• Live Coverage of Itikaf City 2009 by Minhaj-ul-Quran International

The fourth day at the Itikaf City of Minhaj-ul-Quran International began in a spiritually ecstatic environment. The collective recital of ‘Durood’ and ‘Wazaif’ added to the spirituality of the environment. This is one of the occasions in the Itikaf City where the spiritual ecstasy of people reaches its zenith. Such scenes are also frequent during the speech of Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri. Today, the speech of Shaykh-ul-Islam started late by a margin of one hour than the usual time.

Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri made “Brotherhood & Company” the subject of his address. He recited a number of verses of the Holy Quran. Some of them are as follows:

“By the bright star (Muhammad [blessings and peace be upon him]) when (he ascended during the Ascension Night in the twinkling of an eye and) descended.”

“He who bestowed on you his companionship (i.e. the Messenger, who made you his companions by blessing you with his companionship,) has never lost his way, nor has he (ever) strayed from the right path.”

He said that the making of two individuals as brothers is brotherhood, whereas joining the accomplished people and Friends of Allah is company. He said that when the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) migrated to the blessed city of Madina, the Holy Quran describes it in the following words:

“When he said to his Companion (Abu Bakr): ‘Do not grieve. Allah is surely with us.”

Explaining the word ‘brotherhood’, Shaykh-ul-Islam said that Allah Almighty made the Ansaar of Madina as brothers. Later on after the ‘Mawakhat’, Madina became the first Islamic State, he recited the following verse no 103 of Sura al-Imran:

“But call to mind the blessing of Allah upon you when you were enemies (one to another). Then He created the bond of love among your hearts, and by His blessing you became brothers.”

Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri said that brotherhood brings the broken hearts together and is instrumental in seeking an end to the age-old enmities. He also explained the concept of brotherhood with the help of Prophetic traditions. He said that it is saying of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) that piety and good behaviour with the fellow human beings would take people to paradise over and above everything. It is written in the ‘Sahih Musnad”. The Holy Prophet (S.A.W) said: Allah Almighty would have the chairs put around the Throne and those sitting in them would have their faces radiating like the full moon. Contrary to this, other people would be worried and crying here and there overwhelmed by fear. But the saints and the Friends of Allah would be free of any fear or grief. The Holy Prophet (S.A.W) said: Allah Almighty would say that these people loved one another for My Love in the world. I made them My Friend as a result of this love.

Referring to a Hadith of Imam Nasai narrated by Hazrat Abu Huraira (ra), he said that the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) said: the pulpits of light would be put around the Throne. Such people would be seated on them whose faces would be light and their attire would also be light. But these people would neither be the Prophets nor martyrs. Prophets and martyrs would envy them. They would ask their Lord: O our Master, why were these people seated in such places? He would reply: these people loved one another for Allah and there is no other basis except it. That is why I perched them at this place. Allah said: Those who meet one another for My Sake I have made My Love binding on them.

Allah Almighty said in the Holy Quran as well that those who love for His Sake, loving them becomes binding. Shaykh-ul-Islam in a spiritually ecstatic state narrated a Punjabi verse of renowned Sufi poet Mian Muhammad Bakhsh:

“It is the desire of my heart to have you before me while I recall my past pangs of separation”

Shaykh-ul-Islam said nostalgically that he recalls this verse of Mian Muhammad Bakhsh recurrently but gone are the days when such personages lived on the face of earth. Where Rabia Basri or Junaid Baghdadi, Owais Qarni or Sari Saqti would come from in this day and age! This comment of Shaykh-ul-Islam made people weep. Recalling late al-Haaj Muhammad Ali Zahuri, he said that he would often ask him to recite this verse “They weep in separation, weep when they meet, and also in the performance of chores of life.”

Terming the leaders of MQI as ‘Mukhleseen’ and ‘Mohibbeen’, he said that they are practical representation of brotherhood. They are the rare and valuable asset of his mission. He said that these are the people who joined the MQI in the early days of 1980 but have been holding on to it firmly and with consistency. He said that the association these people established is for Allah and His Prophet (S.A.W).

In the later part of the speech, Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri threw light on the concept of brotherhood with the real life incidents from the lives of Allah’s Friends. He said that the soul of brotherhood requires that one should befriend such people as keep remembering you even after they have long left you. He said that Allah promised that He would perch such people on the pulpits of light on the Day of Judgment. These Friends of Allah would request Him about their loved ones and take them to paradise by taking them out of hell. On the other hand, infidels would regret saying, would that we could join the company of such exalted figures! Would that we had befriended such people!

Shaykh-ul-Islam said that this is the spiritualistic concept of brotherhood in the Holy Quran. He said that Allah honours and values friendships which are made for Him or for His Sake. On the Day of Judgment, when all people would have gone to paradise, couches would be put up and carpets rolled out for those who loved one another for Allah. Allah would ask them: Sit down facing one another with your backs reclining on these couches and keep smiling by looking at one another. Pay your gratitude to your Lord that He had given you the company of these pious people.