The Friends of Allah: The Path of Taqwa, Divine Remembrance, and Everlasting Success
Discourse of Hazrat Pir Sahib (RA)
Dated: 25 October 1985
Speech No. 29
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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 of all creation, Who has once again granted us the opportunity and ability to gather here solely for His pleasure, in His remembrance, and in His love.
Countless blessings and peace be upon the Leader of all Prophets, the Beloved of Allah, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), through whose blessed mediation these divine favors have reached us.
Dear listeners!
Allah Almighty says in the Holy Qur’an:
(Surah Yunus, Verses 62–64)
اَلَآ اِنَّ اَوْلِيَاۗءَ اللّٰهِ لَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا ھُمْ يَحْزَنُوْنَالَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْا وَكَانُوْا يَتَّقُوْنَلَھُمُ الْبُشْرٰي فِي الْحَيٰوةِ الدُّنْيَا وَفِي الْاٰخِرَةِ ۭ لَا تَبْدِيْلَ لِكَلِمٰتِ اللّٰهِ ۭ ذٰلِكَ ھُوَ الْفَوْزُ الْعَظِيْمُ
“Indeed, the friends of Allah shall have no fear, nor shall they grieve.”
This is a certain and unquestionable promise. Those who become true servants of Allah, who consider His love, His remembrance, and His obedience above everything else, will have neither fear nor sorrow.
Who are these people?
They are those who believe in Allah, believe in His Messenger (PBUH), sincerely accept and submit to Allah’s commands with both heart and tongue, and then become people of Taqwa (God-consciousness).
What is Taqwa?
The meaning of Taqwa is extensive, but Hazrat Umar (RA) explained it beautifully in a simple example.
He said:
“When a person walks along a path lined with thorns on both sides, carefully protecting his clothes from being torn, this is Taqwa.”
Likewise, after embracing faith, a believer encounters countless distractions—Satan, the ego, parents, children, wealth, life itself, and everything in this world that can make him neglect Allah. Protecting oneself from becoming attached to these distractions and continuing steadfastly on Allah’s path is true Taqwa.
Those who enter into the friendship of Allah are given this command by Allah: such people have no need to fear or grieve. For them, there is nothing but joy in this world and in the Hereafter. Whatever they desire will be granted to them.
This is the promise of Allah, and the promise of Allah never changes, nor can it ever prove to be false. Understand this well: this is not the claim of a human being, nor is it the proclamation of an earthly king that could be mistaken. Rather, it is the promise of the Sovereign of all sovereignty (Malik al-Mulk)—a promise that can never be false or fail.
Those who are blessed with this priceless treasure will surely attain the fulfillment of their deepest aspirations. For what greater success could there be than to receive happiness, prosperity, and triumph in both this world and the Hereafter?
*Then Allah, the Exalted, says:*
*(Surah Yunus, Verse 65)*
وَلَا يَحْزُنْكَ قَوْلُھُمْ ۘ اِنَّ الْعِزَّةَ لِلّٰهِ جَمِيْعًا ۭ ھُوَ السَّمِيْعُ الْعَلِيْمُ
Therefore, O you who have chosen, embraced, and preferred the friendship of Allah, do not let the words of those who mock you, intimidate you, or try to lure you with worldly temptations cause you grief. Do not be saddened by what they say, for all sovereignty and authority belong to Allah alone. He is the One who hears everything and knows everything.
This means that you should be at peace and free from worry, for everything is before Him and under His complete knowledge and control.
Dear listeners,
The reason these verses are being recited today is because many of you come here burdened with grief, hardships, and worries. After knocking on every worldly door, your final hope remains only with Allah. Leaving your homes behind, you come here believing this place to be a doorway to Allah’s mercy.
This understanding is correct.
The court of Allah is the place where even the impossible becomes possible. It is from Him alone that hope and mercy should be sought.
Anyone who leaves home with this sincere intention becomes a guest of Allah until he safely returns home. If such a person dies during the journey, he is granted the rank of a martyr.
As long as he remains on this journey, the angels spread their radiant wings beneath his feet. They do not consider whether he is poor, sick, disabled, or outwardly unattractive. They simply obey Allah’s command to honor His guest.
Likewise, when we see such a person, it becomes our duty to pray for him and guide him toward true success.
Do not imagine that becoming a friend of Allah is some complicated spiritual achievement reserved only for great scholars or saints.
Never.
The day a person sincerely repents before Allah for his past sins and firmly resolves to live according to His commands, he becomes one of Allah’s devoted servants and friends. The blessings that Allah has promised His Awliya (friends) become available to him as well.
However, not everyone reaches the same rank.
People differ according to the sincerity of their repentance, the strength of their faith, the firmness of their commitment, and the consistency of their righteous actions.
In a Hadith Qudsi, the Prophet (PBUH) narrated that Allah says:
“When My servant remembers Me continuously, a time comes when I become the hearing with which he hears, the sight with which he sees, the tongue with which he speaks, the hand with which he acts, and the feet with which he walks.”
Such a servant becomes so beloved to Allah that not only is he protected from calamities, but even those living near him, those who accompany him, and even the people of his town are granted blessings and protection through him.
It is narrated that when the angels came to destroy the people of Prophet Lut (AS), Prophet Ibrahim (AS) asked:
“Would you destroy a town if righteous servants of Allah were living there?”
They replied, “No.”
He asked, “Even if there were fifty?”
“No.”
“Five?”
“No.”
“What if there were only one righteous servant?”
“Never.”
Then Prophet Ibrahim (AS) reminded them that Prophet Lut (AS) himself lived among those people.
The angels replied:
“We will first take him safely away.”
Dear brothers,
It is Allah’s immense favor that He has granted us His servitude, detached our hopes from every other source, and directed our hearts entirely toward Him.
He has occupied us with His remembrance.
Those who do not understand call us mad. They say we sing devotional verses.
But we say:
“O Allah! Let this divine madness remain with us forever. May these praises remain upon our tongues until our final breath, and even when we rise from our graves.”
The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said:
“Those who recite ‘La ilaha illallah’ will experience no terror at the time of death, no loneliness in the grave, and no fear when they are resurrected.”
It is as though I can already see that Day.
When the Trumpet is blown, the believers will rise from their graves, brushing the dust from their heads while saying:
(Surah Fatir, Verse 34)
وَقَالُوا الْحَـمْدُ لِلّٰهِ الَّذِيْٓ اَذْهَبَ عَنَّا الْحَزَنَ ۭ اِنَّ رَبَّنَا لَغَفُوْرٌ شَكُوْرُۨ
“All praise is for Allah, Who has removed all sorrow from us. Indeed, our Lord is Most Forgiving, Most Appreciative.”
Today is a great blessing that Allah has granted us the opportunity to remember Him.
Therefore, let us begin His remembrance with complete sincerity and gratitude.
Those who continue to neglect this remembrance, remain heedless, or continue giving greater importance to worldly affairs are making a grave mistake.
May Allah protect us from such negligence.
The recitation of Awrad-e-Naziriyyah Sharif is performed so that, through its blessing, we may humbly pray before Allah:
“O Lord, increase the importance of Your remembrance in our hearts. Grant us the honor of true servitude. Remove from our hearts the love of this world and its people, and bless us instead with Your love and the love of Your Beloved Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), for without Your help this is impossible.”
You observe that every Friday—and indeed at every opportunity—we continue to preach this message. People sincerely acknowledge it with their hearts, yet many act contrary to it. This only proves that worldly desires have diminished the importance of Allah’s remembrance within their hearts.
To free ourselves from this heedlessness, we present ourselves before Allah’s court in humble supplication.
Now let us begin.
In the Name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful.
Awrad-e-Naziriyyah Sharif was recited, followed by a collective supplication.
