Mirza Mazhar, was a renowned Sufi. He often said, “the son of the washerman turned out more fortunate than us, we could not even do that” He would then lose himself in thought. One day, his disciples asked, “Sir, what is this matter about the son of a washerman?”
He recounted that a washerman and his wife used to serve a palace. The couple used to receive the clothes, then wash, press and deliver them back to the palace. They had a son who, upon growing up, began helping his parents. Among the clothes were those of the princess, and while washing them, he fell in blind love with her. This newfound love transformed his behavior; he would separate her clothes, meticulously wash and press them, and then fold them in a special and unique manner. This continued and eventually, his mother noticed the change and warned her husband that their son had fallen in love with the princess and would create problems for the entire family. The father forbade his son from washing clothes. As long as the boy could express his love through this service, his passion had an outlet, but deprived of it, he fell ill and soon died.
While at the palace, when the princess noticed the change in method of washing and folding, she summoned the washerwoman and inquired who washed her clothes. The washerwoman claimed she did, but the princess demanded she demonstrate it by folding some clothes. She failed to fold it like her son. The princess was angry and warned her to tell the truth or face punishment. Out of options and with a painful heart, she started crying and told her the entire story. Shocked, the princess became stunned.
The princess then ordered her carriage, filled a basket with flowers, and laid them on the boy’s grave. Throughout her life, she continued to lay flowers on his grave on his death anniversary.
After telling this tale, Mirza Mazhar said, if one can love a person without seeing them, then why can we not love Allah without seeing Him? If love for a person can inspire a change in behavior leading to lovingly washing clothes, then can our love for Allah not inspire us to pray with passion and love. A princess can recognize clothes folded with love; surely, the Almighty can differentiate between prayers offered with love and those performed halfheartedly.
He then concluded that the washerman’s child succeeded because his love was acknowledged, while the fate of ours remains uncertain, whether it will be accepted or thrown back in our faces. Just as Allah demands faith, prayer, and fasting, He also demands love—a mandatory thing, not just desirable. Yet, we remain heedless.
“By Allah,” he would say, “if these prayers were not there, the hearts of those who love Allah would be torn apart, just as the washerman’s child’s heart was.” One does not stand in prayer all night without reason, it is fueled by a passion. He explained that upon seeing the passion of the Prophet, Allah gave this prescription to him to find comfort in night prayer and recitation. Thus, the Prophet would say at the time of prayer, “O Bilal, bring coolness to our chests by giving the call to prayer.”
Translated by Ali Zafar