Talking to a disciple who was going to USA for higher education Hazrat said, "There are some advantages too in your going to US. The greatest advantage is that when a person moves to a new place he has very few relationships. Because of that if he wishes he can develop a very strong relationship with Allah Ta'alah. There is also a potential disadvantage too in not having relationships, in that a person can form wrong relationships. Not having too many relationships doesn't mean that a person stops interacting with his parents, his wife, his children or his friends, all these relationships are included in Huqooq-ul-Ibad (rights of human beings), they are an essential part of life and are conducive to one forming a relationship with Allah Ta'alah. But what it means is that a person should not become so preoccupied with these relationships that he keeps involved in and keeps thinking about them all the time, but should spend his spare time in doing Allah's zikr and remembering Him, and should strive to improve his relationship with Allah Ta'alah.

A disciple, who was going to US for higher education, said, "Hazrat! It is such a loss a loss that we will remain way from Hazrat and miss Hazrat's companionship for so long." Hazrat replied, "The most important relationship is with Allah Ta'alah. He will be as close there as He is here. He is the One who grants every blessing whether a person lives here or in the USA. A sheikh is just a medium, he has no importance of his own. However, it is Allah Ta'alah's Sunnah that he grants these blessings through a medium. You are very lucky that you are attached to a silsila ( spiritual family) that extends without any break right up to Rasool Allah SAW. There are many barakah (blessings) and benefits of being attached to such a silsila.

Then Hazrat told the following story, "Hazrat Ma'az Ibne Jabal was one of Rasool Allah's beloved sahaba (companion) and he also loved Rasool Allah SAW greatly. There was a special quality to Rasool Allah's relationship with each companion and there was great love between Rasool Allah and Hazrat Ma'az RAA. Hazrat Ma'az was being sent as a governor to some province about a year before Rasool Allah SAW passed away from this mortal world. Rasool Allah SAW kept walking while holding the stirrup of Hazrat Ma'az's horse for some time and then stopped and said, 'Ma'az! This maybe the last time you are seeing me in person. The next time you visit you may be coming to my grave.' As Hazrat Ma'az RAA loved Rasool Allah SAW greatly he became very distressed and started crying when he heard this." Then Hazrat said, "This is probably the only incidence I have read about in the books of Hadith when Rasool Allah SAW became emotional. He turned his face away form Hazrat Ma'az and said, 'Ma'az! He who follows my Sunnah is close to me even if he is physically far from me, and he who doesn't follow my Sunnah is far from me even if he is physically close to me.'"

Hazrat then said, "Can anyone even imagine that Hazrat Ma'az RAA would have not received barakah and benefits of the companionship of Rasool Allah SAW in the time he stayed away from him. Of course that is not possible. Similarly, will Allah Ta'alah let you lose the advantages and barakah of this relationship because you have to go away for education? InshaAllah that will not be the case."

Hazrat said, "When a person develops a relationship with Allah SWT then his nature and his reason both fall in line with Shariah and become subservient to Shariah. Then there is no difference between the three."

DOING TABLEEGH (PREACHING) WHILE BEING A SINNER

A disciple once asked, "Hazrat! Before doing Tableegh (preaching) to anyone else I often think that this person is engaged in some sins, I am engaged in some other sins, and only Allah SWT knows who is engaged in greater sins. In that case what right do I have to do Tableegh to him?" Hazrat said, "Committing sins oneself should not stop anyone from doing Tableegh to others. What should happen is that we should help others to give up their sins and they should help us to give up our sins. 'A Muslim is a mirror for another Muslim.' This is what it means. For example, if two friends are both occupied with their worldly worries would one of them say that let me solve my problems first, only then  I will ask about your problems. Of course no real friend would ever say that. Rather both of them would rather try to help each other solve each other's problems."

About the same topic Hazrat once said, "One should not give up doing Tableegh because of one's sins but rather should give up committing sins because of doing Tableegh."

Hazrat once said, "Being involved in a sin does not mean one can not ask someone else to give up that sin. In such a situation what one can say is that I have been unable to give up this sin but maybe your situation is more conducive to giving up this sin than mine, that is why I am saying this to you."

WAITING FOR THE RIGHT MOMENT TO DO TABLEEGH

Hazrat once said, "Tableegh (preaching) should not be done without due consideration for the appropriate moment. Sometimes one has to wait for up to 10 months to find the right moment to do Tableegh."

On the same topic Hazrat once said, "Before doing Tableegh one should also consider whether it would make matters better or worse. For example, a person previously didn't do the proscribed acts, but now in retaliation of Tableegh he may also develop wrong beliefs (Aqa'id). One should abstain from doing Tableegh under such circumstances."

Preaching to family members

In response to a question Hazrat once said, "In relation to preaching to your family members they should not start feeling that you are putting pressure on them and that you do not think about anything but that one thing." Then Hazrat smiled and said, "That is the way it should be but they should not feel that."

A person once asked whether eating the feast served after Nikah is Halal or not as it is not proven by Sunnah. "Should one attend it or not?" Hazrat said, "Tell me. If a guest comes to your house do you offer them food or not?" Then Hazrat said, "The first point to understand is that every act that is not a Sunnah doesn't automatically become Hara'am unless there is a specific reason for it being declared Hara'am. No one considers the meal that is offered after Nikah a Sunnat or Farz (mandatory) according to Shariah. However, if people start believing that it is a Sunnat or is Farz according to Shariah then it will become a Bidah (new practices being introduced in religion)."

A disciple once said, "Hazrat! I feel a great deal of love for Hazrat Thanvi RA (Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi RA). Sometimes I feel so much love for him that I worry whether my love for him is more than my love for Hazrat, and then I worry whether that would be harmful for me?" Hazrat smiled and then said, "Hazrat Rabia Basria once saw Rasool Allah SAW in a dream or may be had a revelation. She said feeling guilty, 'Ya Rasool Allah SAW! Allah Ta'alah's love has occupied my heart so fully that I do not always remember you.' Rasool Allah SAW said, 'Remembering Allah Ta'alah is remembering me.'" Then Hazrat said, "The truth is that all these relationships are in fact one relationship. These are the reflections of that one relationship."

In response to a question Hazrat said, "A person must be satisfied that the path he is following is the correct one. If he is not satisfied about the path how would he follow it? However, he should never feel satisfied about his own state."

A disciple once asked, "Hazrat! People say that one should think of oneself as a sinner. Should one keep thinking about our past sins or should we just think of ourselves as a sinner overall?" Hazrat smiled and said, "It is wrong to think that one should keep thinking of oneself as a sinner. We should think of ourselves as errant and full of  mistakes but why should we think of ourselves as sinners? Our Sheikh Dr Sahib (Dr Abdul Hai RA) used to say, 'why should a Muslim remain a sinner? Whenever you commit a sin, do Taubah (repentance). If you commit a sin again do Taubah again'. Though we should keep thinking of ourselves as errant and full of mistakes. Tell me, do we perform any Ibadat which is perfect?" The disciple said, "No. We don't perform any Ibadat that is perfect and free of mistakes." Hazrat said, "Then why should the question of thinking ourselves as a sinner even arise? We should keep thinking of ourselves as full of mistakes."

Hazrat then said, "To keep remembering sins one has done Taubah from is not a good thing."