Malfuzat - Volume IX — Page 180
Malf uza t - English translation of Urdu Volume 9 180 Animosity for the Sake of Allah At times I am also displeased with someone, but my displeasure is for the sake of faith and Allah in which there is no contami- nation of selfish motives and worldly desires. If I have any ani- mosity for someone, it is for the sake of God. Therefore, that animosity is not on my part, rather it is God’s Himself because it does not include any selfish or worldly pursuit of mine. I do not want to take anything from anyone, nor do I expect any- thing from anyone. Learn from an incident of Hadrat ‘Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, to realise the difference between zeal of one’s ego and the zeal for God. Learning from an Incident of Hadrat ‘Ali ra It is written that once Hadrat ‘Ali ra engaged in combat with a warrior who was a k a fir [disbeliever]. Hadrat ‘Ali ra would grip the warrior time and again, but he would manage to escape. Eventually Hadrat ‘Ali ra overpowered the warrior and firmly seized him, he then knelt over the chest of the disbeliever and was close to slaying the warrior with his dagger that the warrior spat on Hadrat Ali’s face. On this action, Hadrat ‘Ali ra stood up from the chest of the warrior and released him. The opponent was astonished at this and asked Hadrat ‘Ali ra , ‘You subdued me after so much effort, whereas I am your mortal enemy and thirsty for your blood, yet after overpowering me you freed me. Why did you do this?’ Hadrat ‘Ali ra responded, ‘The fact is that I do not have any personal enmity with you. Because you harm the Muslims due to religious differences, you, therefore, merit being killed. I was seizing you only because of this religious need, but when you