(Respected Wife of ‘Aarif Billah, Moulana Shah Hakeem Muhammad Akhtar [rahimahullah] – Part Two)
Moulana Shah Hakeem Muhammad Akhtar (rahimahullah) married her, although she was older than him, solely on the basis of her piety and righteousness which was well-known to the people of her area.
Describing his nikaah, Moulana Shah Hakeem Muhammad Akhtar (rahimahullah) mentioned the following:
“My nikaah incurred very little expense, as I spent a total of only two hundred rupees. I gifted my wife a set of ordinary, simple clothing. You will perhaps be surprised to learn that I performed my own nikaah, as there was no ‘Aalim in the village where my wife lived. Hence, I recited the khutbah of the nikaah and thereafter performed my own nikaah in the presence of the witnesses.”
He also mentioned the following in praise of his respected wife:
“At the very beginning of our marriage, she said to me, ‘I will always assist you in your efforts and endeavours. I will eat whatever you feed me and I will wear whatever clothing you provide for me. If you are in a state of hunger, I will happily remain hungry with you, and if you wish to live in the jungle, then I will accompany you. I will never ask or demand anything from you nor will I ever cause you anxiety or worry.’ My respected wife remained true to her words as she never once asked or demanded anything such as jewellery, clothing or money. She did not possess any love for the world nor the things of the world. In fact, her disinterest in the world was such that it seemed as though she did not even know that a thing like the world existed.”
“It was through my respected wife that I was blessed with a son like Moulana Mazhar (daamat barakaatuhum), who is a capable and pious ‘Aalim. Allah Ta‘ala, out of His grace, is taking great work of Deen from him.”
“She was very pious and was the Raabi‘ah Basriyyah of our time. I am so convinced of her piety and righteousness that when I make du‘aa to Allah Ta‘ala, I ask Him to accept my du‘aa on account of her piety and righteousness.”
(Rashk-e-Awliyaa, Hayaat-e-Akhtar pgs. 42, 44 & 47)
Lessons:
1. Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) has taught us that when seeking a partner, we should always make it our priority to find one who possesses Deen and piety.
2. The nikaah which attracts the most blessings is that nikaah in which the least expenses were incurred.
3. A truly loyal and faithful wife is one who will remain patiently at her husband’s side through the good times and the difficult times without uttering a word of complaint.
4. When a wife is blessed with contentment, she will not harbour ambitions to collect wealth, clothing, shoes, furniture, jewellery, etc. but will be content with what she has in life and will dedicate her energy to developing her Jannah. When a woman does not possess contentment, she will always hanker after more, and in the process, will often become a burden to her husband as she squanders his hard-earned wealth.
5. A person may fool the world, but it is very difficult to deceive one’s spouse who knows one more intimately than any other person. Hence, if a person’s spouse sincerely praises him saying that he is pious, it is high praise indeed. From the praise of Moulana Shah Hakeem Muhammad Akhtar (rahimahullah), we understand the high rank and exemplary piety of this woman.
6. One of the greatest gifts that any parent can hope for is that of a pious child. However, to achieve this, the child will have to receive an upbringing of piety from his parents. Hence, Moulana Shah Hakeem Muhammad Akhtar (rahimahullah) praised the role of his respected wife in producing a son like Moulana Shah Hakeem Muhammad Mazhar (daamat barakaatuhum).