I dreamed that I saw the Prophet (pbuh). He said to me, “Do you love me?”
I replied, “Excuse me. My love for God has preoccupied me from loving you.”
The Prophet (pbuh) said, “Whoso loves God love me.”
– Abu Sa’id al-Kharraz (from Attar’s Tadhkirat al-Auliya, Memorial of the Saints)
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Darvish
Is the mystery is this:
The light of God manifested in the soul of Prophet Muhammad, blessed be his soul. ?
Prophet being the perfect human being, was the perfect image of God (since God created Adam in His own Image), isn’t it so?
What a lovely post. Humans are the finest images of God’s glory and loving God is loving all human beings including the finest of them our Prophet (pbuh). In fact Mohammad’s forgiveness and conduct teaches us how to connect our innerselves and reach God that resides in us.
You would be aware that Rumi and Shams Tabriz had love for the Prophet central to their spiritual moorings; and Rumi’s devotion to Shams commenced when he revealed the connection between God and Prophet!
Salaam Dear Sadiq and Raza:
The light of God was indeed manifest in the soul of Mohammad, the blessing and peace of Allah be upon him. And truly he was the perfect man, as Jesus was said to be before him. But to Mohammad (pbuh) was manifest the true Nur, the light of Allah. It is also said that all prophets shared the same soul, passed from one to the other, but that Mohammad (pbuh) was the first to have that soul of light, and the last to use it, being the last prophet. Being created in God’s image does not mean to a Sufi that Allah has two arms, legs, a head, mouth, nose, ears, etc. It means that each human being has that divine spark that is the soul within them, that connects us to Allah, and that by walking the path of Love, we shed the veils of this world so that te soul shines forth. Then one becomes a true Sufi, a man of Light.
And Raza, there are at least four different version of the meeting of Shams and Rumi in the excellent book, Life and Work of Rumi, by Afzal Iqbal. But the one most trustworthy is indeed the one in which the connection between Mohammad and God was related in a question.
Thank you for your excellent comments :)
Ya Haqq!
Hmmm, why is it that I like this post so much?
That only you can answer, Blondie :) I like it for its simple and direct message. Although the Prophet (pbuh) was the first soul and last prophet, he was also only a man. His perfection of heart and adab were part of him before his prophethood, but he was also the first in humility and submission. Some venerate him as holy, but he wanted to be buried in an unmarked grave so no one would make his grave a pilgrimage destination. In all humility, he taught this lesson:
Only God is worthy of worship.
Ya Haqq!
Very eloquently put.
Thought maybe you had run across one of my arguments over at Ali’s blog, it has been a theme the past few days. Unfortunately, my boxing gloves have been on and it was pretty ugly.
Anyway, I rushed over here earlier this morning when I ran accross what I thought was this dream you talked about, but I think now that it is not the same dream. I was reading Sufi Women and Rabe’ah had a very similar dream, the prophet asking her the same question. Her answer was similar, but I don’t believe that the prophet responded to her answer.
Oh, and even though I haven’t finished the book, I think I will make a post today about what I have read so far.
Giving without reserve
It is with reticence that I am writing this. I do not wish to place myself on the moral high ground or to sermonise anyone. This chapter tries to show the truth and importance of dreaming of our Holy Prophet Muhammad (sallal-laahu ‘alay-hi wa-sallam). These words seek to confirm that ours is a Prophet of Mercy and a Bearer of Good Tidings. It also aims to portray the consequence of du’aa in the Masjid al-Haram. It is moreover meant as a method of encouragement for our children to some day continue with the Prophetic Tradition of raising an orphan for the sake of Allah, The One of Unbounded Grace. So that they may by this means know that there is more to life than just prayer and fasting. And that they should give of themselves unreservedly. That they might through it also, temper their adhkaar with compassion.
We were asleep at the Mashrabiyya Hotel in Khalid bin Walid Street in Shubayka, Makkah al-Mukarramah when, by the Mercy of Allah, I had the most beautiful dream. I saw myself standing in the holy presence of our Truthful Prophet Muhammad (sallal-laahu ‘alay-hi wa-sallam). Our Prophet (sallal-laahu ‘alay-hi wa-sallam) was spotlessly dressed in white robes and a white turban. I stared aghast. Our Incorruptible Prophet (sallal-laahu ‘alay-hi wa-sallam) stood about two meters away and faced me directly. I do not have the words with which to suitably portray this most wonderful man, the Seal of the Prophets (sallal-laahu ‘alay-hi wa-sallam). I had never seen anyone so unimaginably holy, so indescribably handsome. I reached for my turban, embarrassed for not wearing it. “Leave it,” I said to myself. “You are in the Company of the Prize of creation.” A brilliance shone from our Guided Prophet (sallal-laahu ‘alay-hi wa-sallam). Our Prophet (sallal-laahu ‘alay-hi wa-sallam) smiled at me. I wished that the dream would last forever. The heavenly smile lasted between ten and fifteen minutes, it felt like.
Alhamdu-lillaah. I had never considered myself deserving of such an honour. “What does that smile mean?” I asked myself over and over again.
Part of my du’aa in the Holy Mosque in Mecca, was to ask Allah, The One Who Makes Clear to us His signs so that we may be grateful, to Grant to ourselves the opportunity and blessings of raising an orphan for His sake.
My wife and I had, over a number of years, tried to adopt a baby by applying at several local agencies, and were given all sorts of excuses which disqualified, and sometimes discouraged us. Reasons given were that we were not married according to South African law, that few babies from local Muslim parents came up for adoption, and the fact that we have children of our own. We were faced with, what was to my mind, the worse aspect of the South African race laws. These regulations and those administering it, in this case, the social workers, prescribed that a ‘brown’ orphaned child had to be matched with ‘brown’ adoptive parents. A ‘yellow’ baby could only be placed with prospective ‘yellow’ adoptive parents, a ‘white’ orphan could not be raised by ‘black’ adoptive parents, and so on. They played dominoes with human lives. Some social workers were more ready to read the ‘race act’ than others. In an interview and in response to a question on whether we would mind adopting a child from a ‘lower rung’ of the colour scale, I told them that “a nice green one would do.” A jab to my ribs from my wife quickly halted the acid flow down the sides of my mouth. Stirring the ire of our then masters by criticising their political beliefs would not help, she meant. “When the white boss tells a joke, and regardless of its lack of humour – laugh!” she chided me later. Race inequalities existing at the time ensured that hundreds of black orphans went begging in more ways than one. It virtually excluded us from adopting a child. No orphans that matched our race and blood mix were on offer and they weren’t likely to easily present themselves for adoption, we were told. My wife is of Indian (as in “Indian” from India, as opposed to “American” Indian) stock and I am of (well) mixed blood.
On the morning of Wednesday, 1st June 1994, just three days after arriving back home from Haj, we received a telephone call from Melanie Van Emmenes of the Child Welfare Society. She explained that a five-month old girl had come up for adoption. The baby had earlier undergone successful abdominal surgery and she asked whether we would adopt the child. We jumped at the chance.
A rush of adrenaline replaced the after-effects of travel. We were re-energised. Capetonians usually visit local pilgrims before departure and also on their arrival back home. We excused ourselves from the few visitors and asked my mother-in-law to host them in our absence. My wife and I immediately went to the Adoption Centre in Eden Road, Claremont. We signed the necessary papers.
Afterwards, we told our children that we were about to receive an addition to the family. We plodded through a maze of red tape in order to legalise the process. (My wife and I had to marry in court because Muslim marriages were not recognised then, believe it or not). A few days later, my wife, brother and I collected the petite infant from a foster-mother in Newfields Estate. I shall never forget the joyous feeling when I first carried the frail waif past the front door. Her name is Makkia. We named her after the great city from which we had just returned.
Taking her into our home is one of the better things that we have done. Makkia has added a marvellous dimension to our lives. She is part of our life’s work. I shall always be grateful to the people who had assisted us with the adoption.
The meaning behind the glowing smile from our Trustworthy Prophet Muhammad (sallal-laahu ‘alay-hi wa-sallam) had played itself out in the most delightful way. Weighing any other form of creation against our Brave Prophet (sallal-laahu ‘alay-hi wa-sallam) is a meaningless exercise, I have come to realise. Allah, The One Who Is Sufficient For those who put their trust in Him, Had Granted our want through our Beloved Prophet Muhammad (sallal-laahu ‘alay-hi wa-sallam).
May Allah bless you and your wife brother, for the beautiful story, and reminder of Allah’s love and mercy. It warms my heart and I can only say: Alhamdulillah!
Ya Haqq!
For a post as sublimely beautiful as this one, we all need to send blessings upon our Beloved Prophet Muhammad(SAW)
O Allah, send blessings and Peace upon our Master and Patron Muhammad, The Owner of the Crown and the Ascent and the Buraq and the Standard, The Repeller of Affliction and Disease and Drought and Illness and Pain. His name is written on high, served and engraved in the Tablet and the Pen, The Leader of All, Arabs and non-Arabs, Whose body is sanctified, fragrant, and pure, Illumined in the House and the Haram, The Sun of Brightness, the Full Moon in Darkness, The Foremost One in the Highest Fields, the Light of Guidance, The Cave of Refuge for Mortals, the Lamp That Dispels the Night, The Best-Natured One, The Intercessor of Nations, The Owner of Munificence and Generosity. Allah is his Protector, Gabriel is his servant. The Buraq is his mount, the Ascent is his voyage, The Lote-Tree of the Furthermost Boundary is his station, Two Bow-Lengths or Nearer is his desire, His desire is his goal, and he has found his goal, The Master of the Messengers, the Seal of the Prophets, The intercessor of sinners, the friend of the strangers, The Mercy for the Worlds, The rest of those who burn with love, the goal of those who yearn, The sun of knowers, the lamp of travellers, The light of Those Brought Near, The friend of the poor and destitute, The master of Humans and Jinn, The Prophet of the Two Sanctuaries, The Imam of the Two Qiblas, Our Means in the Two Abodes, The Owner of Qaba Qawsayn, The Beloved of the Lord of the Two Easts and the Two Wests, The grandfather of al-Hasan and al-Husayn, Our patron and the patron of Humans and Jinn: Abu al-Qasim MUHAMMAD Son of `Abd Allah, A light from the light of Allah. O you who yearn for the light of his beauty, Send blessings and utmost greetings of peace Upon him and upon his Family.
Source: http://www.islamicacademy.org
allahumma salli wasallim wabarik ‘ala sayyidona wahabibona muhammed w’ala alihi wasahbihi wasallim
ameen
thank you brothers and sisters for the meaningfull posts and the true islamic way
of life….
jazakum allahu khairan