Hazrat Habib Aslam Rai — A Great Wali of Allah and the Story of the Protective Wolf

■ Hazrat Habib Aslam Rai — A Great Wali of Allah and the Story of the Protective Wolf

Prof. Dr. Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri narrates the story of Hazrat Habib Aslam Rai, who is counted among the great Awliya Allah (Friends of Allah). His mention can also be found in the famous book Kashf al-Mahjoob by Sayyid Ali Hujwiri, also known as Data Ganj Bakhsh.

According to the story, a respected elder once visited Hazrat Habib Aslam Rai for ziyarat (spiritual visit). He saw Hazrat Habib Aslam Rai deeply engaged in voluntary prayers and worship (nawafil). What amazed the visitor even more was that a fierce and dangerous wolf was guarding the sheep of Hazrat Habib Aslam Rai, protecting them with great care.

The observer was astonished and asked Hazrat Habib Aslam Rai, “Sheikh, what is this story? How can a dangerous animal like a wolf protect sheep, which it usually preys on? What lesson does this hold?”

Hazrat Habib Aslam Rai replied in a profound sentence:

“The shepherd has become one with his Master.”

This means that when a person attains full spiritual harmony (muwafaqat) with their Lord (Mawla), all of Allah’s creation aligns and becomes harmonious with that person. Because the faqeer (spiritual seeker) has connected deeply with Allah ﷻ, all the creatures of the universe follow his harmony, including even wild animals.

There is a narration recorded by Imam Abu Bakr Ibn Shaibah that states:

“Whoever becomes obedient to Allah, the entire universe becomes obedient to him.”

When a person humbles themselves before Allah ﷻ, Allah raises their status before all creation. But as long as a person resists submitting sincerely to Allah’s commands and remains prideful, worldly obstacles will stand firm against them.

However, when the person bows sincerely in humility and devotion before their Lord, even wild wolves will align in harmony with them — meaning the universe becomes favorable and supportive.

If you desire that the circumstances of your life become favorable, or that even difficult and unfavorable conditions turn supportive for you, it is possible. The key is to humble yourself before your Lord sincerely and wholeheartedly.

When you become truly connected with Allah ﷻ, the world itself will align in your favor.

This is beautifully summarized by Allama Iqbal’s teachings:

You belong neither to the earth nor to the sky; when you belonged only to your Lord, the whole world was yours. But when you started chasing the world and forgot your Lord, then your Lord forgot you too.

When a person chases worldly gains, the world leads them on and they run after it endlessly. But when a person turns away from the world and heads towards their Lord, the world follows them instead.

This beautifully illustrates the spiritual principle that complete devotion and harmony with Allah ﷻ brings harmony in all aspects of life, even turning enemies into protectors.