User:Abu Solaiman Al-Darai
23. Abu Solaiman al-Dara’i
He was famous saint who was master in Islamic law and mystic knowledge. Due to his kind nature he was called rehan khuloob which means sweet basil of hearts. He was from Dar al Malik so he was called Dara’i.
One of his disciple Ahmed Hawari narrates that one night he prayed in the private place and he felt very peace with it and when he explained this to his teacher Abu Sulaiman Darai then he told him “ Oh :you are so old but you do not know the condition of worship in the private or public place and in both these places there is nothing which will stop the worship of Allah.” He used to say that one night after Eisha prayer he could not raise his one hand due too much cold in that night so he put one of his hand in the armpit .
In that night he heard a divine voice in his dream in which Allah told him “ He awarded for raising one of his hand and if he raised the another one then we will have given the reward for that hand also.” After that he had made his habit to pray with two hands during the winter seasons. He told that one night due to drowsiness his time for daily round of recital was over and he saw in his dream a hourie which told him “ Since 500 years she was adorn for you but you are in condition of negligence.” After that sound he wake up and completed his daily round of recital. He told one night he saw a hurie in his dream . Hurire’s forehead was illuminated. So I asked why there it is bright and shining? She replied him that “ One night due to fear of Allah you were weeping and due to weeping there were tears in your eyes. These tears have put on my face as powder and for this reason from that day there is brightness and shining on my forehead.” He told he used to eat bread with spread of salt on it but one day he ate bread with salt and sesame was also with it. For this he got punishment for one year and due to this punishment there was no peace in his worship. He told that he used to borrow some amount from his friend for his daily expenses of life and one day that friend told him when your desires will be end.? Since from that day he stopped asking any thing from the mankind. He told “He thought caliph a bad man but he never told this to the people in this matter. So that people may not think me sincere and truthful and for this I will leave this world in insincere condition.”
He told that there was person in Makkah who did not drink other than Zam Zam water so I ask him “ If the well of Zam Zam will dry then which water he will drink.?” He replied “ Allah will reward you for giving me advice. Since many years I have great respect for Zam Zam water . So I will finish this respect from today onwards. ” Some persons asked with Saleh bin Abdul Karim which thing is good in the following. Hopefulness and fear.
He replied “both are good but hopefulness is better than fear. When this saying was reported to Abu Sulaiman then he told “ He thinks that the foundation of worship is on the fear because hopefulness will keep away us from worship. The foundation of religion and world is on the fear. So when there is control of hopefulness on fear then hearts will not work properly. If there will be increase of fear then the worship will also increases.” He told prophet Luqman (ra) advised his son “ Fear Allah in such extent that there will be no disappointment from the grace of Allah and do not keep too much hopefulness for which you will be out of fear from the punishment.”
Wet dream is curse due to too much eating of food . Too much eating food will cause the following six problems.
There will be no interest in the worship. Matters of wisdom will not be remembered. There will be no kindness. The worship will become burden. There will be increase of human desires. There will be no time for worship in the mosques due to too much visit of toilets.
One who have control on hunger and this is good habit and Allah grants this habit to his friends only . Because the hunger is fill of next world and key of this world. The hungry man’s all needs of his religion and necessities of this world are fulfilled. Self-denial and humility causes softness in the heart and on that person there will be revelation of heavenly knowledge . One loaf of right ( halal) food in the night is better than the whole day’s worship. He told “ The man whose heart is bright will not like worldly desires. Because that light will separate him from this world and take him towards Allah.” He told “ One who will return back from the goal will not be successful. One who gets some sincerity in the life then he will feel happiness. The sincere people will be kept away from doubts. The true people when they want to explain the condition of their hearts but their tongues will not help them. There are some persons who are in agreeable condition of Allah but feel endurance as repentance for themselves. Because in that condition the man will claim for the repentance. But the agreeable condition relates the willingness of Allah so the repentance relates with the man and agreeable condition relates with Allah.”
The meaning of agreeable condition is that there should be no desire of heaven and no fear of punishment. He told that “ I like too much agreeable condition so if Allah sends every body to hell then all will go there with helplessly but I will accept it with happiness.” To leave egotism is called humility .
The person who is called mystic will ignore the things which keep him away from Allah. Sign of mystic person is that who will not desire costly things comparing to the cheaper things. The world only creates all problems. He told the mysticism teaches that all problems are from Allah so leave all things except Allah. He told that hunger is must for the worship. He told that to think over worldly matters will bring difficulties in the next world. If we take lesson then our knowledge will be increased. Thinking will increases our fear of Allah. The need of other world is to shed tears from our eyes and deliberation of our hearts. He told the loss of wasting of life is such that if we weep all our lives then it will not cover the loss. He told Momen (faithful) is one who keeps away his heart from hardships of the world and busy himslef in the worship of Allah and who shed tears in the fear of Allah.
He told till if a man busy himself in the worship then in the meadows of heaven the angels will plant trees for his each and every worship . When the man ceases his worship then they also finish their work there. One who leaves truly all his human desires then he will deserve for the reward from the Allah.
One who will not find pleasure in his worship in this world then there will be no reward for such worship in the next world. Because the sign of acceptance is the pleasure of worship. The last stage of mystic saint is equal to the first of stage saints who re-signed themselves to the fate. He told Allah grants such grade to the pious persons in the dream which non pious person will not find in their prayers. When the inside sight of pious men works then the outside sight will be ceased. So he will not see except Allah. If we leave both the worlds to Allah then there is possibility of nearness of Allah. Mystic knowledge is near silence. He told if our heart is bright with remembrance of Allah then there will be no need of desires for us . One who suffers difficulties in the worship then the same source will become salvation for him. He told nothing is better than endurances . There are two kinds of endurances . One is to be content for the things which we do not desire for us and second to be content for the things which we desire for us . For this Allah has prohibited for us. He told I ruined myself to such extent that the world could not distress me . One who have control over his sole then he will get nearness of Allah and he will deserve for the heaven. He told the person who feel repentance for him then Allah will keep his secrets . He told to his disciple that if your friend in anger will say some thing against you then you do not be angry with him and reply harshly because it is possible that your friend will be harsher than you. Upon his experience the disciple told him that his saying was correct and practical.
Junaid Baghdadi told that he was very carefull when he hears some sayings of mystic saints and unless he will not check two references from the Quran and traditions he will not act upon them. He also got some knowledge from Mazlijat . He used to say in hunger “ Oh ; Allah such person is not good for your service unless who will not act on your commandments.” At the time of his death the persons told him you are going to see Allah who is most beneficent and merciful so please advice us. He told I am going to see Allah who counts our small sins and also who punish us for our greater sins and by saying this he left this world.
Somebody asked him in the dream how Allah has blessed him ? . He replied Allah granted his mercy and blessing but my fame in that world was not good for me .
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TWENTY THIRD EPISODE from Tazkeratul Aoulia by Sheikh Farid-ud-Din Attar (Book of Muslim Saints and Mystics)
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Translated from Urdu to English by Muhammed A. Hafeez, B.COM. Email: hafeezanwar@yahoo.com H.NO. 16-11-16/1/21, SALEEMNAGAR COLONY, AL-MADINA COTTAGE, FIRST FLOOR, FLAT NO.3, AL-SULAIMAN APARTMENT, Hyderabad-36, (India)
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Reference Books
1. Tazkeratul Aoulia by Sheikh Farid-ud-Din Attar (Book of Muslim Saints and Mystics), Urdu translation published by Majedi Book Depot, Kanpur in the year 1383 A.H., India.
2. Tazkeratul Aoulia by Sheikh Farid-ud-Din Attar (Book of Muslim Saints and Mystics), Urdu translation published by Anwar Book Depot, Delhi India.