Discourses on Islamic Way of Life Part-7 R

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DISCOURSES ONISLAMIC WAY OF LIFE

VOL .V II

ByJustice Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani

Translated ByIqbal Hussain Ansari

DARUL IS HA 'A TURDU BAZAR KARACHI-lPAKISTAN (021) 2631861


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Copy Right Regd, No.All Rights Reserved with DARUL - ISHAATKARACHICopy Rights delegated toMohammedAsif 310-NeM' MeenaBazarJama Masjid Delhi India.

FIRSTEDITION1999

COMPOSED BYZED GRAPHICSPRINTED AT

THE SAMI SONS PRINTERSPUBLISHERDARUL - ISHAAT URDU BAZAR KARACHI-1 PAKISTANE-mail: [email protected]

AVAILABLE ATIDARATUL MAARIFDARUL ULOOM KORANGI KARACHIIDARA EISLAMIAT190, ANAR KALI-LAHOREBAITUL QURAN URDU BAZAR KARACHI.MEM0MIS1AMICPUBLISHER I 188UAQATABADKARACHI.

AVAILABLE IN U.KAZHAR ACADEMY 1595-1597 LONDON RD.

NORBURY LONDON, SWI6 4AA


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Vol . V II

Inc ludes

58 ThePleasureOfSin - A Deception59 Mind Your Own Business60 Hate The Sin, Not The Sinner61 The Significant RoleOf

'Madrasahs '62 Suffering, A BlessingIn Disguise63 Stick To Halal (Lawful) Source Ofinome64 The Evil OfInterest-Based

Economy65 Abstain FromMockingAt The

Sunnah Practice66 The Blessing OfContentment 67Signs OfThe Age Of Titnahf

(Trials)68 How To Live Before One Dies?69 Avoid Impractical Questioning70 The Ulama AndModern

Prob lem


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PUBL ISH E R 'S NO T E

The English version of the Islahi Khutbat, has beenpublished by Darul Isha'at Pakistan. This is solely becauseof the Favours of Allah on us and the prayers of ourmen to r s .

This is the translation of the reformative speeches ofMufti Justice Mawlana Muhammad Taqi Usmani mayAllah prolong his benefits over us. He has been giventhese lectures for about ten years every week at the Bait ulMukarram Masjid, Karachi. Those who attend theselectu res gain much knowledge theoretically andpractically. L too, attend these lectures and have beenderiving much advantage. These lectures are beingrecorded on audio cassettes and books are publishedsubsequently. These cassettes and books cater to thosewho understand the Urdu language.We at Darul Isha 'at desired that an increased numberof people should benefit from these lectures. Allah helpedus get these books translated into English and publishthem and He also provided us the necessary means.Al-Hamdu-lil-laah, after six years of continuous effort acomplete set of these books is available to the readers. Letou r r e ade r s r ememb e r t ha t th e se book s h av e been


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Discourses On Islamic Way Of Lite (Vol:VII) 8

translated from oral lectures of the honourable MuftiJustice Mawlana Muhammad Taqi Usmani and not fromhis writings.

They may, therefore, find in them the style of thespoken words that the translator may have retained hereand there.

We have endeavoured to match the get up of thebooks withtheir invaluable content andhave paidduecarein the use of paper, printing and binding. We hope thatthis set of books will be very useful to our readers inEurope and the United States. They will gain beneficialknowledge from these books and be prompted to put theirknowledge into practice.

Insha Allah they will find a great change in theireveryday life.We have published many books in English and

many more are under preparation. Do write to us for a fulllist o f these books .

Finally, I request my readers to remember me intheirprayers as also my parents and family members. MayAl lah reward them.

KHALIL ASHRAF USMANIS/O MOHAMMAD RAZI USMANI


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CONTENTS

Series: 58THE PLEASURE OF SIN -A DECEPTION1. Paradise and Hell are concealed under curtains 282. Thebuyer of embers ofHell Fire 293. The path leading toParadise 294. You should not aspire for the fulfilment ofevery wish 305. Man's soul is addicted to tastes and pleasures 30

6. There is no peace in hankeringaftersensual desires 317. Pleasureand enjoyment knowno bounds 318. Commission ofAdultery openly and above board 329. Why are rapes being committed inAmericain such large numbers 3210. The thirst for Adulterycannotbe quenched 3311. An example ofthe tastes of sins 3312. Endure a little hardship and inconvenience 3413. The'self'is like a lion over a weak 3414. The'self'is like a suckling child 3515. The 'self' has acquired a tastefor sins 3616. Peace andTranquillity lieintheRemembranceofAllah 3617. Allah's promise cannot be false 3718. Now I have resolved to make my heartworthy ofofAllah's attention 3819. Whydoes the mother face all thesetroubles in bringing upher infant? 3920. Love puts an end to hardships and difficulties 392i. The miraculous impact of love explained

withthehelpof Love Stories 4022. The employee loves hissalary 41


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Discourses On Islamic WayOf Life(Vol VII)23. Try to acquaint yourselfwith thepleasureofAllah's worship 4224. An observation ofHazrat Sufyan Sauri ^^^; 4225. Idesire a state ofecstasy all day and night 4326. You shall find enjoyment in crushing the 'self' 4327. Try to acquire the sweetness ofEeman (Belief)4428. The Essence of TasawwujXMysticism) 4529. TheHeart ismeant for being broken 45

Series: 59MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS1. Action upon one verse 522. Causeof the sadplight of theMuslims 523. Why do the efforts remain fruitless? 544. You begin the work of reform on others 545. You have no thought ofreforming your ownselves 54

6. The sermons delivered remain ineffective 557. Everyone is accountable for his own deeds 558. An incident thathappened withHazrat Zun-noon Misri {*mi~}) 569. The sainthadhis eyes on his sins 5710. None remained bad in his eyes 5811. Look! How anxious man becomesabout his own sickness 5912. An event of a ladythat is full ofmorals 5913. HazratHamzalah ***^, become obsessed withthe idea that he had become ahypocrite 6014. Hazrat Umar * a^, suspectedhypocrisy in himself 6115. Extreme IgnoranceofDeert 6316. This is our plight 6317. ThewayofReforming 6418. HowdidtheHoly Prophet # trainthe Companions ?** *&^/? 6419. The Noble Companions


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I] Discourses On Islamic Way OI Life(VolVIl)22 How to create the thought of Self-Reform? 6923. The Reformatory meetings are held in

Darul Uloom 69Series 6 0HATE THE SIN, NOT THE SINNER1. The curse ofcondemning a Sinner 742. The Sinner may be compared to a sick person 743. It is KUFR (unbelief) and not the KAFIR(unbeliever) that deserves tobehated 754. MaulanaAshrafAli Thanawi Up^u^regarded others tobe better than himself 755. Who are those who suffer from this disease(ofsuperiority complex) ? 766. On seeinga sick person oneshould recitethissupplication 767.' This Du'a (Supplication) should berecited also on seeing a sinner 778. Hazrat JunaidBaghdadi a*&\ u^j kissedthe feet of a thief 789. One believer is like a mirror for another believerwhat is the meaning of thismaxim? 7910. Do not disclose the vice of oneman to another 79Scries 61THE SIGNIFICANT ROLEOF 'MADRASAHS'1. Introduction 842. Countless are Allah's blessings 853. TheGreatestblessing 864. Religious schools and propaganda against them 87

5. Objections are raised toall activities ofMolvis 876. This class ofMolvis is a shield for Islam 887. The search for a Religious school in Baghdad 898. Never tolerate the abolition of the Madarisrunning on theclassical pattern 919. A remedy to saveReligious Fervour andZeal from cooling down 9110. Objections raised against the Madaris (schools) 92


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Discourses On Islamic Wa> Of Life(Vol:VII) 1211. The Molvi is a Die-hard 9312. Give up worrying about the means oflivelihood for these Molvis 9413. Condemn this world 9514. Donotmake oftheMolvi an ironmonger

or a carpenter 9615. An Instructive event 9616. The blessings of theTeaching profession 9817. Student life ameliorates the Hereafter 9818. AneventconcerningHazrat M'aroofKarkhi Up aJJi ;u^ 9919. The Income and expenditure of theMadaris 10020. We depend on, and seek help from, Allah only. 10121. This is aDeeni Madrasah and not a shop 10122. Know your worth 102

Series:62SUFFERING, A BLESSING IN DISGUISE1. Glad tidings for the miserable 1082. There are two categories ofMiseries 1083. Some "Troubles" descend from Allahon man as punishment 1094. "Troubles" are also due toAllah's Mercy 1095. No man is free from troubles and worries 1106. A story full ofmorals 1117. Allahhasgranted different types ofwealth to different men 1128. Why should a favourite servant ofAllahbe burdened with cares and worreis? 1129. Prizes for those who are patient and forebearing 11310 Amost suitable example ofhardship 11411. Another example 11512. Thosewhorecite *il u (webelongtoAllah)when afflictedwith hardships 11513. We put to trouble our friends 11614. A unique story 11615. The calamitiescomingdown from Allah


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13 Discourses On Islamic Wa\ Of Life (VoLVIl)are forced Mujahadat(striv'mgs) 11816. A third example ofhardships 119

17. A fourth example 11918. The ordeals that fell on Hazrat Ayyub f^ 12019. The sign to indicate that a particularhardship is a Mercy from Allah 12120. The sign of the acceptance of aDu la(supplication) 12221. An event that happened to Hazrat Haj i

Imdadullah Sahib ^^ ju^ 12322. The essence o f the Hadith 12423. When a hardship befalls anyone, thevictim should display humbleness 12424. The account ofRighteous Man 12425. An event full o fMorals 12526. The conduct of the Holy Prophet &

during periods of distress 126Series 63STICK TO HALAL (LAWFUL)SOURCE OF INCOME1. The means ofLivelihood depends onAllah's dispensation 1322. The systems ofemployment and livelihoodare linked withDivine dispensation 1333. An astonishing instance ofApportionmento f Sus tenance 1334. It is the Divinely set system that theNight is for rest and the Day is for work 134

5. Do not close uponyourselfthe door of livelihood 1356. This is a Gift from Allah 1367. Allah is the Fontain-head for everything 1368. Why did Hazrat Usman Ghani 4**^ notrelinquish the Caliphate? 1379. The attribute of service to Humanity is

a Div ine Gif t 13810. An account of the ordeal ofHazrat Ayyub ps-j*,i* 13911. An event of demanding more money as Eid Gift 140


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Discourses On Islamic Way Of Life (Vol:VII) 1412 Summary 141

Series: 64THE EVIL OF INTEREST-BASEDECONOMY

1. The difficulties which the Muslimsof the Western world are facing 1462. Declaration ofwar against those whoare involved in Usurious dealings 1473. What is the meaning ofUsury? 1484. Giving something more without a prioragreement to this effect is not Usury 1485. Anice procedure of repaying a loan * 1486. Which kind of interest has the HolyQur' an forbidden andmade unlawful? 1497. Commercial loans were in vogue evenin the earlier days 1508. The reality does not change with thechange of form 1509. A pleasantry 15110. The trend of today's thinking 15211. A principle of the Islamic Shari'ah 15212. A misconception about theProphet's # time 15213. Everytribe was a Joint-Stockcompany 15314. The first amount o f Interest to be remitted 15415. An example ofBanking duringthe time oftheNoble Companions


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15 Discourses On IslamicWay Of Life (Vol:VII)the (indirect) cost ofproduction 15923. The advantage ofPartnership 159

24. The Profit is enjoyed by one party andthe loss is borne by another party 16025. Who are the beneficiaries in the Insurance

Business? 16026. The havoc done by Usury on theInternational Forum 16127. Alternatives to the Usurious system 162

28. The Islamic Shah 'ah has not forbiddenthings which are indispensable 16329. A goodly loan free ofInterest j) is notthe only alterenative to an Interest bearing loan 16330. Partnership is an alternative toInterest-bearing loans 163

31. Best results have been obtained fromthe partnership system 16432. Practical difficulties in the partnership system 165

33. How to surmount these difficulties? 16534. The second alternativesolutionto this problemis Leasing (^i) 16535. The third alternative istheMurabaha (profit-sale) 16736. Which o f these alternatives is more desirable? 16837. Financial Institutions working inthe present ageon Islamic principles ofeconomy and livelihood 169

Series: 65ABSTAIN FROM MOCKING ATTHE SUNNAH PRACTICE1. The outcome of the least degree of arrogance 1742. Ifwe had lived during the time of theNoble Companions (^p^^j 1753. Allah distributes His bounties according tothe capacities of the recipient 1754. Why did the Holy Prophet 4fc curse the person? 1775. Saintlymen possess different trends andtendencies 1776. Commence everygood deed from the right side 179


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Discourses On IslamicWayOf Life (Vol:VII) 167. Two Sunnah acts at one time 1798. Every item of the Sunnah is sublime 1809. Every item of the western civilization isjust the opposite of the right phase 18110. Why thewestern world ison the path ofprogress? 18111. The story of a wiseacre 18212. There is only one way for the Muslimsto prosper and progress 18313. Surrender yourselftotally to the servitude of

the Holy Prophet & 18414. Cutting joke with the Sunnah may resultin Kufr (disbelief) 18415. The teachings of the Holy Prophet $ andthe examples of those who accepted andacted upon them 18516. Three categories ofMen 18617. Invite others to the path ofDeen (Faith) 18718. One should not feel disgusted with thework ofpreaching 188

Series: 66THE BLESSING OF CONTENTMENT1. Do not be greedy ofworldly resources 1922. Love for Deen (Faith) is desirable 193

3. Love among the Companions


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17 DiscoursesOn Islamic Way Of Life (Vol:VII)12.. The word "If' is the key which opens the door

to Satanic acts 20013. The world is a mixture of comfort and discomfort 20014. Aman who is loved by Allah faces more hardships20115. What can a mean worm know about theexpedience of things? 20116. A pious man was moved to tears onaccount ofhunger 20217. The difference between a Muslim and an Infidel 20218. Be con tented with Allah's Decision 20319. There is solace in remaining contended withone's Destiny 20420. Destiny does not forbid takingpreventivemeasures 20421. After taking the necessary measures leave

the result to Allah 20522. An incident that took place with HazratFarooq Azam^^ , 20523. The correct concept ofDestiny 20724. To feel grief and shock is not against theprinciple of contentment with Destiny 20725. A very convincing example 20826. Failure in any project is also by Allah'sWill and Leave ' 20927. As a Mu'min you have put faith in thebelief in Destiny 21028. Why these worries ? 21129. A sentence worthy ofbeing writtenwith Gold Water 21130. Let the following advice be imprintedon your heart 21231. The secret in the comfort and peace enjoyed byHazrat Zun Noon Misri up jta u^, 21332. Hardship too is mercy in disguise 21333. An example 21434. Do not ask for hardships, but endure themwith patience when they come 215

35. Some accounts ofRighteous men 215


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Discourses On Islamic Way Of Life (Vol VII) 136. There is none in this world who is notfacing one or another hardship 21637. A less severe hardship averts a moresevere hardship 21738. Seek help from Allah 21839. Learn a lesson from an Innocent child 21940. It is a sign ofgoodness to submit to

Allah 's Decision 21941. The sense and meaning ofblessing 22042. The account o f a Rich Prince 22043. Remain contented with your Destiny 22144. My cup contains the essence ofthe entire Tavern 222

Series: 67SIGNS OF THE AGE OF'FITNAH9 (TRIALS)

1. The Holy Prophet # was commissionedas a Prophet for all peoples of the worldtill the Day of Judgement 2262. Predic tion about future events 2273. Anxiety for the salvation of the Ummah 2284. What Trials and Tribulations are expected to

break out in the future? 2295. What is a Trial? 2306. The meaning ofTrial 2307. The word *si (Trial) as used in the Ahadith 2318. A quarrel between parties is a ^ (Trial) 2319. Killing and robbing are ^ (Trial) 23210. A Hadith about the Holy City ofMakkah 23311. The cleaving asunder of the belly of theHoly City ofMakkah 23412. Rising ofbuildings higher than mountains 23413. The present era in the light of the Ahadith 23514. Seventy two(72) signs ofTrials andTribulations 23515. A mountain o fmisfortune shall fall down 24016. Who are the thieves of the Public Funds? 24117. These a re se rious cases o f theft 241


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19 Discourses On Islamic Way Of Life (Vol: VII)

18. Wine will be drunk under the name o fa harmless drink 243

19. Usurious transactions will be given thename o f business 24420. Bribery will be given the name ofGift 24421. To come to mosques, sitting on cushions 24422. Women will be naked, notwithstanding thatthey will be clad in garments 24523. The Hair on the heads of women will be

like camel humps 24524. These are cursed women 24525. The real purpose ofgarments 24626. Other nations will eat up the Muslims 24627. The Muslims will become like straws 24728. The Muslims will become coward 24729. The courage of the Noble Companions ?**&**> 24830. The burning desire of a Companion^^for martyrdom 24931. The firstcommand concerning the Period of Trials 24932. The second command concerning the

Period o f Trials 25033. The third command concerning thePeriod o f Trials 250

34. The best property of a man during thePeriod o f Trials 25135. An important injunction to follow duringthe Per iod o f Trials 25136. Four signs of the Period ofTrials 25137. The conduct of the Noble Companions ^ ^ ^on difference ofopinions 254

38. Theconduct ofHazrat Abdullah bin Umar ^ ^ j 25539. How to conduct ourselves during conditionso f Peace and Disturbance 25640. Amicablemutualrelations inspite ofdifferences 256

41. The conduct ofHazrat Abu Hura i rah^^^ , 25742. The reply ofHazrat AmirMu'awiyah^^,Caesar o f Rome 257


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Discourses On Islamic Way Of Life(VolVII) 2043. All the Noble Companions^^^

are Honourable and Dignified in our eyes 25844. The sincerity and Godliness ofHazrat AmirMu'awiyah *****> 25845. Retire into seclusion 25946. Take care of your own Reform and Well-being 26047. Look intoyour ownweaknesses 26048. Refrain from sins 261

Series: 68HOW TO LIVE BEFORE ONE DIES?

1. Death is inevitable 2662. What isthemeaning of kVDying before Deatlf' ? 2663. I have to face death one day 2674. Neglectingtwo sublimeblessings 2685. An incident ofHazrat Bahlol ^


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21 Discourses On Islamic Way Of Life (Vol:VI1)continuously 28023. An event that happened toHazrat Mu'awiyah ^ * ^ 28124. Regret and repentance lead to elevation of status 282

25. Let my sins go to Hell 28326. Wage a lifelong warfare against the'self' 28427. Take a step forward and Allah shall support you 28428. What reply will you give to Allah whenHe questions you? 28629. Pray to Allah to grant you courage and capacity 28730. There is no deficiency, whatsoever,in Allah's Bounties and Mercy 288

Series 69AVOID IMPRACTICAL QUESTIONING

1. The result of putting too many questions 2922. What kind of questions should be avoided? 2933. It is Satan's business to involve peoplein irrelevant questions 2934. The tendency of trying to know thereasons for the Injunctions of the Shari 'ah 29A5. A most convincing reply to questions

underlying the wisdom ofReligious Injunctions 2946. Do not m eddle w ith the W isdom and

Prudence o fAllah 2957. The Noble Companions ^ a u ^ neverput questions beginning with "Why". 2958. This is a proof of deficiency in our love for Allahand in the acknowledgement of HisGreatness 2969. The similitudes o f a child and a servant 29710. Summary 297

Series: 70THE ULAMA AND MODERN PROBLEM

1. The need for this study Seminar 3022. The theory ofSecular Democracy 3033. The latest theory 3044. What was spread with the Cannon ? 304


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Discourses On Islamic Way Of Life (Vol"VII) 225. This was all due partly to the conspiracies

of enemies and partly to our own negligence 3056. Theeffectof the system of Education on students 3077. Propaganda in favour of the Secular system 3098. A wide gulfbetween the General Publicand the Ulama 3109. An ignorant person is he who is not awareof the Trend of the Times 311

10. Three Unique peculiarities inImam Muhammad ^ ^ ^ 31211. We have accepted the conspiracy 31212. The responsibility of the scholars in the field ofResearch and Investigation 31313. It is the responsibility of the Faqih (Jurist)

to find out alternative Avenues 31314. The Faqih (Jurist) is a Preacher also 31415. The objectiveof this meagre attempt of ours 31416. I have taken great pains in embarkingupon this subject 31517. A fresh example ofthe Importance ofthiscourse 31518. The people's enthusiasm 31619. The sparks of Eeman (Faith) are still simmering

in the hearts o f the Muslims 31620. The fear to give explanation in the presenceofAlmighty Allah 31721. We should take part in paving the pathofRevolution 31822. Knowledge ofNew Publicationsand Compilations is inevitable 318


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FOREWORDTo The English Edition byJustice Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani

In the name ofAllah, the Compassionate, the Merciful.On the advice of some of my elders I hold a weeklymeeting in Jamia Masjid AlBaituI Mukaram attended by alarge number ofMuslim brothers and sisters. Rather thangiving a formal lecture, my basic purpose intended to beachieved through these meetings is that we get together forsome time to review our ways of life in the light of Islamic

teachings and to deliberate what is going to happen to us afterwe leave this mundane world. When the Muslims having trueIslamic orientation sit together for this purpose, each one ofthem benefit from the other to create a genuine concern aboutour coming life which is the real and eternal life as comparedto the present one which may come to an end any time.I this mutual meeting which is meant for self-correctionInormally read a book ofHadith and explain it to the audiencein the light ofwhat Ihave learned from my elders with specialreference to the current attitude prevailing in our society andtouching upon the relevant practical issues, social evils and themajor faults found in our practical life. My friend Maulana

Abdulla Memon who regularly attended these meetingsusually prepares the audio cassettes of these addresses whichare widely circulated in the country and abroad. He has alsotranscribed some of these audio cassettes in an abridged formand after their compilation he has published them in separate


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Discourses On Islamic Way Of Life (Vol:VII) 24volumes under the title of "Islahi Khutbaat". Nine volumes ofthis compilations have already come out in Urdu by the graceof Allah which were widely circulated, read and benefitedfrom.

Since long some of my friends were suggesting thatthese addresses be rendered into English as well so that theymay be useful for the English readership. I was reluctant to actupon the suggestion because, as told earlier, these addresseswere not formal lectures on a particular subject. They were infact discussions, on different aspects of our lives, undertakenwith frankness rather than formalism. They some time lack thesequence usually expected from a well considered writing.Therefore, I do not know how far their translation will be asmeaningful and effective as itwas proved to be in the originalUrdu language. However, my nephew, Mr. Khalil AshrafUsmani, the proprietor of Darul Ishaat, requested Mr. IqbalAnsari and Mr. Rafiq Abdur Rehman to translate theseKhutbaat into English. Both of these gentlemen undertook thetask and the outcome of their noble effort is appearing beforethe readers. I had advised them not to be too strict in literaltranslation and to render the basic idea in their own style. I hadno opportunity to go through the manuscript of theirtranslation but had an occasion to have a cursory look on somepassages. To the best of my assessment the translation I haveseen is co rrect and conveying. I hope that itwill help readersto understand the basic theme of these Khutbaat. May Allahgrant the best reward to the translators and publisher of thisbook a nd make it beneficial for the readers. I would againremind the readers that it is not a book properly authored byme. It is the compilation of my extempore discussionstherefore, I extend my apology if some readers find thesequence of thoughts somehow disturbed in some places.However, the readers should concentrate on the message givenand not on the style adopted.

Muhammad Taqi Usmani


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Ser ies 58

THE PLEASURE OF SINA DECEPTION

DARUL IS H AA T urdu bazar Karachi-i


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Venue : Jame' Masjid Baitul MukarramGulshan-e-lqbalKarachi

Date : 27th September 1991


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THE PLEASURE OF SIN -A DECEPTION

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ses On Islamic Way Of Life (VolVIl) 28him whom He lets go astray. We bear witnessthat there is no god but Allah the OneWhohasno partner. We also bear witness that our sire,and our authority and our Prophet and ourMaster, Muhammad $ is His servant and HisMessenger. May Almighty Allah have mercy onhim,his household andblessand salutethemallin great abundance.Itisnarrated from Hazrat Abu Hurairah o**^that the Holy Prophet & said: Hell isconcealed under the screen of sensual desiresand Paradise is concealed under the screen ofadversities and calamities.

Paradise and Hell are concealed under curtainsAlmighty Allah had made this world a house oftrials and tribulations. These trials and tribulationsdemand that man should get over them successfully byusing his intelligence and understanding. IfHell with allits tortures and torments and Paradise with all its bliss,blessings and pleasures and charming scenes were broughtbefore a man to see them with his own eyes and he wasasked to choose between the two and take the path leadingto his chosendestination, thiswould not be a trial and test.Allah, however, created this trial by creating Paradise aswell as Hell. Allah coveredHell under a curtain of sensualdesires which are driving men to Hell. For example, adesire rises in the heart to commit some sins which leadman to Hell. On the other hand, Allah has concealedParadise under the curtain of things/acts repulsive andunattractive, e.g., getting up early in the morning, offeringthe Fajr Prayer, rehearsing Allah's names and giving upsins. In general man dislikes such acts of righteousness


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even though Paradise lies concealed behind them.The buyer of embers of Hell-FireThe path of hankering after the satisfaction ofsensual desires thoughtlessly and irrationaly, particularly,without distinguishing between lawful and unlawful, rightand wrong is sure to lead to Hell. For example, a man isvery fond of sports and shows which are in our timesreadily available in everyhouse through the Radio and theTelevision. These are all sensual desires for thesatisfaction of which man spends money and purchasesarticles of sports and enjoyment by working hard andtaking pains. This is, so to say that he is purchasingembers of Hell-Fire in his house to decorate hisdrawing-room and bedroom for himself and for hischildren. He is thus preparing for Hell instead of Paradise.He is doing all this, only because there is the curtain ofsensual desires between his eyes and the reality. If thiscurtain is lifted and man's eyes become sharp enough topenetrate into the reality of things, he shall know that allthat he is doing presently is nothingbut acts to take him toHell .

The path leading to ParadiseOn the other hand, Paradise is concealed under thecurtain of repulsive and undesirable acts. Man's soul isaverse to worship and devotion and obedience to Allah,but these are the paths that lead to Paradise. There is aman who pulls up courage once to protect himslef fromthe dirty path of sensual desires and takes the path whichis apparently arduous but which leads him to Paradise.This man will to go Paradise direct.


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Discourses On IslamicWay Of Life (Vol.VII) 30You should not aspire for thefulfilment of every wishThe Holy Prophet Ifc has warned you, through theHadith cited above, against being deceived by sensualdesires, as they are unlimited. There is none in this worldwho can claim that whatever wishes arise in his heart arefulfilled. None, whether he is a great capitalist, apowerful King or a manof authority can say that whateveris happening in this world is happening in accordancewith his wishes. He too receives shocks and suffers fromhardships and mishaps. This world is not a place of lastingcomfort and peace. One must suffer from hardships in theworld. Now itisupto you whether you cause hardships toyour soul by force onyourownsweet will or do so only toplease Allah and resolve that you shall refrain from thissin becauseAllah has forbidden you to commit it and youmust, therefore, avoid it at all costs. The first path ofpleasing your own soul leads to Hell and the second pathof pleasing Allah leads to Paradise. You should, therefore,give up the habit of insisting upon attaining every wishand feeling dejected when you meet failure in theattainment of your cherished wish. You must give up thishabit, because it leads to Hell.Man's soul is addicted to tastes and pleasuresOur self' or the power which urges man to dosomething has become used to worldly pleasures andenjoyments. It rushes to such acts which offer apparentpleasure and enjoyment. This has become its nature. Itgoads man to engagements and occupation which affordpleasures and enjoyments. This self creates in man's heartdesires. In this situation ifman leaves his selfunbridled tohanker after the satisfaction his desires and he thus


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31 Discourses On Islamic Way Of Life (Vol:VII)succumbs to every temptation of the self, then he ceases tobe a man and turns into an animal.There is no peace in hankering after sensual desiresIt is the natural tendency of sensual desires that ifyou hanker after them follow them doggedly and meettheir demands then there will be no end to this tendency.Man's 'self' will never say that all his desires standsatisfied and he has nothing more to wish. Such a stagecan never materialise because it is impossible for a man'sdesires to be Milled in his lifetime. As such, a man cannever have peace of mind in his lifetime. Why is it so?This is because no sooner is one desire fulfilled than the'self' brings forward another desire. It is the specifictendency of a man's self that after enjoying one pleasurehe atonce wishes towards another pleasure. As such, if aman wants to attain peace ofmind and soul he can neverattain peace during his entire lifetime. If anyone sodesires, he can make an experiment to verify this truth.Pleasure and enjoyment know no boundsThose known as the developed nations of the worldhave advised not to interfere with the private life ofanyone. Let him do whatever he likes and also let himenjoy whatever he wants to enjoy. Do not stand in the wayof his pleasure-seeking and merry-making. You see hownow-a-days people are unrestrained in the matter ofseeking pleasures and enjoyments of life. They have toconfront no restriction in their merry-making, neither fromthe law, nor from the religion, nor from the rules ofmorality. Everyone is following the dictates of his ownchoice. If you ask anyone of these merry-makers if theyhave found satisfaction of all their desires and nothing


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more remains to be desired his reply will be in thenegative he will admit that he desires more and more. Infact one desire gives rise to another desire and this viciouscircle is never broken.

Commission of Adultery openly and above boardI f a westerner desires to have inter-course with a

strange woman, there is none to stop the couple from thisact of fornication in any part of the land. We are seeingwith our own eyes the truth of what the Holy Prophet 4&predicted in his sacred Ahadith fourteen hundred yearsago, namely:

A t ime will come when that man will beregarded as most righteous who, on seeing acouple committing adutlery on the mid-roadwill ask the couple to do so under the cover ofa nearby tree. He will not say to them that theyare committing a sin.That time has nearly come now, as this sin of

fornication is being committed openly and without theneed of any cover, whatsoever.Why are rapes being committed in Americain such large numbers ?

Thus, if anyone takes the unlawful way to satisfy hissexual lust all doors are wide open before him.Notwithstanding this, cases of rapes do not occur sofrequently anywhere in the world as they occur in Americaeven though there is no restriction at all in committing thesame sin with mutual consent of the couple. Why thencommit rapes? This is, because the people have exhaustedtheir pleasure by committing the sin with mutual consentand now theywant to experiencethepleasureof committing


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rapes forcibly. Thus, v.e see that there is absolutely no endto human desires and they go on increasing and increasingtill infinity.The thirst for Adultery cannot be quenched

You might have heard the name of a disease"Joo-'ul-Baqar* j^i*. The English equivalent for thisArabic name is gluttony or voracity. The symptom of thisdisease is that however much and how often the patientmay eat, his hunger is never satisfied. Likewise there is adisease *ii-=-i i.e. Dropsy in which the patient feelsintensely thirsty, but, however, much and how often hemay drink water, his thirst is never quenched. The same isthe state o f man 's desires. The more a man succeeds insatisfying his one desire, the more desirous he becomes tosatisfy another desire and the process of increase in hisdesires does not cease at any stage.An example of the taste of sins

There is no denying the fact that the sins do containin them taste and pleasure. It is indeed often very tastefuland enjoyable to commit sins. It is a trial in this world thatit is very pleasing to cast glances on sinful objects andscenes which irresis tably attract and tempt the heart.Maulana Ashraf AH Thanawi up&\ ^ has compared thepleasure in sin to the tickling pleasure of scratchingitches/scabbies. If you ask the man suffering from theseskin diseases not to scratch the itches he will not stopfrom scratching on account of the sensation of pleasure inthe act of scratching. As a result the malady getsaggravated, causing burning and irritation - pains incomparison with which the false and momentary pleasureof scratching is nothing. In the same way the pleasure and


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Discourses On Islamic Way Of Life(Vol VII) 34enjoyment of sins are false, short-lived and only apparentand not real. If Almighty Allah favours a man with thetaste and pleasure of His remembrance on a permanentbasis, the taste, and pleasure in this righteous deedbecome lasting and real and so valuable that the falseplease received from sins is nothing; it is only imaginaryand a passing phase.Endure a little Hardship and InconvenienceThat is why Almighty Allah and His Prophet #have forbidden men to hanker after the satisfaction of theirsensual desires, because this habit will push them downinto the abyss of destruction. Theyhave commanded thatmen should exercise some control over their desires andcontain them within the bounds of the Sharee 'ah. In thebeginning man shall find some difficulty in suppressinghis desires, say, the urgeof viewing the Television and itscharming but obsene scenes; this is the demand of the'self. In the beginning man shall find himself in a verydifficult situation inhaving to suppress his refractory 'self'from these tempting occupations. These will however, beonly a temporary phase and in due course of time thesedifficulties will disappear giving place to peace andtranquillity.The 'Self" is like a lion over aweakAlmighty Allah has so created the 'Self that, in spiteof stress, if anyone stands up against it with courage andfirmly resolves thathappen what may, he shall never relapseinto those sinful acts, the grip ofhis 'Selfwill begin to relaxand hewill find himself freed from that grip. This 'Self andSatan are strong like a lion for the weak who obey themmeekly and respond to their demands and ultimatley


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35 Discourses On Islamic Way Of Life (Vol:VII)overpower them. On the other hand the man who standswith a firm resolution against these forces of seduction withthe resolution that he shall never revert to those acts of sin,then the 'Self' as well as Satan will both give way and findthemselves discomforted and this change in the personconcerned will improve gradually for the better. Thedispelasure and inconvenience in giving up the sinful actswill ultimately give way to peace, pleasure and satisfactionand the 'Self' itselfwill become agreeable to this change.The Self' is like a suckling child

Allamah Busiri up an ^ the composer of the famousQasidah Burdah (an eulogistic poetical composition) was agreat saint who became very famous on account of hisQasidah (eulogy) which is mostly in praise of the HolyProphet # . In one of its couplets he has driven at a verywise point:

Th is mean s:Man's 'Self is like a suckling child. If it is leftsuckling its mother's milk it will continuesuckling even when it becomes quite young. Onthe other hand, if it is weaned from suckling itgives it up (and begins to eat solid food)When the child is weaned from suckling, it willprotest, weeping and crying, yet the child has to beweaned, otherwise it shall go on suckling till youth. This

stern action is taken, because in it lies the welfare of thechild and the mother. After weaning the child gets used tosolid food in a short time. The same is the example ofman's 'weaning' from the 'milk' of sensual desires and


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lusts. When once this so-called 'weaning' has beenattained, man gradually becomes used to the path of rightguidance and righteousness (Taqwa).The Self' has acquired a taste for sinsAllamah Busiri u^i-u^ is quite right in comparingman's Self to a suckling child. It has become used to thepleasure and taste of sins. If you leave it free to behave as itlikes, because stopping it from the commission of sins, e.g.from telling lies, backbiting in assemblies is a adifficult task,these sins will continue for ever. The 'Self' has also becomeused to the taste of usury/interest andmany other sins and itwill be a troubleous task to interfere with the behaviour of theSelf . Ifthe Self is left in this condition it will never get outofthemireofsinsnorwill itgetpeace thewhole lifetime.Peace and tranquillity lie inthe Rememberance of AllahRemember well that there is no peace in disobeyingAllah. You see that a man has amassed all the resources ofthe world, yet he has no peace of mind.I have just now given the example of the westernsocietywhere there is plenty ofwealth, a high standard ofeducation and all the doors of acquiring pleasure andenjoyments of life are wide open and they may enjoy lifeas they like, yet they cannot sleep without taking sleepingpills. Why so ? This is because theyhavenopeace in theirhearts on account of sins which furnish unrest and anxiety.There is only one place where peace is available and thatis the Remembrance ofAllah:

Surely, in the remembrance ofAllah do hearts


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"Mujahadah" or striving implies that a man takes afirm reso lu tion that he will not commit this sin, whatevermay happen : as a result of this resolution, desires may goto the winds, the heart and the mind may have to undergountold tortures. According to Allah's promise a man willbecome Allah's friend and Allah will Himself guide him,catching hold of his hand the day he decides to oppose his'Self and takes a strong stand against it.Now I have resolved to make my heartworthy of Allah's attention

So the first step taken on the path of reform is what iscalled o.ubv meaning hard striving. Our Hazrat Dr. AbdulHayee Sahib a * ^ ^ used to recite this Urdu couplet:Ox Jll Jy l J* d? dltil

A Jhr


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39 Discourses On Islamic Way Of Life (Vol VII)imagine the pleasure theman will receive on thinking thathe is suppressing his desires and pretences for no othercause than the cause of pleasing Allah.Why does the mother face all these troublesin bringing up her infant ?

Look at the condition of the mother. It is severe coldand she is comfortably lying on her bed with her childsleeping by her side. In this condition the child urinates.Her 'Self whispers to her not to leave her warm bed inthat intensely cold night. The mother is thinking in theother way. She thinks that if she leaves the child in thisway with its body and clothes soiled and wet with urine, itmay catch cold and develop fever. Ignoring thedemand ofher 'Self she gets up in that severely cold night and goesout to wash the clothes of the child with cold water andchanges thechild's clothes. This is notanordinary torture,yetthemother endures it for the welfare of her child. Themother has in her view the child's health and well-being.That is why sacrificing her comfort and crushing herdesires she is takingthese pains on a severelycoldnight.Love puts an end to hardships and difficultiesI give below an example to explain this reality. Thereis a barren woman who has a burning desire to be blessedwith an issue. She visits medical clinics, visits holy men andrequests them to pray toAllah to grant hera baby. Shealsovisits professional soothsayers for talismans to help her inherdisappointment. Another woman advises hernot to longfor a baby, because she will have to undergo greatdifficulties in brining up the baby, e.g., getting up on severcold nights towash the baby's clothes with cold water, andlie awake on nights when the baby falls sick and so many


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Discourses On Islamic Way Of Life(Vol VII) 4(Jother hardships. The barren woman condemns this advicewith contempt, saying that shewould sacrifice the comfortofthousands ofsuch cold nights for the sake ofthe baby.Thus the desire to have an issue turns all hardships andincoveniences into a pleasure. The worries and discomfortsinvolved in bringing up the baby will become a source ofgreat satisfaction and pleasure for the woman. The motherwho has to get up on cold winter nights to wash her baby'sclothes with cold water shall, as a rule of nature, face somany difficulties and sufferings, but in her great desire for ababy she has no hitch in crushing her desire for ease andcomfort. Maulana Rumi u*^ . has expressed the same ideaina line ofPersian poetiy:

*>* Jij^1 H1^ j\Love turns bitterness into sweetnessIn other words, difficult tasks which men avoid inordinary circumstances become a source of comfort andenjoyment to a lover.The miraculous impact of love explainedwith the help of love storiesThe oriental classical writings are full of lovestories. One of them is, the famous love-story of Shirinand Farhad. Relating this story Maulana Rumi > jj.1*.., hassaid that the impossible task infatuated by his love for herbeloved Shirin, Farhad undertook ofdigging out acanaJ ofmilk, as a condition of getting the hand of his beloved setofffor the mountains with his axe in hand. Although thiswas a herculian, rather impossible task, yet the lover saidthat the task was easy for him as he was doing it for hisbeloved Shirin.

The love-story ofLaila and Majnu is more popular


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and wide-spread than the love-story of Shirin-Farhad.Maulana Rumi u ^ u ^ . has said :

The value and intensity of Allah's love canotbe less than those of Majnu's love for hisbe loved La i la . T he l ove for Al l ah is soprecious that it is much better that the loverbecomes a ball to be kicked and tossed aboutagain and again.Thus, the tortures a lover endures for the sake of

love become a source of enjoyment and pleasure.The employee loves his salaryAn employee is sleeping comfortably on a cold nightwrapped up in a warm quilt, but he gets up from thiswarm bedding and prepares to leave for the place of hisemployment. His 'Sell0 was tempting him to enjoy thecomfor t avai lable in the house with his wife and children,but leaving all these comforts, he proceeds to his place ofwork, where he works hard and comes back home late inthe evening. There are many workers who leave theirhouses very early in the morning, leaving their childrensleeping and come back very late in the night when theirchildren have gone to their beds to sleep. If anyone askssuch a person to give up his job, because it is sostrenuous, the reply will be that he got the job with greatdifficulty and would not think of giving it up. He feels apleasure in facing all this incovenience and difficulties forthe love of the salary he draws for the work at the end ofevery month. The prospects of this salary has rendered thebitterness of the job sweet and pleasant. If by chance the


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Discourses On Islamic Wa\ Of Life(Vol VII) 42job is lost he would feel deeply aggrieved and wouldremember with fondness the odds of the job. He is insearch of recommendation and assistance so that he maybe reinstated in his lost job. If anyone falls in love withany thing, all bitterness and hardships become pleasantand tasteful in the path of that love.In the same way there is hardship in renouncingsins, but this is felt only in the beginning, when once aman pulls up courage and takes a firm stand against thesins and their charms Allah's help comes to the man'srescue and what seemed difficult becomes easy and theman gets a pleasure inAllah's worship.Try to acquaint yourselfwith the pleasureofAllah's worship

Once ourHazrat Dr. Abdul Hayee ^ j*^ told us avery wonderful truth on this point. He said that by natureman's 'Self' hankers after pleasures and enjoyments. Infact it lives on pleasures and enjoyments, even though ithas no preference for any particular category ofpleasureand enjoyment. It only wants some pleasure whatever itsform. We have made the 'Self used toanundesirable formof pleasure. We should try once to make it used to thepleasure of obeying and worshipping Allah. If you havesucceeded in accustoming the 'Self* to this type'ofenjoyoment itwill stick toiton a permanent basis.An observation ofHazrat Sufyan Saurij. jwjHazrat Sufyan Sauri u* in ^ is one of the greatestMuhaddith and saint. He has observed:Allah has granted us, by His mercy, the taste ofknowledge, worship and remembrance of Allah and therehearsal of His sacred name. If the news of this taste


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reaches the Kings, Emperors and the capitalists, they willattack us with their drawn swords to snatch from us thistaste and pleasure. They, however, are quite in dark aboutthe taste of this enjoyment. They are, therefore, under amisconception that taste and enjoyments lie only in sinsand misdeeds. The real taste and pleasure consist inAllah's worship and remembrance the charm of whichAllah has bestowed upon His saints and devotees.I desire a state of ecstasy all day and nightThere is a very famous line of poetry composed bythe renowned Urdu poet of the Indian sub-continent,Ghalib. Our Hazrat Dr. Abdul Hayee upJuu^, has given aunique interpretation of this line:

I have nothing to do with the intoxication of wine.What 1desire is the pleasure of ecstasy all day and night.I am enjoying this pleasure of ecstasy in wine,because you ha\ e made me used to wine. If you had mademe used to Allah's remembrance and obedience to Him. Iwould have received this pleasure in these acts ofdevotion. It is. therefore, your fault that you have made meused to wine instead of these acts of devotion.

You shall find enjoyment in crushing the 'Self'Likewise, this ..u^ (striving) in the path of Allahappears to be very difficult in the beginning, becausewe arebeing taught to oppose our 'Self and the desires it raises inour hearts. It is the desire of the 'Self that we shouldbackbite others in our assemblies as much as possible. Thesin ofbackbiting is so pleasant that it is very difficult to stop


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Discourses On Islamic Wax Of file (Vol VII) 44the tongue from backbiting. You should, however,remember that the difficulty is only superficial. Ifman hastaken a firm resolve to renounce it, Allah"s help is sure tocome. The superficial difficulty you have endured incrushing the charm and temptation of this sin will turn intoa pleasure and taste which will be far superior to and moreenjoyable than the enjoyment received from the sin ofbackbiting.Try to acquire thesweetness ofEeman (Belief)It occurs in aHadith in which the Holy Prophet $ isreported to have said:A man felt tempted to a sinful glance on someone,and such occasions do occur to most people. The man fellin a state of fix - whether to cast or not to cast that sinfulglance. Still the man feared Allah and saved his glancefrom falling on the forbidden object. In crushing his desirein this way the man felt very much tortured and injuredmentally, but in return for thisselfcontrol and self-tortureAllah shall grant theman a sweetness and taste far moredelicious and sweeter than the sweetness enjoyed incasting the sinful glance. This is a promise of the HolyProphet m and this isavailable in the Ahadith.


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45 Discourses On Islamic Way Of I.lie (Vol. VII)Allah's love and a relationship is established between himand Allah .

The essence of Tasaw-wuf(Mysticism)Hazrat Hakimul Ummat Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanawiup^iju^. has sa id something very instructive about

Tasaw-wuf: which is worth) of being preserved in thememory. The essence of Tasaw-wuf consists in this simplepoint: when a person feels laziness in some act of worship,e.g. proceeding to the mosque for offering prayer in time, heshould give up his laziness and proceed to the mosquewithout hesitation. Similarly, if one is hesitant in refrainingfrom a sin , th is hesitation shou ld be re sis ted and the sinshould be given up. This habit and practice will helpestablish to a relationship with Allah which shall continuedeveloping and deepening. One who is fortunate enough toattain this quality becomes independent of all otherqualities. Thus, when a man by opposing and resisting hissensual desires succeeds in crushing them altogether, thenhis 'Self* becomes worthy of receiving Allah's reflection.This is the essence of Islamic mysticism.The Heart is meant for being broken

My respected father Hazrat Mufti MuhammadShafr ukuji^j used to set an example. He told us that inthe olden days physicians provided medical treatment,using eastern medicines. For this purpose they preparedOxcides of gold, silver and other metals. One importantingredient in their prescriptions was some Oxcide. TheseOxcides were prepared by burning the metals ashes. Avery small quantity ofan Oxcide was believed to add greatvitality to the human body. Just as this effective curingagent is obtained by burning gold to fine ashes, in the


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Discourses On Islamic Way Of I itc< Vol:VII) 46same way if the human 'Self is subjected to pressure andhardship and is crushed to pieces, it becomes worthy ofAllah's attention and a receptacle for His attention, loveand mercy. The more you break your heart in this way, thesoonerwillyoubecome beloved intheeyes ofAllah.LateDr. Muhammad Iqbal, the poet of the East hasvery beautifully explained this point in an Urdu poeticalcouplet:

j t vV ->' t$


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47 Discourses On Islamic Wa>Of Life (Vol:VII)not so. When by sacrificing the false and temporarypleasures of committing sin a man has purified his heart,the heart becomes a centre of attraction for Allah's love,the charm ofHis remembrance and devotion. The pleasurereceived from the commission of sins will be nothing ascompared with the pleasure, enjoyment and spiritualcontentment received from the bliss and blessings of thischange ofheart and mental attitude.

May Almighty Allah grant us all this wealth, reformour understanding and help us take the right course.Aameen.


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Ser ies : 59

MIND YOU R OW NBUS INESS

D A RU L IS HA AT urdu bazar Karachi- i


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Venue : Masjid AqsaJ. Area, KorangiKarachi

Date : 26th May 1994


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MIND YOU OW NBUS INES S

j*j aJ J-iL* ^ alii OJL^ji j* UlU-Pi OU j*j L^jjjijjj^ j* ibbJl ^fiJj aJ dbyi y oJb-j AW aJI ^ d\x^jj aJ aJ j~jjj 0*LP IJU?i* Wja j LJ j UJLm< j UJL-j

ijjiT Ij^T UJLJ JLj iJjbj Ajbw?tJ AJt ^ jiJbuUI

All praise is for Allah. We praise Him and seek


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Discourses On Islamic Way Of Life (Vol:Vll) 52His help and seek His forgiveness and believein Him and rely on Him. We seek refuge withHim from the evils of our souls and from thevices of our deeds. There is none to misguidehim whom He guides and there is none to guidehim whom He lets go astray. We bear witnessthat there is no god butAllah the OneWhohasno partner. We also bearwitness that our sire,and our authority and our Prophet and ourMaster, Muhammad $ is His servant and HisMessenger. May Almighty Allah have mercy onhim, his household and bless and salute them allin great abundance.Oyouwho believe guard your souls. Hewho hasgone astray cannot harm you, if you are rightlyguided to Allah will youall return; and thenHewill inform youofwhat you used todo


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53 Discourses On IslamicWayOf Life (Vol.VII)that the entire Muslim Ummah is facing many problems,wherever it is residing in the world. It is surrounded byworr ies and calamities.In one place the Muslims of Bosnia are beingsubjected to oppression and wrongs, in another place theMuslims of Kashmir are undergoing torture and tyranny.The Muslims in India are suffering from untold excessesand torments perpetrated on them bytheHindus andotherinfidels. In Somalia the Muslims are involved in a civilwar. InAfghanistan the Muslims are fighting against eachother.The Muslims are facing all these problems. Thosewho have some Eeman (Faith) in their hearts say aftergiving some thought that the cause of these failures anddisgraces lie in the fact that we have become totallyunmindful ofDeen, have given up acting on the teachingsoftheHoly Prophet # and have forsaken service toAllah,have stopped from obeying the injunctions of the HolyProphet # and are, above all, drowned deep indisobedience and misdeeds. These vices have brought onus these calamities. What has been said above is quite truebecause Allah has said in the Holy Qur'an:

Whatever misfortunes strike you are due toyour own (bad) deeds and (Allah) excusesmany (of the sins). (42:30)Thus, you yourselves are responsible for yourmisfortunes and distresses. BeingAll-Compassionate, Allahforgives many of your sins. Some misdeeds and sins aresuch as they are requited in this world in the form of

misfortunes and calamities. There is hardly a sitting orassembly inwhich we do not admit lapses and misdeeds on


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Discourses On IslamicWayOf Life (Vol:VII) 54our part. We confess in these our meetings that ourcalamities aredue toourown negligence towards ourDeen.Why do the efforts remain fruitless?

Despite all the atempts made to arrest thedeterioration and bring improvement in our conduct andbehaviour, we see no improvement at all in our sad plight.It seems that the flood of our indifference to our Deen isincreasing and intensifying instead of diminishing, assome poet has said:

%> oil J2 S^ e zWhat kind of a destination is it that we gettired in our journey towards it, but the distance

remains the same as it was at the start?

You begin the work of reform on othersThe verse I have recited just now points out thetendency that when you embark upon a reform campaign,you begin the work of reform on others, thinking that alldefects, shortcomings and excesses through bribery,interest, etc., are found in others who need to be purifiedfrom these sins. On the other hand you totally forget yourown self that perhaps some of these vices and misdeedsare lurking in your own souls.You have no thought of reformingyour ownselves

This idea seldom occurs to a person that he too, is


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addicted to some of those defects, weaknesses and viceswhich he is trying to look for in others and that it is hisfirst priority to reform his own soul. It is incumbentupon a man first of all to care about his own reform andbetterment before taking care of others. This has becomea general trend that those who stand up for doing reformwork are worried about the amelioration of others. Theyseldom think that they themselves may be suffering fromsome vices and shortcomings which need to be eradicatedfirst.

The sermons de li ve red r ema in ine ff ec ti veWhen a Preacher or a Reformer is suffering from

some shortcomings and has no worry to remedy them,then the words of advice which he directs to others haveno effect on the addresses. His words of advice will haveweight only when he sincerely admits that he himself hasin him so many vices, defects and sins. If he thinks abouthimself in this way he will not be mindful of, and worriedabout, the weaknesses and si rtcomings of others. In theabsence such a negative att nude, the sermons delivered,however attractive, prove ineffective and fall flat.Everyone is accountable for his own deedsThe Holy Qur'an has said in the verse quoted above:O believers be mindful of your reform. If you havereformed yourself and taken the path of right guidance, thesins and vices of those who have gone astray from thestraight path will do you no harm. You have all to returnultimately to Allah and Allah shall tell you what you havebeen doing in the world. This verse tells in clear terms thatevery one will be accountable for his deeds. The deeds ofone person shall not be charged against another person.


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Discourses On Islamic Way Of Life (Vol VII) 56No, this will not happen. Everyone will have to accountfor his own deeds. It is. therefore, necessary that youshould first ofall take care of. and reform your own deedsand conduct. When you are in the presence ofAllah whatexplanation shall you give for your deeds and conduct ?You should, therefore,, be mindful ofyour own self beforeturning your attention to what others are doing. Everyonemust make a critical survey of his own actions, conductand character, to find out what sins and wrongs he himselfis committing. Ifhe has any, he should give up these sinsand misdeeds and try to reform himself. It should nothappen that he should become engaged in reformingothersand beneglectful ofhisown reform.

There is aHadith in which the Holy Prophet $ hassaid:

He, who says that all the people have perished, ishimself the most perished one ofall. This is because hehas an eye on the sins and vices ofothers who have in hisopinion perished on account oftheir sins, etc., but the manwho so thinks does not look into his own sins and vices. Ifa man begins to make a survey of his own faults andshortcomings, he will feel that he is the worst ofall and hewill, therefore, not pry into theaffairs ofothers.An incident that happened withHazrat Zunnoon Misri djnuj

Hazrat Zunnoon Misri u*^^ was a friend ofAllah(saint) of a very high status the height ofwhich we canhardly imagine. It is written that once famine occurred inhis city and there were no rains. The people were very


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57 ' Discourses On Islamic WayOf Life(Vol:VII)much oppressed and perturbed and-were praying to Allahto release the rains. Some people approached HazratZunnoon Misr i u * ^ ^ . and in formed him how thecessation o f the rains had caused severe famine, neithermen nor animals had water to quench their thirst or towater their fields. Therefore, they requested the saint topray to Almighty Allah to send down the rains. Hepromised to pray to Allah, but told them that whatevermis fo rtune s and calamities descend on men are due totheir own misdeeds and sins. The cessation o f the rainsmeans that they were all engrossed in evils and misdeedson account of which Allah had withheld the rains. It was,therefore, necessary to find out the greatest sinner amongthem. After taking a stock of his own personal life, thegreat saint thought that he was the greatest sinner of theplace and his stay there was the real cause of the cessationof the rains. In order to attract divine mercy in the form ofthe rains, the saint decided to leave that place. Thus didthe saint plan to bring down the rains..The saint had his eyes on his sins

Look here! A great Wali, a righteous servant ofAllah and an accomplished spiritual servant thinking thathe was the greatest sinner on the surface of the earth and ifhe left the place, the rains would descend by Allah'smercy. Now think! Was the saint lying or did he displaythis humbleness out of modesty? A Wali like HazratZunnoon a^jm*^ could never tell a lie. The fact is that hereally and truly thought that he was the worst sinner. Whydid he think so? It was because he had his eyes alwaysfixed on his own defects and shortcomings and thought ofways and means to get rid of them.


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Discourses On IslamicWa> Of Life (Vol:VII) 58None remained bad in his eyes

During this age Almighty Allah has made HazratMaulana Ashraf Ali Thanawi uniiuu^ a model of actionand righteousness.One of his successors has related thefollowing incident:Once I said to him : When you are delivering asermon and I am in your assembly, I feel that in thatassembly there is none more wretched than I: I am theworst sinner; in comparison with others I feel that I amlike an animal.

In reply Hazrat Maulana Thanawi u^iu^ said:Really I also feel about myselfthe same as you havedescribed about yourself. When I deliver a sermon I feelthat I am the worst of all and the others are better than I.Why was itso?Itwas so, because they were alwaysanxious to discover their own shortcomings and sins andhow they should get rid of them. How should man attainAllah's pleasure? Ifman begins to look for his own sins,he cannot care for the shortcomings of others. In such asituation man begins to feel worried about reforming hisown affairs insteadofworrying aboutothers.The lastMughal monarch, Bahadur ShahZafar u^u*aU. has expressed this idea very beautifully in thefollowing lines ofpoetry:

/? 4- c- J1^ it1 ?. *Lfi 3 ^ L.if5 L J3J3< t-j(,\j - ^ j / Jt >t yI was unaware of my own shortcomings andwas looking for the shortcomings of others.However, when I knew that in reality all are


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free from defects and shortcomings, while Ialone am full o f sins and defects.You must remember that nobody can be aware of the

vices o f o ther s bet te r as he is aware o f his own vices. Manknows quite well what he thinks about himself and whatideas he harbours in his heart and how diverse intentionsand thoughts occur to his heart from time to time.Notwithstanding, this he takes no notice of these ideas andthoughts only because he remains occupied most of the timesearching for the faults and vices ofothers.Loo k ! How anx ious man becomesabou t h is own s ickness !Suppose that a man has got severe stomach-ache andis restless on that account. Will this person be making asurvey of the various maladies from which others aresuffering, forgetting his own stomach-ache? No. he shallbecome totally concerned with his own malady and will payno attention to the maladies of others and will try first of allto get medical treatment for his own stomach-ache. You willnot find in this world a single man who will care for thesimple ailments ofothers neglectinghis own serious ache.An event of a lady that is full of moralsOne ofmy relative ladies once suffered from severegastric pain which made her restless. She was affectedPsychologically and began to think that she was seriouslyill. I took her to a Hospital for medical check up andtreatment. When we took the lift to go up, we saw thatanother lady was there sitting on a wheelchair whose entirebody was burnt with fire and somebones were also broken.Her skin was also burnt at many places. By way ofproviding cofmort and solace to my relative lady and


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Discourses On Islamic Way Of Life(Vol:VII) 60palliating her feeling of sickness, I said to her: Look! Howseriously afflicted is this lady and how painful a torture sheis enduring? "Hearing these words and casting a cursoryglances, my relative lady said; yes she is undergoing painfulsuffering, indeed, but she is not suffering from gastric pain.Now Look! One's own comparatively mild sickness is beingfelt more acutely than the torture of another patient whoseentirebodyisburntandmany bones arebroken.Through this incident Allah inspired into my heart adesire if such thinking was created in our hearts aboutDeen (Faith) and our own inner diseases might totallyoccupy our care and thoughts instead of our searching forthe weaknesses, fautls and shortcomings oftheothers.Hazrat Hanzalah ^ ^ become obsessed withthe idea that he had becomea hypocriteOnce Hazrat Hanzalah ^ii-^ called on the HolyProphet and said: OMessenger ofAllah! I am perishedand destroyed. The Holy Prophet # said: What is thematter? He^^ said that hehad become a hypocrite. Onbeing asked how this happened the Noble Companionreplied, saying: O Prophet ofAllah, when I am present inyour assembly, nice ideas and emotions rise in the heart,Allah's remembrance is refreshed, I think of reformingmyself and I am reminded of the blessings of theHereafter. However, when I return to the world of actionand its affairs and am among the wife and children, theearlier sublime condition of the heart disappears.Attention to Allah, the thought of self-reform and thethought of theHereafter and of Paradise do not linger.This is a sign ofHypocrisy that apparently I am aMuslimbut very bad and heinous ideas rise in the heart. That iswhy I have become a hypocrite. OProphet ofAllah # , tell


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me how I can get rid of hypocrisy.Look here ! A Noble Companion -^-i ^-; of the HolyProphet & is making complaint like this and the entire

Ummah is unanimous on this that Jj^î t ju^ all theCompanions ât^ are just and it is not possible thatanyone of them should be a sinner, yet one of them issuspecting about his having turned a hypocrite. Pacifyinghis anxiety, the Holy Prophet # said: You should not feeldisturbed by the change in your thoughts on going home,because thereby a man does not become a hypocrite. Suchchanges do take place with the change of times.Sometimes a man's heart is overwhelmed by Allah'sremembrance causing more gentleness and softness of theheart, but there are t imes when these emotions are absento r a re no t so in tense . So a man doe s no t be come ahypocrite by such changes in the conditions of the heart.(Sahih Muslim) This Companion **&^j did not feelworried that such and such a man turned a hypocrite. Hisworry was that perhaps he himselfhad turned a hypocrite.Hazrat Umar **i^ suspected Hypocrisy in himself

Hazrat Umar **&^j is the second Caliph of theMuslims about whom the Holy Prophet # said:jâS> JL^J iL-J tA-fu>C\S jJ

If there had been a Prophet after me, Umarwould have been that Prophet (but there willbe no Prophet after me).So high a status Allah had granted him ** &^> yet

hear his problem. Hazrat Huzaifah bin Yaman ^ ^ ^ wasa Companion of the Holy Prophet # who was known tobe his confident, because the. Holy Prophet # hadconfided to him the names of the hypocrites of Madinah


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Discourses On Islamic Way Of Life (Vol:VII) 62

Munaw-warah and under some policy he 4fc had notdisclosed their names to any other Companion **&^j.When anyone died the people would watch if HazratHuzaifah^a^ joined the funeral prayer of the deceased.The participation ofHazrat Huzaifah ^ ^ in the funeralprayer of a person was a sure sign that the deceased..juasnot among the hypocrites. If he did not participate in thefuneral prayer, it was concluded that the deceased wasamong the hypocrites.

Hazrat Umar ^ ^ used to call on Hazrat Huzaifah^^^j and ask him if "Umar's" name was not in his list ofthe hypocrites. Just see! This question is being put by apersonality like Hazrat Umar **&^ who had heard withhis own ears the Holy Prophet # say: i**\jj* (Umar shallbe in Paradise). As already mentioned, the Holy Prophet4$ also said that:

If there had been a Prophet after, me Umarwould have been that Prophet.See, such a godly personality is feeling so muchworried, lest heshould beamong the hypocrites. The HolyProphet # has also said that whoever recites the Kalimah4iii * 4ji hshall enter Paradise. Hazrat Umar


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63 Discourses On Islamic Way Of Life(Vol:VII)Extreme Ignorance ofDeen

Today our affairs have just reversed. If we speaktoday anything about Deen, our speech is generally devoidof reformative aspects. It is seen that these speeches eithercontain sectarian colours, political topics or theoreticalissues which have nothing to do with the practical life ofman. All this has resulted in a general depletion ofknowledge ofDeen in our society. Today highly educatedMuslims are ignorant of matters concerning Deen whichwere well known to young boys in the olden days. If someproblem concerning Deen is mentioned to them, they feelsurprised and say: Oh, is it a point of Deen? We did notknow that. The reason for all this ignorance is that thedesire of self-reform has disappeared from our minds. TheHoly Qur'an has clearly declared that, however numerousunions and associations you may establish, it will not bepossible to reform the society unless everyone creates inh is hea rt a desire to reform himself.

This is our plightBanners in hands, we take out processions utteringslogans in favour of reform and betterment, but when anoccasion of accepting bribe arrives, we do not lag behindanyone, we do refrain from taking money from others byfraudulent means. We cry hoarse against the usurioussystem, but when an opportunity comes for dealing inusury, we quietly take advantage of this. Such being thesituation, how can reform of the society be possible? Weare not tired of finding faults with others and condemningfraudulent and sinful deeds, but we do not lag behindwhen it becomes advantagious to tell lies, submit false andforged medical certificates to extend leave. Do we everthink on such occasions that all these are heinous sins by


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Discourses On Islamic Way Of life (Vol:VI I) 64

which we attract Allah's displeasure? When we are notprepared to give up all these vicious practices and sins,what is the use of uttering slogans and taking outprocessions in favourof reform of the society?Likewise, Itaunt others on their aversion to Deen and on theirindifference to the injunction of Deen, yet our assembliesarenot free from backbiting and slanders, etc. AstheHolyQur'an has mentioned, one who backbites others is likeone who eats the flesh of one's own brother. How, then,can a man addicted to these heinous sins re fo rm thesociety. Indeed he cannot.The way of ReformingIt is possible to reform the society, when I give uplying, backbiting and defrauding others, taking bribe andrefrain from violating the rules ofPardah, shunning nudityand lewdness, etc. We cannot impart the idea of reformand amelioration to others, unless we create them in ourown hearts. That iswhy the HolyQur'an has said:

(O, you who believe), guard your own souls.He who has gone astray cannot harm you, ifyou are rightly guided. (5.105)How did the Holy Prophet 4& trainthe Companions &** ^The Holy Prophet # came to this world in which helived 23 years after being commissioned to the status ofProphethood. He appeared on the scene at a time when theentire Arabian Peninsula was drowned in the darkness ofignorance and no ray of hope shone, nor was there anylightof guidance. At such an inopportune time, theHoly


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Prophet # came to this world and he # was commandedto change the entire society and revolutionise italtogehther.. After 23 years when he # left the worldinfidelity and polytheism had been totally uprooted fromthe Arabian Peninsula. The community which had beendrowned in heresy and ignorance emerged after 23years asa model for the world.

Out of these 23 years, 13 years were spent inMakkah. During this period of 13 years the Muslims hadno orders to wage Jihad, nor was there any state orgovernment, nor any constitution. Moreover, if theinfidels tortured them, as they did, the Muslims were notallowed to take revenge and they had to bear the torturepatiently and passively.

Endure patiently with the help ofAllah. (le-.m)They were strictly forbidden to retaliate, eventhough they were not so helpless. Hazrat Bilal ***i^, wasbeing made to lie on burning sand and stone slabs wereplacedon his chest and hewas asked to rejecttheKalimah

4iii xi 4j* ^ (There is no god but Allah). Hazrat Bilal turned into GoldWhy was all this tyranny to be borne so patiently? Itwas because, by subjecting them to all these trials andtribulations, they had to be made pure and steadfast in theFaith like burnished god; that they may endure the torturewith patience without a word of complaint. Is there a man


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Discourses On Islamic WayOf Life(Vol:VII) 66who will take beating and insult without being provokedand enraged ? But the Muslims are being commanded tosuppress their angerand irritation for the sake of Allah, asthis control over anger and provocation was, in turn, togenerate in them the power to sacrifice their personaldesires and preferences in obedience to the commands ofAllah andforthesake ofattaining His pleasure. TheDivineOrderfortheMuslims to follow the 13 years of theMakkahlife was not to retaliate and take revenge in anycircumstances. They were commanded during this period todevote themselves to the worship of Allah and to turn toHim and remember Him and visualise the Hereafter,Paradise and Hell and reform their conduct and character.When during this training period of 13 years, the NobleCompanions


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of our deeds. We have also overlooked to make a searchof our own lives to find out what shortcoming^ lie hiddenin ourselves and what should be done to remedy them.Let us make our own surveyThe gist of my address is that at the day's endeveryone should try to find outwhere and in whatmattershe has disobeyed Allah's commands from morning tillevening. Islam is composed of five branches of beliefs andac t s :1- The beliefs should be sincere true and right.2- Items of worship, viz. Salat, Fasting duringRamadhan, the Hajj, Payment of Zakat should berightly practised and observed.3- Dealings in trading should be lawful and free from,

fraud.4- Social living with one another should be strictlyaccording to the injunctions of Allah and HisMessenger# .5- Morality, i.e., conduct and character should besound. Man should be free from the vices of hatred,pride, jealousy, enmity, etc. He should be adornedwith good qualities, like modesty, reliance (onAllah), gratitude and patience.Man's religion becomes complete only when he

fulfils the demands of all these five departments ofreligion. A man becomes a true Muslim when he hascompleted with the requirements of all these branches. Inother words he should satisfy himself as to the followingquestions:1- Are my beliefs correct and sound?2- How many of the five-time obligatory Salat do I

offer? Do I miss any of them?


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Discourses On Islamic Way Of Life (Vol:VII) 683- Do I have lawful earnings?4- Aremydealings in sales and purchases fair andhonest?5- Do I possess good moral character?DoI behavewith othersamicably?

Am I guiltyof telling lies, backbiting, and hurtingothers? Do I tease or trouble others?Everyone should examine his conduct and characterin the light of the above observations. If one finds that heis deficient, he should try his best to make up thedeficiency as far as possible.For example, he should find out how many lies hehastoldinthedayandhe should give up immediately. He

should startworking on this line to reduce his sinsone byone by way of reforming himself. If the thought ofreforming our life is born in our heart this change shall,Godwilling - enlighten our lives. Donot think that if onlyone life is reformed, what difference will it make?

One lamp lights another lampBear in mind well that what we call society iscomposed of individuials, you, he and I. If one man's lifeis reformed, he gives up a few sins and he begins to obeythe injunctions of Allah, this may be regarded at least asone candle lighted. A lamp, however, small may it be, issure to spread its light in the space around it. It is quitelikely that seeing a lamp burning another man may lighthis lamp. Thus the process of one lamp lighting anotherlamp may gradually enlight the entire environment and inthis way the entire society may one day becomeenlightened. On the other hand if there is a man whokeeps his lamp unlighted but desires to light the lamps ofothers with his unlighted lamp, this is impossible. It is


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quite obvious that an unlighted lamp cannot light otherlamps. The same truth applies to the reform of humanbeings. A man who has no care to reform himself cannotsucceed in guiding others. May Almighty Allah create inour hearts the thought of reforming our own selves first ofall!

How to create the thought of self-Reform?The question now arises how to create the thought ofself-reform. One way to answer this question is this. Just asin this session we have talked about and heard the problemconcerning self-reformwhich has stirred in us some urge tosolve this problem, the same talk and discussion should beprojected and heard in different sessions and assembliesagainand again. Thispractice will- godwillingrouse inourhearts the thought of self-refrom. Just see that the wordsjun^j (Establish the Salat) has been repeated in the HolyQur'an sixty two times, even though only one DivineCommand to this effect was enough. This is because it isman's nature that it is not impressed by an idea unless it isrepeated offandon; ideas getsettled when theyarestampedon the mind again and again. A single impression does notprove lasting. It is, therefore, imperative that we shouldarrange to hold, andparticipate in, suchgatherings inwhichthe topic of self-reform is discussed, thispracticewill createin us the thought of reforming ourselves before aspiring toreform others.

The Reformative meetingsare held in Daru l Uloom.

The Darul-Uloom, Karachi is not far from youwhere three weekly meeting are held. Hazrat MaulanaMufti Muhammad Rafi4 Usmani, who is the President of


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the Darul Uloom, addresses these meetings on everyWednesday between the 'Asr and the Maghrib Prayers.Men as well women attend these meetings. HazratMaulana Subhan Mahmood Sahib, who is the SheikhulHadith andmyreverend Ustaz, addresses thesegatheringson every Sunday between the 'Asr and the MaghribPrayers. Hazrat Maulana Mufti Abdur Raoof Sahib, anUstaz of the Darul Uloom and an authorised successor toHazrat Mufti Muhammad Shafi u* iu i^,, addresses thesemeetings on every Tuesday between 'Asr and MaghribPrayers.In the sameway threeothermeetings are held in theDarul Uloom. These meetings are also devoted to theproblem ofpromoting the thought of self-reform.There is no dearth of gatherings, assemblies andmeetings, but the objective of the meetings held in theDarul Uloom is to create in the minds of the audience thethought of reforming themselves. If you are able to spareonly one hour a week between the 'Asr and the Maghribprayers to attend these meetings, it will help to create thethought of reformingyourselfand you will be able to findout the spots of your faults and shortcomings. It is a pitythat we are ignorant of the spots in our lives where ourfaults and shortcomings are lurking. By attending thesemeetings you will come to know these hidden spots andtheway to rectify these faults and shortcomings.MayAlmightyAllah assist us, byHis grace, to workon the right lines and to reform ourselves -Aameen.


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Series : 60

HATE THE SIN,NOT THE SINNER

DARUL ISHAA T urdu bazarKarachi- i


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Venue : Jame'Masjid Baitul MukarramGulshan-e-IqbalKarachiDate : 6th September 1996


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HAT E TH E S IN ANDNO T TH E S I NNER

j*j J Ln *)\i ill dJlQj ja tJUPl Ob j^j L~*i3ljjj-i j^ 4ibAfrSJj J sllj* ^ oJb-j il ^1 Alt ^ ot OîJj J îU Û aJUUl*

\j\j UJLJ ^ j iJjbjlj Jt J* j Up Jbo!.bula!

:JL>jaJLp


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vices of our deeds. There is none to misguidehim whomHe guides and there is none to guidehim whom He lets go astray. We bear witnessthat there is no god but Allah the One Who hasno partner. We also bear witness that our sire,and our authority and our Prophet and ourMaster, Muhammad # is His servant and HisMessenger.MayAlmighty Allahhavemercyonhim, his household and bless and salute them allin great abundance.

The curse of condemning a SinnerThe Holy Prophet # has said that if a man

condemns his Muslim brother for a sin of which he hasrepented, the condemner shall not die unless he himselfbecomes addicted to that sin. The reason is quite obvious.A man who repents of his sin becomes as if he did notcommit that sin at all and the sin is erased from the man'sRegister ofDeeds. The act of taunting a man for the sinwhich has been forgiven and which he has forgotten isabhorrent in the sight ofAllah.The Sinner May Be Compared To A Sick PersonWhat has beenmentioned above relates to a personwho has repented of his sin. There may be a sinner aboutwhom it is not known whether or not he has repented ofhis sin, although it is very likely about a believer that hemay have repented or may repent of his sin in the nearfuture. There is no right for anyone to condemn even sucha person. It is the sin and not the sinner that deserves to becondemned. TheHolyProphet # has not taught us to hatethe sinner. The sinner is in fact suffering from a seriousdisease and deserves pity and sympathy just like a sick


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man, the sinner should be helped that he may get rid of thesins to which he has become addicted.It Is KUFR (unbelief) And Not The KAFIR(unbeleiver) That Deserves To Be HATED

If a person is an unbeliever, he should not be hatedand condemned. He should, instead, be helped with prayerto Allah that he may give up his unbelief and become abeliever. You may recall how cruelly the unbelievers dealtwith the Holy Prophet # . They pelted at him # stones,shot at him their arrows and wounded his sacred body, yetthe Holy Prophet 4& calmly bore the tyranny and spoke outonly the following words:

2)jUii li j*4te^ji ait j^iiiO Allah guide my community on the rightpath. (They reject me because) they do notknow me.See how, instead of hating and taking revenge on

them, he ^ prayed to Allah to favour them with rightguidance. So, when you see anyone involved in sin anddisobedience, then instead of condemning him you shouldpray to Allah for his guidance that he may repent of hissins. You Should remember that by virtue of repentancehe may get rid of all his sins and may become better thanyou.

Maulana Ashraf Aii Thanawi up^*^ RegardedOthers to b e Bette r Tha n H im se lf

Both my respected father Mufti Muahmmad ShafiSahib *j*&\i~j and Dr. Abdul Hayee Sahib ^d iu^ narrateda state of Hazrat Thanawi u* Jta u^ who said: I considerbetter than myself a Mumin in his present state of Eeman


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and an unbeliever as who knows he may possibly tum aMuslim in the future and attain a better position as aMuslim than I occupy. As regards

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