( this happened in Medina after the hijrat)

https://youtu.be/gM9Bdz-R4TI

A long time ago, in a land far, far away, there lived an old woman who was carrying a heavy load along the road in the desert. It was a bit difficult for her, but she was managing as best as she could. A young man asked if he could help her with her load, and she readily obliged. Here is the conversation that transpired:

“It would be such a pleasure to have you come alone with me. I accept your gracious offer of kindness and company,” she said. She was a very talkative woman, and the young man did not want to interrupt her. So, he let her speak the entire time they were together without interruption:

“But as we walk along young man and as you help me with my load, I have only one request as we travel down this road: Don’t talk to me about Muhammad! Because of him there is no peace and I have trouble in my mind. So, don’t talk to me about Muhammad! And as we walk along together, we will get along just fine.”

She continued:

“That man upsets me so, so much more than you could know! I hear of his name and reputation every where I go. Though his family and his clan once knew him as an honest man, he’s dividing everyone with his claim that God is one!”

“He’s misled all the weak, the poor, and the slaves. They think they’ve all found wealth and freedom by following his way!” she sarcastically snorted.

“He’s corrupted all of our youth with his twisted brand of truth. He’s convinced them that they all are strong and gave them somewhere to belong. So, don’t you dare talk to me about Muhammad!”

They reached their destination, and the man helped the woman put away her belongings. The old woman, with a wide smile of gratitude at this stranger’s kindness, turned to him and said,

“Thank you now, young man. You’ve really been so kind. That generosity and smile is very rare to find now a days. Let me give you some advice, since you’ve been so very nice to me. Stay away from Muhammad. Don’t heed his word or emulate his way. If you do, you will never have true peace, and all you will find is trouble.”

As the young man turned to walk away, she stopped him: “Now before we part and go, if it’s alright just the same, may I ask my dear young man, who are you? What’s your name?”

He told her, and she stopped dead in her tracks.

“Forgive me, but what was that? Your words weren’t very clear. My ears are getting old, and sometimes I have a hard time hearing. You know, it’s truly rather funny, but I’m sure I must be wrong. Yet, I thought I heard you said that your name is Muhammad.”

“I am Muhammad,” the Prophet (peace be upon him) told the old woman.

This conversation was based upon a hadith in the Prophetic literature, and Dawud Wharnsby Ali made a song out of it, where I first learned of this conversation. Almost every time I hear the song, tears roll down my face. In the song, after the woman utters the shahadah, she says,

“Oh, talk to me, Muhammad. Upon you I pray for peace/for you have eased my troubled mind. Oh, talk to me, Muhammad. And as we walk along together/we will get along just fine. As I travel down life’s road/I will get along, just fine.”

Religion without spirituality is just simple rituals. Striking our head either in the temple or mosque or church gets us nowhere unless we look deep inside us and discover our spiritual side. It just hardens our hearts and an excess of it makes our actions rigid causing inconvenience and grief to those near us.
That is why Sufism is very important in today’s world. Sufism is the mystical or spiritual aspect of Islam
The word Sufi from suf or coarse woolen cloaks worn by the early Sufis. In fact
Three major orders of the Sufis, that is Chistiya, Qadriya and Suharwardi claim descent from Ali ibn Abu Talib, the cousin and son in law of Prophet Mohammad.
A famous anecdote related to Ali is that once he was about to embark on a journey and a man came running to him and said, “O Ali what is the essence of Islam?”
Ali had one foot in the stirrup and was about to swing the other over the horse and he replied, “Believe in the Oneness of God and serve his creation.”
That in a nutshell is the essence of Sufism, service of mankind. For them Allah is Rab-ul Alaameen or God of the Universe as stated in the first Surah of the Quran and not the narrow definition of Rab-ul-Muslimeen or God of Muslims.
A famous saying of Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti is
He indeed is a true devotee, blessed with the love of God, who is gifted with the following three attributes:
1. River-like charity, i.e. his sense of charity has no limits and is equally beneficial to all the creatures of God who approach him,
2. Sun like affection, i.e. his affection may be extended indiscriminately to all like sunlight and
3. Earth-like hospitality, i.e. his loving embrace may be open to all like that of the earth.
The most important principle of Sufism is that to love one’s fellow men is to love God. Once we believe in this narrow perceptions of faith are meaningless.
Sufis place great emphasis on ihsan, which literally means benevolent action but according to the Prophet where we should worship Him as If we can see Him and even if we can’t see him to know that God can see our actions at all times.
The Prophet was famous for his gentle behavior and courteous dealings with everyone. Prophet Mohammad is said to be the first Sufi and Sufis take their inspiration from his behavior or ikhlaq.
There is a famous story of an old woman who threw garbage on him daily as he passed under her window. He did not react or change his route but would calmly continue on his way.
One day she did not appear at her window to throw the garbage. The Prophet climbed up her stairs to enquire after her.
“Who is it?” asked a feeble voice when he knocked on her door.
“Mohammad bin Abdullah,” was the reply, “can I come in?”
The woman feared, “I am sick, and too weak to fight or talk back, therefore Mohammad has come to take revenge for what I have been doing to him.” But the permission to enter her house was in such a gentle voice that she allowed him in.
Mohammad told he was worried as he did not find her at the window that day and had come to inquire about her health. He asked if he could help her in any way and she forgot her hate and insecurities and asked for water. On being asked to forgive her for her bad behaviour he readily did and prayed for her health.
And it is this Prophet in whose name we perpetuate violence because someone says or draws something adverse?
God doesn’t need our help to protect his image. What is hurt is our ego and our insecure minds.
This security comes from spirituality taught by Sufi masters and not from practicing rituals.
Sufis teach us inclusiveness, humanity and the quality of mercy.
“The saints will cast away both worldly and religious blessings to give a piece of bread or a drink of water to someone in need. This state is something one cannot obtain by one hundred thousand fasts and prayers.”
Baba Farid had said, that we Sufis are not knives which cut and divide but needles which darn and join two different ends to each other.
Today we need needles to darn our torn social fabric more than ever.
Their khanqahs or hospice was a place of refuge for all irrespective of race, religion or class. Even gender diffrenciation was not made. Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya had said for Bibi Fatima bin Sam, also called Delhi’s Rabia, “When the lion has come out of the forest, nobody asks if it is male or female.”
We need that healing touch in religion once more so that we can give up the extreme positions that so many are taking up in their lives.
The Prophet had warned “And beware of going to extremes in religious matters, for those who came before you were destroyed because of going to extremes in religious matters.” (Sahih)