THE DECEPTION OF THE WORLD (Part 6) – Hazrat Maulana Thanvi رحمه الله

Hakeemul Ummah Hazrat Moulana Ashraf Ali Thaanwi Sahib رحمه الله has advised that we contemplate on our absolute insignificance and helplessness. We observe that people experience difficulties in various forms; someone loses his eyesight, someone has severe health complications, someone loses his intellect. An individual may have been an extremely intelligent person yesterday but today he is a babbling fool. Upon reflection, we are forced to acknowledge that we do not even ‘own’ our faculties; intellect that we were so proud of can be lost in an instant – we are totally reliant on the mercy of Allah Ta’ala جل جلاله to survive.

Hazrat Thaanwi رحمه الله shares his personal example where he was returning home after Esha Salaah. It was very dark and he lost his way home. He reached different people’s houses but could not find his house. In fact, he knew the way so well that he could find his house with his eyes closed. Hazrat Thaanwi رحمه الله said that Allah Ta’ala جل جلاله demonstrated to him; “This is the level of your senses and your perception. Whenever We want, We can render it useless and you are at a loss to achieve anything. How then can you claim that anything is yours?”

How can we say that this is our wealth, this is our house? It is such a house from where, when we are visited by the angel of death, we will be consigned to the remote wilderness of the grave. And we should remember, even if we try to object at the time of death, we will be forcibly consigned to that deep dark hole in the ground.

Let us remind ourselves of the warnings of Sayyidina Rasoolullah صلى الله عليه وسلم; it is related in Tirmidhi that Hazrat Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه reports that Sayyidina Rasoolullah صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

لعن عبد الدينار ولعن عبد الدرهم

‘Cursed is the slave to the Dinār and cursed is the slave to the Dirham.’

Ārif Billāh Hazrat Moulana Hakeem Akhtar Sahib رحمه الله explains that the lover of wealth has been cursed because his love (of wealth) will deprive him of all noble human characteristics and make him disloyal to Allah Ta’ala جل جلاله or His creation. He will not care to discharge the obligatory injunctions of Deen, he will usurp the rights of creation and the needy will be neglected.

All this is the result of our attachment to the illusion of the world; the only thing that we will take with to the Aakhirah is our A’māl (our actions, good or bad).

(To be continued ان شاء الله)