Gracious Allah gave the glad tidings of the deputation of the holy Prophet-saws to His bondsmen and said, ‘A Messenger has come to you from amongst you, who feels your every grief. If you slip, it is he who feels the pain.’ This Divine address is meant for the whole humanity. The human race is being told a fact that in this world no one can find a real sympathiser. Here all relationships, friendships and love are linked with personal interests. These are established and maintained where there is hope of some benefit, fulfilment of some need or expectation of some favour. But, if circumstances of the same favourite person take a wrong turn and people realize that they can’t benefit from him anymore, they instantly forget all love, forsake all friendship and sever all relationships. This is a world where all relationships are governed by vested interests. Almighty Allah says, ‘I have sent a slave of Mine, who feels sorry for every pain suffered by mankind; he wants to save them and prays for them. …My this Messenger-saws is independent of everyone in both worlds. He is absorbed in My communion only, and has no interest with anything in this world. He wants absolutely nothing from you. If you are rich, he doesn’t covet your riches; if you are strong, he doesn’t require your strength; if you possess some excellence, he has no concern with it. Still, he-saws loves you, shares your grief, wants to protect you and is spending all of his energy for it. Despite the fact that he has nothing to do with anything in both worlds, his keenness touches the limits of anxiety to save you from afflictions of the both worlds. And when someone believes him and believes Almighty Allah through him, for such believers he is compassionate and merciful. These are the exalted qualities of the holy Prophet-saws, described by Allah. Now, friendship is not a one way relationship, that one person loves and the other responds with hate; one wishes well and the other responds indifferently. It will be impossible to explain such attitude on the Day of Resurrection; if it is asked that such a great personality loved you and invited you towards Allah’s Mercy and you disregarded his affection without realising your own lowly status. Leave alone other sins, refusal of the invitation of Prophet Muhammad-saws is such a big crime that human race has no explanation for it. Even those who accept also exhibit strange behaviour. We declare verbally that we accept and we will obey; that we don’t take anyone except Allah as our God and we accept the holy Prophet-saws as Allah’s Messenger. But, can a mere verbal claim fulfil the obligation?
If a person tells us not to take water for half hour, let’s say a doctor advises us not to take water for half hour after his injection or tablet, we will never drink water for that time. But, if we start drinking water immediately, right in front of him, will this be called as acceptance of doctor’s advice? We proclaim the Kalimah Tayyibah, accepting Allah’s Greatness and the Prophethood of the holy Prophet-saws, but when we act, we always act opposite to our claim. Take the case of worships, how many of us take due care of our worships? Our relationship with worship is so weak that we forsake them at the slightest pretext. A new malady ‘my mood is off’ has recently crept into our lives. One may have no headache, no fever, nothing at all, but would still say, ‘my mood is off’. I really don’t understand what does this mood mean and when does it go on and when does it go off. ‘My mood is off’ I couldn’t offer Salah.’ Strange indeed! You have taken your food with this off mood, been to office with this off mood; have done all important business with the same off mood, but the only thing you couldn’t do was to offer Salah, because your mood was off! Hakeem Khuda Bakhsh was one of the senior members of the Order and was a very pleasant person. He used to say, ‘if a person can go out for his necessary errands, what excuse does he have for not going to the mosque?’ He himself went to the mosque very regularly. He became old and his sight got weak, still he went to the mosque at night with a lantern in his hand. Once I asked him, “Your eyesight is weak; can you see the way with this lantern?” He answered, “No, I can’t see, but I have walked through this street for a whole lifetime, so I can guess the way. I can see to some extent during the day, but can’t see anything at night.” I asked, “Then what is the use of carrying this lamp?” He replied, “It is for others to see that I am coming so that they can avoid bumping into me.” Even in that condition, he didn’t coin any excuse to offer Salah at his home. He used to say, ‘if I can walk and attend to other issue of life, why can’t I go to the mosque?’
What is Faith? It is a connection, a relationship that