regarded as great contributions to Sufism. His religious stance is further
clarified in lectures where he often used anecdotes to illustrate his points.
He was a great letter-writer and in one of his letters he advised Sultan
Firoz to be impartial in dispensing justice, for justice was an attribute of
God. Referring to a
hadith
of the Prophet, he advised his followers that an
hour spent in pursuing justice was far superior to forty years of worship.
1
He
held the view that a Sufi must be merciful and generous to others. He
should feed others, even if he were to go hungry himself. He should make
do with the minimum of clothing in order to clothe others, and patiently
suffer any cruelty or injustice meted out to him. Neither should he retaliate
when provoked. He should rather answer abuses with blessings. He held
that a true Sufi should necessarily be sympathetic to everyone, just as the
sun shines on enemies and friends alike.
A Sufi must have no attachment with the world and, moreover, should
entertain no feelings of self-righteousness. He should be modest and humble,
for humility was essential to the achievement of success in the Sufi path.
He taught his followers to assist their fellow-men wholeheartedly. He said
that acts of kindness and assistance given to the needy were more
meritorious than prayers and fasting. Even prophets of God went out of
their way to help people in need. Although he was an ascetic and did not
believe in establishing contacts with rulers or others in authority, when it
came to helping people in need, he would send letters of recommendation
to officials, if he thought that his letters could alleviate their sufferings. He
often narrated the tradition of the Prophet that a Muslim was one from
whose hands and tongue people were safe.
1
Maktubat Shaykh Sharafuddin Maneri
Th e F i r d a u s i Or d e r 184
