[mhafeez]

41. Ahmed Bin Al-Antaki

He was among famous learned personalities and he was a firm believer in Allah. Due to his longer life he met many saints and he saw the period of many pious persons. He was famous for his wisdom and physiognomy. So great pious person Suleiman Dari called him the detective of heart. He left behind many of his sayings.

Some body asked him “Do you have fondness of Allah”. He replied “Fondness is required for the absent one but Allah is present for every moment.” He told there are three stages for the knowledge of Allah”.

First is to prove the oneness of Allah.

Second to leave every thing except Allah.

Third to think that no body can fulfill the duties of Allah because unless Allah grants the light of knowledge no body can get the light of knowledge.

The sign of love of Allah is that to reduce his worship but to increase more thinking about Allah and to sit silently in the loneliness. Not to feel joy for the happiness and also not to be dis-hearted for any grief. He told “Prophet Younus (peace be upon him) thought that Allah will not be angry with him but for him Allah sent a great difficulty on him.”

One should seek the company of pious persons with great respect. He told “There are four ways of mysticism.”

1. To have faith in Allah.

2. To be away from the mankind.

3. To speak sincerely.

4. To bear the hardships of endurance for the right way.

A person will have fear and shyness according to his level of knowledge of Allah. The silence is tool of cleanliness of the heart. The wise person is one who is grateful for the grace of Allah. He told “Belief is the gift of light of Allah with which one can observe the affairs of the next world as there will be no curtains for him.” He advised for the worship of Allah by keeping away from the mankind and while thinking the presence of Allah.”

For the cleanliness of heart the following five things are required. 1. To seek company of pious persons.

2. To read holy Quran.

3. Starvation.

4. Night prayers.

5. Weeping in the morning time.

The name of justice is firmness.

One, the justice which is done with mankind and second, justice which we do with Allah. It means to obey Allah’s orders with firmness. He told Allah says “Your wealth and children are problems for you”. But we ourselves are more problem makers than wealth and children.” He used to teach his followers in the best possible way. One night suddenly his 29 disciples came over to his house. So he asked to put cloth on the ground for eating bread for them and put pieces of bread on it as there was shortage of bread in the house at that time. Then he asked them to sit and eat the bread and he took away the lamp from there. After some time he brought the lamp and saw that the all pieces of bread were there before every person and no body ate any piece of bread due to selflessness.