I wish I could show you, when you are lonely or in darkness, the astonishing Light of your own Being ~ Hafiz
Moulana Yunus Patel Saheb dedicated his life to showing us the light of our own Being. Dedicated his life opening a world of wonder and enchantment to the Seeker. Like a candle that loses none of its light by lighting another, so too was Moulana Saheb.
He was of a rare breed. A man of Understanding. For, many are the Men Learning, few are the Men of Knowledge and fewer yet are the Men of Understanding.
He was of a rare breed. A man of Understanding. For, many are the Men Learning, few are the Men of Knowledge and fewer yet are the Men of Understanding.
I had never met him. Nor had I spoken to him. But I had listened. He spoke simply. No smoke and mirrors. No tricks. His duas in particular, never failed to move me to tears. The yearning in his voice was hard to miss.
Long have I sought a spiritual guide. Long have I lamented the lack of a teacher who would understand me. My needs. And my way of thinking. Until I learnt:
“Be grateful to whoever comes, because each has been sent as a guide from beyond.” ~Rumi
And it was with these eyes, that I looked on Moulana Saheb. I took from him what I needed most. And strangely, he offered what I needed most at just the times at which I needed it.
Alhamdulillah.
To say that a Light has gone out in the world is almost an understatement. He was more than just a light. For those whose lives he transformed, he was a force.
When I heard of his passing, I thought of Rabiah Adawiyyah and of the stories of her death. Of the aayaat:
Oh you contented soul! Return unto your Lord well pleased (yourself) and well pleasing (unto Him). Enter you then among my honoured servants and enter you into my paradise (89:27-30)
I imagined the angels reciting these aayaat as they collected his fragrant soul. And my eyes welled over.
My sister called it: The eloquence of death.
And indeed, death speaks eloquently of the kinds of lives we live.
“There is a candle in your heart ready to be kindled
There is a void in your soul, ready to be filled.
You feel it, don’t you?
~ Rumi
May we continue trying to light that candle. Illuminate our beings. Within
And without…
4 comments:
I've got no idea what this is, but I just wanted to let you know that my name is Saaleha and I'm American. Oh, and I'm not Muslim.
What a beautiful post .I am so inspired by your writing.
Follow each other ,Saaleha.
@Saaleha, it's a post about a Muslim scholar who spent his life helping people find Allah. His passing was an emotional time for me
Izdiher, shall drop by soon :) Thanks for the comment
Salams Saaleha...
Love this post.
I remember, years ago, I fell asleep with Channel Islam still mononloguing quietly in my bedroom-
and dreamt that Ml. Yunus Patel was there saying- why are all your novels and fictional works on your shelves, proudly displayed?
Where's your Quraan and hadeeth books? Wat of the Seerah and the Sahaba?
And I had been waffling in my dream, saying I needed them to be in a safe place, kept away,- and he wasn't buying my argument.
And I woke up- ashamed.
Islam is to be lived. Displayed and picked up and worn out.
Not kept secure and solid on a shelf, only to be dusted on Fridays....
:)
A few years on- and I am So grateful for that dream.
May Allah grant him jannatul firdaus and allow us to keep his memory-and deeds- alive through our own actions, ameen.
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