Walking to Madinah Munawwarah in the footsteps of Rasulullah Salallahu Alaihi Wasallam

This is indeed a very beautiful poem of our Sheikh Hadrat Shah Hakim Muhammad Akhtar Saheb R.A.  During this time of the year (i.e. the season of Haj) , our hearts should be connected to Makkah and Madinah Sharif. The Muslims of the world that have gathered there are also related to us as far as Imaan is concerned. We should therefore make Dua for them at least once a day. We should ask ourselves, do we even think of this great event that is taking place? If we do not even think of the great event of Haj we should re-assess the level of our Imaam.  

سوء طیبہ چلے نبی کے قدم 

Soo-e-tayba chale Nabi ke qadam

Walking to Madinah Munawwarah in the footsteps of Rasulullah Salallahu Alaihi Wasallam

میری قسمت کہاں یہ طواف حرم

Meri qismat kaha ye tawaaf-e-haram

What a great favour (of Allah Ta'ala ) that I am making Tawaaf of the Ka’aba Sharif

A person should think to himself, where me and where Tawaaf of the Ka’aba. This is that place where the Ambiya A.S had performed Tawaaf, but Allah Ta'ala has honoured a great sinner like me to make Tawaaf of the Ka’aba Sharif.

جو زمین پر چلے تھے نبی کے قدم

Jo zameen par chale te Nabi ke qadam

That land upon which the Nabie had walked

How greatly hasn’t Allah Ta'ala blessed me that I have been honoured to walk on the very land.

جس کے چپکے تھے کل سینہ انبیاء

Jis se chipke the kool seenaa e Ambiya

Where the bosoms of the Ambiya A.S were attached

میرے سینہ کو حاصل ہے وہ ملتزم

Mere seene ko haasil he wo Multazam

My bosom has attained that Multazam

I am attaching my bosom to the area between the Hajar-e-Aswad and the Ka’aba Sharif which is known as the Multazam. This is that area where Duas are accepted, and every Nabie had supplicated before Allah Ta'ala here. Today we have been honoured to be at the same place. This great blessing should be honoured.

معجزہ ہے کہ آلات پیمانہ تھے

Mu’ajiza he ke aalaat-e-paymane the

This is a great miracle that this is measuring the central point of the earth

Geographically there are different ways of reaching the centre of the earth.

وسط دنیا میں ہے کعبہ محترم

Waste Dunya me he Ka’aba e Muhtaram

The honourable Ka’aba is in the centre of the earth

اور بنوایا گھر اپنا یوں مختصر

Awr banwaya apna ghar yoo mukhtasar

Allah Ta'ala had His house made very small

Hadrat R.A. used to explain that wealthy people build huge houses. Many of them have quite a number of houses which are spread out. The servant quarters are located in a certain area, the entertainment area is separate, etc. Allah Ta'ala has made his house extremely small due to kindness for mankind. Why did He make it small?

سہل ہوتا کہ سب کو طواف حرم

Sahl hota sab ko Tawaaf e haram

(So that) Tawaaf of the Haram becomes easy for all

Due to the lofty position of Allah Ta'ala, His house should have been from Makkah Sharif till Jeddah. How difficult would tawaaf be in that case?

ورنہ مالک اگر گھر بناتا بڑا

Warne Maalik agar ghar banata bara

If Allah Ta'ala had made his house large

کھاکے غش گرتے سب زائران حرم

Kaa ke ghash girte sab zaaireene Haram

The visitors would have become unconscious and fallen down

They wouldn’t have been able to make even a single round of Tawaaf.

اپنے کعبہ کا پھیرا کیا مختصر

Apne Ka’aba a phera kiya Mukhtasar

How short is the Tawaaf of the Ka’aba

صاحب بیت کی ہے یہ شان کرم

Sahib-e-Bait kie he ye Shaane Karam

This is the kindness of the owner of the house

Allah Ta'ala didn’t worry of His position rather he was concerned of our comfort. A big person generally doesn’t worry about the people but wants everyone to comply to his way. However, Allah Ta'ala considered everyone and ensured that His house was small so that all could make Tawaaf easily.

گو حرم کے پہاڑوں پہ سبزہ نہیں

Go Haraam ke paharo par sabza nahee

Though there isn’t greenery on the mountains of the Haram

The mountains are free of greenery and there is great wisdom in that.

ہیں مگر دوستوں  پاسبان حرم

He magar dosto paasbaane Haram

But they are the guardians of the Haram

ورنہ حاجی درختون میں بیٹھے ہوئے

Warne haji Daraghto me bete howe

These mountains protect the Haram in two ways.  If the Haji undertook his journey to Makkah Sharif and there was beautiful greenery, lakes, fountains, etc. then people would have taken their picnic baskets along to enjoy a picnic. They would have left the Ka’aba Sharif and involved themselves in picnicking with their families. How many people are enjoying picnics in the Haram today!

کیمرے میں لیا کرتے باغ حرم

Camere me liya karte bagh-e-Haram

They would have taken their cameras to the beautiful orchards and gardens of the Haram

Hadrat had also explained another reason to this as well. Hajis come from various parts of the world. The Saudis ensure that sanitization is carried out.  However, in spite of these measures there would have been plenty of diseases if there was plenty of greenery. The mountains are absolutely dry , black burnt rock which burns out all types of diseases. If these mountains were not there, we would have heard of various epidemics and outbreak of diseases.

رب کعبہ سے بھی اور کعبہ سے بھی

دور کردیتے ہم کو جبال حرم

Rabb-e-Ka’aba se bie awr Ka’aba se bie door kardete humko jibaal e haram

(if there was greenery) These mountains would have distanced us from the Rabb of the Ka’aba and the Ka’aba

We observe that Namaazis also tend to become lax when they go for a picnic . They become lazy to perform their Salaah. If they perform their Salaah then it is performed very quickly in a haphazard manner. This happens to a person when enjoying a holiday as well. Similarly, we would become lax and neglected our Salaah if there was greenery in Makkah Sharif.

In some places they have converted the mountains into beautiful greenery with waterfalls, etc. a greater distraction than this is the construction of huge shopping malls. On the outskirts of Madinah Sharif, there are circuses for entertainment for children. We should be aware of this and only attach ourselves to the Ka’aba Sharif, Masjid-e-Nabawi, the Rowdah and Allah Ta'ala.

ان پہاڑوں  پہ بھی حفظ توحید  کا

رب کی جانب سے ہے انتظام حرم

In paharo pe bie hifz e Tauheed ka Rabb ke jaanib se intizaam-e-Haram

In the mountains is the protection of Tauheed from the side of Allah Ta'ala which is an arrangement of the Haram

یہ بھی ہجرت کا اک راز تکوین ہے

Ye bie Hijrat ka ek raaz e takween he

This is also one of the secrets of Hijrat

Why did Allah Ta'ala instruct Rasulullah Salallahu Alaihi Wasallam to leave Makkah Sharif and depart to Madinah Sharif?  If Allah Ta'ala willed He could have given Hidaayat to the people of Makkah and he could have lived in Makkah Sharif, passed away in Makkah and his blessed Qabr would have been near the Ka’aba Sharif. One of the secrets for the Hijrat of Rasulullah Salallahu Alaihi Wasallam and his Rowdah-e-Mubarak is approximately 450 kms away from Makkah Sharif is that,

ورنہ روضہ بھی ہوتا جوار حرم

Warne rowda bie hota jawar-e-haram

Else the Rowdah-e-Mubarak would have been next to the Haram

قلب عاشق کے دو ٹکڑے ہوتے یہاں

Qalb aashiq ke do tukre hote yaha

The heart of the Aashiq (lover of Allah Ta'ala) would have broken into two pieces here

A person would wonder whether he should make Tawaaf or recite Salaat and Salaam. Now a person is by Rowdah-e-Mubarak in Madinah Sharif and next to the Ka’aba Sharif in Makkah Mukarrama.

درمیان حرم روضہ محترم

Darmiyaane Haram Rowda-e-Muhtaram

By the Haram is the honourable Rowdah Mubarak

جاکے طیبہ میں دے سبز گنبد پہ جاں

Jake tayba me de sabz gumbad pe ja

Go to Madinah sharif and give your life by reciting Salaat and Salaam

اور مکہ میں ہوجا فدائے حرم

Awr Makkah me hoja fida e Haram 

In Makkah sharif be next to the Haram

 In Makkah Sharif, go to the Multazam and pour out your heart by making Duas. How difficult isn’t it for a person with two wives? Similarly, if the Rowdah and Ka’aba are next to each other then a person wouldn’t know whether he should make Tawaaf or recite Salaat and Salaam. 

بت وطن کے بھی ہجرت سے سب گرگئے

But watn ke bie hijrat se sab gir gaye

By the Hijrat of Rasulullah Salallahu Alaihi Wasallam the idols had all fallen

سوء طیبہ چلےجب  نبی کے قدم

Soo-e-tayba chale jab nabi ke qadam

When Nabie Salallahu Alaihi Wasallam walked towards Madinah Sharif

When Rasulullah Salallahu Alaihi Wasallam left Makkah Sharif, he stood at the outskirts of Makkah and addressed Makkah by saying, “I love you O Makkah, had my people not driven me out I would have never left Makkah Sharif.” However, through this Hijrat the idols of “Home Sweet Home” had crushed to the ground.

The vocabulary of a believer should not have the term “Home Sweet Home”. Our Sheikh r used to say that we should break the idol of the love of our home as well. The entire world is home for a believer. We are not confined to one place. An Alim, Mujahid and Muballigh should not feel that this is his home but the entire world is his home. The message of Islam has to be taken throughout the world.

Once I asked Hadrat Mufti Mahmood Saheb R.A regarding the Hadith,

حب الوطن من الايمان

Love of one’s hometown is part of Imaan

Hadrat Mufti sahib was a great Alim and a great Sheikh so he made out that  I was missing home. He then said, “This is not a Hadith. It has been fabricated.” He then said, “Had it been a Hadith then it would refer to Jannat as Jannat is the true home of a believer.”  The love of Jannat is part of Imaan. We should therefore treat the entire world as home and be comfortable wherever we are.

آپ کے گھر میں اختر کی یہ حاضری

Aap ke ghar me Akhtar kie ye Haadiri

My presence in Your house O Allah

ایک نااہل پر ہے خد ا کا کرم

Ek na ahl par he khuda ka karam

This is the favour of Allah upon a unworthy servant

When a person feels this way then the value of the Tawaaf, Umrah, Ziyaaret will be absolutely great. Hadrat R.A used to say, “In order to increase the value of our Tawaaf we should say,

کہاں میں اور کہاں یہ طواف تیرے گھر کا

Where me, and where the Tawaaf of Your house?

When one utters this then he will make Shukr unto Allah Ta'ala. Where have You brought me O Allah, I am not fit to be here! How many people do not have the time to perform Umrah! How many people are sick or even physically disabled on wheel chairs yet by the kindness of Allah they also reach Makkah Sharif.

 May Allah Ta'ala attach our hearts to Makkah and Madinah Sharif during this period of Haj. Fortunate are those that are at a distance from Ka’aba Sharif yet they are attached to Ka’aba Sharif, unfortunate are those that are in Makkah and Madinah Sharif yet their hearts are at home, or in business, or politics, etc.