The Flower of the Land of Shaam – Hadhrat Ahmad Hawaari (Rahmatullah Alayh)

Hadhrat Junaid Baghdaadi (Rahmatullah alayh) said that Hahrat Ahmad Hawaari (Rahmatullah alayh) “is the Flower of the Land of Shaam.”

Once his Shaikh, Hadhrat Sulaimaan Daaraai (Rahmatullah alayh) was in a state of ecstasy. He ordered Hadhrat Ahmad Hawaari to sit inside the blazing furnace. In obedience, he went inside the furnace and sat down. After a long while when he emerged from his ecstasy, he wondered where Hadhrat Ahmad Hawaari was. He instructed his mureeds to search for him. Finally it occurred to him that he had said to Hadhrat Ahmad to sit inside the furnace. When he and the mureeds looked into the furnace, they saw Hadhrat Ahmad Hawaari (Rahmatullah alayh) seated comfortably. Not a hair on his body had burnt.

Once in a dream he saw a beautiful damsel from Jannat. Her face was exceptionally radiant. Hadhrat Ahmad said to her: “O Damsel! Your face is wonderfully radiant.” She said: “O Ahmad! The glitter (Noor) on my face is the effect of the tears you had shed on a certain night. I rubbed those tears on my face, hence this radiance.”

“A person is not a sincere repenter as long as there is no remorse in his heart, no Istighfaar on his tongue, and as long as he does not abandon sins, and as long as he does not strive in ibaadat. Only then will he be a sincere repenter.”

“One who has greater intelligence, becomes a greater Aarif. He reaches his destination swiftly.”

“Raja’ (hope in Allah) is the strength of those who have fear for Allah Ta’ala.”

“The greatest regret is the regret for the loss of such moments which were destroyed in sin and futility.”

“The noor of Faqr and Zuhd is eliminated from the heart of one who gazes at the world with the intention of befriending it.”

“He who has not recognized his nafs, undoubtedly he is trapped in pride and arrogance.”

“Nothing is worse than involvement in hard heartedness and obliviousness (ghaflat).”

 Extracted from “The Saadiqeen”