[YA_RASOOLALLAH]

Assalamu Alaykum,

What is the origin of the story of Layla and Majnu?

I've heard reference to it in lectures.

Is it even real or a mere ideal love story?

Note- I'm not asking what the story is, so don't post the story.

[Know-the-Ledge]

It's not a real story, rather an anecdote which is based on real experiences.

The origin is propbably as old as civilisation itself and the anecdote is used to illustrate the lust that two lovers have for each other and the lengths that each is willing to go, in order to attain that love from the other partner.

The tale tells of the hardship the two lovers must endure and the adversity they face, in this adversity they find patience and perserverance which shows the extent of obstacles that a lover will cross without losing his love for the loved.

The story is now used as an analogy to express love, courage and resilience in the face of adversity and what these emotions do to a person. 


The story is used by sufis because one of the underlying themes that runs in this story, is that the two lovers try to create imaginary world void of time.  There love is constant over time and is eternal. They are said to be 'junoon', which is a state which transcend the trancsient material of the world.

Sufis have the same love of Allah, constant over time, never ending, always lasting. Transcending beyond the material realm. Sufis do not use analogies and illustration of their love for Allah which have inconstant themes.

[k847guns]

i thought it was a made up story from books written in the south asian middle eastern areas. i heared many stories as such written in the indian text but withere its true or not i do not now.

[s4mr4h_78]

Didn't it originate from the arabs??



hmm and does anyone know the actual story?



to think it of there are alot of similar anecdotes with different characters, but I think they are from asia (e.g. heer ranja etc lol)

[Major-Screw-Loose]

Ain't Layla Majnu the same as Rome & Juliet which was written by William Shakesphere some 2 million years ago?

However if Layla Majnu is same as Romeo & Juliet, as far as I'm concerned all I can say is I feel Romeo & Juliet (layla majnu) are nothing more than a tale about between boyfriend and girlfriend.

I don't understand why we find the names Layla Majnu/Heer Ranja (Romeo & Juliet) popping up from people of or country such as Pakistan when none of this isn't even part of Islamic religion or traditions or something but its just a story between a dude Homer Simpsons and his bird Maggie or in other words, between Boyfriend and girlfriend.

Hmm.... I wonder if the story is a 'Happily Ever After' one. lol

[Imran.]

Oh dear.......!

More wonderous theories of supposition.Layla and majnu(Qais) were real people,and very blessed indeed.

There is no lust about it,the story told these days is not how it was.

I'll leave it there, for fear of being attacked by skeptical extremists. 

[Major-Screw-Loose]

Originally posted by: Imran

Oh dear.......!More wonderous theories of supposition.Layla and majnu(Qais) were real people,and very blessed indeed.There is no lust about it,the story told these days is not how it was.I'll leave it there, for fear of being attacked by skeptical extremists. PS Anyone interested can ask via PM.

Brother Imran, may be I may have made a slight mistake in my post above and if I said anything wrong regarding layla Majnu, I would like to apologse to all those affected.  I didn't know Layla Majnu were blessed and all that.

Yours faithfully,
Seat Belts On.

[eshar]

salaams brothers and sisters just my 2 cents just the other night my dad and i spoke of this we heard a qawaali song from aasif ali khan and i ask my dad to interpret some stuff and the song was about Layla and Majnu My dad told me it like Romeo and Juliet. Majnu was so in love with layla he did not care even if people called him to do things he did not bother. Once person told Allah is calling you and majnu told that person if Allah wants me he should talk through layla. My dad told me be very careful when you interpret this. If this is miss interoperated this the people would say it's shirk. my father also then related the story of shams when he through the rose at Abdul haq and Abdul haq said the stones that people threw at me did not hurt as much as the flower you threw at me and Abdul haq told him I though you would understand. Please make me maaf if I have twisted any fact.I do stand under correction as my father and I have not completed this discussion This was just a brief of what we spoke of.

[Rafeel]

Layla and majnu(Qais) were real people,and very blessed indeed.

Yes indeeed !
Majnu's name was Qais and he was from the banu amir tribe. His mother breastfed Imam Hasan (as) so that makes Imam Hasan (as) his Doodh Shareek Bhai.

Syedi Ala Hazrat Pir Mehr Ali shah has written about Majnu in Mehr e Muneer and Malfoozat Mehria.

Once Laila was distributing Khairaat to Faqeers. Majnu also dressed up as Faqeer to take khairaat and see his beloved Layla. Ghalib writes

badal kar faqerron ka, hum bhais ghalib,
tamasha e ahle karam dekhte hain.

Laila gave every faqeer something but when Majnu's turn came, she took the bowl from him and threw it on the wall breaking it.
Seeing this, Majnu began to do Raks (dance in ecstasy). People asked why ? He said She gave every one of you something but nothing to me which means I have something in me, she has something in her heart for me which is why she treated me like this.

Molana Rum quotes this and says

Allah apne mehboob bando ko aise dukh deta hai phir bhi woh khush rehte hain

(Allah sometimes gives pain to test us, and the awlia accepts everything happily without any complain)

True sufism !

[YA_RASOOLALLAH]

Manju's name was Qais and he was from the banu amir tribe. His mother breastfed Imam Hasan (as) so that makes Imam Hasan (as) his Doodh Shareek Bhai.

Really? I was totally unaware. Subhan Allah.
Could I please have more information.

[Know-the-Ledge]

I'm very skeptical about the so called 'real' Layla and Majnu.  The characters have been potrayed throughout civilisation, you can find them in every culture, dating back centuries.

At some point, reality has been blurred with fantasy and fable.  The analogy fits the sufi and his love for Allah like a glove, which is why it may have been 'hijacked' and then later at some point given root in real events such as this person Qais you/they talk about.


Few changes and adaptations to align with sufi poetry and lessons, interpolating and taking away and voila! You've got a fantastic piece of literature which subsequent generations will think is real, missing it's abstract beauty.

[Major-Screw-Loose]

Was there any relationship between Layla and Majnu, if so what kind of relationship?

Were they married which is why someone mentioned above: "Majnu also dressed up as Faqeer to take khairaat and see his beloved Majnu"?

What is khairaat?

Was Majnu a faqeer? And why did he dress up as faqeer?

And please explain what faqeer is and if there more than one meaning to word 'faqeek or fakir'.

Please clarify what is it that Layla had in her heart as a brother stated above: "she has something in her heart for me which is why she treated me like this".

I am asking these questions for the sake of correct understanding and so that none of us or any one gets the wrong impression or idea regarding Layla & Majnu.

Was Layla also part of Sufism or something and what about Majnu?

Has the name or word Majnu got any connections with word Majnoon and what would majnu and majnoon mean?

Were Layla and Majnu holy persons and wali-Allah or something?

Ebrahim Shar stated in his post:
Once person told Allah is calling you and majnu told that person if Allah wants me he should talk through layla.

This is where I get confused. I wish to know if the above is actually true, then why did or would Majnu say that Allah should talk to Majnu through Layla?  What's this supposed to mean?  Please clarify.

And if Layla Majnu have something to do with Islam, how come the masjids, madrassahs, molvies, Imams, murshids, pirs, scholars, Sheikhs, Ulamas, Qari's, Muftis, etc don't talk or discuss on the issue about Layla Majnu to the students or public? 
No wonder majority of the public do not know the truth about the story behind Layla & Majnu.

I've never seen any literature, publications or recordings nor have I been in a speech where an Ulama or scholar or Pir sahibs or any Islamic organisation/masjids have written or talked about Layla & Majnu.

[s_a_qadeer]

Originally posted by: Sag-e-Darbar Jilani

badal kar faqerron ka, hum bhais ghalib, tamasha e ahle karam dekhte hain.

SubhanAllah Ghalib. Can you please post some of his well known sher's like the one you have posted. I will be greateful Laila gave every faqeer something but when Majnu's turn came, she took the bowl from him and threw it on the wall breaking it. Seeing this, Majnu began to do Raks (dance in ecstasy). People asked why ? He said She gave every one of you something but nothing to me which means I have something in me, she has something in her heart for me which is why she treated me like this.

Shaykh ul Islam Dr. Tahir ul Qadri quoted this story in one of his great Lectures. Molana Rum quotes this and says

Jazakallah Khair for sharing this

[YA_RASOOLALLAH]

[I am asking these questions for the sake of correct understanding and so that none of us or any one gets the wrong impression or idea regarding Layla & Majnu.

I think it will help if someone could post the story of Layla & Majnu

[Major-Screw-Loose]

Originally posted by: Seat Belts On

And please explain what faqeer is and if there more than one meaning to word 'faqeek or fakir'.

Sorry, I meant to write faqeer, not faqeek.  My apologies.

[objective-enquirer]

QAIS JO EK DEEWANA THA AB DUNYA MEIN MAUJOOD NAHIN
LAIKIN USS KI YAAD KA CHARCHA SEHRA SEHRA HOTA HAI.

[k847guns]

the above reply is correct if someone could post the story of layla and majnu or its were its orgains came from. to me its just a fairy tale and in better words lets just say bollywood

[laila-]

yeh maybe posting the real stroy of layla majunu will help us get a better understanding of why the sufis mention them. so can someone post the story please?

[Imran.]

It is not compulsory to believe whether they exhisted or not, neither is anybody forcing anyone else to do so.

It is not a part of ones imaan to have a certain belief in these 2 personalities,nor will one be questioned about it.

We only post what we have derived from the sayings (malfuzat) of some one who was undoubtedly a mujaddid and the Gous of his time(when he was asked about these personalities)

The story as it goes may be plagiarised from real the events,but our point is to highlight that these people actually exhisted and are not made up.

Apart from what brother sage darbar e jilani has stated in his post,it is known from malfuzat e mehria that the mother of Qais was infact a servant in the household of the hadrat Imam Hassan (Alahe Salam), and that both the imam hassan (Alahe Salam) and Qais grew up as friends and it was during a journey together that imam hassan(Alahe Salam) actually gave Qais the title of majnu himself(lovingly and in a joking manner) due to Qais's "obsession".

This would mean both Qais and layla were tabiee's(if true).

Note:Hadrat mehr Ali shah (Radi Allah Anhu)  does not actually give his own research in regards to above but rather states what he read in a book during his student days,but does not deny any of it either,but rather thinks this according to him is possibly the closest we can know of the history of layla and majnu, due to him rejecting(not accepting) another view that these 2 were actually pre-islamic era personalities, at the same time.

Allah knows best.

PS If someone wants to believe it was bollywood stuff(as if bollywood really exhisted well over a millenium ago) or if they want to believe that Layla and Majnu(Qais) are fictional characters who's story sufia have "hijacked" to get their point across then fine,the world is big enough to accommodate everybody's views.

There is no compulsion to believe in it!

[Tanzela]

salaam brother & sisters

could anybody tell me the islamic view on layla majnu