Benefits of Commemorating the Pious Predecessors

By the renowned spiritual guide and Amir of Ahl al-Sunnah, Mawlana Muhammad Ilyas Attar al-Qadiri    دَامَـتْ بَـرَكَـاتُـهُـمُ الْـعَـالِـيَـهْ

Sayyidunā Sufyān b. ꜤUyaynah رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه states: “Mercy descends at the mention of the righteous.”[1]

اَلْـحَمْـدُ لـِلّٰـه It is the norm in Dawat-e-Islami to commemorate the pious predecessors, such as the four rightly-guided caliphs, Imam Ḥasan, Imam Ḥusayn, Sayyidunā Amīr MuꜤāwiyah and other noble Companions, the pure prophetic family and other pious personalities رِضْوَانُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَیْہِمْ اَجْمَعِیْن. Likewise, when the month of Ghiyārwī Sharīf, RabīꜤ al-Ākhir, begins, Dawat-e-Islami organises a series of 11 Madani Muzakarahs at the International Madani Markaz in memory of the Crown of Saints, Shaykh ꜤAbd al-Qādir al-Jīlānī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه, which are transmitted live on Madani Channel. On the 11^th night, niyāz Ghawthiyyah is also presented to participants.

A major objective of commemorating the pious predecessors on their death anniversary is to mention the life examples of these great personalities, their piety, their love for the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, accounts of their devoutness, their saintly marvels and their services to sacred knowledge. Just as this increases people’s love and devotion for these pious predecessors, it also augments people’s passion for pious deeds. Love for the pious is a source of great felicity. The beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said:

اَلْمَرْءُ مَعَ مَنْ اَحَبَّ

“A man will be with the one he loves.”[2]

When commemorating pious predecessors on such occasions, Islamic brothers and sisters also convey the reward of various pious deeds to them, such as the reward for reciting the noble Quran, litanies, ṣalawāt; the reward for studying sacred knowledge; the reward for offering nadhr and niyāz; and the reward for travelling in Madani qafilahs. Whoever receives a gift is pleased, and so when we convey reward to these religious personalities, they too will be pleased, and in return we will receive blessings in abundance اِنْ شَــآءَالـلّٰـه.

May Allah Almighty grant us the ability to commemorate the anniversaries of the pious predecessors with good intentions whilst staying within the boundaries of Islamic law.

اٰمِیْن بِجَاہِ خاتَمِ النَّبِیّیْن صلَّی اللہ علیہ واٰلہٖ وسلَّم

Note: This content was prepared with the aid of the Madani Muzakarah (episode 1827) that took place on 15 Rajab al-Murajjab 1442 AH (27 February 2021). It was then presented to the honourable Sheikh—Mawlana Muhammad Ilyas Attar al-Qadiri دَامَـتْ بَـرَكَـاتُـهُـمُ الْـعَـالِـيَـهْ—for it to be reviewed before being presented here.