11 Nov 2021 By Know Muslim
Hazrat Thanawi رحمة الله عليه and the value of sustenance
I have heart Dr. Abdul Hai Sahib رحمة الله عليه relating an anecdote of Hazrat Thanawi رحمة الله عليه. Once Hazrat
Thanawi رحمة الله عليه felt sick and during his sickness someone offered him milk to drink. Hazrat Thanawi رحمة الله عليه, drank that milk. A little of it remained which he placed under his bed and fell into sleep. When he awoke from sleep he inquired about the left over milk. He was told that it had been thrown away as it was hardly a drought. Hazrat Thanawi رحمة الله عليه got very much displeased. He scolded the man for having thrown away Allah's sustenance. He رحمة الله عليه said that if he could not drink that milk someone else could have drunk it or it could have been offered to a cat or a parrot, so as to help with it some creature of Allah. After this he رحمة الله عليه mentioned a principle:
It is binding on man to value and respect the small quantities of those things from large quantities of which he receives benefit in his ordinary life.
For example, man eats a large quantity of food to appease his hunger. If a small quantity is left over, man is duty-bound to value and respect that left over quantity. It is
not lawful to waste it. This too should be put to some use.
The Right way of shaking off the dining-cloth
Sayyid Asghar Husain Sahib رحمة الله عليه known as "Mian Sahib" was a teacher in the Darul-Uloom Deoband. He was a unique saint. His life recalls to our memory the days of the Noble Companions رضي الله عنه My respected father told us that once he called upon him رحمة الله عليه. AS it was meal time the saint invited my father to dine with
him. Accordingly, my father sat with him on the dining-cloth. When they had finished eating my father began to fold up the dining-cloth so that he might shake it off to clean it. Mian Sahib asked my father: Do you know how to shake off and clean a dining-cloth? My father replied: Hazrat, it does nor require any special knowledge or art nor any special training. I shall take it out and shake it off. Hazrat Mian Sahib رحمة الله عليه ars that you do not know the job. This is also an art. My father requested Mian Sahib to teach him that art.
Mian Sahib then reopened the dining-cloth and separated the bones from the food scraps, etc. He sorted
out the bones which had some pieces of flesh sticking to them, and the big and very small pieces of bread. Addressing my father he said: See, these are four different things and in my house each is kept in a different place. The meat bones with some flesh have a different place which is known to the cat. The bones without flesh have a different place known to the dogs of the area. As for these pieces of bread I place the bigger ones of them on this I wall for birds, like kites and crows. As for the very fine pieces of the bread, these are placed near a hole of ants. He added saying: This is Allah's sustenance; no part of it should be laid waste. This, my respected father رحمة الله عليه
was convinced that the act of shaking off and rolling up
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