A wealthy man from Bombay presented a gift of one hundred thousand rupees to Hazrat Thanwi. Hazrat returned the gift saying, “It is not my habit to take presents from those with whom I am not familiar.” Regarding this, the following poem was written:  

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“The glitter of these coins was unable to seduce you, for in your hand of trust you carry the sword of independence. Your awe has brought beauty to the Khanqah. You have taught kings the etiquettes of sainthood!”

These were our forefathers! A man once attempted to seduce Hazrat Thanwi (Rahmatullah Alaihe) with some material wealth. Hazrat said, angrily, “Do not try to entice me! I belong to that family who sacrificed the kingdom of Balkh to become the friends of Allah.” Hakeem ul Ummah Mujaddidul-Millat Hazrat Maulana Ashraf Ali Saheb Thanwi (Rahmatullah Alaihe) was from the family of Hazrat Sultan Ibrahim ibn Adham (Rahmatullah Alaihe), from the progeny of Hazrat Umar (Radhiallaho Anho).

A man once requested Sultan Ibrahim ibn Adham to make dua that he becomes wealthy. Hazrat Sultan Ibrahim ibn Adham lamented, “I had to sacrifice my entire kingdom to attain the wealth of Allah’s proximity which is hidden in poverty. You have received this gift (i.e. being distanced from the world), without any effort, thus you do not realize its value!”

O my friends, that pleasure and tranquility, which one experiences when taking the name of Allah, open a few businesses and then see how much tranquility remains! Thus, ask Allah for only that amount of sustenance, with which one may pass his life with ease and honor.

Remember! Even after opening ten factories and earning ten million per annum, then too, one’s bread intake shall remain the same. It shall never exceed the amount which one used to eat, rather it shall now become even less, due to tension. Since one shall no longer find the time to take a stroll, he will find it hard to eat, fearing that he may put on weight. Will he now, due to his massive income, be able to put on ten pairs of clothing? No! He will still only wear one suit. Will his diet increase from four slices of bread to forty? Shall he now be able to devour forty chickens in one sitting? Nay! His diet will remain exactly the same! Thus, seek from Allah only that amount of sustenance, which makes one independent.

I shall now teach you a dua, through its blessings and continuous recitation, one shall, Insha-Allah never be in need of the help of creation, and shall Insha Allah, also be protected from paralysis. The dua is:

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By reciting it continuously, the help of Allah will come in such a manner that you will be amazed. Debts shall be paid off, wealth shall come, honour shall come and you will find no need to turn to the creation for help. The name of Allah is indeed most great. Make this dua also: “O Allah, Your Name is indeed most great so in proportion to the greatness of Your name, bestow us.

Since the talk has now gone in that direction, (i.e. how to be courageous and independent) I shall teach three actions, through which the courage to abandon sin and practice upon good, will be acquired:

 1.   Use one’s courage/will power  2.   Make dua that Allah Ta'ala  blesses one with courage  3.   Ask the friends of Allah to make dua that one be blessed with courage

Together with this, I advise further three actions:

1.   Make the zikr of Allah, with consistency 2.   Regularly present oneself in the presence of the friends of      Allah 3.   Stay far from those things which draw man towards sin

By being in close contact with sin, its poison slowly but surely penetrates the soul. When one’s spiritual power weakens, one  loses courage. One then begins glancing towards haraam, and slowly but surely, the desire is created to bring a member of the opposite sex into one’s lap. Remember, every sin is a magnet for another! A few moments spent in the company of some handsome youngster or some beautiful woman is all it takes to deprive one of the enjoyments of dua and performing good deeds. Finally, one loses the enjoyment of sitting with the pious and soon thereafter abandons their company.

When one prefers the life of an owl, i.e. to reside in the desolate lands of sin, how can he then ever wish to become a nightingale? The garden is not for him who finds pleasure in ruins. Again, I shall remind you of what the falcon said to the owls. His words were, “I shall never choose to reside amongst you! I am the pride of the king! May you be blessed in your life of ruins! 

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“O gathering of owls, may you remain happy in these ruins! As for me, I can only find solace on the shoulder of the king!”

Similarly, the lovers of Allah find solace in nothing but the remembrance and close proximity of Allah. The falcon taunted the owls saying, “O owls, listen well! The shoulder of the king means much more than all these deserted ruins!” The owls muttered to each other, “This bird is nothing but a thriller. He wishes to awe us with his tales. Ignore his stories and prepare to attack him simultaneously!”