Bismillahir
Rahmaanir Raheem
From
"For Friends" - Discourses of Maseehul Ummat, Hadhrat Moulana
Muhammad
Maseehullah Khan Saheb (RA), Part 10
"There
are children sitting in front of me. They are busy making friends.
Take note of
what type of friendship you should have and with whom.
THE STORY
One youngster started coming home very late.
Several days passed in this manner. One day the father asked, 'Son, you come
home late every day. Where do you go?'
The son replied, 'Abbajan, I have a friend. I visit
him every day. We sit and talk.
That is why it gets so late.'
The father said, 'Really? Does one still find
friends in this age? I was under the impression that friends existed in
previous times. What use is a friend these days? Are there really such friends
in this age?'
The son replied, 'Yes, Abba! He is such a friend,
one who says that he will shed his blood where my perspiration drips!'
The father said, 'Very well. Tomorrow, when you go
visit him, take me with.'
The following evening the father deliberately
delayed setting off, with the result that it was past the normal time of his
visit when they reached the friends house.
The front door was locked. The son knocked, and
also called out to his friend. After having called out several times, the
friend, from inside the house, asked, 'Who is it?'
The son replied, 'It is I, your friend (mentioning
his name)'.
The friend said, 'Oho! You have come rather late.'
He came and opened the door.
Before the son could say a word, this friend of
his, the one who had said that he was prepared to shed his blood where the
son's perspiration drips, quickly spoke, 'I slept rather late. I'm still
feeling very drowsy. At this moment my tabiyet does not feel at all right. I
ask to be forgiven.'
So saying, he closed the door and latched the chain
again, and went back inside.
The father spoke, 'You had said that he is your
friend. How has he turned out to be? Come. Let me show you. I have a friend
living nearby. I have gone old, and so has he. I have not visited him for
several years. Come. Let us go to him. Then you can judge for yourself.'
So saying, they set off again. When they reached
the father's friend's house, the father called out to his friend. Immediately
the friend replied from inside, 'Hang on. I'm coming! Its many years since you
have visited me!'
Kindly note that the son's friend did not recognise
the voice of his nightly visitor,
but the father's friend immediately
recognised who it was, even after
a lapse of several years!
After a short delay the door opened, but what a
spectacle the friend presented!
On his head was a dish, in his one hand he held a
bag, and in the other hand a staff (lathi). After Salaam and formalities were
over, the father asked his friend, pointing to the items he was carrying, 'What
is all this?'
The friend replied, 'I thought to myself, My friend
has come, after such a long time, at such an odd hour! He must be in some
difficulty!
It is possible that he is impoverished and hungry. So this dish
contains some food. I shall feed him from this.
Or, it may be possible that
somebody he owes money to, has made life difficult for him.So, this bag
contains some money to give to him.
Or, it may be possible that some enemy is
after him, and a fight is imminent. So, this lathi will serve some use. Dear
friend! I'm somewhat old, but Ill still be able to dish out a shot or two!'
The father reassured him, 'There is no fight, there
is no debt, and I am not famished. This here is my son. He has found himself a
friend. I have seen this friend of his. So, now I have brought him to see my
friend.'