The Garden of Knowledge

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

13 Jumaadul Ula 1446/15 November 2024

All praise is due to Allah, the Cherisher, Sustainer, Nourisher and Provider of the entire creation. May peace, blessings and salutations be upon our Beloved Prophet Muhammed ﷺ.

The term Awliya is the plural form of wali. It refers to those who have been considered as truly pious, faithful, devoted to the commands of Allah and are possess the quality of ultimate tawakkul (reliance in Allah).

If you think about it, the Awliya can be seen as the extensions of the mercy of Nabi Muhammed ﷺ. Nabi Muhammed ﷺ was sent to us as a mercy unto all creation, showing us how to live our lives and how to behave with one another. After the Sahabah and Taabieen, the best of those who followed the sunnah and carried the mercy of Nabi ﷺ to the tee are the Awliya. Let us explore the characteristics of some the Awliya that made them an extension of the mercy of Nabi Muhammed ﷺ.

Shaykh Abdul Qadir al Jilani (R.) was a young boy who was traveling by caravan and had in his possession 40 gold coins sewn into his shirt. The caravan was attacked by a group of bandits and when they approached him and ask if he had any valuables, he revealed he had 40 gold coins to which he was laughed at as he was a young boy. As the bandits joked around about this incident, the leader of the bandits, Ahmed Badawi asked for Shaykh Abdul Qadir al Jilani (R.) to be brought forward and questioned him. Shaykh Abdul Qadir al Jilani (R.) displayed truthfulness and honesty in times of distress by revealing the 40 gold coins he had in his possession. This without a doubt was a result of the advice of his beloved mother and the truly an extension of the mercy of Nabi Muhammed ﷺ.

Shaykh Abdul Qadir as Saqqaf (R.) who was the teacher of Shaykh Habib Umar bin Hafiz was at a programme. As he was leaving, a man was running behind the behind the car and Shaykh Abdul Qadir as Saqqaf (R.) told the driver to stop. At first the driver was reluctant, however he stopped. The man came to seek advice from the Shaykh and when he was done he accidently closed the door on the hand of the Shaykh. Shaykh Abdul Qadir as Saqqaf did not make a sound or complain. As the driver continued the journey, the Shaykh requested the driver to stop so he can remove his hand from the door. When asked why he did not say anything earlier, the Shaykh mentioned that he did not want his beloved brother to feel as if he caused any pain or harm to the Shaykh.

Subhanallah, this is the mercy and the compassion which the Awliya possessed and this is what made them extensions of the mercy of Nabi Muhammed ﷺ and recipients of the mercy of Allah. Abdullah bin ‘Amr narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

” ‏ “‏ الرَّاحِمُونَ يَرْحَمُهُمُ الرَّحْمَنُ ارْحَمُوا مَنْ فِي الأَرْضِ يَرْحَمْكُمْ مَنْ فِي السَّمَاءِ.‏

“The merciful are shown mercy by Ar-Rahman. Be merciful on the earth, and you will be shown mercy from Who is above the heavens.” – Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1924

We ask Allah to grant us all the ability to follow the example of the Prophet Muhammed ﷺ, his family, his companions and the pious that followed him and allow us to be extensions of the Prophetic ﷺ mercy. May Allah accept our efforts from us and grant us understanding In Sha Allah!