Thursday, November 4, 2010

Poetry Checked

Once Hazrat Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi (QS) told Hazrat Khwaja Azizul Hasan Sahab Ghauri Majzoob (RA) to not write poetry. Poetry of Khwaja Sahab (RA) was always full of God consciousness but even then this was the injunction. It was very difficult time for Khwaja Sahab (RA). It was like suffocation. Hazrat Thanwi (QS) said that the patient had the fundamental right to change his physician. But Khwaja Sahab (RA) stuck to his Shaikh.

This is an example of diminishing one's own opinion vis-a-vis that of the Shaikh. Later on Hazrat Shah Muhammed Ahmed Sahab Pratapgarhi (RA) will put the same thing more succinctly:

Till you have the guts to drown that opinion of yours,
Why oh why, you drop amongst the people of love?

(Jab tak fana-e-rai ki himmat na pa-ee-ye,
Kyon kar ahl-e-dil ki mehfil mein aa-ee-ye?)

(Tea time on Monday, November 1, 2010)