Rang-o-Noor (BY SA'DI)

THE SECRET OF MIGHT

May Allah grant us all with the perception of true Deen!
Importance of Fasting.

Hazrat Sheikh-ul-Hadith says:

There is a Tradition, "If the people come to know what Ramazaan is, my Ummah will yearn for the whole year to be Ramazaan." There is a Tradition, "Fasting in Ramazaan and three fasts every month remove falsehood and doubts in the heart." There is at least something that during the Jihaad in Ramazaan, the Sahaabah observed fast so regularly despite the fact that the Holy Prophet allowed them to break the fast until the Holy Prophet had to forbid them stressively. There is a Tradition in Al-Muslim, "During a journey of battle, the Sahaabah landed at a destination. It was intense heat. No one had so large a piece of cloth with him due to poverty that he could cover his body fully. Many people avoided the sun with the cover made of their hands. Still they were observing fast. Those who could not remain standing, fell down. In other words, a sect of the Sahaabah observed fast all the year round. (Fazaail-e-Ramazaan)

Hazrat Hajvery writes:

Avoiding just eating and drinking is the fast of the children whereas fasting is the name of avoiding desires, mirth, amusement and backbiting." (Kashf-ul-Mahjoob)

So great and precious month of Ramazaan is passing so speedily. All of us should make our time precious. Keep it in mind that every moment of Ramazaan is sacred whether day or night, morning or evening, there is all blessing all the time. We should remember while moving about, sitting or reclining that we are in Allah's mercy. So, do righteous deeds abundantly and avoid sins. Do not waste your time in useless tasks and useless discussion. Gossip can continue on other occasions also. Now, it is Ramazaan-ul-Mubaarik. Make special arrangements for recitation of the Holy Quran, Zikr, Dua, Supererogatory prayers, Alms, Durood Sharif and worship in abundance.
I'tikaaf----- The Dignity of Lovers

I'tikaaf during the last ten days of Ramazaan is a very important and loving worship. Hazrat Sheikh-ul-Hadith wrties:

I'tikaaf has great reward. What more can be its excellence that the Holy Prophet would himself observe it regularly. The Mu'atakfi is like the person who sits at someone's door until the granting of his request.
                                                                     
The author of Maraaqi Al-Falah writes:

I'tikaaf is the superior worship if observed with sincerity. It has numerous qualities. One is to get aloof from the world, handing over the Self to Allah and remain lying at the door of the Lord in it.
                                                                      

This year, the situation for the Muslims is very hard and stiff. The need for I'tikaaf increases in this situation so that so many people may forsake every thing and stay at the door of Allah and keep attached with Allah detached from everyone until the Eid moon is sighted. Ladies should observe I'tikaaf at their houses. There will be devotee I'tikaaf this year also in Masjid "Usmaan-O-Ali" Bahawalpur. All of you are welcomed. One request again, "Make more efforts to observe I'tikaaf this year. You will gain much if Allah wills.
Purchase Paradise With Wealth
Hazrat Sheikh-ul-Hadith writes:

A saying of the Holy prophet is reported by Ibn-Umer in Ruh-ul-Bayaan, "In my Ummah, there always exist five hundred holy saints and forty Abdall (Devotees). When anyone of them dies, another one replaces him at once." The Sahaabah said, "What are their special good deeds?" The Holy Prophet ö said, "They forgive those who tyrannize and do favour to those also who treat them vicely. They help and shower affections on others with the help of wealth that Allah has given them." There is another Tradition," Allah provides that person with shelter against terrors, horrors and frights of the Day of Judgement who feeds the hungry, clothes the naked or provides room to the wayfare to pass the night." Yahya Barmaki would spend one thousand Dirham every month on Hazrat Sufyaan Saori. Hazat Sufyann Saori would pray for him in prostration, "O Allah, Yahya looks after me in the world, be sufficient for him in the Hereafter." When Yahya died, the people asked him in dream, "How did you fare?" He said, " I have been absolved due to the supplications of Hazrat Sufyaan Saori." (Fazaail Ramazaan)
It becomes clear that:
(i) It is the practice of the holy saints and devotees to keep their hearts free of malice, spite and wrath against the Muslims and not to oppress the Muslims. Every Muslim should pray and try to acquire this state.
(ii) We should keep helping the poor with our wealth. Accumulation of wealth is no quality but purchasing paradise with ones wealth is a very great wisdom and sagacity. The man who is blessed with wisdom and sagacity by Allah, is blessed with a great good.
(iii) We should specially treat the Muslims well in Ramazaan and should spend our wealth maximum on religious tasks, on the poor and the indigent.
A Useful Letter And An Incident

One of my wellwishing religious scholars lives in the district Lodharaan. I used to meet him well during the days of freedom. Now, sometimes his letters are received. Recently I have received a letter from him in which he writes an incident of Hazrat Maulana Shah Muhammad Ilyas. The readers must study that incident as under and then I would talk to them.

Hazrat Maulana Manzoor Ahmad Nuamaani has collected some sayings of the leader of the preachers Hazrat Maulana Muhammad Ilyas. He says that the Editor of the Urdu daily "Al-Hilaal" in Bombay, Hafiz Ali Bahadur Khan BA came to visit Hazrat Maulana Ilyas when he was on his death-bead. Hazrat Ilyas preached for about half an hour despite his weakness. That Hafiz was much impressed by that discussion and persuasion. Reaching Bombay, he wrote down his impressions about Hazrat Maulana Ilyas' personality and religious persuasion. He confessed the greatness, importance and seriousness of his persuasion to reformation and preaching in a way as cannot be expected of an editor or a leader of today. I succeeded in acquiring those editions of Al-Hilaal from somewhere. I was overjoyed to read them. I intended to tell Hazrat Maulana Ilyas about it also. Hence, I took those papers in my hand and went to Hazrat Ilyas with the hope of finding proper opportunity. I hoped that seeing those papers, Hazrat Ilyas would himself ask what those papers were. In this way, I would find the opportunity to tell those articles to him. But contrary to my expectations, the Hazat did not ask about them. After a long wait when I got impatient, I myself said to Hazart Ilyas, "Hafiz Ali Bahadur who came to visit you on such and such day was much impressed by your preaching. He has written a few articles about your work in his paper. In those articles, he has confessed the greatness and importance of our work. May I read out to you that article if you allow?" He said, "What mention of the by-gone task. We should think of any deficiency left in the task we were to do and the deficiency in what we have done. How much deciency in sincerity! How much scantiness in the greatness of Divine order! How great loss in pining for ways of activity and struggle to follow the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet ! O Maulvi, mention of the previous work without this worry and anxiety and getting pleased at it is just like the passenger who stops, looks back and gets pleased. Just find out deficiencies in the past work and think of the future what we are to do rather think over it how many millions rather billions of individuals have been left to whom we could not convey persuasion to Allah and how many are there who, despite, awareness and confession, have not come to action due to deficiency in our struggle."

Hazrat Maulana Muhammad Ilyas was one of the well-wishers and Mujaddideen of this Ummah. Allah had instilled great yearning for Deen in his heart. Then He inspired into him a policy of doing that religious task. Then He granted his task with acceptance and progress. May Allah grant the job of persuasion to Deen with even more acceptance and progress and protect it against the subversions of playing, fun, cricket, Show Biz and denial of Jihaad! May Allah grant the present day leadership with the power and capacity to run it on the methods and principles told by Hazrat Maulana Muhamamd Ilyas!
There are may lessons in the incident above. For example:
i. Hazrat Maulana Muhammad Ilyas was not against telling the performance achievements. He made special arrangements for performance achievements. No work can advance without the details of past achievement but here there was no performance rather a tribute from a semi-political paper. Hazrat Maulana wanted to keep his job away the present day politics and journalism. As he had no critical bent of mind, he diverted the attention of his people from newspapers and journalism. Allah be thanked, the organization gained much benefit from this policy. Common journalists and column writers keep changing their opinions. Today, they write in favour of someone. The next day, they throw shoes at his head. The minimum price that these journalists receive for supporting a job is that they begin to give suggestions about it. Hazrat Maulana Muhamamd Ilyas wanted to protect his job from such subversions. So, he did not pay attention to the paper rather forbade others also to study them. Now whether someone praises or condemns, there is no effect on his religious work. Allah be thanked, same has been the policy of our band. Many journalists offered their services. There was much pressure from many quarters to come on the media but, Allah be thanked, there remained proper distance from it which benefitted us greatly. May our band keep acting upon this policy!
ii. A special activity of Hazrat Maulana Muhamamd Ilyas was taking stock of his past mistakes. This is the activity which protected his band from many subversions. The organizations are uprooted due to pride and arrogance and hence ever new subversions and differences arise. But if attention is to man's own mistakes and deficiencies, man always keeps begging forgiveness. It is the pronouncement of the Holy Quran that might increases due to ISTIGHFAR (begging forgiveness of Allah.) It is incumbent upon those who do the grand task of Jihaad to follow this principle.

O Allah, forgive us for our mistakes and deficiencies and grant our repentance with acceptance!


 

Translated by: Abdullah