وسعت قلب عاشقاں ارض  و سما سے کم نہیں

The spaciousness/ broadness of the hearts of the lovers of Allah Ta'ala is not any less than the heavens and the earth

How spacious aren’t the heavens and the earth but even more spacious is the love of the lovers of Allah Ta'ala. It is mentioned in a Hadith-e-Qudsi, “I cannot fit in the heavens nor in the earth, but I fit in the heart of a Mumin.” This refers to the heart of that Mumin that possesses the love of Allah, their hearts are very spacious and therefore they do not condemn any person to hell, rather they give hope to people.

اشک رواں عاشقاں نجم السماء سے کم نہیں

ان کا یہ خون آرزو عہد وفا سے کم نہیں

The tears of the lovers of Allah are not any less than the stars in the heavens,

Their blood that flows as a result of them (trampling their desires) is not any less than the fulfilling of their pledge

On breaking their desires, blood flows from the heart. When a beautiful woman passes by them, they have a strong urge to take a peep at her, but they control their desire in order to fulfil the command of Allah Ta'ala. If music is being played, they are inclined towards listening yet they break their desire and abstain from listening. This breaking of one’s desire is not any less than the promise made to Allah in the realm of the souls when Allah Ta'ala asked, “Am I not your Rabb, and everyone responded by saying, Yes (You are our Rabb).” This breaking of our desires is not any less than that covenant.

جو ہے ادائے خواجگی پنہاں اسی میں ہے کرم

ان کی رضا بھی دوستوان کی عطا سے کم نہیں

Whatever are the doings of Allah Ta'ala, in it lies the kindness of Allah Ta'ala,

His pleasure is not any less than His gifting

If a person is ill, the kindness of Allah Ta'ala is hidden in such an illness as well. Whatever difficulty comes to a person, it includes the kindness of Allah Ta'ala. To be pleased with the decree of Allah Ta'ala is not any less than being pleased with the gifts of Allah Ta'ala. When any difficulty afflicts the lovers of Allah, they are pleased with the decision of Allah Ta'ala and exercise patience. This Sabr is not any less than making Shukr on the gifts of Allah. The same applies to a person that makes Sabr and restrains himself from fulfilling his lust and desires (sexually) in a Haraam way.

If a person is granted the opportunity of performing the Tahajjud Salaah in which he cries and sobs before Allah Ta'ala, how pleased isn’t he with such a Salaah. The withholding of one’s desire for Allah’s pleasure is not any less than the Tahajjud Salaah, in fact it is superior to the Tahajjud Salaah. Hadrat Thanvi R.A. says, “Giving up a single sin is superior to thousands of years of Tahajjud.”

ان کی نظر کے حوصلہ رشک شہان کائنات

وسعت قلب عاشقاں ارض  و سما سے کم نہیں

The courage of his sight (the kindness of Allah Ta'ala) is the envy of the kings of the world

The vastness of the hearts of the lovers of Allah is not any less than the heavens and the earths

How much can a king actually give? There aren’t any kings today but previously the wealthy kings were famous for their generosity. When Allah Ta'ala shows kindness, the kings of the world will envy what Allah Ta'ala blesses each person at one time. How fortunate is the one who has been made the lover of Allah! His heart has been made spacious as a result of which he accommodates all the people.

Ibrahim bin Adham R.A saw a young man lying unconscious on the ground in a state of intoxication. There was foam on his mouth, flies around him, in a pitiable condition. Ibrahim bin Adham R.A washed his face so that he may regain consciousness. This is the heart of the Awliya, they do not condemn any person.

Hadrat Maulana Asghar Hussein Saheb Deobandi R.A used to sit quite a while in the Masjid after the Esha Salaah. In the months of winter, people retire to bed quite early so the streets are silent. When Hadrat would return from the Masjid after completing his Mamoolaat etc. he would reach a certain point and remove his shoes, walk barefooted for a while and then put on his shoes. Hadrat was asked, “Why do you remove your shoes at a certain point when returning from the Masjid.” He avoided the discussion but finally explained when the questioner insisted, he said, “There is an elderly woman that lives at a particular house that would sell herself during her younger days. She has now reached old age and therefore does not receive clients any longer. However, with the hope of getting clients, she adorns herself daily and waits. If she hears the sound of my footsteps she will have hope of a client, but when I pass her hopes will be shattered. This will cause pain to her, therefore I remove my shoes before reaching her residence so that no inconvenience is caused to her. These are the true friends of Allah, they do not hurt the feelings of anyone. Yet, we condemn and criticize person openly. This is not their achievement rather it is a favour of Allah Ta'ala upon them that He made them like that.

یا رب یہ درد دل ترا سارے مرض کی ہے دوا

ہے یہ مرض تری عطا جو کہ شفا سے کم نہیں

O Allah! This pain of the heart for You is the cure of all illnesses

This sickness (of the love of Allah) itself is a gift from You, which is not any less cure.

A person wrote to Hadrat R.A that he commenced some Deeni work. Hadrat appreciated it and gave him Duas but advised him, “The first and most important thing is the acquisition of the love of Allah Ta'ala.” If a person is void of the love of Allah Ta'ala, his Deeni activities will be void of Ikhlaas and the person will be committing sins whilst being engaged in Deeni activities. The love of Allah will keep a person away from sins more than the love of Allah Ta'ala. When a person loves his car, he will risk his life to protect his motor car.

The love of Allah is therefore the cure to all our ailments whether pride, anger, hatred, etc. A person that possesses the love of Allah will always make Dua, “O Allah, let me never displease You, let me not follow the ways of the disbelievers in the least, let me never follow the ways of the disbelievers.”       

The love of Allah is also a disease but it affects a person in the positive way. For example, Hadrat Maulana Shah Anwar Kashmiri R.A was in the final moments of his life. The people were awaiting the news of his demise. At Tahajjud time, rumours had spread that he has passed away. Hadrat Mufti Shafi Saheb R.A went to investigate. Hadrat Shah Saheb used to live out of Deoband. He notices a light burning at the residence of Hadrat Shah Saheb so he was convinced that Hadrat Shah Saheb has passed away. On reaching there he found him making Muta’la of his Kitaabs. He was surprised that at this point of his life, this age, what was the need to study whereas Shah Saheb was a walking library. He further said, “If there is anything that needs to be checked, we are available.”  He replied, “Studying of Kitaabs is also an illness.” The Awliya are also ill in different ways, some are always concerned of the poor and their needs, some are extremely hospitable, etc. Likewise, the love of Allah is also an illness which is from Allah.

A poet says,

یہ قدم اٹھے نہیں اٹھائے جاتے ہیں              ہم آئے نہیں لائے گئے ہیں

These feet do not lift on their own, they are picked up (by someone), we have not come (on our own) rather we have been brought.

محبت دے کر ترپائے گئے ہیں       میں لاکھ سمجھا اسرار محبت  نہیں سمجھا سمجھایا گیا ہوں

We were given love and made restless, I thought I understood the secrets of love, actually I haven’t understood rather I was made to understand.

Allah alone allows us to come. The car could have had a puncture or refuse to start, sometimes we leave home and then on receiving news of some tragedy we return.  There were people that had undertaken a journey for Haj, and the day before departing to Mina they felt uneasy for some reason and returned home. Our coming is purely the kindness of Allah Ta'ala.

Maulana Rumi R.A has written that many a times a problem (outwardly) appears to be a source of goodness. The Quraan states, “Perhaps you dislike something whilst it is good for you.” Maulana Rumi R.A writes that a person who was madly in love was walking during the late hours of the night. The police suspected that he may be a criminal and ran after him. He also started running due to fear and scaled the wall. On the other side of the wall, he fell in the lap of his beloved. This incident became the means of him reforming himself. In a like manner, we had seen many friends that changed their lives due to an illness, accidents, financial difficulty, etc. These incidents become a means of turning towards Allah Ta'ala.           

نفس کو کردے تو فنا باقی رہے نہ کچھ انا

راہ میں ان کی ناز وکبر جور وجفا سے کم نہیں

You annihilate the Nafs, so that no pride remains within (you)

In the path (of Allah), the pride and haughtiness is not any less than oppression

In one poem Khwaja Saheb says,

مٹادو اپنی ہستی کو  چھوردو ساری مستی کو            بستی بستی کہتا جا  الله الله

Completely annihilate yourself, leave all your naughtiness (bad habits), go to every locality saying Allah! Allah!

In other words, now establish a connection with Allah Ta'ala. The beginning stage of Tasawwuf is that a person should annihilate himself to reach Allah Ta'ala. A person who doesn’t go through this stage will never reach Allah Ta'ala. A seed is first thrown into the ground, it is then watered, fertilizer is added to it, when the area is full of mud, finally the seed splits and the shoot emerges until it becomes a fully grown tree and starts bearing fruit. This is when thousands of people will benefit. The seed had to go through a process of annihilation. If the seed refuses to go through this process, it will be destroyed. We think that people will benefit from me if I am an influential person with name, fame, position, etc. Allah Ta'ala wants to show His Qudrat, power, etc. that you annihilate yourself and you will be honoured. A Hadith states, “If a person wants to do things himself, Allah Ta'ala says, I don’t care in which valley this person destroys himself.” When a person hands himself over to Allah, He will take care of a person.

A person that leaves Deen for the Dunya, they get involved in such problems that finally everything is lost. A person has invested in various companies, but many a times, the very same investments become the means of one’s decline. A person comes up in Deen on his own, having no trust in Allah, no connection with Allah Ta'ala,  they fall very hard.

Our Sheikh R.A says, “A true Aashiq of Allah shouldn’t think that Shaytaan will misguide him at the time of death.” Allah Ta'ala is not that friend that will leave a person at the time of death. Allah Ta'ala is there for a person that maintained a relationship with Him and will protect his Imaan at the time of death. Allah will be with him in the Qabr, on the day of Qiyaamah. A man that hasn’t established a relationship with Allah Ta'ala will be left all alone, left at the mercy of Shaytaan.

However, a person should never think that he has a connection with Allah Ta'ala, so he has no worry. He will be worried but Allah Ta'ala will place at the back of his mind, ‘there is no need for you to worry.’    

‘Naaz’ is where a person feels that he deserves. Niyaaz is where a person humbles himself and cries before Allah. Some pious people ask from Allah Ta'ala by making Naaz and Allah Ta'ala blesses them due to their position and connection with Allah. Nowadays, everyone feel that they deserve and demand. The other is, if you give me it is Your kindness and it will be appreciated. When a child is born blind, we say, “O Allah! Why did you make him blind?” We in actual fact got to be grateful to Allah and beg from Allah. It is not our birth right that we possess our eyes, brains, we not insane, etc. These are all gifts from Allah. Demanding these things is termed as ‘Naaz and Kibr’ as referred to in the poem. These qualities of ‘Naaz and Kibr’ are not any less than oppression and expressing “Jafaa” a don’t care attitude to Allah Ta'ala. An explanation of Jafaa is, when a person ignores the Azaan being called out, he is not concerned about the month of Ramdaan or the great season of Haj.

ناز تقوی  سے بہتر نیاز رنڈی          جاہ زاہد سے پھر اچھی میری رسوائی

The humbleness (crying and repenting) of an evil woman is better than the pride of the Taqwa, better than the fame of the Zaahid is my humiliation.

This simply means that the crying and repenting of a sinner is better than the pride of a pious person. How many  of us think that we are now wearing the Khanqah Topi, coming to Majlis, wearing Kurta, performing our Salaah, etc. Now, if we have to look down upon a drunkard we have fallen in the sight of Allah Ta'ala.    

یہ بھی کرم ہے آپ کا جس کا میں اہل بھی نہ تھا

یعنی جو درد دل دیا دونوں جہاں سے کم نہیں

This is also Your kindness which I was not worthy of, that is the love that You blessed me with, it is not any less than the two worlds

The love of Allah which Allah Ta'ala blesses a person with is better than both the worlds, it is more valuable than the east and west.  The true love of Allah will completely change the lifestyle of a person.

ان کی عطائے خواجگی میری ادائے بندگی

لیکن مرا قصور بھی میری ادا سے کم نہیں

It is a gift of Allah Ta'ala, my expressing servitude, but my faults are not any less than my Ibaadat.

There isn’t an iota of pride in the way I sit, eat, walk, body language, etc. Many people don’t even realise how much pride is displayed in their body language, the choice of words also indicate towards the pride of a person. Those that adopt servitude, their mistakes are not any less than their Ibaadat. Why? Committing errors are bad, these people humble themselves and cry before Allah Ta'ala. Hadrat Muaawiya R.A. missed his Tahajjud Salaah on a particular night. He expressed so much of regret over this action that Shaytaan woke him for Tahajjud the next night. He asked Shaytaan, “Why are you awakening me?” This is not something that you would do. Shaytaan replied, “You have cried so much yesterday and attained such great rewards that had you not performed Tahajjud Salaah you wouldn’t have attained such rewards and closeness to Allah.” Sins are bad, but if sin became the means of gaining the closeness of Allah Ta'ala as you became restless, regretted, cried, then you acquired some good even though the sin was bad.           

جلوہ حق کے سامنے حیرت سے بے زباں سہی

پھر بھی سکوت عشق کا اس کی صدا سے کم نہیں

Seeing Your Qudrat (in astonishment) O Allah, I cannot speak any more, then too the silence of love is not any less than his calling out  (in the love of Allah Ta'ala).

A person sees water and acknowledges the greatness of Allah. Scientist claim to have achieved so much yet they cannot create a drop of water. How Allah has made it palatable, it slips down the throat, quenches our thirst, food is prepared with water, Human is created from water, and everything is in need of water. Sand seems so futile yet you have been created from sand, your sustenance is from sand, the crops, fruit, chickens, goats, sheep, etc. A person sees the Qudrat of Allah Ta'ala in everything, he is conscious of Allah Ta'ala.

A Sheikh once told his Mureeds to slaughter a chicken where no person will be watching them. All of them had slaughtered the chicken except one person who returned with the chicken alive. When asked the reason, he said, “Wherever I went, Allah Ta'ala was watching me.” Can a person that has achieved this ever commit a sin in the love of Allah Ta'ala, not due to sin. One person gives a wonderful Bayaan or renders beautiful poetry, whilst another is unable to do so but he is filled with the love of Allah Ta'ala. The silence of the latter is not any less than the one that renders poetry and lectures in the love of Allah Ta'ala.

Hadrat Shah Wasiyullah Saheb R.A. of Ilaahabaad was once visited by great intellectuals such as doctors, lawyers, etc. The people said, “Hadrat, professionals have come today therefore you should deliver such a lecture that will impress them and this will result in them turning towards Allah Ta'ala.” On that day Hadrat said, “There won’t be any speaking between Asr and Maghrib, all should engage in Zikrullah.” At the time of Maghrib, Hadrat said, “Those that haven’t benefitted from my silent Majlis will not benefit from my talking Majlis. However, the Bayaan will take place after Maghrib.”             

اختر ہمارا درد دل بزم میں بے نوا سہی

لیکن کسی کی چشم نم اس کی نوا سے کم نہیں

Akhtar, this love of Allah in a gathering is without any support, but the tears of ( the love of Allah) is not any less than the call of Allah Ta'ala.

This is a beautiful poem. If a portion of it comes into us, it is more than sufficient for us. May Allah bless us with the reality Insha’Allah.