Ihyaaud Deen An Effort to Revive Deen in Totality
The Tawakkul of Hazrat Moulana Ilyaas (rahimahullah) – Part Six
Tawakkul (reliance upon Allah Ta‘ala) in Running the Madrasah in Nizaamuddeen
At the time when Hazrat Moulana Muhammed Ilyaas (rahimahullah) first came to Nizaamuddeen, the area where the musjid was located was uninhabited and surrounded by jungle. The entire area consisted of a simple musjid, a home and a one-room apartment. In the area where the mazaar (grave) of Hazrat Nizaamuddeen Awliyaa (rahimahullah) was located, there were just a few homes which belonged to those who were in charge of the mazaar.
At that time, it was just a few poor students from Mewat and other areas who were studying in the madrasah.
The father of Moulana Muhammed Ilyaas (rahimahullah), Moulana Muhammed Ismail (rahimahullah), first ran the madrasah, and after he passed away, his eldest son, Moulana Muhammed (rahimahullah) replaced him. It was after the demise of Moulana Muhammed (rahimahullah) that Moulana Muhammed Ilyaas (rahimahullah) resigned from his teaching post in Mazaahir-ul-Uloom to settle in Nizaamudeen and see to the deeni needs of the students studying there.
The madrasah in Nizaamuddeen had no fixed income and thus Moulana Muhammed Ilyaas (rahimahullah) and the students often underwent periods of difficulty. The students would themselves collect wood from the jungle. They would then burn the wood and make their own rotis. They had nothing to eat with these rotis besides a little chutney. At times, they could not even make roti, and thus they would live on the wild fruit which grew in the jungle.
On certain occasions, there was no food at all, and Moulana (rahimahullah) would announce to the students, “Today, there is nothing to eat. Those who wish to stay may do so, and if anyone wishes to leave and make alternate arrangements, then he may do so as well.”
However, such was the tawakkul (reliance upon Allah Ta‘ala) and qanaa’at (contentment) which Hazrat Moulana (rahimahullah) had instilled in the hearts of his students that not a single student would leave.
(Hazrat Moulana Muhammed Ilyaas aur un ki Deeni Da’wat pg. 66-67 & 69
Firm Conviction and Reliance on Allah Ta‘ala Providing the Funds
Hazrat Moulana (rahimahullah) had such firm reliance and trust in Allah Ta‘ala that the most difficult of tasks was regarded as easy by him. There was nothing, no matter how big or difficult, that was impossible in his sight.
Hazrat Moulana (rahimahullah) once said to one of his friends, “If you feel confident that the maktab madrasahs will lead to people reforming and improving their lives, then arrange for one thousand maktabs to be established in Mewat, and make this effort your personal responsibility. If you are prepared to do this, then within two days of you informing me of your decision (to go ahead with the project), I will give you the complete funds required to run these makatabs for one year (six hundred thousand rupees). However, the condition is that I should not spend any of my time or effort on these maktabs, rather you should take full responsibility for them. In this way, I will be able to remain dedicated to my effort of Tableegh.”
Hazrat Moulana (rahimahullah) then said to his friend, “You know that I perhaps do not even have six rupees with me at this moment. However, I have yaqeen (firm conviction and belief) if the intention is made to fulfil some work for the sake of Allah Ta‘ala, then Allah Ta‘ala will provide the required amount of money within one day.”
(Hazrat Moulana Muhammed Ilyaas aur un ki Deeni Da’wat pg. 275)
Relying on Allah Ta‘ala to Provide
It is mentioned that Hazrat Moulana Muhammed Ilyaas (rahimahullah) disapproved of a person developing the habit of drinking tea.
Hence, since Moulana’s (rahimahullah) son, Hazrat Moulana Muhammed Yusuf (rahimahullah), and his nephew, Hazrat Moulana In’aamul Hasan (rahimahullah), had the habit of drinking tea, Hazrat (rahimahullah) would discourage them from drinking tea.
One day, when Hazrat Moulana (rahimahullah) returned home, he was informed that his son and nephew had given up their habit of drinking tea, and this news brought him happiness. However, Moulana (rahimahullah) later on came to learn that the reason why they had stopped drinking tea was that the price of tea had increased from three aana to six aana.
Hearing this, Moulana (rahimahullah) was disappointed and exclaimed, “Laa howla walaa quwwata illaabillaah!” Thereafter, he said so them, “There is no need to stop drinking tea due to the price increase. The same Allah Ta‘ala who provided you with tea for three aana will now provide you with tea for six aana.” (Biography of Ml In’aamul Hasan [rahimahullah] 1/227)
Note: Perhaps the reason why Moulana Muhammed Ilyaas (rahimahullah) disapproved of a person developing the habit of drinking tea is that if a person is accustomed to drinking tea and cannot do without it, then in the case where tea is not easily available, it will be difficult for him to manage. This, in turn, will affect his his deeni work. When going out in jamaat, it may not always be possible for a person to get his tea, and hence Moulana (rahimahullah) felt that craving for tea may become an impediment in a person carrying out deeni work.
