3.   Request duas from the selected servants of Allah. There was a youngster, who due to having plenty of feminine features, disguised himself as a woman and took up work as a maid, for the royal women in the king’s palace, to bathe and massage them. Although his secret was well hidden, his inner-self would repeatedly rebuke him, regarding his filthy deeds. One day, while strolling in the jungle, he cried out, “O Allah, how shall I ever succeed on the Day of Reckoning! Will I ever be able to escape from these evil traits? Allah accepted his pleas and tears and allowed the tide to turn in his favour. One of the selected servants of Allah happened to pass by. The saint stopped to enquire the reason for his sobbing. The boy replied that the tears were being shed due to a disease, for which he could find no cure, i.e. the disease of sin.

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“I cannot escape, for this oppressor has caught hold of my face!”

The saint advised the boy to make wudhu (ablution), perform two rakaats of Salaah and thereafter engage in dua. The emotions with which he made dua can well be imagined, that it found acceptance immediately. The plans for his guidance and being drawn out of sin were now set into motion.

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“O friends, listen well! When good days arrive

He, Himself, informs of the place and time of meeting

An expensive necklace of the queen, worth millions, went missing. The order was issued that everyone in the female parlor be searched. All were lined in queues. The boy realized that when his turn would come, he would be stripped of his clothing, and his secret would be exposed. The punishment he would then face, for robbing the honour of the royal women, who obviously be nothing short of death. In fear, his body went into a shiver and tears began flowing. From the bottom of his heart, he begged Allah for divine help.

There were now only three women left, and then it would be his turn. The thoughts of what punishments were awaiting him made his blood go dry. He would most probably be buried chest-height, and then dogs would be let loose upon him. They would tear him to pieces and he would suffer a most disgraceful, terrifying and painful death. As these thoughts raced through his mind, his heart let out a final cry, “O Allah! You are indeed Most Faithful, while I have been most unfaithful. You are Most Kind and Most Generous, while I have been most insincere. O Allah, what else but incompetence can be expected from an incompetent fool. As for You, O Allah, showering kindness is Your trait. O Allah, shower me with Your kindness, and shower mercy upon that soul which has spent its life drowning in sin!”

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“O Allah, if today You conceal my fault, I promise to change forever! I shall never again do that which invites Your wrath. Please safeguard my honour today!”

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“O Allah, do not disgrace this servant. I admit that I have been most unfaithful, but please do not allow my secret to be disclosed!”

This is that poem, which Hazrat Haji Imdadullah Saheb (Rahmatullah Alaihe) continued reciting from Esha till Fajr, while in the Ka’bah Sharif. Anyway, the boy’s cries continued, “O Allah, let not my clothes be removed! Let the necklace be found before my turn comes, or else my secret shall be exposed, and execution shall be my fate! O Allah, please protect my honour! I promise never to displease You again! Please conceal my secret! The boy further begged:

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“O The Most Great, I admit that my evil has reached levels of enormous magnitude, but it can never compare to the greatness of Your Majesty and Grandeur.”

“Even if such sins were to occur in the House of Allah, then too forgiving it would be easy for You. O Allah, You have never, and shall never say to the sinner that Your treasures of forgiveness has been exhausted, or that too many chances have already been given, or that our sins have mounted up so much that forgiving it has become difficult! O Allah, our evil has its limits, whilst Your Grandeur and Majesty has no limit! O Allah, we may become tired of sinning, but showering forgiveness shall never tire You! O Allah, today conceal my faults and let me not be disgraced!”

The heart almost collapsed under the strain caused by his intense pleading and the boy lapsed into unconsciousness. His duas were heard and while unconscious, he was allowed a glance at both Jannah and Jahannam. At that moment, the necklace was also discovered and the search brought to an abrupt end, with only three girls remaining before his turn could come.

With fans and sweet-smelling fragrances, the women of the palace managed to revive him. They implored his forgiveness, thinking that their doubting his honesty had caused his collapse, and they requested that he continue with the work he would do so well, i.e. bathing and massaging them. Imbued with a new spirit, he replied, “I can no longer continue with this practice. My Allah has shown me what Jannah and Jahannam look like. I shall now go in search of the man, whose dua caused my heart to change.” Thereafter, in a short space of time, he managed to traverse great distances in reaching Allah, and soon occupied a high mantle of wilayat (sainthood).

Three actions have thus far been mentioned: 1.   Be courageous

2. Beg Allah for more courage. Cry so much that it leaves its impact on the angels as well. Shake the heavens with your pleas. Maulana Rumi (Rahmatullah Alaihe) says:

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“O people of the world, when Jalaluddin Rumi weeps in the love of Allah, the whole world joins in my tears. When I implore my Allah, even the heavens join in my cries!

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“Even the Arsh (Throne of Allah) shakes, due to the sincere tears of the repenter”

3.   Request duas from the selected servants of Allah

Hazrat Hakim ul Ummah, Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi (Rahmatullah Alaihe), has prescribed this formula, comprising of three actions.

I have included, within this formula, three more actions:

1.  After consulting with the friends of Allah and receiving some prescribed azkaar (forms of remembering Allah), complete it with punctuality. By taking Allah’s name, light is created within the heart. Thereafter, if ever this light were to be extinguished, one would naturally become perplexed and not rest until his light comes on again. Only those are disturbed by the darkness, which had previously enjoyed light. Thus, a course of Zikrullah is of vital importance.

2.  Endeavour to come into the company of the friends of Allah, as much as possible. Just as how desi (natural) mangoes when tied together with langra (hybrid) mangoes, also becomes langra (hybrid), similarly, whosoever spends time in the company of the friends of Allah, there is great hope that he too shall one day, Insha Allah, become the friend of Allah.

3.  Avoid all avenues which could result in sin, with the eyes, the heart and the body. Do not look at those places, nor allow those thoughts to enter one’s heart. Strive to keep the heart clean of all filthy thoughts. Move away from wherever there is a possibility of one being attracted to evil. Avoiding the avenues of evil must be done collectively, with the body, the eyes, and the heart. One may be seated far from the evil, but by merely looking at it, its effects shall fall upon the heart, no matter how far away it may be. Whether one physically enters the area of evil, or glances towards it from far, or merely takes enjoyment in its thoughts, in all three instances, its poison shall dampen his spirits and create cowardice within him. After taking poison, even the company of one’s Shaikh shall have little effect. This poison shall then draw one towards places more advanced in evil. Shaytaan easily traps those who first commit some sin on their own.

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“Shaytaan only gains hold over you, due to the sins you commit”

When one displeases Allah, the shade of Allah’s mercy and protection is lifted. When man is left orphan, Shaytaan finds him to be an easy meal. A weak thug shall never interfere with a kid whose strong father is near. That slave, who walks in the shade of Allah’s protection, who would ever think of interfering with such a person? Allah thus, with the words “

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Coming back to the falcon, when the owls were preparing for attack, the falcon addressed them thus, “Remember, if you touch even one feather of mine, my master, the king, shall in retaliation, have your entire jungle burnt to the ground. Your nests, your babies and your eggs shall all perish, for my master is all-powerful. The falcon said,  

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“If as little as one wing of mine is broken, then expect to meet the worst from my master, the king. He shall make ash out of you all!”

Maulana Rumi (Rahmatullah Alaihe) then says, “Never interfere with the men of Allah. Whenever the Prophets and the saintly ones were persecuted, the natural consequence was the destruction of thousands of villages.”

The falcon ended his address with the following words,

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“Understand well! I am the falcon of the king. Even the sparrow is unable to really understand my position. Thus for you, an owl, to realize my worth, that is far from possible.

 Similarly, the worth of the friends of Allah is not understood by many. May Allah remove us from the ranks of owls and bless us with the sight to recognize his friends.