Respect and propriety

 The person who respects Almighty Allah and His friends is accepted as a beloved by Almighty Allah.  That person is included among those who love Almighty Allah.  The further that person progresses in respect and propriety, the higher will that person ascend to the point that respect takes one to the station of vision (Mushahada)

 

Translation of couplet:

 

Respect is a crown of felicity, place it on your head and go wherever you want to

 

We supplicate Allah that may He guide us to be respectful, as the disrespectful ones are bereft of the benevolence of Allah Most High

 

Once Hadhrat Sari Saqati (May Allah shower His mercy on him) was tired because of standing long in the night Salaat (Tahajjud) and sat with his legs extended in the niche of the mosque.  He heard a voice:  O Sari!  Does anyone sit like this in the court of the kings?  Hadhrat Sari Saqati (May Allah shower His mercy on him) said:  O my Lord!  By Your Majesty and Honor, this mistake will not happen again.

 

Friends!  Think carefully what level of propriety is being taught here.  Respect and propriety are very essential and the affairs of the world and the hereafter are set right through them.

 

Anecdote

 

Once Prophet Nuh (May peace be upon him) was going somewhere.  On the way, he saw a dog.  He looked at him with revulsion in his eyes.  The dog spoke up:  Nuh!  Picking out defects in the work of Allah Most High and looking at it with revulsion is a grave impropriety.  Nuh, just think!  If it were in my power, would I have become a dog?  Don’t look at me, look at the One who created me, He who is free of all defects. 

 

On this, Hadhrat Nuh (May peace be upon him) cried a lot.  Thus, he became known as Nuh (one who cries too much).

 

Once, it was raining heavily.  A saint said:  What time is this for rain?  He heard a voice say:  O disrespectful one!  Is rain ever untimely?

 

This chiding had such an effect on the saint that after it, he uttered nothing which could be construed as disrespect in any way.