Speech of Shaykh-ul-Islam at International Spiritual Congregation

Addressing the hundreds of thousands of faithful at the International Spiritual Congregation, Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri chose the subject of “Khashiyyiat-e-Elahi (Fear of Allah)”. He said Allah is He Who sent down the Holy Quran whose words resemble one another and have an order.

"And when they listen to the revelation received by the Messenger, thou wilt see their eyes overflowing with tears, for they recognise the truth: they pray: "Our Lord! we believe; write us down among the witnesses." (al-Mā’idah (the Table spread), 5 :83)

When people recite the Holy Quran, they tremble with the fear of Allah. Their bodies and skin become tender with His fear. Their hearts are turned towards Him. This state is a form of Allah’s guidance. He guides whosoever He wills and leads astray whosoever He wills.

Imam Trimzi has quoted a Hadith, which is Hadith Sahih. Ibne Abbas says, “The Holy Prophet said that there were two eyes which the fire of hell would not dare touch. When asked as to what they were, the Prophet (saw) replied that the first was one which wept due to fear of Allah and second was one which spent the whole night waking by keeping vigil in the defence of Allah.”

Now this vigil is of two kinds. The first one is related to the military vigil and the second is related to keeping a watch over ones own self. The person who spent whole night in worship by keeping watch over his self like the participants of Itikaf City who have been devoted to worship here day in and day out for ten days, the fire of hell would not touch such favoured people.

A Hadith quoted by Hazrat Anas (ra) says, “The Holy Prophet (saw) said that the fire of hell would not touch such eyes.” The Day of Judgment would be fearsome for people who remained fearless of Allah and it would be peace for those kept fearing Allah all their life. Now what is fear of Day of Judgment? There is a Hadith quoted by Hazrat Anis (ra), “The Holy Prophet (saw) said that both paradise and hell were presented before me. I saw both hell and paradise and I saw the good and the bad of both with such details as I had never seen before. I stood at the gate of paradise and I saw that majority of people entering paradise were poor and needy.”

Imam Trimzi quotes that when the record of deeds would be presented before everyone. The steps of such person would not budge even an inch from the place of accountability and judgment unless he is asked questions such as how did you spend life given to you? Where did he spend the money he earned? The Holy Prophet (saw) this was state that if you had known it, you would have wept more and smiled less.

Deploring the fact, Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri said how stone-hearted we have become that our lives have been deprived of tears. There is a Hadith-e-Qudsi that Allah Almighty says, “By My Honour! There is no one who weeps out of My Fear and I do not bless him with My guidance. I enlighten his weeping with My Divine Light” There is a tradition quoted by Imam Hassan Basri, “The Holy Prophet (saw) when eyes weep in the Presence of Allah, this weeping is not pretentious. When one is granted the blessing to weep, blessings are also showered upon people sitting around him, be the number of such a gathering is twenty thousand.”

Thus Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri quoted scores of Prophetic traditions and instances from the lives of Allah’s friends to prove that those who regard the world as mere eyewash and are not deceived by its attraction and apparent beauty would be rewarded in the life hereafter. They are the blessed people of Allah.

Hazrat Ali (ra) said, “O people! World is a dream. This is a bazaar characterized by loss and whosoever became its merchant ended up purchasing destruction. This world is smile of credit whose purpose is to collect money and raise buildings. Those whose eyes do not see the morning of grave and torment inside grave, this world was a deception for them.

Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri said that today Pakistan was undergoing multiple crises. There is price hike. There is deteriorating law and order situation. It appears hellish forces have been let loose. “O people of Pakistan! Lower your head and implore your Allah as to why it is so. The whole of Islamic world was facing hard times. Did Muslims ever think as to why it was so? They have not pondered over these things. Had they given a thought to such issues, they would have found a way out of them,” he added. Shaykh-ul-Islam said that whosoever would be disloyal to Allah, destruction and decline would be his destiny.

Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri said that none of us knew how long we would live. Our Lord and Creator may call us any time. “If we did not revive our relationship with Allah and His Prophet (saw), what would become of us,” he deplored. Every one of us was deceiving himself. We claim to be obedient to Allah but in fact happen to rebel against Him.

He said his life and death was for the mission of the Holy Prophet (saw). All of you should hold flag of Allah and His Prophet (saw), and it was what he wanted to see people of Pakistan doing in his life time. He urged the participants especially the youth to revisit their lives and do penance at the collective level. “If we resolve to change our lives tonight, there is no reason why our lives would not change,” he added.

Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri categorically stated that Minhaj-ul-Quran International rejected terrorism and extremism at every level and every terrorist was a criminal of Umma of the Prophet (saw). Quoting a Hadith, he said, “Once a companion took away the children of sparrow. The sparrow started moving about over the head of the Holy Prophet (saw). At this the Holy Prophet (saw) asked as to who has teased this sparrow. The same companion replied that he had taken away children of sparrow. The Holy Prophet (saw) instructed him to put them back at their place.” Such is the sanctity of rights of birds and animals in Islam, leave along that of human beings.

After the conclusion of speech, Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri led the collective Dua for half an hour and it marked the end of night-long programme.