Remembrance of Allah — Page 26
26 system has been endowed with a unique capability to influence as well as to be influenced. And the ear is one of the doors through which these influences are conveyed. They respond to pleasing sounds, and this not only applies to human beings, but to other creatures as well. Play a flute to a snake, for example, and it starts writhing, but can this be understood to be happening under some special spiritual influence? Not at all! Similarly, if someone starts to dance upon hearing a song, it cannot be said that his spiritual- ity has been affected thereby; on the contrary, it would be said that his senses have been influenced by something that has noth- ing to do with spirituality. Thus, anyone who understands singing etc. to be capable of having a spiritual effect, is mistaken and it is his folly because just as a snake sways to a flute, the sufis of today begin to dance to music and songs. Moreover, it is an innovation [in the faith of Islam] to perform any dhikr in such a loud and blaring manner. Once, the Holy Prophet s as was walking along with his com- panions when suddenly they said All a ho Akbar, All a ho Akbar loudly. On this the Holy Prophet s as said: َ ُم ْ ل َ تَدْعُوْن ک ُم ْ فَاِنَّ ک اَنْفُسِ ی اِرْبَعُوْا عَلٰ ْبٌ. ی ِ ُم ْ اِنَّه ٗ سَمِيْع ٌ قَر ک َ اَصَم َّ وَل َ غَائِبًا اِنَّه ٗ مَع Hadrat Abu Musa narrates that the Holy Prophet s as advised them, ‘Have mercy on yourselves. Why do you not speak softly? The One Whom you are calling is neither deaf nor absent; quite the contrary, He hears you well and is near you and with you ’ ( S a hih al-Bukh ā r ī , Kitābul-Jihādi was-Siyari, Bābu mā Yukrahu min Raf ‘i s-S auti fit-Takbīri; Hadith 2992). However, look at the sufis of today. Wherever they hold a gathering for the , that whole neighbour- hood begins to resound with noise. And they consider this to be a highly noble act, whereas it is in contravention of the Shariah.