Words And Reflections – Moulana Ilyas Ra

While talking to Maulana Syed Abul Hasan Ali Nadvi, Moulana Muhammad Manzoor No’maani and Muhammad Shafi Quraishi Saheb رحمه الله , Hazrat Maulana رحمه الله said:

“It was the general condition of the Ummats of the former Prophets, that as they moved away from the times of their Prophets, their religious acts used to take the shape of mere customs and become empty of spirit and reality. Performance of these acts meant nothing but to celebrate established customs. Then, some other Prophets were sent to the Ummats for the correction of this misguidedness and waywardness, who, while removing these customary aspects, used to introduce the realities of religious acts and the actual spirit of Shari’at to the people. When, in the end, the Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam received his call to prophethood. The condition of all the nations of that time who had any relation with some revealed religion was the same. Even if some part of Shari’at brought by their respective Prophets was present in them, its condition was no more than a collection of spiritless customs. Yet the people considered those customs as the real Deen and Shari’at. The Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam then removed these customs and taught the real religious truths and commands.”

“The Ummat of Muhammad Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam is also suffering from this very disease now, and its worships also reflect this customary trend. This error has grown to such proportions that even the teaching of deen, which should have been the means of correcting all faults of this kind, has also become a mere custom at many places. But, since the successive coming of the Prophets has been put to an end and the responsibility of such missions has been placed on the Ulama of the Ummat because of their being the representatives of the Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam, so they are the ones who are responsible to pay special attention towards correcting this misguided and corruption. The means for this correction is the ‘correction of intentions’. This is so because Customness comes into the deeds only when the sincerity to do an act solely for Allah and the marks of true obedience start disappearing from the deeds. With this correction of intentions, the direction of deeds gets turned towards Allah and reality comes in them in place of Customariness, and every deed is then performed solely with the true sense of Allah’s worship and obedience. In short, creating sincerity and reality in religious practices by making people attentive to correct their intentions is a very special responsibility of the ulama of the Ummat and the carriers of deen.”

Hazrat Maulana رحمه الله said:

“Whenever a bondsman of Allah wishes to take a step towards any good deed, Satan opposes him in many different ways and places difficulties and hurdles in his path. But if these twists and turns fail to stop his progress and that bondsman of Allah starts doing that good deed after crossing these hurdles, then Satan’s second effort starts: he then tries to become the shareholder of that good deed- either by injecting evil into his sincerity and intention- or using some other similar means. That is, sometimes he attempts to mix the desire for show and fame, and sometimes he tries to corrupt his sincerity by mixing other motives- and at times he succeeds in this effort. It is, therefore, recommended for religious workers to remain alert from this danger. They must keep on safeguarding their hearts from such satanic whisperings, and should regularly examine their intentions. This is because the moment an intention other than the intention to please Allah becomes a part of a deed, it no longer remains acceptable by Allah.”

Hazrat Maulana رحمه الله said:

“This sad negligence and shortcoming occurs in many madrasahs that although the students are given education, yet no considerable effort is made to put these students to the actual objective of this study (that is, service of deen and calling towards Allah) when their education gets complete. As a result of this negligence, many promising student-scholars of these institutions, having completed their studies, only aim at earning their living. For this, they either rush to study herbal medicine or join the teaching profession in English schools after passing the government university examinations. In this way, all the time and money and all the efforts that were spent on their education not only go to a complete waste but corne in the use of the enemies of deen in some instances. Therefore, with respect to this education we should concentrate our efforts and thinking more on this thing that the students who get their studies complete, they should get involved only in the service of deen and in fulfilling the rights of the knowledge of deen. If our lands produce no fruit, it is still a loss; but if they produce fruit that goes to our enemies, it becomes a far greater loss.”

Hazrat Maulana رحمه الله further said:

“The religious deformation and damage that the government’s university examinations like ‘Molvi Fazil’ have brought on, is not being duly realised by us. These examinations are taken with the only purpose of seeking job in English-style schools. In other words, on the road to meet its objectives, the infidel government has introduced this system of education and has offered such examination so that the Muslim students may be made eligible to assist, or rather, making them the paid-means, in the completion of the schemes of infidel system. Think on this issue that, what else the greater injustice to the religious knowledge and its misuse could there be that the work of the ‘service’ of the education system of the enemies of Islam is taken from this knowledge. In other words, by means of these examinations, the direction of religious education is turned towards the infidels and the infidel government instead of linking with Allah and the Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam. Therefore, it becomes very dangerous.”!

Hazrat Maulana رحمه الله said:

“The primary and most important requirement of knowledge is this that a person should take stock of his own life: he should think over his obligations and his omissions, and should worry for fulfilling the rights which are due on him. On the contrary, if a person instead uses his knowledge for taking stock of others’ deeds and for counting others’ faults, it is but the pride of knowledge- which is deadly harmful to the people of knowledge.”

Do your own work; don’t pick holes in others’ work.

In answer to the question: ‘Why Muslims are not granted rule and authority?’ Hazrat Maulana said:

“When you are not applying Allah’s commands on yourself and are not stopping yourself from doing what Allah has forbidden, and are not fulfilling those commands of Allah which are for subjects, (that is, the things whose doing is not difficult), then, on what ground the administration of the world be given to you? The divine intention, behind giving the believers government on earth, is only that they should run the system of Allah’s commands and wishes in the world. When you are not doing this today even in your personal and subject life, how it can be expected for tomorrow from you, giving you the rule?

Hazrat Maulana رحمه اللهsaid:

“People regarded as loyal supporters of the government are, in fact, not loyal to anyone; they are loyal only to their interests. Since their selfish interests are being satisfied thanks to the present government today, they are supporting her. But tomorrow if their interests were to be served by those in the opposition, they will start singing their praises and will become equally loyal supporters of theirs. Such worshippers of the self-interests are, in fact, not faithful even to their fathers [because their associations alter from one day to the other]. The way to reform these people is not this that we should condemn them, or prepare them for opposing the government. Their real disease is their worship of desires, and so long as this disease remains in them, even if they give up their support for the government, they will become equally loyal to some other powers for satisfying their desires. Therefore, the work which must be done is: cultivating in them the worship of Allah, in place of the worship of desires, and making them faithful supporters of Allah and of His deen. Without this, their disease is not going to be cured.”

Hazrat Maulana رحمه اللهsaid:

“This is a principle that man finds satisfaction in gaining what he likes and wishes for. For instance, a person who loves luxurious living, eats costly food and wears expensive clothes, will not find comfort and ease without these luxuries; whereas the person who loves sitting on a mat, sleeping on the ground, wearing simple clothes and eating simple food, will obviously feel delight in these things. Blessed are they who love simple living in following the Holy Prophet’s (Sallallahu Alayhi wasallam) example, because their peace of mind is in the inexpensive living- the means that are within the reach of both rich and poor. [This is indeed a big gift and great favour of Allah that one finds comfort and ease in simple and inexpensive means.] If our desires were bound with the things that only the rich can afford, we might have remained uneasy throughout our lives.”

Hazrat Maulana رحمه الله said:

“We have been commanded to spend on others out of what we have been given in this world; that is, we should not stop what we have been given, but should remain spending on others- but on condition that this spending should be proper and in the right places, according to the discipline and within limits set by Allah,-and should not be in an inappropriate manner or on unnecessary things.”

One day, probably due to rain, meat could not be obtained for the guests of Hazrat Maulana. On that day, a respectable person (who was a close relative of Hazrat Maulana) whose fondness for meat was well known to him was among the guests. I (the compiler) was also present:

To my surprise, the absence of meat from the meal greatly bothered Hazrat Maulana. After a while, he said with sorry feelings:

“It is narrated in the Hadeeth that: ‘The one who believes In Allah and the Last Day, should honour his guest. It is included in honouring the guest that, if possible, he should be provided with what he likes.”

Afterwards, Hazrat Maulana said in a pain-worn voice:

“How one can at all do honour to the guest of Allah and the guest of the Holy Prophet Sallallahu alayhi wasallam?”

(By this, he meant that those who pay a visit for the cause of Allah and the Holy Prophet Sallallahu alayhi wasallam, their rights are greater than the rights of the common visitors.)

Hazrat Maulana رحمه الله said:

“Paradise is the return of [fulfilling others] rights. That is, letting go our own rights, our own comfort and our own ease for the sake of Allah,-and fulfilling others’ rights bearing troubles on our self (which includes the rights of AlIah as well). Paradise is the sole reward of such deeds.”

Hazrat Maulana رحمه الله further said:

“It is reported in a Hadeeth: Have mercy upon those on earth; the One in the skies will have mercy upon you. Two well-known incidents of two women are reported in the Hadeeth. First, that of a sin-laden and immodest woman who, taking pity, drew water for a thirsty dog from a well. In its return, Allah decided her entering into paradise. The other woman (who was .not sinful) kept a hungry cat imprisoned so that it died in great distress; because of this deed she was sentenced to hell.”

Hazrat Maulana رحمه الله said:

“The style of working of the Holy Prophet Sallallahu alayhi wasallam in Makkah (before the Hijrat), i.e., calling people to the good and meeting people in person for this purpose, seems to have changed after reaching Madinah- because there he himself sat in a centre. However, he did so after having prepared a particular jama’at of his responsible companions who had fully and efficiently carried out with the work of da’wat in the Makkan-order of working. After that, it became the need of this work that the Holy Prophet Sallallahu alayhi wasallam should himself sit in the centre and manage its activities in a systematic way, and take work from the companions. ”

“Likewise, the stay of Hazrat Umar Radiallahu Anhu in the centre, Madinah, became justifiable only when thousands of Allah’s bondsmen were available for jihad so as to elevate the Word of Allah in the lands of Iran and Rome. It then became the need of the hour that Hazrat Umar Radiallahu Anhu should himself sit in Madinah and firmly organise the work of da ‘wat and jihad.”

Hazrat Maulana رحمه الله

said:

“A Hadeeth reports that the Holy Prophet Sallallahu alayhi wasallam taught Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq Radiallahu Anhu to beg the following du ‘aa after completing his salaat:

O Allah! I have wronged myself a great error, and there is none to forgive sins except you. So, forgive me by Your Grace and have mercy upon me, for verily, you are the Oft forgiving, Most Merciful.

Think for a while! The Holy Prophet Sallallahu alayhi wasallam is teaching this du ‘aa to Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq Siddiq Radiallahu Anhu, who is the best and most perfect of the whole Ummat, and whose salaat was so perfect in the sight of the Holy Prophet Sallallahu alayhi wasallam that he himself made him imam in the salaat [during his lifetime]- yet he is teaching him to beg this du ‘aa at the end of his salaat- that he should admit before Allah that he has remained weak in fulfilling the due of worship, and should beg forgiveness through His kindness and mercy! So, where do you and I stand?!”

Hazrat Maulana رحمه الله said:

“Man’s stay on earth is very short (i.e., not longer than the longest human life-span), whereas he will have to stay for much longer time below the earth. You may also put it this way that your earthly life is very short compared to the various places you are to stay afterwards. For example, in the grave up to the 1st sounding of the trumpet; after that, the period up to the 2nd sounding of the trumpet in a state best known to Allah alone (a span spreading for thousands of years); then thousands of years duration in the Plane on the Day of Judgement- and then, whatever be the divine decision about one’s final place in the hereafter. In short, every stage and place after death is thousands of life spans. Even then, how sad is the negligence of man that he does not make even that effort for those places which he does for his very short span of earthly life.”

Hazrat Maulana رحمه الله said:

“The true zikr of Allah is that: in whichever place and in whatever condition and engagement a person is, he must obey all of Allah’s commands that are relevant to that particular occasion. I press my friends more for this very zikr.”

Hazrat Maulana رحمه الله said:

“The tongue receives a special share in man’s mastery over the entire creation. So, if a man uses his tongue only for good speech, this will give him mastery in goodness. But if he has made his tongue an instrument of evil, for example, he uses foul language or unjustly harms others by speaking ill, then he will be distinguished in evil on account of the ill use of his tongue. Nor is this all, an evil tongue can sometimes make a man more evil than even dogs and pigs. A Hadeeth says: It is only the chatter of the tongue that throws people headlong into the fire.” O Allah save us.

One day after Fajr salat, while encouraging people to help and serve deen, Hazrat Maulana started his talk with the following words:

“See that all people know and believe that Allah is not absent, but is present, and is seeing everything every moment. Now see, if the people, regardless of Allah’s all-existence and all-seeing, involve themselves in others rather than involving themselves in Him, i.e., turn away from Him and devote themselves and their attention to others- just think how unfortunate such people are and what a sad deprivation it is, and imagine how greatly would this thing be invoking Allah’s extreme anger?”

“To be indifferent to the work of Allah’s deen, and involving oneself in worldly engagements without observing His commands in worldly matters- is [the name of one’s] turning away from Allah and attaching and devoting oneself to other associations. On the other hand, being involved in the work of deen and to be obedient to Allah’s cornmands- is [the name of one’s sincere] involvement in Allah. But in this connection, care should be taken that the more important and essential a matter is, the more attention should that matter be given, [i.e., one must attend to first things first] – and this thing could be known from the perfect example of the Holy Prophet Sallallahu alayhi wasallam. It is known that the work- to which the Holy Prophet Sallallahu alayhi wasallam exerted himself the most, and for which he suffered biggest number of hardships- was spreading the Kalimah, i.e., putting people on the path of Allah’s obedience. So, this work will then receive priority above all other works, and involving oneself in this work will be the best form of involvement in Allah.”

In one sitting Hazrat Maulana رحمه الله said:

“People have given much lesser importance to their obedience and service to Allah in contrast with their obedience and service to men. Therefore, when it comes to doing their employers’ work, this is the common behaviour of the servants that they consider it their duty to occupying themselves with this work all the time; and in doing their work, they [remain so busy that they do not even think about meals, and] eat whatever little comes to hand. On the other hand, what people do in discharging the due of Allah and deen is no more than cutting down some of their time from their solely personal engagements to do some religious devotion, like offering salaat or giving some money in charity, while wholly devoting themselves to the issues and events of their own interest and concern, and taking it as having fulfilled their right of service to Allah and deen. The right of Allah’s slavery means that the work of deen should be taken up as a regular job, while satisfying one’s thirst and hunger, and working for such needs, should be given secondary position.” (This does not mean that all people should give up their means of livelihood and businesses; it rather means that whatever may be the worldly business, it must be taken up with keeping the help and service of deen in view. [That is, a person should consider doing business to be the command of Allah; and considering his business to be the means of fulfilling this command of Allah, should then do his business- carrying out and fulfilling all those commands of Allah which appear in his business. In this way, his business will become deen.] One’s eating and drinking should be of an incidental nature, just as an employee’s is in the business of his employer.)