THE QUINTESSENCE OF DEVOTION

What it Means to be ‘Special’

In the 2023 Waqfe-Nau

Ijtema UK, Huzooraba very importantly reminded the life devotees:

“As I have said, your pledge is of utmost seriousness and magnitude. In essence, you have affirmed before God that you will be ready for every possible sacrifice and hardship for His sake and will, until your dying breath.”

If we were to look for a true embodiment of this pledge then the example of the Holy Prophet and his beloved friend the first Khalifa of Islam Hadhrat Abu Bakrra should easily suffice.

It was a sweltering afternoon in Mecca, and the Ka’ba was buzzing with activity as the Quraish tribesmen gathered to plot against the Prophet Muhammad and his followers. The Quraish were staunchly opposed to the Prophet’s message of worship of One God, and they saw him as a threat to their traditional way of life.

As the sun beat down on the Ka’ba, the Prophet and his companion, Abu Bakr, arrived on the scene, unaware of the danger that awaited them. They began to circumambulate the Ka’ba, reciting prayers and supplications to Allah.

Suddenly, a group of Quraish tribesmen appeared out of nowhere, brandishing their weapons and shouting insults at the Prophetsa and Abu Bakrra. They pushed and shoved them, knocking them to the ground and kicking them repeatedly.

Despite the violence being inflicted upon them, the Holy Prophetsa and Hadhrat Abu Bakrra remained steadfast in their faith. They refused to renounce their belief in Allah, even in the face of extreme persecution.

As the Quraish continued to attack them, the Prophet remained calm and composed, praying for their guidance and forgiveness. He knew that Allah was with him, and that no amount of violence or intimidation could shake his faith.

Eventually, the Quraish grew tired of their assault and left the Prophet and Abu Bakr lying on the ground, battered and bruised. But despite their injuries, the two men refused to be broken. They rose to their feet, dusted themselves off, and continued to worship and spread the message of Islam throughout the Arabian Peninsula.

The Prophet remained steadfast in his mission to spread the message of Islam. His unwavering commitment to his beliefs were exemplified in a Hadith narrated by Abu Hurairah, which states:

The Quraish once approached the Prophet and said, “Give up your preaching of Islam and we will give you anything you want.” `If you demand money and wealth, we will make you the wealthiest man among all Arabs. If you are interested in lordship and position, we will make you our absolute chief. If you like sovereignty, we will make you our own sovereign…

The Holy Prophet Muhammadsa immediately rejected this offer.

[Seerat ibn Hisham, Vol. 1, pp.295-1296.]

Again, Hudhursa uncle, Abu Talib requested the Holy Prophet to discontinue his efforts in the way of Islam, fearing for his safety.

However, once again, the Prophet’s response was unwavering, as he replied,“Even if they were to place the sun in my right hand and the moon in my left hand, I will never give up my mission.”

[Ibn Ishaaq in al-Maghaazi (1/154)]

This statement underscores the depth of the Prophet’s devotion to his faith and the conviction that he had in the message that he believed in, and the message he was delivering.

In driving forward this point we can again look back at Hudhur’s address at the Waqf-e-Nau National Ijtema where he stated:

“I firmly believe that if every member of the Waqf-e-Nau scheme, with a purity of heart, lives up to this pledge, then, together, you can bring forth a great spiritual revolution in the world and liberate society from the chains of moral decay in which it has become shackled.

“However, for this, you will need the help and love of Allah the Almighty and to attain that you must give precedence to Him over everything else.”

Our Beloved Holy Prophet Muhammadsa serves as an incredible example of inspiration, and we need not look any further than this. His shining example demonstrates the true glory of mankind.

He was the quintessence of what it means to be ‘special’.Now is the time for us to strive for that same level of ‘special’, inspired by his teachings and the life that he led.

Furthermore, Huzooraba clearly defined what is to be ‘special’ as a Waqf-e-Nau, stating:

‘Waqf-e-Nau, as I said are very special. But they will have to prove that they are ahead of others in their relationship with Allah; only then they will be called ‘special’. They will be called special if they have fear of God more than others. They will be called special if their standards of worship are a lot higher than others. They will be called special if they offer supererogatory prayers along with the obligatory ones. It is a sign of being special if their degree of general conduct is extremely high. There is a marked difference in their language and talking manners. It is clearly observable that if there is a genuinely trained person who prefers faith over worldly matters. Then they will be ‘special’.