Jadh Se Judai, Patte Ke Rang Ki Tabdeeli

Kabhi ek ghane darakht ko dekhiye. Shaakhon par beshumaar sabz patte hain. Unhi mein ek patta aisa bhi ho sakta hai jo ba-zahir hara ho, magar andar se jarr se kat chuka ho. Kuch din tak us ka sabz rang baqi rehta hai, magar paani aur ghiza ka ta‘alluq khatam ho chuka hota hai. Phir mausam badalta hai, hawa chalti hai, patta peela padta hai, tootta hai aur zameen par ja girta hai.

“Patton ne jab jab rang badla, zameen par girte hue logon ne use zaroor dekha.”

Insaan ka roohani haal bhi aisa hi hai. Ahlullah ki sohbat aur apne Sheikh-e-Kamil ke islahi ta‘alluq se aadmi ka baatin sanwarta rehta hai. Jab yeh ta‘alluq sirf zahiri reh jaaye, ya andar se islaah-o-tarbiyat ka rishta kamzor ho jaaye, to rafta rafta baatin mein do-rangi paida hone lagti hai; zahir kuch aur, baatin kuch aur.

Yahan Sheikh koi mustaqil mu’assir nahin; woh islaah ka zariya hai. Agar us ki nisbat sahih Shari‘at, Sunnat aur mu‘tabar silsilah-e-tarbiyat se qaim ho jo bil-aakhir Rasoolullah ﷺ ki Sunnat-o-nisbat tak pahunchata hai, to is ta‘alluq ki hifazat saalik ke liye aham hai. Rasoolullah ﷺ ki pairwi hi Allah Ta‘ala tak pahunchne ka asal raasta hai.

Qur’an munafiqeen ke isi zahiri husn aur baatini khokhle-pan ko bayan farmata hai:

﴿ وَإِذَا رَأَيْتَهُمْ تُعْجِبُكَ أَجْسَامُهُمْ ۖ وَإِن يَقُولُوا تَسْمَعْ لِقَوْلِهِمْ ۖ كَأَنَّهُمْ خُشُبٌ مُّسَنَّدَةٌ ﴾

Aur (ae Paighambar!) jab aap unhein dekhte hain to un ke jismani jassay
(aur zahiri waza‘-qat‘) aap ko bhale maloom hote hain, aur agar woh baat
karte hain to aap un ki baat ko (un ki fasahat ki wajah se) dilchaspi se sunte hain. (Lekin haqeeqat mein) woh goya lakri ke aise kunde hain
jo deewar se lagaye gaye hon.
(Al-Munafiqun: 4)

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تُعْجِبُكَ أَجْسَامُهُمْ: un ke jism aur zahiri saakht aap ko achhe maloom hote hain (murad munafiqeen ka zahiri tip-top aur wajaahat hai).

خُشُبٌ مُّسَنَّدَةٌ: lakri ke kunde jo deewar ke sahaare tek laga kar rakhe gaye hon (ya‘ni rooh aur imaan se khaali be-jaan aur be-sood wajood).

🌿 Sunehri Rang Wali Ja‘li Chaabi

Ek zang lagi lohe ki chaabi par sunehri rang chadha diya gaya. Door se woh sone ki maloom hoti thi. Lekin jab ek bhaari taala kholne ke liye us par zor pada to sunehri rang utar gaya aur andar ka kamzor loha toot gaya.

Zahir ki banaawat bhi aisi hi hai; aazmaish asal haqeeqat zahir kar deti hai.

Patta jadh se kat jaaye to sabzi baqi nahin rehti, aur saalik agar islaah ke haqeeqi ta‘alluq se andar se kat jaaye to roohani taazgi kam hone lagti hai.

Isi liye:

Millat ke saath rabita-e-ustwaar rakh
Pewasta reh shajar se, umeed-e-bahaar rakh!
— Allama Iqbalؒ

Asal nisbat Allah Ta‘ala se bandagi, Rasoolullah ﷺ se itbaa‘, aur Ahlullah se islaah-o-tarbiyat ka ta‘alluq hai. Jab yeh ta‘alluq ikhlaas ke saath qaim rahe to zahir aur baatin ke darmiyan faasla kam hota rehta hai.

Patton ne jab jab rang badla, zameen par girte hue logon ne use zaroor dekha.

When the Roots Are Lost, the Colour Fades

Look at a large, beautiful tree.

Its branches are full of fresh green leaves. Among them, there may be one leaf that still looks perfectly green from the outside, yet inside, it has already lost its connection with the root.

For a few days, its green colour remains. But the water and nourishment coming from the root have already stopped.

Then the season changes. The wind begins to blow. The heat becomes stronger.

The leaf turns yellow, breaks away from the branch, and finally falls to the ground.

Whenever the leaves changed their colour, people saw them falling to the ground.

This is not only the story of a leaf. It is also a lesson about the spiritual life of a human being.

A person grows inwardly through the company of the people of Allah and through a sincere relationship with a true Shaykh who guides and trains him. When that relationship becomes only outward, or when the inner connection with spiritual training becomes weak, a strange change slowly begins inside the person.

The outside may remain the same, while the inside begins to change.

The face may remain the same, the words may remain the same, and the appearance may remain religious—but the heart may slowly develop two different colours: one for people and another in private.

A Shaykh is not an independent source of power. He is a means of guidance and reform. When his teaching and spiritual connection are firmly rooted in the Qur’an, Sunnah and a genuine chain of spiritual training that ultimately leads back to the way and example of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, remaining sincerely connected to that training becomes important for the seeker.

The true foundation, however, is always worshipping Allah and following the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.

The Qur’an describes the outward appearance and inner emptiness of the hypocrites:

﴿ وَإِذَا رَأَيْتَهُمْ تُعْجِبُكَ أَجْسَامُهُمْ ۖ وَإِن يَقُولُوا تَسْمَعْ لِقَوْلِهِمْ ۖ كَأَنَّهُمْ خُشُبٌ مُّسَنَّدَةٌ ﴾

“And when you see them, their bodies please you; and when they speak, you listen to their words. They are like pieces of wood propped up against a wall.”

(Surah Al-Munafiqun: 4)

The words تُعْجِبُكَ أَجْسَامُهُمْ point to an outward appearance that looks impressive and pleasing.

And then comes:

كَأَنَّهُمْ خُشُبٌ مُّسَنَّدَةٌ

They are like pieces of wood leaning against a wall—standing in appearance, but without the life and strength that make a tree truly alive.

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🌿 The Fake Golden Key

Imagine an old iron key, covered with rust.

Someone paints it with a golden colour. From a distance, it looks like a precious golden key. People may admire it and believe it to be valuable.

But one day it has to open a heavy lock.

The key is put inside. It is turned. Pressure is applied.

The golden coating comes off.

The weak iron inside breaks.

And suddenly, everyone sees what the key really was.

Outward appearance can also be like that. A test does not create the reality; it reveals it.

A leaf that loses its connection with the root cannot remain green forever.

In the same way, when a seeker becomes inwardly disconnected from sincere spiritual guidance and self-reform, his spiritual freshness slowly begins to fade.

That is why Allama Iqbal wrote:

Stay firmly connected with the tree;
Remain attached to the roots, and keep hope for spring.

The real connection is servitude to Allah, following the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and sincere spiritual training through the people of Allah.

When this connection remains alive with sincerity, the distance between the outer self and the inner self becomes smaller.

And eventually—

Whenever the leaves changed their colour, people saw them falling to the ground.