By Hadhrat Moulana Abdul Hamid Is`haq Saheb (Daamat
Barakaatuhum)
Bi Ismihi Ta’ala
A scholar from one of the universities visited Darul Uloom
Deoband during a trip to India. He was invited for a meal by Hadhrat Moulana
Anwar Shah Kashmiri (Rahmatullahi ‘alayh). The scholar asked the respected Moulana
(Rahmatullahi ‘alayh): “Why do you not also eat with a fork and spoon (as many others
eat).”
Moulana immediately stretched out his hand, drawing attention
to four of his fingers, and said: “I am eating with a fork! Just as a fork has
got 4 prongs, my hand has got fingers!”
Hadhrat Moulana then said: “My fork is better than your fork
in 4 ways…
1. My fork can feel the temperature of the food whilst your fork
cannot.
2. My fork can bend and catch hold of the food easily, whilst
your fork cannot. I notice how you find difficulty to get hold of your food.
3. If my fork hits against my teeth or gums I do not feel any
real pain, whilst your fork causes great pain if it pierces you – as does sometimes
happen when eating with a fork.
4. My fork excretes a fluid after eating which helps with
digestion, whilst your fork is unable to do so.
On reading this
wonderful response, Allah Ta’ala put in my mind a few more points, which add to
the excellence of this Sunnah:
- My fork is made by Allah Ta’ala whilst your fork is man-made. If it is made of plastic, it is likely to break in its first use.
- I personally wash my fork before meals (which is Sunnah), whilst your fork is washed by somebody else, if it is washed.
- The greatest benefit of all is that my fork is Sunnah, whilst your fork is the custom of the non-Muslims.
As such, eating with
my fork draws a guaranteed reward, whilst eating with your fork carries no
reward.
And eating with my
fork earns the Pleasure of Allah Ta’ala, whilst eating with your fork earns the
displeasure of Allah Ta’ala.
Alhamdulillah, a
sister from Reunion mentioned an additional point: “My fork can clean the plate according to the Sunnah, whilst your fork
cannot.”
The Sunnah has such
benefit, goodness and advantage that the customs and culture of other faiths or
societies cannot be compared to the Sunnah, nor can they rival with the Sunnah.
The way of life of
Rasulullah (Sallallaahu ‘alaihi wasallam) is priceless. Everything else is
valueless and useless. In fact, any other way of life is null and void in the
Court of Allah Ta’ala.
For a Muslim, his
connection is with Rasulullah (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam), and this should
be evident with every facet of life conforming to the beautiful and noble
Sunnah.
May Allah Ta’ala
grant us the Taufeeq of appreciating and practising upon the Sunnah entirely, and throwing out from our lives, the culture of the disbelievers.