This letter, written to Muhammad Sharîf, explains that those who do
not perform the worships and good deeds in time and who say, “I will do them
tomorrow,” or “I will do them later,” are wrong; and that it is necessary to
adhere to the way, to Hadrat Muhammad’s Islam.
My dear son! Today, you are in a situation
that will permit you to do easily whatever you want. You are at an age when
youth, health, power, strength, wealth and comfort are found together in the
same place. Why do you put it off until tomorrow to hold on to the means that
will cause you to attain saâdat-i ebediyya (endless bliss) and to perform
useful deeds? In the days of youth the best time of man’s life, man should try
to do the commands of his Owner, of his Creator, and to worship Him, which is
the best and the most useful of deeds. He should abstain from the harâms, which
Islam prohibits, and from what is dubious. [By dubious we mean the actions
which we do not know for sure are permitted or forbidden]. He should do his
best not to lose the opportunity of performing the five daily prayers of namâz
in jamâ’at[1].
It is commanded that those Muslims who have the amount of property to reach the
nisâb[2] must give zakât. It is certainly
necessary for them to give zakât. Then, one should give the zakât willingly
and, even, by imploring the poor to take it. Because Allahu ta’âlâ is very
merciful and He pities His born servants very much, He decreed only five
prayers for worship in twenty-four hours and commanded giving the poor, exactly
or approximately, only one-fortieth of the commercial goods and that much of
the quadruped livestock that graze in fields. He prohibited a few things and
gave permission to do many things.
Then it is an act of headlong obstinacy
and unreasonableness not to reserve an amount of time that will not take even
one hour out of twenty-four hours to do Alah’s commandments or not to
------------------------------------
[1] One person performs namaz in the front;
the others, behind him, perform it like him by adapting themselves to him. The
person who performs it in the front is called the imâm. Those who perform it
behind him are called the jamâ’at.
[2] It means border. It is the amount of
property distinguishing being rich from being poor. He who has property less
than this amount is called poor. He whose property is more than this amount is
called rich.
give one-fortieth of one’s property,
though one is rich, to the poor Muslims, and instead strive to do what is haram
and dubious, leaving aside the innumerable permissible things.
Youth is a time when the nafs boils, the
sensual desires jump about and fiendish people and satanic genies attack. A
little goodness done at such an age will be given much thawâb. When old, when
worldly pleasures are on the decline, when power and strength are gone, and
when there is no longer any possibility or hope of getting what is desired,
nothing can be done except to sigh. Many people do not have a share even from
that time of regret. That regret means repentance and is still a great
blessing. Many cannot reach those days.
The eternal torments and various
sufferings, which our Prophet communicated, will certainly take place, and
everybody will get his deserts. Today, wicked people and devilish genies
deceive us by putting forth Allah’s forgiveness and compassion and prevent us
from worshipping and drag us towards sinning. However, one should know well
that this world is a place of examination. Therefore, the darlings and the
enemies are put together here, and all of them are pitied. Indeed, He declares
in the hundred and fifty-fifth âyat of Sûrat-ul-A’râf: “My mercy includes
everything.” But on the Day of Resurrection the enemies
will be separated from the darlings. The âyat, “O kâfirs! Today separate from those whom I love!” in
Sûrat-u Yâsin, communicates this fact. On that day, only the darlings will be
pitied; there won’t be any mercy for the enemies, who will certainly be cursed.
As a matter of fact, the âyat, “On that day, My mercy will be peculiar only to those who, fearing
Me, abstained from being kâfirs and from sinning, gave zakât, and believed in
the Qur’ân and My Prophet,” in Sûrat-ul-A’raf, conveys that this will
be so. Then, on that day, the mercy of Allahu ta’âlâ will be given to the
ebrâr, that is, to those Muslims with a good temper and useful deeds. Yes, all
Muslims, all those with îmân as much as even a mote, will attain mercy in the
end, after staying in Hell for a long time. But, for attaining mercy, it is
necessary to die with îmân. Nevertheless, when the heart darkens from sinning,
when the commands and prohibitions of Allahu ta’âlâ are slighted, how can the
light of îmân be protected from going out during the final breath? Great men of
the religion say, “Continuing venial sins causes grave sins. And continuing grave
sins drifts one into becoming a disbeliever.” May Allahu ta’âlâ protect us
against being so!
Translation of a Persian couplet:
I talked very little and feared hurting your heart
Knowing your short temper, I refrained from what I’d impart.
May Allahu ta’âlâ bless us with doing the
things which He likes! For the sake of His beloved Prophet, Hadrat Muhammad,
and his dear Ahl-i bayt, may He accept our prayer! The carrier of this letter,
Mawlânâ Ishâq, is an acquaintance and mukhlis of this faqîr. We have shared the
rights of neighbors for a long time. If he asks for any sort of assistance, I
hope that you will not disappoint him, inshâ’Allah. He has the talent of
elegance of style in handwriting. Wassalâm.
No, no! You are never treated unjustly by your Allah!
What you suffer from is an atonement for your deeds!