The unexplored love

By Sikandar Shah

The unexplored love. Great saint Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia used to say: “The lad of a washerman (Dhobi) was lucky enough, we couldn’t prove ourselves like him.” After saying this he used to be unconscious.

His disciples would ask him what the matter of the washerman’s lad was? He would say there were a washerman and his wife, they used to wash the clothes of castle and hand them over after calendaring it. The washerman had a son and when he grew up he started to help their parents to wash the clothes.

There was a princess in the castle who used to send her own clothes to laundry as well. By washing the clothes of the princess over and over again, the boy felt himself to be in an unseen love of the princess.

Due to the spirit of adoration, there was a quantum change in the behavior and attitude of the boy. He used to separate the clothes of the princess and wash them properly and with meticulous care. After pressing the clothes he used to fold them in a quiver and wonderful way.  One day his mother noticed the wonderful change in his behavior, she started gossiping at the ear of his husband that the boy will make us kill, he has got himself involved in love with the princess.

The washerman told his son not to wash clothes then. By serving the princess he used to get rupture. After been devoid of his services to his unseen beloved, he fell ill and after a few days he left the world of tears.

When the folding style of clothes was changed, the princess called the washerwoman and inquired about it. She told the princess that she was washing her clothes but when the princess asked her to fold the clothes in that amazing style she couldn’t. The princess got angry and said either tell the truth or be ready for punishment.

There wasn’t any other pretext, her heart was full of grief. She started weeping and told the whole story. The princess remained silent for a while, after that she took a bunch of flowers and got out with few courtiers, went at the grave of the boy and put the flowers on it.

It then became routine for her to go there with a bunch of flowers. On the death anniversary of the boy, she used to go at the grave of the unexplored lover.

After telling this story, Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia said if a human being is loved without seeing then why Allah is not loved. Love with a human can change the behavior and attitude. When in the love of human anyone uses all his potentials to wash clothes, then why human doesn’t utilize his potentialities in prayers to seek the the pleasure and love of Allah but we try to strip down the burden.

If a princess can understand the way to fold the clothes in great love; so, is Allah helpless and incapable to understand the prayer which was offered with love and the prayer which is offered to get rid of.

Hazrat said the lad of the washerman was successful because his love was accepted, while we don’t know that what would be our aftermath, whether our worships will be accepted or rejected. As Allah demands faith, prayer and fasting, similarly he demand pure love, it’s not optional; it is mandatory but we are unmindful.

Then said by God! If there were no prayers then the hearts of those who love Allah would burst like the heart of the washerman’s boy.

When anyone offers prayer the whole night, it is not by the why, there is a spirit which makes him stand. This prescription was told by Allah almighty by seeing the condition of the heart of the holy prophet (SAW). Allah says: “Keep offering prayer, repeat my words all the night, you will get relaxed.” That was why the holy prophet (peace be upon him) said: “O Bilal, make my bosom cool by calling for prayer.”