That being whose existence was a shadow of God’s mercy for us has departed from this world. On the morning of January 19, 1986, my respected father passed away. He always desired to leave this world on his own feet. Allah fulfilled his wish. He went to sleep with no one suspecting that he would not see the next morning. He woke up for the Tahajjud prayer, as usual, and performed his ablutions. It was apparent that he was having some difficulty breathing. We all gathered around him. We thought he would recover, but this breath was not to be steadied. He stood by the bed. We saw that he probably wanted to lie down. I helped him; he laid his head on the pillow, and within moments, he was no more.
His journey of life began with the 20th century. He was about 22 years old when he stepped into the valley of mysticism. Then, for his whole life, he remained an epitome of loyalty with steadfastness. He never sought an easy way out of what he believed to be the religion. He had an exceptionally strong relationship with his Sheikh (mentor). Sometimes, with deep pain and passion, he would recite the verse:
In youth, the love occurred, and what had to happen, happened.
ناہو جو سی گیا ہو ئیلگا یتپر وھچیٹ رمعے
There was a distance like that of the earth and sky between his views and mine. He tried to convince me of his point of view, and I presented the perspective of the Quran and Sunnah before him. Sometimes this would lead to debates, but by the grace of Allah, our mutual relationship never deteriorated. It was as if the situation was:
He was always close to me. Indeed, I was not able to fulfill my duty of serving him, but there is no doubt that he fully fulfilled the right of his love. His ancestral profession was landowning. After the demise of my grandfather, he developed an interest in medicine. Then, he dedicated himself to it. He spent very little of what he earned on himself and his family. He often dedicated everything he had to his Sheikh. He remained detached from every worldly possession, content and steadfast in every state of happiness or sorrow. He would leave in the morning and often return in the evening. When I saw him outside, I sensed that he was only interested in travelling, without caring about destination. It was as if his was saying:
Just as he used to sit down for a few moments with anyone he met along the way, in the same way, he sat, and his journey ended. We certainly do not know when our journey will end, but we do know that it will indeed come to an end. The greatest reality of this realm is that:
[1986].
یمہک در اہنتی دوری ہشیمہ اب او
ستاعتبق زنمل ام وادی اخوماشن ا
ہب آایشں ہن منیشن ز ذلت رپواز یمجو لب بر ےہگ ہب اشخ ملگ، اگہ
Despite such a distance between us, I was always with him.
In the end, our destination is the valley of silence
In the nest, I would not sit, for the delight of flying Sometimes on the branch of a flower, sometimes on the edge of a brook