Severe Spiritual Problems are Solved Easily and Comfortably, By Merely Sitting In The Company of The Pious
Severe spiritual problems are solved easily and comfortably, by merely sitting in the company of the pious. Hadhrat Thanwi (rahmatullahi alaihi) recalls: “I used to frequent the company of Hadhrat Gangohi (rahmatullahi alaihi) when any doubts or objections plagued me but I would not even get a chance of asking any questions. Without even asking, I suddenly understood the answers. Sometimes, someone else would ask the questions which I wished to pose and Hadhrat Gangohi (rahmatullahi alaihi) would answer it. Sometimes, Hadhrat Gangohi (rahmatullahi alaihi) himself would speak on the very same topic that was troubling me and those doubts were immediately obliterated. At other times, absolute silence would prevail over the majlis without Hadhrat saying anything at all and all doubts would disappear. I would ask Hadhrat one or two questions and he would say: ‘Who posed this question?’
“‘Ashraf Ali,’ I would reply, eagerly awaiting an answer.
“But Hadhrat (rahmatullahi alaihi) would not answer. He would neither reply by saying that I am looking for answers to such simple and easy questions nor would he say that the answer was very difficult to comprehend. He would not even ask me to repeat the question. Nothing at all! Absolute silence would prevail. I later realised that if Hadhrat had answered, then too it would not have clarified the matter as much as it was clarified by Hadhrat’s silence.”
What is the lesson in this incident? The lesson is that the original grace comes from Allah Ta`ala into the heart of the spiritual guide. This same grace is then conferred to those around the Shaikh on condition that there is some relationship with him and they believe him to be the right person for their spiritual development.
However, if you entertain some doubt in him then you will not derive the necessary benefit. Only if the heart is clean and receptive will one attain benefit. The original benefactor is Allah Ta`ala. The heart of the Shaikh is only a means of acquiring this benefit. The pure rain that falls upon the marble roof will flow off that roof in the very condition that it originally fell. If there is a gutter that is attached to this roof then whoever comes and stands beneath it will benefit. Water was not created in the gutter. The water came from the skies. This gutter is only the means of receiving the pure water.
It is, however, necessary to maintain the connection with the means as well. If a person has to place some filth in the gutter, the water flowing out of this gutter will be polluted – dirty and filthy water will flow out. The water did not fall from the skies in that form. It was absolutely clean but, due to the gutter being contaminated, it became dirty.
Jalaaluddeen Thanesri (rahmatullahi alaihi) with Shah Abdul Quddoos (rahmatullahi alaihi)
Hadhrat Shaikh Jalaaluddeen Thanesri (rahmatullahi alaihi) had taken bay’at at the hands of Hadhrat Shah Abdul Quddoos Gangohi (rahmatullahi alaihi). Once, he wrote to his Shaikh explaining his spiritual condition. Hadhrat Shah Abdul Quddoos replied:
گر چہ دیر است آہو بچنگ شیر است
Although it is a bit late, but the gazelle has eventually come into the claws of the lion.
With regards to our outer limbs, a stronger person can overpower a weak person using his might and tactical acumen. But those inner-debasing qualities that are within our volition, like that of nafs-e-ammarah (evil propensity) and the power to commit evil deeds, these are the snares of Shaitaan and to overpower them requires another greater form of strength. Thus, if the Shaikh’s inner strength is greater, then he can overpower these debasing qualities of the mureed and reform his spiritual condition benefiting him tremendously. However, if the poor Shaikh is weak then Allah Ta’ala have mercy on him and the mureed! Aameen. Both of them require His mercy.
http://alhaadi.org.za/faqihul-ummah/mawaiz-discourses/1993-discourse-14-the-benefits-of-the-company-of-the-pious-.html
