The Mirror of the Excellences of Islam — Page 615
614 Ā'ĪNA-E-KAMĀLĀT-E-ISLĀM―DĀFI‘UL-WASĀWIS As for gathering all brethren together on a specific date is con- cerned, it is just a matter of making arrangements. It is not at all an objectionable innovation in Islam to do things by appropriate arrange- ments. [Verily, deeds are (judged) by intentions]. Abandon the evil of ill thinking and reflect on what innovation there is in coming together on a specific date. Why is it unlawful to bene- fit from the convenience available for all friends to gather on a spe- cific date, considering that on 27 December, every sincere friend can come over conveniently to meet me and in this context, their mutual meetings are also facilitated? Why is it unlawful to benefit from this convenience? It is strange that the maulawi labelled me as condemned but did not recall the aḥadīth in which the Messenger of Allah, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, has encouraged travelling for the sake of acquiring knowledge and in which he has declared that travelling for the sake of meeting a Muslim brother is a means of earning the pleas- ure of the Lord of Honour and Glory, and in which it is written that travelling to meet the righteous is a means of attaining forgiveness and redemption of sins. 2 It should be borne in mind that it is utter ignorance to interpret the J[shadd-e-riḥāl—setting out for a journey] hadith as mean- ing that travelling anywhere except to the Ka'bah [in Makkah] or the Prophet's Mosque [in Madinah], or Baitul-Muqaddas [in Jerusalem] is prohibited. It is obvious that all Muslims have to travel for differ- ent purposes-sometimes the journey is indeed for the acquisition of knowledge, and sometimes it is to meet a relative, a brother or sister, or wife; or, for example, it may be a journey of the women for meeting 1. Şahih al-Bukhārī, Kitāb Bad'ul-Waḥy, Bāb Kaifa Kāna Bad'ul-Waḥy ilā Rasulullah sas, Hadith 1 [Publisher] 2. Şahih al-Bukhārī, Kitābuṣ-Ṣaum, Bābus-Şaum Yaumin-Naḥr, Hadith 1995 [Publisher]