al_etidaal_gn

this happens, honesty will disappear from them and they will become deceitful till they
will openly commit acts of dishonesty and deceit. And when they had reached this stage
mercy will be removed from their hearts and they will not show any mercy to other
creatures. When they had reached this stage they will become rejected and accursed in
the sight of people. And when they had reached this stage you will see the rope of Islam
will fall off from their necks.”
Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) also said: “Whosoever causes hurt and injury to
the heart of any Muslim, has hurt me. And whosoever hurts me, has hurt Allah.”
(Jami-us-Sagheer).
Just imagine what a grave warning! If one harms any ordinary Muslim, it is tantamount to
having caused hurt to Allah. How much more grave is the situation if the unjustly harmed
person is a true saintly Muslim?
Allama Sha’raani (Rahmatullah Aiayh) writes in his book Tabqaat-al-Kubraa: “Imam
Abu Turab (Rahmatullah Alayh) who is one of the sufi elders said: ‘When a person turns
his heart away from Allah, he gets as his companion the habit of criticising and degrading
the saints of Allah.”
A persian couplet:
When Allah desires to disgrace and expose the evil minded one, He fills his heart with
evil thought against the saintly friends of His.
Shaikh Abul Hasan Shahzaly (Rahmatullah Alayh) one of the greats among the sufis,
says: “The saintly elders of Allah had always been troubled by those who degrade and
criticise them. Some of these critics have been those who outwardly professed love and
devotion to the saints but regarding some saints we hear them say: “How can this one
ever be considered a wali (saint)?” In this way they seek to deny that person’s sainthood.
Now, I ask you, can that person who is completely unacquainted with sainthood (and its
demands) deny the sainthood of anyone?”
The Shaikh wrote further: “Some sufi saints remain out of the public’s eyes for this
reason that they mix freely in the circles of the rulers and the rich. Now the critics find
opportunity to criticise their actions by saying: “If this was really a saint, he would have
secluded himself and remained drawn into Ibaadah, and the quest after knowledge and
the spread thereof.” If this critic was really serious about the welfare of his deen, he
would first, before criticising, have asked himself this question: “Is this man, who
associates with the rulers and governors, meeting these people for his own selfish ends or
for the sake of fulfilling some deeni need? Is he not perhaps doing it for the welfare of all
Muslims or with the purpose of rectifying some wrong? There are also times when it is
compulsory for the saints and elders to approach the ruling class and the wealthy and
when it would be prohibited for them to stay aloof from them.” (Tabqaat).
At this stage you must please understand one more thing. Sometimes it does happen that
saints take revenge on their critics. Such revenge often leads others to further criticise
them with the result that people begin to think that these people are just like ordinary
Al- Eti’daal Fi Maraatibur- Rijaal 17