The Grandeur of Friends of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ

Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ has bestowed great ranks upon His Awliya. These are the people who are the real beauty of the world. These are the people whose sincere efforts have benefited the entire world. They remember Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ with their hearts all the time. In Ayah 34 of Surah Al Anfaal, part 9 of the Holy Al Quran, Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ declared that His Awliya are righteous and pious:

اِنۡ اَوۡ لِیَآ ؤُ ہٗۤ اِلَّا الۡمُتَّقُوۡنَ

Translation from Kanz-ul-Iman: His Awliya are pious indeed.

(Part 9, Surah Al-Anfaal, Ayah 34)

Commenting on the aforementioned blessed Ayah, the renowned commentator, Mufti Ahmad Yar Khan Na’eemi رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه has said: No disbeliever or transgressor can be the Wali of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ because Wilayat is attained by Islamic faith and piety.

(Tafseer-e-Na’eemi, vol. 9, pp. 543)

The Beloved Prophet Muhammad صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said: ‘اَوْلِيَاءُ اللهِ الَّذِيْنَ اِذَا رُؤُوْا ذُكِرَ اللهُ’ i.e, Awliya are those people who make others remember Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ when others see them.

(Kanz-ul-‘Ummal, vol. 1, pp. 214, Hadees 1779)

The blessed Ayahs and Tafaseer show how high status and rank the Awliya رَحِمَهُمُ الـلّٰـهُ تَـعَالٰی have! They have firm faith in Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ and are very pious. These beloved bondmen of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ never go against Shari’ah. They always remain busy worshipping and obeying Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ. Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ is pleased with them and grant them His Ma’rifah [i.e. recognition] and make them aware of secrets. The people of world call them Awliya of Allah. When people mention them, they recite ‘رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه’ praying for the mercy of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ for the Wali.

Sayyiduna Zunnoon Misri رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه said: Undoubtedly, out of the creation of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ there are some of His chosen and virtuous bondmen. Someone asked: What are their signs? He رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه replied: When one gives up his comforts and struggles in order to obey and worship Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ and he doesn’t like to have status and dignity. Thereafter he رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه recited two verses in the glory of Allah loving people.

1. The glorious Quran, with its pledge and warning, has abstained them from every evil. In nights, they are away from their sleep.

2. They have understood the word of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ in this way that their heads are bowed before Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ.

Out of attendees, someone humbly said: May Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ have mercy upon you! Who are these people? He رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه said: These are the people when they carried glorious Quran in their hearts, their hearts became gentle, when they touched it to their chest, their chest became broad. By its blessings, clouds of their worries and sorrows dispersed. They have made it a light for them in their darkness and they have made recitation upon them as compulsory as piece of fabric for sleeping. They have made it guide for them and authority for their success. Other people celebrate their happy moments whereas they appear to be sad; other people sleep whereas they stay awake; people enjoy eating and drinking (water etc.) whereas they observe Siyam (fasts); people remain heedless and fearless of grave and the Day of Judgement whereas they remain fearful of the matter of grave and the Day of Judgement. These blessed people fear Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ and they keep themselves refrained from the act of disobedience, they appear to be anxious and they struggle hard to carry out virtuous deeds. In the fear of missing deeds, they perform them hurriedly and they always remain prepared for death. Horrific punishments of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ and the glorious reward promised by Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ make the matter of death deeply significant to them.

They are sincere in the matter of practicing Quran and giving sacrifices in the way of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ. Their hearts remain illuminated by the Noor of Rahman عَزَّوَجَلَّ and await the fulfilment of the promises made to them in the Glorious Quran, and peaceful abode they will be made to stay and their hearts be bestowed with peace from warning. So, these blessed people, through Glorious Quran, have been granted heavenly maidens and they have saved themselves from destruction and bad end because they have abandoned the hustle and bustle of the world having gazed it fiercely, and paid their attention towards the reward of Hereafter and bought the life of Hereafter for good, quitting mortal worldly life. They have done excellent trade and obtained the benefit and goodness of both worlds, and succeeded perfectly in getting excellence. Having exercising patience in the world and worshipping, they got to their destination of life Hereafter. Under the shadow of torments, they spent their lives with contentment merely with belongings. In the days of respite, they hurried to goodness. Instead of wasting their lives in fun and sports, they experienced hard labour for the attainment of good deeds.

By Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ! The tiredness of worship has weakened their strength and the hard labour has changed the colour of their face. They remembered the blazing fire. Their attributes are beyond description. By virtue of their existence, calamities are repelled away and blessings are sent down. They are light for the creation, minarets of the cities, source of light in darkness, mines of blessings, fountain of wisdom, pillar of Ummah. Due to worshipping all night long they are away from their beds. They are the biggest acceptors of apologies of people, most forgiving, and the most generous. They abandoned their hopes from world. Divine fear left no inclination and desire towards their wealth; therefore, you will see, neither do they like to hoard money and nor do they have any keenness for building tall palaces nor have any aspiration to wear any excellent silk clothing nor desire for glorious vehicles. They have restricted their bodies from Haraam (unlawful) acts. They refrained themselves from sinful acts and straighten themselves on the right path for virtuous deeds; and mingling with worldly people they took part in improving their Hereafter. They showed great patience in the face of hardship, abandoned hopes, remained fearful of death and its severity and accountability of the Day of Judgement and have fear standing before their Rab عَزَّوَجَلَّ as well.

(Allah Walon ki Baatayn, vol. 1, pp. 62-60)

اللهُ غنی! شانِ ولی! راج دلوں پر

دنیا سے چلے جائیں حکومت نہیں جاتی

Ponder over the fact that these blessed saints رَحِمَهُمُ الـلّٰـهُ تَـعَالٰی despite being the chosen and accepted bondmen in the court of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ they feared Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ much, admirably fulfilled the rights of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ and the rights of humans, had inclination towards good deeds and hatred towards sins. If we observe our state we are out of good deeds but committing sins committedly اَلْاَمَانُ وَالْحَفِیْظ.

مِلے گناہوں کے امراض سے شِفاء یا ربّ	ہماری بِگڑی ہوئی عادتیں نکل جائیں
دُوں دُھوم سُنّتِ محبوب کی مچا یا ربّ	کرم سے "نیکی کی دعوت" کا خوب جذبہ دے

On the Day of Judgement when there will be a state of utter selfishness people will be worried but the blessed saints of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ have no sorrow and agitation but rather they will be warmly welcomed; what could be more greatness of blessed saints رَحِمَهُمُ الـلّٰـهُ تَـعَالٰی than this that Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ will lay the pulpits for them made of Noor and will make them sit on them and this is a fact that whoever spends every moment of his life in virtuous deeds, Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ will not only grant them honour in this world but also bestow upon them respect and dignity on the Day of Judgement, and these are the very people who are loved by Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ due to their virtuous deeds and Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ grants them His special closeness.

For improvement of our worldly and Hereafter life, we should adopt the company of virtuous people so that by virtue of this company, we also have privilege to show respect towards the blessed saints. Because where there are number of virtues for showing devotion towards the blessed saints, there are also warning for those who bear malice against them as well as there is a declaration of war from Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ against such wicked people who despise the blessed saints رَحِمَهُمُ الـلّٰـهُ تَـعَالٰی.

Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah رَضِىَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ has narrated: The Beloved and Blessed Rasool صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم has stated: Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ has said, ‘Whoever possesses enmity towards My saint, I declare war against him.’

(Sahih Bukhari, vol. 4, pp. 248, Hadees 6502)

سینہ تری سُنَّت کا مدینہ بنے آقا

جنَّت میں پڑوسی مجھے تم اپنا بنانا

اٰمِيۡن بِجَاهِ النَّبِيِّ الۡاَمِيۡن صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيۡهِ وَاٰلِه وَسَلَّم

صَلُّوۡا عَلَى الۡحَبِيۡب صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلٰى مُحَمَّد