There are some murids that I would like to give my right hand to. When it comes to work in the cause of Islam, they never have any excuses or explanations or justifications for not doing the work. They also have jobs, have family commitments and the normal disturbances in their lives. It doesn’t matter where they have to go. They do this even if they have to make special arrangements in their homes for their children, but they go. They are the salt of our organisation. Without them the organisation will collapse or rather, our work for Islam will collapse. There are so many of them like this, and they are prepared to make whatever personal sacrifices are necessary to do the work. Sometimes I tell some of them that I need the establishment of congregational dhikr in some place. Without any contacts or even acquaintances in that area, they devise ways and means of getting people together to remember Allah Almighty. So many times I do this. Not on a single occasion have those people moaned or groaned about the kind of request I make from them. I want all of you to understand that this organisation is plotting for itself a path with regard to Islamic activity that has never been done before in this country. In my study of the history of this community, I have not found a single case of the systematic sending of people to different parts of this country, especially the poorer areas, to raise the banners of Islam, especially the remembrance of our Lord. I have not found this, and this is because it has never happened. This is the reason for my not understanding the reluctance of people, despite their pledges, to raise their hands when work for Islam is mentioned. I cannot understand this because our commitment to Allah Almighty, His Messenger (ﷺ) and His Message should be of such a quality that it will drive one to want to work in the Cause of Islam. I mention this to you because I want you to understand that there is no easy route for spiritual attainment. Look at our history and look at those who have attained and look at the work that they did. I do not know whether there is a single individual who attained high stations by his Lord without effort for Islam. I do not think so.
If I run my mind over some of our forefathers such as Shaykh Yusuf, Tuang Abduraghman, Tuang Guru and Tuang Mahmud, and the many others, there are considerable historical records that these people attained from Allah Almighty because of hard work for Islam. This is the rule.
There is no other rule. In modern times people like Shaykh Hisham Kabbani, Mawlana Fazlur Rahman Ansari and Mawlana Abdul Alim Siddiqi are examples of people who left their homes for long periods of time to work for Islam.
I know many of you feel incompetent. There was a time when I also felt like that but if each one tries to at least make his or her presence felt at our gatherings, whatever their nature, then it is a good beginning. Being involved in this work, helps to strengthen one to be involved in other ways. You are not going to find the kind of work that we are doing on our path anywhere else in this country. People wouldn’t dare to take this kind of responsibility on their shoulders. We have done it successfully; all that must be done now is for people to piggy-back on the work of others.
I sometimes look at the faces of murids who have just delivered a little talk or introduced a little dhikr and it is almost as if I can see the satisfaction in their hearts for what they had just done. Look at some of your growth. Would you have ever imagined that you are in fact capable of delivering talks on Islam to people? Or that you could lead a congregational dhikr? Can you not see what is happening to you? Can you not see the growth? There are some who do not wish to grow. They always hide themselves or do not turn up at certain gatherings. They are like children at schools who play truant and imagine they have made a major contribution to their education. I look at how hopeless some of you were when you started and I look at you today, and I feel so proud. I can send some of you anywhere in the world and you would not disgrace yourselves. Are you not pleased with what Allah (ﷻ) has already granted you? The others who play truancy should think hard about what they are missing. I am writing this to you as I always say, because I would like each murid to walk with us and do with us what we are doing. Perhaps this is an impossible request but there have been other requests, which were in the realm of the impossible and which some of you are doing now. Come, hold hands with us and learn to do things which you thought you were incapable of. Come, I am waiting.
[Letters to Seekers on the Spiritual Path Vol 2 – Unpublished 2012]
