Forty Gems of Beauty — Page xvi
xvi In his extreme desire for a close personal and permanent association with the Prophet, he asked of him, a little haltingly: O Prophet of Allah! When will be the Day of Resurrection? The Holy Prophet replied, You ask of the Day of Resurrection; have you made any preparations for it? With trembling lips and palpitating heart, he submitted, My Lord, I have not made any special preparations in respect of Prayer and fasting but I have in my heart true love of Allah and of his Prophet. With an affectionate glance at him, the Prophet told him not to worry over much and rest assured that the Loving God would not keep anyone apart from the object of his love. I read this Hadith during the days of my childhood. But these blessed words of my master have ever since been before my eyes, constant like the pole star and I always felt as if, I had, in person, submitted this query to the Prophet of Allah and that he had been pleased to favour me with the above answer. I have never forgotten since that Prayers and fasting and pilgrimage and Zakat [almsgiving] all have their proper place as obligatory duties but the inner light of the heart and the animation of spiritual life cannot be attained without true love of God and of His Prophet (May peace and blessings of Allah be on him). If one is granted this boon, then the formal practice, full of the breath of life, follows in his wake. However,