Translated Speech of
His Eminence Ameer Muhammad Akram Awan
Shaikh Silsilah Naqshbandiah Owaisiah
We show Our ways to those who strive for Us.
This Quranic verse is apparently a simple sentence, but it points to the most difficult course of human life. It is human nature that man wants some invisible power to respond to him, protect him and help him in the time of need. In fact, this is an echo of our longing for Allah, placed within our subconscious by Him, because mankind is not any insignificant unit of creation. The whole universe, the Realm of Creation and the Realm of Command, all remain attentive towards this single entity. The revolution of the sun, moon and stars, and the attention of the whole universe is focused towards this tiny star known as earth. All of them cast their effects on it and cause changes on it. In reality, the earth is the focus of all activity taking place in the whole universe. The Almighty says while mentioning about this earth: All that is in the earth has been created for you. Earth is the centre of attention of the whole universe; Allah says, 'I have made for you all that grows on the earth as a result of the movement of the universe, the heat of the sun and the changing of the seasons.' There is a principle of philosophy that, if a person meditates in solitude that he is the only person living on this earth, he would realize that the sun continues to rise, clouds shower rain and the earth keeps spreading its benefits only for him - the lone dweller. This whole range of blessings is the lot of every single human being.
Allah has assigned much importance to a human being. He has put something different in him, than His remaining creation. There are two realms in the universe, the Realm of Creation (Alam-e Khalq) and the Realm of Command (Alam-e Amar). The Realm of Command starts from where the Realm of Creation ends. The Realm of Creation is ephemeral and temporary, and is destined to an end and destruction. Command is a Divine Attribute; the Divine Being is Eternal and so are all His Attributes, they are timeless and endless! Therefore, the Realm of Command exists from the immemorial to eternity, it is everlasting. The Supreme Lord created man as a mixture; He created his body from the Realm of Creation and infused a Rooh into it from the Realm of Command. How was the Rooh created? This is beyond the scope of your knowledge. It is sufficient for you to know that it is from the Realm of Command and is thus eternal. Once established, the Rooh-body connection assumes such strength that the body becomes useless without its Rooh, and, the Rooh is equally helpless without its body; it can't operate independently in this world of cause and effect. Due to this connection, the human body will continue to exist forever alongwith its Rooh. When the Rooh of a person separates from his body, he is absolved of all religious and worldly obligations, but the Rooh retains its connection with each cell of the body, in whatever condition and wherever it might be, even if the body is burnt or eaten by a beast. The body may be reduced to any form; its particles continue to exist. If the Rooh is in Illiyin (a high station of Divine Bliss), each cell of the body enjoys the bliss of those Lights and Blessings that keep descending on the Rooh. But, if the Rooh strays from its path and is lost in the wilderness, each cell of the body experiences, through their relationship, the effects of all of the troubles that the Rooh faces and all of the difficulties that it encounters.
On the Day of Resurrection, the body will be restored and the Rooh will flow into it. The holy Prophet-saws said the twain would quarrel in front of Allah. The Rooh will complain, 'O Allah! I am from the Realm of Command, I am pure in essence as well as in nature. The fault is because of this body; when it joined me, it dragged me (under its physical impulses) to Your disobedience, and thus abased me also.' The body would wail on its own, 'O Allah! I was a collection of mere dust particles, I had no knowledge of any good or bad, each of my particles performed Your Zikr. The fault is because of this Rooh.' Almighty Allah will ask them to watch what unfolds before them. They will see a beautiful, fruit-laden garden with two men in it, one disabled and the other blind. The disabled man will tell the blind man, “All of the trees in this beautiful garden are laden with ripe fruit, but I can neither climb nor pick them. You should pick them.” The blind man will reply, “How can I pick fruit, when I can't see anything?” Then they will sit down to devise a plan. The disabled man will ask the blind man, "If you climb onto my shoulders, will you pick some fruit?" "Of course" whispers the blind man. The blind man then climbs onto the disabled man's shoulder and together they pick the fruit. Almighty Allah will now ask the Rooh and its body, “Which of these two is blameworthy?” They will submit, “O Lord! They both are rascals of the same grade.” Almighty Allah will say, "This is exactly your relationship. The Rooh couldn't have done anything independently without its physical body; similarly, the body would have been lifeless without its Rooh. Whatever you did, you did it together and were lost in the pursuit of worldly pleasures. I granted this blessing to man and illuminated his dust particles with Refulgence from the Realm of Command, because I wanted his heart to be My home. He should not only know Me, but recognise and love Me. He should not only love Me, but crave after Me passionately, to the extent of madness! He may lose his life but shouldn't forsake his love for Me. If it goes that far, he has defeated even death!"
Don't call those slain in the cause of Allah, as dead. Not only calling them dead is prohibited, but also thinking of them as dead is also forbidden. Your rationale for life is that you eat and move around: they also eat. Whatever you eat of grain, fruit or meat is a product of dust; you consume dust, they consume Noor (Divine light). The acme of human excellence lies in the acquisition of a passionate longing for Allah. Man should be willing to forsake both worlds, but should never forsake the love of Allah and the love of His holy Prophet-saws: and the name for all love is Muhammad-saws! If you take this name out, then there is nothing but hate in the whole universe. There is no concept of love outside of this blessed man; there has never been, nor shall there ever be any love without him! Every Prophet, from Prophet Adam-as to Prophet Isa-as was in the Ummah (followers) of the holy Prophet-saws. They had taken from him-saws all of the love that they had distributed, and when he-saws himself arrived, there remained no requirement for another Prophet. That is what is meant by 'The Seal of Prophethood'. Suns have risen before him also; they shed their light, illuminated their environment and set finally. But, our sun shall never set after its rising, it shall remain on the horizon forever. There remained no requirement of any other Prophet after the advent of the holy Prophet-saws, because when the sun rises, all other lights are extinguished. The holy Prophet-saws said, “Allah made a very beautiful building of Prophethood; it was complete except for one brick, and I am that brick. The building has been completed with my advent.”
Do you know what is love and what is the effect of love? Love is a relationship that binds the lover helpless and overwhelms his personal likes and dislikes. Since the Beginning, members of the human race have developed all types of relationships with one another, including those of love and affection, and will continue to build such relations till the End. Why is it that some of them are famous in the whole world and are known internationally, even in foreign folklore. Such numbered people were men and women like others, with nothing special about them. However, their mutual relationship had consumed them to the extent that they lost all consideration for their respect, comfort or family. And what is that love which doesn't drive a lover crazy; how can soundness of mind co-exist with any claim of love?
The most difficult task undertaken by the Prophets (which no one else could accomplish) was that they joined man with God. They salvaged him from the darkness of Kufr, brought him before Allah, and taught him to communicate directly with the Lord of the universe. The holy Prophet-saws retrieved people from idol-worship, polytheism, Kufr, wine, theft, mugging and every possible vice, and joined them with Allah. He-saws never bade them to worship his person, but said, 'I worship Allah; so should you, alongwith me.' This taste of Divine gnosis so charged that handful of nomads that they rose from the desert and spread the Light of Allah's Name to every corner of the globe. Don't forget that superpowers existed even at that time; there were mighty empires, huge armies, strong nations with specific civilizations and customs. But Allah's love spread like a wave creating His lovers in the whole world. Each lighted candle kindled the next and their light illuminated each corner of the globe. It generated such continuity that the call for prayers is resounding at some place on the globe at every moment. There is not a single moment when the Azan is not being called somewhere on the surface of earth. Out of the five calls for prayers, one is being called somewhere. If you survey their timings through a computer, you will discover a perfect harmony; from somewhere on the globe a crier will be calling people to Allah, at every moment. How strange! The holy Prophet-saws had called to mankind, 'Where are you straying? Why are you sad or worried? Just take Allah's love and forget all worries.' The poets have interpreted love in their own words and ways, but the central point is that, let anything happen, let the greatest calamities befall, let the greatest loss be met, let prestige, power, respect even life be sacrificed, but the fervour to meet the beloved should never slake. This feeling was inspired by the holy Prophet-saws and the Mu'azzin (the caller of the Azan) who invites everyone to it. I was myself amazed when I discovered that there is not a single moment in which the Azan is not being called somewhere on earth…Allah-o Akbar, Allah-o Akbar (Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest). But, if the caller of the Greatest Being, Who has created all blessings and has reserved a place for Himself in human nature, is calling us every moment and we have no time to listen to his call, then what type of Islam is this and what type of Muslims are we? It is not claim but conduct that matters. Nobody will care for superficial Islam on the Day of Resurrection. The whole world, not only us but even the previous Ummah, look towards intercession by the holy Prophet-saws. When people rise on the Day of Resurrection, everyone will want to reach the holy Prophet-saws and come under his flag. Everybody who claims to be a Muslim would run towards him, creating a great rush and hassle. The holy Prophet-saws would stop them and submit in the Divine Presence, 'O Allah, take these people out of my sight. My whole life was spent in implementation of the Quran while this is a crowd of people, who had expelled the Quran from their lives. They have nothing to do with me. Don't let them come near me. Drive them away to wherever You like.' Can anyone imagine the bitter regrets of such rejected people?
So the demand of love is that one's whole life should be spent according to the Quran. It is not the type of love that flourishes in solitude or under cover or in abstinence from all worldly business. This love demands that every business of life should be conducted according to the instruction of Allah and His holy Prophet-saws. Such love denotes eternal life and raises man to an acme where his daily routine is made in the Divine Presence. What a level of greatness for man that even his timings of rest and work are decided by Almighty Allah…you can eat this, but can't eat that; you can put on this dress, you can't put on that dress; you should say this, but shouldn't say that; talk to this person politely, but chop that fellow's head off. At one place, his action of restraint is liked; at another place his act of killing someone is liked, and at yet another place his act of self sacrifice is appreciated. So, the important point is not what he did, but who ordered that act and how sincerely he could accomplish it. What a great honour for man that he sleeps and wakes according to Divine Command, thinks according to Divine Will and acts according to Divine Pleasure! However, if someone leaves everything and just sits tight, he is doing something ludicrous. Earning Halal Rizq is as obligatory as any other worship like Salah, Saum, Zakat or Hajj. One only gets that which He gives, but it is worship to make this effort. Likewise, it is man's responsibility to strive to establish the truth; of course, it is He, Who will make things happen: that is decreed!
My brother, I am talking fiction. Where can you find such people during this time? Nowadays, people love Allah for their own benefits; they have made it into a business. Man wants to establish a relationship with Allah on equal terms: I will offer Your Salah, You provide for my children; I shall offer Your Salah, You make me profitable in my business; I shall offer Your Salah, You cure my disease: this is pure trading! Man has placed himself on a footing equal to his Lord, because trading is done on equal basis! In any case, this is our responsibility and duty. We weren't men of that calibre, but once assigned, the duty has to be carried out. We have to say these things. What happens then is between Him and His slaves. Our wish is that He grants sincerity and pure longing to everyone; once the desire is present, the doors start opening automatically. How many letters have I receive that say: I can't perform Zikr, I experience a stream of stray thoughts during Zikr; I miss Salah; this happens to me, that happens to me...how can I answer such questions? It is not that you can't perform Zikr, but the fact is that He doesn't allow you to perform Zikr. Now what can be done? You could have done some hanky-panky; He didn't like it and said, 'OK, remain without Zikr'. You don't feel like offering Salah; probably you tried to do some trading with Him during Salah, and He said, 'OK, you can leave it, My Arsh is not going to fall, if you don't prostrate before Me'. It is His promise that anyone who loves Him purely, those who strive in Our way…I open My ways for the one, who craves for Me. Then, why is your way closed, why do your and my ways get closed? When He says, 'I open the ways for him, he who yearns for Me'…He has not specified any number, it can be a thousand ways, it can be millions of ways, it can be innumerable ways. But why does our way get blocked? Sometime, it is Shaitan who is whispering evil thoughts, sometime we feel lazy, now we don't want to do Wudhu, now we don't want to pray Salah. Why? Probably we made a mistake about '…for Us'; at some place we tried to trade with Him. But why should He trade with us? Why should the Creator care for His creatures? He is not dependent on us; it is we who are dependent on Him, but we have forgotten our place. Allah is Independent, while you are dependents. He is Absolute and Independent, while you are ever needy and dependent. Need and dependence is your nature.
When one starts slackening in Zikr, misses Salah, errs in his dealings and commits sins, this indicates a decrease in the longing for Allah. Whenever that happens, turn to Allah, repent and pray, 'O Allah! I am stupid. I don't understand the importance of longing for You. Grant me that longing for You, the desire of longing for You and the awareness and comprehension of longing for You.' If you ask me, what will I do? If you request someone else, what can he do? All are alike; all are dependent and all have to make a request there. What He likes most is when some servant of His takes his problems and difficulties to Him directly. He wants…every slave should come to Me directly; talk to Me, establish a relationship with Me and share his problems with Me. Then, it is between Me and My slave! When a relationship is established with Him, problems remain problems no more; who cares about problems? You know, doctors inject or spray anaesthesia and then operate; they slit, tear and cut but there is no feeling of pain. If a medicine can have so much effect, how would a bearer of Allah's love feel any pain of problems? All problems eventually fall back without causing event the slightest pain. The greater the degree of nearness, the more delicate this relationship becomes.
I pray, but I am not happy; I feel this is my failing and the failing of all of us that we are doing nothing. Our existence has no bearing on the history of humanity; it has no effect on national life. A whole world acknowledges the love relationship of Majnoon with another mortal; and here we are, in the thousands, who claim a relationship of love with Allah, but nobody knows us. And we continue to complain: I slacken in Zikr, I miss Salah, I can't do this, I can't do that. What is this love and which type of fondness is this? It indicates that something is lacking somewhere!
My brother, I want…may it happen that His love is found in every home, street and city. May the hearts of Muslims nurture His love once again! A revolution is initiated and a change is brought purely for Allah, His Messenger-saws and Islam. Otherwise, just visiting places or writing in newspapers is of no consequence, whatsoever. This change depends on the sincerity of our intentions and the purity of our longing. I wish I can infuse this in your hearts. May Allah grant my wish; every heart acquires this love-pain, takes it along and distributes it far and wide! May it create a world of people, whose every action is for the good pleasure of Allah and in adherence to His Messenger-saws, those who don't care for anybody else! Such are the people who keep the thrones of mighty emperors on their tip-toes.
