declared forbidden (haram); 2. Such forbearance that allows him to answer the ignorance of the ignorant, and 3. Such good character by which he interacts with people.^[1]

6.   The mother of the believers, Sayyidatuna Aa’isha Siddiqah رَضِیَ اللهُ عَنْهَا said, “The Messenger of Allah صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم was not pleased by anything of the world nor by any person, except by a person who possessed piety.”^[2]

Dear Islamic brothers! You have heard how our beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم likes the people of piety. Piety is such a quality that the one who adopts it, gathers all the goodness of this world and the Hereafter. The importance Islam and its scholars have given to piety can be understood from the fact that they always begin their sermons, public addresses and speeches by calling towards piety. Similarly, when people would seek advice from our predecessors, they would frequently advise people to adopt piety and abstinence.

The importance of piety

The importance of piety can be understood from the following quote, “Knowledge attained honour and esteem, for it is a means through which piety can be attained, and it is through piety that a slave becomes rightful of earning a status and permanent prosperity in the court of Allah Almighty.”^[3]

Food from the bazaar

On page 189 of his book Faizan-e-Sunnat, Shaykh-i-Tareeqat, the Ameer of Ahl al-Sunnah, ‘Allamah Maulana Muhammad Ilyas Attar Qadiri Razavi دَامَـتْ بَـرَكَـاتُـهُـمُ الْـعَـالِـيَـهْ relates a story of a righteous man, and his piety: