Many people make claims of love for Rasulullah (sallellaho alaihe wasallam)] but if you were to ask them how many Sunnahs there are in salâh, they do not know. Ask them the Sunnahs of ablution (wudû’) and they do not know. Whereas if we live and die on the Sunnah, we will receive salvation. Tell me, there is a person who claims to love his father. His father tells him: “O my beloved son! I am ill and I have a cough. Go and bring me some medicine.” He says: “I am not going to do any work. But I will keep on repeating: ‘O my father, O my father!” What will the father say to him? He will say: “You are repeating father, father, but you are not obeying my instructions.” In like manner, you get some people standing and reading salât wa salâm (salutations to Rasulullah (sallellaho alaihe wasallam)) with a loud voice, but when it is time to obey and follow Rasulullah (sallellaho alaihe wasallam), they flee with their tails between their legs. They do not perform salâh, they do not fast, they do not pay zakâh, they do not perform hajj when it becomes compulsory on them, and they do not abstain from sins. They will merely hold a mîlâd (celebrating the birth of Rasulullah (sallellaho alaihe wasallam)) once a year and think that they have fulfilled the right of Rasulullah (sallellaho alaihe wasallam).

A great poet of Iran came to Delhi on one occasion so all the people hastened to meet him because he had written a poem in praise of Rasulullah (sallellaho alaihe wasallam). This poem contained a very loving subject matter. It seemed from the subject matter of this poem that there is no greater lover of Rasulullah (sallellaho alaihe wasallam) than him in the world. On hearing his poem, a pious servant of Allah Ta’alaalso went to meet him. On reaching there, he saw this poet at a barber who was shaving his beard. The criterion of love is not the tongue but actions. So the pious servant said to him: “O Âghâ! What are you doing? You recited such an excellent poem and now you are shaving your beard!” So he replied in a very poetic manner and said: “I am shaving off my beard but I am not shaving off anyone’s heart.” The pious man said: “You are shaving off the heart of Rasulullah (sallellaho alaihe wasallam).”

Friends! O lovers of Rasulullah (sallellaho alaihe wasallam)! O you who hope for Rasûlullâh’s (sallellaho alaihe wasallam) intercession on the day of Resurrection! Rasulullah (sallellaho alaihe wasallam) turns his face away from those who shave off their beards. A person will be resurrected in the condition in which he died. You should therefore constantly make du‘â’ to Allah Ta’alasaying: “O Allâh! Do not cause me to die as long as I do not have the blessed appearance of Rasulullah (sallellaho alaihe wasallam) so that I could read this poem on the day of Resurrection”:

“O Allâh! I have come with the appearance of Your beloved. O Allâh! I have come with the appearance, You transform it into reality.”

A Hadîth states that a person will be resurrected in the manner in which he passed away. What reply will you give to Rasulullah (sallellaho alaihe wasallam) on the day of Resurrection if he were to ask you: “The Sikhs kept beards out of love for their Guru Nanak, but you found no shame for my love? What wrong did you find in my appearance that caused you not to keep a beard?” What reply will you give to him? If Allah Ta’aladisliked a beard, He would not have permitted His Prophets (Alaihimus salaam) to keep beards. All the pious servants of Allah Ta’alakept beards.