THE DECEPTION OF THE WORLD (Part 1) – Hazrat Maulana Thanvi رحمه الله
The Hadith of Sayyidina Rasoolullah صلى الله عليه وسلم is quite categoric:
الدنيا ملعونة ملعون ما فيها الا ذكر الله
‘The world and all within it is accursed except for the Zikr of Allah (Ta’ala).’
Hakeemul Ummah Hazrat Moulana Ashraf Ali Thaanwi Sahib رحمه الله has stated that the need for discussing the disease of the love of the world (Hubbud Dunyâ) is necessary and under all circumstances. Women are particularly in need of it because those whose illness is acute, are in greater need of a cure. Experience has shown that this disease of the love of the world exists in numerous forms.
Those that do not possess much wealth are also engrossed in the world and this can be identified by a unique trait where people have opinions about everyone’s affairs. Those who do not have much by way of wealth deprive themselves by making the world the object of their aspirations. The bounty of time given by Allah Ta’ala جل جلاله should be put to better use; the believer should value time and spend it in the remembrance of Allah Ta’ala جل جلاله. Hazrat Thaanwi رحمه الله has said that when our death occurs, it will occur in whatever we were involved in; and we will be resurrected how we occupied ourselves. Fortunate is that contented person who is granted the basic necessities of life and spends his time in the remembrance of Allah Ta’ala جل جلاله. This does not mean that one should have no concern for the world at all because each and every one has needs. But the issue is that a believer should not consume himself in the pursuit of the world at the expense of the Aakhirah.
Another deception is that many who are ill consider themselves to be ‘healthy’ and have lengthy plans. There are others who plan on being obedient after the wedding of their children. What are we waiting for? For death to overtake us? Some complain about their difficulties in such a manner that they will get ‘respite’ through death. Hazrat Thaanwi رحمه الله asserts that detachment from the problems of the world through death is of no use at all. What is beneficial however is to detach ourselves from the lure of the world whilst we are still alive.
(To be continued ان شاء الله)
