Tableegh (Noble Da'wah) - A Guide to Happiness and Peace

6. Connection with Tasavvuf

 CONNECTION WITH TASAVVUF

Tasavvuf is the other name of “Sulook”.  Sulook means to control the worldly desires, to remove them from the heart, and to connect the heart with Allah.  The target of man from his speech and action should be to satisfy Allah (SWT). That is what is desired from us.

Syed Abdul Qadir Sb., (PAKALA HAZRAT)

My connection with Tasavvuf started when I met Syed Abdul Qadir Sb., a Shaikh of  “CHISHTIA SILSILA”  who was a “A” Grade Train Driver, with whom we went once on 40 days Jamath.  He was also known as “Pakala Hazrat”.

He was tall, had a long thick beard which moved at the direction of the wind.  He always wore white long jhubba and a pyjama. Eyes had a peculiar light and kindness and saw straight into your eyes.  Spoke softly but authoritatively.  No loose talks, no backbiting about anyone.  Spent much of the time unmindful of his rest, on clarifying the doubts aroused to those around him in the matters of religion and was effectively solving them with his wisdom. He was simply marvelous and magnanimous.  His efforts in following true Sunnah of Prophet Mohammed (Sal) were admirable.

We found him pious and my old friend Iqbal Bhai and I tried our best to find fault in him during our 40 days jamath, which proved futile, and Wherever our Jamath went, people insisted that he should deliver the speech.   He wielded special attraction, despite his simplicity.  He was telling the same speech as we did but people were attracted towards him!

That’s where I found the difference between an ordinary man and a man of Tasavvuf!

He was taking pains in teaching Quran to the newcomers.  A retired Sub-Inspector of around 65 years was with us who always told that he had wasted much of his life and began to learn the Quran and in the next year, I saw him reciting the Quran beautifully.  He had the desire and enthusiasm!.

Once I asked him whether every one of us should have a “Shaikh”  or “Peer”  who will guide us in Tasavvuf? 

He said “When Moulvi Iyas and Moulvi Yousuf and Moulvi Inamul Hasan needed a Shaikh, do you think you and I should not have one for our rectification?”

At the end of 40 days, I asked Pakala Hazrat to accept me as his Mureed (disciple) but he directed me to meet Moulana Ahmed Kabeer Sb. a Shaikhul Hadees who had taught Sahee-al-Buhari Hadees to the students of Madrasa Anwarul Uloom at Trichy for forty years without remuneration and to become a disciple of him. I did and Kabeer Hazrat asked me to have regular contact with Pakala Hazrat for Tarbiat (rectification).

Pakala Hazrat had one son, Hafiz Abdullah Sb.,  Pakala Hazrat had given him standing instructions to perform Taraveeh prayers during Ramazan without taking any remuneration from the Masjid and he should not accept even a cup of tea also from the masjid’s account.  Alhamdulillah, we have seen that when he took charge of taraveeh prayer of our Masjid one year.  My friend Javid bhai used to bring milk for him from his house.

Pakala Hazrat narrated much of his experiences in life!

Once he said, “I am an old man, retired, got my daughters married and I was brought up in a very pious family atmosphere and myself, restrained myself from all evils but when I went to my relative’s house, TV show was running and believe me, I could not control my gaze from watching the TV!  When I am unable to do that, poor people who do not have any knowledge of islam, how do you expect them to control themselves?”

When someone asked, “Hazrat, there are good programmes also, Quran recitations, religious programmes also in the TV”

He replied, “Do you want to drink milk from a spittoon?”