Karooniyath

Weekly Speech at Tableeghi Markaz, Tolichowki, Hyderabad
Published in Muslim Murasu, May 2012

Man distances himself from God when he commits sins. He comes near God by doing good deeds. Taking mistakes lightly can create serious problems. Prophet said, “Reduce sins; death will be easy. Avoid loans and live an easy life”.
Any activity should be done according to commands of God. Otherwise it is not religion, neither will the person taste success in this world or the next. If merchandise is done bearing in mind the commands of God, it means being religious. Karoon also was a merchant. He did not earn any good reward. Ruling, parenting, everything when done according to Will of God will earn us good rewards.
Singular purpose in life is to please God. God will be pleased with man when man is pleased with God. We should be satisfied both during good health and illness. We should be calm even under distressful situations. We should find contentment in palaces and huts alike.
Allah says about Sahabas in Quran. ‘raliyallahu anhum va ralu anhu’. God was pleased with them because they were pleased with God.
Man is subservient to the favors he receive. But he is not subservient to the One who gives him all favors. He is not obedient to God who gives him good health. He does not pleases God by maintaining calm during distress.
Once Abdul Khadir Jeelani (rah) was ill. He prayed to God, “Give me love for this sickness”. Prophet has told, “He has got the pleasure of Imaan; he is content that Allah is his Rab”. Allah trains you in palaces and hut houses. He tests you in good positions and in unemployment. One who has neared God through his illness has achieved success. Healthy people are not the only successful people. Hadees continues, “He is content that Islam is his religion; he is content that Muhammad (sal) is his Prophet”. Following Sunnath after this will become easy. Life will be filled with love for Imaan.
Imaan will alleviate jealousy. Jealousy is a fire that harms health and goodness. An animal was creating problems in a city. King told to show a mirror in front of the animal. Animal died from the shock of its own reflection.
‘nahnu kasamna baynahum maishathan’ - ‘We have distributed provisions among them”. We cannot understand God’s wisdom from our limited knowledge. This faith will render humility. A person will think about God’s inquiry before spending even a penny.
This is not my money. This is not my children. These are given by God to me. ‘My’, ‘mine’ concepts are dangerous. What is Karooniyath? It is not just fighting with Moosa (alai). It is claiming ownership over God’s favors. ‘innama uthithuhu alaa ilmin indhi’ - ‘I earned it through my knowledge’. Surah 28, Kasas, verse 78. Quran has mentioned one Karoon. There are many Karoons in each period. They don’t accept Allah’s share in each Nihmath.
Once Umar Bin Abdul Ajees (rah) said: We won’t be misers. We won’t spend extravagantly. We will spend according to the need.
Punishment is there for Haraam. Inquiry is there for Halaal.
Imaan will stop us from parsimony and extravagance. An Imaam says that frugality in four matters can bring poverty in the world to an end: vehicle, house, garments and marriage. Prophet told Ayisha (rali), “Love objects only as much as a traveler will do; don’t consider a dress as old until it gets torn; don’t sit with rich people”. Ayisha (rali) used to donate thousands of Dinars, but she won’t have anything to eat for Iftaar.
You have to be grateful when you have money. Helping poor is the appropriate gratitude for this. When you have good health, you have to help sick ones. Way to show gratitude differs according to the favor you enjoy. Dimensions will change according to money, health and youth. Youngsters should help weak ones.
Egypt scholar, Muhammad Marosi (rah) says, “My annual expenditure is 200 Dirham”. He will think twice before spending for personal needs. Personal expenditures can be reduced. Once government raised his salary to 20000 Dirhram. But his lifestyle did not change. He spent only 200 Dirham for personal needs. He used to donate to students and widows. Don’t increase your expenditure above your income. This is the advice from Auliyas.
Taste for tongue will remain for one hour. New dress will be joyous for one day. New home can be enjoyed for a year. Don’t fall into loans and interests for these perishable pleasures. Don’t waste your life. Some have reached older age paying interests and not paying Jakath. Now also they are not worried or feared about returning and facing God.
A shop owner asked his Sheikh, guru, to sit in this bill counter and pray. His Hajrath told, “Even if Jibreel (alai) sits here and prays and all the angels say Ameen, there won’t be Barakath in your shop; you are running this money out of usury money. You are declaring war”.
When Nijamudin Auliya is offered to eat something during Iftar, he will say, “There are many famished people in Delhi. How can I eat to full stomach”. Sheikh Fareedudin Shakarkanj (rah) was guru of Nijamudin Auliya (rah). Once Nijamudin gave some fruits to him. Fruits were tasteless. Some salt was given. Fareedudin said that this food reeks of extravagance. Nijamudin told that he borrowed salt. Guru warned him, “A person borrowing for pleasure cannot be God’s beloved”.
Prophet never had two gravies while eating. Once Abdulla Ibn Umar brought two gravies. Umar (rali) said, “How can I face Rasoolullah. My lifestyle has grown above his lifestyle”.
We should love Prophet. We should love his language, style, social system and his Ummath. We have to love what he loved and hate what he hated.
Amar Bin Aas (rali) once chided a companion who was speaking in Persian language. He asked him not to use the language of fire worshipers. Umar (rali) once wrote a letter. “Learn Arabic. That is the language of your religion”. Rasoolullah said, “Don’t talk like Ajam. That will bring hypocrisy in your hearts”.
Sahabas used to talk other languages. But they will convert the language according to tenets of Islam. They will not accept a language with its ancient superstitious ways. Proverbs, examples and metaphors will be refined and then they will use that language. Sahabas never accepted backward cultures and habits.
Rasoolullah used to exhibit Mojisa. Once he was speaking to a Negro child in Habashi language. “Haja Sana”. It means beautiful in Habashi language. Once his companion was having pain in stomach. Prophet inquired about his health in Persian language.
Sahabas used other languages to spread Islam. Isha was called as ‘Athama’ in rural areas. Prophet asked them to call as Isha. Forefinger was called ‘sabbaba’, cursing finger. Prophet told that to be called as ‘sabbaha’, ‘finger for tasbeeh’. Prophet told not to say ‘raina’, but say ‘unzurna’. Once a companion was greeting a newly wed couple in ignorant way. Prophet correct him and told him to greet as, ‘let Allah bring Barakath in your lives’.
You cannot inculcate religion in your life without good personal contacts. Religiosity will not come without good relations. It has never happened and will never happen. Religiosity means tenderness, good character, proper mind, internal and external aspects, religion in solitude and in crowd, controlling anger and praying for others.
This cannot be learnt from CDs or books. I am not underestimating value of pen. This Ummath writes more books. Allah will weigh ink of scholars along with blood of martyrs. Allah has made scholars of this Ummath write huge books.
Jews took their Holy Scripture with fervor and dared to kill their Prophets. They ventured to understand books without help of Aalims. They got entangled in deceptions. They were commanded not to fish in Saturdays. They laid nets on Fridays and retrieved them on Sundays as workaround. They rejected God’s command. Fat from camel was forbidden. They extracted oil from it. They made Haraam as Halaal.
Downside of Christians was that they celebrated their priests and ignored Holy Book. They took priests as Gods. Priests can make anything as forbidden or permissible.
Merit of Muslim Ummath is that they know the importance of both the Book and the Prophet who brought the Book. They learnt Deen through peers. Religion is not available only in books. Friendship will impart religion.
Allah has sent many Prophets without books. But He has never sent a book without Prophet.
Deen cannot be understood without proper contacts. Jibreel (alai) personally taught first part of Namaaz to Prophet. Next day he came and illustrated final part of Namaaz. There is no alternative to personal contact.