Category Archives: Sacramento

The Destruction of Cities – From the Malfuzat of Khwaja Uthman Haruni (ra)

The following is an excerpt taken from Session 3 of the Anees ul-Arwah–The Malfuzat of Khwaja Uthman Haruni (rehmatullahi alyhe)–as recorded by Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti (rehmatullahi alayhe):

In this session the discussion was about the destruction of cities and so he said that because of the excesses of people, in the last days cities will be destroyed. I heard from the Yusuf Chishti (may God have mercy on him) who heard it from Yahya Samarqandi from Ali (may God ennoble his face) that when the following verse was revealed:

وَإِن مَّن قَرْيَةٍ إِلاَّ نَحْنُ مُهْلِكُوهَا قَبْلَ يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ أَوْ مُعَذِّبُوهَا عَذَابًا شَدِيدًا كَانَ ذَلِك فِي الْكِتَابِ مَسْطُورًا

There is not a population but We shall destroy it before the Day of Judgment or punish it with a dreadful Penalty: that is written in the (eternal) Record.

Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said that there will be excessive wrong doing in the last days. The city of Makkah will be made desolate by the hands of harsh people. The city of Medinah Munawwarah will be caught up in a famine; people will die there because of hunger. Basra and Mash-had will be destroyed because of drinking and the evil deeds of women. The ruler of Syria will be destroyed because of tyranny. Rome will become desolate because of widespread homosexuality. People will die as a result of a wind from the sky. Khurasan and Balkh will meet their end due to dishonest merchants  by whose evil actions Muslims will be consumed.

The master Maudud Chishti (may God have mercy on him) said that Khawarizm and its surrounding cities will be destroyed because of its excesses in certain kinds of music and materialism and people there will murder each other. Suistan will be destroyed by calamity and earthquakes. Egyptian women will be killed because they will be labeled as adulteresses.  Their actions will bring upon them the Wrath of God and these people would be consumed by the Earth and destroyed. India and Sind would be destroyed because of pervasive fornication and drunkenness of the people. I heard from the master Sharif Zindani (may God have mercy on him) that close to the Day of Judgment, years, months, weeks and days would become short in duration. Human beings will give birth to dogs instead of their own kind. People will be very far from the teachings from the Prophet (May peace and blessings be upon him).  O Disciple! Humanity needs to prepare for the hereafter after considering that such times are very close at hand.

After this, the master engrossed himself in the remembrance of God. This humble slave also left the gathering and thanks to God for that (lesson).

Translated by Sharaaz Khan
28 Shaban 1432 Hijri

 

On Lunar and Solar Eclipses – From the Malfuzat of Khwaja Uthman Haruni (ra)

The following is an excerpt taken from Session 2 of the Anees ul-Arwah–The Malfuzat of Khwaja Uthman Haruni (rehmatullahi alyhe)–as recorded by Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti (rehmatullahi alayhe):

Regarding the matter of eclipse of the Sun and Moon, their reality is so that the bondsmen of God inclines to prayer and piety out of fear of their Lord taking them to task. The master (may the mercy of God be upon him) said regarding the Sun and Moon eclipse that Ibn Abbass (may the mercy of God be upon him and his father) relates that during the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) there occurred a Lunar Eclipse. So, someone asked the Final Messenger a question, upon which the Prophet (pace be upon him) responded that when humanity goes beyond its boundaries in wrong actions or sin then Lunar and Solar eclipses occur. The face of the Sun and that of the Moon are darkened so that creation may take heed (from the metaphor).

The Ilm Qiyaafah mentions that if a Lunar Eclipse occurs in the month of Muharram then in that that year there will be much bloodshed and corruption. If it occurs in the month of Rabi ul-Awwal then there will be increased famine, death and floods. If it occurs in the month of Rabi ul-Aakhir then change of leadership and anarchy will occur in the nation. If it occurs during the month of Jamadi ul-Awwal then there will be overflowing rain and unexpected death. In Jamadi ul-Aakhir there will be bumper crops , affordable prices, and people will have a higher quality of life. If it occurs in the month of Rajab on a Friday  then in that year there I will be hunger, calamity, along with darkness in the sky. If it occurs in the month of Shaban, then there will be treaties between people and relative calm. If it occurs during the month of Ramadan, on the first Friday, then there will be increased events of thunder from the sky. In the month of Shawwal men-related sicknesses will be inflicted. If it occurs during the month of Dhu al-Hijjah, then the rest of the year will be full of happiness and relative calm. If it occurs in the month of Muharram then the entire year will be in corruption, and humanity will find fault in others, people will destroy their hereafter and hypocritical wealthy people will be honored over others deserving of it.

After mentioning this, the master busied himself in worship and the people returned home and praise to God for that (lesson).

Translated by Sharaaz Khan
26 Shaban 1432 Hijri

The Purest of Lineage (Part 2)

June 27, 2004

Jamad-ul-Awwal 1425

Issue 5

I returned from the wedding with heaviness in my heart. Asif started his work again and the kids were busy in their studies. Sana was becoming very spiritual. She spent most of her time reading the Qur’an and the traditions of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Asif lost his business and had a heart attack which left him bed-ridden, and I fell in the bathroom and broke my foot. Financially, things couldn’t have been worse. One day, Sana asked for permission to get a job. At first, Asif didn’t agree but he couldn’t bear the expenses anymore and permitted her to do so.

Sana started teaching in an elementary school. She would wake early and tend to her father and me, get her brothers ready for school, then go to the school fully covered. Back from school, she would feed us, do the laundry, clean the house and do her homework. As if this wasn’t enough, the day my cast was removed I started cleaning the kitchen and fell again breaking my hip-bone. The doctors put a rod in my pelvis and diagnosed me with osteoporosis. Sana handled the house all by herself. Looking at all of this, I could only feel awful because she should be happily married by now. Rather she was burdened with supporting the entire family. Only a miracle could have taken us out of this misery.

By now, Asif was in a deep state of depression. One day he broke down in tears in front of his brother, Alamdaar, asking him to take care of his affairs after his death.  Alamdaar embraced him and responded, “My dear brother! Why do you grief about her? When Sana will be my daughter then there will be nothing for you to worry about.”  “What do you mean?” asked Asif. “Dear brother, allow Sana to be my daughter-in-law” said Alamdaar. Turning to me, he said, “Bhabi, a true believer stays true to his word. Don’t you trust me? Sana is now mine.” These words were sweeter to me than honey. Alamdaar and his son were both in the army. I always liked their family. They were open-minded people, but I was not sure what reaction his wife and son, Bahaadur, would have to this decision.

As soon as the rest of the family heard about Sana and Bahadar the phone began to ring. I thought everyone would be happy with this union, but all we heard were complaints. Sana became depressed by the family’s opposition.  I felt like going back to my own people and country.  Then Asif surprised me by saying that we were going back so we can earn enough to celebrate Sana’s wedding in style. This was a delicate time in the lives of my children and it worried me how they would be able to handle the stresses of Western culture. I started getting very sick. The doctors said that I needed inner peace, but where was this inner peace? What was the purpose of my life? And why was Sana the biggest part of all this?  She was getting deeper into Islam, spending her nights in prayer, fasting, and making dhikr all the time. Was this  the reason I couldn’t leave Pakistan?  Does Allah want her eyes to remain protected from all that was wrong? The world outside our home was so incredibly different. What was I to do? How could I hide her from the world and the world from her? Perhaps, Allah had decreed my forgiveness through her. How was this all possible? Darkness engulfed me.  It was so dark that I was unable to see or think. I tried hard to find a ray of light. Suddenly, there it was, shining in the dark. I began to tremble with fear. Within the light I saw a shadow. The light appeared from behind the shadow. This great saintly woman wearing long black clothes appeared. Her face was covered but her beauty… I couldn’t dare look at. My eyes were as if pulled to the ground in awe. I began trembling with the awe of her beauty. “Maryam” said this beautiful sweet voice, “you are yet to reach your goal. It will happen soon…that which you are here for.” I lifted my eyes but the blessed personality was there no more.  I cried out to her in despair. “Mama, what happened!” said Sana worriedly. Asif also awoke. I was trembling with fever. I passed out. After two days I awoke in a hospital. Later, I was told that I had a nervous breakdown. But that dream! Was it a dream or reality? I saw a dream while I was awake? No, that was no dream! It was reality. I was awake. I swear that that blessed personality was Syeda Fatima Az-Zahra (may Allah be pleased with her).

Here was I, a convert full of sin, and there, such an honorable and sacred personality! Whatever happened to me was reality beyond the spoken word. Who was I to experience such an awesome connection! When He (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) showers his mercy on dirt, then it too is blessed with flowers.  I am not even the dust of their feet and I sacrifice my honor for them (peace and blessing be upon the Prophet Muhammad and his family) from who the impoverished are given above and beyond their needs. That is the house of al-Qasim where princes and paupers receive equal share. I sacrifice my life for his honor (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his family)!

Sana got married back in Pakistan and left us. On the tenth day of her wedding we heard that Bahadur was called back to the border leaving his newly-wed bride behind. I tried calling Sana and asked her to come and stay with us, but she refused. This upset me, but shortly I received a letter from her promising me that she would visit us as soon as Bahadur gets back. Shortly thereafter, the phone rang, and it was an army man. He asked me if I was Mrs. Asif. He said “I regret to inform you that Mrs. Sana Ahmed had an accident. We want you to come as soon as possible. Whose accident with what? How? Many questions swirled through my mind. It was like the Day of Judgment. When we arrived in Rawal Pindi, no one was in the house except for army men pitching tents. All I heard was the ambulance siren. I was not sure if I was alive or not. All I could see was Sana smiling everywhere. What happened? How? I was beyond these questions. I cried out “Sana….Sana….Sana!!!” When I awoke from this state all I had with me was my two empty arms. I cried out and fainted again. When I awoke again, Bahadur walked into the room. What was this? Bahadur is here! Then where is Sana? It was then that my sister-in-law explained me the entire event as it occurred.

It was Sana’s birthday and Bahadur gave her some beautiful gifts. In the same box were pieces of a bomb souvenir which the army gives to brave servicemen. Bahadur put those in the trash so they could be thrown away. When Sana started packing for the trip, she closed the door. There was an explosion like that of a gas cylinder. The neighbors came over and broke the door down. Sana lay on the ground deeply wounded. She was rushed to the hospital. Fighting for her life, Sana died. They couldn’t find anyone responsible for the bomb.

This was the life story of my little doll. I remember how she used to say “Mama, what will happen to me after Bahadur? I wish that Allah gives me his death.” I always told her not to say such things, but she kept on praying that Allah would listen to her. I had realized the goal of my life. The meaning of my vision was true without a doubt. My goal in life was to protect a pure soul from a wretched and impure world. There was no way that I could have taken pure clay away from its origin and its end; clay that was to remain part of the beautiful garden of eternity. It was in my fate that Allah had decreed me to be the mother of a  Shaheedah.

Yes, that was my fate!

The preceding story, authored by Ms. Farida Abbass, was extracted from Paakeezah magazine (Pakistan) and translated from Urdu into English by Fatima Sharaaz Qadri.  Ms. Fatima is a founding member of the IECRC Sacramento Chapter and mother of three your children.