Reward of Chastity
Submitted by Mohammed Gilani on
مَنْ عَشِقَ فَعَفَّ وَكَتَمَ ثُمَّ مَاتَ فَهُوَ شَهِيدٌ
“The person that falls in love, conceals
(his love and desire) and remains chaste
(and pure from the sin) and thus dies
(in this state of purity); he will be (regarded as) a Shaheed (Martyr).” (Hadith)
(At-Tasaneef - Hakeemul Ummat Thanwi)
The physical martyr attains the glory of Shahadat once, at
the hands of the enemy, whereas the Saalik, the symbolic
martyr, his struggle and tussle with the rebellious Nafs is a
life long battle.
Do not be frightened of this striving. Be prepared to control
this sorrow your whole life. This is what ashiqi (being on
ardent lover) is all about- that you should place the neck of
every desire of your Nafs under the sword of Allah Ta'ala’s
command!
"I am being slaughtered by the sword of your commandment. My martyrdom is not in indebted to a dagger."
You should happily bear whatever difficulty
there is in not allowing yourself to sin and in protecting your
eyes. This is a martyr fighting in Jihad-e-Akbar (the greatest
jihad). Even though he is alive, continuous martyrdom is
taking place internally.
It is for this reason that Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) has designated
Jihad with the disbelievers as “Jihade-Asghar” (The small Jihad)
and that of combating the unruly Nafs as “Jihade-Akbar”
(The great Jihad).
To become a martyr once under the sword of a disbeliever is
easy. In this great jihad, one is forced to waver the sword of the
divine commands over one’s evil desires his whole life.
In the physical battle, the Muslim world sympathizes upon the
flowing of the Mu’min’s blood. In the spiritual realm, Allah Ta'ala alone witnesses the terrific struggle between the
Mu’min and his Nafs, Allah Ta'ala greatly appreciates
this sincere and noble sacrifice and He will cause such a heart
to outshine the brilliant sun on the Day of Reckoning.
“Perfection of love is not to die, but to live dying (i.e. breaking
your desires)"
(Hazrat Shah Hakeem Muhammad Akhtar Saab Rahimahullah)