Prophetic Connection and the Sweetness of Faith | Address No. 54 (July 19, 1986)

Address by Huzoor Wala Shan Pir Sahib (may Allah have mercy on him).

Dated: 19 July 1986.

Address No54.

بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ

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 praises are for Allah.

Allah, the Almighty, that the Master once again granted us today the opportunity to gather in His remembrance and pleasure. Millions and billions of blessings and salutations upon the Chief of the Prophets, the beloved of Allah, Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa, peace and blessings be upon him.

Dear listeners! The Holy Prophet, peace be upon him, said that on the Day of Judgment, when there will be no shade, those who loved one another purely for the sake of divine pleasure in this world will be under the Throne of God. In a noble hadith, it is mentioned that the sweetness of true faith is tasted only by those who love for the sake of Allah. All praise belongs to Allah. In today’s meeting, my journey of thousands of miles from Pakistan to England, and your gathering from distant places here, are all for the sake of Allah’s pleasure and remembrance. The thanks for this favor cannot be fully expressed, no matter how much we thank. This is a magnificent favor from the Master, not a favor from any created being. He grants the divine ability to act and then bestows the great reward, for He is the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful.

Once, the Holy Prophet, peace be upon him, set out for an expedition (Jihad), and on the way, he saw a village. He said, “Find out who these people are.” He was told they were all Muslims. The Prophet, peace be upon him, stayed there awhile and saw that a woman had a pot cooking on the stove. There was a fire in the stove, and her child was nearby. Whenever the flames flared up, she would quickly pull her child back to protect him. She came before the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, and asked, ‘Are you the Messenger of Allah?’ He replied, ‘Yes.’ She said, ‘May my parents be sacrificed for you. Is Allah not the Most Merciful?’ The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, ‘Of course.’ She asked, ‘Is He not more merciful to His servants than a mother to her children?’ He replied, ‘Yes.’ Said, ‘A mother does not throw her children into fire.’ Upon hearing this, the Prophet, peace be upon him, bowed his head and wept. After a while, he raised his head. He said, ‘Allah will punish only those among His servants who are rebellious and persist in great rebellion, and who reject the declaration that there is no deity but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.’

Respected listeners, that one Allah, who has no partner, created the entire universe and fulfilled all human needs, is far more compassionate than our own parents. He has prepared countless blessings for us in this world and the next. He commands:

يٰٓاَيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْٓا اَطِيْعُوا اللّٰهَ وَاَطِيْعُوا الرَّسُوْلَ وَلَا تُبْطِلُوْٓا اَعْمَالَكُمْ

( آیت نمبر 33 : سورۃ محمد)

O you who believe, obey Allah and obey the Messenger, and do not render your deeds void.”

(Chapter: Muhammad, Verse: 33)

Translation: O you who have embraced faith, who have accepted the religion of Allah and believe in the Hereafter, obey Allah and obey His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), and do not render your deeds void.

It means that even if someone has faith, believes in God, and does good deeds, there is still something essential required. Without it, deeds become void. That requirement is obedience to Allah and His Messenger, complete and wholehearted obedience. Merely believing in Allah and doing good deeds brings no benefit unless one becomes sincerely obedient to Allah and His Messenger from the depths of the heart. A heartfelt bond, complete submission, and unwavering obedience are indispensable. Only then will both the individual and his deeds find acceptance before God.

The Holy Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, explained by saying, “O people, you cannot be true believers until you hold me dearer than your parents, your wealth, and even your own lives.” It is this heartfelt bond that our revered Spiritual Master has bestowed upon us, known as the Prophetic Connection (Nisbat-e-Rasuli). He continually encourages the Ummah of the Prophet, peace be upon him, saying, “O followers of the Messenger, establish a connection with God’s Beloved Messenger.” This connection will cleanse you of sins, enrich you with spirituality, make you beloved to Allah, and remove all fears and grief, granting you honor and success in both worlds.

When a person establishes within himself the Prophetic Connection with the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, the lights and divine manifestations that reside in the blessed heart of the Holy Prophet are reflected into his own heart, making him light upon light. Thereafter, the universe and all within it come under his influence. The plant kingdom, the animal kingdom, and even the inanimate world become responsive to him. If he were to stand before a stone, even the stone would bow. In short, it is through the Prophetic Connection that one attains salvation and true success in both religion and worldly life. Without this connection, all deeds are without real value. Above all, it is love that holds the highest rank.

Maulana Rumi, may Allah have mercy on him, says in the Masnavi:

بالب دم ساز تو گر جفتمے

 ہمچو نے من گفتہما گفتمے

“If only my relationship with my Lord were like the reed flute’s bond with the lips of its player, then through that connectedness, the perfections of my Master would come to appear within me.”

The way a dry reed flute, when joined to the player’s lips, makes a sound that shakes the world.

Respected attendees, the lesson of establishing this Prophetic Connection with the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, is that which is given day and night at the spiritual center of Mohra Sharif. It is with this precious invitation that we have set aside all our other engagements to come to you. It could be said that this message might have been delivered to you through books or written notices. But remember, when placing a precious thing into a vessel, the vessel must be washed and purified again and again until its purity matches that of the treasure to be placed within it.

The Prophetic Connection with the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, is the purest and most precious treasure in both worlds. God has made the human heart the vessel to contain this priceless treasure, and has bestowed upon it a rank that He has given to nothing else. Allah Almighty says that the heavens and the earth cannot contain Him, but the heart of a believing servant can contain Him. Thus, the heart of a believer is the Throne of Allah. Such a great treasure requires an equally great means of purification. That means is the remembrance of Allah, the invocation of His Most Beautiful Names, which we have just performed. This is the method for cleansing the heart. Once purified, the heart is to be filled with the Prophetic Connection to the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him.

Therefore, O chosen servants of Allah, who have gathered only for His pleasure, give thanks to Allah for granting us the blessing of remembering Him and for inspiring in us the yearning for the love of His Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him. For we believe that Allah has made us His own, and whoever belongs to Allah is granted honor and success in both worlds. The blessed person of the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, is so beloved to Allah Almighty that His love is beyond all description. One day, some boys among the polytheists of Makkah were playing. One of them said, ‘Let us play a game: you act as the polytheists, and I will be Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, and you all throw stones at me.’ While they were at play, the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, happened to pass by, and it grieved his blessed heart that even these children were making mockery. At that time, revelation came, saying: ‘O Muhammad, peace be upon him.” “I have forgiven that boy, for he assumed your likeness, and I would be ashamed to cast into Hell one who has taken on your likeness.

It is by the grace of Allah that this assembly is of the devoted servants of the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him—those who hold Allah and His Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, dearer than their parents, their children, their wealth, their very lives, even dearer than anything else.” They have gathered here to show their devotion and, filled with spiritual joy, are absorbed in the remembrance of Allah. May Allah Almighty, as long as He lets us live, grant us this very practice and this very love, and through their blessed influence remove our sorrows and hardships.

Now, let us begin. In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

The Aurad-e-Naziriya Sharif were then recited, followed by a prayer.