Hazrat Sheikh Junaid-e-Baghdadi (Radi Allahu anhu) earned his livelihood as a professional wrestler. As was the norm, the Leader of Baghdad announced one day, "Today, Junaid Baghdadi will demonstrate his skills as a wrestler, is there anyone to challenge him." An elderly man shakily stood up with his neck quivering and said, "I will enter the contest with him."
Whoever was witness to this scene could not contain themselves, they burst out howling with laughter, clapping their hands. The King was bound by the law. He could not stop someone who of his own free will entered the bout. The elderly man was given the permission to enter the ring. He was about sixty-five years old.
When Hazrat Sheikh Junaid-e-Baghdadi (Radi Allahu anhu) entered the ring, he was dumbfounded as was the King and all the spectators of the Kingdom who were present. The single thought that occupied their minds was, "How will this old man be able to fight?"
The old man addressed Junaid with these words, "Lend me your ears." He then whispered, "I know it is not possible for me to win this bout against you, but I am a Sayyid, a descendant of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). My children are starving at home. Are you prepared to sacrifice your name, your honour and position for the love of Allah's Prophet and lose this bout to me? If you do this I will be able to collect the prize money and thereby have the means to feed my children and myself for an entire year. I will be able to settle all my debts and above all, the master of both the worlds will be pleased with you. Are you, Oh Junaid, not willing to sacrifice your honour for the sake of the children of Rasulullah (peace be upon him)?"
Hazrat Sheikh Junaid-e-Baghdadi (Radi Allahu anhu)thought to himself, "Today, I have an excellent opportunity."In a display of fervour Hazrat Sheikh Junaid-e-Baghdadi (Radi Allahu anhu) executed a couple of maneuvers, demonstrating his finesse so that the King does not suspect any conspiracy. Junaid with a great display of antics did not use his strength and allowed himself to be dropped. The elderly man mounted his chest thus entitling him to the prize.
That night, Hazrat Sheikh Junaid-e-Baghdadi (Radi Allahu anhu) had a dream of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) who said, "Oh Junaid, you have sacrificed your honour, your nationally acclaimed fame, your name and position which was heralded throughout Baghdad in the expression of your love for my children who were starving. As of today, your name is recorded in the register of the Auliya (friends of Allah)."
Thereafter, this great wrestler learnt to defeat his nafs (desires) and became one of the most eminent Auliya of his time!
Source: From the book "Tajalliat-e-Jazb" by Shaikh Hakim Muhammad Akhtar.
February 3, 2011
Testing the water
Once a Shaikh was traveling with a few of his followers. While they were passing a lake, Shaikh told one of his disciples, "I am thirsty. Do get me some water from the lake."
The disciple walked up to the lake. At that moment, a bullock cart started crossing through the lake. As a result, the water became very muddy and turbid.
The disciple thought, "How can I give this muddy water to Shaykh to drink?"
So he came back and told Shaikh , "The water in there is v
ery muddy. I don't think it is fit to drink."
After about half an hour, again Shaikh asked the same disciple to go back to the lake.
The disciple went back, and found that the water was still muddy. He returned and informed Shaikh about the same.
After sometime, again Shaikh asked the same disciple to go back.
This time, the disciple found the mud had settled down, and the water was clean and clear. So he collected some water in a pot and brought it to Shaikh.
Shaikh looked at the water, and then he looked up at the disciple and said,
" See what you did to make the water clean. You let it be, and the mud settled down on its own -- and you have clear water."
Your mind is like that too ! When it is disturbed, just let it be.
Give it a little time. It will settle down on its own.
You don't have to put in any effort to calm it down.
It will happen. It is effortless."
The disciple walked up to the lake. At that moment, a bullock cart started crossing through the lake. As a result, the water became very muddy and turbid.
The disciple thought, "How can I give this muddy water to Shaykh to drink?"
So he came back and told Shaikh , "The water in there is v
ery muddy. I don't think it is fit to drink."
After about half an hour, again Shaikh asked the same disciple to go back to the lake.
The disciple went back, and found that the water was still muddy. He returned and informed Shaikh about the same.
After sometime, again Shaikh asked the same disciple to go back.
This time, the disciple found the mud had settled down, and the water was clean and clear. So he collected some water in a pot and brought it to Shaikh.
Shaikh looked at the water, and then he looked up at the disciple and said,
" See what you did to make the water clean. You let it be, and the mud settled down on its own -- and you have clear water."
Your mind is like that too ! When it is disturbed, just let it be.
Give it a little time. It will settle down on its own.
You don't have to put in any effort to calm it down.
It will happen. It is effortless."
January 31, 2011
A pious young man by the name of Thabit
“One day, a young pious man by the name of Thabit had no food to eat. As he was walking, he came across a garden with an abundance of apple trees. Although the garden was fenced, the trees were so mature that their apples were hanging over the fence. Innocently, he took an apple and started to eat from it. After he finished that apple, he felt an extreme sense of shame and guilt as he did not take permission from the owner of that garden.
The guilt drove him to go and apologize to the owner and ask him what he could do to pay for the apple. To his surprise, the owner said, ‘The only way you can pay me back is by marrying my daughter.’ On the surface, it seemed like a pretty good deal. Then the owner said, ‘But you must know that my daughter is deaf, dumb (unable to speak), and blind.’
Thabit pondered upon this but not too long as he sensed that he had committed a great crime by eating the apple that didn’t belong to him. So he agreed to marry the man’s daughter to absolve himself of the sin. As he entered upon her, to his surprise the woman was beautiful and returned his salaam.
He looked at her and said, ‘But your father said that you are deaf, dumb, and blind!’
She smiled and responded, ‘I am deaf to all forms of backbiting, gossip, and lying, dumb to any thoughts that are displeasing to Allah, and blind to that which Allah has not permitted me to look at.’ It had become clear that Allah SWT had rewarded Thabit for his sincerity, good character, and honesty with a pious woman. Through that woman, Allah would bestow upon Thabit a son by the name of Nouman, otherwise known as Imam Abu Hanifa (RAA).”
Source: The Message International
The guilt drove him to go and apologize to the owner and ask him what he could do to pay for the apple. To his surprise, the owner said, ‘The only way you can pay me back is by marrying my daughter.’ On the surface, it seemed like a pretty good deal. Then the owner said, ‘But you must know that my daughter is deaf, dumb (unable to speak), and blind.’
Thabit pondered upon this but not too long as he sensed that he had committed a great crime by eating the apple that didn’t belong to him. So he agreed to marry the man’s daughter to absolve himself of the sin. As he entered upon her, to his surprise the woman was beautiful and returned his salaam.
He looked at her and said, ‘But your father said that you are deaf, dumb, and blind!’
She smiled and responded, ‘I am deaf to all forms of backbiting, gossip, and lying, dumb to any thoughts that are displeasing to Allah, and blind to that which Allah has not permitted me to look at.’ It had become clear that Allah SWT had rewarded Thabit for his sincerity, good character, and honesty with a pious woman. Through that woman, Allah would bestow upon Thabit a son by the name of Nouman, otherwise known as Imam Abu Hanifa (RAA).”
Source: The Message International
The Story of the Young Man, the Priest and the Magician
In this story is an admonition for whoever has a heart or lends an ear while he is a witness. Let us therefore reflect and contemplate over this true story while seeking out whatever meanings and shades of ikhlaas are contained within it.
Suhayb (radiallaahu ‘anhu) reports that Allah’s Messenger (salallahu ‘alaiyhi wasallam) said: ‘Amongst the people who were before you was a king who had a magician in his service. When the magician grew old, he said to the king: “I am getting old so appoint a young man to whom I can teach magic.” The king sent him a young man to be taught the art of magic. In the youth’s way to the magician there was a monk to whom he used to stop by and listen. He was so pleased with the speech of the monk that every time he set off to see the magician he would stop by the monk on the way. This would make him late and so the monk told him: “When you are afraid of the magician say: ‘My family kept me’ and when you are afraid of your family say: ‘The magician kept me.’” This matter continued for a while. Once, on his way he came across a beast which had blocked the passage of the people. The young man said to himself: “Now I can see whether the magician is better or the monk.” So he picked up a stone and said: “O Allah! If the conduct of the monk is more pleasing to You than that of the magician then bring about the death of this beast so that the people may pass.” Then he hit the beast with the stone and killed it, enabling the people to pass.
The youth told the monk of this incident and the monk said to him: “My son this day you have taken over me and I perceive that you will be put to trial. If you are put to trial then do not direct the people to me.”
The young man began curing people suffering from blindness at birth, leprosy and all other diseases. This news reached a courier of the king who had became blind and so he went to the young man with many presents and said: “All this will be yours if you cure me.” The young man said to him: “I do not cure anyone, it is Allah alone who cures. If you declare your faith in Allah, I will pray for you and He will grant you your health.” The man declared his faith in Allah and Allah the Exalted cured him. He then went to the royal court and sat there. The king questioned him: “Who has restored your sight?” He said: “My Lord!” The king said to him: “Do you have a Lord besides me?” The courtier replied: “My Lord and your Lord is Allah.” The king ordered the man to be arrested and tortured until he disclosed the name of the young man. The young man was brought before the king who said to him: “My son, you have reached such skill in your magic that you can cure people with blindness, leprosy and whatever else.” The young man replied: “It is not me who heals but it is Allah the Exalted who heals.” He was then taken and tortured until he disclosed the whereabouts of the monk. Then the monk was brought in front of the king and ordered to revoke his religion, but he refused. The king sent for a saw which was place in the middle of the monk’s head and he was sawn in half. Then the king’s courtier and called for and he also was asked to recant from his religion. He too refused and the saw was placed in the middle of his head and he was sawn in half.
Then the young man was brought forward and was asked to denounce his religion. He refused to do so. The king entrusted the young man to his men and told them: “Take him to such and such a mountain. When you reach the top and he still refuses to turn back from his religion, throw him off it.” They took him to the top of the mountain and the young man supplicated: “O Allah! Suffice me against them in whatever you way You will.” The mountain began to shake and the men fell off it. The young man came walking to the king who said to him: “What have your companions done?” He said: “Allah delivered me from them.” He was then given to another group of companions who were ordered to take him in a small boat to the sea and if he refused to return from his religion, to throw him into the sea. They took him along with them and he supplicated: O Allah! Suffice me against them in whatever way You will.” The boat sank and the young man again walked back to the king and said to him: “You will not be able to kill me until you do what I command you.” The king enquired: “What is that?” The young man answered: “Assemble the people in an open space and hang me from the trunk of a palm tree. Then take an arrow from my quiver and place it in the middle of the bow and say: ‘In the name of Allah, the Lord of this young man’, and shoot the arrow at me. If you do this you will be able to kill me.”
The people were made to assemble accordingly and the young man was hung from the trunk of a palm tree. The king took an arrow from his quiver and placing it in the middle of the bow said: “In the name of Allah, the Lord of this young man” and shot it. The arrow struck the boy in the temple who raised his hand to his temple and then died. Seeing this the people said: “We believe in the Lord of this young man.” The king was told: “Look! What you apprehanded has happened. The people declared their faith in the Lord of this young man.”
The king ordered trenches to be dug on both sides of the road and when they were ready, fire was lit in them. It was then announced that any person refusing to denounce his faith would be thrown into the trenches. This took place and a woman came forward accompanied by her baby boy. Se hesitated to be thrown into the fire and the boy said to her: “O Mother! Be firm and show patience as you are indeed upon the truth.”‘38
Look at how Allah responded to the sincere supplications and how the rules and laws of the creation were replaced and altered on account of ikhlaas to Allah, the Exalted. The young man fell into great danger when they took him to the top of the mountain in order to throw him off it. He then called upon Allah with extreme sincerity: ‘O Allah! Suffice me against them in whatever way you will.’ So the mountain shook, his captors fell off it and he came back walking to the king. Ikhlaas has been the cause of his safety from death and he was capable, by the grace of Allah the Sublime, to kill the enemies of Allah by his ikhlaas. Then they took him out to sea in a boat to rid themselves of this sincere (servant) – as they saw ikhlaas to be the secret of his strength – by throwing him into the sea. He again called upon Allah with the sincerity of a servant to his Lord: ‘O Allah! Suffice me against them in whatever way you will.’ The boat capsized with them and they were drowned. He again came back to the king, walking.
This is the ikhlaas by which Allah granted safety to this young man from great danger and by this ikhlaas the end of the enemies of Allah, the Blessed and Exalted was decided.
Then look at how this boy’s ikhlaas grew stronger when he sold his soul for Allah to become a martyr. He sacrificed himself so that the word of ikhlaas would be uttered and expressed all over the earth, that actions may be performed by it and that people may say: ‘We believe in the Lord of the young man.’
He had already said to the king: ‘You will not be able to kill me until you do what I command you.’ The king enquired: ‘What is that?’ The young man answered: ‘Assemble the people in an open space and hang me from the trunk of a palm tree. Then take an arrow from my quiver and place it in the middle of the bow and said: “In the name of Allah, the Lord of this young man” and shoot the arrow at me. If you do this, you will be able to kill me.’ And what was the result of this ikhlaas? The people’s faith in the Lord of the young man. No sooner had this young man died, the people began to say: ‘We believe in the Lord of the young man.’
This is the fruit of the young man’s ikhlaas. A complete mountain of faith by which they remained firm and steadfast in the face of being burnt. What Allah caused the baby boy to say when his mother was hesitant to jump into the fire was also from the fruits of ikhlaas: ‘O Mother! Be firm and show patience as you are indeed upon the truth.’
This baby boy spoke yesterday and yet the mouths of mankind today are closed, not mumbling anything – except upon whom Allah has shown mercy – and how few they are.
‘So is there one who will take admonition?’
_
Footnotes:
38. Reported by Muslim.
39. Suraah al-Qamar (54):32
*The Book of Sincerity by Hussayn al-’Awa’ishah
Suhayb (radiallaahu ‘anhu) reports that Allah’s Messenger (salallahu ‘alaiyhi wasallam) said: ‘Amongst the people who were before you was a king who had a magician in his service. When the magician grew old, he said to the king: “I am getting old so appoint a young man to whom I can teach magic.” The king sent him a young man to be taught the art of magic. In the youth’s way to the magician there was a monk to whom he used to stop by and listen. He was so pleased with the speech of the monk that every time he set off to see the magician he would stop by the monk on the way. This would make him late and so the monk told him: “When you are afraid of the magician say: ‘My family kept me’ and when you are afraid of your family say: ‘The magician kept me.’” This matter continued for a while. Once, on his way he came across a beast which had blocked the passage of the people. The young man said to himself: “Now I can see whether the magician is better or the monk.” So he picked up a stone and said: “O Allah! If the conduct of the monk is more pleasing to You than that of the magician then bring about the death of this beast so that the people may pass.” Then he hit the beast with the stone and killed it, enabling the people to pass.
The youth told the monk of this incident and the monk said to him: “My son this day you have taken over me and I perceive that you will be put to trial. If you are put to trial then do not direct the people to me.”
The young man began curing people suffering from blindness at birth, leprosy and all other diseases. This news reached a courier of the king who had became blind and so he went to the young man with many presents and said: “All this will be yours if you cure me.” The young man said to him: “I do not cure anyone, it is Allah alone who cures. If you declare your faith in Allah, I will pray for you and He will grant you your health.” The man declared his faith in Allah and Allah the Exalted cured him. He then went to the royal court and sat there. The king questioned him: “Who has restored your sight?” He said: “My Lord!” The king said to him: “Do you have a Lord besides me?” The courtier replied: “My Lord and your Lord is Allah.” The king ordered the man to be arrested and tortured until he disclosed the name of the young man. The young man was brought before the king who said to him: “My son, you have reached such skill in your magic that you can cure people with blindness, leprosy and whatever else.” The young man replied: “It is not me who heals but it is Allah the Exalted who heals.” He was then taken and tortured until he disclosed the whereabouts of the monk. Then the monk was brought in front of the king and ordered to revoke his religion, but he refused. The king sent for a saw which was place in the middle of the monk’s head and he was sawn in half. Then the king’s courtier and called for and he also was asked to recant from his religion. He too refused and the saw was placed in the middle of his head and he was sawn in half.
Then the young man was brought forward and was asked to denounce his religion. He refused to do so. The king entrusted the young man to his men and told them: “Take him to such and such a mountain. When you reach the top and he still refuses to turn back from his religion, throw him off it.” They took him to the top of the mountain and the young man supplicated: “O Allah! Suffice me against them in whatever you way You will.” The mountain began to shake and the men fell off it. The young man came walking to the king who said to him: “What have your companions done?” He said: “Allah delivered me from them.” He was then given to another group of companions who were ordered to take him in a small boat to the sea and if he refused to return from his religion, to throw him into the sea. They took him along with them and he supplicated: O Allah! Suffice me against them in whatever way You will.” The boat sank and the young man again walked back to the king and said to him: “You will not be able to kill me until you do what I command you.” The king enquired: “What is that?” The young man answered: “Assemble the people in an open space and hang me from the trunk of a palm tree. Then take an arrow from my quiver and place it in the middle of the bow and say: ‘In the name of Allah, the Lord of this young man’, and shoot the arrow at me. If you do this you will be able to kill me.”
The people were made to assemble accordingly and the young man was hung from the trunk of a palm tree. The king took an arrow from his quiver and placing it in the middle of the bow said: “In the name of Allah, the Lord of this young man” and shot it. The arrow struck the boy in the temple who raised his hand to his temple and then died. Seeing this the people said: “We believe in the Lord of this young man.” The king was told: “Look! What you apprehanded has happened. The people declared their faith in the Lord of this young man.”
The king ordered trenches to be dug on both sides of the road and when they were ready, fire was lit in them. It was then announced that any person refusing to denounce his faith would be thrown into the trenches. This took place and a woman came forward accompanied by her baby boy. Se hesitated to be thrown into the fire and the boy said to her: “O Mother! Be firm and show patience as you are indeed upon the truth.”‘38
Look at how Allah responded to the sincere supplications and how the rules and laws of the creation were replaced and altered on account of ikhlaas to Allah, the Exalted. The young man fell into great danger when they took him to the top of the mountain in order to throw him off it. He then called upon Allah with extreme sincerity: ‘O Allah! Suffice me against them in whatever way you will.’ So the mountain shook, his captors fell off it and he came back walking to the king. Ikhlaas has been the cause of his safety from death and he was capable, by the grace of Allah the Sublime, to kill the enemies of Allah by his ikhlaas. Then they took him out to sea in a boat to rid themselves of this sincere (servant) – as they saw ikhlaas to be the secret of his strength – by throwing him into the sea. He again called upon Allah with the sincerity of a servant to his Lord: ‘O Allah! Suffice me against them in whatever way you will.’ The boat capsized with them and they were drowned. He again came back to the king, walking.
This is the ikhlaas by which Allah granted safety to this young man from great danger and by this ikhlaas the end of the enemies of Allah, the Blessed and Exalted was decided.
Then look at how this boy’s ikhlaas grew stronger when he sold his soul for Allah to become a martyr. He sacrificed himself so that the word of ikhlaas would be uttered and expressed all over the earth, that actions may be performed by it and that people may say: ‘We believe in the Lord of the young man.’
He had already said to the king: ‘You will not be able to kill me until you do what I command you.’ The king enquired: ‘What is that?’ The young man answered: ‘Assemble the people in an open space and hang me from the trunk of a palm tree. Then take an arrow from my quiver and place it in the middle of the bow and said: “In the name of Allah, the Lord of this young man” and shoot the arrow at me. If you do this, you will be able to kill me.’ And what was the result of this ikhlaas? The people’s faith in the Lord of the young man. No sooner had this young man died, the people began to say: ‘We believe in the Lord of the young man.’
This is the fruit of the young man’s ikhlaas. A complete mountain of faith by which they remained firm and steadfast in the face of being burnt. What Allah caused the baby boy to say when his mother was hesitant to jump into the fire was also from the fruits of ikhlaas: ‘O Mother! Be firm and show patience as you are indeed upon the truth.’
This baby boy spoke yesterday and yet the mouths of mankind today are closed, not mumbling anything – except upon whom Allah has shown mercy – and how few they are.
‘So is there one who will take admonition?’
_
Footnotes:
38. Reported by Muslim.
39. Suraah al-Qamar (54):32
*The Book of Sincerity by Hussayn al-’Awa’ishah
January 1, 2011
Bones of Kings
It is stated that once a king went hunting but was left behind by his companions. While looking for his companions, the king spotted a weak and unhappy young man who was examining some human bones. The king asked, “How did you become like this and what are you doing in this deserted and frightening place all alone?” The young man replied, “I'm in such a state because I have a long journey ahead of me. Two Angels which have been appointed over me (in the form of day & night) are after me and are scaring me and are making me run forward. Meaning that whatever days and nights pass, they are taking me closer to death.
Ahead of me I see a dark grave full of pain. Ah! Soon I will be left in it to rot and burn. It will be full of discomfort and worries. There I will become food for insects, my bones and their joints will be taken apart. This isn't the end though, after this there is also the Day of Judgement which will be more ferocious. After all this I don't even know whether I will be sent to Heaven or Allah (az'zawajal) forbid into Hell. You tell me, how can somebody who knows all this live so happily and safely?” After hearing this, the king was gripped by sadness and grief. The king got off from his horse and sat in front of the young man and said, “Oh young man, your words have snatched all my comfort and have taken my heart in their control. I want to know more.”
The young man said, “These bones that you see collected in front of me are the bones of such kings who fell into the trap of this world. They themselves conquered people, whilst arrogance conquered their hearts. These people stayed ignorant of the Hereafter. All their desires are left unfulfilled and their blessings stopped. In the graves, their skins have burnt and rotted away whilst their bones have been left unneeded and separated from each other. Soon, their bones will gain life and will again be covered with flesh and they will receive according to their deeds either a house of blessing (Heaven) or a house of torment (Hell). After saying this, the young man disappeared and the king couldn't find him anywhere. When the servants found the King they saw his facial expression of emptiness and big tears flowing down his cheeks. When the night came, the King took off his luxurious clothes and wrapped himself in two blankets and went into the jungle to do the worship of Allah (az'zawajal). After this time nobody heard from that King ever again (rahmatullahi ta'ala alaihima).
Ahead of me I see a dark grave full of pain. Ah! Soon I will be left in it to rot and burn. It will be full of discomfort and worries. There I will become food for insects, my bones and their joints will be taken apart. This isn't the end though, after this there is also the Day of Judgement which will be more ferocious. After all this I don't even know whether I will be sent to Heaven or Allah (az'zawajal) forbid into Hell. You tell me, how can somebody who knows all this live so happily and safely?” After hearing this, the king was gripped by sadness and grief. The king got off from his horse and sat in front of the young man and said, “Oh young man, your words have snatched all my comfort and have taken my heart in their control. I want to know more.”
The young man said, “These bones that you see collected in front of me are the bones of such kings who fell into the trap of this world. They themselves conquered people, whilst arrogance conquered their hearts. These people stayed ignorant of the Hereafter. All their desires are left unfulfilled and their blessings stopped. In the graves, their skins have burnt and rotted away whilst their bones have been left unneeded and separated from each other. Soon, their bones will gain life and will again be covered with flesh and they will receive according to their deeds either a house of blessing (Heaven) or a house of torment (Hell). After saying this, the young man disappeared and the king couldn't find him anywhere. When the servants found the King they saw his facial expression of emptiness and big tears flowing down his cheeks. When the night came, the King took off his luxurious clothes and wrapped himself in two blankets and went into the jungle to do the worship of Allah (az'zawajal). After this time nobody heard from that King ever again (rahmatullahi ta'ala alaihima).
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