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ISLAMIC DISCOURSES
The Ant
By Maulana Abdul Salaam
There are different types of Ibaadah. The purpose of Ibaadah / worship is to gain closeness to Allah. If someone is doing Ibaadah and he is not getting close to Allah, then his Ibaadah is useless. Something is wrong with it. It is devoid of something.
The purpose of Ibaadah is to rise, to go closer to Allah, to get closeness to Allah, to gain Allah's pleasure.
There is one Ibaadah, which is so great, it is a short cut to reach Allah. A person may spend his day in doing alot of Nafl Salaah, reciting alot of Tilaawah / Quraan or engage himself in plenty of Dhikr. All of this is good.
However, there is one way which is a short cut method to gaining closeness to Allah and to have Allah's pleasure to descend upon a person. This was narrated from a teacher in Bangalore, Hazrat Maulana Sheikh Miraan Saahib (NM).
He said that these were the words of Hazrat Shah Waliyullah Ad-Dihlawi (R). The short cut way / method to reach Allah is that a person should sit down and meditate. His meditation should be about the Ummah of Muhammad (SAWS). His meditation should be about mankind in general. So he sits down in a corner somewhere and he begins to do this meditation, about the Ummah of Muhammad (SAW), and about mankind in general, those invited and those answering the invitation, the whole Ummah. He begins to create this worry in his heart, about the condition of Muslims.
It is so sad today, that if the non-believers look at Muslims and the lives that Muslims lead, they would be turned away from Islam.
We are suffering from the diseases of hypocrisy, of show for reputation and name and fame, so much so that we leave out what is permissible and perform what is forbidden.
So the person sits down and contemplates about the Ummah, about the condition of the Ummah, and he creates this worry in his heart, he has now created in his heart, the quality of well wishing for the Ummah. He wants good for the Ummah. He wants good for the whole of mankind. He is worried about them. He is concerned about them. He is concerned about the condition of the people in general, of the whole Ummah of Muhammad (SAW), those inviting and those answering the invitation. He creates this sincere worry, from the depth of his heart. Then he makes a promise that he will do in his own way whatever he can do to help himself and the Ummah, even though it may only be a small drop.
As we have heard, the bird which was carrying one drop of water in its beak to help extinguish the fire in which Ibraheem (A.S) was thrown into, that was the effort of that bird - one drop. Yet it was an effort.
So he makes a firm intention that he will do whatever he can, and so he stands up now for the service of Deen to do whatever he can do.
This is the way a person will reach Allah in a very short space of time.
When a person develops this quality, his heart, begins to resemble the heart of Rasoolullah (SAWS), and the Prophet's heart was a heart full of worry, grief, and concern for the Ummah.
'Perhaps you are going to destroy yourself over them because of grief, because of worry, if they do not believe in this occurrence'
As such, a person's heart now begins to resemble the heart of Rasool (SAWS).
Hazrat Shah Waliyullaah (NM) says this method will bring a person very close to Allah because now a person is not worried about himself alone. If we do not adopt this quality then what difference is there between us and the sheep and goats? Sheep and goats do not harm anyone, they don't cause trouble to anything. They eat, they graze in the fields, they care for their young. Their whole lives revolves around themselves and and their young.
We have become like sheep - eating, caring for out family, our homes, concerned about food, about working. That is all that life is about for us- about me, my wife, my children, my home, and food. So we have become like sheep.
However when a person begins to worry about mankind, about the Ummah, and creates that worry and concern and he thinks about their conditions and he makes up his mind with the firm intention and resolution to do something about it, to work and do something for Deen – then his heart resembles that of Rasool (SAWS) and Allah will accept that from him.
To prove this point, there is a very beautiful incident mentioned in the Holy Quran, in Sura Naml, about the Ant.. When you hear the story of the ant, you will understand how great this worry and concern, this well wishing for others, how great a quality this is. Such a quality it gives you Jannah.
We go back to the days of Sulaimaan (A.S), the son of Dawood (A.S). You must understand that there were four great kings who ruled the world. Their empire extended from the East to the West and to the North to the South. Their Kingdom was the entire world. They were the four greatest kings of the world.
Two of them were believers, and two were disbelievers. The two believers were Hazrat Sulaimaan (A.S), and Dhul Qarnain, whose empire was from the East to the West and the North to the South. The two kaafir kings, whose empire extended over the whole world also were Namrud, the king in the time of Ibraheem (A.S), and Bukhtu Nassar.
Sulaimaan (A.S) was one of these great kings, and he was from the believers and Allah had blessed Sulaimaan (A.S).
Allah revealed concerning this incident:
'And there was gathered / assembled for Sulaimaan, his forces/ armies (which comprised of) the Jinaat, and the man, and the birds, and they were all in ranks.'
This was an incident when Sulaimaan (A.S) was upon one of his travels. They were all arranged in such a way that the first one was kept in front and the last one was kept behind, they would be in ranks and in order so that no one will overstep the other. There was uniformity in the ranks. First, second, third, all arranged. What a beautiful sight that was, no creature overtaking another, but there was complete order.
They were going along in this way, with his army of men, Jinaat and the birds.
'Until when they came upon the valley of the ants.'
It is in the commentary of Jalaalain that this valley was in Taaif, and according to one commentary, it was in Shaam.
'One ant said: Oh ants! enter into your homes / dwellings (move quickly), do not let Sulaimaan and his armies (of the Jinaat and the Human beings and the horses) crush / trample over you while they are not aware (of this)'
Who was this ant? It is mentioned in the Tafseer of Jumal that this ant, she was the queen of all the ants of that valley. She was a lame ant and she possessed two wings. She was the queen of the ants in that valley. She had that concern for her colony so she did the conveyance and conveyed the message to her army. She had well wishing and interest and she was looking out for the rest of the ants in the valley, She was not concerned about herself or only those close to her. She was concerned about the ant kingdom, about the valley of the ants. Such a genuine concern. She was worried that harm should come to them. She wanted that they should be saved and should not be trampled upon by Sulaimaan (A.S) and his army. That was the worry an insect had!
Allah loved that act very much, so much so that in Tafseer of Jumal it is mentioned that this ant is one of the animals that will enter Jannah.
Another animal that will enter Jannah is Qitmeer, the dog of the companions of the cave.
Imagine some animals will be entering Jannah, while there are some unfortunate human beings who will not enter Jannah. Imagine an ant entering Jannah, while some unfortunate, wretched human beings will be entering the fire.
The author of Jumal went on to mention that this queen of the ants who uttered this statement, this ant who was lame and possessing two wings, who had this concern and worry for the rest of the ants, genuine worry, who told her colony:
'Oh ants enter your dwellings, let not Sulaimaan (AS) and his forces crush you in such a state that they are not aware of it.'
Allah loved that worry so much that this ant will be of those animals which will enter Jannah. Allah loved this statement so much because it showed concern and genuine worry.
Sulaimaan (A.S) was three miles away from this valley, but what a great king he was. The wind was under his command, he could understand the language of the birds, of the Jinaat, of the ants - What a great kingdom he had. Three miles away, on this journey of his, three miles away from the valley of the ants, yet he heard that statement. The wind took the statement of the Queen of the ants, in the valley of the ants, to the ears of Sulaimaan (A.S) three miles away, and he heard it he being a Nabi, a Prophet of Allah.
'Sulaimaan (A.S) smiled laughingly.'
Hazrat Jalaaluddeen (A.R) says Sulaimaan (AS) began to smile in the beginning but he ended up laughing as a result of the statement of this ant.
Sulaimaan (AS) at that time turned towards Allah and he was grateful. He turned towards Allah and he said:
'Oh my Lord, give me the ability i.e.: inspire me, to be grateful for Your favors which You have bestowed upon me, and which You have bestowed upon my parents, and Oh my lord, give me the ability / inspire me to practice good deeds (such deeds that You will be pleased with) and enter me through Your mercy / grace, amongst Your righteous servants. (referring to the Prophets and friends of Allah)’
We should learn this lesson and learn it for life. This is what gives us our distinctive position in this Ummah as being an honorable and noble Ummah.
Allah has said that we are the best of nations.
Muslims should not feel embarrassed when they are on the streets. If you are in the airport, in a ship, in a train station, in the market, do not feel embarrassed that people are looking at you and are saying - What strange people these are! Do not feel inferior!
You are the best of mankind! When you walk the streets, always remember that you are the best of mankind. But there should be not pride. You should walk the streets with concern in your heart for the people because Allah has said that you are the best nation that has been taken out for the benefit of mankind, to show people, to teach people.
We are the trendsetters. We are not copy cats. We are the best of all nations that has been taken out of the betterment and for the guidance of mankind. What is that quality which makes us the best Ummah?
'You will command people with righteousness, and you will stop them from wrong things, and you will have firm faith in Allah.'
Allah mentions Imaan last here. This is so because all the other nations had Imaan, but this Ummah has been given a distinctive quality and that is through commanding righteousness and stopping wrongdoings. As such, these have been mentioned even before Imaan. This is the quality which distinguishes this nation from all other nations and makes this the best of all the Ummah. This quality of concern for mankind is our distinguishing trademark. You see people doing wrong things, you stop them. You command them with righteousness. You give them invitations. You are concerned about the people. You do not want them to go to Jahannam. You do not want them to be thrown into the Hellfire. You are worried.
Our mission in this life is like that of the Rasool (SAWS) and that is to save ourselves and our families from the fire. It is also to save others. To be concerned about others. To want goodness for them. Just as that ant was worried and concerned.
The name of that ant, the Queen of the ants, was name Mundhira - the one that warns. And according to one narration, her name was Taaka – Obedience. She was the embodiment of obedience.
Let us also try to become like this ant which had the concern for her valley of the ants and as a result of this worry and concern, she was granted Jannah.
If we develop this worry and true concern for the Ummah and try to do something to help the condition of this Ummah, Allah will grant His guidance, we shall receive Jannah, and many others will also receive Jannah. Ameen.
May Allah give us all the Tawfeeq to practice and to propagate His blessed Deen.
Ameen.
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