Never before has the shadow of terror been so thick, dark and encompassing as we see it today. Places deemed to have been impregnable suddenly appear to be vulnerable. There seems to be no end to this mayhem and anarchy. Hundreds perish with a horrifying regularity. Where does one go? No place is safe for man but his own ‘home’.
A mumin is likened to a honey bee, which with the wahye (divine guidance) of Allah Ta´ala sucks nectar from various flowers and produces honey which contains shifaa’ for people. But, before starting on this enterprise, the bees are ordered to build homes on mountains, in trees and on manmade structures. Drawing valuable insights from this instinctual behaviour of bees, Syedna Aali Qadr Mufaddal Saifuddin TUS explained the importance of first creating a home before moving out into the world.
Home is a place where the learning and upbringing of an individual begin. It is the place where beliefs are strengthened, values are instilled, habits are inculcated, character is forged and culture is transmitted. For a mumin it is the nest where seeds of mohabbat for Awliyaa’ Kiraam and Syedna al-Dai al-Ajal TUS are sown. Therefore, before venturing out into the world, in search of knowledge or livelihood, a mumin is to build his home of Imaani beliefs and Fatemi values to which he can return again and again to derive succour, find solace and fortify himself against the assault of pernicious forces pervading the world at large.
A mumin’s house should reflect not just his wealth and aesthetic sense but also boast of his unique identity and spiritual richness. The adornment and furnishing should not just speak of his taste and liking but also of his culture and values. A mumin’s home should be as distinct as his identity. Al-Dai al-Ajal Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin RA, drawing attention to the importance of the culture that should pervade the environment at home, directed mumineen to strictly ensure that their children conversed in Lisaan al-Dawat at home. Young children growing up in the safe haven of the house imbibe the values and beliefs through the culture that is created, consciously or unconsciously, by the elders of the house. And it is this set of values that they will carry outside the house when they step out into the world.
Today, with depravity and debauchery pervading on one hand, and nihilism and misunderstandings escalating on the other, it is the values, beliefs and cultural identity of a mumin that protect him from harm and steer him away from people and places that lure him into the path of destruction. Contained in these values is the khushi of Maula TUS and imbibed in this culture is his invaluable du´aa’ mubarak. Al-Dai al-Ajal Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin RA said, “Wearing a topi on your head will always remind you that your Dai’s shade is on you.” Can there be any assurance of protection more comforting that this?
May Allah grant our Maula, Syedna Aali Qadr Mufaddal Saifuddin TUS a long life till the Day of Qiyaamat.