9–31 December 1940 — On Silence, Meaning, and the Adhan

دسمبر ۱۹۴۰

Advice on Silence — Counsel to Disciples

Hazrat Qibla said: Advising the disciples — be silent when you are full, i.e., when your heart is full. Abd al-Muqtadir Sahib (one present) was asked: Are you Abd al-Muqtadir? He said: I am not Abd al-Muqtadir. They asked: Who are you then? He replied: The one who is silent. Hazrat smiled and said that what happens in the heart sometimes cannot be expressed; to contemplate the image of things in one's mind is better — try to speak — let the water flow — as long as the water flows, the form does not remain — like the moon; when it becomes full, people will be good.

(Here Hazrat spoke of various names and qualities) Mention of providing zakat and other matters — look at your name — you are not yet capable of taking the imam's name — if you were capable of taking the imam's name, you would answer when called — in the East, in the West, wherever I called you, you would answer me. I answer — then the answer I give — Habib! Habib! Habib! The dear brother sitting below the throne before me — Habib — from his face I called him — do not call this servant my imam! Do not call! (meaning: a person who believes false things about the Murshid should not look to the Murshid, should not visualize him — and how can one possibly obtain spiritual perfections? — one should not make effort and remain in expectation that the Shaykh will pay attention and give spiritual blessing) — one elder sahib said: Pray for me to have children, Hazrat! He replied: Then you pray for them yourself.

30 November 1940 — Thursday

Research of Meaning (Ma'ni ki Tahqiq)

Hazrat Qibla said to someone: What does 'Ma'ni' mean? Is a Muslim not — my method is not — eating, drinking, walking — this is a method — a single word has many meanings — to limit it is to limit the word.

The Words of the Adhan — Detailed Discussion

The words 'Ali wali Allah' (Ali is the friend of Allah) are not in the adhan as narrated in the hadith. The mainstream Sunni adhan is established by multiple narrations. The phrase 'Hayya 'ala khayr al-amal' (Come to the best of deeds) is part of the Shia adhan but is debated. Hazrat explained that the authentic text, narrated without interruption from the Prophet (peace be upon him), does not include these additions. The consensus (ijma') of the scholars is on our side.

21 December 1940 — Thursday

Gentle Humor (Latif Mazah) — Continued

Hazrat said with a smile: Rahim Sahib was perhaps giving a lecture — no, he has no book in hand — I am the one who lectures; Rahim Pasha was perhaps forgetting (in terms of Hazrat Shah's complete simplicity in his gatherings — he had the history of Islam and the caliphs and the book of lectures open in his hand). So in that simplicity, in that hand he had the open book.

The Governance of the Rightly Guided Caliphs — I Have the Intention

Hazrat said: I now have the intention to speak of the era of the Rightly Guided Caliphs — why was there peace in the time of Hazrat Uthman and Ali, why did domestic conflict arise, why did civil war break out and make this a political-religious problem. For anyone who wishes to form an opinion about this, one must be fully acquainted with all the circumstances before it — holding an opinion without knowing is better. One thing to remember — the influence of those of average age is more — one other thing is that personal greatness is one thing — he is a lion — one individual is absolute — he is dominant — the lion you see in the forest, where is he? We see him through our own eyes — people were impressed by Bahadur Khan — this is also because of the greatness of personal presence...

The Rightly Guided Caliphs' Governance (Islam's Government)

This Islamic government is not for the religious — governance will go to the worldly (those who have the full acuteness to fulfill the demands of the world, and shrewdness and agility are necessary for governance). The Caliph's time had come — that is, the era of political power, the organization of the sultanate and so forth — but they were bigger political persons — however they did the political person's work — but they did not rise to the level that all people from far and near stayed informed. Farooq A'zam in his gatherings would say this thing — these habituations and so on — five to seven years this approach of Farooq A'zam is — Abu Bakr Siddiq did what — those who came from the Messenger of Allah's court he did not keep in the government; why keep them? Farooq A'zam was personally great in greatness and also intelligent — in their time these things: Abu Dharr Ghaffari and others were their habits — they wanted that there should be no capitalism — an Ethiopian, a black man, and others were not nothing — we are Muslims — this was only one matter of madhab — the preponderance of madhab was Uthman and Ali ibn Abi Talib's time and the dominance of worldliness was the basis — one comes for its own purpose — as much as Ali came, he distributed everything and gave away Bayt al-Mal — as much as came, he distributed — and kept nothing for the government, why keep it?

Hazrat Abu Bakr and Politics

These are the political people (Amr ibn al-As) who keep the account in mind carefully — they would say: The war is a deception — Abu Bakr Siddiq does not have this in mind — the enemy asks you: who are these? He says: truth, I do not lie. Who are you with? The one who guides me — the one who shows me the path (rahbar) — Amr ibn al-As would say to Abu Bakr: What are you doing? If you save the government — Amr ibn al-As spoke even lies correctly — he was politically correct — however he also did not speak lies there — I consider the grandeur of risalat — Abu Bakr's personal taqwa (fear of Allah) is this — the sword of Abu Hanifa's taqwa pulling out — Ali came forward saying the sword should be put in the sheath — the command is: you sheathe the sword — we both fight — wait for the decision of Allah.

The Belief in Both — Husn al-Zann (Good Opinion)

Hazrat Muawiya is not to be criticized. Muawiya had a special connection with Hazrat Ali — Hazrat Ali had no Shia opinion of the Companions. To keep Hazrat Muawiya in mind — if we leave Muawiya's niyyat (intention) to Allah — Hazrat Muawiya (may Allah be pleased with him) — what should we think of him? — Hazrat Muawiya comes with the Sahabi's word — are we Sahabi? — I have a special relation — I am disappointed by Shia; Shia friends who call Hazrat Ali — to compare Hazrat Muawiya with Hazrat Ali is itself a mistake — Hazrat Muawiya (may Allah be pleased with him) — when we think about the niyyat — if in reality the niyyat of Muawiya was good for Muslims then their view was right too — Hazrat Muawiya (may Allah be pleased with him) talks with the Sahabi — comes with the difficult problem — thinking of memory (khiyal ata).

Hazrat Abu Bakr's Politics — Siyasat

These are political people (Amr ibn al-As) who keep the account carefully in mind — they say: The war is a deception — Abu Bakr Siddiq does not have this — the enemy asks: Who are these people? He says: I do not lie — Who guides you? He who shows me the way. Amr ibn al-As said to Abu Bakr: What are you doing? If you save the government — Amr ibn al-As spoke even lies correctly — he was politically right — but he also did not lie there — I consider the glory of the Messenger (risalat) — Abu Bakr's personal taqwa (God-consciousness) is this — the sword pulled out with the taqwa of Abu Hanifa — Ali came forward and said put the sword away — we both fight — wait for Allah's decision.