Malfuzat – Volume II — Page 17
17 not been fortunate enough to receive. It is written that when Hazrat Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, went to visit him, Awais ra said: ‘I remain engaged in tending to my mother’s needs and so the angels graze my camels. ’ On the one hand, there were people like Awais ra who strove so tirelessly in serving their moth- ers that they were blessed with such acceptance and honour; while on the other hand, there are those who engage in litigation over pennies, and speak of their mothers so disrespectfully that even ignoble and uncivilised peoples from among the scheduled caste 1 do not act so inappropriately. What is our teaching? It is to inform people of the pure guidance of Allah and the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. If someone claims to have a relationship with me but does not act in accordance with this guidance, then why do they join my community at all? Those who act inappropriately turn others away from the right path. People will raise objections and say that these people are such that they do not even respect their parents. Those Who Are Not Dutiful to Their Parents I truthfully proclaim that a person who is not dutiful to their mother and father will never receive goodness and blessing. So mould yourselves with good inten- tions to act upon the instructions of God and His Messenger with complete obe- dience and loyalty; for all good lies in this, otherwise, one is free to act as they please. My duty is only to advise you. Emphasis on Learning Arabic and English I would also like to advise my community to learn the Arabic language, because without a knowledge of Arabic, one cannot enjoy the Holy Quran. Therefore, you ought to make an effort to learn Arabic little by little, insofar as it is neces- sary to understand the translation of the Holy Quran. In this day and age, easy methods to learn Arabic have been introduced. When reciting the Holy Quran is compulsory for every Muslim, what excuse does a person have to not endeavour to learn the Arabic language and for one to waste away their entire life learning English and other languages? Having said that, it should also be borne in mind that since the rule established in this country has taken on the form of a national government, the language of 1 Historically, in the subcontinent, Hindus belonging to the lowest, socially disadvantaged class were officially referred to as the scheduled caste. [Publisher]