Addressing mumineen who had gathered for Ashara Mubaraka 1425H in Dubai, Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin RA declared, “You are muslimeen; and you are mumineen. You are mumineen; you are muslimeen…and Rasulallah SAW is the first of all muslimeen!” Allah has given us the esteemed honor and privilege of being not only muslimeen and mumineen, but of being Rasulallah’s SAW ummat. 

Rasulallah SAW brought the Islamic faith to us and founded his shariah. He taught us the seven pillars of Islam and how to adhere to them. From the very start, he extolled and solidified the significance of his successor, Maulana Ali AS and his mohabbat. After Rasulallah SAW received Allah’s divine message and ascended to prophethood, Maulana Ali AS was the first to enter into Islam. Rasulallah SAW called Maulana Abdul Muttalib’s AS family and asked Maulana Ali AS to bring one pitcher of milk and a goat’s leg. Of the 40 men, there were some who would need an entire goat and pitcher of milk to satiate their hunger. But, by the barakat of Rasulallah SAW, their hunger was remarkably assuaged by this small portion. Addressing everyone, Rasulallah SAW asked, “Who will be my legatee (vasi) and vali?” He was met with resounding silence. When no one replied, Rasulallah SAW asked them all one by one. Still, all remained quiet. Finally, Rasulallah SAW approached Maulana Ali AS, and asked, “O’ brother Ali, will you be my vasi and vali?” To which Maulana Ali AS replied resolutely, “Yes, O’ Rasulallah!” Thus, this was Rasullah’s SAW first proclamation of Maulana Ali AS as his successor, and indication that the foundation and the lifeblood of Islam is his ta’at and mohabbat. 

Love and submission to Allah’s will sustains our faith. True mohabbat is achieved through the acceptance, understanding, and ta’at of Kalemat al Shahadat and Awliyaa Kiraam AS. No action, no prayer, no good deed is counted and rewarded without their mohabbat. In doing so, and in submitting to Allah’s will, we become recipients of Allah’s love.

Rasulallah SAW saw Allah twice: once with his heart and once with his eyes. Rasulallah SAW stated, ‘Blessed are those who have seen me; blessed are those who have seen those who have seen me; and blessed are those, who have seen those, who have seen those who have seen me!” Rasulallah’s SAW successor Imam al Zaman AS may be physically hidden from our eyes, but his ethereal noor radiates through his Dai. We open our heart’s eyes, the eyes of our mohabbat, and we realize the meaning and magnificence of Allah’s noor. When we fill our eyes with Maula’s TUS deedar and bow to him with pure intention and faith, we do so with the understanding that he is Allah’s vali and the Imam’s vicegerent. We see reflecting within him Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin RA, Syedna Taher Saifuddin RA, every Dai before him, and by extension every Imam, Panjatan Pak, and finally, Allah. Maula TUS delivers this sole, unbroken chain of noor, knowledge, and mohabbat to each and every mumin that treasures both Islam and Imaan. In return, Allah blesses us with his love, and his noor illuminates our eyes and souls, so that we may devote our life and worship to Him, and attain our salvation.