وَإِذَا لَقُواْ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ قَالُوٓاْ ءَامَنَّا وَإِذَا خَلَوۡاْ إِلَىٰ شَيَـٰطِينِهِمۡ قَالُوٓاْ إِنَّا مَعَكُمۡ إِنَّمَا نَحۡنُ مُسۡتَہۡزِءُونَ (١٤)
ٱللَّهُ يَسۡتَہۡزِئُ بِہِمۡ وَيَمُدُّهُمۡ فِى طُغۡيَـٰنِهِمۡ يَعۡمَهُونَ (١٥)
Surah al-Baqarah v14-15
For the people who do not have faith, for the Munkareen, those who reject Allah, the Dunya is like Paradise. And for the people of Iman, the Dunya is place of challenge, of tests, and of trials. All of this is based on Allah’s wisdom, on Allah’s Hikmah, and on Allah’s decision. Why? Why has Allah ta’ala kept his Mu’mineen, his beloved folk, His believers, in difficulty in this world? Because this world is such a place that we have been sent to go through a test. This is the place of test, and we are preparing for the exam. This is the preparation ground, the revision ground, in preparation for the test. Whatever difficulties come, whatever issues arise, we have to go through them. Eventually, due to these tests and trials, Allah ta’ala will give rewards.
Take, for example, two students; they both have to take the examination. One student wastes his time; he plays, he messes around, dossing, watching films and generally loitering and lingering. The other student rejects all of that time wasting; he keeps his head down, and doesn’t play, and doesn’t doss around. He focuses on his studies and he controls his desires. Those around him laugh at him, and say ‘What is it with you? You don’t play or hang around with us; you don’t come out with us.’ He says ‘No, I’m fine’, and he sticks to his efforts. Eventually, the time comes for the examination. The studious one and the dosser both sit the exam, and they answer the paper. When the results come out, the child who controlled his desires, who didn’t play around, and remained focused on his destination, will be smiling and laughing. He will be happy and so content. The other one will be hiding his face and crying, because the results are out, and he failed where the other child succeeded.
So this is the game of life! This is what Allah ta’ala has explained to us totally, via the Qur’an and via the sayings, education and teachings of the Holy Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam. The greatest thing is that Allah ta’ala hasn’t just given us Qur’an; rather, SubhanAllah, Allah ta’ala has explained to us by giving to us the explainer of the Qur’an. And Allah ta’ala gave us not one, or two or three, but approximately one hundred and twenty-four thousand noble Companions. And such were the Companions of the Holy Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam, and every Companion was so great, that the Holy Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam said ‘All of my Companions are like the stars in the sky.’ The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam himself was like the shining moon, and due to his shine and glow, all the stars glitter and glow. In every one of those stars, the rays of the light of the Holy Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam can be seen, and he said ‘Whichever star you follow, he will guide you and take you to Allah.’
Select any of the Sahaba; they are all great human beings, very high in rank and status. Why? Because of their company, that blessed, honourable company. And just as the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam was like the glowing, shining moon, the rays of that light fell onto the stars and they glowed and shone in turn. So take the life of every Sahabi - they were guides for us, those noble Companions radhiAllahu anhum. Allah gave so many associates and colleagues to the Holy Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam, and we have to learn our Deen from them. Do you think that the Sahaba-e-Karam taught us how to cook? Did they teach us how to make a crust, how to make money and profit? Did they teach us how to progress in the world and be so-called respectable in the world? No, this is not what they taught. They taught us something else, and that is what we need to learn. The examples we need to take from their lives are the points that show how to please Allah, SubhanAllah. They showed how we should live in this temporary world, and how to embark on the journey to earn the pleasure of Allah, and what we should sacrifice on this journey, and how we should be steadfast. Every Companion was a lover, SubhanAllah. He was an ardent lover of Allah and Rasoolullah sallallahu alayhi wasallam. If we want to become lovers of Allah and His Rasool sallallahu alayhi wasallam, we need to take the guidance of any Companion, and then we will also become the same. But if we don’t take their guidance and want to take our own route and carve our own path, then we cannot get to the successful destination. Take the hand of any Companion, take the assistance of any Companion, and I swear, you will become an Ashiq, a lover. SubhanAllah.
Hadhrat Salman al-Farisi radhiAllahu anh was such a prime example, a brilliant example of love for the Holy Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam. He had a great level of love, a great level of sacrifice for the Deen, and a great level of love for the Holy Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam said ‘Among my Companions, Salman al-Farisi is from my Ahl-al Bait.’ He was given that title and recognition. This is Hadhrat Salman al-Farisi! He was a guide for us.
So let’s see now: every Companion alhamdulillah, is a guide for us. Hadhrat Salman al-Farisi radhiAllahu anh was from Persia, al-Faris, and since we have singled him out, why don’t we share some great events about him so that our Iman increases and our love increases? Brothers, hollow claims are one thing, but reality is something else. It is not about crying when we hear a Nasheed and then saying ‘Oh I am a lover of Rasoolullah sallallahu alayhi wasallam’, as if just for hearing that one Nasheed or Naat, he is stamped as a lover of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam. At these gatherings and Mehfils, thousands come to sit and listen, all non-Shari’ah, and the place is not Shari’ah compliant, of the sort that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam said that La’anat, a curse, comes upon such places where gatherings are held with non-Shari’ah practices and methodology. They present their Deen, with music and strange discussions and discussions about Dunya, and then a person recites a Nasheed about the Holy Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam. And people pay money to attend – you will have heard of this, we can make the decision ourselves. Among the clamour, someone is falling unconscious, someone is dancing, someone is shrieking and shouting, and they are all being given the stamps ‘Lover of Rasoolullah; Ashiq of Rasoolullah!’ Sallallahu alayhi wasallam. This is a mirage – it is not real, it is fake.
If you want to see love, then take Hadhrat Salman al-Farisi radhiAllahu anh. This is true love, genuine love. You can look at his story time and time again, read about the historical facts, and then you will become an Ashiq yourself, a lover yourself. SubhnaAllah. Every Companion was like this, and had a great story, but we have mentioned Hadhrat Salman al-Farisi radhiAllahu anh, so we will continue with him. They were all part of such a great factual, historical narrative – was Allah’s help not with them? Did their businesses not flourish? Did their wealth not grow and expand? Tell me! But what was their priority? Severe conditions beset true lovers, so see what they do!
So Hadhrat Salman was born into a big, wealthy family in Persia; you could say that he was born with a golden spoon in his mouth. All the other children, and also his parents, loved him the most. This happens sometimes; parents love all their children, but sometimes there is one select, special child for whom Allah ta’ala puts more love into the hearts of the mother and father. They love all their children, but sometimes there is a special one who the parents love more. In the same way, all the students are like children for the Sheikh, but sometimes, from Allah, they have particular love for a special one of them. Although he loves all of them, there can be special love for a given student. MashaAllah, a Kaamil Sheikh loves all his Mureeds; his devotees are like his children. They are closer to him than children in fact. A mother and father don’t give as much Tarbiyah as a Kaamil Sheikh gives to his Mureeds.
So sometimes, though they love all the children, parents will have particular love for one of the children. This was the case with Hadhrat Salman al-Farisi radhiAllahu anh. His father loved his son and would take great pains to protect him and look after him. Due to this special love, he would always keep him at home and look after him in every respect. The family were Majusees, fire-worshippers; that was their religion. His father was strict on this fire-worshipping Deen, and he wanted to bring his son up in the same way. So once, somehow, Hadhrat Salman al-Farisi came out of the house, and his mother and father didn’t know. In front of the house was a church, so he thought ‘What’s this?’, because his father didn’t let him out of the house. He lived a life more or less imprisoned in the home, so his father had never shown him anything. So he went into the church, and found Nasaara there praying they were true Christians of that time. Since he only knew about fire worshipping, he said ‘What’s this?’ They said ‘This is our Deen, our faith.’ So he said ‘I really like your Ibadah – I have really enjoyed seeing this.’ He had been hidden from the Haq, from the truth, and ‘Ishq was burning inside him. I am telling you here about how Allah assists and helps the true lover and delivers him to his Mahboob.
Allah says ‘If you have love, true love, then I am your Lord, and I will deliver you to My Beloved.’ Allah takes a person! But we don’t have true love in our hearts, so how will Allah take us to the true guides? In my life, I have seen this. I used to remember my Hadhrat Sheikh with a strong remembrance, but I didn’t have the means, so I used to think ‘How can I get to my Sheikh’s side thousands of miles away?’ I didn’t have anything to my name, but I wanted to go there to his great company. They were hard times and in life, one does pass through many trials and tests like this. Wa’llahi, I wouldn’t even know that Hadhrat Sahib was going to Makkah, but I would find myself there at his service. I wouldn’t know how I had got the ticket or the means to have purchased it – Allah knows best. So if you have true love for somebody, how can Allah not create the means if you want to get somewhere or do something?
So Hadhrat Salman al-Farisi radhiAllahu anh said to the Christians in the church ‘I really like your Deen. Tell me, what is behind it all?’ They said ‘The reality of this Deen is not to be found here, but rather in Sham – Palestine and Syria. That is where it is based.’ Now the sun was about to set, so he hastened back to his home. When he arrived, the mother and father knew, so he admitted that he had been there. The father became angry and said ‘You went to the church?’ He replied ‘Yes, they have a very good Deen, Dad. What Deen do we have?’ In response, his father imprisoned him and locked him in their house and said ‘I will see that you don’t leave home again after what has happened today.’ And just like Firawn was against Moosa alahyi salam, he said ‘Because you tried to oppose me and worship something different from what I worship, I am going to keep you locked up so that you will remember.’ So the father imprisoned the son.
Hadhrat Salman radhiAllahu anh then sent a message somehow, asking to be informed if a caravan was setting out to Sham, because he wanted to go to the source of their Deen. Eventually he was told that a caravan was passing by on route to Sham, so he broke out of his house and joined the caravan to travel to Sham. SubhanAllah – this is ‘Ishq, love! Look at the desire of the lover – he didn’t know anything about where he was going, but he just had that pull. So they got to Sham, and he spent time amongst the faithful people there, until the priest to whom he had attached himself died. He was upset, but he found another learned Christian priest, and went into his service to learn. The priest was a Zahid, an ascetic individual who was a scholarly priest, and Hadhrat Salman al-Farsisi loved him greatly and benefited from the time he spent in his service. Eventually, his final days came, so he said ‘Please advise me what to do now that you are departing this world.’
Remember, as to the age of Hadhrat Salman al-Farisi, some narrations say he reached the age of 350, and others say 250 - Allah gave a long life to Hadhrat Salman al-Farisi radhiAllahu anh. So that priest, his Sheikh, said to him ‘It is hard to find a good man, but let me tell you of a good route. Go to such and such place – there is a scholarly man there who will help you if you want to get to the Haq.’ When the priest died, Hadhrat Salman journeyed to this new location and met that scholar, but the same scenario played out – his time also came, and so his advice was also asked for, as to where he should go to continue his search for his Lord. So he was sent to yet another Christian scholar, to whom he travelled. Look at this journey! When this priest was approaching death, he said to Hadhrat Salman al-Farisi ‘I do not know of any other man of knowledge who can help, but I will tell you the right path, the straight path which is written in our Kitabs.’
SubhanAllah – read Durood Sharif on the Holy Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam! Allahumma salli ‘ala Sayyidina wa Mawlana Muhammadin-Nabi-l-Ummiyyi wa ‘ala Azwajihi Ummahati-l-Mu’mineen! The priest said ‘I will tell you the true, honest path which is written in our Kitabs, where it is written that very soon, a prophet will come, who will be on the Deen of Ibrahim. He will come to the lands of the Arabs in a barren desert land and will migrate to a new place with date palms and fertile soil. Go there, and if your desire is true, you will find him there.’ SubhanAllah! He said ‘I will tell you the signs written in our Kitabs which will enable you to recognize him. His face will be glowing with such light that you won’t really need them, but first, he will not take Sadaqah in money or any other form; second, he will accept gifts; and third, between his shoulder blades will be the Seal of Prophethood – these are the three signs.’ Hadhrat Salman radhiAllahu anh said ‘I understand – I accept your advice.’ Look at the Ishq, the love – SubhanAllah.
So how many years must have passed, and how many difficulties he must have endured. This is the life of one Sahabi – imagine all of the others! It was the same for any Sahabi. So Hadhrat Salman radhiAllahu anh then gathered the few cows and sheep from which he earned his livelihood and joined a caravan that was heading to Arabia. As the journey progressed, a bad intention against him formed in the other members of the caravan. They enslaved him and sold him to a Jew. So having started out amongst the Majusees, he then went to the Christians, and was then sold to a member of the Jewish community. Look where the path of love took him, from fire-worshippers, to Christians, and then to the Jews - but he never lost courage and determination. So now he was a slave in the service of a Jew. But he said to himself ‘I don’t mind, even if I get sold ten times over in the search for my Beloved!’ SubhanAllah, Allahu Akbar! He relates that he was taken by a man who bought him to a place where there were date palm trees, and he immediately recalled the words of the priest who had spoken of the fertile place where there would be date palm trees. He felt sure that he had arrived in the right place. So then a Jew from Bani Qurayza in Madina bought him.
How Allah ta’ala helps, SubhanAllah! All the way from Faris, his determination and courage brought him to Madina. Hadhrat Salman radhiAllahu anh said ‘I swear by Allah, when I arrived in Madinat-ul-Munawwara, I recognized that this was most definitely the city where my Beloved would come.’ SubhanAllah. ‘My footsteps felt it, my heart affirmed it – as soon as I saw Madinat-ul-Munawwara, I recognized that this was the place where my Mahboob would come.’ This is the ‘Ashiq, a person with true love. True love is a great thing, my brothers. In Sahih al-Bukhari it is stated that Hadhrat Salman al-Farisi radhiAllahu anh was sold ten times before eventually arriving in Madinat-ul-Munawwara. So then he started working as a slave for his master in Madina, waiting, waiting.
Eventually, SubhanAllah, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam left Makkah and made Hijrah. When he arrived in Quba, he stayed there for some days among the Bani Amr bin ‘Auf, near where Masjid Quba is today. May Allah ta’ala give everyone the opportunity to do Ziyarah of that blessed place – I have been there myself a very long time ago. About 40 or 50 years ago, I visited an orchard there and saw the very place where the house stood in which the Holy Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam stayed. I smelled the fragrance and I brought the soil from there alhamdulillah. It is stated that when he heard the news that Rasoolullah sallallahu alayhi wasallam had come to Madina, Hadhrat Salman al-Farisi was high up in a date palm that he had climbed while working for his master. He stated that his master was sitting below when a cousin of his came to him and said ‘Have you heard? A man has come from Makkah and he is staying in Quba. People are flocking to him and he says that he is a Prophet of Allah.’ Hadhrat Salman radhiAllahu anh heard this from where he was high up in the tree, and he later said ‘Wa’llah, I started to tremble and became dizzy, almost falling from the heights of the tree when I heard about my beloved. I trembled because I had spent all my life searching and realized that he had arrived here. I was overwhelmed with emotion, and I do not know how I was saved from falling out of the date palm tree. With difficulty, I pulled myself together, climbed down, and asked my master respectfully for more details about the news that he had just been told. I asked about who had come.’ At this, the master became angry and slapped him, saying ‘Get on with your own work! Who are you to ask me about this? Get on with the task I have given to you.’
So he waited until evening, and just as he escaped from his home in Faris, he gathered his things together and departed for Quba. He said ‘I presented charity to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam, but he rejected it and gave it to his Companions instead, saying that he did not take Sadaqah. I realized that the first sign had been fulfilled. Then the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam went to Madina, and after some days, I went to him and presented him with a gift, with a Hadiyah. The first time I gave food as Sadaqah, and it was not accepted, but the second time, when I gave a Hadiyah, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam accepted it and shared it with his Companions. In my heart, I said SubhanAllah, the second condition has been fulfilled, and my destination is very close!’ Then he relates ‘I went for a third time, and I was yearning, desperate for confirmation. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam was coming from a Janazah in Jannat-ul-Baqi, and I came up behind him to see the Seal of Prophethood.’ Then the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam himself lowered his Kameez, and said ‘Look – have you recognized me?’ SubhanAllah, Allahu Akbar! He said ‘I immediately kissed the Seal of Prophethood and began to cry and sob, so the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam said ‘Come in front of me’. So I came before him and took Shahadah: ‘Ash-hadu an La ilaha illa’llahu wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan Abduhu wa Rasooluh.’ Then he shouted ‘Allahu Akbar’ and everyone joined him as Hadhrat Salman al-Farisi radhiAllahu anh became a Muslim.
From Majusi to Nasaara, from Nasaara to Yahudi, from Yahudi to Muslim. Why did he change? Allah ta’ala assists the Ashiqs, the lovers; He assists the true, honest people. So after this event that I have presented to you, the Holy Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam said ‘Salman, go to your owner and seek terms for your release.’ Accordingly, he went to ask, and his master said ‘I will take this much gold, as well as 300 date palm seedlings, which must bear fruit before I will release you.’ It takes a long time for a date palm seedling to mature enough to bear fruit; this is not something that happens suddenly. And this was in addition to 40 weights of gold – where could that be found? But the Ashiq did not lose heart or determination. He had Istaqamat, steadfastness.
When the Holy Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam heard the price demanded by his master, he gave an order to the Companions that they all bring as many date palm seedlings as they could. So they began to gather the number required until 300 were procured. Then they were told to dig the 300 holes ready for planting, and the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam said that he would do the rest. With his own blessed hands, he planted a date palm seedling in every one of the holes, and alhamdulillah, we have done Ziyarah of those date palms and eaten the leaves and dates and stayed there for a while alhamdulillah. There was a beautiful fragrance there – it seemed as if it was the very fragrance of the love of Hadhrat Salman radhiAllahu anh, SubhanAllah. The hand of the Holy Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam had touched every seedling and had made them select and special, so before a year had passed, the seedlings matured and produced lush, green leaves and dates. There was just one thing left. It so happened that at that time, a person came, and gave to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam a donation of gold to him. As soon as it arrived, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam said ‘Where is my Miskeen, Salman al-Farisi?’
Allahu Akbar! I remember also my Hadhrat Sahib’s Hukm when he called ‘Where is my Faqeer?’ He used to say this when he loved someone. ‘Where is my devotee, my student?’ Allahu Akbar! The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam said ‘Where is my Miskeen?’ referring to Hadhrat Salman al-Farisi radhiAllahu anh, ‘Call him.’ Immediately, when he presented himself, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam said ‘Here, take this gold that someone has given to me. I give it to you for you to pay the price for your freedom.’ He said ‘Oh Prophet of Allah sallallahu alayhi wasallam, there is not enough gold here to reach the amount of 40 weights that was stipulated.’ The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam said ‘Salman, go, take this gold – it will be sufficient to free you.’ Allahumma salli ‘ala Sayyidina wa Mawlana Muhammad! He said that when he departed, he took it to be weighed, and the amount that had been demanded balanced out on the scale, Allahu Akbar. So the trees had grown, and the gold met the amount required. When he related the account to Ibn Abbas, he told him that he said ‘My debt has been paid, and today I have left the slavery of the world, SubhanAllah, and I enter into the service of the Holy Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam!’ Takbeer – Allahu Akbar!
SubhanAllah, my brothers, the Qur’an teaches us this. Either become like this and follow in the footsteps of those who are lovers of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam, or else…. Listen to this verse of the Qur’an:
{ وَإِذَا لَقُواْ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ قَالُوٓاْ ءَامَنَّا وَإِذَا خَلَوۡاْ إِلَىٰ شَيَـٰطِينِهِمۡ قَالُوٓاْ إِنَّا مَعَكُمۡ إِنَّمَا نَحۡنُ مُسۡتَہۡزِءُون} “And when they meet those who believe, they say ‘We believe’; but when they go apart to their devils, they declare ‘We are with you’” – ‘our living, our appearance, our eating, our drinking, our wealth, our children, everything is like you!’ SubhanAllah. ‘We give everything to you – we are with you. We are making fun of those who have faith; we are just playing games with them, tricking the. In reality, everything of ours is like you – we imitate you.’
{ ٱللَّهُ يَسۡتَہۡزِئُ بِہِمۡ وَيَمُدُّهُمۡ فِى طُغۡيَـٰنِهِمۡ يَعۡمَهُون} Allah says ‘You laugh at the believers, you laugh at the Deen of My Habeeb sallallahu alayhi wasallam, you laugh at his Sunnah, you mock his Sunnah. You think that you are doing everything correctly, but what you are doing and your actions are not mocking the Habeeb of Allah sallallahu alayhi wasallam; rather you are mocking and joking against Allah Himself! Have patience, wait. Allah says { وَيَمُدُّهُمۡ فِى طُغۡيَـٰنِهِمۡ يَعۡمَهُون} ‘I mock you!’ and He leaves them to wander blindly, giving them wealth and Dunya so that can become stronger in their certainty. { فِى طُغۡيَـٰنِهِمۡ يَعۡمَهُون} Allah says ‘I leave them to wander blindly on in their contumacy.’ They think ‘We have got Dunya – see, we are clever! We are two-faced and are successful in the world’. And they challenge other people in the world. Allah says that this is not the reality. In reality, Allah Himself mocks them, leaving them to wander on blindly in their ways. Allah says ‘You will see the reality when you come to Me, because you were joking against the Deen and against the Holy Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam’s Sunnah. But in reality, you were mocking yourselves.’
My brothers, this is also a verse of the Qur’an. So in these times, when there are these problems and difficulties, when a person loves the Dunya, when he worships the Dunya, when he starts to love the world, when his base desires overwhelm him, then this is the condition that you see in his life. He becomes a person who is a hypocrite. He loves the Dunya. The real sign of the Munafiq is that he will worship the Dunya, and will run after people, and try to please people. His real intention will be to benefit himself, to improve his worldly life. He will be willing to give up everything - his faith, everything. According to the Hadith, such people are defined as having two faces. The Munafiqeen will have two faces – they are two-faced people. The Holy Prophet said that on the Day of Judgement, the worst of people will be that person who had two directions – the two-faced person. With one person he will have one approach, and with another person he will have a different approach. The worst person on the Day of Judgement will the two-faced person, and his punishment will be that Allah ta’ala will make his tongue a tongue of fire. His mouth, brain and face will be boiling due to the heat of that tongue. He will become like a bubble of heat in hell.
So do we leave the Deen for the sake of the Dunya, and the lifestyle of the Holy Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam for the sake of the Dunya? Tell me! People have made so-called progression in the world by selling the Deen of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam to make money, and they think they have progressed and become modern and advanced. You live in this world and I also live in this world, so we can gauge the situation and make an estimate as to how many people are in this situation in the world today. Their lifestyle and objective is all about personal benefit. They don’t mind how they get it, but they just want material success. If they have to give up their faith to get nationality, they do so. I can show you thousands of people who have done this. They sell their Deen, they lie, they change their faith, they change their homes, they make false marriages and false divorces so that they can make money. They say they are divorced, but remain with their wives at home to claim extra money. They want Dunya upon Dunya, money upon money.
{ وَإِذَا لَقُواْ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ قَالُوٓاْ ءَامَنَّا وَإِذَا خَلَوۡاْ} Allah says that these people are two-faced people. They betray. When they see you are religious, they present themselves as religious in front of you, wearing a cap in order to portray themselves as religious as well. In reality, that is not what they are. May Allah forgive, and may Allah save! The Mu’min’s life is one life, remember this. What a big Adhab awaits the hypocrite, the two-faced person. It is stated that { وَإِذَا لَقُواْ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ قَالُوٓاْ ءَامَنَّا}. So for example, when they fall in with those who believe, they say ‘We believe’, but when they go into the worldly environment, to make things easy for themselves, they put the Deen to the side. They disregard the Deen, they shun it and put it to the side. When they are with the people of Iman, they will benefit from them and say ‘We are like you; we are with you.’ When they meet them, they say ‘We are like you – we believe.’ { وَإِذَا خَلَوۡاْ إِلَىٰ شَيَـٰطِينِهِمۡ} But when they go apart from them to their real world, to their devils, their life is different. Look at their nights and their days and their lives, { وَإِذَا خَلَوۡاْ إِلَىٰ شَيَـٰطِينِهِمۡ قَالُوٓاْ إِنَّا مَعَكُمۡ} when the two-faced people are with their shaytans. The shayateen means those who steer them, those who give this Deen to them, saying ‘Earn Dunya – what’s this? This is just a waste of time. Look at that man – he has progressed so far. Leave this.’
I hear this every day from people. It is not as if this is not happening. I swear, every man has got this on the tip of his tongue. ‘Oh that’s it, we have seen enough. We don’t need Deen. We need Dunya, cash, notes, currency, bank balances.’ This is the basis for their friendships, for their relationships, for their finding partners for their daughters and sons. Nobody asks whether a person has Deen, or whether they uphold the standards of the Deen. ‘How much money has he got? How many houses has he got? How many properties has he got in Pakistan? How many houses, mansions, villas, properties? How much money and cash?’ And if there is a poor, religious daughter, they won’t like her. And if they do take her into the house, they will oppress her and won’t accept her because she is religious. ‘Get her out of here, turf her out of this house – she hasn’t brought any money with her.’ And when they go to their devils, they are one hundred percent shaytan. They do all the shaytani actions that the devil encourages.
What does shaytan encourage? Shaytan pushes for those states where there is less Khair, less good, and more Sharr, more evil. Anyone in that state is shaytan. So we are taught a unique, beautiful point here. { ٱللَّهُ يَسۡتَہۡزِئُ بِہِمۡ وَيَمُدُّهُمۡ} Allah says that this is a game, that they are trying to joke with Allah, but Allah himself plays a joke upon those people. Hadhrat Ibn Abbas radhiAllahu anh states in a Hadith that on the Day of Judgement, an announcement will be made: ‘Come, everyone, come to Paradise! Paradise has been opened up.’ And the Munafiqs will run – and look at how Allah will joke with them when they run towards Jannah. As soon as they reach the doors, the doors will slam shut and angels will grab them immediately. They will then be dragged to hell and thrown into the depths of hell. They will shriek, and Allah will say ‘Here is your Jannah. Have you got Jannah? You used to deceive people in the Dunya, and would joke and jest against the Shari'ah and Sunnah of the Holy Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam, and you thought you were successful. You were two-faced in your appearance and would show yourself differently to each side. You used to deceive, to joke, to look down, despise!’
And look too at this second Hadith. At the Bridge of Siraat, which will be a severe test, Allah will give ease to the Mu’mins by widening it. So the Munafiqs will say ‘Quick, come as well, we can cross the Bridge of Siraat quickly over here!’ Their hearts will be happy and they will say ‘Oh, we are successful. They were wrong, those who used to say we were evil – look, we are succeeding.’ As soon as they approach the Bridge of Siraat, Allah ta’ala will put a black veil upon them which will make them blind. Suddenly the ditch will be upon them and they will fall into the depths of Jahannam. Allahu Akbar! What else has the Qur’an said? Can there be anything more that we need to know?
{ ٱللَّهُ يَسۡتَہۡزِئُ بِہِمۡ وَيَمُدُّهُمۡ فِى طُغۡيَـٰنِهِمۡ يَعۡمَهُونَ} Allah Himself mocks them and leaves them to wander blindly. If a person doesn’t change his life after hearing this verse, then he is blind. Why? Because one sign of the Munafiqs is this, that even if you read this Qur’an to him, read these verses to him, he says ‘No, this is not the case. This doesn’t mean this. You can progress in the Dinya – why are you so strict? It is not like this – you are being too strict.’ They won’t even accept these verses of the Qur’an!
My brothers, we are listening to the Qur’an. For the sake of Allah, these are the words of the Qur’an – look at them! How has Allah ta’ala defined those who do not follow the Shari'ah and Sunnah of the Holy Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam? They have been described as those who are joking with Allah, playing games with Allah. Amazing! Then Allah Himself will play games with those same people. Is this a small punishment? It is clear who these people are – those who play games and tricks, and leave the Shari'ah and Sunnah of Rasoolullah sallallahu alayhi wasallam, and live a different lifestyle. They sell their Deen for the Dunya, they sell the Sunnah of Rasoolullah sallallahu alayhi wasallam for the Dunya, they sell the Ahkam of Shari’ah for the Dunya. They call themselves Muslims, but all their actions are Haram. Their eating, drinking, and everything is Haram. None of their actions are according to Shari’ah. So Allah ta’ala’s Qur’an tells us that their punishment will be severe. They will suffer such a calamitous consequence. Allah ta’ala will show them – ‘You used to play games against Allah ta’ala? Well now you will see that the joke is on you.’
This is Qur’an, my friends. Should our eyes not open now? Should we not adopt this pure, straight path in our lives? What a great example is Hadhrat Salman al-Farisi radhiAllahu anh! Allah ta’ala assisted him and helped him and steered him in his every footstep. What do we learn? That this life is a life of tests, of problems and difficulties – all this will come. Allah ta’ala says ‘I will increase these for you, these challenges, tests and trials.’ { وَيَمُدُّهُمۡ فِى طُغۡيَـٰنِهِمۡ يَعۡمَهُونَ} For those mentioned here, Allah ta’ala will give them yet more wealth and will leave them wandering blindly. But for the Mu’mineen, Allah ta’ala doesn’t want them to have ease. They will have difficulties and problems, perhaps an accident or an illness or a disease. Why? ‘So that they can turn back to Me!’ Allah says. ‘So that they turn back to Me, and run back to Me.’ If a person stands firm on the principles of the Deen, alhamdulillah, and doesn’t leave Deen, I swear by Allah, these difficulties and illnesses and tests will never take you to the brink. Allah ta’ala Himself will continue to assist you. Allah Himself will assist you! This is what comes to that human being who is steadfast on Shari'ah and Sunnah and is not at all scared or afraid. For all his 350 years, never did Hadhrat Salman al-Farisi slip. He went to so many places, progressing with love and determination at every step. He was supplied with the gold he needed and the dates that he needed grew on the trees. This is a proof that if a person who follows the Shari'ah and Sunnah is steadfast, Allah will establish his life.
And this is a great lesson also for those who revert, for those who leave their Deen and come to Islam. There is a great lesson, namely, don’t even look back or think back to that Deen you have left, to that way of life you have left. Don’t even smell the fragrance of what you have left, otherwise Nifaq creeps in. Hypocrisy will be there and you could go into reverse. Hadhrat Salman al-Farisi radhiAllahu anh was a revert – he converted to Islam. He left everything; he left his former life. This is the greatest message for a convert, that when you change and you leave that former life and come to the true Deen, then you should not look back at that old Deen. Forget those paths, forget those places, forget those people. Stop meeting those people. End those relationships where the bad smell of the old Deen is there. If you still meet them, where you have got connections and stay in those homes and eat with those people and sit with them, beware of the desire resurfacing. Obviously, there is that connection, a worldly connection. This a sacrifice, and you get a great reward for this. So if you have left that path, don’t go back onto it, otherwise you could be two-faced. Hadhrat Salman al-Farisi had one direction, one choice, and Allah ta’ala assisted him on every footstep. There is a great message in this event for the reverts - never look back. Don’t go back to your old path. Keep strengthening your Istaqamat and steadfastness, no matter what difficulties and problems come, and what highs or lows you experience. Don’t go back to those places; don’t remember those past things, don’t stay in those places, or meet those people, even to the extent that you have to be careful with the blood relatives. Be sure to approach them as a Muslim, and don’t lose your Deen and suffer negative consequences. If the Shari'ah and Sunnah of Rasoolullah sallallahu alayhi wasallam is criticized, for example, because they are not Muslims and their Deen and lifestyle is different, then we have to make sacrifices.
The Qur’an says clearly { وَإِذَا لَقُواْ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ قَالُوٓاْ ءَامَنَّا} So if you call ‘Allahu, Allahu!’ when you are sat with your Sheikh, and then { وَإِذَا خَلَوۡاْ إِلَىٰ شَيَـٰطِينِهِمۡ } when you leave that gathering and go back to your old home with the same relatives, you change and become like them, this is not Deen-ul-Islam. We need to be firm and principle based. This is a very important message for the reverts, that if you want to run to Allah in reality, with truth, then you should have one Deen. Don’t be two-faced; don’t show two approaches. This is what the Deen requires from us, and this is what it is teaching us. For the Mu’mineen, the teaching is that this Dunya is not Jannah. It is a place of test, and the more sacrifices we make in the world for the Shari'ah and Sunnah of the Holy Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam, for his Ahkams, for his instructions, in whatever form that effort is made, then tomorrow we will get the reward. If not tomorrow, then still it will be very soon, perhaps a few years. Don’t be afraid of poverty or tests or challenges. Just say ‘Allah selected me’ - that’s it.
The example of Hadhrat Salman al-Farisi is in front of us. We should think like he did, and reverts especially, you should think that your life has changed. You have gone down the right track, so you can’t go back to the old ways and practices. Forget those paths, forget those old ways, and forget those connections and relationships. That is when you can attain success. Otherwise, if you sit with the Muslims and behave like a Muslim, and then go back to them and start acting like them and do everything like them, eating drinking, standing and sitting like them, then the situation is upside down. Think about this, and your issues will be solved.
May Allah ta’ala give us the ability to practice the true, sincere Deen.
ءَاخِرُ دَعۡوَٮٰهُمۡ أَنِ ٱلۡحَمۡدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلۡعَـٰلَمِينَ
8th Jul, 2020
SALAM KA NAZRANA E KHIDMAT HAI MERAY PYARAY SHEIKH HAZRAT ASIF HUSSAIN FAROOQUI KI NAZAR
TARAPTA HAI ISS SYED KA DIL KISI TARAH HAR LAMAH BUSS DEIKH LOON APP KO EIK NAZAR
May Allah subhana hoo tala bless you with high reward for your all efforts, Ameen.
Syed Adil Munir
2nd Jul, 2020
DIL MERA MACHALTA HAI KHNAY KO ASHIQ E RASOOL HAIN FARSI
AY KASH HUMRA BHI NAAM HOO GHULAM E RASOOL MAIN AY FARSI
2nd Jul, 2020
اہل وفا کی جان ہے سلمان فارسی
رکھتے نرالی شان ہیں سلمان فارسی
انکو ہے اہل بیت میں شامل کیا گیا
آقا کے راز دان ہیں سلمان فارسی
وَإِذَا لَقُواْ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ قَالُوٓاْ ءَامَنَّا وَإِذَا خَلَوۡاْ إِلَىٰ شَيَـٰطِينِهِمۡ قَالُوٓاْ إِنَّا مَعَكُمۡ إِنَّمَا نَحۡنُ مُسۡتَہۡزِءُونَ (١٤)
ٱللَّهُ يَسۡتَہۡزِئُ بِہِمۡ وَيَمُدُّهُمۡ فِى طُغۡيَـٰنِهِمۡ يَعۡمَهُونَ (١٥)
Surah al-Baqarah v14-15
For the people who do not have faith, for the Munkareen, those who reject Allah, the Dunya is like Paradise. And for the people of Iman, the Dunya is place of challenge, of tests, and of trials. All of this is based on Allah’s wisdom, on Allah’s Hikmah, and on Allah’s decision. Why? Why has Allah ta’ala kept his Mu’mineen, his beloved folk, His believers, in difficulty in this world? Because this world is such a place that we have been sent to go through a test. This is the place of test, and we are preparing for the exam. This is the preparation ground, the revision ground, in preparation for the test. Whatever difficulties come, whatever issues arise, we have to go through them. Eventually, due to these tests and trials, Allah ta’ala will give rewards.
Take, for example, two students; they both have to take the examination. One student wastes his time; he plays, he messes around, dossing, watching films and generally loitering and lingering. The other student rejects all of that time wasting; he keeps his head down, and doesn’t play, and doesn’t doss around. He focuses on his studies and he controls his desires. Those around him laugh at him, and say ‘What is it with you? You don’t play or hang around with us; you don’t come out with us.’ He says ‘No, I’m fine’, and he sticks to his efforts. Eventually, the time comes for the examination. The studious one and the dosser both sit the exam, and they answer the paper. When the results come out, the child who controlled his desires, who didn’t play around, and remained focused on his destination, will be smiling and laughing. He will be happy and so content. The other one will be hiding his face and crying, because the results are out, and he failed where the other child succeeded.
So this is the game of life! This is what Allah ta’ala has explained to us totally, via the Qur’an and via the sayings, education and teachings of the Holy Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam. The greatest thing is that Allah ta’ala hasn’t just given us Qur’an; rather, SubhanAllah, Allah ta’ala has explained to us by giving to us the explainer of the Qur’an. And Allah ta’ala gave us not one, or two or three, but approximately one hundred and twenty-four thousand noble Companions. And such were the Companions of the Holy Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam, and every Companion was so great, that the Holy Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam said ‘All of my Companions are like the stars in the sky.’ The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam himself was like the shining moon, and due to his shine and glow, all the stars glitter and glow. In every one of those stars, the rays of the light of the Holy Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam can be seen, and he said ‘Whichever star you follow, he will guide you and take you to Allah.’
Select any of the Sahaba; they are all great human beings, very high in rank and status. Why? Because of their company, that blessed, honourable company. And just as the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam was like the glowing, shining moon, the rays of that light fell onto the stars and they glowed and shone in turn. So take the life of every Sahabi - they were guides for us, those noble Companions radhiAllahu anhum. Allah gave so many associates and colleagues to the Holy Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam, and we have to learn our Deen from them. Do you think that the Sahaba-e-Karam taught us how to cook? Did they teach us how to make a crust, how to make money and profit? Did they teach us how to progress in the world and be so-called respectable in the world? No, this is not what they taught. They taught us something else, and that is what we need to learn. The examples we need to take from their lives are the points that show how to please Allah, SubhanAllah. They showed how we should live in this temporary world, and how to embark on the journey to earn the pleasure of Allah, and what we should sacrifice on this journey, and how we should be steadfast. Every Companion was a lover, SubhanAllah. He was an ardent lover of Allah and Rasoolullah sallallahu alayhi wasallam. If we want to become lovers of Allah and His Rasool sallallahu alayhi wasallam, we need to take the guidance of any Companion, and then we will also become the same. But if we don’t take their guidance and want to take our own route and carve our own path, then we cannot get to the successful destination. Take the hand of any Companion, take the assistance of any Companion, and I swear, you will become an Ashiq, a lover. SubhanAllah.
Hadhrat Salman al-Farisi radhiAllahu anh was such a prime example, a brilliant example of love for the Holy Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam. He had a great level of love, a great level of sacrifice for the Deen, and a great level of love for the Holy Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam said ‘Among my Companions, Salman al-Farisi is from my Ahl-al Bait.’ He was given that title and recognition. This is Hadhrat Salman al-Farisi! He was a guide for us.
So let’s see now: every Companion alhamdulillah, is a guide for us. Hadhrat Salman al-Farisi radhiAllahu anh was from Persia, al-Faris, and since we have singled him out, why don’t we share some great events about him so that our Iman increases and our love increases? Brothers, hollow claims are one thing, but reality is something else. It is not about crying when we hear a Nasheed and then saying ‘Oh I am a lover of Rasoolullah sallallahu alayhi wasallam’, as if just for hearing that one Nasheed or Naat, he is stamped as a lover of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam. At these gatherings and Mehfils, thousands come to sit and listen, all non-Shari’ah, and the place is not Shari’ah compliant, of the sort that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam said that La’anat, a curse, comes upon such places where gatherings are held with non-Shari’ah practices and methodology. They present their Deen, with music and strange discussions and discussions about Dunya, and then a person recites a Nasheed about the Holy Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam. And people pay money to attend – you will have heard of this, we can make the decision ourselves. Among the clamour, someone is falling unconscious, someone is dancing, someone is shrieking and shouting, and they are all being given the stamps ‘Lover of Rasoolullah; Ashiq of Rasoolullah!’ Sallallahu alayhi wasallam. This is a mirage – it is not real, it is fake.
If you want to see love, then take Hadhrat Salman al-Farisi radhiAllahu anh. This is true love, genuine love. You can look at his story time and time again, read about the historical facts, and then you will become an Ashiq yourself, a lover yourself. SubhnaAllah. Every Companion was like this, and had a great story, but we have mentioned Hadhrat Salman al-Farisi radhiAllahu anh, so we will continue with him. They were all part of such a great factual, historical narrative – was Allah’s help not with them? Did their businesses not flourish? Did their wealth not grow and expand? Tell me! But what was their priority? Severe conditions beset true lovers, so see what they do!
So Hadhrat Salman was born into a big, wealthy family in Persia; you could say that he was born with a golden spoon in his mouth. All the other children, and also his parents, loved him the most. This happens sometimes; parents love all their children, but sometimes there is one select, special child for whom Allah ta’ala puts more love into the hearts of the mother and father. They love all their children, but sometimes there is a special one who the parents love more. In the same way, all the students are like children for the Sheikh, but sometimes, from Allah, they have particular love for a special one of them. Although he loves all of them, there can be special love for a given student. MashaAllah, a Kaamil Sheikh loves all his Mureeds; his devotees are like his children. They are closer to him than children in fact. A mother and father don’t give as much Tarbiyah as a Kaamil Sheikh gives to his Mureeds.
So sometimes, though they love all the children, parents will have particular love for one of the children. This was the case with Hadhrat Salman al-Farisi radhiAllahu anh. His father loved his son and would take great pains to protect him and look after him. Due to this special love, he would always keep him at home and look after him in every respect. The family were Majusees, fire-worshippers; that was their religion. His father was strict on this fire-worshipping Deen, and he wanted to bring his son up in the same way. So once, somehow, Hadhrat Salman al-Farisi came out of the house, and his mother and father didn’t know. In front of the house was a church, so he thought ‘What’s this?’, because his father didn’t let him out of the house. He lived a life more or less imprisoned in the home, so his father had never shown him anything. So he went into the church, and found Nasaara there praying they were true Christians of that time. Since he only knew about fire worshipping, he said ‘What’s this?’ They said ‘This is our Deen, our faith.’ So he said ‘I really like your Ibadah – I have really enjoyed seeing this.’ He had been hidden from the Haq, from the truth, and ‘Ishq was burning inside him. I am telling you here about how Allah assists and helps the true lover and delivers him to his Mahboob.
Allah says ‘If you have love, true love, then I am your Lord, and I will deliver you to My Beloved.’ Allah takes a person! But we don’t have true love in our hearts, so how will Allah take us to the true guides? In my life, I have seen this. I used to remember my Hadhrat Sheikh with a strong remembrance, but I didn’t have the means, so I used to think ‘How can I get to my Sheikh’s side thousands of miles away?’ I didn’t have anything to my name, but I wanted to go there to his great company. They were hard times and in life, one does pass through many trials and tests like this. Wa’llahi, I wouldn’t even know that Hadhrat Sahib was going to Makkah, but I would find myself there at his service. I wouldn’t know how I had got the ticket or the means to have purchased it – Allah knows best. So if you have true love for somebody, how can Allah not create the means if you want to get somewhere or do something?
So Hadhrat Salman al-Farisi radhiAllahu anh said to the Christians in the church ‘I really like your Deen. Tell me, what is behind it all?’ They said ‘The reality of this Deen is not to be found here, but rather in Sham – Palestine and Syria. That is where it is based.’ Now the sun was about to set, so he hastened back to his home. When he arrived, the mother and father knew, so he admitted that he had been there. The father became angry and said ‘You went to the church?’ He replied ‘Yes, they have a very good Deen, Dad. What Deen do we have?’ In response, his father imprisoned him and locked him in their house and said ‘I will see that you don’t leave home again after what has happened today.’ And just like Firawn was against Moosa alahyi salam, he said ‘Because you tried to oppose me and worship something different from what I worship, I am going to keep you locked up so that you will remember.’ So the father imprisoned the son.
Hadhrat Salman radhiAllahu anh then sent a message somehow, asking to be informed if a caravan was setting out to Sham, because he wanted to go to the source of their Deen. Eventually he was told that a caravan was passing by on route to Sham, so he broke out of his house and joined the caravan to travel to Sham. SubhanAllah – this is ‘Ishq, love! Look at the desire of the lover – he didn’t know anything about where he was going, but he just had that pull. So they got to Sham, and he spent time amongst the faithful people there, until the priest to whom he had attached himself died. He was upset, but he found another learned Christian priest, and went into his service to learn. The priest was a Zahid, an ascetic individual who was a scholarly priest, and Hadhrat Salman al-Farsisi loved him greatly and benefited from the time he spent in his service. Eventually, his final days came, so he said ‘Please advise me what to do now that you are departing this world.’
Remember, as to the age of Hadhrat Salman al-Farisi, some narrations say he reached the age of 350, and others say 250 - Allah gave a long life to Hadhrat Salman al-Farisi radhiAllahu anh. So that priest, his Sheikh, said to him ‘It is hard to find a good man, but let me tell you of a good route. Go to such and such place – there is a scholarly man there who will help you if you want to get to the Haq.’ When the priest died, Hadhrat Salman journeyed to this new location and met that scholar, but the same scenario played out – his time also came, and so his advice was also asked for, as to where he should go to continue his search for his Lord. So he was sent to yet another Christian scholar, to whom he travelled. Look at this journey! When this priest was approaching death, he said to Hadhrat Salman al-Farisi ‘I do not know of any other man of knowledge who can help, but I will tell you the right path, the straight path which is written in our Kitabs.’
SubhanAllah – read Durood Sharif on the Holy Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam! Allahumma salli ‘ala Sayyidina wa Mawlana Muhammadin-Nabi-l-Ummiyyi wa ‘ala Azwajihi Ummahati-l-Mu’mineen! The priest said ‘I will tell you the true, honest path which is written in our Kitabs, where it is written that very soon, a prophet will come, who will be on the Deen of Ibrahim. He will come to the lands of the Arabs in a barren desert land and will migrate to a new place with date palms and fertile soil. Go there, and if your desire is true, you will find him there.’ SubhanAllah! He said ‘I will tell you the signs written in our Kitabs which will enable you to recognize him. His face will be glowing with such light that you won’t really need them, but first, he will not take Sadaqah in money or any other form; second, he will accept gifts; and third, between his shoulder blades will be the Seal of Prophethood – these are the three signs.’ Hadhrat Salman radhiAllahu anh said ‘I understand – I accept your advice.’ Look at the Ishq, the love – SubhanAllah.
So how many years must have passed, and how many difficulties he must have endured. This is the life of one Sahabi – imagine all of the others! It was the same for any Sahabi. So Hadhrat Salman radhiAllahu anh then gathered the few cows and sheep from which he earned his livelihood and joined a caravan that was heading to Arabia. As the journey progressed, a bad intention against him formed in the other members of the caravan. They enslaved him and sold him to a Jew. So having started out amongst the Majusees, he then went to the Christians, and was then sold to a member of the Jewish community. Look where the path of love took him, from fire-worshippers, to Christians, and then to the Jews - but he never lost courage and determination. So now he was a slave in the service of a Jew. But he said to himself ‘I don’t mind, even if I get sold ten times over in the search for my Beloved!’ SubhanAllah, Allahu Akbar! He relates that he was taken by a man who bought him to a place where there were date palm trees, and he immediately recalled the words of the priest who had spoken of the fertile place where there would be date palm trees. He felt sure that he had arrived in the right place. So then a Jew from Bani Qurayza in Madina bought him.
How Allah ta’ala helps, SubhanAllah! All the way from Faris, his determination and courage brought him to Madina. Hadhrat Salman radhiAllahu anh said ‘I swear by Allah, when I arrived in Madinat-ul-Munawwara, I recognized that this was most definitely the city where my Beloved would come.’ SubhanAllah. ‘My footsteps felt it, my heart affirmed it – as soon as I saw Madinat-ul-Munawwara, I recognized that this was the place where my Mahboob would come.’ This is the ‘Ashiq, a person with true love. True love is a great thing, my brothers. In Sahih al-Bukhari it is stated that Hadhrat Salman al-Farisi radhiAllahu anh was sold ten times before eventually arriving in Madinat-ul-Munawwara. So then he started working as a slave for his master in Madina, waiting, waiting.
Eventually, SubhanAllah, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam left Makkah and made Hijrah. When he arrived in Quba, he stayed there for some days among the Bani Amr bin ‘Auf, near where Masjid Quba is today. May Allah ta’ala give everyone the opportunity to do Ziyarah of that blessed place – I have been there myself a very long time ago. About 40 or 50 years ago, I visited an orchard there and saw the very place where the house stood in which the Holy Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam stayed. I smelled the fragrance and I brought the soil from there alhamdulillah. It is stated that when he heard the news that Rasoolullah sallallahu alayhi wasallam had come to Madina, Hadhrat Salman al-Farisi was high up in a date palm that he had climbed while working for his master. He stated that his master was sitting below when a cousin of his came to him and said ‘Have you heard? A man has come from Makkah and he is staying in Quba. People are flocking to him and he says that he is a Prophet of Allah.’ Hadhrat Salman radhiAllahu anh heard this from where he was high up in the tree, and he later said ‘Wa’llah, I started to tremble and became dizzy, almost falling from the heights of the tree when I heard about my beloved. I trembled because I had spent all my life searching and realized that he had arrived here. I was overwhelmed with emotion, and I do not know how I was saved from falling out of the date palm tree. With difficulty, I pulled myself together, climbed down, and asked my master respectfully for more details about the news that he had just been told. I asked about who had come.’ At this, the master became angry and slapped him, saying ‘Get on with your own work! Who are you to ask me about this? Get on with the task I have given to you.’
So he waited until evening, and just as he escaped from his home in Faris, he gathered his things together and departed for Quba. He said ‘I presented charity to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam, but he rejected it and gave it to his Companions instead, saying that he did not take Sadaqah. I realized that the first sign had been fulfilled. Then the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam went to Madina, and after some days, I went to him and presented him with a gift, with a Hadiyah. The first time I gave food as Sadaqah, and it was not accepted, but the second time, when I gave a Hadiyah, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam accepted it and shared it with his Companions. In my heart, I said SubhanAllah, the second condition has been fulfilled, and my destination is very close!’ Then he relates ‘I went for a third time, and I was yearning, desperate for confirmation. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam was coming from a Janazah in Jannat-ul-Baqi, and I came up behind him to see the Seal of Prophethood.’ Then the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam himself lowered his Kameez, and said ‘Look – have you recognized me?’ SubhanAllah, Allahu Akbar! He said ‘I immediately kissed the Seal of Prophethood and began to cry and sob, so the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam said ‘Come in front of me’. So I came before him and took Shahadah: ‘Ash-hadu an La ilaha illa’llahu wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan Abduhu wa Rasooluh.’ Then he shouted ‘Allahu Akbar’ and everyone joined him as Hadhrat Salman al-Farisi radhiAllahu anh became a Muslim.
From Majusi to Nasaara, from Nasaara to Yahudi, from Yahudi to Muslim. Why did he change? Allah ta’ala assists the Ashiqs, the lovers; He assists the true, honest people. So after this event that I have presented to you, the Holy Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam said ‘Salman, go to your owner and seek terms for your release.’ Accordingly, he went to ask, and his master said ‘I will take this much gold, as well as 300 date palm seedlings, which must bear fruit before I will release you.’ It takes a long time for a date palm seedling to mature enough to bear fruit; this is not something that happens suddenly. And this was in addition to 40 weights of gold – where could that be found? But the Ashiq did not lose heart or determination. He had Istaqamat, steadfastness.
When the Holy Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam heard the price demanded by his master, he gave an order to the Companions that they all bring as many date palm seedlings as they could. So they began to gather the number required until 300 were procured. Then they were told to dig the 300 holes ready for planting, and the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam said that he would do the rest. With his own blessed hands, he planted a date palm seedling in every one of the holes, and alhamdulillah, we have done Ziyarah of those date palms and eaten the leaves and dates and stayed there for a while alhamdulillah. There was a beautiful fragrance there – it seemed as if it was the very fragrance of the love of Hadhrat Salman radhiAllahu anh, SubhanAllah. The hand of the Holy Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam had touched every seedling and had made them select and special, so before a year had passed, the seedlings matured and produced lush, green leaves and dates. There was just one thing left. It so happened that at that time, a person came, and gave to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam a donation of gold to him. As soon as it arrived, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam said ‘Where is my Miskeen, Salman al-Farisi?’
Allahu Akbar! I remember also my Hadhrat Sahib’s Hukm when he called ‘Where is my Faqeer?’ He used to say this when he loved someone. ‘Where is my devotee, my student?’ Allahu Akbar! The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam said ‘Where is my Miskeen?’ referring to Hadhrat Salman al-Farisi radhiAllahu anh, ‘Call him.’ Immediately, when he presented himself, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam said ‘Here, take this gold that someone has given to me. I give it to you for you to pay the price for your freedom.’ He said ‘Oh Prophet of Allah sallallahu alayhi wasallam, there is not enough gold here to reach the amount of 40 weights that was stipulated.’ The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam said ‘Salman, go, take this gold – it will be sufficient to free you.’ Allahumma salli ‘ala Sayyidina wa Mawlana Muhammad! He said that when he departed, he took it to be weighed, and the amount that had been demanded balanced out on the scale, Allahu Akbar. So the trees had grown, and the gold met the amount required. When he related the account to Ibn Abbas, he told him that he said ‘My debt has been paid, and today I have left the slavery of the world, SubhanAllah, and I enter into the service of the Holy Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam!’ Takbeer – Allahu Akbar!
SubhanAllah, my brothers, the Qur’an teaches us this. Either become like this and follow in the footsteps of those who are lovers of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam, or else…. Listen to this verse of the Qur’an:
{ وَإِذَا لَقُواْ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ قَالُوٓاْ ءَامَنَّا وَإِذَا خَلَوۡاْ إِلَىٰ شَيَـٰطِينِهِمۡ قَالُوٓاْ إِنَّا مَعَكُمۡ إِنَّمَا نَحۡنُ مُسۡتَہۡزِءُون} “And when they meet those who believe, they say ‘We believe’; but when they go apart to their devils, they declare ‘We are with you’” – ‘our living, our appearance, our eating, our drinking, our wealth, our children, everything is like you!’ SubhanAllah. ‘We give everything to you – we are with you. We are making fun of those who have faith; we are just playing games with them, tricking the. In reality, everything of ours is like you – we imitate you.’
{ ٱللَّهُ يَسۡتَہۡزِئُ بِہِمۡ وَيَمُدُّهُمۡ فِى طُغۡيَـٰنِهِمۡ يَعۡمَهُون} Allah says ‘You laugh at the believers, you laugh at the Deen of My Habeeb sallallahu alayhi wasallam, you laugh at his Sunnah, you mock his Sunnah. You think that you are doing everything correctly, but what you are doing and your actions are not mocking the Habeeb of Allah sallallahu alayhi wasallam; rather you are mocking and joking against Allah Himself! Have patience, wait. Allah says { وَيَمُدُّهُمۡ فِى طُغۡيَـٰنِهِمۡ يَعۡمَهُون} ‘I mock you!’ and He leaves them to wander blindly, giving them wealth and Dunya so that can become stronger in their certainty. { فِى طُغۡيَـٰنِهِمۡ يَعۡمَهُون} Allah says ‘I leave them to wander blindly on in their contumacy.’ They think ‘We have got Dunya – see, we are clever! We are two-faced and are successful in the world’. And they challenge other people in the world. Allah says that this is not the reality. In reality, Allah Himself mocks them, leaving them to wander on blindly in their ways. Allah says ‘You will see the reality when you come to Me, because you were joking against the Deen and against the Holy Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam’s Sunnah. But in reality, you were mocking yourselves.’
My brothers, this is also a verse of the Qur’an. So in these times, when there are these problems and difficulties, when a person loves the Dunya, when he worships the Dunya, when he starts to love the world, when his base desires overwhelm him, then this is the condition that you see in his life. He becomes a person who is a hypocrite. He loves the Dunya. The real sign of the Munafiq is that he will worship the Dunya, and will run after people, and try to please people. His real intention will be to benefit himself, to improve his worldly life. He will be willing to give up everything - his faith, everything. According to the Hadith, such people are defined as having two faces. The Munafiqeen will have two faces – they are two-faced people. The Holy Prophet said that on the Day of Judgement, the worst of people will be that person who had two directions – the two-faced person. With one person he will have one approach, and with another person he will have a different approach. The worst person on the Day of Judgement will the two-faced person, and his punishment will be that Allah ta’ala will make his tongue a tongue of fire. His mouth, brain and face will be boiling due to the heat of that tongue. He will become like a bubble of heat in hell.
So do we leave the Deen for the sake of the Dunya, and the lifestyle of the Holy Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam for the sake of the Dunya? Tell me! People have made so-called progression in the world by selling the Deen of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam to make money, and they think they have progressed and become modern and advanced. You live in this world and I also live in this world, so we can gauge the situation and make an estimate as to how many people are in this situation in the world today. Their lifestyle and objective is all about personal benefit. They don’t mind how they get it, but they just want material success. If they have to give up their faith to get nationality, they do so. I can show you thousands of people who have done this. They sell their Deen, they lie, they change their faith, they change their homes, they make false marriages and false divorces so that they can make money. They say they are divorced, but remain with their wives at home to claim extra money. They want Dunya upon Dunya, money upon money.
{ وَإِذَا لَقُواْ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ قَالُوٓاْ ءَامَنَّا وَإِذَا خَلَوۡاْ} Allah says that these people are two-faced people. They betray. When they see you are religious, they present themselves as religious in front of you, wearing a cap in order to portray themselves as religious as well. In reality, that is not what they are. May Allah forgive, and may Allah save! The Mu’min’s life is one life, remember this. What a big Adhab awaits the hypocrite, the two-faced person. It is stated that { وَإِذَا لَقُواْ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ قَالُوٓاْ ءَامَنَّا}. So for example, when they fall in with those who believe, they say ‘We believe’, but when they go into the worldly environment, to make things easy for themselves, they put the Deen to the side. They disregard the Deen, they shun it and put it to the side. When they are with the people of Iman, they will benefit from them and say ‘We are like you; we are with you.’ When they meet them, they say ‘We are like you – we believe.’ { وَإِذَا خَلَوۡاْ إِلَىٰ شَيَـٰطِينِهِمۡ} But when they go apart from them to their real world, to their devils, their life is different. Look at their nights and their days and their lives, { وَإِذَا خَلَوۡاْ إِلَىٰ شَيَـٰطِينِهِمۡ قَالُوٓاْ إِنَّا مَعَكُمۡ} when the two-faced people are with their shaytans. The shayateen means those who steer them, those who give this Deen to them, saying ‘Earn Dunya – what’s this? This is just a waste of time. Look at that man – he has progressed so far. Leave this.’
I hear this every day from people. It is not as if this is not happening. I swear, every man has got this on the tip of his tongue. ‘Oh that’s it, we have seen enough. We don’t need Deen. We need Dunya, cash, notes, currency, bank balances.’ This is the basis for their friendships, for their relationships, for their finding partners for their daughters and sons. Nobody asks whether a person has Deen, or whether they uphold the standards of the Deen. ‘How much money has he got? How many houses has he got? How many properties has he got in Pakistan? How many houses, mansions, villas, properties? How much money and cash?’ And if there is a poor, religious daughter, they won’t like her. And if they do take her into the house, they will oppress her and won’t accept her because she is religious. ‘Get her out of here, turf her out of this house – she hasn’t brought any money with her.’ And when they go to their devils, they are one hundred percent shaytan. They do all the shaytani actions that the devil encourages.
What does shaytan encourage? Shaytan pushes for those states where there is less Khair, less good, and more Sharr, more evil. Anyone in that state is shaytan. So we are taught a unique, beautiful point here. { ٱللَّهُ يَسۡتَہۡزِئُ بِہِمۡ وَيَمُدُّهُمۡ} Allah says that this is a game, that they are trying to joke with Allah, but Allah himself plays a joke upon those people. Hadhrat Ibn Abbas radhiAllahu anh states in a Hadith that on the Day of Judgement, an announcement will be made: ‘Come, everyone, come to Paradise! Paradise has been opened up.’ And the Munafiqs will run – and look at how Allah will joke with them when they run towards Jannah. As soon as they reach the doors, the doors will slam shut and angels will grab them immediately. They will then be dragged to hell and thrown into the depths of hell. They will shriek, and Allah will say ‘Here is your Jannah. Have you got Jannah? You used to deceive people in the Dunya, and would joke and jest against the Shari'ah and Sunnah of the Holy Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam, and you thought you were successful. You were two-faced in your appearance and would show yourself differently to each side. You used to deceive, to joke, to look down, despise!’
And look too at this second Hadith. At the Bridge of Siraat, which will be a severe test, Allah will give ease to the Mu’mins by widening it. So the Munafiqs will say ‘Quick, come as well, we can cross the Bridge of Siraat quickly over here!’ Their hearts will be happy and they will say ‘Oh, we are successful. They were wrong, those who used to say we were evil – look, we are succeeding.’ As soon as they approach the Bridge of Siraat, Allah ta’ala will put a black veil upon them which will make them blind. Suddenly the ditch will be upon them and they will fall into the depths of Jahannam. Allahu Akbar! What else has the Qur’an said? Can there be anything more that we need to know?
{ ٱللَّهُ يَسۡتَہۡزِئُ بِہِمۡ وَيَمُدُّهُمۡ فِى طُغۡيَـٰنِهِمۡ يَعۡمَهُونَ} Allah Himself mocks them and leaves them to wander blindly. If a person doesn’t change his life after hearing this verse, then he is blind. Why? Because one sign of the Munafiqs is this, that even if you read this Qur’an to him, read these verses to him, he says ‘No, this is not the case. This doesn’t mean this. You can progress in the Dinya – why are you so strict? It is not like this – you are being too strict.’ They won’t even accept these verses of the Qur’an!
My brothers, we are listening to the Qur’an. For the sake of Allah, these are the words of the Qur’an – look at them! How has Allah ta’ala defined those who do not follow the Shari'ah and Sunnah of the Holy Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam? They have been described as those who are joking with Allah, playing games with Allah. Amazing! Then Allah Himself will play games with those same people. Is this a small punishment? It is clear who these people are – those who play games and tricks, and leave the Shari'ah and Sunnah of Rasoolullah sallallahu alayhi wasallam, and live a different lifestyle. They sell their Deen for the Dunya, they sell the Sunnah of Rasoolullah sallallahu alayhi wasallam for the Dunya, they sell the Ahkam of Shari’ah for the Dunya. They call themselves Muslims, but all their actions are Haram. Their eating, drinking, and everything is Haram. None of their actions are according to Shari’ah. So Allah ta’ala’s Qur’an tells us that their punishment will be severe. They will suffer such a calamitous consequence. Allah ta’ala will show them – ‘You used to play games against Allah ta’ala? Well now you will see that the joke is on you.’
This is Qur’an, my friends. Should our eyes not open now? Should we not adopt this pure, straight path in our lives? What a great example is Hadhrat Salman al-Farisi radhiAllahu anh! Allah ta’ala assisted him and helped him and steered him in his every footstep. What do we learn? That this life is a life of tests, of problems and difficulties – all this will come. Allah ta’ala says ‘I will increase these for you, these challenges, tests and trials.’ { وَيَمُدُّهُمۡ فِى طُغۡيَـٰنِهِمۡ يَعۡمَهُونَ} For those mentioned here, Allah ta’ala will give them yet more wealth and will leave them wandering blindly. But for the Mu’mineen, Allah ta’ala doesn’t want them to have ease. They will have difficulties and problems, perhaps an accident or an illness or a disease. Why? ‘So that they can turn back to Me!’ Allah says. ‘So that they turn back to Me, and run back to Me.’ If a person stands firm on the principles of the Deen, alhamdulillah, and doesn’t leave Deen, I swear by Allah, these difficulties and illnesses and tests will never take you to the brink. Allah ta’ala Himself will continue to assist you. Allah Himself will assist you! This is what comes to that human being who is steadfast on Shari'ah and Sunnah and is not at all scared or afraid. For all his 350 years, never did Hadhrat Salman al-Farisi slip. He went to so many places, progressing with love and determination at every step. He was supplied with the gold he needed and the dates that he needed grew on the trees. This is a proof that if a person who follows the Shari'ah and Sunnah is steadfast, Allah will establish his life.
And this is a great lesson also for those who revert, for those who leave their Deen and come to Islam. There is a great lesson, namely, don’t even look back or think back to that Deen you have left, to that way of life you have left. Don’t even smell the fragrance of what you have left, otherwise Nifaq creeps in. Hypocrisy will be there and you could go into reverse. Hadhrat Salman al-Farisi radhiAllahu anh was a revert – he converted to Islam. He left everything; he left his former life. This is the greatest message for a convert, that when you change and you leave that former life and come to the true Deen, then you should not look back at that old Deen. Forget those paths, forget those places, forget those people. Stop meeting those people. End those relationships where the bad smell of the old Deen is there. If you still meet them, where you have got connections and stay in those homes and eat with those people and sit with them, beware of the desire resurfacing. Obviously, there is that connection, a worldly connection. This a sacrifice, and you get a great reward for this. So if you have left that path, don’t go back onto it, otherwise you could be two-faced. Hadhrat Salman al-Farisi had one direction, one choice, and Allah ta’ala assisted him on every footstep. There is a great message in this event for the reverts - never look back. Don’t go back to your old path. Keep strengthening your Istaqamat and steadfastness, no matter what difficulties and problems come, and what highs or lows you experience. Don’t go back to those places; don’t remember those past things, don’t stay in those places, or meet those people, even to the extent that you have to be careful with the blood relatives. Be sure to approach them as a Muslim, and don’t lose your Deen and suffer negative consequences. If the Shari'ah and Sunnah of Rasoolullah sallallahu alayhi wasallam is criticized, for example, because they are not Muslims and their Deen and lifestyle is different, then we have to make sacrifices.
The Qur’an says clearly { وَإِذَا لَقُواْ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ قَالُوٓاْ ءَامَنَّا} So if you call ‘Allahu, Allahu!’ when you are sat with your Sheikh, and then { وَإِذَا خَلَوۡاْ إِلَىٰ شَيَـٰطِينِهِمۡ } when you leave that gathering and go back to your old home with the same relatives, you change and become like them, this is not Deen-ul-Islam. We need to be firm and principle based. This is a very important message for the reverts, that if you want to run to Allah in reality, with truth, then you should have one Deen. Don’t be two-faced; don’t show two approaches. This is what the Deen requires from us, and this is what it is teaching us. For the Mu’mineen, the teaching is that this Dunya is not Jannah. It is a place of test, and the more sacrifices we make in the world for the Shari'ah and Sunnah of the Holy Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam, for his Ahkams, for his instructions, in whatever form that effort is made, then tomorrow we will get the reward. If not tomorrow, then still it will be very soon, perhaps a few years. Don’t be afraid of poverty or tests or challenges. Just say ‘Allah selected me’ - that’s it.
The example of Hadhrat Salman al-Farisi is in front of us. We should think like he did, and reverts especially, you should think that your life has changed. You have gone down the right track, so you can’t go back to the old ways and practices. Forget those paths, forget those old ways, and forget those connections and relationships. That is when you can attain success. Otherwise, if you sit with the Muslims and behave like a Muslim, and then go back to them and start acting like them and do everything like them, eating drinking, standing and sitting like them, then the situation is upside down. Think about this, and your issues will be solved.
May Allah ta’ala give us the ability to practice the true, sincere Deen.
ءَاخِرُ دَعۡوَٮٰهُمۡ أَنِ ٱلۡحَمۡدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلۡعَـٰلَمِينَ