Aymen’s Page

A Lecture by Shaykh Zulfiqar Ahmed (db)

Created to Worship
Man has been created to worship Allah[1]. When he
becomes forgetful of this and becomes weak in his
worship and connection with Allah, he falls from his
status and becomes lower than animals.

An Awakening Moment
Hadrat[2] Bahlol Dana r.a [3] was walking by a
waterfront when he saw some children playing, and saw
another child sitting by himself lost in thought.
Hadrat Bahlol approached this child and asked him why
he was not playing with the others. The child looked
at Hadrat Bahlol i and quoted a verse from the Holy
Quran:

Does man think he will be left uncontrolled (without
purpose)? (75:36)

Hadrat Bahlol was astonished to hear something so
grave coming from what appeared to be a young child,
and said upon reflection, “You seem to be very
intelligent, give me some advice.” The child recited
some poetic verses:

O traveler, your time is short.
Make preparations before you come, and don’t let them
fall short.

Hadrat Bahlol started crying and said, “You are yet so
young. It would be more understandable if you were
someone older who was reflecting on his past sins.
What is the reason for this lamenting at such a young
age?”

The child looked at him and said, “I look at my mother
lighting the fire for dinner. She uses small sticks to
have the fire catch, and then puts in the larger
sticks. I often think that Allah too has to light the
Fire of Hell, and I fear that He might give the
command to have the little children thrown in before
the adults. Bahlol, when I think upon this I cry.”

Countless Blessings
Man has been sent to this world for the worship and
pleasure of Allah. If man does not understand this
then he has not understood anything. The Holy Quran
says:

If you count the favors of Allah, never will you be
able to number them (14:34)

Mankind is immersed in the blessings of Allah – the
air that he breathes; the foods that he eats; the
comforts that he enjoys. The reality should be that we
praise Him to the degree that we enjoy His blessings.
However, man is such an ingrate that he enjoys Allah’s
blessings but remains in doubt and complaint regarding
His Creator.

Man forgets His purpose and is heedless to the fact
that he has not been sent here to live forever. People
have to realize that some day they have to depart this
life for the next, and so they have to prepare.

Currency of Paradise
Every country has its particular financial currency.
Pakistani rupees cannot function in America, where the
currency is the dollar, and whoever has more dollars
will live that much more comfortably. Likewise, the
currency of Saudi Arabia is the riyal, and whoever has
more riyals will be that much richer than the one who
does not.

The currency of the Hereafter is righteous deeds and
no other currency will benefit man after his death.
There will be no foreign currency exchange where he
can change his money for good deeds like we do here
when traveling from country to country. The person who
has more of this currency of good deeds will be in
that much more comfort than the person who does not.
Today we have been given time to amass this currency
so that we may be in comfort in the Hereafter. It will
be too late in the grave.

Does man ever stop to reflect on the fact that he is
getting old? The answer is an emphatic no because man
always considers himself young in every circumstance.
His youth slips away and man becomes an empty shell
but he does not realize this. He still thinks himself
young when the Angel of Death comes for him.

Becoming Muslim
This is a limited life, but wealth distracts and
blinds man from his purpose. This wealth is chloroform
and whoever smells this forgets his purpose. He falls
deeper and deeper into the lusts of this world, until
he has no realization of the Hereafter. This is why
this wealth has been called a curse and the wife and
children have been called a curse. Why is this so? It
is because of these things that man turns his face
from Allah and starts towards the road of wrong in an
effort to please his wife and children.

Man’s purpose is to establish a connection with Allah
and to strive to attain His pleasure. Man was created
so he would rise – rise high and recognize his
Creator. Sadly, man’s animalistic desires make him
fall to the lowest depths. Man falls into a hole of
his own making and can only be called a man of God
when he shuns these animal desires and recognizes his
Creator.

People think that becoming a Muslim is easy, but in
reality it is very hard. Becoming a Muslim by tongue
is very easy, but becoming a practicing Muslim is very
hard. It makes no difference whether the tongue says
that we are Muslim if the eyes and ears and limbs are
not Muslim, and by that is meant that they submit to
the commandments of Allah. Only that person is a
Muslim whose eyes, ears, tongue, speech, thought, and
private parts are Muslim. A Muslim is a Muslim from
head to toe.

People have to reflect upon themselves and determine
whether their eyes have become Muslim in the life that
they have lived so far. If this is not the case, then
what have they gained in this life? The misfortune is
that man forgets himself and forgets to evaluate
himself.

A man forgets himself and his Creator to such a degree
that he will lie, cheat, take false oaths, and still
dare to say that Allah is Most Forgiving. The Holy
Quran says:

Do men think that they will be left alone on saying
We believe and that they will not be tested? (29:2)

Man should pray to Allah that he become Muslim.

We did test those before them, and Allah will
certainly know those who are true from those who are
false (29:3)

By (the Token of) Time (through the ages),
Verily man is in loss
Except such as have Faith, and do righteous deeds, and
(join together) in the mutual teaching of Truth, and
of Patience and Constancy (103:1-3)

The Messenger [4] of Allah said, “Shall I tell you of
a people who are in grave loss? They are those who
spend their lives chasing the attractions of this
world and think that they are in a state of good
fortune.”

Submission to Allah’s Will
Wealth is a test for man; if mere wealth were a ticket
to Paradise then Qarun[5] would have been assured a
residence there. The successful person is the one who
acts righteously and advises others upon righteousness
also. Today everyone knows but we are no longer
concerned with knowing because today everyone claims
they know everything. This is a matter of accepting
and not knowing. We refuse to accept and act upon what
is right, and we should pray to Allah that we
recognize our purpose.

We are only Muslims by mouth whereas our actions are
comparable with the Hypocrites of Madinah. One of our
pious elders once asked a man in a foreign country,
“Why dont you accept Islam?” To this he replied,
“Islam is very good in theory, but show me a country
where Islamic Law is being applied and people are
living according to its tenets, and I am willing to
accept Islam today.”

Bernard Shaw said that Islam is not a religion for the
lazy, but for the dynamic who spend their lives to
please Allah. Our purpose is not to fill our bellies,
but to please Allah.

Definition of a Muslim
What is a Muslim? The Messenger of Allah said, “A
Muslim is he from whose hands and tongue other Muslims
are safe.” Now let us evaluate ourselves and determine
whether our tongues speak and lash out against other
people? Do we raise our hands against other people?
What sort of Islam are we practicing, and what sort of
Muslims are we? These are all pertinent questions for
which everyone should search his soul.

A Muslim is a well wisher not only for his fellow man,
but also for Allahs entire creation. A Muslim’s eyes
and heart are clean: he fearlessly speaks the truth
and his character is flawless.

This flawless character was the only reason that the
world was compelled to bow before the camel and
sheepherders of Arabia who were the Companions
(Sahabah) of the Messenger of Allah. Caesar of Rome
bowed before those same camel herders, who changed the
geography and destiny of the world. Where are those
people now before whom armies fell and kings bowed?
Where is that strength? This is only the strength of
faith (iman).

Man has forgotten the status that Allah has created
him for. An eagle is a high-flying bird, but it will
never learn to soar high as it was meant to if it is
reared like a chicken. Man is a mere handful of clay,
but if he realizes his true purpose he can soar higher
than the angels. Man has to realize why he has been
sent here and why he was created if he is to succeed
and progress towards Allah. Today we are chasing after
this temporary life and do not seek out the company of
pious people, and this indicates that we have truly
forgotten our purpose.

Where are the people who used to cry in front of Allah
all night? Where are the people whose beds were never
slept in and who used to pray Fajr with the previous
night’s ablution? It seems that they were some other
people with whom we have now lost touch. They were
Allah’s worshippers in every condition whether they
were rulers or beggars.

Hadrat Umar ibn al-Khattab[6]
The Muslims have a superb example in Hadrat Umar ibn
al-Khattab. It is written that Hadrat Umar was making
his nightly rounds through the streets of Madinah when
he heard voices coming from a nearby house. He drew
nearer and heard a mother saying to her daughter,
“People will come to collect the milk in the morning.
We dont have a lot – add some water so we can get a
good price.” The daughter refused, to which the mother
said, “It is not such a big thing, Umar isn’t
watching.” The daughter replied, “Mother, if Umar
isnt watching, then Umars Creator is watching.”

Hadrat Umar returned home impressed with the young
lady’s faith. Upon awaking the next morning he sent a
message to that house that he wanted the girl of that
house as his daughter-in- law. These were times when
people were evaluated on the basis of their sincerity
and character, not on how many education degrees they
had or how many houses they owned.

On another occasion, Hadrat Umar was traveling and
came upon a shepherd herding sheep in what appeared to
be a barren wasteland, with no settlement in sight. He
asked whether the sheep belonged to the shepherd, who
replied that he had a master. Hadrat Umar offered him
food but the shepherd said that he was fasting; Hadrat
Umar was amazed that he was fasting in such heat and
decided to test him.

Hadrat Umar offered to pay for a sheep that they could
sacrifice and eat, but the shepherd said that he must
first ask permission from his master. Hadrat Umar
said, “Your master is not here, neither is he
watching.” The shepherd then replied, “My master may
not be here, but Allah is everywhere.” Hadrat Umar was
amazed at this man’s sincerity and steadfastness. We
should reflect on where such people are today and how
we can become like them.

Other Examples of Sincerity
Our traditions speak of a cruel king who used to
kidnap beautiful young women to use and abuse as he
wished. Once he was sitting with a very beautiful and
naturally terrified young woman as night fell. He told
her to close all the windows and doors, and she
grudgingly walked to comply, terrified and
contemplating what would happen. He grew angry when
she delayed and raised his voice, asking why she was
taking so long. The young woman replied, “Your
Majesty, I have closed all the windows and doors, but
one door is not closing.” The king jumped up, “What
door is that?” The woman continued, “Your Majesty, the
doors through which creation can look are closed, but
no one can close the door through which the Creator
looks.”

These bold words touched and awakened the king’s heart
and he immediately fell in prostration, begging
forgiveness for his previous life. We today also must
realize that our Creator is watching our every move.

Hadrat Salahuddin Ayubi was the commander of the
Muslim forces in Palestine during the First Crusade,
when all the Christian forces were massing against the
Muslims. He learnt that a large force had just left
Europe intent on destroying the Muslims, and so he
spent the whole night in the mosque crying to Allah.

He exited the mosque after Fajr and saw an elderly man
coming out at the same time. He was dressed in white
and looked angelic. Hadrat Salahuddin Ayubi approached
him and asked him to pray for the Muslim forces. The
elderly man looked at him and said, “Do not worry
Salahuddin, your night’s tears have drowned the
Christian convoy!”

An anecdote from the time of Muslim rule serves to
teach us what a believer is. This was a time when
people knew that a Muslim’s tongue speaks truth. A
Muslim hunters arrow accidentally struck and killed a
Christian child, whose father hence entered a plea to
the local judge. The judge was a Muslim and rendered a
verdict of death by hanging. Upon request, the judge
granted the accused respite for three days so he could
settle his affairs. People of course found it hard to
believe that this man would live up to his word and
return in three days.

However, this man returned in the allotted time and
said, “I have settled all my affairs and have come
back to pay for my crime.” The child’s father was
amazed and said, “Seeing this I accept Islam and
forgive him of my child’s blood.” This was a time when
Muslims were true.

One day during his rule (khilafat), Hadrat Umar
thought that he should make his nightly rounds in the
newly developing suburbs instead of the city like he
usually used to do. It was very dark at night and he
heard a rider approaching.

“Who goes there?” he asked in a loud voice. The rider
answered, “I am a woman and I have an emergency.”
Hadrat Umar was surprised because it was too late for
anyone to be out, so he asked, “Why have you come out
alone so late?” The woman answered, “Commander of the
Faithful, I have an emergency which compelled me to
come out.” Hadrat Umar asked in amazement, “How did
you know you were speaking to the Commander of the
Faithful?” The woman replied, “I knew that it could
only be the Commander of the Faithful who would dare
to ask me another question after I said that I was a
woman. Any other would have continued walking on his
way without another word.”

This is just one example of how the honor of ladies
was respected. Today the honor of women sitting in
their homes is not safe because we are only Muslims of
the tongue, whereas they were Muslims of their word.

Examples for Eternity
Muslims are just in their dealings with others, and
hence measure and weigh correctly because they fear
Allah. We see an excellent example of this in Hadrat
Imam Abu Hanifa, who used to own a clothing store. One
day he returned home earlier than usual and someone
asked, “Abu Hanifa, you usually come later than this,
why are you coming early today?” Hadrat Abu Hanifa i
answered, “Today there was a thick cloud cover and so
people would not have been able to tell the difference
between different qualities of cloth. I closed early
so that my customers are not defrauded by this.”

Islam has given us perfect guidance in the Holy Quran
and shining examples in the lives of the Messenger a
of Allah and his Sahabah. At one time during his
khilafat Hadrat Umar was seated working on a budget
when he heard a knock. Hadrat Ali entered and said
that he had something to discuss. Hadrat Umar asked,
“Is it personal or does it have to do with matters of
state?” Hadrat Ali answered that it was a personal
matter, and so Hadrat Umar closed his books and blew
out the lamp, turning his full attention to his guest.

Hadrat Ali asked, “Why have you blown out the lamp?
Hadrat Umar answered, I cannot justify letting the
oil of the people burn while we have a personal
discussion.”

This above example is enough to illustrate the degree
of fear and respect within these people. Living on
this Earth they were able to please Allah and set
examples for generations of mankind to come.

Complete Submission
Allah says that He subjugates creation in front of one
who subjugates himself to Allah, and nowhere is this
more applicable than in the lives of the Sahabah of
the Messenger of Allah.

Hadrat Umar was once in council with his advisors when
an earthquake shook the city of Madinah. He looked in
amazement at the ground and stamped his foot down hard
upon it. He said sternly, “Why are you shaking? Has
Umar not established just rule upon you?” The ground
instantly stopped shaking because Allah had commanded
creation to be obedient to Hadrat Umar.

In Egypt the Nile River would occasionally flood its
banks and would recede only when a young virgin girl
was thrown in as a human sacrifice according to age
old pagan custom. Hadrat Umar learnt of this and wrote
a note, which he instructed the Muslim governor of the
region to throw into the river. The note read; “River
Nile, if you flow by the Will of Allah, then Allah’s
Khalifah commands you to start flowing. If you flow by
your own will, then we have no need of your flowing.”
The river receded and started flowing immediately and
has not stopped to this date.

We as a people should reflect on why the earth, the
wind, animals, and all humanity obeyed these people.
They used to bow to the Will of Allah and were so
attached to His Book that people and nations bowed to
Islam wherever these people turned. From this Book and
the excellent teachings of the Messenger a of Allah
they learnt impeccable character that we need to bring
into our lives today. Their purpose was but to please
Allah and prepare for the Hereafter, and we need to
reflect and learn from their excellent examples if we
are to please our Lord.