by Moulaana Hakeem Muhammad Akhtar Saheb (Daamat Barakaatuhum)

Allah has exhorted man to curb the urge to sin. Man has to obey Allah and become His servant because Allah has created man. This indicates that the urge to sin is essential. That is why He is commanding us to prevent the Nafs. Had there been no urge to sin, Taqwa (piety) would not have existed because Taqwa means to subdue the urge of the Nafs to sin and to endure the grief that follows.

The Greatness of the Grief of Allah's Path – Allah is reached by this grief. But how regretful it is that man is prepared to endure the grief of the entire world, but he hesitates and fears undergoing the grief of Allah's path. The grief of Allah's path is so honoured that if all the crowns and thrones of the kings of the world are placed in one pan of the scale together with the beauty and love of all the lovers of the world, the entire wealth of the world and all the delicacies of the world cannot equal one atom of the grief of Allah's path. How aptly Allamah Sayyid Sulaiman Nadwi (Rahimahullah) has said,

When I obtain the wealth of Your grief

I become independent of the grief of both the worlds.

The grief of Allah's love and the grief of abstaining from sin is better than the whole world. You can attain Jannah (paradise) by this grief. This is the grief that brings one into close proximity to Allah, makes one a waliullah, keeps one at ease in this world and makes one reach Jannah. Who can pay the price of this grief? If all the joys of this world present a guard of honour to the grief of Allah's path, they cannot fulfil the rights of this grief.

My crown is hidden in the lap of poverty.

One atom of Your grief is not less than both the worlds.

Allah is not so oppressive so as to neglect the one who undergoes so much pain and worry by not committing sin. Allah is most merciful. Today the people can mock and jest but on the day of Qiyamah, Allah will not mock at me.

Similarly, Allah's servant had a habit of listening to music. Now he has abandoned it and undergone the grief of abstention. But who can fulfil the right of the honour of this grief?