|
The following incident occurred when Hadrat Moulānā Zul
Fiqar Ahmed (Dāmat Barakātuhum) was travelling from Pakistan to the
Central Asian states in 1992. It has been quoted in his book, “From
Lahore to Bukhara and Samarkand”.
Half an hour into the flight, a Pakistani sitting across the aisle
from Hadrat started a conversation with him. He said
that he had originally gone to Russia to study engineering where he
had been exposed to Darwinism. He said that the truth dawned on him
then that there was no truth in religion.
Hadrat
listened in amusement as this man continued saying that mankind alone
is responsible for his destiny and the ulama who just read religious
books are not only misguided themselves but misguide others. Finally
this man advised Hadrat, “Maulana, you should study the
sciences so that you can realize the truth. May I ask why you are
going to Central Asia?”
Hadrat
replied that he was going to visit his Muslim brothers in the recently
liberated republics. To this his neighbour said, “Those people all
hold scientific and modernist views whereas you would not know the
first thing about science, so what will you do?” Hadrat
had been patient all this time but now became annoyed and proceeded to
acquaint this individual with his extensive academic background, at
which his new-found advisor became very embarrassed.
After a moment of silence he exclaimed, “Please forgive me, I did not
know that you people also studied the sciences so extensively.” He
then worked up the courage to ask a question and said, “There are
those people who read the Quran without comprehension. How do such
people earn reward for their deeds?” Hadrat answered
from the hadith that Rasulullah
e
said, both reading with and without comprehension earned reward, but
the man did not understand and asked for more proof.
Hadrat
settled down and asked him, “Tell me, will someone earn reward if he
recites the verse,
كهيعص
.” His neighbour answered, “Yes, because it is part of the Quran,” and
so Hadrat asked him the meaning of this verse. This man
was very learned and so replied, “We have not been told the meanings
of such letters.” Hadrat closed his argument by saying,
“If we earn reward by reading one verse without comprehending its
meaning, we can earn reward for the entire Holy Quran in the same
way.”
Hadrat’s
new flight companion countered with another question and asked, “Why
is it necessary to offer prayer in Arabic? Why can’t one offer it on
one’s own language?” Hadrat explained that worship has
been divided into different levels and each level has been given a
certain status and thus operates by different rules. Supplication is
sunnah and so can be offered in one’s own language. Salat
however, is mandatory and so has strict guidelines, the main one being
that it has to be offered exactly as Rasulullah
e
used to offer it. In explaining this further, Hadrat
said that certain mandatory issues need to remain uniform as to
preserve their uniqueness, otherwise people will start corrupting true
worship by mixing in their own incorrect interpretations thereby
inventing their own religion. Fourteen hundred years later, people
would have added song and dance as is the trend today and completely
changed the meaning of worshipping Allah
Y.
This man said in admiration, “Maulana, you seem to be very
intelligent.” Hadrat turned to him and said honestly, “You seem to be
a very foolish man to me. You were born into a Muslim home but went to
Russia and lost your religion. It would have been better if your
mother had not given birth you.”
The mashaikh [spiritual masters] have certain ways of dealing
with people. These potent and powerful words impacted this atheist’s
heart like thunder and tears filled in his eyes. He said, “Maulana, I
sincerely repent and want to start my life once again as a Muslim.”
Hearing this Hadrat thanked Allah
Y
for His guidance.
وما كنا لنهتدى
لولا ان هدانا الله
Never could we have found guidance had it not been for the guidance of
Allah
Y.
(Surah al A’raf 7:43)
|