I not rise for the one whom the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) told me to respect? I saw the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) in a dream and he said to me, 'Abu Bakr, tomorrow a man of the people of Paradise will come to you, so honour him.'"  And this was the reason that Shibli received this honorable treatment from him.

A couple of nights after this, Ibn Mujahid dreamt of the Prophet (ﷺ) again who told him, "Abu Bakr, Allah has honoured you for honouring a man of the people of Paradise."

I asked, "Messenger of Allah(ﷺ), what did he do to merit this from you?' To which the Messenger(ﷺ) replied, "Every Thursday whenever he was done with each of his five daily prayers, he would remember me after every prayer and would do salwat after reciting the verse: "A Messenger has come to you from among yourselves........" (9:128)'"

Tartib al-Madarik by Qadi 'Iyad https://bewley.virtualave.net/mad8.html  

Ibn 'Isa himself was a generous and kind person, who once was approached by a person, saying "Ibn 'Isa, I am in need and the Prophet ﷺ came to me in a dream and told me to tell you that you used to recite 4000 salawat to the Prophet ﷺ every Thursday night, but last week you did not. As a recompense, you should help settle my debt." Hearing this, Ibn 'Isa wept for this was a secret not known to anybody. He generously helped the person and gave him extra, just for bringing the blessed news to him that that the Prophet ﷺ had noticed Ibn 'Isa's salutations.

What is it worth?

 بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

زُيِّنَ لِلنَّاسِ حُبُّ ٱلشَّهَوَٰتِ مِنَ ٱلنِّسَآءِ وَٱلۡبَنِينَ وَٱلۡقَنَٰطِيرِ ٱلۡمُقَنطَرَةِ مِنَ ٱلذَّهَبِ وَٱلۡفِضَّةِ وَٱلۡخَيۡلِ ٱلۡمُسَوَّمَةِ وَٱلۡأَنۡعَٰمِ وَٱلۡحَرۡثِۗ ذَٰلِكَ مَتَٰعُ ٱلۡحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنۡيَاۖ وَٱللَّهُ عِندَهُۥ حُسۡنُ ٱلۡمَـَٔابِ

Zuyyina linnaasi hubbush shahawaati minannisaaa’i wal baneena walqanaateeril muqantarati minaz zahabi walfiddati walkhailil musawwamati wal an’aami walhars; zaalika mataa’ul hayaatid dunyaa wallaahu ‘indahoo husnul ma-aab

 Al-Imran (The Family of Imran) - 3:14  Alluring unto man is the enjoyment of worldly desires through women, and children, and heaped-up treasures of gold and silver, and horses of high mark, and cattle, and lands. All this may be enjoyed in the life of this world - but the most beauteous of all goals is with God.

 

 

ٱللَّهُ يَبۡسُطُ ٱلرِّزۡقَ لِمَن يَشَآءُ وَيَقۡدِرُۚ وَفَرِحُواْ بِٱلۡحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنۡيَا وَمَا ٱلۡحَيَوٰةُ ٱلدُّنۡيَا فِي ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ إِلَّا مَتَٰعٞ

Allaahu yabsutur rizqa limai yashaaa’u wa yaqdir; wa farihoo bilhayaatid dunyaa wa mal hayaatud dunya fil Aakhirati illaa mataa’

 
Ar-Ra'd (Thunder): 13:26

GOD GRANTS abundant sustenance, or gives it in scant measure, unto whomever He wills; and they [who are given abundance] rejoice in the life of this world - even though, as compared with the life to come, the life of this world is nought but -a fleeting pleasure

 
Lesson 1:

Many people look at the friends of Allah and imagine that they are poor because they have little of this world. Yet often their condition is by choice, for they have seen the true worth of worldly things and have turned away from them for something better.

One day a young boy came to Dhul-Nun al-Misri with great reverence. He said that he wished to leave behind his life of comfort and spend all that he possessed, nearly one hundred thousand dirhams, on Dhul-Nun and his company of dervishes. Dhul-Nun, however, did not accept this offer. He understood that the boy was not yet mature enough to make such a decision, and so he told him to return when he had come of age.

When the boy grew older, he came back with the same request. This time Dhul-Nun allowed him to do as he wished. Before long, the wealth was spent, and the young man began keeping the company of the dervishes.

After some time, a need arose among them and there was no money at hand. The youth said with feeling that if only he still had his fortune, he would gladly spend it upon them once again. Upon hearing this, Dhul-Nun realised that although the young man had given away his wealth, he had not yet grasped the inward truth of renunciation. Worldly means still seemed weighty in his eyes.

Thereupon Dhul-Nun called him and instructed him to buy a few simple ingredients from an apothecary for perhaps a dirham, grind them into a paste, shape the paste into a small stone-like pellet, and bring it back to him. The youth did as he was told. Dhul-Nun recited something over the pellet, and it turned into a red crystal.

He then said, “Take this stone through the marketplace and ask different people what they think it is worth. But do not sell it.”

The youth first showed it to a beggar, who scolded him for trying to obtain money for a piece of coloured glass. Then he showed it to a cheerful fruit seller, who offered him a few kilos of his finest fruit in exchange for it. The vegetable seller and the meat seller were no different. Each was ready to barter some of his goods for the stone.

Every time, the youth refused.

At length he reached the shop of a jeweller. The jeweller examined the stone carefully and offered him a large sum of money for it. When he saw that the young man would not sell, he kept raising the offer, each one higher than the last. But the youth remained firm, and the jeweller was left disappointed.

On his way back, the young man stopped at the shop of a dealer in precious stones and asked her to value it. She was astonished. Again and again she asked him where he had obtained such a thing. When he pressed her to name its value, she said, “No one in this land can afford to buy this. It is a ruby of the finest quality, beyond anything I have known in my entire life. I truly cannot put a price on it.”

The youth was bewildered by these different responses. When he returned and told Dhul-Nun all that had happened, Dhul-Nun instructed him to crush the stone back into powder and cast the powder into the wind.

Then Dhul-Nun said gently, “My child, these dervishes are not lacking in wealth. Their state is their own choice. They have left something lesser for something greater in the life to come. And as for this stone, each person valued it according to the limits of his knowledge and the extent of his means. Now tell me, what worth will you assign?”

These words stirred the heart of the young man. From that day onward, the world no longer held the same value in his eyes. He had begun to understand that what most people chase with such hunger may in truth be worth very little, and that only the one who knows the value of the Hereafter can see this world for what it really is.

Let us reflect on this also. The worth of a thing is not known by the noise around it, nor by what the market offers for it, but by the depth of understanding with which it is seen. The real question is not what the world offers us. The real question is: what worth have we assigned to it in our hearts? What is it worth?

Lesson 2:

In his tafsir Rūḥ al-bayān, Ismail Haqqi (Hakki) Bursevi, the well known Turkish scholar and mystic, relates a striking story that brings out the meaning of this verse.

وَإِنَّا لَجَٰعِلُونَ مَا عَلَيۡهَا صَعِيدٗا جُرُزًا 

Wa innaa la jaa’iloona maa ‘alaihaa sa’eedan juruzaa

Al-Kahf (The Cave) 18:8 and, verily, [in time] We shall reduce all that is on it to barren dust!

 

It is related that Hārūn al-Rashīd had a son who, though only sixteen years old, had already turned away from the attractions of the world. He left aside the soft garments of princes and chose instead to wear a rough woolen cloak.

One day he passed by his father while ministers and courtiers were seated around him. They were troubled by the sight and said, “This boy has embarrassed the Commander of the Faithful by appearing in such a manner.”

So Hārūn al-Rashīd called him and said, “My son, you have shamed me by the way you live.”

The boy gave no answer. Then his eyes fell upon a bird perched on a wall. He said, “O bird, by the One who created you, come to my hand.”

And by Allah’s leave, the bird flew down and settled on his hand.

Then he said, “Return to your place,” and it returned.

Then he called it to the hand of the Commander of the Faithful, but it would not come.

At that the boy turned to his father and said, “No, it is you who have shamed me before the friends of Allah by your love of this world. I have decided to leave you.”

And so he left his homeland, taking with him nothing but a ring and a copy of the Qur’an. He went to Basra and there worked with mud and stones. It is said that on Saturdays he would labor with his hands, and from all that work he would keep only a dirham and a dāniq for his food.

Abū ʿĀmir al-Baṣrī says: “I hired him one day, and he did the work of ten men. He would take a handful of mud, place it upon the wall, and set stone upon stone with such ease that I was amazed. I said to myself, this is how the friends of Allah work, for they are aided in ways others are not.”

Then one day I went searching for him and found him ill in a ruined place. His body had grown weak, but his heart was still alive with remembrance. When he saw me, he recited these lines:

 

يَا صَاحِبِي لا تَغْتَرِرْ بِتَنَعُّمٍ

فَالْعُمْرُ يَنْفَدُ وَالنَّعِيمُ يَزُولُ

وَإِذَا عَلِمْتَ بِحَالِ قَوْمٍ مَرَّةً

فَاعْلَمْ بِأَنَّكَ عَنْهُمْ مَسْؤُولُ

وَإِذَا حَمَلْتَ إِلَى الْقُبُورِ جِنَازَةً

فَاعْلَمْ بِأَنَّكَ بَعْدَهَا مَحْمُولُ

My friend, don’t be fooled by comfort and ease—

life runs out, and every ease fades away

And if you ever come to know the state of other people, even once,

know that you’ll be held to account for them.

And when you carry a funeral bier to the graves,

know that one day you too will be (similarly) carried.

Then he said to me, “O Abū ʿĀmir, when I die, wash me and shroud me in this robe of mine.”

I said, “My dear one, why should I not shroud you in something new?”

He replied, “The living have more need of new clothes than the dead. Clothes wear out, but deeds remain.”

Then he handed me his Qur’an and his ring and said, “Take these to al-Rashīd and tell him: Your son, far from home, says to you, do not remain in your heedlessness.”

Abū ʿĀmir said: “When he passed away, I did as he had asked. Then I took the Qur’an and the ring to Hārūn al-Rashīd and informed him of what had happened.”

When al-Rashīd heard it, he wept and said, “What kind of work was my beloved child doing?”

I said, “He was working with mud and stones.”

He said, “Did you put him to such work, though he was kin to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ?”

I said, “I did not know who he was.”

Then he asked, “Did you yourself wash him (after his death)?”

I said, “Yes.”

At this, Hārūn al-Rashīd took my hand, kissed it, and placed it upon his chest. Then he went out to visit his son’s grave.

Abū ʿĀmir said: “After that, I saw him in a dream. He was seated upon a magnificent couch beneath a great dome. I asked him, ‘How are you?’”

He replied, “I have gone to a Lord who is pleased with me, and He has given me what no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no human heart has imagined.”

Then he swore by Allah who created him and said, “No servant leaves this world the way I left it except that Allah honors him as He honored me.”

What then is this world that people cling to so tightly?

Robes and raiments, a palatial home, a title, a domain — all of it will one day become barren dust, like the world and everything in it. What is it worth?

That young man understood this while still in the spring of life. He left behind comfort, but found nearness. He abandoned appearance, but gained reality. He wore a rough cloak in this world, and was clothed in honor in the next.

We know this verse as we recite every Thursday or Friday. But do we live as if it is true? Look at how we are entrenched in the material world, just simply look at all the possessions we have accumulated.

Everything around us will one day be reduced to dust. What remains is not what we owned, but what we sent ahead.

And we don't know when we will die. 

فَالمَوْتُ آتٍ وَالنُّفُوسُ نَفائِسٌ
وَالمُستَغِرُّ بِما لَدَيهِ الأَحمَقُ

Death is on the way, and souls are the real precious things;
the fool is the one deceived by what  (material things) he owns.

What are we waiting for?

Lesson 3:  

Hazrat Baba Dawood Khaki (R.A) had seen position, comfort, learning and honor. He had served in high office and had lived with means. But when he came into the blessed company of Hazrat Sultan-ul Arifeen Sheikh Hamza Makhdoom (R.A), he left that life behind and chose the path of service, discipline and nearness to Allah.  

But leaving the world with one’s hands is not always the same as removing it from the heart.

It is said that one day Hazrat Makhdoom Sahib (R.A) was engaged in devotion at Koh-e-Maraan, and Baba Dawood Khaki (R.A) was nearby in attendance. In that quiet moment, a thought arose within him. He remembered the days of wealth, rank and ease that he had left behind. And for a passing instant he felt that perhaps if he still had those means, he might have been able to serve his teacher better.  

It was only a thought. It was not spoken. But Allah knows what lies hidden in the breast, and the true guides of the path are trained to cure even the subtle illnesses of the heart.

When Hazrat Makhdoom Sahib (R.A) rose and asked him to bring some clay for purification when water was unavailable, Baba Dawood Khaki (R.A) went at once in obedience. But wherever he turned, he could find no clay. The whole mountain had appeared to become gold. He searched around in amazement, yet could not find even a little amount for purification. What glittered everywhere before him was of no use in that hour.

He returned and told his teacher what he had seen.

Hazrat Makhdoom Sahib (R.A) then made the matter plain. Can gold take the place of clay in purification? Baba Dawood Khaki (R.A), being a scholar, answered that it could not. Then came the lesson that entered deep into the heart: why should a person long for that whose worth is not even equal to a little lump of earth when needed?  What is it worth?

That was enough.

He understood that the world may shine before the eyes, but before Allah its value may be less than dust. A thing that seems great to the nafs may in reality be lower than the simplest thing that helps a servant obey his Lord.

This is the way the friends of Allah train people. They do not only correct outward actions. They purify intentions. They expose hidden attachments. They do not only remove open sins, but also the secret love of dunya that remains buried in the corners of the heart.

Many of us say that we have left the world. But has the world left us? This is the harder question.

Let us look within ourselves. What is that gold which still dazzles us? What is that thing whose absence we still quietly grieve over? What attachment remains in the heart, even after the tongue speaks of surrender?

I want to suggest to myself and to you to let us begin by asking Allah to cleanse our hearts of love for that which distracts from Him. May Allah grant us truthful teachers, sincere hearts, and the ability to value even a handful of dust used in obedience over all the glitter of this passing world.

May Allah help us in this endeavor.
 

Lesson 4: 

During the learning years of Yunus Emre’s with Hazrat Taptuk Emre (the alternative spelling Tapduk frequently appears in regional signage and tourist materials), he was conflicted. He looked at the simple life of the lodge. The clothes were patched. The food was plain. The guests were many. The needs of the poor never seemed to end. And because he loved his master, Yunus felt pain at this outward poverty. He wished to be of use. He wished to lighten the burden. He wished that somehow wealth might come into their hands, so that the dergah could be eased of hardship and the needy could be helped more freely.

This was not greed. At least, not in the obvious sense. It was love mixed with possibly immaturity at not realizing that true service is independent of wealth. 

One day Yunus had gone out, busy with his work, and his mind remained occupied with these thoughts. How much good could be done, he wondered, if only there were money? How much easier it would be to feed people, to repair or replace what was worn out, to meet the demands of daily life. Such reflections followed him like a shadow. 

On his way back, he went looking for his murshid, who was lovingly digging a well for the benefit of all humans and other creations. As he came near the place where Taptuk Emre was sitting, he froze.

The ground around his master had changed.

The acorns lying near the roots of the trees no longer looked like acorns. They gleamed as though they had been cast in pure gold. The grass itself shone in the light, every blade like a thread of gold spread upon the earth. The whole place seemed covered in wealth that no sultan could count and no merchant could carry away.

Yunus stood speechless.

This was the very answer to the thought he had hidden in his heart. Here was treasure beyond measure. Here was ease for every outward burden. Here was enough wealth not only for a lodge, but for villages, caravans, and generations.

Yet Taptuk Emre sat in complete stillness, as though nothing unusual had happened. His face held neither surprise nor desire. He did not reach toward the gold. He did not even seem to notice it.

Then he looked at Yunus, whose astonishment had stripped him of words, and he said quietly:

 Dileseydi cümle varlığı altından yaratır idi. Demek kıymet altında olmasa gerek. 

 Had He willed, He would have created all existence out of gold. So its worth must not lie in gold

(Note: this dialog is not found in the earliest sources, but rather in the dramatization of the story in the famous TV series on Yunus Emre,  Episode 44. 

Those words struck Yunus more deeply than the sight itself.

In that moment he understood that man is easily deceived by glitter because his sight is weak. He mistakes brightness for worth. He mistakes rarity for honor. He mistakes price for reality. But the friends of Allah see with another measure altogether. They know the answer to the question. What is it worth?

If gold had true greatness in the sight of Allah, then indeed the earth would have been made of gold, the mountains would have been gold, the leaves and rivers and skies would all have carried that same shine. But Allah created a world of soil, water, seed, wood, wind, and stone. It is man who bows before gold, not creation.

Yunus now saw that a blade of grass, remaining what Allah made it to be, is more wondrous than gold pretending to be important. An acorn in its ordinary form carries life within it. It may one day become a tree, give shade, shelter birds, and serve as firewood in winter. Gold cannot do any of this. Gold only dazzles the eye and awakens hunger in the lower self.

The shock that entered Yunus was not merely because he saw something miraculous. It was because he was made to see his own hidden assumption. He had thought that help must come clothed in money. He had imagined that relief must arrive in the form most admired by the world. But now he understood that the people of Allah are sustained by something far greater: sincerity in service, trust in the Lord, contentment with little, and freedom from being ruled by appearances.

The gold vanished as suddenly as it appeared, and the acorns were again only acorns, and the grass was again only grass. But Yunus was no longer the same. A veil had lifted from his sight.

And perhaps that is our condition as well.

We speak often of higher things, yet we still measure worth by glitter. We think a person important because he possesses wealth. We think a work valuable because it attracts attention. We think comfort is proof of favor, and simplicity a sign of lack. But the path of the pious teaches otherwise. Many of the greatest souls walked this earth with very little in their hands, yet with treasures in their hearts that kings could neither buy nor understand.

The lesson is not that gold is evil. Gold is only gold. The lesson is that man becomes small when he gives to gold a rank that Allah did not give it. The real poverty is not to live without wealth. The real poverty is to have wealth live within you. The real poverty is to lose the ability to recognize the signs of Allah in ordinary things.

May Allah purify our sight, protect us from being dazzled by the world, and teach us to recognize true worth where He has placed it. Ameen.

Note: While speaking about this incident with my daughter, she asked a simple yet arresting question: If Allah does not value gold as people do, then out of what did He make all existence? The question stayed with me. I turned it over in my heart again and again, yet no clear answer came. Then one day, by Allah’s grace, my murshid came to me in a dream and answered what my mind could not resolve. He said that Allah has made all existence out of love and compassion. When I awoke, those words remained with me. And the more I reflected on them, the more they seemed to echo through creation itself. Perhaps that is why one finds affinity, attraction, and subtle harmony even in the smallest hidden structures of the world, down to the subatomic particles themselves.

Lesson 5:

Once there was a farmer living in the rural outskirts, and he owned several dogs.  These dogs would laze around by the road side and would only become alert when a car or a motorbike would pass by.  Hearing the sounds of an engine, they would become instantly alert, and pursue the vehicle barking loudly and they would keep chasing it till a certain point on the road, after which they would stop and come back to their original positions and lie in wait for the next one.

A wise woman passing through the village asked the farmer:

"What do these dogs hope to achieve?"

The farmer replied:

"I know, it seems rather futile,  and a waste of time. But they have been like this since as far back as I can remember.  And is it so strange? Don't all dogs do this?"

The woman continued:

"What they do has the potential of harming the dogs themselves, or the riders, especially if it is a motorbike rider. And they do raise quite a din as well"

The farmer apologetically said:

"Is it the noise that is bothering you?"

The woman rather enigmatically quipped:

"Well yes, that, and also what will they do if they actually catch up with a vehicle? What is it worth to them?"

What lures you away?

 بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

 

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلۡإِنسَٰنُ مَا غَرَّكَ بِرَبِّكَ ٱلۡكَرِيمِ

Yaaa ayyuhal insaaanu maa gharraka bi Rabbikal kareem

Al Infitar(The Cleaving) - 82:6 

 O human kind! What is it that lures you away from your bountiful Sustainer?

 

What lures you away?

Once a man pleaded with Ibrahim ibn Adham, "O Abu Ishaq, I am unable to control myself from sinning. Please help in anyway that you can!"

"If you are able to fulfill any one of five conditions," said Ibrahim, "then your mistakes, sins or disobedience will not have any adverse consequences for you."

The man was more than eager to hear what the conditions were,  and I have paraphrased them here.

1. When you want to disobey Allah, prepare for it by not eating or drinking anything Allah provides.
2. If we cannot do that, then at least let us move away from His Dominion whenever we want to sin.
3. If both of the above conditions are beyond our abilities, then at least let us make sure Allah does not see us during our acts of disobedience.

The man complained (and so do I), that it is impossible to to fulfill the above conditions, however, Ibrahim had a couple more ideas left up his sleeve, conditions that could do the trick:

4. When it is time to die, ask for reprieve so that we have time to repent and mend our ways.

However, if we are unable to get reprieve, and time to undo the damage that we have done to ourselves, then surely we will be packed off to face the consequences of our actions, in which case there is only one more thing left to do:
5. We must refuse to enter Hell-fire.

If we cannot do that, well, then what lures us away towards the path of disobedience of our Generous Lord?