Rang-o-Noor (BY SA'DI)

TO THE LOVERS

May Allah make this year the year of conquests for the Muslims! ,

The new Islamic year has started. This year is named 1431 AH. It is Allah's decision that there are twelve months in every year.

"Surely the number of months according to Allah is twelve (as written) in the Book of Allah on the day He created the Heavens and the Earth."

It is the 3rd of Muharram. Muharram is the first month out of the twelve months of this year whereas it is 4th of Muharram in the Arab countries. If only there were one date for the Muslims of the entire world! This is the creed of Hazrat Imaam Abu Hanifa that the Muslims should celebrate the Eid on the same day; they may start fasting on the same day; they may find Lailat-ul-Qadr on the same night and start their new Islamic year on the same day! The scholars of Afghanistan issued the Fatwa (decree) long ago and got rid of numerous troubles. Let this topic go. If Allah grants Pakistan with good rulers, this issue will be solved if Allah wills. At present, we should be contented with this situation; purchase sugar Rs. 80 per kg. and flour Rs. 28 per kg. A short while ago, if someone obtained Rs. 300; he would buy a new suit of clothes whereas meat is now sold at the rate of Rs. 300 per kg.

The Muslim ladies have grown rich sitting at homes because gold is now sold Rs. 35000 per 10 gram. New year has started. The poor America is in the grip of floods and storms. There is snow fall, rains and tempests. Emergency has been enforced in many states. An international conference was going on in a city of Denmark named "Coupon Haigon." The object was to request the big industrial countries to lessen the quantity of emitting poisonous gases otherwise the world would ruin itself very soon. But no country was ready to do so. It is America who emits poisonous gas the maximum. The countries of the entire world beseeched America to take pity on them. If the gases are emitting the same way, it will become difficult to breathe on the earth. All the glaciers will melt. The temperature will raise so much that the world will be hotter than the oven and people dwelling on this earth will automatically be roasted. Now, India has also started emitting poisonous gas. All the countries requested her and she said, "Give me money, I shall not do so." The lust and greed of the countries and nations has increased so much that there are factories one after the other. The jungles have been ruined, water in the rivers has become poisonous, radiation is increasing, fresh air and oxygen are now changing into smoke. The mountains are being wiped out from upon the face of the earth and the lust of the wealthy people has rendered earth the place not to dwell on. Where are those who sing in praise for technology. What type of progress it is that seeds of death are being sowed for the coming generation! There are ever new kinds of vehicles, utensils, clothes, furniture and ever new types of machines. Do people now need two thousand types of utensils or fresh air and pure water? The world is progressing according to the idiots but the situation is that every body is sick. Islam had decreased the importance of wealth very much but had lifted the importance of man very high but these days, wealth is every thing again. This lust for wealth has humiliated, disgraced and made man unsafe. The new year has started and the world is facing a new malady. This malady is called "Swine Flu." The Holy Prophet would seek refuge with Allah against serious diseases. One of the supplications of the Holy Prophet was;

"O Allah I seek Thy refuge against leprosy, madness and every type of disease."

We Muslims should make arrangements for supplications. Normally, if a Muslim acts upon the teachings of Islam, such diseases do not attack him. There is all health in washing, bathing, ablution, purity, lawful eating, supererogatory fasting, alms giving, sacrificing one's own share, horse-riding, swimming, archery, less eating, avoiding evil eye. It is unlawful for a Muslim to nourish wrath, malice, grudge and jealousy for any Muslim. There is no tension when there is no malice, wrath and jealousy for others. If man is resigned to Allah's decree, he is safe from blood pressure; only that is correct which Allah has done and we are resigned to it. This is the state that is cure for numerous physical and mental ailments. It is said about a big politician of Pakistan that when in 1999, the military took over the government, he was arrested. He was not given any other punishment. He was just put in captivity all alone. He coluld not tolerate this minor trouble. He was terrified so much that he took off his clothes, had toilet and began to eat it. At this, the soldiers took him to their officer. A mighty bargain was made there. He became a strong ally of the military and began to work at the TV channels. Contrary to it, if a Muslim believes in Allah's lot, he enjoys in captivity in loneliness. He joins the walls and roofs with him and invokes "Allah, Allah" and Allah's love changes his loneliness into resplendent company. The Muslims also undergo ailments as a trial and to increase in their reward. Plague broke out in Egypt in the age of the companions of the Prophet . A number of big companions were enveloped by it and were martyred.

The new year is coming and India is very hard hit. There is no crop of rice. Disease and starvation rule the supreme. There is great discussion in the Hindu organization "BJP." The last post of Advaani has also been snatched away and he is no more the leader of the opposition. However, the party has created another post in order to please him i.e. the Chairman of the Parliamentarian Party." Alas poor Advaani! Every of his yearning has been converted into regret. He wanted to construct a temple at the place where Baburi Masjid stood but could not. He wanted to become the Prime Minister of the country but could not. He wanted to keep working at some post till his death but every post slipped from upon his head. Now, the state of bad name is that the party members shift every evil at his doors. There is a severe political crisis in the Indian state Aandhara Paradesh. The topic under discussion in the entire India these days is, "Was it correct to release three Mujaahideen as a result of hijacking of a plane ten years ago or incorrect?" O yes, December 31 is approaching. An-Indian plane was hijacked and was being taken to Qandhar on December 31, 1999.

The new year has started and Dubai, a city of UAE is under the fatal curse of usury. It is a killing poison for the Muslims. Dubai had been a very captivating place for the lovers of wealth. People were flocking to Dubai. I saw a trader in Karachi who used to visit Dubai for two days a week. When a man is gripped by the love of counting currency notes, those notes suck even his blood. He has no peace of mind but only the anxiety, "So many notes have come and so many have gone." If these notes are spent in making the Hereafter, riches become a blessing. We do not know how much man earns. Once I met a man at the Multan Airport who told me that he kept bearing the household expenses of a big scholar of Din in Karachi. I envied him very much. The scholar whom he was talking about served Din much. But that wealthy wise man has purchased his share in all the religious tasks by spending a few rupees per month. It is certainly a great auspiciousness. It is heard that there are wealthy people in Karachi who earn only to spend on Din. He has installed so many factories and mills not a penny of whose income he takes home rather he spends the entire income on Din. In the beginning, when our organization was framed, there was no ban on Jihaad. At that time, I saw many lucky people who would spend big amounts on Jihaad. The best reward of spending on religious tasks is spending on Jihaad. A number of verses of the Holy Quran order us to expend on jihad. There are so many excellences of expending money on Jihaad. There are so many excellences of expending money in Jihaad in the traditions reading which man wishes to donate the clothes on the body to Jihaad. The only sorrow is that excellences of expending on Jihaad are not described generally due to it and out of fear of the government people avoid spending in Jihaad whereas this spending is a very great auspiciousness. The topic under discussion was that the Muslims cannot digest usury. Interest loan from banks is a great sin and the entire wealth becomes unpure due to it. The people of Dubai also based their economy on usury and bashlessness. That economy is now falling face downward. Millions of people have become unemployed and have run away from there. Now, the giants and ghosts live in sky-scraping buildings and the business of property is in loss. May Allah grant the rulers there with the capacity to act upon Din!

New year has started. Numerous topics can be discussed with this reference. Letting all those topics, the one thing that I am to say is that the people who have adopted the path of "love" should not retreat from it duped by wisdom. The path of Jihad is the path of "Love." Pledging oath for Jihaad is the path of "Love." There is movement throughout the entire world due to a few Muslims who are attached with Shari" Jihaad. Human thinking erects hurdles in its path again and again but the true lovers never think of retreat. These days, there are these Mujaahideen at the back of all hustle and bustle in the world. There are big fleets, high castles, frying planes, secret planets, day and night meetings and conspiracies, slogans of Allah-o-Akbar, redness of the mountains and forests and colours of the rainbow. A little effort of the Mujaahideen has rendered one Super Power a beggar and another a plucked hunter. A little sacrifice of the Mujaahideen has shown this age the colouring of the incidents of the earlier times. Now retreat from such a great path. May Allah pardon! The one who nourishes such thoughts should repent at once and demand perseverance of Allah. It is said that a caravan of pilgrims of Bukhara was going to Madina from Makkah under the flood of the emotions of love, pledging that they would be under the feet of the Holy Prophet after a short time and they would be blessed with prostration in Masjid-e-Nabvi when there was robbery on the way and numerous pilgrims were killed. Those who survived, said, "Let's go back because it is a dangerous route." All of them returned but one Bukhary youngman kept advancing. He said, "What is the love that is afraid of death and accidents!" The troubles in the way of love are the delicious jerks. If dagger falls in the way of love, it is not a dagger but the Eid moon. Allama Iqbal has described that incident in beautiful couplets:

How beautiful the couplets! The emigration of the Holy Prophet has taught us the lesson that the passengers of the caravans of Hijaz do not care for their lives. Safety of life lies in walking among the apparently safe people but the enjoyment of love lies in plunging into dangers. The Mujaahideen of this age who are lighting the candle of Shari' Jihaad are the soldiers of the sacred army of the Holy Prophet . Can this army be deserted due to some fear, danger or any situation?
O Allah, bless us with perseverance at Jihaad in the way of Allah till our martyrdom!

(Request: Allama Iqbal has written "Madina" as "Yathrib" out of poetic licence. Some learned people forbid to write "Yathrib" in the light of some Tradition. Allah knows better)

Translated by: Abdullah