8 BENEFITS (Eyyuh- al-walad) (III)

Hâtim said, “My sixth benefit is: I observed other people. I saw that they coveted one another’s property, status and knowledge, parted into inimical groups and parties. I thought of an âyat-i-kerîma which purports, ‘Your enemy is the devil. That is, the enemy is those who will strive to misguide you out of Islam. Know them as your enemy.’ I knew Qur’ân al-kerîm as the true word, and the devil and those who like him tried to mislead Muslims as enemies; I never believed their words or followed them. I did not worship their idols. I obeyed Allâhu ta’âlâ’s commandments. I never strayed from the way shown by the scholars of Ahl as-sunnat. I believed that the only way to salvation, the true way is the Sunnî way. As a matter of fact, an âyat-i-kerîma purports, ‘O you sons of Âdam! Did I not say: Do not worship the devil, and (did I not) make you promise! Obey and worship Me! This is the only way to salvation.’ So I did not listen to those who would try to deceive Muslims. I did not cease from the books of the scholars of Ahl as-sunna, who are the guides of the way taught by Muhammad ‘alaihis-salâm’.” Upon these statements, Shaqîq said, “So well done. Now say the seventh benefit.”

Hâtim said, “My seventh benefit is: People are working in order to eat and drink and earn money. This is blinding them to harâms and dubious practices and making them insensitive to humiliations and insults. Observing this made me recollect an âyati- kerîma, which purports, ‘The earth does not carry a living being whose sustenance is not sent by Allâhu ta’âlâ’. I knew that I was one of those living beings and Qur’ân al-kerîm is absolutely correct. Placing my reliance on His promise to send me my sustenance, which He would definitely send, I worked as He commands.” Hearing these, Shaqîq said, “How lovely you have done and how beautiful are the facts you express. Now say the eighth benefit, too.”

Hâtim ‘rahmatullâhi ta’âlâ aleyh’ said, “The eighth benefit I derived is this: I observed other people and saw that everybody had someone or something to put his trust in. Some people relied on their property and possessions, some depended upon their crafts and earnings and some on their ranks and positions, while others pinned their hopes on beings that were mere human beings like themselves. So I recollected an âyat-i-kerîma, which purports, ‘Allâhu ta’âlâ shall always come to the rescue of those who rely only on Him.’ Then I always and only relied on Allâhu ta’âlâ in whatever I did. I worked and held fast to (His) law of causation because He commanded so. However, I relied only on Him, asked only from Him, and expected only from Him.”

Upon hearing these explanations, Shaqîq ‘rahmatullâhi ta’âlâ aleyh’ said, “O Hâtim! May Allâhu ta’âlâ come to your rescue in whatever you do! I studied hadrat Mûsâ’s Taurah (Torah), hadrat Îsâ’s Injîl (Bible), hadrat Dâwûd’s Zebûr (Psalms) and hadrat Muhammad’s ‘alaihim-us-salawâtu wa-s-salâm’ Furqân (Qur’ân). I saw that these four heavenly books are based on these eight fundamentals. Those who follow these fundamentals and establish a life style based on them will have adapted themselves to these four books and performed their commandments.”