Dust Under Your Feet

Why The Above Title Was Chosen?


My late Shaikh Hadrat Maulana Wahid Bakhsh Rabbani r.a who left this world on 21 April 1995 (20 Ziqad 1417) had on one occasion called me (Ghouse) and brother Fariz (my pir-bhai) on 11 June 1994, Saturday, 1.20 p.m at Bahawalpur, Pakistan and said, “ Today, I am going to tell you  a very important thing for a Salik (seeker of Truth) and you (Fariz) must write it down and you (Ghouse) must read it out after the halqa zikr to all other murids (Shaikh’s students).” The Shaikh narrated the following :

Everyone of us, every salik, does the prayers, fasting, nafil, zikr and moraqabah.

But all this needs one important thing.

And this applies to all of us – you (Ghouse) and you (Fariz), and me (he pointed to us and then to his ownself, tapping on his chest several times) and applies to every salik (seeker of Truth) and every arifeen.

It is a very important thing which every salik and arifeen must know. The important thing is this:

What we profess in all these things – prayers, zikr, moraqabah, we ignore or negate in practical life. Day to day life.

If somebody comes with a fist to you, you come out with two fists. If one abuses you, you abuse back one or two, even three times more. If someone says you are wrong, you say: No, I am right.

If in the office, you see a better chair, you take it and leave a bad chair for your colleague. You want more than your share and select all the good things for yourself.

Khwaja Ghulam Farid, in the book I translated, said:

“ If somebody tells you, you are bad, take it as true. Don’t contest it.”

“Wonderful!”

Maulana Jami says:

“ Even if an iota of self-hood remains in you, you have not reached FANA.”

One Shaikh had said: “ If somebody thinks he is better than his God, he cannot get anything from us.”

It is the same in your household. If your wife opposes you and thinks you are wrong and she is right, take it as correct.

What all this means is, unless you negate yourself completely, complete Fana is impossible.

That is why the great Mashaikh chose to be insulted, ridiculed, and even beaten.

Once Hazrat Ibrahim bin Adham went to Hajj with a caravan. Because he was a famous Sheikh, when the caravan reached the suburbs of Makkah, all the Ulama and Masheikh of the town came out to greet him. But he didn’t like it, so he went a few yards  ahead of the caravan alone. He was beggarly dressesed.

The Ulama asked him, “ Where is the Sheikh?” he said, “ I don’t know where the wretched man is. What do I know of that rascal.” Seeing his disrespect, they started beating him physically. In the meantime the caravan came and the people said: “ What are you doing, beating the Sheikh?”

This is how they want to be insulted, ridiculed and beaten. Just to get rid of – ego –  “I”.

Everybody professes to be a great Sufi, but if you give him one slap on the face, he will give you two.

Use it practically in life.

There is another story how Hazrat Bayazid Bistami got himself ridiculed. He came back from Umrah. It was the month of Ramadan, and the whole town came out to receive him, and he felt a bit of highness or superiority in mind. He thought, I am the Sheikh of the town and they come to greet me. As soon as he thought of this, he thought of an idea to make everyone flee. It was about Asr prayer time, he took a piece of bread from his pocket  -  it was Ramadan – and he started eating. All of the people ran off. “ What Sheikh is this that he cannot wait another hour.” Then he was left alone and felt happy. Then he said to his nafs (bodily or beastly self). He addressed himself: “ You know how I punish you by ridicule. Now I will punish you more. I will fast thirty days more to punish you.”

So, these are the things that one should take heart of, and be humble (Tawaadhu).

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The  method of acquiring Tawaadhu (humility).

The method of creating tawaadhu in oneself is as follows:

Regard yourself as the lowest and most inferior of all. Keep in mind and contemplate at all times the Greatness of Almighty Allah. Reflect on this thought that if Allah detests pride then surely He would hate the mutakabbir (a proud person). And Almighty Allah loves humility (tawaadhu) and submissiveness, so obviously He would love Mutawwadhi (a humble person).

(Extracted from the book Shariat and Tasawwuf by Hazrat Moulana Maseehullah (r.a)

In the Holy Quran there are verses with regards to humility (tawaadhu) and pride (takabbur), just to quote a few of them:

1.     Call on your Lord with humility and in private: for Allah loves not those who trespass beyond bounds. (Surah Al-Araf :55)

2.    Successful indeed are the believers, those who humble themselves in their prayers. (Surah Al-Muminun: 1-2)

3.     Has not the time arrived for believers that their hearts in all humility should engage in the rememberance of Allah and of the Truth which has been revealed to them... (Surah Al-Hadid:16)

4.     In order that you may not despair over matters that pass you by, nor exult over favours bestowed upon you. For Allah loves not any prideful boaster. (Surah Al-Hadid:23)

It is our hope that the readers by reflecting and pondering on the above messages should by now know why we chose the title DUST UNDER YOUR FEET which is a  gateway to our salvation and earning the good pleasure of Almighty Allah!