for him that may Allah Almighty grant him cure from his illness, turn his heart and enable him to repent.    

When his representative reached him with the letter, he (i.e. the brave Syrian man) read the letter and said: “My merciful Lord is the forgiver of sins. Allah Almighty has indeed promised me for my forgiveness and He is the acceptor of repentance. His seizure is very severe. Allah Almighty has made me feel fear of His punishment. He is the possessor of great reward and His reward is immense goodness. There is none worthy of worship except Him. We are to return to Him.” He kept saying this repeatedly, to the extent that he started crying bitterly. Then, he sincerely repented from drinking alcohol and completely abandoned it.

When Ameer-ul-Mu`mineen, Sayyiduna Farooq-e-A’zam رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ found out about this, then he رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ said: “You people should also do the same. When you see that any brother of yours has gone astray, then try to guide him on the right path. Pay special attention towards him. Supplicate for him that may Allah Almighty enable him to repent and do not become Satan’s helper against him.” (Hilya-tul-Awliya, Yazeed Bin Al-Asam, vol. 4, pp. 102)

صَلُّوۡا عَلَى الۡحَبِيۡب     صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلٰى مُحَمَّد

Dear Islamic brothers! You have heard that what great efforts Ameer-ul-Mu`mineen, Sayyiduna Umar Farooq-e-A’zam رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ used to make for people’s reform and religious development. Despite being the caliph of the time and having so many commitments, he رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ would immediately realise if someone was absent in his gathering. Moreover, he رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ wouldn’t ignore it, rather, he رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ would inquire after him; that if in case he is facing any problem, then he رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ could earn the reward of looking after his welfare by resolving his problem. For example, if he has fallen ill, then he may be treated so that he may recover. If he is facing any difficulty, then remove his difficulty.

Alas! Today, our state is such that there are a large number of people who, let alone strangers, do not even inquire after their own brothers. We don’t even realise if those who hang around with us, our work colleagues, friends