righteous as a sacred relic, seeking blessings and cure through them, and presenting them as a means when making Du’a in the Divine Court, is a major means of acceptance and gaining honour.

The beloved servants of Allah and their relics

Shah Waliullah Muhaddis Dihlvi رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه states, ‘When a person becomes beloved to Allah Almighty:

1.   Allah Almighty keeps him under His Merciful blessings

2.   He becomes loved in the skies

3.   Wherever a beloved servant of Allah Almighty is, a procession of angels descends at that place

4.   Light showers upon such a place

5.   The mercy of Allah Almighty is always with him

6.   Anything that establishes a connection with a beloved servant of Allah, the mercy of Allah also descends upon that thing too.

For this reason, anything which has a connection to the beloved servants of Allah, is highly esteemed and distinct from other things. For example, their clothing compared to the clothing of common people, their bowls and utensils they used compared to the bowls of common people, their prayer mats compared to the prayer mats of common people, their homes compared to homes of others, their shrines etc., are all unique and blessed, due to having connection to a beloved servant of Allah Almighty.’ (Fuyuz-ul-Haramayn, p. 60, summarised)

Whilst mentioning the blessings of worship, the father of A’la Hazrat, Maulana Naqi ‘Ali Khan رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه writes the following: ‘Whosoever worships Allah Almighty in abundance, Allah Almighty makes him an embodiment of blessings, to the extent that people will take blessings