SPIRITUAL STONE AT SAPPAL BANDI, SWAT
PROF WAQAR HUSSAIN (14/29-A SAMANABAD LAHORE)

A RECENTLY DISCOVERED MIRACULOUS STONE WITH NATURAL CARVING OF THE WORD “MOHAMMAD” PBUH AT SWAT.
         GOD CREATED THIS MIGHTY, MARVELOUS AND MAGNIFICENT UNIVERSE AS A RED CARPET TO WELCOME THE ADVENT OF PROPHET MOHAMMAD PBUH ON WHOM THE CHAIN OF PROPHET HOOD TERMINATED AFTER CULMINATION INTO A FULL BLOSSOMED FLOWER VASE WITH EVERLASTING FRAGRANCE FOR ALL THE COMING GENERATIONS.THE GLIMPSES OF THE LOVE BETWEEN AHAD(GOD) AND AHMAD(ANOTHER NAME OF MOHAMMAD PBUH,GIVEN BY HER MOTHER ) ARE PRESENT IN VARIOUS CORNERS OF THE WORLD.ONE OF SUCH GLINT IS SPARKLING AT VILLAGE SAPPAL BANDI, SWAT-- WHERE THE NAME OF MOHAMMAD PBUH IS NATURALLY INSCRIBED ON A STONE, SUBHAN ALLAH!
         THIS SUMMER, I  ALONG WITH MY FAMILY(WIFE AND FOUR CHILDREN) WENT TO MARGHAZAR VALLEY SWAT TO SEE THE WHITE PALACE,ABOUT  14 KM FROM SAIDU SHARIF.THE MANAGER NAVEED AWAN EXTENDED SPLENDID HOSPITALITY AND SHOWED US THE WHITE PALACE IN DETAIL. WE REMAINED THERE FOR ABOUT 4 HOURS.WHEN WE WERE READY TO DEPART FOR SAIDU SHARIF,MR NAVEED AWAN CAME UP WITH AN IDEA AND DISCLOSED THAT ON WAY BACK TO SAIDHU SHARIF, YOU WILL FIND A VILLAGE SAPPAL BANDI, A FEW KILOMETRES OFF SIDE THE MAIN ROAD.THERE IS A HOLY STONE CONTAINING NATURALLY PRINTED WORD “MOHAMMAD”PBUH. HE NARRATED A TRADITION :" A DECADE AGO ,A VILLAGER OF SAPPAL BANDI WAS CUTTING A STONE TO BUILD HIS HOME.SUDDENLY THE BIG STONE RIPPED APART  INTO TWO PIECES , VERY SIMILAR TO ICE BLOCK SPLITTING THAT WE OFTEN OBSERVE  ON ICE- SELLING SHOP.ONE BIG CHUNK OF STONE ROLLED DOWN THE HILLS INTO THE DITCHES WHILE THE OTHER PART REMAINED STEADY ON ITS PLACE.WHEN THE VILLAGER SAW THE PIECE, HE WAS ASTONISHED TO SEE THE NAME OF "MOHAMMAD" PBUH NATURALLY  INSCRIBED ON THE STONE. THE BOLSTER (A CHISEL) FELL DOWN FROM HIS HAND IN TRANCE AND HE SAT DOWN IN FRONT OF THE STONE IN DEEP REVERENCE."
       ON HEARING THE PRESENCE OF THIS SPIRITUAL STONE ,WE ALL MADE UP OUR MINDS TO SEE IT.WE ALL SAT IN BLUE CULTUS AND STARTED MOVING TOWARDS SAIDU SHARIF,WHEN WE REACHED ALMOST MIDWAY_7 KM FROM WHITE PALACE AND 7 KM AWAY FROM SAIDU SHARIF_A NARROW METALED ROAD EMANATED FROM THE MAIN ROAD.WE ASKED AN OLD MAN, SITTING ON THE ROAD SIDE, ABOUT THE HOLY STONE.HE GUIDED US TO FOLLOW THE NARROW ROAD AND THAT WOULD TAKE YOU TO YOUR COVETED DESTINATION.WE TURNED THE BLUE VEHICLE ON THAT ROAD.THE ROAD WAS METALED ,NEWLY MADE BUT HAD CERTAIN STEEP HEIGHTS.AFTER TRAVELING ABOUT 7 KILOMETERS CURLY,STEEPLY ,UP AND DOWN TRACK,WE REACHED A POINT WHERE A SMALL SQUARE ROOM WAS CLEARLY VISIBLE  ON THE FRONT MOUNTAIN.NOW WE HAD TO TRAVEL REMAINING JOURNEY ON FOOT.AFTER PARKING THE BLUE CAR AND TAKING TRAVELING KIT BAG,WE BECAME TRACKERS AND STARTED OUR JOURNEY ON FOOTS.
         AFTER 10 TO 15 MINUTES WALK,WE REACHED OUR DESTINATION.THERE WAS A SMALL ROOM,PAINTED WHITE.ON THE DOOR,A 75 YEARS OLD SENTRY SAIF UR REHMAN WELCOMED US AND ALLOWED US TO SEE THE HOLY STONE.WE ENTERED THE ROOM AND SAW 5 FEET LONG AND 5 FEET WIDE GREY STONE HAVING A DIVINE ENGRAVING OF WORD "MOHAMMAD" PBUH.WE ALL WENT INTO ECSTASY AND STARTED SAYING SUBHAN ALLAH, ALHAMADULILLAH,SOME EVEN STARTED RECITING DAROOD(EULOGY OF THE PROPHET).SAIF UR REHMAN TOLD US A DIFFERENT STORY ABOUT ITS DISCOVERY.HE SAID, “IN 2000,A WOOD CUTTER BOY WAS CUTTING WOODS(KHUSHAK IN PUSHTO) FOR BURNING.AS A RESULT,THIS STONE WAS UNCOVERED .INCIDENTALLY,AN OLD MAN WAS PASSING BY,HE SAT NEAR STONE TO TAKE A REST.SUDDENLY, HE SAW THE ENGRAVING OF THE WORD "MOHAMMAD"PBUH ON THE STONE AND STOOD UP IN A JIFFY UNDER A SPELL AND DEEPLY IMPRESSED .HE TOLD THE OTHER VILLAGERS ABOUT THIS MIRACULOUS STONE.SOON,A LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE GATHERED TO SEE THE HOLY STONE.LATER, IT BECAME A ROUTINE PRACTICE AND PEOPLE STARTED VISITING THE PLACE REGULARLY IN ORDER TO SEE THE HEAVENLY STONE.ON SEEING THE RUSH OF PEOPLE,THE MOTHER OF THE WOOD CUTTER FINANCED THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE ROOM FOR THE SACRED STONE AND THE VILLAGERS EMPLOYED A PERSON SAIF UR REHMAN AS A GUARD."
        ON SEEING THE STONE, THE HADITH(QUDSI) OF THE HOLY PROPHET PBUH  FLASHED IN MY MIND, LO LA KA LAMA KHALIQ TUL AFLAK.“IF I(GOD)  HAD NOT GIVEN BIRTH TO YOU(THE HOLY PROPHET PBUH) , I WOULD HAVE NOT CREATED THIS UNIVERSE .” PONDER AT THE MAGNIFICENCE , GRANDEUR AND SPLENDOUR OF OUR PROPHET PBUH AS MILLIONS OF PEOPLES HAVE BEEN RECITING DAROOD ROUND THE CLOCK,ROUND THE WORLD WITHOUT ANY PAUSE SINCE HIS BIRTH... AND WILL KEEP ON DOING SO TILL THE DAY OF JUDGEMENT.EVEN HIS NAME IS WRITTEN ON THE ROCKS,NUTS,FRUITS,ETC,_A DISTINCTION UN ATTAINED BY ANY BODY ELSE IN THIS UNIVERSE EXCEPT THE ALMIGHTY GOD.IN FACT,IT IS A MARK OF GOD'S SPECIAL LOVE FOR OUR PROPHET PBUH.  ON RETUNING TO SAIDU SHARIF,HAZARAT BABA BULLAY SHAH RA VERSE WAS HOVERING ON MY MIND;

       AHAD AHMAD WICH FARQ NA BHULLIA 
       AIK    RATTI   BHAIT    MARRORRI    DHA

NOTE;TWO PHOTOGRAPH ATTACHED: