This is the group
which availed the blessed company of the Prophet (s),
about whom the Qur’an testifies.
What did God say?
Who Were The Ashab e Suffa?
‘wasbir nafsaka'
'You must be patient on those'
Its possible there are many things about them that you may not like.
For example, physical uncleanliness, bad odour, the smell of sweat,
hair matted with sand.
You may not like this, but be patient.
‘wasbir nafsaka ma'al lazeena
yad'oona Rabbahum bilghadati wal'ashiyyi'
'[You must be patient on those] who call upon you Lord from dawn to dusk’.
And then what did God say?
‘yureedoona Wajhahoo'
'And they seek to witness him…’
‘wa laa ta'du 'aynaaka 'anhum'
'Do not avert your eyes from these people…’.
This is what God said to the Prophet (s) in regard to those
who had left their families in the love of the Prophet (s).
In the same way that you had witnessed in Kotri Sharif.
Many people left their households
and made abode at the Astana of HDE Gohar Shahi.
They spent their lives there.
Many people.
Similar were those people (Ehl e Suffa).
And you'll be surprised to know,
that all these great names of the companions,
not one of them is from amongst the Ehl e Suffa.
When you find out the true history, you will be baffled.
The Ashab e Suffa would engage in zikr.
Now, how did all of this start?
How did they gain the Prophet’s (s) spiritual attention?
The way this group of people attained the Prophet’s (s) spiritual attention,
well, until that time, they were not notable.
They would come to the mosque one by one,
and their numbers gradually grew.
They would stay and and sit in the mosque.
The mosques back then weren't as they are today;
they would simply fix poles in the ground,
tie a piece of cloth over them
and that would be a mosque.
They would sit there all day in love and reverence.
So, the Prophet's (s) custom was that after finishing salah,
they would lead loud vocal chanting of 'La Ilaha Illa Allah Hoo' (Zikr e Jehr).
This is narrated in Mishkat Sharif.
The wretchd clergymen have changed the religion
and they are misguiding you with fabricated narrations.
So, after salah, the Prophet (s) would lead Zikr e Jehr.
Once the Prophet (s) had recited the Salaam,
he would wait for a while,
and then the Prophet (s) would ask the companions a question.
'Are the remaining [people] our own?'
A companion would reply, 'Yes, Messenger. Everyone here is our own'.
[The Prophet (s) would then say,] 'Okay, lock the door'.
Then they would do Zikr.
Now, I shall present another hadith before you.
The Prophet (s) once said,
'the momin find peace in the mosque
and the hypocrites are restless in the mosque'.
So, there were many individuals
that would run from the mosque right after salah.
Who were they?
What sort of a person
would run from the mosque
when the Prophet (s) is still present there?
Do you see any connection between such a person and the Prophet (s)?
Do you believe they had the Prophet’s (s) love in their hearts?
So, it was in reference to such people that the Prophet (s) would ask,
'Are the remaining [people] our own? Has everyone else left?'
So, after such people had left, the Prophet (s) would lead zikr.
Those who were to become the Ashab e Suffa
would stay because they knew that after salah,
the Prophet (s) shall wait a while for the others to leave,
and once they left, the Prophet (s) would lead zikr.
So then, people began to realise
that the Prophet (s) leads zikr shortly after salah.
So, gradually, those that loved the Prophet (s),
they too would stay back after salah.
And then when the Prophet (s) would finish leading zikr
and would return to their chambers,
these people would go outside, sit on the raised platform
and engage in zikr once again.
So, the souls that loved the Prophet (s)
gradually began to join this group of people.
One day, what happened was...
Now, the Prophet's (s) custom was to lead zikr shortly after salah.
So, the Prophet (s) would lead the salah,
wait a short while, then lead zikr and leave.
However, one day,
those people were sitting on the raised platform outside and they were engaged in zikr
and the Prophet (s) practically ran towards them from their chambers.
And the Prophet (s) asked them,
this is the moment that these individuals earned the spiritual attention of the Prophet (s),
and this is the moment these people were named 'Ashab e Suffa'.
This moment that I am telling you about.
They were fervently engaged in zikr
and the Prophet (s) ran towards them from his chambers
and asked, 'What were you all just doing?'
They said, 'My Master, we were practising Zikr Allah’.
The Prophet (s) asked, 'Really, Zikr Allah? Nothing else? Only zikr?’
They said, 'Yes Master, nothing else'.
The Prophet (s) was astonished and asked the same question again,
‘Really, just zikr? Nothing else?’
They affirmed again, ‘We were doing nothing else. Only zikr’.
The Prophet (s) then said,
'I swear by the Lord in whose ownership is my life,
I was in my room
and I saw the theophanies of God befalling you...
the special divine theophanies,
which is why I ran towards you to find out what you were doing for you to earn the theophanies of God'.
From this point onwards, these individuals had the Prophet's (s) attention,
and the Prophet (s) would often be found sitting amongst them.
Now, these were very poor people.
The land of Mecca at that time...
It is relatively better today,
but there was no air conditioning in those days
nor any stable structures,
there was extreme heat and sand all around.
There would be sand storms,
and due to the heat, people would sweat
and sand would stick to the sweat on their bodies.
You must have seen the Arabs wear long robes.
Why do you think the Arabs wore it?
So that their bodies are fully covered and sand doesn't stick to them.
They also wear a headdress, and why?
Not because Satan would smack their heads.
They do it so that sand doesn't stick to their hair.
That’s why they do it.
Now these people didn't have any house, the would sit there all day.
So, when they would feel hot and sweat,
their hair would become matted with sand
but they didn't care about this.
The Prophet (s) too didn't care about this,
because the Prophet (s) wouldn't observe their outer appearance but their ethereal appearance
and at how merciful God was upon them.
Therefore, the Prophet (s) would sit amongst them every single day.
Now, the so-called great companions in the eyes of the Muslims,
they said something to the Prophet (s).
They said, 'We work on inviting people to the religion all day.
We venture out and tell people about Islam
whilst you just sit amongst these unkempt people.
We have prepared others to accept Islam,
however, they are wealthy people of the Quraysh
and they say,
‘’The Prophet (s) is always sat amongst such dirty people,
how can we listen to the call of Islam sat amongst such people?
We shall not sit with these dirty people.’’'
So, these great companions in the eyes of the Muslims,
they. are not the companions of the Prophet (s).
They are the companions of the Muslims,
who have been blessed this monicker by the Muslims.
These so-called companions...
May the Lord forgive me - taunted the Prophet (s),
'You sit amongst such unkempt people while we serve Islam all day
and when we invite them to see you,
they say to us that although they are ready to heed the message they are not prepared to sit amongst dirty people’.
Now, everyone knows how earnest the Prophet (s) was in regard to Islam.
The Prophet (s) longed for the Muslim populatin to grow.
So, these so-called companions supplied a suggestion.
'Reserve some time for the wealthy people so that you can meet them away from the unkempt people'.
They said this and left, and this is when the Prophet (s) began to think,
'If I meet them elsewhere
and it results in more people becoming Muslim,
then I am prepared to do it for the sake of the religion'.
This thought crossed the Prophet’s (s) mind.
And when this thought went through the Prophet's (s) mind,
this verse was revealed upon the Prophet (s):
‘wasbir nafsaka'
'O Prophet (s), make your lower self patient…’
‘ma'al lazeena…’
‘wasbir nafsaka ma’al lazeena’,
it means be patient with how you feel when you sit amongst them.
‘yad'oona Rabbahum'
'Who call upon your Lord from dawn to dusk…’
‘yuridoona wajhu - and are seeking his countenance…’
‘wa la ta’du ainaka anhum - and let not your eyes waver from them…’
And then [God] said,
‘tureedu zeenatal hayati dunya'
'Have you intended
to render your attention to the prim and proper people only?’
‘Have you intended
to render your attention to those who have attained the adornments of the world, who are well-dressed and perfumed?’
And then [God] said, ‘wa la totay man aghfalna qalbahu an zikrina'
'Do not follow those whose hearts I have made heedless of my zikr'.
These are the individuals that God had
recommended the Prophet (s) to bless with his company.
And not one of the companions recognised by the Muslims was from amongst these individuals.