Interpreting Ishq-e-Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ – Syed Zaid Hamid’s address at Jamia Zia-ul-Uloom

The Holy Prophet [صلی اللہ علیہ والہ وسلم ] stated:

“He who does not recite Durood Shareef for me has no faith”.

“He who does not recite Durood Shareef for me has no ablution”.

Zaid Hamid’s address on Adab and Ishq-e-Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ:

    بلغ العلیٰ بکمالہ

    کشف الدجیٰ بجمالہ

    حسنت جمیع خصالہ

    صلوا علیہ وآلہ

Translation:

He attained exaltation by his perfection,

He dispelled darkness by his beauty;

Beauteous are all his qualities,

Benediction be on him and his family.

إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ وَمَلَـٰٓٮِٕڪَتَهُ ۥ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى ٱلنَّبِىِّۚ يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ صَلُّواْ عَلَيۡهِ وَسَلِّمُواْ تَسۡلِيمًا

(Al-Ahzaab – 56)

Translation – Verily Allah and his angels recite salaat on the Nabi [Prophet Muhammad]. O you who believe, call for [Allah’s] blessings on him, and greet him by saying ‘peace be upon you’.

اَللّٰھُمَّ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ عَلٰی سَیِّدِ محمّد وَعَلٰی اٰلِہٖ وَاَصْحَابِہٖ وَبَارَکَ وَسَلَّمَ

With the permission of respected Syed Sahab, dear scholars and brothers Assalmo alaikum wa rahmatullah wa barakatuhu.

When my Aaqa صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ especially rewards someone in his ummah, when he wants closeness with an ummati [follower], when he decides that an ummati should be with prophets, siddiqeens [truthful people] and martyrs, and when he wants to gift someone, then he gives that ummati the Love [Ishq] for Prophet Mohammad صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ

My friends, remember one thing, you cannot earn Ishq-e-Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ It is an honour bestowed by the court of the Holy Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ It is rewarded to him who is endlessly obedient and humble in front of the Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ

ادب پہلا قرینہ ہے محبت کے قرینوں میں

The disrespectful receive nothing. And remember, there is no criticism or following or Fatwa [ruling given by an Islamic scholar] regarding the actions of an Aashiq-e-Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ, nor there is any end to the acts of a man who is immersed in Ishq-e-Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ.”

“It is not mentioned in any book of Fiqh that how an Aashiq [lover] of Rasoolullah صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ should express his love for the Rasool [PBUH]. At the battle of Uhad, the Prophet [PBUH] lost two teeth. Owais Qarni [RA] broke all his teeth upon hearing this. This is not a matter for Fiqh; this is Ishq-e-Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ. There is no fatwa on it, nor is there any following. Abu Bakr [RA], Umar [RA], Ali [KW] did not break their teeth though they were also great lovers of Rasool [PBUH]. Their style of loving the Prophet [PBUH], and their duties and positions were different.  Owais Qarni’s [RA] style was different. That is why there is no following of any particular style. Every Aashiq has his own place. He expresses his love according to whatever Aqaa صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ bestows on him. One sahabi [companion] of Rasoolullah [PBUH] saw him only once in his life. At that time, the Prophet [PBUH] was wearing a black shawl as it was winter. Afterward, that sahabi never saw the Prophet [PBUH] again but all his life he wore a black shawl as he had seen him like that. Another sahabi, who met Prophet [PBUH] during summer, saw that his shirt was unbuttoned from the front. During his whole life, whichever season it was, he used to wear an unbuttoned shirt because he said that it was the way he had seen his Aaqa [PBUH], so that was the way he would remain.

Acts of Ishq-e-Rasool [PBUH] have no criticism, no following and no fatwa. Only an ignorant person can question the veracity of these rules. These are the matters of heart.

Once at a time of war, our Aaqa [PBUH] announced that every Muslim should bring whatever he can. A sahabia cried that she did not have anything to offer but she did not want to stay behind. She went to our Aaqa [PBUH] and presented her infant to the Prophet [PBUH]. Syedi Rasoolullah [PBUH] asked her what he would do with the baby. She replied that when he was attacked from all sides, he could use her baby as a shield to protect himself from the arrows. This is true Ishq-e-Rasool! [PBUH]These are the acts of loving the Prophet [PBUH] which are infinite in their nature, and which permit no criticism.

Imam Malik, the founder of Maliki Fiqh, never wore shoes and never rode any animal in Madina Munawarah because he said that his master [PBUH] used to walk in those streets. At the time of Pledge of Hudaybiya, the representatives of the non-believers of Quraysh, went back and advised their people not to fight a war with the Muslims. They said they had been to the courts of Qaiser [Caesar] and Kisra too, but they had never seen such reverence and respect as they saw in the sahaba [RA] of the Prophet [PBUH]. They told the Mushrikeen of Quraish,

“When their Prophet performs ablution, they do not let the water fall down on the ground; instead they spread it on their bodies. They make perfume from the drops of his perspiration. They do not let even his spit touch the ground but would smear it on themselves”.

These things are intrinsically not forbidden, yet there was a sahabi who even did a forbidden thing but Jannah [paradise] was made wajib [compulsory] for him because of his intention. Once the Prophet [PBUH] bled a little because of an illness; he gave the container of the blood to the sahabi to throw it away. But the sahabi drank it. When the Prophet [PBUH] came to know about it, he said,

“A body that has my blood running in it, will not burn in hell”.

Even though it is forbidden in Islam to drink blood, the Prophet [PBUH] gave the sahabi glad tidings of Jannah because of the sahabi’s Ishq-e- Rasool  [PBUH].

My dear friends, whatever a Momin [true believer] receives is due to the respect and courtesy he shows to the Prophet [PBUH]. All the Salah, Hajj, Zakah and other good deeds will be wasted if one so much as raises his voice in the presence of the holy master [PBUH]. There is no room for disrespect and irreverence in this regard. There are two sins which Allah will never forgive. One is shirk [associating partners with Allah], and the other is disrespect towards the Prophet [PBUH]. If one angers Allah because of his misdeeds, our master [PBUH] can come to our aid. But if one has been disrespectful to the Prophet [PBUH], then there is no one in the whole universe who can come to his aid. Even to this day, the devoted ushaaq [lovers] of the Prophet [PBUH] strongly follow the Quranic orders concerning the Prophet [PBUH]. They carry themselves exactly the way the sahaba [RA] did in the company of the Prophet [PBUH] fourteen hundred years ago. There are still some men of Allah, who ask for permission before entering the court of the Prophet [PBUH](i.e. Masjid-e-Nabvi) as it was ordered in the Quran. Even today these men give sadaqah [charity] before consulting about a matter from the court of our Master [PBUH], as it was ordered by Allah. They also take permission from the Prophet [PBUH] before leaving Masjid-e-Nabvi. Similarly, they take care of the poor people in the vicinity of Masjid-e-Nabvi as the master [PBUH] had said that the people of Madina were his neighbours and one should take care of them. Even today the Ushaaq of Rasool [PBUH] don’t turn their backs to the Masjid-e-Nabvi and they don’t speak in a loud voice. A thing which is worth remembering is that the Ishq-e-Rasool is the result of respecting and following the Prophet [PBUH].

Everyone knows the story of Imam Busiri who wrote Qaseeda Burda. He presented this qaseeda to the Prophet [PBUH] and saw him in his dream. The Prophet [صلی اللہ علیہ والہ وسلم] not only gave him his burda[shawl] but also cured him of his paralysis. When he woke up and went out in the street, a qalander stopped him and asked him to give him the qaseeda that he wrote the previous night and also told him that it had been accepted at the court of the Prophet [PBUH]. In today’s world we see that this qaseeda has become the most popular qaseeda ever.

مولا صل وسلم دایما ابدا

Each Ashiq of Rasool has been assigned a different duty by the Prophet [PBUH]. For this, it is not necessary to be a great abid [one who worships Allah a lot] or a zahid [a very pious man]. The blessings and mercy of the Prophet [PBUH] are there, even for the sinful and worldly people. The only condition is that of Adab-e-Rasool [PBUH].

Sultan Noor-ud-din Zangi was a Muslim general who was leading the Muslim army during the crusades. At that time two non-Muslim crusaders, dug a tunnel towards the Roza-e-Pak of Rasoolullah [PBUH] with evil intentions (nauzbillah). Amongst the whole Ummah, the Prophet [PBUH] chose Sultan Noor-ud-din Zangi to send the two crusaders to hell. He came in the dream of the Sultan and showed him the faces of those two hell-bound men and ordered the Sultan to rid him of them. The Sultan travelled from Damascus to Madina Shareef, found the two infidels and sent them to hell, then burst into tears because he was overwhelmed with joy that the Prophet [PBUH] had called him for this great service.

Everyone knows that when Tariq bin Ziyad was sent to capture Spain, he burnt all the ships behind him leaving no possibility of return. We know about this historical fact, but are unaware of the spiritual aspect to it. There were only 12,000 Muslim Mujahids with him who faced an army of 150,000. It was an unknown territory for the Muslims as they had never been there before. Behind them, there was the vast sea. The Muslim forces considered going back and coming again with a bigger army. When Tariq bin Ziyad saw this situation, he ordered his soldiers to burn all the ships. A fierce battle was fought which resulted in the victory for the Muslims. Afterward, the Muslims asked their commander why he had decided to burn the ships and what was so special about the order that the soldiers had not fathomed. Tariq bin Ziyad told them that when they were coming to Spain, he was blessed with the ziyarat [seeing RasoolAllah, especially in a dream] of the Holy Prophet [PBUH], who was wearing his armour. The Prophet [PBUH] told him to reach Spain as he himself was also going there.

Sultan Mohammad Fateh was one of the sultans of Ottoman Caliphate. The Holy Prophet [PBUH] had said, “Constantinople would be conquered by the Muslims, and the Muslim troop who conquers it would go to Paradise, along with its leader”. For 900 years, starting from the time of the Caliphate of Usman [RA], the Muslims kept on trying to conquer Constantinople. But this honour was written in Sultan Mohammad Fateh’s fate in 1453 A.D. In order to stop the warships of the Sultan’s army from reaching Constantinople, the enemy had put heavy chains across the sea. The Sultan ordered his people to drag the ships on dry land, a feat which has never been accomplished anywhere else in human history. Finally the Sultan’s army conquered Constantinople. . He informed his people that how, in a dream, he saw the Prophet’s [PBUH] sahabi, Abu Ayub Ansari [RA], who foretold about the victory, saying to the Sultan, “Constantinople belongs to you : go and take it”. The shrine of this great sahabi [RA], who was host to Prophet [PBUH] in Madina Munawara, can still be seen in Constantinople. The sahabi himself showed the place where he was buried to the Sultan, so the Sultan was able to mark that place and made a shrine for him there.

So we see that in every era, the lovers of the Prophet [PBUH] had been blessed with special faiz[benediction] and karam [blessing] of the Prophet [PBUH] himself. An example from recent history is the book titled “Zinda Rood” [ever-flowing spring of water] written by Allama Iqbal’s son, Justice Javed Iqbal. In this book, he tells of an incident that was told to him by his father. Once a Syed man came from Kashmir to visit Allama Iqbal and burst into tears as soon as he saw Allama Iqbal. When Iqbal inquired what the matter with him was, he said,

“I am not crying because I am needy or poor, but at the truthfulness of my dream. In my dream, I saw a huge congregation of Muslim Auliya that was led by the Prophet Mohammad [PBUH] himself. Yet, the Prophet [PBUH] was not starting the prayer as it seemed that he was waiting for someone. He was turning his head again and again asking, “Has Iqbal come?” After some time, a man came and the Prophet [PBUH] made some space for him on his right side. When I woke up I asked some people about my dream and they said that they had heard of a man called Iqbal who lived in Lahore so I came here and when I saw you, I could not control myself from crying at the authenticity of my dream.”

The ‘Congressi Mullahs’ called Quaid-e-Azam, ‘Kafir-e-Azam’. These Mullahs have been with the Congress from the start, are with it today and hopefully will be resurrected with Congress as well in the End. When Quaid-e-Azam was asked that he had left the Sub-continent in 1931, what was the reason that made him come back, he replied,

“Allama Iqbal worked a lot on me, and aroused spirituality in me. Some other good and sincere friends also suggested to me that it would be better if I go back and work for the Muslims. But the real reason was something else. When I was in a state of uncertainty in England, I had the good fortune of having the ziyaratof our Holy Prophet [PBUH] at night. And I can swear that I was awake at that time. I did not see the Prophet [PBUH] in a dream but while I was awake. The Holy Prophet [PBUH] addressed me and said, “Go to Hindustan, I have work for you there.” That is why I returned to Hindustan as it was the order of my Aaqa [PBUH].”

At the time of his death in Ziyarat, Quaid-e-Azam told his doctor, “I am leaving this world in a very peaceful state of mind. I am absolutely sure that this Pakistan could never have been made if it was not for the Faizan[blessing] of the Rasoolullah [PBUH] and now it is the duty of the coming generations to apply the system of Caliphate in Pakistan so that Allah fulfils the promises which Allah has made to the Muslims.”

“My brothers, you don’t have to be a Wali of Allah to receive the karam [benediction] from Aaqa [PBUH]. Our Aaqa’s [PBUH] blessings are especially for the sinners.

Khan of Qallaat was a secular and nonreligious man. At the time of creation of Pakistan, there was rebellion in Qallaat and he was thinking of separating Baluchistan from the state of Pakistan. At that time also it was a turbulent time like it is today in Pakistan. A few days ago, the grandson of Khan of Qallaat came on T.V. and when he was asked that at present he wanted separation from Pakistan, so why he did not separate from Pakistan at the time of its creation. He answered that they did want to separate at that time and his grandfather also consulted other people who advised him to separate from Pakistan, but that night his grandfather had ziyarat-e-nabi [PBUH], who ordered him not to betray Pakistan and join it. The interviewer asked him that was he saying that the province of Baluchistan was a part of Pakistan because of the order of the Prophet [PBUH]. To which, the grandson of Khan of Qallaat replied that this was told to him by his elders.

So you see that even the provinces of this Pakistan are together because of the command of the Rasool [PBUH]. Therefore, in today’s world, there could be no greater disrespect to the Prophet [PBUH] than destroying and annihilating Pakistan, this Pakistan which was created due to Faizan-e-Nabvi [PBUH], which is in the shadow of Allah Almighty and which is going to be the epicentre of the Muslim Ummah in the coming days, inshAllah!

Respected Ashfaq Ahmad used to say that Allah has kept this Pakistan like he kept the she-camel of Saleh [AS]; like her, Pakistan is also a miracle, and the fact that it is still standing is a miracle too. Pakistan is one of the signs of Allah Almighty. None of your deeds would be worth anything if you betray this Pakistan. All of the good actions of that person will go to waste who is dishonest with this property of Rasoolullah [PBUH], and that is Pakistan. In the coming days, the burden of the entire Ummah would be upon this Pakistan. The world as a whole is a victim of disintegration. Allah has made this Pakistan for the protection and honour of Muslim Ummah, which is why, He made us an Atomic power. This country was created through miracles and groups of Auliya [friends of Allah] who came together for its making. At that time when the ‘Congressi Mullahs’ were giving fatwas against Quaid-e-Azam and Pakistan, all the Auliya and Faqirs of Allah were gathering to support Pakistan. In the leadership of Pir Syed Jamat Ali Shah, many Auliya came together like Pir of Manki Shareef, Pir of Zakori Shareef and others who backed Quaid-e-Azam in the making of Pakistan.

When people used to ask Pir Jamat Ali Shah, why he was supporting someone who had obviously British style and looks, he would answer that it did not matter how he looked; the important thing was that he was doing the work of Allah and Rasoolullah [PBUH]. He wrote to Quaid-e-Azam and said that, “I am one of your soldiers, tell me what to do?” The mureeds [followers] of Pir Sahab asked him why he was saying this to a typically English man. He replied that they were unaware of this secret, which was that the Quaid was working for Rasoolullah [PBUH].

My friends and elders, please understand one thing; in the coming days this nation and Ummah will be tested. We would have to sacrifice a lot; in order for the Muslims to rise again and build a state on the model of Rashidun Caliphate and to restore the lost grandeur of Muslim Ummah, the Muslims will be required to sacrifice. You would have to sacrifice your children, your families your resources, your finances and yourselves. Allama Iqbal says in one of his poems,

“When I say that I am a Muslim, I tremble with fear
because I know what the penalty of saying La ilaha ilallah is”.

At the time of the Pledge of Al-Uqabah, Abbas [RA] stopped the Muslims of Madina and asked them whether they realized the importance of the bayt [pledge] with Mohammad Rasoolullah [PBUH]. This bayt meant that they would have to take on the whole world. They would have to forfeit not only their families but also their businesses, trades and crops. They should understand it clearly that the world would turn on them. Yet, those people were also blessed with sagacity and insight. They demanded what they would get in turn of this pledge. They were told they would get the Jannah. But those people were not simply zahids [worshipful of Allah]; they were Aashiqs of Rasoolullah [PBUH]. So they asked,

“Ya Syedi [PBUH], promise us one thing, you will never leave us.”

Jannah was not their desire; they wanted Aaqa [PBUH], who replied that he would never leave them and to this day he is with the people of Madina. The Prophet [PBUH] said that the people of Madina are my neighbours so take care of them. That is why, there have been Sultans who did not take any tax from the residents of Madina and used to forgive them for their mistakes. They were gentle with them. This is the spirit of love. When the sahaba [RA] used to meet the Holy Prophet [PBUH], they would address him by saying, “may my mother and father be sacrificed for you, Ya Rasoolullah!”

My friends, how can we be of any service to our Aaqa [PBUH]? If you confess your love for someone, you send them presents. Once a Faqir was asked how much Zakah did he pay. He asked in return, which Zakah? The Zakah of Fiqh, the Zakah of love or the Zakah of Ishq? The other person was surprised and asked what he meant. The Faqir replied that the Zakah of Fiqh is that if you have saved 100 rupees, you give two and half rupees in charity. And the charity of Love is that you keep two and half for yourself and distribute the ninety seven and half. And the Zakah of Ishq is that you distribute everything and keep nothing for yourself.

The lovers also treat the matters of Aamaal [good deeds] in the same way they deal in the matters of money. Those who love Rasoolullah [PBUH] send him the gifts of Darood Shareef. But do you know what the Ushaaq [true lovers] of Nabi [PBUH] do? They say to Allah,

“O my Lord, you deal with all the sins of my life, I depend upon you and I am sure you will deal with me according to my perception of you. And my perception is this, that your forgiveness is vaster than my sins. O my Lord, I do not do good deeds for the reward of Paradise, nor do I refrain from bad actions due to the fear of Hell. I do what I do in order to get near to the Prophet [PBUH] and for you. With your benediction and mercy, I am sure you will forgive my sins. But I am also sure that my good deeds are not enough to bring me closer to Rasoolullah [PBUH] and give me the status of prophets, martyrs and siddiqqeen. That is why, whatever good deeds I have, I present them as a gift to the Holy Prophet [PBUH]. Now, I neither have sins nor good deeds. All I want is to stay under the benevolence and Ishq and Karam of Rasoolullah [PBUH], and I am happy with what my Aaqa [PBUH] gives me. I am not proud of what I earned nor am I dependent on it. But I present all my prayers, Hajj, charity and Darood Shareef to the Holy Prophet [PBUH]. I did all these things, O Allah for you and if you accept them, then give them to Rasoolullah [PBUH].”

I know young men who are not more than twenty years of age, who study in universities, but do not go to sleep before presenting their good deeds of every day to Aaqa Kareem [PBUH]. Ishq-e-Rasool [PBUH]is not any single person’s heritage. Whoever is bestowed with Ishq-e-Rasool [PBUH] is very easy to spot. There are signs all over the person of a true Aashiq of Prophet [PBUH] that are like a fragrant smell. It is not possible that a person is an Ashiq-e-Rasool [PBUH] and heartless at the same time. It is impossible that a person loves Rasoolullah [PBUH] and at the same time has a repulsive visage. It is not possible that you are an Ashiq of Rasoolullah [PBUH] and his Faiz is not visible in your very existence.

When Aaqa [PBUH] blesses someone with his faiz and karam, that faiz in itself becomes a means of attaining Ishq-e-Rasool [PBUH]. Never has the universe witnessed a Dervaish, a Wali and a Faqir of Allah as Allama Iqbal who exquisitely expressed Ishq-e-Rasool [PBUH] in his poetry. That is why I tell you again and again to read Iqbal. I request you not to waste the Faiz of such a great Ashiq-e-Rasool [PBUH] as Iqbal. No Aalim[Islamic scholar] in history has ever made such a bigger claim as Iqbal. He directly addressed the Prophet [PBUH] and said,

“Ya Syedi, Ya Murshadi, Ya RasoolAllah [PBUH], if I ever did not present your Ishq in my work and have not spread Ishq-e-Rasool through it and if I have not been faithful to your Ummah, then on the Day of Judgement, punish me by depriving me of your sacred ziyarat and depriving me of kissing your feet”.

No one in the universe can make such a big claim, unless they have a very strong spiritual bond with the Prophet [PBUH], unless they have a firm faith that Aaqa [PBUH] will not remove them from his benediction. And to top it, he then stays in the state of constant fear, fear of rejection due to his sins. This is divinely portrayed in this couplet of Iqbal, which when first recited to the people of Hindustan, made them cry uncontrollably and many fainted with intensity of emotions:

“My Lord you are the Magnificence of the two Worlds
I beseech you to listen to my one request on the Day of the Judgement
If you see that it has become necessary to judge me for my deeds
Judge me please, where Aaqa Kareem [PBUH] cannot see me”

What he meant was that the thought of bringing unhappiness to the Prophet [PBUH] because of his acts was an unbearable thought for him. When people blamed Iqbal by saying what kind of Aashiq he was who would not go to Madina, he would burst into tears. People did not realise that this was a sensitive point for Iqbal. Similarly there is the tale of Mevlana Jami of Persia, who was a great Aashiq-e-Rasool [PBUH]. He reached the city of Makkah and made the intention of going to Madina, but the Governor of Makkah came with his army, reverently kissed his hands and very respectfully begged him not to go to Madina. Mevlana Jami started to cry and asked him the reason.  The Governor said that he was blessed with the ziyarat of Rasoolullah [PBUH] the previous night, and he showed Jami to the Governor of Makkah. He said that one of his great Aashiqs was coming and the Governor should stop him from coming to Madina, as this man was such a great Aashiq that if he came to Madina, then the Prophet[PBUH] would have to defy all the laws ofShariah and answer the greeting of Mevlana Jami. Therefore that Aashiq should not be let in Madina. But the Prophet [PBUH] also gave glad tidings for Jami by promising that from then onwards he would daily meet Jami in his dream. After this Jami was satisfied and went back to Persia where to his dying day he daily had the ziyarat of Rasoolullah [PBUH]. It doesn’t matter what the people say about Jami because there are some Aashiqs, who if go to Madina, then they never return or the natural laws have to be broken for them. Allama Iqbal was also one such Aashiq. My Aaqa [PBUH] had appointed Iqbal in this Pakistan, a place which had to become Madina-e-Sani.

My friends, this is not a trivial matter. If you translate the word ‘Pak-istan’ in Arabic, it means “Madina Tayyiba”. Tayyib means ‘Pak’ and ‘istan’ means ‘madina’. Therefore don’t consider this Pakistan simply a piece of land. This is something upon which all our elders have agreed.  For instance, Mumtaz Mufti writes in his book “Labbaik”,

“During the war of 1965 between Pakistan and India, the attendants of Masjid-e-Nabvi saw the Prophet [PBUH] in their dreams hurrying with his sword and shield in hand and wearing the battle armour. With him, there were the sahaba [RA] who had participated in the Battle of Badr and Rasoolullah [PBUH] was ordering them to get ready as they were going to Pakistan to fight a war.”

Many such stories can be found in books and newspapers that the Indian fighter pilots witnessed green turbaned men on horses, with swords of light defending Pakistan. So do not consider this Pakistan insignificant.

Allah says in the Quran that do not raise your voice above the voice of the Prophet [PBUH]. Raising one’s voice does not mean that one should not give Azan there. In the beginning, people took its literal meaning. A sahabi who had naturally high voice said that he would be ruined. Then Prophet [PBUH] comforted him and told him that this verse was referring to disrespect and impertinence to the Prophet [PBUH]. Even the Mauzin[one who gives the call for prayer] has a loud voice. Yet, this etiquette was acquired in Masjid-e-Nabvi that to this day no one raises his voice there. Apparent reverence was carried out and its wisdom too was understood.

The meaning of not raising one’s voice in front of the Prophet [PBUH] is that one should not go ahead of him in any regard. One should accept what the Prophet [PBUH] orders and should refrain from what he stops. If the Prophet [PBUH] gives benediction to someone and calls him his soldier, such a person should be respected. If he calls someone to his court, then people should stop criticizing that person. Those people are doomed who called the Prophet’s soldier, ‘Kafir-e-Azam’, and so are those who called this ‘Madina-e-Sani’ of the Prophet, ‘Kafiristan’. Also those people are doomed who did not vote for Pakistan as they considered Quaid-e-Azam a Shia. These wretched people went to the Quaid and said that they will not vote for him as they thought that he was a Shia. Then Quaid-e-Azam said, “All right, then vote for Gandhi. May be he is Sunni.” Then these accursed people voted for Gandhi.

In today’s world, this Pakistan is a gift for us from Aaqa [PBUH]. Do not be disloyal to it. This gift is like the she-camel of Saleh [AS]. It is the Madina-e-Sani of today. This is not only the property of Ummah but also a dominion of Allah Almighty and is under His great shadow. Do not refrain from sacrificing whatever you can for this Pakistan. Do not ask what your Aaqa [PBUH] has given you. The question is what you have given away for him.

صدیق کے لیے الله اور اس کا رسول بس

The extent of your efforts does not matter. At the time of Battle of Tabuk, when everyone was contributing for the war, Umar [RA] thought that his contribution would be more than anyone else and brought half of his belongings. But when he reached there, he saw that Abu Bakr [RA] had brought everything that he had. When he was asked what he had left for himself back at home, Abu Bakr Siddiq [RA] replied, “Allah and his Rasool [PBUH]”.

There was another sahabi who started to cry as he had nothing to help the Muslims. He went to a Jew, worked the whole day in his fields and at the end of the day, got only a handful of dates. He brought it to the Prophet [PBUH] and said that, that was all he had got. Aaqa [PBUH] took those dates and spread them on all the contributions by Muslims. Then he said, “Now these dates are more precious than all of the other things put together”.

So you should not look at how big or small your contribution for this Deen of Rasoolullah [PBUH] is. Just keep your intentions pure. Our Aaqa [PBUH] is merciful and benevolent and accepts the endeavours of the destitute. There is only one condition in order to have the reign over both the worlds: be faithful to Mohammad [PBUH].

کی محمّد سے وفا تو نے تو ہم تیرے ہیں

یہ جہاں چیز ہے کیا لوح و قلم تیرے ہیں

According to Iqbal, a true Momin and Aashiq-e-Rasool [PBUH] is not restricted by fate. Allah does for an Aashiq-e-Rasool [PBUH] whatever the Aashiq wants.

کوئی اندازہ کر سکتا ہے اس کے زور بازو کا
نگاہ مرد مومن سے بدل جاتی ہیں تقدیریں

At another place Iqbal says,

تقدیر کے پابند جمتات و نباتات
مومن فقط احکام الہی کا ہے پابند

This man is a free spirit whose Takbeer can be heard in the breadth of the entire universe.

This is the difference between an ordinary Muslim and a Momin. An ordinary Muslim just fulfils the duty of giving Azaan but a true Momin gives Azaan with the spirit of Bilal [RA].

My brothers, Allah has blessed us in allowing us to gather here on this auspicious occasion. You should all promise yourselves that not a single day of your life will pass without you consciously presenting your good deeds to the Aaqa [PUH]. We only think of Mohammad [PBUH] as our Prophet, but do not consider him ourMurshid [spiritual leader]. Through Murshid we get ‘Faiz’ [spiritual enlightenment]. If you love someone, you take Faiz from them and send them gifts too. You can present all your good deeds and Darood Shareef to the Prophet [PBUH] according to your capacity. Whoever gifts to Rasoolullah [PBUH], always gets something in return. My Aaqa never sends any one away empty-handed. May Allah always be with you. Remember that our biggest heritage is the love and Ishq of Aaqa Kareem [PBUH]. Our good actions alone cannot help us unless we have Emaan, Ishq and Adab-e-Rasool, therefore never compromise on them. If there is any shortage of good deeds, Allah Almighty can forgive that with his magnanimity and benevolence.

Imam Nauvi describes a story of a Bedouin in ‘Kitab -ul-Azkaar’ who came in the holy presence of Aaqa [PBUH] after he had apparently and physically passed away from this world. He sat there and said,

“Allah says in the Quran that if you have committed a sin, you should go to Rasoolullah [PBUH] because when he will ask for forgiveness for you, you will find that Allah is all Merciful and Forgiving. That is why, Syedi [PBUH], I have come to your court as I have sinned. There is no other place to go. Please ask for forgiveness for me.”

Then that Bedouin read a couplet which meant that there is no other existence more beautiful in the world then the existence of the person who resides there. Even to this day, this couplet is written on the net in front of the of the Prophet’s [PBUH] grave. When that Bedouin went away, a Wali who was sitting there watching this whole incident, immediately had the ziyarat of Prophet [PBUH] in his dream, who gave the glad tidings for the Bedouin and told the Wali to tell the Bedouin that his attendance at the Prophet’s court was accepted and Allah had forgiven him.

A person should definitely feel ashamed at his sins but should always hope that as the Ummati of Rasoolullah [PBUH]he will be blessed if he presented himself in the Prophet’s [PBUH]court with the desired respect and etiquette. A Muslim should always expect that Aaqa [PBUH] will intercede on his behalf in Allah Almighty’s court and will exonerate him if he is a true Aashiq. One should always be prepared to sacrifice himself for Syedi Rasoolullah [PBUH]. Everything is dependent on intentions; some do good deeds for Jannah, some do it to show the world, some do it because they are afraid of the Hell, but there are some who do good deeds for the sake of Syedi’s [PBUH] love. Actions are the same; it is the intention that makes a world of difference.

May Allah always be your protector and bless you with Ishq-e-Rasool [PBUH]. May Allah increase it and protect it, as it is our real heritage. It is a heritage that should be dearer to you than life itself. When it comes to Syedi Rasoolullah [PBUH], there should be no compromise. There is the luminous example of Ghazi Ilm Deen Shaheed for us. When the accursed Raj Pal disrespected the Prophet [PBUH], the whole Muslim Ummah was stirred, including people like Allama Iqbal and Quaid-e-Azam. Then Ghazi Ilm Deen Shaheed sent that blasphemer to hell, to which Iqbal famously said that ‘we were all men of words but this son of Blacksmiths had beaten us all through his great feat.’ This was the only case of Quaid-e-Azam that he fought for free. Many people went to Ghazi Ilm Deen Shaheed and begged him to say that this murder took place by mistake so that his life would be spared. But he would not budge. Then they went to Allama Iqbal who wrote a poem praising this Ghazi, in which he said that people like Ghazi Ilm Deen Shaheed want martyrdom so let them have it. But others forced Iqbal to visit him so he went to the jail where Ghazi was kept. As soon as Ghazi saw Iqbal, he said, “Iqbal, you too?” Iqbal understood what he meant. He burst into tears and returned without further uttering a word. Then he wrote his famous poem which begins:

ان شہیدوں کی دیت اہل کلیسا سے نہ مانگ
قدر و قیمت میں ہے خون جن کا حرم سے بڑھ کر

May Allah be with you and may Allah always protect this Pakistan. May you always benefit from the company of Auliya and may your Ishq-e-Rasool [PBUH] always increase. Ameen

In the words of Sultan Bahu,

ایمان سلامت ہر کوئی منگے
عشق سلامت کوئی ھو

Translated by Syeda Qudsia Mashhadi.

Video Link  Syed Zaid Hamid Sb at Jamia Rizvia Zia-ul-Uloom