Hazrat Maulana Yusuf Banuri (may Allah have mercy on him) once stated in a gathering: One year we went for Hajj, and there was a retired military officer in the group of scholars. At the time of Tahajjud, that military officer would wake up before all of us, go to the Baitullah Sharif, and perform Tawaf at that time. Maulana says: "I used to wonder that he is an ordinary man, and I am a Sheikh-ul-Hadith, a graduate of Deoband, a student of a Muhaddith like Allama Anwar Shah Kashmiri (may Allah have mercy on him), and the teacher of scholars (Ustadh-ul-Ulama); yet this ordinary Muslim, that too a retired military officer, is a greater worshipper and ascetic than me." Maulana Banuri (may Allah have mercy on him) says: "Once, I resolved that from now on, I would wake up before him for Tahajjud. So when I woke up at night, I was relieved to see that he was sleeping in his bed. I was very happy that, thank God, today I surpassed an ordinary worshipping Muslim. After finishing Wudu (ablution) etc. from the washroom, when I came into the room, I saw that the retired military officer was standing with a cup of tea for me. I was astonished that this person was just lying in bed; how did he come back from outside with tea so quickly? But when I looked at the bed, I saw someone was sleeping in his bed. I asked, 'My dear friend! Are you a human or a jinn? If this is not you in your bed, then who is it?' He laughed and said, 'Maula! I am just a human. When I went to the Haram Sharif a little before Tahajjud, I saw an unfamiliar Haji Sahab there suffering from a fever. I couldn't help myself, so I brought him here to my lodging. After putting him to sleep in my bed, I went back to the Haram Sharif. So, this is not me in the bed, but rather the sick Haji Sahab.'" Hazrat Banuri (may Allah have mercy on him) was astonished and asked him, "My dear friend! Who are you, a retired military officer, who has left me—a scholar and Sheikh-ul-Hadith, a graduate of Deoband, the teacher of scholars, the principal of a very large madrasah, and the leader of the scholars' group—behind in asceticism and piety? Today I had resolved that after today, I would wake up before you and go to the Haram before you, but I could not compete with you. Tell me truly, who are you?" That military officer replied: "I am a disciple (mureed) of Sheikh-ut-Tafseer Maulana Ahmad Ali Lahori (may Allah have mercy on him)." Maulana Banuri (may Allah have mercy on him) says: "I felt sorry for myself thinking about how high a special status an ordinary Muslim holds in the sight of Allah due to his connection with Qutb-ul-Aqtab Maulana Ahmad Ali Lahori (may Allah have mercy on him)." This incident shows that such a high spiritual station is achieved through the company of the people of Allah that even if the disciple is an ordinary Muslim, he surpasses great people of knowledge in terms of practical deeds. The prayer is that may Allah Almighty grant us too the strength and guidance to value righteous people and to benefit from their company. Ameen.