The Grace of Allah Most High

The Grace of Allah Most High

 

Hadhrat Bayazeed Bustami (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) says:  I didn’t get anything from Salaat except standing (for long periods) and from fasting, I didn’t get anything except hunger.  Whatever I have received is due to the Grace and Benevolence of Allah Most High and not because of my deeds.

 

Efforts do not bear fruit except with the Grace of Allah Most High.  However, this does not mean that the Obligatory, Sunnah and Supererogatory acts must be abandoned.  One should keep performing all this and repose our trust in the Grace of Allah Most High.

 

Hadhrat Abul Hasan Noori (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) says:  Don’t be enamored of your deeds.  The Grace of Allah Most High doesn’t depend on (our) deeds.

 

He relates:  A young man, drunk and with a bare head, was ambling along playing a flute.  When he saw me, he wore a cap and hid the flute under his arm.  I liked this action of the young man.  I brought him to my house, made his bathe and clothed him with a robe.  Then I supplicated:  O Allah!  I have done what I could.  Now please do all that is in Your Power!

 

That young man suddenly achieved such spiritual heights that I was astonished.

 

Hadhrat Abu ‘Uthman Maghribi (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) came (to meet me) at that point.  I related the whole incident to him.  I told him:  I am burning in astonishment like incense in fire.  Those spiritual heights that I labored for my whole life to achieve, Allah Most High gave them, without any demand, to such a drunkard whose mouth still reeks of wine!

 

The fact is that the Grace of Allah doesn’t depend on one’s deeds.

 

[Excerpted from Mawaaiz-e-Hasana]