Words of Condolence from Shaykh al-Muhaddithin (RA) after the Burial of Shaykh al-Hadith Maulana Abdul Haq (RA)

Shaykh al-Hadith, the great scholar of hadith, Maulana Abdul Haq (RA), the founder of Darul Uloom Akora Khattak, led the funeral prayer and burial of Shaykh al-Hadith Maulana Naseeruddin Ghorghushti (RA) on the 4th of Dhul-Qi’dah 1388 AH (corresponding to 23rd January 1969) in Ghorghushti. He addressed the large gathering of mourners after the burial. These words of condolence are now being included in the lectures.

نحمده ونصلى على رسوله الكريم أما بعد قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَٰهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ “عَنْ أَنَسِ قَالَ لَأُحَدِّثَنَّكُمْ حَدِيثًا لَا يُحَدِّثُكُمْ أَحَدٌ بَعْدِي سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ مِنْ أَشْرَاطِ السَّاعَةِ أَنْ يَقِلَّ الْعِلْمُ وَيَظْهَرَ الْجَهْلُ وَيَظْهَرَ الزِّنَا وَتَكْثُرَ النِّسَاءُ وَيَقِلَّ الرِّجَالُ حَتَّى يَكُونَ لِخَمْسِينَ امْرَأَةً الْقَيِّمُ الْوَاحِدُ.” ( البخارى:ح 1531)

A Great Loss for the Muslims of the World

Respected elders! Today, the entire Pakistan has been engulfed in darkness, and today, the Muslims of the world have become orphans. This year, Maulana (RA) had intended to perform Hajj. In Hajj, it happens that a lover of Allah presents himself to circumambulate the walls of his beloved’s house, where the manifestations of Allah’s grandeur appear, like when a mirror is placed in front of the sun, the rays are reflected upon it. These rays carry both light and the reflection of the one in the mirror. Though Allah is exalted beyond any place, His divine manifestations are reflected upon the Kaaba, just as sunlight reflects off a mirror. If the mirror comes before the eye, the eye cannot bear to look. The highest level in worship is Hajj, for Allah is the Owner of the dominion, and benefit or harm comes from Him. Servitude is due only to the One who is the Owner of all benefit and harm.

Concentration in Prayer

One should maintain utmost concentration in prayer. It has been said that looking around in prayer is a distraction from the devil, and unnecessary movements in prayer are not good. True servitude and the required level of respect are found within prayer, as a person sometimes bows and at other times rubs his forehead on the ground. The hadith states, “A servant is closest to Allah when he is in prostration, and his supplications are answered.” A servant’s test lies in how well he honors his master, and when the master knows that the servant is obedient, he becomes pleased. When the master goes on a journey, he gives the servant money to spend according to his will. Wherever﴿ أَقَامُوا الصَّلَاةَ ﴾ (they establish prayer), there also﴿ آتَوُا الزَّكَاةَ ﴾ (they give zakat). This is an amazing point that the obedient servant becomes Allah’s treasurer as well. The result of prayer is zakat; the one who once begged now becomes a giver. Allah’s command is﴿ إِنَّ الصَّلَاةَ تَنْهَى عَنِ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالْمُنْكَرِ وَلَذِكْرُ اللَّهِ أَكْبَرُ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا تَصْنَعُونَ ﴾(العنكبوت: ايت 45).

Fasting

Then comes the command of fasting. Beauty, knowledge, and time in this world are all given by Allah. Allah is the Giver, and He possesses countless treasures. We do not obey Him merely out of a sense of gain or loss, but out of love and devotion. Just as parents serve their children out of love, not for personal benefit. So, my brothers! Allah first commanded the Muslims to pray, then to give zakat, and then to fast. A lover in the worldly sense leaves his needs behind at the appropriate time, forsaking food and drink. When one becomes a lover of Allah, the first step is to forsake food, drink, and desires. It is said: “Fasting is for Me, and I shall reward it.”

For the entire month, a person dedicates himself to Allah’s pleasure, and the whole month of Ramadan is for worship. The last ten days are reserved for seclusion, where a person forsakes home, comfort, family, and children. The intensity of love grows to the point that right after Ramadan, the days of Hajj begin. When the divine manifestations start reflecting, the person becomes restless to reach the doorstep of the beloved. Thus, he is commanded to go to the Kaaba and Makkah.

Allah’s Passionate Lover

Our Shaykh, Hazrat Ghorghushti (RA), had decided that he would go for Hajj. When told that he should not go due to his illness and difficulty in walking, and that it was a voluntary Hajj, he would reply, “No, I will certainly go.” Hazrat Shaykh was a passionate lover of Allah and had decided that he would bear the difficulties to reach his beloved’s door. But behold Allah’s power! He willed to take him into His mercy here, granting him the true Hajj after his death. Allah showered him with the reward of the true Hajj; death is but a bridge that unites the lover with the beloved. May Allah’s countless blessings be upon him.

But Shaykh spent 60 to 70 years teaching hadith, reviving the tradition of hadith in this land. As the Prophet ﷺ said, “Whoever holds fast to my Sunnah at the time of corruption in my ummah, will have the reward of one hundred martyrs.” Our Shaykh, like Shah Waliullah, revived the teachings of hadith in the schools of the North-West Frontier and Punjab, and Kabul. Today, the hadith being taught here is a blessing of Hazrat Shaykh. He is like the Shah Waliullah of our province, and his students will continue to earn rewards, which will also reach him.

Supplication

O Allah! Make his grave a garden from the gardens of paradise. O Allah! Continue the blessings of knowledge and spiritual purification through his descendants until the Day of Judgment. (Ameen)

(This supplication was made by Shaykh al-Hadith Maulana Abdul Haq (RA) at the end of his speech.)