THE STORY OF TAU-OOS AND THE HAKEEM

.......................................................................................................................

Once a peacock was busy pulling out its beautiful feathers and throwing them away. A Hakeem happened to pass that way. He saw this and asked: "0 Peacock, why are you pulling out such beautiful feathers? What ingratitude is this?"

The peacock replied:
"Don't you see that numerous calamities come to me
From all sides, due to these wings and feathers.
Unjust hunters place traps in all places
Just in order to get hold of these feathers and wings.
When by day I am unable to keep myself
Safe and protected against those calamities and trials,
It is better that I remove those feathers from me
And make my appearance unsightly
So as to make myself without worries in the mountains and
meadows.
It is my opinion that it is more important for me to save my life
than my outer form
For if the life is safe, what harm is there if the form is unseemly?"

Lesson from this Story

This is the reason why the saintly ones keep themselves away from fame and pomp as Moulana explains in another couplet:
"Keep yourself unknown and without name or fame and be like an indigent one So that this condition should keep you far removed from fame For fame takes away all bounds of comfort and brings many calamities in its wake".

However, when Allah himself makes a saintly one famous, then His protection is like a shade over him. The bad form of fame is that form, where a person himself works for it and tries purposely to acquire it.

Haji Imdadullah (R.A.) used to say:
"I am sitting here without name and without any sign.
Who is it that has spread my fame about?"

In annihilating oneself and leading simple lives, our elders found peace and comfort.

I have heard of a story from my Sheikh Hazrat Phulpoori (RA.), that Moulana Qasim Nanotwi (RA.), the founder of Darul Uloom, Deoband was going somewhere dressed in a lungi and a very simple 'kurta' (shirt). A man who saw him dressed so simply considered him a yam spinner. He asked him: "What is. the price of cotton- thread in the market today?" Moulana replied: "I did not go to the market today". He did not say: "Do you consider me a yarn spinner?" because that would have seemed as if there is some insulting reference to the spinners. After all, with Allah the criterion for honour and respect lies only in the "taqwa" that a person has.

.......................................................................................................................

Previous Page | Content Listing | Next Page »

YunusPatel.co.za & YunusPatel.net Please feel free to distribute the content on this website. If you are experiencing any difficulties using this website please contact our Webmaster.