{EOP}Translation {Ishq-e-Rasool [صلی اللہ علیھ والہ وسلم] – Sir Zaid Hamid’s address at Jamia Zia-ul-Uloom – Vol 2

Syed Zaid Hamid  at Jamia Rizvia Zia-ul-Uloom

A true Ashiq-e-Rasool

Sir Zaid Hamid’s address on Adab and Ishq-e-Rasool [PBUH] Part 2:

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

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

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

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

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

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

“When I say that I am a Muslim, I tremble with fear

Because I know what is the penalty of saying La ilaha ilallah”.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“My Lord you are the Magnificence of the two Worlds

I beseech you to listen to my one request on the Day of the Judgement

If you see that it has become necessary to judge me for my deeds

Judge me please, where Aaqa Kareem [صلی اللہ علیھ والہ وسلم ] cannot see me”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

صدیق کے لیے الله اور اس کا رسول بس

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

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

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

کی محمّد سے وفا تو نے تو ہم تیرے ہیں

یہ جہاں چیز ہے کیا لوح و قلم تیرے ہیں

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

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

At another place Iqbal says,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

May Allah be with you and may Allah always shade this Pakistan. May you always benefit from the company of Auliya and may your Ishq-e-Rasool [ صلی اللہ علیھ والہ وسلم] always remain. Ameen

In the words of Sultan Bahu,

ایمان سلامت ہر کوئی منگے
عشق سلامت کوئی نا

May Allah keep your Ishq strong. JazakAllah Khairan Kaseera.

Assalam-o-Alaikum Wa Rahmatullah Wabaraktuhu.

PART 1