LOVE AND RESPECT FOR THE DESCENDANTS OF THE HOLY PROPHET (SALLAL LAAHU ALAIHI WASALLAM):
It is A'la Hadrat (alaihir rahmah) who showed the Muslim world how to respect the descendants or family of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam). His entire life is filled such with incidents.
Many are aware of this famous incident. Once, Imam Ahmed Raza Khan (alaihir rahmah) was invited to the home of a certain person. In those days, the Ulema were carried in chariots as a means of transport. A'la Hadrat (alaihir rahmah) was sitting in one of these chariots that was carried by the chariot-bearers. As they proceeded along the way, Sayyiduna A'la Hadrat (alaihir rahmah) suddenly commanded the chariot-bearers to stop. He immediately alighted from the chariot and asked, "Who is a Sayed from amongst you? I am receiving the scent of a Sayed." One of the chariot-bearer's, who was a Sayed, was too scared to speak. Nevertheless, when A'la Hadrat (alaihir rahmah) further prompted that person to reveal himself, he came forward and admitted that he was Sayed.
With tears in his eyes, A'la Hadrat (alaihir rahmah) fell at his feet and began asking for pardon. The Sayed continuously asked A'la Hadrat (alaihir rahmah) to refrain from doing so but, A'la Hadrat (alaihir rahmah) continued asking for pardon, by saying, "Please forgive me. What would I do on the Day of Qiyamah if the Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) asks me concerning this incident, and says to me that I showed disrespect to his family?"
The Sayed readily forgave A'la Hadrat (alaihir rahmah). But this Aashik-e-Rasool (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) was yet not satisfied. He commanded the Sayed to sit on the Chariot, and placing the chariot on his blessed shoulders, carried the Sayed for the same distance which he had been carried!
Allahu Akbar! Those who had been witnesses to this incident could not believe that the Imam of the Ahle Sunnah Wa Jamaah, the Mujaddid of Islam was carrying a chariot-bearer on his blessed shoulders. But to A'la Hadrat (alaihir rahmah), that person that he was carrying was no ordinary chariot-bearer. It was a family of the Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam)!
It has also been stated that a child, who was a Sayed, used to live in the vicinity of Bareilly Shareef. The child used to play in the presence of A'la Hadrat (alaihir rahmah) while A'la Hadrat (alaihir rahmah) would be busy writing. EACH TIME THAT THE CHILD RAN PASS THE DOOR OR CAME IN THE PRESENCE OF A'LA HADRAT (alaihir rahmah), HE WOULD STAND UP IN RESPECT FOR THAT CHILD. EVEN WHEN THE CHILD PASSED THE DOOR TEN TIMES IN A DAY, THEN A'LA HADRAT (alaihir rahmah) USED TO STAND UP TENS TIMES IN A DAY IN RESPECT FOR THAT SAYED CHILD.
When Imam Ahmed Raza Khan (alaihir rahmah) was asked about the Islamic punishment that was to be meted out to a Sayed, he remarked, "Even though a Judge is called upon to declare judgement and punishment upon a Sayed, and the penalty that he has decreed is within the tenets of Islam, he (the Judge), should not have the Niyah (intention) that he is punishing the Sayed. Rather, he should think that a small amount of mud has smeared itself on the Sayed's feet, which he is merely washing away". (Al Malfooz Shareef)
