Bismihi Ta’ala
When a hen lays enough eggs, her effort is then to
incubate her eggs, and we observe how she sits on the eggs, and is so committed
to the process, that she only leaves her eggs for a few minutes in a day, when
she needs to eat and drink.
As is well-known, it takes 21 days for the eggs to
hatch - that is, if they were properly incubated by the hen. So for almost all
that time, the hen sits on the eggs, and the embryo develops inside the egg in that
period of time, until a chick pecks its way out of its eggshell and is hatched.
When life
comes into that chick, the chick does not require any assistance to come out.
It does not wait for its mother to crack the shell so that it may come out. It
is able to crack the shell itself.
Once the eggs hatch, the hen continues to stay on the
nest for weeks thereafter, occupying herself in raising her chicks. She teaches
them survival skills and how to look for food.
Together
with providing her chicks with warmth and the shelter of her wings, she
passionately protects her brood from anyone who dares to disturb them. She
constantly worries over them and keeps them close to her, knowing that her little
ones are vulnerable to predators. …We have seen how the chicks hide under the
wings of the mother hen.
A beautiful
lesson is drawn from this natural phenomena :
The Saalik or Mureed who takes cover and refuge in the
sanctuary of the Shaykh-e-Kaamil will find spiritual life being generated in
him. The Suhbah (company) of the Shaykh-e-Kaamil is akin to
the incubation process, whereby spiritual life is generated into the Mureed.
Just as there
is a required period for the chicks’ development and growth, so too, the Mureed
or the Saalik is required to spend sufficient time with the Shaykh to draw that
spiritual life within his heart. Naturally, and it should go without saying,
the intention should be sincere.
In the company of the Shaykh-e-Kaamil, the sincere Saalik
finds a change overcoming his heart, he finds the love and fear of Allah Ta’ala
flourishing in his heart, he finds the courage and capacity to give up sins,
and he finds the inclination and strength to do good deeds.
…Many a time, through the noble company and guidance of
the Shaykh, the Mureed is able to abandon sins more easily. Of course, some
striving (mujahadah) and sacrifice (qurbaani) are required. …But it becomes
easy to become ‘muttaqi’ or pious in
the right company.
…And this is the Command and Direction of Allah Ta’ala
(i.e. to be in the company of the pious):
“O You who
Believe, Fear Allah and join the company of the Truthful ones
(the pious,
the Auliya Allah).”
[Surah Taubah 9 : 119]
Through the Suhbah, Dua and Tawajjuh (attention) of
the Shaykh, the Saalik is then able to easily crack the shells of all ma`siyyat or sins. He will be able to
un-shackle himself from the chains of nafs and shaytaan. And when a person
makes ‘fanaa’ of (i.e. destroys) the
evil desires of his heart (qalb), Allah Ta’ala grants that heart, ‘Hayaat’
(life).
Once there is life in the heart, all parts of the body
will function properly, as has been explained by Rasulullah (Sallallaahu
‘alayhi waSallam).
“There is a
piece of flesh in the body, if it becomes good (reformed) the whole body
becomes good but if it gets spoiled, the whole body gets spoiled – and that is
the heart.”
[Sahih Bukhari]
Thus, the heart is the focal and central point for
reformation and spiritual life. The simple and most successful means to the
heart’s reformation is ‘join the company of the Truthful Ones.’
‘My journey has become easy;
Even the winds have changed direction.
…when your hand came into my hand,
Even the lamps of the road lit up.’
Like the hen, we find that the Kaamil Shaykh offers
protection to those who come under the wings of his spiritual care and nurture.
He guides and directs them to recognizing the predators which are out hunting
them – i.e. nafs and shaytaan. He teaches them how to find their spiritual
food, through various good deeds and through good character; through following
the Sunnah and through practicing on Deen and Shariah.
He, himself, is constantly burdened with the
responsibility and obligation of attending to them, but earnestly continues in
his efforts.
The Auliya Allah are ‘mahfooz’ (protected by Allah Ta’ala) so the Shaykh-e-Kaamil is also
in the special protection of Allah Ta’ala, and in this manner, those who keep
his company benefit from that protection, especially against nafs and shaytaan.
…And this is the experience of those who are sincere
Mureedeen and Saalikeen. It is said that those who remained in the company of
the great Shaykh, Hazrat Abu Sulayman Darani (RA) did not suffer adversity or
misfortune, nor did evil thoughts come to their minds, nor did negative
feelings enter their hearts – such was the protection found in his
companionship.
If anyone is seeking this ‘Hayaat-e-Qalbi’, the Suhbah of the Ahlullah is the simplest recourse
in obtaining the same.
One of our Mashaa`ik had defined Deen as the name for ‘Hayaat-e-Qalbi’.
If a person develops ‘Hayaat-e-Qalbi’, then life will automatically come into his Deen.
And the definition of ‘Hayaat-e-Qalbi’
is none other than the adoption of Taqwa.
Abstinence from sins brings about Hayaat-e-Qalbi. This brings knowledge
into practice. Aml comes to life.
In a Hadeeth, Rasulullah (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi
waSallam) said : ‘…Taqwa is here.’ and he pointed towards his heart, repeating
this statement thrice.
Taqwa is the life of the spiritual heart. Without
Taqwa or ‘Hayaat-e-Qalbi’, there is
only the casing of Deen.
Presently, what we have is the shape and form of
Ibaadaat. Even though our bodies are occupied in Ibaadaat, there is no spirit,
soul or ‘kaifiyyat’ because there is
no Hayaat-e-Qalbi, because there is
no Taqwa – because there is no
abstinence from sins.
In fact, without Hayaat-e-Qalbi, there are so many who
can be seeing the truth, but at the same time they are not seeing; since there
is no acknowledgement by the heart. Many can be listening to the truth, but in
reality, they are not listening, since there is no belief and acceptance in the
heart.
The heart which has no ‘Hayaat’ is a heart devoid
of the Tajalli[1]
of Allah Ta’ala. Such a heart has become hardened, so much so that it is not
even considered a heart…
Allah Ta’ala says regarding the Bani Israeel :
‘Thenceforth
were your hearts hardened : They became like a rock and even worse in
hardness.’
[Surah Baqarah 2 : 72]
May Allah
Ta’ala safeguard us from the hardness of the heart, from death of the spiritual
heart, and may He, out of His Infinite Kindness, bless us all with spiritual
life and strength. May Allah Ta’ala afford us the good fortune that our life
and death be amidst His Auliya Allah and that we too become His Friends.
By Hazrat Maulana Yunus Patel (RA)
[1] Tajalli : Special Mercy
