HADHRAT ABU HAFS HADDAAD (rahmatullah alayh)
1. By profession, Hadhrat Abu Hafs (rahmatullah alayh) was a blacksmith. He has therefore been called Haddaad (Blacksmith). Prior to his reformation he was in love with a beautiful girl. He went to enlist the aid of a famous magician. The sorcerer advised him to abstain from all acts of ibaadat for 40 days. Thereafter, his magic will have the necessary affect on the girl. After 40 days Abu Hafs Haddaad again visited the sorcerer. As much as he endeavoured, the magic was ineffective. The sorcerer said: "You must have rendered some act of Ibaadat hence the ineffectiveness of my magic."
Abu Hafs Haddaad: "I did not worship at all. However, I would remove stone in the pathway to save people inconvenience."
Sorcerer: "Alas! You have refrained from the ibaadat of such a God Who had accepted such an insignificant act of virtue and rendered the magic ineffective. He even overlooked your disobedience of 40 days."
This statement of the sorcerer made a tremendous impact on the heart of Abu Hafs Haddaad. He repented, renounced the world and engrossed himself in Thikrullah.
2. Hadhrat Abu Hafs Haddaad daily earned one dinaar. In the darkness of the night he would give the dinaar to some faqir or throw it into the home of a struggling widow. He distributed his dinars nightly in a way that no one knew who gave the money.
3. One day while in his workshop he heard a blind man reciting a Qur'aanic aayat. The effect of the aayat transported him into a state of ecstasy. He was beyond himself. In this state of ecstasy he removed a red-hot iron from the furnace with his bare hands. Holding it in his hands he instructed his staff to hammer it. All were amazed to observe this miraculous scene. When the state of ecstasy ended, he saw the red-hot iron in his hands. He threw it aside, gave away his workshop and went into complete seclusion. He said: "I had endeavoured much to conceal my condition, but Allah Ta'ala had willed otherwise."
4. He said: "For thirty years I struggled to put into full practice a Hadith, but failed." When asked for the Hadith, he cited: Insert Arabic Man hasanal Islam …
"Of the beauty of a man's Islam is his abandonment of that which does not benefit him."
5. Once Hadhrat Abu Hafs Haddaad went into the wilderness with a group of his mureeds. While lost in the absorption of Allah's remembrance, suddenly a wild buck appeared and settled peacefully in his lap. Hadhrat Abu Hafs wept and the buck left. When a mureed asked for an explanation, Hadhrat Haddaad said: "I thought that if at this time I had a goat I would have been able to give my companions (mureeds) a treat. As this thought passed through my mind the buck came to me."
He was then asked: "When Allah Ta'ala has so much regard for you, why do you weep?"
Hadhrat Abu Hafs replied: "The arrival of the buck by the command of Allah Ta'ala threatened to distance me from the Court of Allah. If Allah Ta'ala had wished goodness for Fir'oun, He would not have fulfilled the wish of Fir'oun by commanding the river Nile to flow."
Explanation: Although Fir'oun claimed to be god, he was fully aware of the existence of Allah Ta'ala. When he was challenged to command the Nile to flow in the opposite direction to prove his claim of godhood, Fir'oun sincerely prayed to Allah Ta'ala to grant his wish. Allah Ta'ala accepted his prayer and the river Nile flowed in the opposite direction. But, Fir'oun remained a kaafir and died a kaafir. Hadhrat Abu Hafs was referring to this episode to illustrate to his mureeds that miraculous events are not always the sign of divine acceptance. The story of Fir'oun brought fear to him, hence he cried when his wish was so swiftly accepted.
6. Whenever Hadhrat Abu Hafs was angered, he would immediately break into light-hearted talk. After his anger subsided, he would revert to serious discussion.
7. A man whose donkey was lost was overcome with grief. Hadhrat Abu Hafs made dua: "O Allah! As long as his donkey is not found, I shall not move a step forward." The donkey immediately appeared.
8. Once in a wilderness, Hadhrat Abu Hafs Haddaad was without water for 16 days. On the 17th day he came across a stream, but did not drink any water. He sat down in contemplation. Coincidentally, Hadhrat Abu Turaab Bakshi (rahmatullah alayh) appeared on the scene and asked: "What are you contemplating?" Hadhrat Abu Hafs replied: "After 16 days I found water today. Now within me is progressing a debate between Ilm and Yaqeen. If Ilm gains the upperhand, I shall drink water. If Yaqeen dominates, I shall abstain and proceed my journey." Hadhrat Abu Turaab commented: "This rank belongs exclusively to you."
9. Commenting on hospitality to the guest, Hadhrat Abu Hafs said that a guest is a messenger sent by Allah Ta'ala, hence kindness to him should be for the sake of Allah Ta'ala.
10. He said:
"He who does not follow the Sunnah nor understands his own evil is not a man."
"Know the calamity of your speech." (Before speaking one should reflect on the contemplated talk and its consequences.)
"Ask Allah for the pleasure of silence so that you spend your life in silence."
"The world is an abode which perpetually involves man in sin."
"Bukhl (miserliness) is to refrain from sacrifice."
"Sacrifice means to accord priority to the rights of others in both Deeni and mundane affairs."
"A noble man is one who is graceful (kind, generous and forgiving) to others while hoping for the grace of Allah."
"A pious man is one who is subservient to the Sunnah and consumes halaal."
"A man who does not consider himself to be evil is arrogant. An arrogant man is ruined."
"Khauf (fear of Allah) is the lamp of the heart by means of which vice and virtue are discerned."
"A man who always searched for the kindness of Allah is never ruined."
"Taqwa is in halaal rizq."
"Tasawwuf is total and perfect respect."
"Abstention from sin after taubah is a true taubah."
"Be obedient to the Chief, Muhammad ( صلى الله عايه وسالم) so that all chiefs become obedient to you."
11. During his dying moments Hadhrat Abu Hafs Haddaad (rahmatullah alayh) said: "One should regret whenever thinking of anyone (besides Allah Ta'ala)."
Abu Hafs Haddaad: "I did not worship at all. However, I would remove stone in the pathway to save people inconvenience."
Sorcerer: "Alas! You have refrained from the ibaadat of such a God Who had accepted such an insignificant act of virtue and rendered the magic ineffective. He even overlooked your disobedience of 40 days."
This statement of the sorcerer made a tremendous impact on the heart of Abu Hafs Haddaad. He repented, renounced the world and engrossed himself in Thikrullah.
2. Hadhrat Abu Hafs Haddaad daily earned one dinaar. In the darkness of the night he would give the dinaar to some faqir or throw it into the home of a struggling widow. He distributed his dinars nightly in a way that no one knew who gave the money.
3. One day while in his workshop he heard a blind man reciting a Qur'aanic aayat. The effect of the aayat transported him into a state of ecstasy. He was beyond himself. In this state of ecstasy he removed a red-hot iron from the furnace with his bare hands. Holding it in his hands he instructed his staff to hammer it. All were amazed to observe this miraculous scene. When the state of ecstasy ended, he saw the red-hot iron in his hands. He threw it aside, gave away his workshop and went into complete seclusion. He said: "I had endeavoured much to conceal my condition, but Allah Ta'ala had willed otherwise."
4. He said: "For thirty years I struggled to put into full practice a Hadith, but failed." When asked for the Hadith, he cited: Insert Arabic Man hasanal Islam …
"Of the beauty of a man's Islam is his abandonment of that which does not benefit him."
5. Once Hadhrat Abu Hafs Haddaad went into the wilderness with a group of his mureeds. While lost in the absorption of Allah's remembrance, suddenly a wild buck appeared and settled peacefully in his lap. Hadhrat Abu Hafs wept and the buck left. When a mureed asked for an explanation, Hadhrat Haddaad said: "I thought that if at this time I had a goat I would have been able to give my companions (mureeds) a treat. As this thought passed through my mind the buck came to me."
He was then asked: "When Allah Ta'ala has so much regard for you, why do you weep?"
Hadhrat Abu Hafs replied: "The arrival of the buck by the command of Allah Ta'ala threatened to distance me from the Court of Allah. If Allah Ta'ala had wished goodness for Fir'oun, He would not have fulfilled the wish of Fir'oun by commanding the river Nile to flow."
Explanation: Although Fir'oun claimed to be god, he was fully aware of the existence of Allah Ta'ala. When he was challenged to command the Nile to flow in the opposite direction to prove his claim of godhood, Fir'oun sincerely prayed to Allah Ta'ala to grant his wish. Allah Ta'ala accepted his prayer and the river Nile flowed in the opposite direction. But, Fir'oun remained a kaafir and died a kaafir. Hadhrat Abu Hafs was referring to this episode to illustrate to his mureeds that miraculous events are not always the sign of divine acceptance. The story of Fir'oun brought fear to him, hence he cried when his wish was so swiftly accepted.
6. Whenever Hadhrat Abu Hafs was angered, he would immediately break into light-hearted talk. After his anger subsided, he would revert to serious discussion.
7. A man whose donkey was lost was overcome with grief. Hadhrat Abu Hafs made dua: "O Allah! As long as his donkey is not found, I shall not move a step forward." The donkey immediately appeared.
8. Once in a wilderness, Hadhrat Abu Hafs Haddaad was without water for 16 days. On the 17th day he came across a stream, but did not drink any water. He sat down in contemplation. Coincidentally, Hadhrat Abu Turaab Bakshi (rahmatullah alayh) appeared on the scene and asked: "What are you contemplating?" Hadhrat Abu Hafs replied: "After 16 days I found water today. Now within me is progressing a debate between Ilm and Yaqeen. If Ilm gains the upperhand, I shall drink water. If Yaqeen dominates, I shall abstain and proceed my journey." Hadhrat Abu Turaab commented: "This rank belongs exclusively to you."
9. Commenting on hospitality to the guest, Hadhrat Abu Hafs said that a guest is a messenger sent by Allah Ta'ala, hence kindness to him should be for the sake of Allah Ta'ala.
10. He said:
"He who does not follow the Sunnah nor understands his own evil is not a man."
"Know the calamity of your speech." (Before speaking one should reflect on the contemplated talk and its consequences.)
"Ask Allah for the pleasure of silence so that you spend your life in silence."
"The world is an abode which perpetually involves man in sin."
"Bukhl (miserliness) is to refrain from sacrifice."
"Sacrifice means to accord priority to the rights of others in both Deeni and mundane affairs."
"A noble man is one who is graceful (kind, generous and forgiving) to others while hoping for the grace of Allah."
"A pious man is one who is subservient to the Sunnah and consumes halaal."
"A man who does not consider himself to be evil is arrogant. An arrogant man is ruined."
"Khauf (fear of Allah) is the lamp of the heart by means of which vice and virtue are discerned."
"A man who always searched for the kindness of Allah is never ruined."
"Taqwa is in halaal rizq."
"Tasawwuf is total and perfect respect."
"Abstention from sin after taubah is a true taubah."
"Be obedient to the Chief, Muhammad ( صلى الله عايه وسالم) so that all chiefs become obedient to you."
11. During his dying moments Hadhrat Abu Hafs Haddaad (rahmatullah alayh) said: "One should regret whenever thinking of anyone (besides Allah Ta'ala)."
