Monthly Spiritual Gathering of Gosha-e-Durood - March 2008

Reported by: M S Pakistani
Translated by: Amanat Ali Chaudhary

The monthly spiritual gathering of Gosha-e-Durood was organized in the ground in front of the Central Secretariat of Minhaj-ul-Quran International on March 6, 2008 after Isha prayers. Miskin Faiz-ur-Rahman Durrani was in the chair, while Sahibzada Hussain Mohi ud Din Qadri was the guest of honour. 

The proceedings of the programme started with the recitation from the Holy Quran by Qari Allah Bakhsh Naqshbandi followed by Naat, which was presented by Muhammad Unser Qadri of COSIS, Minhaj Naat Council, Sarwar Saddique and Shahid Nadeem. Nazim-e-Ala Dr Raheeq Ahmad Abbasi, Nazim DFA G.M. Malik, Allama Mufti Abdul Qayyum Khan Hazarvi, Zinda Pir Ghalib Lahori, Naib Nazim-e-Ala Sheikh Zahid Fayyaz, Al-Haaj Muhammad Salim Sheikh, Ahmad Nawaz Anjum, Tahir Hameed Tanoli, Col (r) Fazal Amim, Allama Akhtar Ali Awan, Haji Muhammad Riaz, Allama Farhat Hussain Shah, Allama Imdadullah Khan, Qaiser Iqbal Qadri, Haji Riaz Ahmad, Toquee-ul-Hassan Galani and Prof Zulifqar Ali and others were also present among the guests. A large number of people participated in the programme. Muhammad Waqas Qadri conducted the proceedings of the programme.

Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri addressed the audience telephonically from Canada at 10:30 p.m. His speech was also heard through telephone in Karachi, Jangh, Kohat and in other parts of the country as well as in UK via Nelson Radio.

Shaykh-ul-Islam resumed his speech by linking it to the previous topic entitled "Importance and value of Time". He selected a saying from the journal of Ash-Sheikh Ibne Attaullah As-Sakandari. He said in the beginning that the writer of "Kunzul Imaan", Imam Ali At-Taqqi Alauddin Al-Makki Al-Hindi, has made a brief of this journal. No interpretation has ever been written afterwards. Now a new commentary by the name of "As-Sharh Al-Hukum" will be prepared in the light of his speeches on the subject. He gave a brief introduction of the writer of the book that Ash-Shaykh Ibne Attaullah As-Sakandari is the student of Ash-Shaykh Abu-ul-Abbas. The graves of both personages are in the Egyptian city Alexandria in front of the shrine of Imam Sharf-ud-Din Boseri (RA). This is also due to this that Alexandria was added to his name. Besides this, Imam Abu-ul-Hassan Al-Maghrabi has also edited the journal 'Al-Hukum'. He has edited a known work entitled "Huzb-ul-Bahr" and has spiritually been blessed by Huzrat Al-Ghous Al-Maghrabi, who was the student of Huzrat Ghous-ul-Azam (RA).

Shaykh-ul-Islam said in the light of 'Al-Hukum-ul-Attaia" that Ash-Sheikh Ibne Atta has written in the journal that even if his one moment was spent without Holy Prophet (saw) being in his sight, he would not consider himself Muslim for that particular moment.

Quoting a sentence about the importance and value of time, he said this sentence was the main gist of the whole issue. The sentence went like this: "O man! Do not expect people to give you free time." Shaykh-ul-Islam said the meaning of this sentence is that one should value the time at ones disposal and make use of it in the best manner for the performance of good deeds. It may be possible that one may not be able to get free time one has been waiting for. If one would wait for time when others would have no interference and let him do so, this very thought will alienate him from Allah Almighty. He said by others he did not mean people; rather all those engagements and activities, which occupy the mind of people in such a manner that they get disconnected from their Creator. These are the hindering factors in their spiritual journey.

He said when Allah wishes to shower his blessings upon someone; He makes him busy in remembering Him. This is the stage where man is inhabitant of this world but lives in the world of remembrance of Allah Almighty. So one should never procrastinate and perform the obligations in spite of all engagements and occupations. He said the Holy Quran has made mention of the people in the sight of Allah:

"People who are not distracted by business or trade from commemorating GOD; they observe the Contact Prayers (Salat), and give the obligatory charity (Zakat), and they are conscious of the day when the minds and the eyes will be horrified." (Quran, 24:37)

He said the same is the case with repentance. There are two kinds of repentance.

The first repentance is that, which one seeks from Allah Almighty meaning thereby that one seeks forgiveness from Allah Almighty for ones sins. He turns to His servant with mercy, which means that Allah Almighty grants forgiveness for all the acts of omission and commission.

He said this is also true of the relationship of love between Allah and His servants. Turning of Allah to His servant with Mercy is the greatest blessing. A stage comes in the journey of love when man loves his Creator and Allah loves His servant and both become lover and beloved of each other. He urged people not to follow their heart, which alienated them from their Sustainer and Creator. Allah Almighty has described state of those dead at heart in the following verse:

"Allah has set a seal upon their hearts and upon their hearing and there is a covering over their eyes, and there is a great punishment for them." (Quran, 2:7)

Heart is a complete world. By heart it does not mean to be a physical organ. Rather it denotes a spiritual heart. He said there are two states of heart. Firstly the state of being in remembrance of Allah all the time and the second state of heart is the one which is dominated by the worldly thoughts and occupations.

The first kind of heart undergoes pulls and pushes in life, which serve to sadden it but if the Divine Mercy is not there, heart can be distracted. It is Allah's Mercy, which holds up servant of Allah and worldly pollution fails to overpower it. Allah Almighty says in the Holy Quran:

"Verily in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest!" (Quran, 13:28)

It is further mentioned in the Holy Quran at another place:

"Now surely the friends of Allah-- they shall have no fear nor shall they grieve." (Quran, 10:62)

When heart is burdened with the worldly cares, one thinks why are the external cares worrying him? If this be so, this means blessing of Allah as it represents 'Nafs-e-Lawama'. It is also called the state of spiritual contraction. This is the second sign of Divine Mercy. Then there is a state of spiritual expansion and hearts experiences suffocation, which is also Allah's blessing. Man's status is elevated in both states.

Quoting Hadith of Sahih Muslim, Shaykh-ul-Islam said the companions were in the company of the Prophet (saw) and he was addressing them, which caused the hearts to soften with the results that tears tricked down from their eyes. Huzrat Hunzala was also present in that congregation. He says, "I went home after the meeting was over and started talking of the worldly affairs with my wife and children. I started enjoying and making fun with my kids and spouse with the result that the particular state of heart, experienced while attending the Prophet's company, disappeared. Suddenly I thought of the difference between both states. I said to my heart that I became hypocrite because the state enjoyed while in the Prophet's (saw) company did not last. I left my home saying to myself, "Hunzala, you have turned hypocrite."

Huzrat Abu Baker Saddique was also coming from the front. I said to him, "Hunzala, you have turned hypocrite." He asked me as to what I was saying. I explained the whole matter to him. After hearing me, he said that he faced the same situation. So both of them came to the Holy Prophet (saw). Huzrat Hunzala asked, "O Prophet of Allah! When we are in your company and you talk about paradise and hell, we feel as if they were just before us but forget everything while engaged in domestic affairs in our homes."

The Holy Prophet (saw) said, "I swear by the One Who is Master of my life, if your state of heart, that you experience while in my company, lasted, the angels would start shaking hands with you in your beds and on the way."

This saying of the Holy Prophet (saw) establishes that there are beloved people of Allah with whom angels regard shaking hands as a matter of pride. He said 'ill-commanding self' tempts man to commit sin but Allah Almighty does not become that pleased over the good acts of the pious people as over the repentance of the sinners.

Shaykh-ul-Islam urged that one should beware of the fact when no time would be left for you. Who knows the time one is waiting for, for good deeds may not be available! Therefore, one should value the time one has at ones disposal and worship Allah. One should not procrastinate and keeping putting it off till tomorrow because tomorrow may not arrive. If one is to please ones Allah, time to act is now.

Sheikh Ibne Atta (RA) said ones act of procrastination in the performance of good deeds is a symbol of arrogance and conceit. If one continued to wait for the time, it might no be available. The wisdom lies in the fact that one should make use of whatever time one has at ones disposal.

The speech of Shaykh-ul-Islam continued till 12 at night. Durood Sharif was recited after the conclusion of his speech. Afterwards Durood Sharif offered at Gosha-e-Durood during the month of February was presented as a gift to the Holy Prophet (saw). The programme ended with the prayers led by Miskin Faiz-ur-Rehman Durrani.