Friday 22 May 2009

Love Itself Will Teach You The Etiquettes of Love

Muhabbat (love) cannot be learnt just like that, nor can it be taught just like that. Hazrat Sheikh Muhammad Zakariyya rahmatullahi alayh used to say,


“When I was very young, a child... I used to hear my father (Hazrat Maulana Yahya rahmatullahi alayh) recite poetry. And I used to learn this poetry by heart. I did not understand the deeper meanings of this poetry until when I was older. One of the poems that I had learnt from him were as follows:

محبت ﺗﺟﻬ كو خود ﺁداب محبت سكهاتى ہے

“Love itself will teach you the etiquettes of loving someone.”

Meaning, when a person loves another person to a deep extent, he constantly thinks of ways to show great etiquettes to that special someone. If you search for these etiquettes in a book, you will find some but better than this is true love. If your love for a person is true, it itself will teach you the mannerisms of how to love a person. It was Hazrat Sheikh’s habit to narrate stories during i’tikaaf time in Ramadhan and so in this particular time, he continued to narrate his own experiences in relation to the above poem. He relates that the great ‘Alim Hazrat Maulana Abdul Qadir Raipuri rahmatullahi alayh would travel a lot and on his journeys, he would often stop off at Saharanpur where Hazrat Sheikh used to live. And he would stay there for a short period. Once there was a Tableeghi Ijtima and Hazrat Raipuri was arriving at the same time. As the ijtima finished all the great ulama went to the train station to meet Hazrat Raipuri so that they could be in his service. The first thing that Hazrat Sheikh asked him was,

“What is your plan? (i.e. how long do you intend to stay at my house in Saharanpur?)

Hazrat Raipuri said,

“I will stay for today and tomorrow. The third day is up to you, whatever you want me to do, I will do.”

Despite being senior to Hazrat Sheikh and also a man of great ‘ilm, Hazrat Sheikh refused him the request and said,

“No. Not one, two or three days... leave tomorrow. And not just (any time) tomorrow but as soon as the Fajr Adhan goes, you read your Jamaat with your own people and leave. You do not have permission to stay at my house any longer than that.”

Hazrat Raipuri was absolutely bewildered and shocked at this response! He said,

“Give me permission, I have been travelling for so long! I need rest!”

And Hazrat Sheikh said,

“No. Infact, you cannot stay half an hour after the Fajr Adhan, you must leave. You have no permission from me. I will prepare your breakfast and tea and then you go.”

So this is what had happened and when it was Hazrat Maulana Abdul Qadir Raipuri’s time to depart and go back to Raipur, Hazrat Sheikh came to him. He explained his actions and said,

“The reason I done such is because my house is no luxurious place. I live a very simple life. You are travelling and you are going to find no luxury or rest here because my house cannot provide it. You are better off going back to Raipur. And my intention behind this all is so that you get rest. And of course I want you to stay but this is what I was thinking and I could not let you stay any longer than that one night.”

Then when Hazrat Raipuri went back to Raipur, he called all of his close companions and then he said,

“This is the intention that Hazrat Zakariyya has sent me back with...”

and then he began to make many, many dua’as for him before continuing to say,

“This was such a good intention that now I see the benefit.”

Thereafter, he made a huge number of Du’aas for Hazrat Sheikh and continued to do so. Hazrat Sheikh says,

“Whenever I remember this story it makes me very happy because it seems very harsh but it is because the love I had for him taught me these etiquettes.”

Similarly, there is an incident recorded of Sheikhul Islam, Hazrat Sayed Maulana Husain Ahmad Madani Sahib. Once his teacher, Hazrat Sheikhul Hind Maulana Mahmoodul Hasan Sahib received many guests. There was only one toilet in the house and the visitors were to stay for several days. Every night Hazrat Madani used to clean the toilet and the visitors would find the toilet clean the next morning. Once again, it was not books that taught him this but love itself. His love was so true and sincere for his beloved teacher that it gave him the strength to do even the most impossible of works. Finally, we look into the life of our beloved Rasul e Paak salallahu alayhi wa salam .

Our beloved Prophet salallahu alayhi wa salam had a deep and intense love for Hazrat Aishah radiallahu anha. He would show her enormous affection right up to the day he left this world. His love for her was so much that he would not let an opportunity slip in which he could show Hazrat Aishah radiallahu anha her special place in his heart. When she would sip water from a glass, he would turn that glass and drink from the exact same place where Hazrat Aishah radiallahu anha had placed her lips. He was a very caring and loving husband. He would go out with Aishah radiallahu anha, Sahabahs are with him, he would say to the Sahabah – once it so happened, he said to the Sahabah to go ahead and that he would come with Aishah radiallahu anha. The Sahabah then went forward on that journey that they were travelling and then he says to Aishah,

“Aishah! Come on! Let’s race!”

And they start racing and Aishah radiallahu anha wins the race and Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam is left behind. After a few months or years, similarly, the same incident happens and they have a race again. This time, Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam wins and so she was left behind and Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam won and he said,

“I have taken my revenge .”

So finally I conclude. True love is the basis of teaching how to love a person. Whether those people or that person is from our families, spouses, friends or teachers etc. A person who nourishes his hearts hunger with haraam love will always be void of conentment and this special connection. True love will teach one etiquettes on how to show compassion, care and happiness. Making one another smile will come without thought and exchanging gifts with one another, cheering one another up, keeping eachother away from harm will be a 'doddle' (inshallah). I love you all for the sake of Allah's pleasure and so I have made the above 'user friendly' and 'easy on the eyes' so that you may enjoy reading it inshallah.

May Allah Ta'ala give us all the ability to love one another in the correct manner. Ameen


4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thumma ameen to your dua's. :)

Anonymous said...

woaa sum1 left so many comments

masha Allah, a beautiful line from hazrat sheikh rahmatullahi alayh and beautiful examples from beautiful ppl. may you be loved by the ppl and Allah more every day. ameen

Anonymous said...

the race story never fades, always brings a smile to the face masha Allah. may Allah put this love between all husbands and wives. ameen. i want to race my partner some day.

Anonymous said...

same here, i wish 4 a partner who will run with me too :)