Our five daily prayers today, has been reduced to a ritual which has very little to do with worshiping our Creator. Many take it as an obligation (O it is farz and I have to do it), some take it as a means of salvation (i.e. Being saved from hell and being sent to heaven), some take it as a means of getting their worldly desires fulfilled (If I pray then Allah would make things easy for me), some take it as a means of getting recognised (when people notice me reading all my prayers they will think that I am pious). The only time a Muslim truly worships is when he becomes a believer “momin” and grows to love Allah. Love is essential for Worship.
With the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, ever Merciful
The Holy Qur’aan draws a distinction between a Muslim and a true believer (Momin) in the following verse: “The desert Arabs say, “We believe”. Say: “You have not believed but (rather) say we have accepted Islam…” 49:14.
Once the angel Gibreel (AS) came to the Prophet Salallahu Alayhe Wasallam and asked him a few questions so that his companions could learn about Islam. The first three questions and the answers that the Prophet Salallahu Alayhe Wasallam gave are as follows:
1) What is Islam? The Prophet Alayhe Salallahu Wasallam named the five pillars of Islam ie. The first kalima, prayer, charity, fasting and hajj.
2) What IS Imaan? He replied that you believe
in Allah, His Angles, His books, His Prophets, The
of Day Judgment and “Taqdeer” (predestination or everything that happens to a person, good or bad, has already been planned by Allah).
3) What is Ihsaan? He replied that you serve Allah as if you see Him, and if you do not see Him, then He certainly sees you. Mishkaat Al Misabih- chapter on belief.
What you would notice is that there is a gradual progression from the external behaviour to internal thoughts and finally to the realization of the ultimate Truth.
There is a gradual progression from being Muslim to becoming momin. There is a gradual progression from “shariath to tariqat to marifat to haqikat.”
The first answer deals with accepting Islam and becoming a Muslim, while the subsequent answers deal with becoming a believer.
Back to the term “worship”. Worshiping is actually a deep spontaneous reaction that stems directly from love and adoration. A worshipper wants nothing in return except the sight and happiness of his beloved. A worshipper does not care about rewards, on the contrary, he is prepared to sacrifice it all for the beloved.
Loving Allah directly is difficult, because we would not get an opportunity of seeing Him or associating with Him. Seeing and associating is necessary to fall in love. No one can fall in love with an abstract person even if they have to hear great detail about the person.
It is in Sufism that the path to loving Allah SWT is practically experienced. The Prophet (SAW) has seen Allah SWT, and he loved Allah SWT and dedicated his entire life to Him. The trials and tribulations that he went through for Allah SWT bears testimony to the fact that he loved Allah SWT and he was prepared to sacrifice anything and everything for Him. His companions (RA) did not see Allah SWT initially but they saw the Prophet (SAW) and they fell in love with him.
The Prophet (SAW) said to them: “You will not believe until you love me more than your parents, your children and the entirety of mankind.”
Those people that were born after the passing away of the Prophet (SAW) did not see him to love him but they saw his companions.
They fell in love with his companions (RA) and they were prepared to sacrifice it all for them and what they stood for. Similarly, in every generation, there are those people that love the people or saints as they are known, of the previous generations.
Love— This is what Sufism is about. Loving someone that loves someone who loves someone who finally ends up loving the Prophet (SAW) who in turn loves Allah. It is an unbroken chain of love descending from Allah SWT to us.
You grow to love and follow your Pir-o-Murshid who is a person that loves and follows his Pir-o-Murshid who in turn loves and follows his Pir-o-Murshid. In this way, by loving and following your Pir-o-Murshid you are actually loving and following a person that is moulded by the Prophet (SAW).
In Sufism, the following terminology is used – one has to become “fana fis sheik” (Sheik is another word for Pir-o-Murshid) first, then “fana fil rasool” and ultimately “Fana fil Lah” will follow. “Fana” means being destroyed or giving oneself up to the beloved. The disciple does not want anything except that which pleases the Pir-o-Murshid.
This is exactly the way of the Prophet (Saw). His companions did not see Allah initially but they saw and interacted with him.
They pledged allegiance (Becoming a mureed) to him and they fell in love with the Prophet (SAW). The fact that they were prepared to sacrifice anything and everything for him shows that they loved him.
According to our founder, Dr Hakim Hazrath Khwaja Sayed Shareef Ahmed Ali Shah RA, finding a Pir-o-Murshid and becoming a mureed is “Fardul Ayn”, a most important fard and when you become a sincere mureed then you become a Momin.
It is only when you love that you would be able to surrender everything to the beloved be it wealth, be it status, be it children, be it parents, or anything else that a person holds dear.
This is total submission and not just an action of submission. It is only when you love that you would be able to truly worship.
End.
Peace and Salutations be upon Muhammad Salallahu Alayhe Wasallam.
Published by Anjuman e Waris e Mohammedi in 2010
Anjuman e Waris e Mohammedi was founded by Dr/Hakim Hazrath Khwaja Sayed Shareef Ahmed Ali Shah RA, (lovingly known as Hazrath Poona Wale Shah Saib RA).
Author: Mohammed Hassan Gaffoor (WhatsApp +27 84 910 1486)