knowledge; He is in front of me with His guidance, and His blessing and dignity are on my right and left.’

When I heard this, I humbly asked: ‘Will you allow me to have your company?’ He said: ‘Your company will make me heedless of worship and I do not like this, (because) the King of the earth from the East to West is sufficient for me.’ I asked: ‘Do you not feel nervous in this place.’ He replied: ‘One whose friend is Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ, how will he be nervous?’ I asked: ‘Where do you eat from?’ He replied: ‘When I was unborn yet, He عَزَّوَجَلَّ provided me with food even inside the womb of my mother through His Divine blessings and now that I have grown up, will He عَزَّوَجَلَّ not provide me sustenance? He has a fixed amount of sustenance for me and its time is also written.’

I then requested him to make Du’a, so he made Du’a for me in the following manner: May Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ protect your eyes from His disobedience, fill your heart with His fear, and not make you among those who become heedless of Worship after being occupied with other than Him!’ Thereafter, when he stood up to leave, I went up to him and humbly asked: ‘O my brother! When will we meet again?’ He said smilingly: ‘I will not meet you in this world after today. However! On the Day of Judgement when all the people will be gathered, if you would want to meet me, then you could find me among those who will have Deedar-e-Ilahi (the blessed sight of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ).’ I asked: ‘How have you come to know about this?’ He replied: ‘By His dignity! I have learnt it through Him because I have prevented my eyes from looking at Haraam things and my Nafs from satisfying the desires and adopted seclusion in the dark nights for His worship (I am hopeful that He will be pleased with me and) in return for this, He will let me have His sight.’ That young man then disappeared and I never met him again. (Ar-Raud-ur-Faaiq, pp. 166, 167)

محبت میں اپنی گما یا الہی    نہ پاؤں میں اپنا پتا یا الہی

صَلُّوۡا عَلَى الۡحَبِيۡب    صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلٰى مُحَمَّد

Dear Islamic sisters! In the abovementioned parable, the young man deviated away from this world and kept himself occupied with worship and spiritual exercises since his youth, and prevented himself from looking at the things that were considered to be Haraam by Shari’ah and resided lonely in the jungle. This parable contains countless Madani pearls of admonition, in particular for those young people who are intoxicated with their youth, and are deceived by Nafs and Satan and are thus involved in committing sins and displeasing Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ. Such people should understand the importance of their