Malfuzat – Volume I — Page 21
Malfuzat - Volume I 21 and asks another individual about its whereabouts. In this instance, the individu- al who is questioned about the knife begins to war with Satan if he is at the level of a muttaqi. Satan will instigate the person to feel that the owner of the lost knife has dishonoured him by questioning him about his lost property. It is even possible that the individual being questioned becomes inflamed and the two fall to altercation. In the event of such a situation, a muttaqi battles with his own ill emotion. If the individual being questioned is honest purely for the sake of Allah, what reason has he to be angered? The more one keeps their piety hidden, the better. If a dealer of jewels was confronted by some robbers, and they consulted amongst themselves, some asserting that the jeweller was a rich man and others perceiving him to be empty-handed, the jeweller would be more pleased with those robbers who suggest that the dealer has nothing. Good Deeds Are Best if Concealed What more is this world than an abode of trial? A person who keeps his virtues secret and saves himself from ostentation is best off. Those people whose deeds are solely for the sake of Allah do not allow for their deeds to be seen by others. It is these who are the righteous. I have read in Tadhkira-tul-Awliya that once a noble man asked for some money in a gathering, as he was in need. One person gave him a thousand rupees, con- sidering him to be a righteous man. The noble man took the money, and praised the generosity and munificence of the person who had helped him. At this, the person who had offered the assistance was saddened by the thought that he may well be deprived of his reward in the hereafter as he had been praised before the people here on earth. Shortly thereafter, he returned and said that the money belonged to his mother and she was unwilling to give it to anyone. So, the money was returned. Everyone cursed the man and said that it was he who actually did not wish to give his money to the man in need. Later that evening, when the noble man returned home, the same person brought his thousand rupees to him and said: 'You deprived me of my reward in the hereafter by praising me in public. This is why I made an excuse. Now this money belongs to you, but please do not mention my name to anyone. ' The noble man began to weep and said: 'Now, you have taken upon yourself until the Day of Resurrection the curse and reproach of the people, because everyone is aware of the incident that occurred earlier today, but no one knows that you have now returned the money to me. '