Malfuzat – Volume I — Page 169
Malfuzat-Volume I 169 white hairs. But then his hair began to turn white and the Holy Prophet" said, "Surah Hud has made me old. Hence, until an individual becomes cognisant of death, they cannot turn to- wards virtues. I have told you that sin is bred when the love of anyone other than God takes root in the heart, and slowly but surely envelops the heart. Therefore, one way in which an individual can safeguard and protect themselves from sin is by remembering death and to constantly reflect over the wonders of God's om- nipotence. For this causes an increase in the love of Allah and in faith. Ultimately, when the love of Allah takes root in the heart, this is sufficient to incinerate sin. The second means to safeguard oneself from sin is to remain conscious of death. If an individual kept death in mind, they would naturally abstain from evil-doings and faults; they would develop a new faith in God Almighty, and they would be enabled to repent and feel remorse for their past sins. What is the worth of a weak human? Life hangs by the thread of a breath. Why then does man not worry about the hereafter and fear death, and why does he waste away his entire life enslaved by carnal and beastly passions? I have observed in recent times that even the Hindus have become cognisant of death as well. In Batala there was a man of about seventy or seventy-two years of age, named Kishan Chand, who belonged to the Bhandari caste. He is known to have left behind his family and possessions, and began living in Kashi, and it is here that he passed away. He did all of this on the hope that he would attain salvation. ' Although this view of his was false, the least we can derive from this is that he was conscious of death, and consciousness of death safeguards a person from becoming entirely engrossed in the pleasures of the world and becoming distanced from God. This man's belief that dying in Kashi would become the means for salvation was due to the veil of creature-worship, which had cloaked his heart. However, I am immensely disappointed when I see that Muslims are not conscious of death even to the extent of the Hindus. Look at the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him: just the one injunction alone that (So stand thou upright, as thou hast been commanded) was enough to make him old. How cognisant was the Holy Prophet" of death? Why 1 Kashi, also known as Varanas or Benaras, is a city situated in the south-eastern Uttar Pradesh state of Northern India. It is located on the left bank of the Ganges river and is one of the seven sacred cities in Hinduism. It is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Hindus hope to visit this city once in their lifetime and believe that death in this city will bring salvation. [Publisher] 2 Hud, 11:113