Ansaari Manifest
 
Chapter 3

 
Befriending the Orphans and Animals


 
Sahl Bin Sa’ad has narrated from the Prophet Mohammad Peace Be Upon Him:
 
“I and the caretaker of an orphan shall be like this (second and third finger pressed together) in Paradise”.
 
Ishaarat (Paradigm)
 
Who is truly inclined to accept this noble invitation taking care of an orphan and embarking upon this battle fighting for victory? Even if the orphan is a thousand miles away, the seeker of this invitation shall travel and spend all he has bribing the countrymen (of where the orphan is) to obtain permission to enter to find the orphan to place him upon his eyes to magnify (to honor). And even if someone does go through such action, still unable to honor and satisfy this narration (of the Prophet). The reward for each morsel of food placed in the mouth of the orphan and the reward for every kind petting to endear him shall eject a slithering evil from the kind person and shall be replaced instead by the beatitude within his heart. But which ear shall take heed and which seeker shall seek this victory to triumph by the grace of the Lord?
 
In another Hadith (Narration) Abu Hurairah mentioned that the Prophet Peace Be Upon Him has said, “Once there was a man who was traveling and quite thirsty. Found a well and climbed down to the water, satiated his thirst and climbed back up. Then he saw a stray dog floundering about with its tongue dangling and gnawing at moist soil to quench its thirst. The man said: The dog is suffering from the same affliction of thirst as I was. Climbed down the well again and filled his boot with water, climbing up with the boot clutched by his teeth. Placed the boot in front of the dog to drink. Finally, when the dog’s thirst quelled, he offered gratitude to Allah Almighty. Allah forgave the man (i.e. entered the Paradise)"
 
Some of the companions of the Prophet Peace Be Upon Him asked, “Are there rewards from the Lord for being kind to animals i.e. watering them or giving them comfort”. Peace Be Upon Him responded, “No matter what liver you wet (to quell the thirst) you are rewarded for”. [1]
 
Ishaarat (Paradigm)
 
As a compassion for the creation this Hadith (Narration) should be embraced. There is no moment of time or location of space wherein Its comfort and mercy did not befall the people. [2] Whomsoever passed by and you granted them a benefit of some kind, be it a greeting or a nice word, honoring and respect, nice facial gesture, well mannered demeanor, know that a great fortune has blown your way. And if you are not rude or annoying and are not rough or harsh person while you are also not offering any benefits to people, just be as if a wall or a column not a wild animal tearing the prey apart, so the people are not jaded by your presence. (If you cannot offer anything good to people, then be like a column or wall without any harm so people are not hurt by you)
 
And in another Hadith (Narration) Qitaadeh has narrated based upon the authority of Anas Bin Malik who heard the nightingale of the Eden who was ascended to heavens (Koran [17:1]) and that beautiful sounding talking-bird who spoke not from his own desires (Koran [53:3]) Mohammad Peace Be Upon Him saying: “There is not one Muslim who plants a tree or farms i.e. plants something that may benefit a human being or bird or an animal by eating it or resting upon its branches or ants carrying its seeds or someone resting underneath its shadow or even someone may be pleased by the verdant sight of it, that Allah Almighty will not for sure reward, in full, the person who planted and this action will be recorded upon his Divan (book) of Deeds (never to be forgotten)”.
 
Ishaarat (Paradigm)
 
Is there anyone who will not shove his hands into the earth upon hearing this paragon Hadith (Narration) to plant a tree or to farm to benefit the creations? The reader of this Hadith (Narration) should understand the intent for plating must be to benefit the people and all creatures not to increase the wealth and boasting in front of the poor, if so uproot this false intention from your heart. Plant one thousand trees for your Self but plant one for the poor to please your Lord or even make one branch so the poor may eat from its fruits whereupon you will accumulate a treasure in the hereafter.
 
Ishaarat (Paradigm)
 
Ahoy! The Seekers! Within your orchards which are stared upon by the holy exalted assembly (Angels) and the theatre where The Beloved Graceful Master & Protector glances upon the vastness of the stage i.e. the heart, do plant copious trees, trees planted upon the: “There is only one deity worthy of worship” which is a “goodly word like a goodly tree” (Koran [14:24]) so that you may plant many kinds of trees e.g. Truth, Mahab-bat (Love), Akhlaaq (Morals & Ethics) Ons (Divine Intimacy) and Passion and underneath their benevolent shades rest peacefully the creatures of heavens and earth and the graceful rain of blessings shall moisten the earth to grow afresh graceful blessings evermore.
 
Even if trees planted from the east to west and all were offered to the poor and orphans other than filling the bellies what spiritual gain is obtained? All that is planted and harvested in this world are nothing but the blessings of the orchards of a righteous heart (After Effects).
 
Then why do you focus on the surface manifest of the universe? True meanings are all concerned with your heart no matter what benefit reaches the people, all of it (the benefits) nothing but a mirage! Underneath the shade of one tree that you plant within your heart fruits shall bloom from one end of the cosmos to other!
 
The one (Sufi) with true vision must at once to look upon this orchard within the heart to see what fruits are bloomed from every tree for Djinn, Mankind, Angels, Birds and Animals and all the matter of the universe. And that precise moment when these words are heard truly, the person would rush and embark upon self-purification, sweeping away the dust and thorns of lusts and love of power and wealth. And when the trees of all kinds planted within his heart sometimes he is the garden and sometimes the gardener and sometimes a verdant landscape where the words are humiliated to describe even a phrase about a single flower of this orchard.
 
Story
 
Abdullah Bin Tahir Al-Abhari may Allah bless his soul was one of the giants of Sufism a contemporary of Shebly and a friend of Mozaffar Kerman-Shahi and a truly righteous scholar.
 
He was asked what is the Truth? And replied, “Truth is all (made up of) Knowledge” and asked again what is the Knowledge and replied, “Knowledge is all nothing but the Truth”.
 
Some of his sayings:
 
Characteristic of a Dervish is that he is devoid of anything from this world. The luminosity of his Ma’refat (Divine Cognizance) has uprooted all things from his heart. The two, the world and Ma’refat (Divine Cognizance), do not commix. And if he might have a need, he will not use more than what minimum is needed.
 
If you commit to a brotherhood with someone for the sake of the Allah Almighty, minimize the immixing of the worldly affairs with him, test him less and less with this world, since what you seek in this world you shall not find and you will be left finally without a friend.
 
The Secret
 
If the relationship and loving was for the sake of It (Beloved), then this world and the world after do not come in between the lovers similar to a pearl ridden sea where a broken branch has no worth. If due to some personality problems one mixes this world with the brotherhood in the religion much harm will be caused for all people. As for my Muslim brother there should only be my offerings of benefits and no harm should be emanated from me to him. In this loving relationship between the brothers in the religion, one must seek benefit from his Self thus proffered to his brother and not the other way around and all give-and-take should not be recognized in this relationship.
 
Hark! O Dervish, if you love someone for the sake of a benefit, then you do not love that person: You love the profiting and benefits. How dare! You embark upon a trade of give-and-take indeed love and loving is an incredible and amazing affair and it is not always meant for everyone. There are multitudes of people around, but you need to learn to recognize the real friend you are to love, since without loving the Beloved’s friends (Orphans, poor, homeless, sick) you will not find a path to the other world (after death). If you accept the friendship of a friend of the Beloved and that person accepts your loving then you have reached the Beloved! If you are without such friend of the Beloved and you are at the day of resurrection, you shall be filled with sorrow, since the friends of the Beloved enjoy the bliss and benevolence of Beloved in immense and unbound measures beyond any description of words and you are left behind…
 
This day you are hard at work loving on the path of the Din (religion of loving the Beloved) and your face triumphant pointing towards the clasping at the hereafter but be aware (within this love affair) there is no room for betrayal (forsaking the orphans, poor and homeless) and if so in such loving all is a mirage within a desert with no water to be found. And loyalty without loving (loving other than the friends of the Beloved like money, lusts, power) likened to a tree with no roots, though green in spring it shall be dry and withered in the fall and gone forever. And gain just the same; a loving without loyalty is like a tree without roots, until and unless you learn the difference between the tree and the wood you shall not be saved from the deception of the Self.
 
Grasp at the loving otherwise you shall miss the destination (of what you are seeking). Do not deceive yourself. Be true in your love towards your friends and if they do not reciprocate, that is their fault and no reflection upon you. You reached the realm of loving and they did not because of their betrayal, so they are left in trouble and you are left with a vast fortune. Remember you loved purely for the sake of Beloved and It sees what is in depth of your heart…
 
Be a righteous man since the time is short and much work to be done. One must take up the lofty path of the heartache and ‘Ishq (love) so that you might find the caravan of righteous men, and when you serve with/for/along side such men you shall find your Self forbidden from all conversations (with you), (without this caravan) how can you reach any place of destination?
 
My Lord! Do not sway us towards the crimes and remove the crimes from us. There is not but one deity worthy of worship and no deity exists except ‘It’.
 
End.
 
 
[1] There is no discrimination whatsoever for a Prophet. His heart is cleansed from our day-to-day whims and wishes, which cause the prejudices we all suffer from. Suddenly thirst, be it inflicted upon a dog a man a Muslim or a Jew or Buddhist, is a suffering from thirst and it needs to be quenched unconditionally (Thirst is thirst). Today amongst the religious folk, this form of freedom from religious bigotry is taken away and replaced by the bondage of fabrics, chants and beards, which are all objects far away from our Beloved Creator.
 
[2] The Beloved splurged and sprinkled every point in the cosmos with boundless mercy and blessings. What conclusion is drawn if one location within which there is no mercy? Answer: Beloved is not there! So if you are with people and no benefits from you emanate to people it only means Beloved is not there i.e. within your heart.
 
 
Background: Manuel (15) looks after his younger brother, Jean Pierre and sister, Roseen. Their parents died of AIDS last month, leaving Manuel as the head of the household. On the wall behind them is a photograph of their parents.
 
 
© 2004-2002,  Dara O. Shayda