Advice for the Muslim

they were men of Allah!’ Whether they told the truth or not, his
respect towards them caused him to attain bliss.
“He who looks for his own faults and tries to correct himself
cannot find time to see the faults of others. He always sees Muslims
as better than himself. In other words, he regards every Muslim he
encounters as better than himself. He believes that he who says that
he is a walî is telling the truth. [1] He who looks for others’ faults and
does not see his own faults does not believe the walî.
“Najm ad-dîn ad-Ghazzî wrote in his book Husn at-tanabbuh:
‘You must love, attend the suhba of, visit and attain blessings
through the sulahâ’ who are awliyâ’.’ Shâh al-Karmânî said, ‘There
is no ’ibâda more valuable than loving awliyâ’. Love for awliyâ’
leads to love for Allâhu ta’âlâ. And Allâhu ta’âlâ loves the one
who loves Him.’ Abu ’Uthmân Khairi said, ‘He who attains the
suhba of awliyâ’ finds the way to approach Allâhu ta’âlâ.’ Yahyâ
ibn Mu’âdh (rahimah-Allâhu ta’âlâ) said, ‘A faithful person who
attains the suhba of awliyâ’ forgets about everything. He is with
Allâhu ta’âlâ. He can never approach Allâhu ta’âlâ otherwise.’
Muhammad [ibn ’Alî ash-Shâmî] ibn Irâq wrote in his book Assafînat
al-’Irâqiyya: ‘Muhammad ibn Husain al-Bajlî, a faqîh, saw
Rasûlullâh (sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam) in his dream and asked
him which deed was the most beneficial. Rasûlullâh said, “Being in
the audience of a walî among the awliyâ’ of Allah” And when he
asked, “If we cannot find a living one?” Rasûlulâh answered,
“Loving and thinking of him is the same whether he is alive or
dead.” ’
“Imâm Muhammad al-Birgiwî [(rahmat-Allâhi ’alaih), d. Birgi,
Anatolia, 981 A.H. (1573)] used to pray saying, ‘Oh the Best of the
helpers! Oh the Shelter of the hopeless people! Oh the Most
Merciful of the merciful! Oh my Allah who veils sins and who is
very compassionate! Pity us, who are very sinful, for the love of
Your Habîb, Your Beloved Prophet, and for the love of all
[1] See above, p. 126, where it is meant that a walî, unlike a prophet, is
not permitted to tell the friend or the enemy that he is a walî. But as
meant here, a walî, who has been given the duty to guide (irshâd),
has to tell by implication (e.g. “Inshâ-Allâh, you will obtain faid,”)
that he is a walî, a rehber, and has to prescribe assignments (wazîfa)
to the disciple who comes with ikhlâs to him to obtain faid. He who,
though with sincerity and devotion, affiliates with and carries out the
wazîfa given by one who is not a real walî, will be harmed rather than
get any faid or good from him.
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