The Blessings of Remembering Allah and the Trials of Satan
Address of Hazrat Pir Sahib (Rahmatullah Alaih)
Delivered on: 21 June 1985
Speech No. 19
﷽
فَنِعۡمَ الۡمَوۡلٰی وَ نِعۡمَ النَّصِیۡرُ
رَبِِّ اشۡرَحۡ لِیۡ صَدۡرِیۡ وَیَسِّرۡ لِیۡۤ اَمۡرِیۡ وَ احۡلُلۡ عُقۡدَۃً مِّنۡ لِّسَانِیۡ یَفۡقَہُوۡاقَوۡلِیۡ
اَللّٰهُمَّ صَلِ عَلٰی سَیّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍوَّعَلٰی اٰلِ سَیِّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍوَّعَلٰی اَصْحَابِہٖ وَعَلٰی اَذْوَاجِہٖ اَجْمَعِیْنَ وَبَارِکْ وَسَلِمْ وَصَلِ عَلَیْہٖ
All praise is for Allah.
Countless thanks to Allah Almighty, the Sovereign King, Who has once again granted us the opportunity and ability to gather here for His pleasure, in His remembrance, and in His love. Millions and billions of salutations and blessings be upon the Leader of all Prophets, the Beloved of Allah, Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa (PBUH), through whose blessed means these divine favors have been bestowed upon us.
Respected listeners!
As per our usual practice, let us begin the recitation of the sacred Awrad (supplications). There is no doubt that whenever a person intends to perform a righteous deed, Satan creates obstacles. Similarly, during this gathering of Awrad-e-Pak, many thoughts arise in people’s minds: “It will take too long; I have to return home; certain matters may be disturbed; my relatives and friends may be waiting for me; my employer may be expecting me; my employees’ work may be delayed; will I find transport on the way back? Someone at home was ill—what will happen to them?” If none of these thoughts arise, then sleep begins to overpower a person, and one thinks, “I have already offered my prayers; now I should rest,” and so on.
Know well that all these are the tactics of that accursed one—Satan—who, through his cunning, caused Prophet Adam (AS) to leave Paradise. He is the declared enemy of mankind. He never desires goodness for human beings, especially in gatherings that become a means of attaining closeness to Allah. Such assemblies are unbearable to him.
Therefore, whenever one gets the opportunity to participate in such gatherings and these distracting thoughts arise, one should immediately correct one’s thinking and strengthen one’s faith. When everything is in the Hands of Allah Almighty and not even a leaf can move without His permission, then how is it possible that a person who remembers Him and seeks His pleasure will suffer loss? Rather, his troubled affairs will be set right.
It is true that a person may experience some inconvenience and spend some extra time, but remember that the remembrance of Allah is a means of removing both the present hardship and the hardships that are yet to come.
It is narrated in a Hadith that the Day of Judgment will be extremely difficult. There will be panic and confusion everywhere; every person will be anxious and distressed. The accountability process will be very prolonged, exacting, and overwhelming, and every movement, every intention, and every action of one’s life will be brought to account in full detail. No deed, however small, will remain hidden, and no moment of life will go unexamined. However, those who sacrificed their lives in the path of Allah and spent their time in His love will immediately prostrate before Allah upon the commencement of the Day of Judgment. When they raise their heads, the entire Day of Judgment will already have passed. In other words, they will experience only as much delay as it takes to perform a single prostration.
Consider how a small amount of hardship endured in remembering Allah in this worldly life becomes the means of such immense mercy in the Hereafter.
Therefore, these Awrad-e-Pak, which consist of the Beautiful Names of Allah, should be recited with sincerity of heart, complete faith, and full attention towards Allah. No worldly desire or need should distract the heart at that time. Rather, one should pray:
“O Allah! Accept this hardship that we endure in Your path.”
If one truly wishes to please Allah, one should never hesitate to make even the greatest sacrifices and should not allow any love to enter the heart besides the love of Allah. There is no way to salvation except by seeking His pleasure.
Prophet Ibrahim (AS) was blessed in old age with a beloved son, Prophet Ismail (AS). One day, while lovingly holding his son in his lap, the angels submitted:
“O Allah! Ibrahim (AS) is Your companion, yet he is showing love to his son.”
Allah Almighty replied:
“His love is for Me. Watch as I command him to sacrifice his son, and he will accept My command wholeheartedly.”
Accordingly, when Prophet Ibrahim (AS) was commanded to sacrifice his apple-eyed beloved son, he accepted the Divine command with complete submission and obedience. By successfully passing this test, Prophet Ibrahim (AS) attained the exalted rank of Imam al-Anbiya (Leader of the Prophets).
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
After this, Awrad-e-Naziriyah Sharif were recited, and a supplication (Dua) was offered.
