Sayings and Stories of the Awliyaa

FOUR POISONS

​
1. The world is a fatal poison. Its antidote is Zuhd (abstinence from its adornments).
2. Wealth is a fatal poison. Its antidote is Sadqah.
3. Speech in abundance is a fatal poison. Its antidote is Thikrullaah.
4. Kingdom (political power) is a fatal poison. Its antidote is justice.

[Subulas Salaam, p.9]
 
IMAAM GHAZAALI’S NASEEHAT

​
Imaam Ghazaali (rahmatullah alayh) said:
“Listen attentively! Allah has concealed His pleasure in His obedience. Therefore, regardless of
how insignificant an act of obedience and ibaadat may appear, never view it with disdain. Perhaps
His Pleasure is concealed in it.
He has concealed His Wrath in sin. Therefore regardless of how small the sin may appear,
never consider it insignificant. Perhaps His Wrath is concelead in that sin.
He has concealed His Friendship and Proximity in His servents. Therefore, never despise any
one regardless of him being a sinner. Perhaps Allah’s Pleasure is concealed in some excellence of
the sinner, and it (His Pleasure) may suddenly become manifest at the time of the person’s death."

[Subulas Salaam, p.8]
 
INSAANIYAT ​

Reprimanding a Molvi, Hadhrat Maulana Ashraf Ali Thaanvi (rahmatullah alayh) said: "Should I not reprimand even when an error is committed? Should I maintain silence? If I do so, how will errors be rectified? What then will be the way of reformation (islaah)? Learn insaaniyat (humanity) and abandon bestiality. It is easy to become a buzrug and a wali. But to become an Insaan (human being) is difficult. I desire to administrate this dose into the hearts, but people sulk." [Malfoothaat, vol.4, p.1]
 
KHALWAT

​
The meaning of khalwat (seclusion/solitude) is that the heart should not have any relationship other than with Allah Ta'ala. This is the state of peace. However, nowadays, people have converted the heart into a railway station (or airport) where all and sundry mingle whereas the heart is the abode of only One Being (Allah Ta'ala). When the Divine Being has settled in the heart, then every displeasing development appears pleasing. [Malfoothaat, vol.4, p.2]
 
THE DUA OF THE MAZLOOM

​
“Beware of the curse of the mazloom (oppressed), for verily, there is no barrier between it and Allah Ta’ala.” (Hadith)
Regardless of whether the oppressed is a Muslim or a non-Muslim – a human being or an animal. The call/curse of the distressed reaches Allah Ta’ala swiftly.
A forest in Afghanistaan was infested with a variety of wild animals which plundered the nearby orchards and farms. One day the inhabitants resolved to eliminate all the animals. They set fire to the forest on all sides. The animals were all hemmed in by the huge fire. When all the animals were engulfed by the fire, a pig managed to slip out from the net of the fire. Eyewitnesses saw the pig looking towards the sky and squealing loudly. Simultaneously, dark clouds gathered and rained poured in torrents. The entire fire was swiftly extinguished, and the besieged animals emerged safely.
In this episode is a solemn lesson. Even a pig’s cry is heeded. [Subulas Salaam, p.11]
 
SHUKR EVEN IN CALAMITY​

A pious man had a friend who was imprisoned on the orders of the Sultan. The pious man sent
someone to enquire of his condition in jail. The prisoner replied: “I express shukr to Allah Ta’ala.”
Soon a Majusi (Fire-Worshipper) was arrested and brought to the prison. He was chained together
with the Muslim prisoner.

When the Majusi wanted to relieve himself, the chained Muslim had to necessarily go along
since they were chained together. This caused great distress to the Muslim. His friend on the
outside who had heard of this hardship, again send someone to enquire about his condition. The
chained Muslim responded: “I express shukr to Allah Ta’ala.” When the pious man heard this, he
sent the message: “For what is your shukr? Is there a greater calamity than your present
condition?”

The Muslim prisoner replied: “If the Majusi’s zunnaar (a religious girdle worn by the fireworshippers similar to the crucifix of the Christians) is tied around my waist, it will be a greater calamity than the hardship I am in presently. If Allah Ta’ala pardons me by afflicting on me only this inconvenience, should I then not be grateful to Him? Have you not heard that when a dish full of ash was thrown onto a Shaikh he fell into Sajdah and expressed his shukr to Allah Ta’ala? When someone criticized him for this, he responded: “I fear that a dish full of fire may be cast on to me. When it was only ash instead of fire, then why should I not express my gratitude to Allah Ta’ala?” [Subulas Salaam, p.30]
 
IN WHICH CATEGORY DO YOU FIT?

​
Hadhrat Hasan Basri (rahmatullah alayh) who was among the greatest Taabi-een, said: “People resemble (morally/spiritually) six kinds of animals: lion, wolf, pig, dog, fox and goat/sheep.

Asad (lion): The kings are lions, for they oppress the people while no one oppresses them.

Thi’b (wolf): The traders are wolves. When they buy, they criticize and censure in their
endeavour to reduce the price, but when thy sell, they exaggerate in praising their wares. Their objective is to only accumulate wealth which will be left for inheritance. They yearn to combine night and day to gratify their greed for the dunya.

Khinzeer (pig): They are men who emulate women. They answer every call of women.

Kalb (dog): They are the fujjaar (the immoral ones) who are swift in pursuing the dunya. They do not adhere to the Haqq (Truth).

Tha’lab (fox): They are the impostors masquerading as men of the Deen to deceive people. They deceive people in order to fleece them of the dunya (wealth).

Shaa’t (goat): This is the true Mu’min whose wool is sheared (by the people of the dunya); who is milked; whose flesh is consumed; whose skin is removed and whose bones are broken. How is it possible for him (the Mu’min) to coexist among these wicked tormentors?”

Every Mu’min should make muraaqabah (meditate). Do some earnest and sincere soul
searching, and fit yourself into one of the aforementioned six categories. “And only the people of intelligence take lesson.” (Qur’aan). [Subulas Salaam, p.43]
 
Last edited:
Huzaifah ibn Adam said:
IN WHICH CATEGORY DO YOU FIT?

​
Hadhrat Hasan Basri (rahmatullah alayh) who was among the greatest Taabi-een, said: “People resemble (morally/spiritually) six kinds of animals: lion, wolf, pig, dog, fox and goat/sheep.

Asad (lion): The kings are lions, for they oppress the people while no one oppresses them.

Thi’b (wolf): The traders are wolves. When they buy, they criticize and censure in their
endeavour to reduce the price, but when thy sell, they exaggerate in praising their wares. Their objective is to only accumulate wealth which will be left for inheritance. They yearn to combine night and day to gratify their greed for the dunya.

Khinzeer (pig): They are men who emulate women. They answer every call of women.

Kalb (dog): They are the fujjaar (the immoral ones) who are swift in pursuing the dunya. They do not adhere to the Haqq (Truth).

Tha’lab (fox): They are the impostors masquerading as men of the Deen to deceive people. They deceive people in order to fleece them of the dunya (wealth).

Shaa’t (goat): This is the true Mu’min whose wool is sheared (by the people of the dunya); who is milked; whose flesh is consumed; whose skin is removed and whose bones are broken. How is it possible for him (the Mu’min) to coexist among these wicked tormentors?”

Every Mu’min should make muraaqabah (meditate). Do some earnest and sincere soul
searching, and fit yourself into one of the aforementioned six categories. “And only the people of intelligence take lesson.” (Qur’aan). [Subulas Salaam, p.43]
Click to expand...
Nice Post.

BTW does this (and fit yourself into one of the aforementioned six categories) means the mu'min has to take a role other than the goat ?
 
Nisthar said:
Nice Post.

BTW does this (and fit yourself into one of the aforementioned six categories) means the mu'min has to take a role other than the goat ?
Click to expand...

It means think which of those categories you are most similar to. You must only be in the goat category. The other categories are the evil ones, in this metaphor.
 
BISHR HAAFI AND ALLAH’S NAME

​
Before his reformation, Hadhrat Bishr Haafi (rahmatullah alayh) was a drunkard. His daily routine was to go to a liquor store and consume liquor. The whole day he would remain intoxicated. One day on his way to buy liquor, he saw a paper lying in the dirt in the street gutter. He picked up the paper and saw Allah’s Name written on it. This grieved him much. He returned home with the
paper, washed it with rose water and placed it on a high place in his home. Then he returned to buy his liquor.

The consequence of his respect and love for Allah’s Name was that Allah Ta’ala bestowed to him the taufeeq to reform. He abandoned liquor and devoted his life to ibaadat. He became among the greatest Auliya of Islam. This was as a result of the barkat of Allah’s Name. [Subulas Salaam (The Pathways of Peace), p.49]
 
It is narrated that once, there was a very tyrannical and arrogant king. When he would walk in the streets, his soldiers would throw everyone out of the way to clear the path for him. All bystanders were required to stand humbly in respect. One day, there was an old man in the gathering. When the soldiers wanted to move him, he said, "Tell that king of yours that I know him." They asked, "You know the king?" He said, "Yes, I know him very well." The soldiers told the king that there's an old man who claims to know him. The king came up to him and asked, "You said that you know me?" The old man said, "Yes, I know you. I know that you've come from two Najis (impure) places (i.e. the sperm and the womb). I know that right now, you are a container filled with urine and excreta. And I know that when you die, your body will rot and become food for the worms."

The words of the old man had a profound effect on the king, who later abandoned his evil ways and repented to Allaah Ta`aalaa.

Never become deceived by having some Dunyawi (worldly) wealth and possessions, fame or prestige. Do not become conceited and arrogant. No person has the right to be arrogant or haughty. Whatever you have was granted to you by Allaah Ta`aalaa. Allaah Ta`aalaa is the One Who gave you everything that you have, and He can take it away just as easily.

Always remember this.
 
Last edited:
"Hadhrat Haamid Lifaaf (rahmatullah alayh) narrating from Hadhrat Haatim (rahmatullah alayh) said: “Every morning Iblees tempts me by saying: ‘What will you eat today?’ I respond: ‘I shall eat Maut (Death).” When iblees says: “What will you wear?”, I say: “The kafan.” When he says: “Where will you live?’, I say: “In the Qabar.” Perplexed, Iblees blurts out: ‘You are extremely harsh and hard-hearted.’ Then he flees from me." [The Saadiqeen, p.23, 24]
 
Shareek an-Nakha`i said, "(Imaam) Abu Haneefah was prolonged in silence, perpetually in reflection and of little speech with people. These are the clearest signs of Baatini (esoteric) `Ilm and engrossment with the objectives of the Deen. Whoever has been granted silence and Zuhd (abstinence from the Dunyaa), verily he has been granted all Knowledge."
 
(Whenever Imaam Abu Hanifah –Rahmatullah alayh – was cast into a quandary regarding any mas’alah, he would say to his Companions/Students): “This is the effect of some sin which I have committed.” (Then he would lapse into Istighfaar, then renew wudhu and perform two raka’ts Salaatut Taubah. The problem would then be solved, and he would comment: “This is a kind of bashaarat (glad tiding). I have hope that my Taubah has been accepted, hence I have understood the mas’alah. When the renowned Wali, Hadhrat Fudhail Bin Iyaadh (Rahmatullah alayh) was informed of this practice, he shed tears in profusion, and he commented: “O Allah! Have mercy on Abu Hanifah. Due to the paucity of his sins, he has been able to recognize his error. Others will not realize this because they are drowned in sin.” [Imaam A'zam Abu Hanifah, p.103, 104]
 
Shaykh `Abdullaah `Azzaam رحمة الله عليه said:

Living in the West:

"The Western society is one that is quite dull, in every sense of the word. The church...imagine that in some places, a woman will marry another woman, and a man will marry another man! Such evil! Because of this, Sayyid Qutb mentioned in his book 'The America I Saw' - which has never been printed, as it is said that the American embassy stole it from the printing press and burned it - that the unmarried youth who would wish to meet his girlfriend would meet her in church! An evil, wasted society! Because of this, separation from the disbelievers, and not living with them, is something clearly intended in the Shari'ah, and is supported by logic and emotion, as the Prophet said: "I am free of anyone who lives with the disbelievers," and: "Whoever lives with a disbeliever and dies with him, then he is like him."

There are many, many ahadith to this effect...four or five about living with the disbelievers. Because of this, the Western life, living between the disbelievers, is a very, very, very difficult life. One of the youth - of course, the stories are many, and I am unable to tell them all here - came to me at a conference - and he was one of my students in Jordan - and said to me: "That's it. If I do not get married, I will commit fornication. I am unable to survive," and he repeated it again: "I am unable to survive. I am being serious with you, and whoever says other than this, then he is a liar."

Tell me, by Allah, an unmarried youth in the extreme heat, and at the college, a girl is sitting right next to him, with her skirt ten centimeters above her knees! And our Lord Said, about Prophet Yusuf: {"And indeed she did desire him and he would have
inclined to her desire, had he not seen the evidence of his Lord."** [Yusuf; 24] Were it not for him seeing a sign from his Lord, he would have inclined to her - Yusuf, the pure, purifying, noble son of the noble son of the noble son of the noble. So, how can this be?

One of the sons of the Islamic movement came and asked me: "I am living with a family - and he was single, no wife with him - in order to study medicine in Britain. Is this permissible for me?"

I said to him: "No, this is not allowed for you. What are your living conditions?"

He replied: "I live in a room in the same apartment as the family."

I asked: "And the kitchen?"

"We share the kitchen, as well as the bathroom and toilet."

I asked him: "Does her husband stay out for long?"

He replied: "He sometimes leaves and spends the night outside the house."

"And you and her stay alone in the house?"

He replied: "Yes."

I said to him: "This is not permissible, not permissible, not permissible for you!"

He said: "How? We wish to study medicine, and produce Muslim engineers and Muslim doctors!"

I said: "After seven years, what is left of your Islam? What is left?"

He asked: "Should I abandon the rest of my studies? If so, what am I supposed to do?"

I said to him: "Sell beans and tomatoes, but, do not live this life."

I declare it forbidden for the youth to study in the West, except if they are married. Hear it from me: it is forbidden for a youth to study in the West, unless he is married. Relay on my behalf, even if it is one fatwa: it is not allowed, not allowed, not allowed. How can one protect himself? It is impossible to protect oneself, except through marriage. It is impossible, impossible, impossible for the unmarried person to live there, unless he is abnormal. If he is abnormal, then he might be able to live there. As for the normal human being, then how, my brother? Sex is available like water, and it is allowed, according to the law, in the street, everywhere! The stories are many, and those who came to us from Italy and Sweden know very well the disasters lurking in the Western societies. So, what would we say about a youth who was in the land of Jihad, then he decided to travel to Sweden? Why do you wish to go? He said: "To get a passport from there."

May Allah not bless you, and may He not bless your passport..."

['Fi Dhilal Surat at-Tawbah'; p. 12]
 
`Allaamah ibn al-Qayyim رحمة الله عليه writes in "al-Fawaa'id":

There are ten useless matters which cannot be benefited from:


  1. Knowledge that is not acted upon.
  2. An action that is devoid of sincerity and is not based on the correct example.
  3. Wealth that is hoarded, as the owner neither enjoys it in this life nor obtains any reward for it in the Aakhirah.
  4. The heart that is empty of love and longing for Allaah and of seeking closeness to Him.
  5. A body that does not obey and serve Allaah.
  6. Loving Allaah without seeking His Pleasure.
  7. Time that is not spent in expiating sins or seizing opportunities to perform good deeds that will being one closer to Allaah.
  8. A mind that thinks about issues which bring about no benefit.
  9. Serving those who neither bring you close to Allaah nor benefit you in your life.
  10. Hoping and fearing one who is under the Authority of Allaah, and whose forehead is in His Hand, while he cannot bring any benefit, harm, life, death, or resurrection to himself.
 
Let Nobody Have Any Favor Over You:​

"al-Imam Ahmad - may Allah have Mercy upon him - would not accept any gifts from the people, so that they would not have any favor over him. He would reject the gifts of the rulers. One time - and the people loved to present him with gifts - he sent one of his sons to buy a loaf of bread. So, when the baker asked the boy who he was, he replied: "I am the son of Ahmad bin Hambal." So, instead of filling the bag with bread, the baker filled it with gold and silver, and gave it to him. When Ahmad bin Hambal opened the bag and found gold and silver, he told his son: "Go back to him." When he gave the bag back, the baker called out to him: "Come, at least take the bread that you paid a dirham for!" Imam Ahmad's son said: "My father commanded me to return everything."

They would wish that they could give him some gift, but, he was honorable in the face of such a reality, as the Prophet said: "Abstain from the dunya, and Allah will Love you. Abstain from what is with the people, and the people will love you."

Then came the tribulation of the creation of the Qur'an. al-Ma'mun adopted this belief, and came to torture Ahmad bin Hambal, so that he would do the same. al-Ma'mun died, al-Mu'tasim continued in torturing him, and he took a stand for Allah - the Mighty and Exalted - in which he honored this religion. Eighteen years, and three rulers who tortured him so that he would accept and endorse the belief of the Qur'an being created, but, he refused. Then came al-Wathiq, who reversed all that had happened in terms of the affair of the creation of the Qur'an. He wanted to honor Ahmad bin Hambal publicly, but, Imam Ahmad refused. So, he sent for his sons and showered them with gifts, which they accepted. When Ahmad bin Hambal learned that his sons had accepted the gifts of al-Wathiq, he built a wall between his home and theirs, boycotting them.

One day, Ahmad bin Hambal became sick. So, his doctor instructed him to roast a ear of corn in the oven and eat it. So, he bought the corn, and asked that it be roasted. So, it was taken to the oven of his uncle, Salih. When it was brought back to Ahmad, he asked: "Where did you roast it?" They said: "In the oven of your uncle, Salih." He said: "I will not even taste it, as his wealth has been mixed with the gifts of the ruler."

As a result, it got to the point that even the jinn would fear him!

A crazed girl was brought to al-Wathiq, so, he said: "Send her to Ahmad bin Hambal." When she was brought to Ahmad, they asked him: "Please cure this crazed girl for us!" So, he began to speak to the jinni that had possessed this girl, saying: "Get out of this girl! Get out of this girl!" But, it didn't come out. He continued, saying: "Get out, or I'll - and Ahmad began to threaten the jinni - " and the jinni came out, saying: "O Ahmad! You feared Allah, so, everything is afraid of you! You feared Allah, so, everything is afraid of you!"

The jinni waited until Ahmad bin Hambal eventually died, and it returned to possess the girl once again. So, they brought the girl to a shaykh - who, as it was said, is more like us than Ahmad bin Hambal - and he began to speak to the jinni, saying: "Get out, or I'll..." Suddenly, the jinni began to laugh, saying: "Ahmad bin Hambal has died; Ahmad bin Hambal has died...""

"Abstain from the dunya, and Allah will Love you. Abstain from what is with the people, and the people will love you."

['Fi Dhilal Surat at-Tawbah'; p. 195-196]
 
Shaykh `Abdullaah `Azzaam said:

Whoever Obeys Allah, Everything Obeys Him:

"Ibn al-Qayyim said: "Using one's bodily organs in the obedience of Allah strengthens them, while using them to disobey Allah weakens them."

He dedicated an entire chapter to this, in his amazing book, 'al-Fawa'id,' and I had touched upon this in previous recorded lectures of mine. Even the jinn and humans assist the believer if he obeys Allah. To make a long story short, whoever obeys Allah, everything will obey him. And we informed you that, on the day that 'Uqbah bin Nafi' wanted to establish the city of Qayrawan in the middle of a thick jungle, he prayed two rak'ahs, and said: "O you vicous beasts! O you wild animals! O you poisonous snakes! We are the army of Muhammad! We want to establish ourselves here, so, leave!" Minutes later, all of the animals in the area carried their offspring, and left them the jungle.

Whoever obeys Allah, everything obeys him! Everything!

On the day that they were in Persia (Iraq), one of the Companions - and the Companions had never learned the Persian, Roman, or Assyrian languages - said something in Persian, so, the Persian troops evacuated. He does not know Persian, nor does he know Pashtu! So, when they ran away, the Companions caught up with them, imprisoned them, and asked them: "Why did you run away?"

They replied: "We heard, from the tongue of your companion, that you had come to eat us up, so, we ran away!"


The Companions asked the Companion who'd said this: "What did you say?"

He replied: "I have no idea."

The Angels had spoken on his tongue! We had mentioned before that the Angels would speak through the tongue of 'Umar. An Angel, speaking in his name. Because of this, sometimes, a devil will speak on the tongue of the human! If he is angry, for example, Satan will speak on his tongue. Therefore, it is advised that he perform ablution, in order to expell the Devil, because "nothing puts out the Devil other than the water of ablution."

So, the obedience of Allah...ya Salam! I am amazed at how humanity lives, my brothers!"

[Sayings of `Abdullaah `Azzaam, p.24]
 
The Speech of the Ahlullah

​
"It is observed that Noor cascades from the speech of the Ahlullah, whilst darkness drapes the speech of the deviates. The words of the Buzrugs are straightforward. They do not use flowery language, but studying their works produces Noor in the heart. On the other hand, those who are not observant of the Shariah, no matter how polished their words may be, these leave darkness in their wake, regardless of what they say being related to Deen. Since the words are theirs, therefore, darkness is a corollary of their words. Whoever has the slightest spiritual perception can sense this difference without doubt.

In the speech of the Ahlullah again there is Noor which cannot be found in non-Ahlullah. One Buzrug’s son went to study away from home. He qualified in his studies and returned home as an Aalim. He came to his father. The father told him to give the bayaan. The son gave the bayaan and spoke on high academic issues but there was no effect on anyone. After his bayaan the Buzrug father went on the mimbar and related an incident that happened at night. “I had intention of fasting today,” he said. “I left some milk for Sehri. A stray cat came and drank up the milk.” Just this much made the audience emotional.

The father explained to his son: “Son! The effect of one’s heart falls on the audience, not the effect of words. You have acquired knowledge of words. Now let those words permeate your heart.”

It is not necessary that tears roll from the eyes as a result of the Ahlullah’s speech. Yes, tears roll from the hearts of the listeners from the words of the Ahlullah – those who have purified their hearts and saturated it with love for Allah." [The Road to Allah, p.49-50]
 
Huzaifah ibn Adam said:
The Speech of the Ahlullah

​
"It is observed that Noor cascades from the speech of the Ahlullah, whilst darkness drapes the speech of the deviates. The words of the Buzrugs are straightforward. They do not use flowery language, but studying their works produces Noor in the heart. On the other hand, those who are not observant of the Shariah, no matter how polished their words may be, these leave darkness in their wake, regardless of what they say being related to Deen. Since the words are theirs, therefore, darkness is a corollary of their words. Whoever has the slightest spiritual perception can sense this difference without doubt.

In the speech of the Ahlullah again there is Noor which cannot be found in non-Ahlullah. One Buzrug’s son went to study away from home. He qualified in his studies and returned home as an Aalim. He came to his father. The father told him to give the bayaan. The son gave the bayaan and spoke on high academic issues but there was no effect on anyone. After his bayaan the Buzrug father went on the mimbar and related an incident that happened at night. “I had intention of fasting today,” he said. “I left some milk for Sehri. A stray cat came and drank up the milk.” Just this much made the audience emotional.

The father explained to his son: “Son! The effect of one’s heart falls on the audience, not the effect of words. You have acquired knowledge of words. Now let those words permeate your heart.”

It is not necessary that tears roll from the eyes as a result of the Ahlullah’s speech. Yes, tears roll from the hearts of the listeners from the words of the Ahlullah – those who have purified their hearts and saturated it with love for Allah." [The Road to Allah, p.49-50]
Click to expand...
This is very true as i myself have experienced this.
 

Similar Threads

Back
Top