THE TREATMENT AGAINST LOOKING ON EVIL AND FIGURATIVE LOVE

(By Hakim Akhtar)
O God of this Universe, God of Beauty and Love
A great trial for men is figurative beauty and love
If love is felt for others save You (i.e. illicit love)
Then that is not love but in fact is iniquity.
That love can prove to be your punishment,
And can be a hindrance on your path.
For this reason the command is given: "Cast down your gaze,"
So that the heart can be without damage from the poison of love.
Don't ever consider looking at evil as a minor sin,
It destroys the heart in quick time.
Looking at evil is like an arrow from Iblees.
It is deception drowned in poison.
How many have been destroyed in this path?
How many have lost the way in the path of this desire?
They have lost in this way their whole life
The value of their lives is just remembrance of a beloved.
This figurative beauty only lasts for limited number of days
It is only for a couple of days that the conspiracy lasts
The love that is of colour and complexion
Is like the lovers love of the sun over the shade. Those who themselves are helpless and in need on the
day of Judgement they and their lovers
Will be before Allah with blackened souls.
Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanwy (R.A.) says:
Figurative, perishable love is everlasting punishment.
If the heart desires any other than Allah
This is intoxication from the wine of Allah's punishment.
If a soul should turn from figurative to true love, .
Then that soul will be endowed with purity.
He has then become alive, rising from the graveyard
And has entered the rose-garden from a thorny world.
From the thorns he has turned his attention away,
And now with the heart he sees the truly beloved.
Through remembrance of Allah, he who has found peaceful tranquillity,
For him even the Autumn will be Springtime.
Light has come and the fires of lustful desires are extinguished,
As if Autumn has changed into Spring.
Hardhearted and merciless is this one,
Selfish and faithless this delicate one.
Of bad habits and ugly disposition
Of a certainty it is. an idol that appears beautiful.
When the love of other than Allah shall leave the heart
There will be tranquillity and ecstasy of Springtime.
In this life will then be the rising of the sun
And the opening of the door towards the good life. .
Smoke was the curtain of the lamp of the dead
Greatly jealous. was the light of the sun.
When there was in the heart the thorns of love of other than Allah
Then there was in it darkness and distress.
Alas what will they see of the sights of Spring
He who is not occupied with remembrance and thoughts of the Beloved?
The Saqi will keep him thirsty his whole life long
If he has drunk from the cup the poison of evil looks.
And when the heart is busy with the thoughts of others
How can it experience pleasure in obedience and Zikr?
The heart of yours is occupied with thoughts at every moment
Thus the Light of Life does not come into it.
a Lord, if You so wish, You can cleanse me of all evils,
Through Your Grace.
For You this is no difficult task.
That I may remain Yours in love
That I may mention Your Holy Name in heartfelt pain.
That whosoever of men may hear my sighs
Will become agitated in love for You.
a Lord, make Akhtar's heart become filled with love for you
And make my heart inhabited with noor".