One of the greatest characteristic weaknesses of man is the control of his temper. Insult or ridicule of the friends of Allah is their relishing food. A true Sufi takes no notice of any insult done to him. How great Sufis have mastered this difficult evil is illustrated by the following few brilliant instances.
Once Sheikh Abu Taher, a great Sufi of his time, was passing through a bazaar when some one hurled a jeering insult at him by addressing him as "O Pir Zindiqi" (meaning, "O you faithless Pir"). One of the mureeds of the great Sheikh walking with him was awfully enraged at this insult of his revered Pir and wanted to retaliate with the offender on the spot.
But the Sheikh calmly restrained him. On reaching home, the Sheikh, to pacify the mureed's anger, showed him a bundle of letters in which the writers, who were the country's leading dignitaries, had addressed him with high regards, courtesies and alqaabs (adorations). The Sheikh then warned his disciple: "Everybody has his own opinion or views about me according to the limits of his own knowledge and status. All opinions or views are mere expressions of one's own wisdom, ability or status. If some one calls me a zindiqi (faithless), why should we quarrel over mere reflections of his own ignorance? Certainly this reflection does not represent my actual Personality and all that goes with it. The alqaabs, good or bad, are mere prefixes or suffixes attributed to one's personality according to the people's own estimation and ability. We should take no impression of such irresponsible behavior. Even if it insults us, then Allah alone has the right and power to punish the offenders and not we? Who are we to take Allah's law into our own hands and wreck vengeance?" The mureed learned a great lesson in Sufism from his Pir, and kept quiet.
No comments:
Post a Comment