Monthly Spiritual Gathering of Gosha-e-Durood - Oct 2009

The monthly spiritual gathering of Gosh-a-Durood under the banner of Minhaj-ul-Quran International was held on October 8, 2009, which was attended by a large number of families from across Lahore including women and children. The spiritual moot was termed as ‘inaugural programme of Durood Session for Families”. Directorate of Events Management had made special arrangements for this special edition with half of the venue reserved for the women.

Two venues, one in the hall of Gosh-a-Durood and the second in the basement, were already full of people by 10 p.m. Huge projecting screens were installed for the video speech of Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri in both the places.

The formal proceeding of the programme got underway with recitation from the Holy Quran at 10:30 pm followed by Naat Khawani. Qari Anser Ali Qadri, Amjad Bilali Brothers, Minhaj Naat Council and other Naat Khawans participated in the Naat Khawani, which continued till 11:30 p.m. The audience remained fully involved all along.

Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri delivered his keynote speech through video conferencing live from Canada. He awarded a special title of “Ahl-e-Durood-o-Salam” to the participants and the families, who recited selected Durood of Gosh-a-Durood.

Selecting the subject of ‘Durood and Salutation”, Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri recited the following verse of the Holy Quran:

Surely Allah and (all) His angels invoke blessings and greetings on the Holy Prophet [blessings and peace be upon him]. O Believers! You (also) send blessings on him and salute him with a worthy salutation of peace abundantly (and fervently).

He said that sending of Durood and greeting was such an act of worship as continues to be performed round the clock throughout the world. The people who establish ‘Halq-a-Durood’ in their homes would enjoy special blessings of Allah. Angels would visit their homes and this is how these people would come to establish Highest Companionship.

Quoting Sahih Bokhari, Sahih Muslim and other books of Hadith, he said that Imam Bazzar reported Hazrat Ans Bin Malik as saying: Allah Almighty has created millions of such angels as keep on roaming on earth. Their duty is to wander in the streets and everywhere in an attempt to find locations where Dhiker of Allah takes place. He said that these sessions of remembrance consisted of different activities such as are dedicated to recitation of Holy Quran, understanding of religion and sending of Durood and greetings on the Holy Prophet (S.A.W). The last one is the most privileged session of all others.

He further said when angels find such spiritual session in a home, they cover it with their wings and ask the other angels to come over since they found their destination. Then other angels also get together and join in the people in the offering of Durood and salutation. When such a session comes to an end, these angels and heavenly beings go back to heavens in the presence of their Lord. Allah asks them as to where they had come from. They submit: O our Lord! We have just come back from a spiritual session after attending a company of your subjects. Allah Almighty would ask them as to what they were doing. The angels would reply: O our God, they were remembering You and sending Durood and greetings on Your Prophet (S.A.W). They were beseeching You for Your Favours in this world and the world Hereafter. One of the people there was sinful. Will You also envelope him with Your Mercy? They would say. Allah would say: Yes, I have also covered him in My Mercy and forgiven him. Shaykh-ul-Islam said that thus such a gathering becomes so blessed that whosoever joins it has his sins forgiven.

Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri said that the holding of such spiritual sessions would also bring misery and wretchedness to an end. Angels would visit the homes where such sessions would be established. All angels would gather there and bear witness to Allah about such gatherings. Such homes and families would be rid of worries, fixations and financial problems.

Describing the hadith narrated by Hazrat Abu Hurayra (RA), Shaykh-ul-Islam said: There are numerous angels of Allah Almighty who keep on roaming in search of Durood Sessions. Whenever they find one, they send for their counterparts. When such a gathering comes to an end and one of the people leads the Dua, the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) said, those angels also join in the rest in saying Amen. When people offer Durood in the Durood Sessions, these angels also send Durood and greetings. When the Session is over, the angels look at each other and say: Blessed be all the participants for Allah has forgiven you.

He said that Imam Ahmad Bin Hanbal wrote in Sahih Musnad, which is also reported by Hazrat Abdullah Bin Masood (RA): Allah Almighty has created millions of such angels who keep wandering on earth. When these angels join the Durood Sessions, they inform me from there. Some of the angels join the blessed company of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W). These angels convey him the report of Durood-o-Salam.

He said that Hazrat Ali (RA) narrates: There are such angels on earth as keep on wandering. They continue to locate homes, gatherings and mansions where Durood Sessions have been established. Then they convey their Durood to me. It is reported both by Imam Abul Qasim and Hazrat Uqba bin Aamr: Allah Almighty created angels with His Special Light whose only duty is to note down the Durood and greetings on the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) on Friday and Thursday. They do not get down to earth on the other days of week. These angels have pens made up of gold and use inkpot made up of heavenly silver and they hold the tablets of light in their hands.

Shaykh-ul-Islam also referred to another Hadith, which has been reported by Imam Dailami: The duty of these angels is to note down the Durood sent on the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) in their notebooks. One copy of this notebook goes to heavens and the other to the Holy Prophet (S.A.W). These are the secret actions, which would only be made public on the Day of Judgment. These pious actions would be highly productive then.

There is a Hadith of Sunan Abi Dawood, which is also mentioned in Musnad Ahmad Bin Hanbal. Sayyidna Abu Hurayra (RA) reports the Holy Prophet as saying: O people, do not turn your houses into graveyards. The homes where prayers are not held and Durood not recited, they are like graveyards. He (S.A.W) said: do not turn my shrine into a place meant for visiting annually (As you celebrate Eid after every year). Those who have resources should visit my shrine every time. And offer Durood in your homes because wherever your home might be located, your Durood would come directly to me. Both nearness and distance cannot hinder my hearing.

Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri described Hadith mentioned in Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal and Sunan Abi Dawood. He said that the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) said: There is no Muslim who invokes blessings upon me (salutes me) but Allah returns to me my soul till I respond to him in return.

Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri said that since Durood is being offered round the clock 24/7, therefore, Allah Almighty has returned the soul of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) to him forever. Shaykh-ul-Islam said what greater happiness and blessing could there be that one offers Durood and salutation on the Prophet (S.A.W) and he keeps returning it.

Allah Almighty has created such a system in the form of day and night in the world that the Durood continues to be offered on the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) uninterruptedly round the clock. Gosh-a-Durood of Minhaj-ul-Quran international is such a place where Durood and salutation is being offered 24 hours. Night dos not fall where the Durood is offered. Such a place is always blessed with light.

He described a Hadith reported by Hazrat Abu Hurayra (RA) wherein the Holy Prophet said: There isn’t anyone in the world who sends Durood on me and Allah’s angels and I do not respond to it. Hazrat Saad bin Saiad says that he submitted to the Holy Prophet (S.A.W): O Prophet of Allah, I can see the impressions of happiness on your blessed face. The Holy Prophet (S.A.W) said: Hazrat Gabriel had come over to me and informed me that whosoever would send Durood on me, Allah would give him multiple reward.

It is reported in another Hadith: he who does not send Durood on me has no religion. He is a religion-less person. There is a saying of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W): That person would be closer to me on the Day of Judgment who would offer maximum of Durood and greetings on me. Hazrat Ans bin Malik and Imam Abul Aala report the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) as saying: two people who meet each other with love if they offer Durood on me before their meeting, Allah would forgive all of their sins before departure.

Imam Sakhavi states that a woman came to Imam Hassan Basri. She submitted to him that her daughter had died and that she wanted to see her in dream. She requested him to tell her how to make it possible. Imam Hassan Basri advised her to offer optional prayers consisting of four cycles and recite Sura at-Takathur in every cycle followed by Durood. The woman said that she did the same. But when she saw in dream that her daughter was in hell, experiencing great distress, she returned to Imam Hassan Basri. She said to him that her daughter was suffering from torment. He advised her to donate and give alms. Then she saw her daughter in dream. She was visiting the gardens of paradise and that she was wearing a crown of light. Imam Hassan Basri came near her. She asked him whether he knew her and he replied in the negative. Imam Hassan Basri got worried that the daughter of the woman was in hell. She told that hundreds of people were experiencing torment like her. Someone from Allah’s saints went to the graveyard and he offered Durood for their sake. Allah Almighty accepted the Durood of His Friend and that is how thousand of people were forgiven.

Hazrat Sufyan Sori says that a person was on Hajj with him. He was young. I saw that the person did not take a step forward unless he offered Durood. He would send Durood and greetings on every step. Hazrat Sufyan asked him whether he acted like it on the authority of some knowledge. He replied in the affirmative. He asked as to how I was and I told him that I was Imam Sufyan Sori Iraqi. He told that he came for Hajj along with his mother one year. During the course of Tawaf, his mother asked him that she wanted to worship inside the House of Allah. He let her in. As soon as he let her in, her belly bulged out and her face became swollen. It appeared as if she was about to die. He said that he was worried. Suddenly a person wearing white dress made up of light entered. He pointed to his mother and her disease stood cured. When the person having face of Noor readied to leave, he asked him as to who he was who removed his misery? He replied: “I am your Prophet Muhammad Mustafa (S.A.W).”

His mother was in the habit of sending maximum of Durood on the Holy Prophet (S.A.W). He requested the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) to advise him. He (S.A.W) said: O man, never take a single step in your life unless you have offered Durood on me.

Conveying his message in the concluding part of his speech, Shaykh-ul-Islam said: O people! It is due to blessing of Durood that the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) himself comes to receive you. Spread the movement of Gosh-a-Durood of MQI everywhere. Establish thousands of Durood Sessions in Lahore in a short span of time. Then take this movement to the other parts of the country. If you succeeded doing so, your homes would become hub of peace, love and tranquility.

The speech of Shaykh-ul-Islam came to an end at 2 p.m. Nazim-e-Ala Dr Raheeq Ahmad Abbasi led the concluding prayer.