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tawakkull · 9 months

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ISLAM 101: Spirituality in Islam: Part 105

Ightirab (Doubled Separation)

Ightirab (doubled separation) is a feeling resembling that which arises from falling into error after reform, or night following day, or the darkness of distress that surrounds the heart after exhilaration. Those whom the Messenger praised in His saying, Glad tidings to the outsiders, have always had a dread of such a feeling.

Resembling the separation described above in many ways, doubled separation may arise either from a physical condition or from one’s spiritual state, or from one’s spiritual profundity and knowledge of God. In the third case, it is felt more deeply.

Doubled separation which arises from a physical condition is homesickness, separation from one’s family, relatives, and friends. Particularly when all the means for reunion no longer remain, the spirit sinks into an unbearable feeling of separation. If such a separation is not balanced with a belief in God and the Resurrection, it becomes very difficult to endure. If one bears it with belief, one will die a martyr, as stated in the Prophetic Tradition, The death of one away from his home is martyrdom. If it is not accompanied by heresy and unbelief, according to Every misfortune brings a reward, then it is a gift from God that is beneficial, as it leads to God. According to some, such separation, the pain of which has been softened by belief, is such a sweet suffering that it brings as great a reward as one has the strength to bear. Even though a person may sigh and moan when faced with this pain, the human conscience welcomes it. The following couplets of a poet express this well:

Those away from home and who see me in this state, Let them sit by my grave when the time is due. For only those suffering separation know each other’s state; They are keepsakes entrusted to one another. O my Lord! You are One Who provides means for those without means; It is only You Who will provide means for both me and others. As out of night You bring forth day, You are also able To bring forth joy and happiness out of my sorrows.

The feeling of separation arising from one’s spiritual state is appreciated and honored in the Prophetic saying, Glad tidings to the outsiders. Such people are righteous people struggling with what a corrupt age brings; a scholar devoted to truth lost in a community drowned in ignorance; a faithful one dedicated to truth in a world permeated by hypocrisy–all those suffer separation within separation. When such people witness the great waves of corruption spreading over the land, the ruination of the ignorant masses, and the regard paid to hypocrisy and hypocrites they find themselves in increasing loneliness and become possessed of a great desire to tell the truth to others in order to guide them.

As for the separation that arises from spiritual profundity and a knowledge of God, those suffering from this feel and expect that which exists in the purely Divine Realm, and find themselves in the depths of spiritual pleasures. Nevertheless, until they meet with the Almighty, they feel in their souls the separation of those who are closed to the Truth around them, never being able to free themselves from feelings of separation that arise while journeying toward God. Although they always yearn for nearness to God and to meet with Him in the warmth of His friendship, they are sometimes under the influence of the fear, worry, and sensitivity that they feel during the journey; sometimes the eyes of their hearts are veiled by some evil thoughts and imaginations occurring to them unintentionally. Such people suffer separation, each according to their particular degree. Though the separation of some may be substantial, the separation that most suffer is only imagined or of the kind that arises from worry and excessive sensitivity. They tremble with the fear that this separation, which arises during their relations with the Almighty in different wavelengths, may affect their faithfulness, loyalty and nearness to God, and wound them spiritually. Since initiates view such separation as a sign of loss while they are striving and advancing toward gain, they feel helpless. In the worries or thought of being abandoned or left alone, they sigh in great pain and may cry out: “I wish my mother had not given birth to me.”

While those who suffer separation from home console themselves with the thought of the eternal union in the hereafter, and those whose separation arises from their spiritual states can find comfort in their renewed pursuit and in glimpses of knowledge and love of God, the separation felt by those who have reached contentment in the knowledge of God is absolutely unbearable. The worldly people, who neither see nor know what is beyond the material world, are unaware of what state such people are in. Nor can those known for their regular worship of God or those renowned for their asceticism recognize them or understand their condition, because they cannot get beyond their worship and asceticism. But the horizons and aims of those endowed with the knowledge of God and the efforts that such make to reach their horizons and realize their aims, are as deep and high as the greatness of their relationship with the One Whom they adore.

O God! Show us the truth as the truth and enable us to abide by it, and show us falsehood as falsehood and enable us to avoid it. May God’s blessings and peace be upon our master Muhammad and his family and Companions. Amen, O All-Aiding One!

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lifeofresulullah · 1 year

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The Life of The Prophet Muhammad(pbuh): The Battle of Tabuk and Afterwards

The Death of Hazrat Ibrahim

(Rabiul-Awwal 10, Tuesday, 10th Year of the Migration)

The blessed heart of the Prophet was like a source of compassion and mercy for all human beings. He had a very different love and compassion for young children. He was like an ocean of compassion and love for his own children.

The Prophet had buried Qasim and Abdullah, who were born of Khadija, when he was in Makkah and when they were babies. He felt very sorry when they died. However, when Ibrahim, his son born of Mariya, was born, he was consoled. Therefore, he loved this unique son of his very much. He often caressed his head, hugged him and put him over his chest, showing his love and compassion.

Yes, compassion is “one of the fastest, nicest and prettiest manifestations of divine mercy.” The nicest compassion is the compassion shown to one’s child. A child is a trust given by God Almighty to the parents temporarily.

Thus, the Messenger of Allah showed interest in this trust as he did for other trusts. He regarded his son as a manifestation of God’s mercy, loved and hugged him.

Ibrahim was only 16 months old when the Prophet was informed about his illness. He went to the house in the vineyard where his beloved son stayed with his mother Mariya.

The Prophet could no longer see the previous bright and active looks in the eyes of Ibrahim, who was ill. Ibrahim, who had been robust and active, became quiet and calm; he looked as if he was tired of the world. With his appearance, he virtually showed that he was ready to go to the eternal realm.

When the Prophet noticed it, he looked at his son’s eyes that were moving slightly and said, “O Ibrahim! What can we do against the preordination of Allah?”

After a while, Ibrahim passed away.

Meanwhile, tears started to roll down the face of the Prophet.

Abdurrahman b. Awf said, “O Messenger of Allah! Are you crying, too? Did you not prohibit people from crying like that?” The Prophet said,

“O Ibn Awf! I prohibited you from two kinds of crying and shouting, which are expressions of sins and stupidity: Shouting when one receives bounties, shouting while playing, and crying by scratching one’s body and tearing one’s garment… My crying is an indication of compassion and mercy. A person who does not show mercy is not shown mercy.”

“The Eye Cries, the Heart Feels Sorry”

After uttering the words above, the Prophet could not help crying again. When his eyes were full of tears, he said, “The eye cries, the heart feels sorry. We will not utter any words other than what our Lord will consent.”He added, “By Allah! O Ibrahim! Your passing away distressed us a lot.”

The Prophet, who shed longing tears of not getting enough of a son, looked at the mountain located opposite and said, “O mountain! If you had the sorrow that I have, you would be destroyed and broken into pieces. However, we say what Allah orders us to say, ‘Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi rajiun.’ (To Allah we belong and to Him is our return.)”

Next to His Grave

After being washed and enshrouded, Ibrahim was taken to the cemetery of Baqi on the most distinguished and blessed hands. The Prophet led the janazah prayer there.

The grave had been prepared. The Prophet saw a hole in the grave. He told the person who dug the grave to fill that hole.

The man said, “O Messenger of Allah! That hole will neither harm nor help the dead person.” The Messenger of Allah gave the following lesson:

“Yes, it will neither harm nor help the dead person but it will harm the eye of the living person. Allah wants a person to do whatever he does perfectly.”

Then, Ibrahim was put in the grave. The Messenger of Allah sprinkled some water and soil on the grave with his blessed hands and in tears.

The Prophet Warns the Muslims

When Ibrahim died, the sun eclipsed.

People thought it eclipsed because of the death of Ibrahim. They said, “The sun eclipsed due to the death of Ibrahim.”

When the Messenger of Allah heard it, he went to the mosque and said the following to his Companions after praising and thanking Allah:

“O people! Know it very well that the sun and the moon are two signs of the power of Allah. They do not eclipse due to the death or birth of anyone. When you see them eclipse, go to mosques; pray Allah and perform prayers until the eclipse ends.”

A Sign

With the death of Ibrahim, only one of the children of the Prophet, Fatima, remained alive. This indicated that his line would continue through his female descendants not male descendants due to a reason. Thus, the implication of the following verse was understood: “Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but (he is) the Messenger of Allah, and the Seal of the Prophets: and Allah has full knowledge of all things.” “The Prophet’s male children would not remain at the degree of ‘men’ (rijal); as a consequence of some wise purpose, his descendants would not continue as men. Since through the use of the term 'rijal’ it indicates that he is the father of women, his line would continue through women. And, Praise be to God, Hazret-i Fatima’s blessed descendants, like Hasan and Husayn, the light-giving moons of two luminous lines, continue the material and spiritual line of the Sun of Prophethood.”

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jami-attirmidhi · 9 months

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JAMI’at-TIRMIDHI: The Book on Business: Hadith 1765

Narrated Rafi' bin Khadij:that the Prophet (ﷺ) said:

"Whoever farms a people's land without their permission, then nothing he farms belongs to him and its finances are due to him."

Reference: Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1366

In-book reference: Book 15, Hadith 47

English translation : Vol. 3, Book 13, Hadith 1366

#allah #god #islam #muslim #quran #revert #conevrt #convert islam #revert islam #reverthelp #revert help #revert help team #help #islamhelp #converthelp #new muslim #how to convert to islam #convert to islam #welcome to islam

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everyday-quote · 4 years

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The hearts of man pass through two phases: activity and inactivity, so seek your hearts while they are in the state of activity and control them in the phase of inactivity.

Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyyah (rahimullah)

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basicsofislam · 4 years

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ISLAM 101: AN INTRODUCTION TO HADITH: Part 6

Weak Hadith and Hadith Fabrication: Part 1

WEAK HADITH DEFINED

Hadith that are not acceptable with regard to the criteria concerning their reliability has been regarded as rejected, or mardud.

Such hadiths have also been referred to with the word saqim (unsound or infirm) used as the opposite of sahih. Weak hadiths are those which do not possess at least one of the five determined preconditions for the soundness of hadith. Some scholars have asserted that there are forty-two different kinds of weak hadith.

The weakness or unsoundness of hadith stems from the inadequacy of the narrator in terms of righteousness and academic competence (zabt).

However, there needs to be explicit proof demonstrating the narrator’s shortcomings with regard to piety or scholarly competence. This proof is comprised of defects in the narrations they transmit. On account of this, hadith scholars have preferred assessments putting forth errors in narration to weakness in the narrator, in their hadith critique.

TYPES OF WEAK HADITH

The most well-known of weak (da’if) hadiths have been named in accordance with their various defects in transmission.

Hadith with continuity of transmission, or chain of narration, is referred to as muttasil. The chain of sahih hadiths is muttasil, or continuous. Discontinuity in the chain of narration is a flaw affecting the soundness of hadith; however, as all discontinuities in transmission do not constitute a cause for weakness to the same degree, each of them has been referred to with different names. A chain of transmission with the Companion’s name missing is called mursal, one with two or more consecutive narrators missing is called mu’dal, a suspended chain with the names of one or more mentors omitted by the author is referred to as mu’allaq, and munqati is the general term used to refer to a broken chain where at least one narrator is missing.

Another kind of weak hadith is that which is anomalous.

The hadith in which a hadith transmitter who is accepted to be reliable (thiqa) contradicts a more reliable transmitter or other transmitters, is referred to as an anomalous hadith. This contradiction can pertain to both the chain and the actual text of the hadith.

In cases where opposition to a reliable narrator is on the part of a weak narrator, this hadith is called munkar, or singular and suspect.

Due to the fact that munkar constitutes a weak transmitter’s opposition to a reliable hadith transmitter, they possess two significant defects. Therefore, these have been regarded as being among the weakest types of hadith. There have also been those who have deemed narrations that are unfamiliar to hadith scholars as munkar purely due to their being unknown. However, it has become common to term such hadith as singular or “strange” (gharib) hadith, possessing only one transmitter at some stage of the chain.

Such singular hadiths have not been accepted as one of the types of weak hadith in the absolute sense, but there are many weak hadith among them. This is because there are no subsequent traditions supporting them. Consequently, hadith scholars have attached importance to examining singular hadith and have penned independent works in this regard. For instance, Bazar’s Musnad and Tabarani’s Al-Mujam al-Awsat are compilations of singular hadith and investigations of their soundness.

Narrations where the hadith transmitter has rearranged a word or sentence in the text of the hadith or where the names of some of the transmitters of the chain of transmission are altered are called inverted or transposed (maqlub) hadith.

RULING PERTAINING TO WEAK HADITH

All weak hadiths are not equal in degree.

Narrations have been classified in accordance with the situation of the transmitters and their opposition to or contradiction with other hadith transmitters. Hadiths have been graded by means of comparisons between narrations, from the most reliable to the weakest.

Although sound and fair hadith constitute evidence in every matter, weak hadiths have only been accepted as proof in certain subject areas.

Due to the likelihood of their being the Prophet’s words, weak hadiths have been considered in the absence of sound hadith. Weak hadiths have been accepted in such issues as the praise, criticism or encouragement of a matter established in sound hadith. In addition, they have been appropriated as a supporting and buttressing element. However, there are certain types of weak hadith that have been completely abandoned. Such narrations are referred to as disregarded (matruk) narrations and they have not been considered under any circumstances.

The following three conditions are necessary for a weak hadith to be accepted:

The transmitted hadith must not be very weak;

It must not contradict the Qur’an and Sunnah; and

It must be based on a principle established in the Qur’an and the Sunnah.

As is evident, a weak hadith has not been accepted as evidence with regard to a non-existent judgment or ruling. However, it has been used for the purposes of encouragement, caution or recommendation, consonant with the essence of the religion, in existing matters that have already been firmly demonstrated.

RELIGIOUS RULING CONCERNING LYING

Just as there were those individuals in the Prophet’s lifetime who claimed to be prophets and claimed to have received revelation, there were also those who tried to ascribe words to the Prophet that he did not utter. In the face of such an event, Allah’s Messenger stated:

“Those who intentionally lie against me should prepare their abode in the Fire.”(This hadith is perfectly sound (mutawatir). It has been narrated by more than seventy Companions. )

Again in another hadith, the Prophet declared that one who transmits a lie is also considered to have lied:

“It is sufficient lying for a man to repeat that he hears.” (Sahih Muslim, Muqaddima, 3)

In Islam, lying (kidhb) has virtually been equated with unbelief.

In the Qur’an, the term ‘denial’ has been used in reference to rejecting Allah and religion.

In contrast, sidq denotes believing and affirming the truth of religion.

On account of this, the Companions conceived of falsehood and truth as two diametrically opposed concepts. Nowhere can it ever be observed that the believers lied against Allah and His Messenger in the Age of Happiness. Referring to such state of affairs, Abdullah ibn Abbas (d. 687 CE) summarized the situation after the appearance of discord saying that formerly, upon hearing someone say, “The Messenger of Allah said,” they would immediately pay heed. But when falsehood emerged and people competed in narrating the hadith, they would not accept from people except that of which they were assured. (Sahih Muslim, Muqaddima, 4)

On no account were the hypocrites allowed to lie and thus mix anything into the religion. The Messenger of Allah had disclosed the names of the hypocrites to his Companion Hudhayfa ibn al-Yaman. After the Prophet’s demise, the Caliphs relied upon Hudhayfa’s testimony and adjusted themselves in accordance with his opinions and even his gestures and behavior. The Rightly Guided Caliphs and succeeding caliphs did not authorize anyone to freely narrate hadith and tightly regulated hadith transmission.

WORKS RELATED TO FABRICATED HADITH

Fabricated (mawdu) hadiths have been compiled into separate books by hadith scholars with a view to serving as a case in point and in order for famed hadith fabricators to be known. If they had not engaged in such an endeavor, we would not have been aware of these words fabricated in the past, for people’s informally spreading words of their own invention carries no weight with respect to scholarly activity. For instance, information pertaining to medicine that is spread colloquially is of no significance and is even forgotten over time, unless it is accepted and documented by physicians. Similarly, it is not possible for knowledge that is not embraced by its specialists to hold any weight.

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wisdomrays · 5 years

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THE MIRACLES OF PROPHET MUHAMMAD (pbuh): Fourteenth Sign.Part1

Another numerous sort of the various kinds of miracle of God’s Most Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) were the wonders manifested as a result of his prayers. This kind is definite and there is ‘true consensus’ in their many reports. The instances and examples of it are so numerous as to be incalculable, and many of these have reached the degree of ‘consensus,’ or have become famous as such. Others have been related by such authorities that they bear the same certainty as well-known ‘consensus.’ As examples, we shall quote only some of the numerous instances of this kind of miracle that are very well-known and nearest in degree to ‘consensus,’ giving some particulars of each instance.

F i r s t E x a m p l e : The fact that prayers of the Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) for rain were always accepted has been transmitted by authorities of Hadith, primarily Bukhari and Muslim. There were times when in the pulpit he raised his hands to pray for rain, and before he had lowered them even, rain began to fall. As mentioned above, once or twice when the army had run out of water, the clouds came and poured forth rain. Before his prophetic mission, even, during his childhood, the Prophet’s grandfather ‘Abd al-Muttalib would go to pray for rain with him, and the rain came out of respect for Muhammad (PBUH). The fact became celebrated through a poem of ‘Abd al-Muttalib. And after the Prophet’s death, ‘Umar prayed making ‘Abbas the means, saying: “O our Sustainer! This is the uncle of your Beloved. Send us rain for his sake!” And it rained.

Bukhari and Muslim also relate that God’s Messenger was asked to pray for rain. He did so and such rain fell that they were compelled to ask him to pray for it to stop. He did so, and it stopped at once.

S e c o n d E x a m p l e : It is almost as well-known as those incidents about which there are many unanimous reports that when the number of Companions and believers had still not reached forty, God’s Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) prayed secretly while performing his worship: “O God! Strengthen Islam by means of either ‘Umar b. al-Khattab or ‘Umar b. Hisham.” A few days later, ‘Umar b. al-Khattab came to believe and was the means to proclaiming and upholding Islam, so that he acquired the title of Faruq [Discerner between truth and falsehood].

T h i r d E x a m p l e : God’s Messenger prayed for various distinguished Companions for different purposes. His prayers were all accepted in so brilliant a fashion that the wonders of these prayers reached the degree of a miracle. For instance, foremost Bukhari and Muslim relate that he prayed for Ibn ‘Abbas as follows: “O God! Give him knowledge of religion and teach him interpretation.” This supplication was accepted in such a way that Ibn ‘Abbas gained the glorious title of ‘Interpreter of the Qur’an’ and reached the elevated egree of ‘learned scholar of the Muslim community.’ When still very young even, ‘Umar used to include him in the gatherings of the religious scholars and leading Companions.

Also, foremost Bukhari and the writers of books of authentic Hadith relate that the mother of Anas entreatied God’s Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace): “Pray that your servant Anas will be blessed with abundant wealth and offspring.” The Prophet prayed, saying: “O God! Grant increase to his wealth and offspring and bless what you bestow on him.” Towards the end of his life, Anas said swearing by God: “I have buried a hundred of my progeny with my own hand. No one has been as fortunate as myself in regard to wealth and possessions. You can see that my wealth is truly abundant. All these are the result of Prophet’s prayer for the blessing of plenty.”

Also, foremost Imam Bayhaqi, and the scholars of Hadith relate that God’s Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) prayed that one of the ten promised Paradise, ‘Abd al-Rahman b. ‘Awf, be blessed with abundance of wealth. Through the blessing of that prayer, he acquired such wealth that on one occasion he donated seven hundred camels together with their loads to God’s cause. See the blessings of plenty resulting from the Prophet’s prayer, and say: “How great are God’s blessings!”

Also, narrators of Hadiths, and foremost Bukhari, relate: “God’s Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) prayed that ‘Urwa b. Abi al-Ja‘da might do profitably at trade. ‘Urwa said: ‘Sometimes I would go to the marketplace in Kufa and come home in the evening having made a forty thousandfold profit.’” Imam Bukhari says: “If he took earth in his hand, he still would make a profit from it!”

Also, he prayed that ‘Abd Allah b. Ja‘far would acquire an abundance of wealth, and he became so rich he was famous for it. He also became as famous for his generosity as he was for the wealth he obtained through the Prophet’s prayer for the blessing of plenty.

There are numerous instances of this sort of miracle, but we consider the four described above to be sufficient as examples.

Also, foremost Imam Tirmidhi relates: “The Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) prayed for Sa‘d b. Abi Waqqas: ‘O God, answer his prayer!’ After that everyone feared his malediction, and the answering of his prayers also became famous.

On another occasion, God’s Messenger prayed for the famous Abu Qatada that he might remain young: “May God prosper your face! O God, bless his hair and his skin!” When he died at the age of seventy, he was like a youth of fifteen. This is related through a sound narration.

Also, the famous story of the poet Nabigha. He recited one of his poems before God’s Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace), which ran: “Our glory and praise have reached to the skies; we want to ascend even higher.” God’s Messenger asked jokingly: “Where, beyond the skies?” Nabigha replied: “To Paradise.” He then recited another of his meaningful poems, and the Prophet prayed: “May God not spoil your mouth!” It was through the blessing of this prayer of the Prophet that he did not have a single tooth missing when he was one hundred and twenty years old. Whenever he lost a tooth, another would appear in its place.

Also, it is related through an authentic narration that he prayed for Imam ‘Ali: “O God, protect him from heat and cold!” Through the blessing of this prayer, Imam ‘Ali used to wear summer clothes in winter, and winter clothes in summer. He used to say: “I never suffer from heat or cold, thanks to that prayer.”

Also, he prayed for Fatima: “O God, do not give her the pains of hunger!” And Fatima used to say: “I never suffered from hunger after that prayer.”

Also, Tufayl b. ‘Amr asked God’s Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) for a miracle to show to his tribe. The Prophet prayed: “O God, illuminate him!”, and a light appeared between his eyes. Later it was transferred to the end of his staff, and he became famous as Dhi’l-Nur, the Possessor of Light. These incidents are all from well-known Hadiths that are certain.

Also, Abu Hurayra once complained to the Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) that he sometimes suffered from forgetfulness. God’s Messenger told him to spread out a piece of cloth. He then made some movements with his blessed hand as though taking some invisible objects and putting them on the cloth. He repeated this two or three times, then told him to gather up the cloth. Abu Hurayra later swore that through the mystery of this prayer of the Prophet’s, he never again forgot anything. This event is also among well-known Hadiths.

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tawakkull · 6 months

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ISLAM 101: Spirituality in Islam: Part 166

Shukr (Thankfulness)

Literally meaning gladness felt about and gratitude shown for the good done to one, Sufis use shukr to mean using one’s body, abilities, feelings, and thoughts bestowed upon one to fulfill the purpose of his or her creation: being thankful to the Creator for what He has bestowed. Such thankfulness is to be reflected in the person’s actions or daily life, in speech and in the heart, by admitting that all things are directly from Him, and by feeling gratitude for them.

One may thank God verbally by only depending upon His power and strength, as well as upon His bestowal or withholding of favors, and acknowledging that all good and bounties come from Him. As He alone creates all good, beauty, and bounty, as well as the means by which they can be obtained, only He sends them at the appropriate time.

Since He alone determines, apportions, creates, and spreads [all our provisions] before us as “heavenly tables,” He alone deserves our gratitude and thanks. Attributing our attainment of His bounties to our own or to another’s means or causes, in effect thereby proclaiming that He is not the true Owner, Creator, and Giver of all bounty, is like giving a huge tip to the servant who lays before us a magnificent table and ignoring the host who is responsible for having it prepared and sent to us. Such an attitude reflects sheer ignorance and ingratitude, as mentioned in: They know only the outward face of the life of the world (apparent to them), and they are completely unaware of (its face looking to) the Hereafter (30:7).

True thankfulness in one’s heart is manifested through the conviction and acknowledgment that all bounties are from God, and then ordering one’s life accordingly. One can thank God verbally and through one’s daily life only if personally convinced, and if one willingly acknowledges that his or her existence, life, body, physical appearance, and all abilities and accomplishments are from God, as are all of the bounties obtained and consumed. This is stated in: Do you not see that God has made serviceable unto you whatsoever is in the skies and whatsoever is in the earth, and has loaded you with His bounties seen or unseen? (31:20), and: He gives you of all that you ask Him; and if you reckon the bounties of God, you can never count them (14:34).

Bodily thankfulness is possible by using one’s organs, faculties, and abilities for the purposes for which they were created, and in performing the duties of servanthood falling on each. On the other hand, some have stated that verbal thankfulness means daily recitation of portions of the Qur’an, prayers, supplications, and God’s Names. Thankfulness by the heart means that one is certain or convinced of the truth of the Islamic faith and straightforwardness. Practical or bodily thankfulness, according to others, means observing all acts of worship. Since thankfulness relates directly to all aspects or branches of belief and worship, it is regarded as half of the faith. With respect to this inclusiveness, it is considered together with patience, meaning that according to some people, thankfulness and patience are considered as the two halves of religious life.

In His eternal Speech, God Almighty repeatedly commands thankfulness and, as in the phrases so that you may give thanks (2:52) and God will reward the thankful (3:144), presents it as the purpose of creation and of sending religion. In such verses as: If you are thankful I will add more unto you. But if you show ingratitude My punishment is terrible indeed (14:7), He has promised abundant reward to the thankful and threatened the ungrateful with a terrible punishment. One of His own Names is the All-Thanking, which shows us that the way to obtain all bounties or favors is through thankfulness, which He returns with abundant reward. He exalts the Prophets Abraham and Noah, upon them be peace, saying: (Abraham was) thankful for His bounties (16:121) and Assuredly, he (Noah) was a grateful servant (17:3).

Although thankfulness is a religious act of great importance and significant “capital,” few people truly do it: Few of My servants are thankful (34:13). Very few people live in full awareness of the duty of thankfulness, saying: Shall I not be a servant grateful (to my Lord)?, and try their best to perform their duty of thankfulness and order their lives accordingly.

The glory of humanity, upon him be peace and blessings, whose soles swelled because of his long supererogatory prayer vigils (tahajjud), was a matchless hero of thankfulness. On one occasion, he told his wife ‘A’isha: Shall I not be a servant grateful to God? He always thanked God and recommended thankfulness to his followers, and prayed to God every morning and evening, saying: O God. Help me mention You, thank You, and worship You in the best way possible.114

Thankfulness is the deep gratitude and devotion of one who, receiving His bounties or favors, directs these feelings toward the One Who bestows such blessing, and the subsequent turning to Him in love, appreciation, and acknowledgment. The above Prophetic saying expresses this most directly.

People are thankful for many things: the provisions, home, and family with which they have been favored; wealth and health; belief, knowledge of God, and the spiritual pleasures bestowed on them; and the consciousness with which God favored them so they could open themselves to the knowledge that they must be thankful. If those who are thankful for such a consciousness use their helplessness and destitution as “capital” and thank Him continuously, they will be among the truly thankful. It is narrated from God’s Messenger, upon him be peace and blessings, that

The Prophet David, upon him be peace, asked God Almighty: O Lord. How can I be thankful to You, since thanking You is another favor that requires thankfulness? The Almighty responded: Just now you have done it.

I think this is what is expressed in: We have not been able to thank You as thanking You requires, O All-Thanked One.

One can be thankful by recognizing and appreciating Divine favors, for feeling gratitude to the One Who bestows favors depends to a great extent on due recognition and appreciation of them. Belief and Islam (including the Qur’an) lead one to recognize and appreciate favors and thus turn to God in gratitude. One can be more aware of these favors, and that they are given to us by God out of His mercy for our helplessness and inability to meet our own needs, in the light of belief and Islamic practices. This awareness urges us to praise the One Who bestows upon us those favors and bounties that we consume. Awakening to the meaning of: As for the favor of Your Lord, proclaim it (93:11), we feel a deep need to be grateful and thankful.

Everyone is naturally inclined to praise the good and the one who does good to him or her. However, until this feeling is aroused there is no awareness of being favored by someone else, just as fish are not conscious of living in water. Furthermore, these favors may be attributed to the means and causes used to obtain them. If it is blindness and deafness not to see and appreciate the favors we continuously receive, then it must be an unforgivable deviation to attribute them to various blind, deaf, and unfeeling means and causes. The Prophetic statements: One who does not thank for the little does not thank for the abundant, and: One who does not thank people does not thank God, express blindness and deafness to favors and remind us of the importance of being thankful. Such verses as: Mention Me so that I will mention you, and give thanks to Me and do not be ungrateful to Me (2:152), and: Worship Him and give Him thanks (29:17) tell us that it is God Who truly deserves to be thanked, and also remind us of His absolute Unity.

Thankfulness can be divided into three categories. The first category consists of thankfulness for those things that everyone, regardless of religion or spiritual attainment, desires. The second category consists of thankfulness for those things that, although apparently disagreeable or displeasing, reveal their true nature to those who can see them as favors requiring gratitude.

The third category of thankfulness is that kind performed by those who are loved by God and view favors or bounties from the perspective of the One Who bestows them. They spend their lives in spiritual pleasure that begins in observing God’s manifestation of Himself through His favors, and take the greatest pleasure in worshipping Him. Although they are always enraptured with the spiritual delight flowing from their love of Him, they are extremely careful of their relationship with Him. Such people constantly strive to preserve the Divine blessings that have been bestowed upon them, and always search for what they have missed. While they constantly deepen their belief, love, and gratitude along the way toward Him, the “nets of their sight” are filled with different blessings and gifts.

O God! Include us among Your servants whom You love, have made sincere, and have brought unto You. Grant peace and blessings to our Master, the Master of those loved, made sincere, and brought near unto You.

#allah #god #islam #muslim #quran #revert #conevrt #convert islam #revert islam #reverthelp #revert help #revert help team #help #islamhelp #converthelp #how to convert to islam #convert to islam #welcome to islam

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tawakkull · 10 months

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ISLAM 101: Spirituality in Islam: Part 100

Hikma (Wisdom)

Wisdom (hikma), meaning knowledge, the understanding of Divine commandments, of philosophy, of the real reasons for the existence of events and of things, and grasping the goals and benefits in religion, has been interpreted by the exacting scholars of truth as being able to combine useful knowledge and righteous deeds in life. Righteous deeds are the willed outcome of knowledge applied, and the beginning of new Divine gifts.

Starting from the perspective of the description above, some scholars deal with wisdom in two categories, namely practical and theoretical, as they have done with reason. Theoretical wisdom is the effort that one makes along with a God-given ability to observe things and events as if they were an exhibition. It is also an attempt to penetrate the meaning behind and purpose for such events in order to study and read them like a book, to listen to them like a symphony, and to study and try to understand the mysterious relationship between the physical and metaphysical realms of existence.

As for practical wisdom, it is worshipping to discover and turning to the Owner of this exhibition, the Author of this book, the Composer of this symphony, running to Him in love and yearning, and deeply experiencing the awe and amazement of being in His Presence. So, to sum up, wisdom begins with reflection, curiosity, wonder, and the zeal to study and search, and continues with obedience and worship, ending in spiritual pleasures and eternal happiness.

Studying the Qur’anic verses where wisdom is mentioned, we can add to the above explanation the following points:

Wisdom means the subtleties and mysteries of the Qur’an. Since the Qur’an is, in one respect, the correlative of the book of the universe and, in another, its interpretation and explanation, its subtleties and mysteries are also those of the book of the universe. The Qur’an indicates this in this verse (2:269): He grants the wisdom to whomever He wills, and whoever is granted the wisdom, has indeed been granted much good. Wisdom means Prophethood and the meaning of Messengership. The scholars of the Hadith have interpreted it as Sunna (the way of the Messenger). The verses, God granted him (David) kingdom and wisdom (2:251), and We granted Luqman wisdom (31:12), refer to this meaning. Wisdom, in both its theoretical and practical aspects, means goodwill, which is mentioned in: Call to the way of your Lord with wisdom and fair exhortation and preaching (16:125). Some have defined wisdom as correct judgment, and acting as one should act and doing what is necessary to do at the right time and right place. We can elaborate on this meaning, which can be re-stated as being just, moderate, balanced, and straightforward as follows:

Giving everything its due, or right judgment, without going to extremes, viewing and discharging our responsibilities in the framework of the Shari’a, fulfilling the necessary conditions and prerequisites for any desired result, avoiding extremes, even when doing good deeds, being careful to maintain the fact that religion can be practiced or lived under all circumstances, and leading a life in accordance with the Sunna of the Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings. Always preferring God’s decisions and judgments concerning us over our own choices, and leading our lives according to the rule, Submit to God and be saved,[1] i.e. being resigned to all of God’s decrees and acts concerning our lives and nature, without ever forgetting that God has wisdom in whatever He does, and does nothing in vain. Being steadfast in following the Messenger strictly in our thoughts and actions in full perception of his way, and as stated in the verse (12:108), Say: “This is my way: I call to God based on conscious insight and sure knowledge – I and those who follow me”,, serving our religion and humanity in his way with conscious insight and sure knowledge. The principal sources of wisdom are Divine Revelation and inspiration.[2] This means that all the Prophets and all the spiritual guides, each according to his rank, are also sages or wise people whose special property is wisdom. Such people apply spiritual therapy to those diseased in mind and spirit (those who have followed wrong ways in thought and belief and who suffer from spiritual discontentment), and cure them, trying to keep their spiritual lives cleansed of the viruses brought on by evil nature and sin.

In view of the missions (special tasks and occupations) of the Prophets and saints, we can add to the definition of wisdom the following :

Wisdom is unity of thought, intention, and action. Right thinking, precision in expression, and acting in the right way are true signs of wisdom. Certainty in knowledge, soundness in action, and perfection in any performance, which we can paraphrase as supporting knowledge with action or practice, and dong any work of art with efficiency, which adds to the artist’s zeal and ability, also demonstrate wisdom. Grasping the aims of religion and, in addition to representing it in individual life, trying to make it prevail in life or ordering life accordingly, is a dimension of wisdom. Perceiving the essence of existence together with its inner truth, as well as the peculiarities of each thing together with its relationship with all other things, and the Creator’s purposes for the existence and life of things, is another, important dimension of wisdom. Approaching things in order to understand and analyze their uses and the benefits expected of them, and, as a vicegerent of God, to use them within the limits He has set, is an aspect of wisdom relating to art. Seeing everything in the light of the Divine way, which is responsible for the perfect accord, order, and balance in the universe, where everything is in its exact place, the observation of this same order and the balance in our lives, and the development of sciences that study the earth and the sky to maintain the balance in them, is another approach to wisdom.

Pursuing the best goals in life, trying to make prevail what is good and preferable in the relationships between the rulers and the ruled, and, by adopting God’s way of conduct and treatment of His servants in our individual and social life, making heavenly the systems of government on earth, realizing God’s purposes for sending the Prophets, are other, excellent dimensions of wisdom. In order to distinguish between reasoning and logic that are guided by the All-Merciful One, and those guided by the suggestions and misleading of Satan, one should leave one’s intellect to the guidance of God’s Messenger, upon him be peace and blessings, and always be on the alert. It is only by so doing that one can feel the Divine gifts of correct judgment, sound reasoning, and wise thinking appear within oneself; thereafter one begins to feel and think correctly and is saved from self-contradiction in one’s behavior. In the end, wise, right thinking and behavior become second nature – this means the adoption of the Divine way of conduct. We can also describe this as the transformation of theoretical reason into practical reason, and theoretical wisdom into practical, or, according to some Sufi leaders, the angelic aspects of a human being surpassing their satanic ones.

Knowledge, combined with action is an important dimension of wisdom. Although action is not a part of belief or, in other words, neglecting to practice religion in daily life is not a sign of unbelief, it is certain that action is an important aspect of religion. Putting knowledge into practice or practicing the religious commandments in daily life after learning them is an essential of Islam. The verse (51:56), I have not created the jinn and humankind but only to worship Me, warns us of this. Mere information without action will not help. As pointed out before, existence is a book or an exhibition of wisdom, with the Qur’an being its voice or translator or description. What falls on humanity is to read and study the book of creation in the Qur’an. Those who are able to do so are, in the words of the Qur’an, rewarded with abundant good, and gain great value in proportion to the depth of their inner world and the sharpness of their faculties. Contrarily, those who see the realities on the face of existence but cannot discern the truths lying behind it and the purpose for it alongside the magnificent order it displays, are doomed to not receive its messages. This is manifestly a loss or failure.

O God! Show us the truth as the truth and enable us to live by it, and show us falsehood as falsehood and enable us to avoid it.

[1] Al-Bukhari, “Bad’u’l-Wahy,” 6. [2] Revelation means God’s special speech to the Prophets and mainly includes the Divine Scriptures, while inspiration is His putting guiding and uplifting thoughts, ideas and purposes into the hearts of Montana

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lifeofresulullah · 7 days

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The Life of The Prophet Muhammad(pbuh): Farewell Hajj and the Death of the Prophet (pbuh)

After the Death of the Prophet (PBUH)

The pure soul of the Seal of the Prophets reached A’la al-Illiyyun (the Highest Rank). His wives put a cloth over his body and started to cry.

Usama heard from his mother that the Messenger of Allah was living his last moments, he postponed setting off and came to the Mosque with his army. When the Companions heard the cries and screams coming from the house of the Prophet, they were shocked. It was as if the sky had fallen on them. Everybody was stupefied; the eyes were shedding tears of sorrow and grief.

Even Hazrat Umar, who was a symbol of courage and justice, was affected badly from that terrible moment; he was terrified and shouted,

“The Messenger of Allah did not die. He is alive. He was struck by lightning like Moses. If anyone says, ‘Muhammad died’, I will split him into two with my sword.”

Hazrat Abu Bakr Soothes People

When the Messenger of Allah died, Hazrat Abu Bakr was in his house in Sunh. They gave him the bad news. Hazrat Abu Bakr, who felt as if one part of his part broke off, went to the house of the Messenger of Allah quickly.

He lifted the cloth that covered the blessed face of the Messenger of Allah in terror and astonishment. His face was in the form of embodied light. He bowed down and kissed the Prophet’s bright and luminous forehead three times. He uttered the following words in tears:

“O Messenger of Allah! Your death is as clean and graceful as your life.”

Then, he consoled the household of the Prophet.

Hazrat Abu Bakr and Hazrat Umar

After leaving the house of the Prophet, Hazrat Abu Bakr went to the Mosque. He heard Hazrat Umar say, “The Messenger of Allah did not die.” Thereupon, he said,

“Whoever worships Muhammad (pbuh) should know that Muhammad (pbuh) died. Whoever worships Allah should know that Allah is Hayy (immortal).”

Then, he recited the following verse:

“Muhammad is no more than a Messenger: many were the Messengers that passed away before Him. If he died or was slain, will ye then turn back on your heels? If any did turn back on his heels, not the least harm will he do to Allah; but Allah (on the other hand) will swiftly reward those who (serve him) with gratitude”

This verse had been sent down during the Battle of Uhud, when a rumor stating that Muhammad was killed became widespread. Though the Companions had read that verse, maybe, hundreds or thousands times, but they seemed to have forgotten it due to their sorrow at that time.

However, Hazrat Abu Bakr who maintained his strength did not forget it; he fulfilled a great service and duty by reminding the Companions about it.

Upon the speech and reminder of Hazrat Abu Bakr, the Companions came to their senses. They pulled themselves together and overcame their astonishment.

Then, Hazrat Abu Bakr recited the following verse:

“(O Prophet! Truly thou wilt die (one day), and truly they (too) will die (one day).”

Hazrat Abu Bakr, who did not lose his strength, fulfilled a great service for the Islamic community through his speech.

The distinguished Companions realized and accepted that the Messenger of Allah had died; Hazrat Umar gave up saying, “the Messenger of Allah did not die.” And he came to his senses.

Madinah had never been so full of joy when the Messenger of Allah arrived in Madinah for the first time since the city was founded; the same Madinah was experiencing the saddest moments now; the skies of Madinah were covered with sorrow and grief.

Hazrat Abu Bakr is Elected as Caliph

Upon the death of the Messenger of Allah, Madinah was mourning. Eyes were shedding tears and hearts were shedding sorrow and grief.

However, mourning and sorrow would not settle things. It was necessary to elect a president, a Caliph, who would take care of the affairs of the Muslims and who would apply the decrees of Islam.

Soon, there was an attempt to choose the Caliph. The person that deserved this post more than everybody else was Hazrat Abu Bakr because the highest rank of the Companions were the most distinguished Companions that believed first in Makkah. And the most virtuous of them was Hazrat Abu Bakr. In fact, Hazrat Abbas and Hazrat Ali were closer to the Messenger of Allah than anybody else in terms of kinship but the Prophet regarded Hazrat Abu Bakr, who was his friend in cave, superior to all of the Companions. He showed it when he was ill too. He ordered all of the doors opening to the Mosque to be closed but let the door of Hazrat Abu Bakr open. He handed over the duty of leading prayers Hazrat Abu Bakr three days before his death. He made Abu Bakr lead prayers, one of the most important pillars of Islam. Therefore, he was the one that deserved being the Caliph after the death of the Messenger of Allah. And it happened like that.

After the long talks and negotiations made on Monday, the day when the Messenger of Allah died, from the afternoon until the evening, Hazrat Abu Bakr was elected the Caliph of the Messenger of Allah and people paid allegiance to him.

General Allegiance to Hazrat Abu Bakr

It was Rabiul-Awwal 13, Tuesday…

Hazrat Abu Bakr went to the Mosque of the Prophet and ascended to the pulpit.

Before he started to speak, Hazrat Umar stood up. After praising and thanking Allah, Hazrat Umar addressed the Muslims: “Allah made the best of you, the friend of the Messenger of Allah in the cave, your Caliph. Stand up and pay allegiance to him.”

The Muslims in the mosque stood up and paid general allegiance to Hazrat Abu Bakr.

After the allegiance, Hazrat Abu Bakr praised and thanked Allah, and spoke as follows:

O people! I was elected as your governor and Caliph though I am not the best of you. If I do good deeds, help me; if I do bad deeds, show me the right way. Honesty is reliability. Telling lies is betrayal. Inshaallah, the weakest one of you will be the strongest one of you in my eye until I surrender him his right. Inshaallah, the strongest one of you will be the weakest one of you in my eye until I remove from him the rights of others.

O people! Do not give up fighting in the way of Allah. Know it very well that a nation that gives up jihad will be servile. Obey me as long as I obey Allah and His Messenger; if I do not obey Allah and His Messenger, do not obey me. I ask forgiveness for me and you from Allah.”

The Prophet is Washed and Enshrouded

The Muslims were busy with electing the Caliph, who would take care of the affairs of the Muslims, on the 12th day of the month of Rabiul-Awwal from the afternoon until the evening; so washing and enshrouding the dead body of the Prophet was postponed to Tuesday. After the general allegiance to Hazrat Abu Bakr was completed in the Mosque of the Prophet on Tuesday, the dead body of the Messenger of Allah was started to be washed and enshrouded.

Hazrat Ali, Abbas, Fadl b. Abbas, Qusam b. Abbas, Usama b. Zayd and Shukran (Salih), the freed slave of the Messenger of Allah, were in the house of the Prophet in order to wash him.

Ansar also wanted to contribute to this lofty service. They expressed their wish regarding the issue. Hazrat Ali allowed Aws b. Hawli on behalf of Ansar.

Hazrat Ali washed the Messenger of Allah because he said to Hazrat Ali when he was alive, “You wash my body when I die.”

Aws b. Hawli brought water with a pitcher; Abbas, Usama and Shukran poured water over the body of the Prophet. Hazrat Ali rubbed the body of the Prophet with the cloth that he wrapped around his hand. The body of the Prophet was very clean; it smelled nice. The house of the Prophet smelt very nice; they had not smelt such nice scent before. There was nothing in or on the body of the Prophet that were usually seen in dead bodies. While washing the Prophet, Hazrat Ali said, “May my mother and father be sacrificed for you! O Messenger of Allah! You are clean when you are alive and dead.”

After the washing was completed, the Seal of the Prophet was enshrouded by Hazrat Ali, Abbas, Fadl b. Abbas and Shukran.

Janazah Prayer of the Prophet is Performed

On the 13th of the month of Rabiul-Awwal, Tuesday, the washing and enshrouding of the Messenger of Allah was completed before noon. The body was put on the bed of the room of the Prophet. At first the men, then the women and last of all the children fulfilled their last duty toward the Prophet in awe and sorrow.

Burial of the Messenger of Allah

The issue of where to bury the Messenger of Allah was negotiated.

Some people suggested taking the body to Makkah; some suggested burying him in Madinah in the Cemetery of Baqi and others suggested burying him in the Mosque.

However, Hazrat Abu Bakr said, “I heard this sentence from the Messenger of Allah and I have not forgotten it: ‘God Almighty removed the soul of each prophet where He wanted him to be buried.’ Therefore, we should bury the Messenger of Allah where his bed he lied on was.”

This suggestion was adopted by the Companions. Thus, they decided to dig the place under the bed in the house of Aisha as the grave of the Messenger of Allah. Then, the bed was removed and that place was dug in the form of a grave.

Bilal Makes Muslims Cry

The Messenger of Allah had not been buried yet.

Bilal called the adhan with his touching voice. When he uttered, “Ashadu anna Muhammada’r-Rasulullah”, the Companions started to cry sobbingly. The Mosque of the Prophet was full of crying sounds.

It was the last adhan recited by Bilal. He did not recite adhan again after the death of the Messenger of Allah.

The Prophet is Put into the Grave

It was late Wednesday night.

The Companions placed the dead body of the Messenger of Allah into the grave among tears.

We have tried to narrate the phases of this unique life as much as we can; now we are finishing it with the following prayer:

O Allah! Do not keep us away from the sunnah of Your Messenger in this world; do not deprive us of his intercession in the hereafter!

Amin… Amin… Amin…

#islam #allah #revert #reverthelp #muslim #quran #god #convert #muhammad #pray #convert islam #new convert #convert to islam #muslim convert #new muslimah #new conevrt #new revert #how to convert to islam #welcome to islam

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tawakkull · 9 months

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ISLAM 101: Spirituality in Islam: Part 115

Ikhlas (Sincerity or Purity of Intention)

Ikhlas has been interpreted as being upright, sincere, and pure; being distant from show and ostentation in one’s intention and conduct; and being closed to whatever clouds or fouls the heart. Purity of intention, straightforwardness in thought, pursuit of no worldly purposes in one’s relationship with God, and loyalty in servanthood to God are also included here.

Ikhlas requires that one pursue nothing worldly while worshipping and obeying God, that one fulfills the duty of servanthood only because God orders it, and that one remains silent concerning any personal experiences of God’s special treatment and special gifts and seek only His approval and pleasure.

Sincerity is one of the most significant qualities of those most faithful or loyal to God; loyalty is regarded as a source, and sincerity as a sweet water originating from it. The most eloquent of humanity, upon him be peace and blessings, declared that one who drinks uninterruptedly from this water for forty days will find channels of wisdom opened from his or her heart to his or her tongue, and that such a person will always speak wisdom.

Loyalty or faithfulness is the primary attribute of Prophethood, and sincerity is its most lustrous dimension. Sincerity is innate in the Prophets; all other people try to obtain it during their lifetime. Among them, for example, the Qur’an describes the Prophet Moses as one made sincere (19:51).

Faithfulness and sincerity were as intrinsic and essential to the Prophets as air and water are to the lives of those who communicate the Prophets’ message to others in every age. In addition, they were the Prophets’ most important sources of power. The Prophets were convinced that they could not take one step forward without sincerity, and the representatives of the cause of Prophethood must believe that they will be able to achieve nothing without it. Faithfulness and sincerity are two wings or two deep oceans extending from Divine Favor and Grace to an individual’s heart. One who can sail in these oceans or fly with these wings will reach the destination, for they are under God’s protection. God values that which is done to please Him, regardless of its apparent size or importance, not the quantity of deeds. Therefore, He values a small deed done with sincerity over many deeds done without sincerity.

Sincerity is an attitude of the heart, and God views an individual according to his or her heart’s inclination. The Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings, declares: Assuredly, God does not consider your bodies, nor your appearances. Rather, He considers your hearts. [1] Sincerity is a mysterious Divine credit granted to those who are purehearted in order to increase what is little and to deepen what is shallow, and to give finite (limited) worship infinite reward. One can use it to purchase the most valuable things in the markets of this world and the next, for it is esteemed, welcomed, and respected where others suffer great misery. This mysterious power of sincerity caused God’s Messenger, upon him be peace and blessings, to declare: Be sincere in your religion; little work (with sincerity) is enough for you, [2] and: Be sincere in your deeds, for God only accepts what is done with sincerity. [3]

If we consider a deed to be a body, sincerity is its soul. If a deed represents one wing of pair of wings, sincerity is the other. A body without soul is of no worth, and nothing can fly with only one wing. How fine are Mawlana Jalal al-Din al-Rumi’s words:

You should be sincere in all your deeds, So that the Majestic Lord may accept them. Sincerity is the wing of the bird of the acts of obedience. Without a wing, how can you fly to the abode of prosperity?

The following words of Bayazid al-Bistami are also very apt:

I worshipped my Lord for thirty years with all my strength. Then I heard a voice saying: O Bayazid! The treasures of God Almighty are full of acts of worship. If you intend to reach Him, see yourself as small at the door of God and be sincere in your deeds.

For some, sincerity involves hiding from others when performing supererogatory deeds and avoiding all show and ostentation. For others, it means that whether one is or is not seen while performing religious deeds is not important. Still for others, it means being so involved in worship or religious deeds in consideration of God’s pleasure that one does not even remember whether one should be sincere or not.

Self-supervision is an essential dimension of sincerity, and a truly sincere person does not consider any possible spiritual pleasure that may be derived, or speculate upon whether it will ensure entrance to Paradise. Sincerity is a mystery between God and a servant, and God puts it in the hearts of those He loves. One whose heart is awakened to sincerity does not worry about being praised or accused, exalted or debased, aware or unaware of deeds, or being rewarded. Such a person does not change, and behaves in the same way in public and in private.

[1] Muslim, “Birr,” 33; Ibn Maja, “Zuhd,” 9. [2] ‘Abd al-Ra’uf Munawi, Fayd al-Qadir, 6 vols. (Beirut 1093 ah / 1682 ce) 1:216. [3] Ibid., 1:217.

#allah #god #islam #muslim #quran #revert #convert #conevrt islam #revert islam #reverthelp #revert help #revert help team #help #converthelp #how to convert to islam #convert to islam #welcome to islam

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tawakkull · 7 months

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ISLAM 101: Spirituality in Islam: Part 142

Mukashafa (Disclosure)

Mukashafa (derived from kashf, meaning uncovering or discovering) denotes that the Divine mysteries will be disclosed to those wellversed in the Divine truths when, by rising through a spiritual struggle, they are able to perceive and come to know the truths about the Divine Names and Attributes. Travelers to the Truth who have attained this rank are regarded as having completed their journey in the Divine Names and Attributes, each according to individual capacity, with the result that the Divine mysteries begin to pour into the heavenly faculties-that is, all of the spiritual faculties, such as the heart and the spirit-that have been entrusted to humanity and which are the projection in humanity of the Divine Throne of Mercy. The veils before the pure spiritual realms are opened slightly to these people, and the truths that stand in front of and behind things are disclosed to them. This is called disclosurebecause one gains familiarity with the things unseen behind the veils. Disclosure is used to define familiarity with abstract truths and meanings which are by nature invisible, while the terms “witnessing” or “observation” is used to deal with beings.

Disclosure (whose Arabic origin-mukashafa-is in the form that suggests mutuality) implies that intimate friends disclose secrets to one another. The best example of this is that of the Messenger, honored with God’s praise to the greatest degree, who attained the rank at which God revealed to him almost all the secrets of His Speech (53:10).

God discloses some of His secrets to His friends who unburden themselves to Him. His friends talk to Him from their hearts and the One Who knows all the things hidden in creation showers the gems of His knowledge into their hearts. They rise to the horizon of recognizing their Lord with His All-Beautiful Names and All-Pure Attributes in proportion to this disclosure in order to be immersed in the lights of this recognition. The Absolute Hidden One removes the veil slightly from before the seeing of their hearts so that they can perceive the truth of light and He raises them to the peak of excellence. Until reaching this horizon, every initiate can make a connection with the pure spiritual realms from behind the veils. Whatever they see during their journey to that horizon, they see it as if from behind a smoky piece of glass and cannot clearly discern the manifestations of the Divine Names, Attributes and Essential Qualities. Even if they feel that they have discerned some things, it is but a mere illusion.

The veils between the travelers and the ultimate truth differ according to their relations with the Truth. Just as being closed to the truth of the Names and Attributes is a veil, the heart’s turning to some object other than God is another veil. The interpretation of existence according to mere human philosophy is yet another veil. To search for source of light other than the light of Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, is another, dangerous veil. Moral deviations, such as jealousy, arrogance, conceit, ostentation and selfishness, are veils that lead to misguidance and unbelief in proportion to how great an obstacle they are to discerning the truth. The traps laid by these veils are those arranged by the carnal self, Satan, the world which looks on our desires, our weak spots, and our human shortcomings. Each of these traps is deadly. When a person becomes entangled in these, all of his or her endeavors to rise in rank on the way to God are in vain and it is inevitable that he or she will suffer separation on the way to meet with God.

The first step of disclosure for those who fulfill the requirements to travel on the way to God is a manifestation of the knowledge of God, which the One eternally witnessed in His signs produces in their hearts. If they are steadfast on the way, they can advance as far as the final point, where they will be able to witness or observe Him in His signs. Nevertheless, such manifestations may not be constant and the way may sometimes be obscured, with the result that travelers may suffer setbacks. However, the desire to advance in their hearts never ceases; even if sometimes they feel dizzy and waver, they constantly endeavor to reach the goal with a desire that is insurmountable. It is heroism to follow the rules and requirements of the journey without falling into despair, and those who continue on the way heroically are favored with constant disclosure and advancement. They rise from the certainty that comes from knowledge to the certainty that comes from observation. If they are able to take two steps more forward, they are favored with the clearest disclosure supported by self-possession and wakefulness. If they are able to advance further, their journey ends in observation-seeing the All-Holy One, Who is called by the Most Sacred Names with the eye of the heart or insight-this will be explained later.

The clearest disclosure is when the Divine lights pervade the heart and all other faculties so as to enlighten and to be felt by all the emotions. In other words, an initiate feels the Source of these lights beyond what is demonstrated by His signs and proofs. This was the beginning of the spiritual journey of the master of the creatures, upon him be peace and blessings. Throughout his life, all of which he spent at the highest of all ranks and at the summit of all virtues, he continuously traveled from closure to observation and always felt and experienced the mysteries of belief deeply. Especially during his ascension, he acquired certified familiarity with all the mysteries that belong to the realm beyond, including Paradise, Hell, the angels, and even the sounds of the Pens of Destiny. Then he returned to the world in order to keep the way open for others to travel along, each according to individual capacity. Furthermore, he secured this way with reflectorlike lights that he installed along it. In the ranks in which he traveled and made observations, he progressed without his eyes swerving and without his mind becoming perplexed, as declared in the verse (53:17), His eye did not swerve nor did it stray. When it came to the point where he was too great for this world of formation and deformation to bear and when he entrusted the way and journey to those who would come after him, he proceeded to his Lord, saying: O my God! (Now it is the time to go) to the Highest Friend! His faithful followers have made the same journey in spirit which he made in the universal dimensions and which he has bequeathed to them with its means and results so that each can realize in part his journey, according to their capacity. Some have expressed their feelings, observations, and insights in the following words, “O Sariya! (Withdraw) to the mountain, to the mountain!”;[1] some with words which reveal their special relationship with God: “Even if the veil of the Unseen were removed, my certainty (of belief in the pillars and truths of belief) will not increase;”[2] and some with the glad tidings, “Be hopeful! The highest voice which will be heard worldwide among the revolutions of the future will be that of Islam.”[3]

O God! You are the First without any preceding You; You are the Last, there are none to succeed You. I seek refuge in You from the evil of all moving creatures whom You hold by the forelock, and I also seek refuge in You from committing sins and going into debt. And may God’s blessings and peace be upon our master Muhammad and his family and honored Companions. [1] During the wars with the Sassanids,’Umar, the second Caliph, saw Sariya, the Muslim commander, surrounded by the enemy at the front while he was himself on the pulpit in the Prophet’s Mosque in Madina thousands of miles away, and gave him the instruction, “(Withdraw) to the mountain, to the mountain!” Al-Tabari, Tarikh al-Umam wa’l-Muluk, 3:42. (Trans.) [2] This quote belongs to ‘Ali, the fourth Caliph. ‘Ali al-Qari, al-Asrar al-Marfu’a, 193. [3] Bediuzzaman Said Nursi, Sunuhat-Tuluat-Isharat.

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tawakkull · 1 year

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ISLAM 101: Spirituality in Islam: Part 22

Khuluq (Good Nature)

Good nature, in addition to meaning temperament, disposition, and character, is a goal to which a traveler aspires, for it is the most important dimension of creation. In brief, this station means that one is characterized (equipped) with God’s qualities or way of acting. For example, God is All-Forgiving; therefore, one must be forgiving. One who realizes this sacred goal can easily do every good thing or deed. The words khalq (creation) and khuluq (nature) are derived from the same root word. Khalq relates to the external form or appearance, the visible, material, and experienced dimension of existence; khuluq is concerned with the spiritual dimension, meaning, or content. An individual cannot be judged or known by his or her outer appearance, for one’s real identity lies in one’s character, temperament, and natural disposition. However many different images one may project; one’s true character or temperament eventually will reveal itself. How meaningful are the following words of an Arab poet of the pre-Islamic Age of Ignorance:

If a man has a bad quality, sooner or later it will reveal itself; Let him continue to think that it can remain hidden.

In other words, the outer appearance is deceiving, for one’s natural disposition removes or corrects all deceptions and thereby reveals one’s true nature. Since one may acquire a second nature through education and habituation, moralists divide nature into good and bad. In the present context, we use “nature” to mean “good nature.”

The most correct standard of a good spiritual life, one that Sufism uses to describe or qualify a person, is good nature. One who has taken a few steps forward in good nature may be regarded as advanced in the spiritual life. Although miracles, dazzling stations, and superhuman actions may be acceptable when they issue from good nature, they are worthless if not combined with good nature.

When asked which believer was better on account of his or her belief, the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, answered: The one who is better in conduct or nature. [1] This is natural, because God praises and consoles His most distinguished servant the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, not with His extraordinary favors but with his laudable virtues and praiseworthy qualities, declaring: You stand on an exalted standard of character (68:4). His nature was the aim and fruit of his creation. Since the Prophet’s conduct embodied Islam and the Qur'an, when his wife ‘A'isha, may God be pleased with her, was asked about his conduct by Sa'id ibn Hisham, she answered: Do you not read the Qur'an? His conduct is (the embodiment of) the Qur'an. [2]

The verse: You stand on an exalted standard of character (68:4) shows that the incomparable conduct of the Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings, was based on the Qur'an. In addition to his outer and inner faculties and senses, and the material and immaterial aspects of his creation and character, the Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings, was endowed with all potentialities needed to be the most forward and greatest representative of human virtue. Developing these potentials to the highest degree possible, he attained the highest degree of human perfection.

Not content with this state, as is declared in the verse: Surely, in the Messenger of God you have a good example for him who hopes for God and the Last Day, and remembers God much (33:21), he established the most excellent example for his followers and thereby gradually transformed them into the most virtuous community of all time. With such sayings as: The most perfect in belief among the believers are the most perfect in conduct [3]; A man can “cross” with good conduct the “distances” which he cannot with acts of worship and adoration [4]; and: The first virtue to be weighed in the Balance (in the other world) is good conduct, [5] and by employing the perfect, fruitful principles he brought to perfect humanity, he guided his followers to the realms where angels move.

The signs of good nature have been summarized as follows: a person possessing this quality does not hurt anybody by either word or deed, overlooks those who hurt him or her and forgets the evils done, and returns evil with good. The Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings, who is praised with the verse: You stand on an exalted standard of character (68:4), is the most excellent example of these virtues. He was not offended by the one who stood before him and told him to be just, [6] by the one who pulled his robe from the back and hurt him, [7] by the one who threw dust on his head and insulted him, or by the one who slandered his innocent and beloved wife ‘A'isha. [8] In fact, he visited each of these individuals when they became ill [9] and followed their funeral processions. He did so because good nature was a dimension of his blessed existence.

Many people seem to be good natured, mild-mannered, and humanitarian, although good conduct and mildness are no more than affectations. When they experience a little irritation, anger, or harsh treatment, their true nature will be revealed. One who has good nature does not change his or her manners even when in a hellish state, but remains mild and shows no harshness. A heart open to good nature is like a very broad space in which one can bury one’s anger and rage. As for those intolerant and impatient ones who display bad conduct, they are, like Cain, more stupid than the raven, and can find no place to bury their anger, hatred, and ill feelings.

Let us conclude this discussion with the following couplet:

It is by good nature that a man can be perfected; It is by good nature that the order of the world is maintained.

[1] Sulayman ibn Ash'as al-Sijistani Abu Dawud, Sunan Abi Dawud, 4 vols. (Beirut, n.d.), 14; Ibn Hanbal, Musnad, 2:250. [2] Muslim, “Musafirin,” 139. [3] Abu Dawud, Sunan, 14; Ibn Hanbal, Musnad, 2:250. [4] Al-Haythami, Majma’ al-Zawa'id, 8:24. [5] 'Ala al-Din 'Ali al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Kanz al-'Ummal fi Sunan al-Aqwal wa al-Af 'al, 8 vols. (Beirut: 1985), hadith no. 5160. [6] Al-Bukhari, “Adab,” 95; Muslim, “Zakat,” 142. [7] Al-Bukhari, “Khumus,” 19; Muslim, “Zakat,” 142. [8] Al-Bukhari, “Shahada,” 15; Muslim, “Tawba,” 56. [9] Abu Dawud, “Jana'iz,”

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ecoamerica · 22 days

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youtube

Watch the American Climate Leadership Awards 2024 now: https://youtu.be/bWiW4Rp8vF0?feature=shared

The American Climate Leadership Awards 2024 broadcast recording is now available on ecoAmerica's YouTube channel for viewers to be inspired by active climate leaders. Watch to find out which finalist received the $50,000 grand prize! Hosted by Vanessa Hauc and featuring Bill McKibben and Katharine Hayhoe!

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jami-attirmidhi · 10 months

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JAMI’at-TIRMIDHI: The Book on Business: Hadith 1735

Abu Hurairah narrated:

"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) cursed the one who bribes and the one who takes a bribe for a judgement."

Reference : Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1336

In-book reference : Book 15, Hadith 16

English translation : Vol. 3, Book 13, Hadith 1336

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tawakkull · 9 months

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ISLAM 101: Spirituality in Islam: Part 120

Irshad and Murshid (Guidance and the Guide)

Guidance is defined in different ways, among which are directing to the right path, awakening hearts to the Ultimate Truth, helping feelings and thoughts reach God by removing the obstacles between Him and people’s minds and hearts, and serving as a means for the souls to have some acquaintance with God, and for the souls who have acquired acquaintance with Him to deepen in their relationships with Him. It consists of educating people individually or in communities and, thus, elevating those endowed with the required capability and merit from among them from being potentially human to being really human, or directing them to the horizon of being perfect humans.

We can also see guidance as a call which a perfect teacher, who has full knowledge of the outer and inner aspects of the Religion and who is able to combine them in theory and practice, makes to those endowed with the required capabilities to be human at a certain level of humanity. From this perspective, we can regard guidance as the special efforts of heroes of spirituality to convey to others whatever of spirituality they have particularly been favored with. In the hands of such heroes, coal has always been transformed into diamonds, and rocks and soil have been raised to the level of gold. The teachers of Sufism have dealt with the matter of guidance and guides in this respect and have considered it as the superhuman effort of those with transcendent qualities. They do not regard endeavors at a low level as guidance, nor do they consider as guides those who are unable to open the doors to the horizon of perfect humanity for souls with the required capabilities. For these, themselves, are in need of guidance and must certainly be trained. A famous Turkish proverb states:

A guide who himself is in need of special favor Cannot know how he can impart favor to others! It is truly as if this proverb has been coined in regard to such people. [1]

voices the same consideration in a poetic way:

Our teacher himself suffers from a lack of knowledge, So how can he know what guidance really is? Ruhi of Baghdad[2] approached the matter a bit more humorously:

Look at the ascetic: he aspires to be a guide; He started school yesterday, today he wishes to teach. It is a fact that if there is one thing that is the most enduring in this world and the most meritorious in the Hereafter, it is guidance; and therefore a guide is the most valuable person. However, guides can only educate according to their own capacity. It is possible to talk of a wide range of guides, from the spiritual poles or axes to ordinary preachers.

As we have briefly mentioned, guides are, in a general sense, heralds of truth who possess whatever is necessary for guidance, heroes of spirituality, and heirs to the mission of Prophethood, who convey Divine gifts to the hearts. In regard to some aspects of this mission, a guide is also called a “sitter-on-rug” (postnishin), or the “elder one” (shaykh). The word shaykh is also used in the sense of teacher or professor. A guide favored with special nearness to God and special knowledge from God’s Presence, and charged and autho- rized with the duty of guidance, is different from an ordinary preacher. Ordinary guides find in themselves the truths to be imparted to others according to their own horizon of perception, and convey them to others in accordance with their capacity. However, perfect guides, like the North Star, direct all to the true way, based on the fundamental sources of the Religion, and present to others whatever should be presented out of the depths of their hearts and spirit. As for those who are both a spiritual Pole (Qutb) and a Helper or Means of Divine Help (Ghawth), they shape whoever enters their atmosphere in the mold of their own horizon, and rebuild them with the material purely from the Qur’an and the Sunna.

At whatever level it occurs, guidance is the most valued among the duties of servanthood, provided it is done purely for God’s sake; and any hero of truth who fulfills such a responsibility is a guide who is an heir to the Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings. However, it should be noted that the companionship of a perfect guide has a particular pleasure of its own and bears signs of a possible “meeting” with God, while it is highly difficult to be able to advance in the company of an imperfect one.

A couplet, whose writer is unknown, reads:

Go to a guide, to a guide, a guide, A guide has a cure for any suffering, O “father!” Anwari[3] contributes to this meaning with the following:

The mystery lying in, “You will never be able to see Me!”[4] — Which signifies the impossibility of seeing God’s “Face”— I was not able to understand it Before my weeping eyes became the Mount of Sinai with love for Him. The mystery of the Cloak in which the People of the Cloak[5] was covered— I was not able to understand it before I became happy in meeting a perfect guide. Now, without going into the differences that arise from the capacity and amount of knowledge each guide has, or the spiritual gifts that each is favored with, I will try to explain the subject in relation to certain essential elements that are found in every guide.

A guide is one who has sufficient knowledge of the relationship between God, humans, and the universe, and the matters concerning this sphere of the Religion. Anyone who does not recognize God is a denier and an ignorant one; and those who are unable to perceive the relationship between Him and existence are blind and unaware of the real nature of their existence, while one who does not know himself is, in fact, lonely and a stranger amidst existence. All of these types of human beings themselves are in need of guidance.

A guide is a hero of spirituality, one who is a careful student of the Qur’an and the book of the universe, and one who has an inquiring mind which has an acquaintance with existential mysteries. A guide is also a sagacious, insightful one with eyes that are observant of things, a tongue busy with reciting the Qur’an, and ears that listen to it. With sound and accurate sense perceptions, profound and comprehensive observations, and powerful reasoning, a guide is distinguished with the manners that are found in a Prophet at a perfect level. Such a person has a universal viewpoint in dealing with matters, is careful of the intersecting points of the revealed rules and commandments and the Divine laws of creation and life. These individuals seek only God’s good pleasure and approval in conveying to people what God wants them to convey and in communicating whatever is inspired into them to needy souls, thereby considering His nearness in whatever they do and say.

Guides are those individuals who try their utmost to proclaim, on any platform, the cause on which they have set their heart in a mood of dedication, and who mediate between what should be conveyed to others and those to whom it should be conveyed. As they never think of any wage, compensation, or reward, they also attribute any material or spiritual return coming, without expectation, to the sincere efforts of those around them. Without ever appropriating whatever spiritual gifts come to them personally, they regard their followers as a means for the arrival of these gifts. This is, without doubt, self-denial; but in a true guide’s sight, it is what an ordinary Muslim should do, not something worthy of acclamation. Such true guides never expect others to appreciate their activities, nor do they aim by them at any worldly or otherworldly outcome, except God’s good pleasure and approval. They are always sincere and upright before God, for they are aware that they follow the way of the Prophets and that this way has certain rules to observe, the most important of which is that any guide should pursue only God’s pleasure in the act of guiding others.

A guide is also a hero of love and tolerance, one who has full knowledge of his audience or followers with all of their characteristics; a guide keeps them under wings of compassion, shares their joys and grief, congratulates them on their accomplishments, and ignores their faults and deficiencies. Like sources of fragrance, such guides diffuse “incense” to satisfy needy hearts; like candles, they consume themselves to illuminate the dark souls around them, for the well-being of the latter. They find true happiness in the happiness of others and avoid no sacrifice in conveying their ideals. They die in order to revive; weep in order to make others laugh; become tired to enable the rest of others; strive constantly in order to be able to awaken others to eternity—without paying any attention to either sincere or insincere appreciation, or to unfair criticisms. They beg God’s forgiveness in the face of compliments, welcome any rightful reactions and criticism, and go on without faltering.

A guide is a wise one equipped with the necessary knowledge of both religious and certain secular sciences to discuss different subjects with an audience and present satisfactory solutions to their problems. In the Naqshbandiya Order, the duty of guidance was not entrusted to those who did not successfully complete all the courses taught in the madrasas or who could not combine spiritual and intellectual enlightenment. Rather, the lodges where the elders or guides of this school taught were each like a fountain of Khadr[6] at which those studying were able to quench their thirst. Any houses of guidance where guides of such caliber did not, or do not, teach are no different from ruins; those who claim guidance in them are deceived and the people who hope for illumination in such centers, which are themselves devoid of light, are indeed unfortunate ones.

Do not offer your hand to whoever claims guidance, For he may lead you to a slope which is impossible to climb, Whereas the path of a perfect guide Is easy enough to follow. [7] However transcendent in general knowledge and knowledge of God they may be, in particular, guides are perfect preachers who can combine, in a balanced way, their ascension toward God while still maintaining the level of their audience when conveying to them what they should convey. They always consider the dispositions, feelings, and thoughts of those whose education they have shouldered, and they avoid causing any misunderstandings or ambiguity in conveying the messages that arise from the particular gifts they have received in the horizon of their relationship with God. A true guide is a strict follower and meticulous student of the Qur’an and is, therefore, obliged to follow the Qur’an in the duty of guidance. Despite being the Word of the All-Great, All-Transcendent One, the Qur’an came to the horizon of the Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings, not in a wholly transcendental manifestation of the Divine Attribute of Speech, but rather, in consideration of the levels of all its audience. Thus, just as the Qur’an addresses humankind according to their many levels of understanding, its first and greatest communicator—and the greatest of all guides—the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, also considered the different levels of his audience and said: “We, the community of the Prophets, have been ordered to address people according to their capacity of understanding.”[8]

Guides speak with the sublimity of their character, the depth of their spirituality, and the language of their actions. They are exceptionally faithful and devoted to God Almighty. It is an undeniable truth that those whose words do not conform to their actions and who are not trustworthy by their own actions cannot have any positive, lasting influence on people; thus, their message cannot be acceptable. The only way for those things that are said to be acceptable to the human conscience is the unshakable conviction of the truth of those things and the practice of them in one’s life. It is reported that God Almighty said to the Prophet Jesus, upon him be peace: “O Jesus! First give advice to your own soul, and only after you have accepted and followed it, then give it to others—or else be ashamed of Me.”[9] This is in perfect conformity with what the Qur’an quotes from the Prophet Shu’ayb, upon him be peace: “I do not want to act in opposition to you (myself doing) what I ask you to avoid.” (11:88)

O God, make us among Your servants who are sincere and who have been endowed with sincerity in faith and in the practice of the Religion, and honor us with following the Lord of those who have been endowed with sincerity, upon him be the greatest of blessings and perfect peace, and on his Household and noble Companions. [1] Salim Suleyman Uskudari (d. 1893) was a Mevlevi (Mawlawi) Sufi poet and writer.

[2] Ruhi of Baghdad (d. 1605) was one of the important figures in Ottoman-Turkish classical literature, who usually wrote about moral issues.

[3] Awhadu’-Din ‘Ali Anwari is a famous poet who lived in the twelfth century in Iran and Afghanistan. Besides poetry, he was adept in logic, music, theology, mathematics, and astrology. His Diwan, a collection of his poems, consists of a series of long poems, and a number of simpler lyrics.

[4] It refers to the Prophet Moses’ desire to see God on Mount Sinai and God’s reply to him, saying: “You will never be able to see Me (while in the world).” See the Qur’an, 7:143.

[5] God’s Messenger, upon him be peace and blessings, once gathered together ‘Ali, his cousin and son-in-law, Fatima, his beloved daughter, and their sons Hasan and Husayn under his cloak, and said: “O Lord, these are my family.” (Muslim, “Fadail al-Ashab” 32; at-Tirmidhi, “Manaqib,” HN: 3726.) After this event, together with the Messenger himself, these people came to be called “the People of the Cloak.”

[6] (al-) Khadr is he with whom the Qur’an recounts (18: 60–82) the Prophet Moses made a journey to learn something of the spiritual realm of existence and the true nature of God’s acts in the world. It is controversial whether he was a Prophet or a saint with a special mission. It is believed that he enjoys the degree of life where one feels no need for the necessities of normal human life.

[7] Mehmed Niyazi Misri (d. 1694), a Sufi poet, educated in Egypt.

[8] ad-Daylami, al-Musnad, 1:398.

[9]Ibid., 1:144; Abu Nu’aym, Hilyat al-Awliya, 2:382.

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tawakkull · 11 months

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ISLAM 101: Spirituality in Islam: Part 74

Another Way of Journeying and Initiation

Some make spiritual journeys by refining and developing the inner faculties, while others purify the carnal self within, causing it to take certain steps. In both these ways, suffering for certain periods is essential to reach the rank of perfection and to become a perfect human being. Yet there are other ways, different from these two ways, to reach the ranks and stations and the favors and blessings that come through spiritual journeying and suffering. Among these ways, there is one which is based on the way of the Prophet’s Companions and may be regarded as a manifestation of the truth of Messengership.

Helplessness, poverty, affection, reflection, zeal and thankfulness are the basic elements of this way. Helplessness means being aware of one’s inability to do many of the things that one wants to do, and poverty denotes the awareness of the fact that it is God Who is the real Owner and Master of everything. Embracing everybody and everything because of Him is affection, while reflection is thinking deeply, analytically and systematically about and meditating on the outer and inner world, with a new excitement everyday. Zeal is the great, ardent desire and yearning to reach God and to serve in His way. Always thanking God for His bounties and proceeding to Him in full consciousness of all His blessings during the journey is thankfulness.

According to Bediuzzaman Said Nursi,[1] this way is more direct and safer. Helplessness is a path of light leading to being loved by God that is safer and quicker than love; in it the more one perceives one’s helplessness, the more quickly one will reach one’s goal. Poverty is an inexhaustible treasure which, to the extent of one’s consciousness of it, will lead one to the protection and direction of the All-Merciful and His infinite Power much sooner and more safely than the greatest discipline, efforts and endeavors could. Affection is deeper and more sincere than love. No traveler having this feeling, which is a manifestation of Divine Compassion, has ever been left halfway. Reflection is the way of the enlightened spirits who relate everything to wisdom through study and the observation of one’s inner world and the outer world. As for zeal, it is the characteristic of those who are always conscious of the points or senses of reliance and asking for help that are innate to them. These two senses always remind of God. Those endowed with zeal never become desperate or disappointed. And finally, thankfulness is returning with gratitude all the blessings of God that we receive almost gratis.

The essence of the way can be summed up as: “I am helpless, You are the All-Powerful; I am poor, You are the All-Wealthy; I am needy and in straitened circumstances, You are the All-Compassionate; I am bewildered and seeking a way out, You are the only Goal Which is sought and to be reached.” It is not possible for those who are aware of their helplessness, poverty, neediness and bewilderment to see themselves as pure or of being of any rank, thus it is not possible for them to be heedless or forgetful of God while knowing that whoever forgets Him is forgotten and bound to forget him or herself also. Nor is it possible for them to attribute to themselves the accomplishments with which God has favored them, using the pretext of their endeavors, nor to ascribe their evil and sins to Destiny, thus regarding themselves as existing independently of God.

According to Bediuzzaman, this way can be dealt with from the viewpoint of the following four disciplines:

Making efforts to see the carnal self as not being purified and sinless, as against its innate tendency to see itself as pure and sinless. Being careful and resolved to forget oneself when and where one should forget and remember oneself when and where one should remember. Being well aware of the fact that God creates everything–good and evil–and is the only source of all good. Thus, one should attribute to oneself all one’s sins and evil as being caused by one’s own person, albeit it is God Who has created them, and all good and all accomplishments should be attributed to God, and one should be thankful. Whatever state one is in and whatever rank one reaches during one’s journey, one should know that both one’s existence and merits are but a shadow or a shadow of the shadow of the lights of Divine Existence, and that all aspects of one’s existence are a mirror of the manifestations of His Knowledge and Existence. Now let us explain these points in accordance with the approach of Bediuzzaman:

The first discipline: The carnal self in its nature is fond of itself, and only loves and has relations with others because of itself. The self-love of the carnal self is so great that its adoration of itself is like the adoration of God felt by a sincere believer devoted to the One Who absolutely deserves worship and who should be sought. It never shows inclination to acknowledge its errors and always sees itself as being pure and free of error. So, one should wage the major (greater) jihad against such an attitude, always criticizing and questioning it, softening and melting it in the blast-furnace of self-criticism and self-supervision in order to reshape it. One should never see oneself as free and absolved of errors and sins, and the acceptance of this is, in fact, the tap under which it should and can be cleaned. Only by doing so can one’s innate positive potentialities be developed.

If we continuously seek purification in seeing ourselves as prone to evils and errors, angels and other spiritual beings will greatly appreciate our decency and cleanliness, and, as stated in a Prophetic saying,[2] they will come down from all sides to shake hands with us. If, by contrast, we are so heedless that we see ourselves as clean and infallible, we will inevitably be representatives of a loathsome nature from which even devils will keep aloof in disgust. As Mawlana said, human beings are such that sometimes they become like the Devil under the influence of satanic impulses, and sometimes they are on a par with angels at the summits of spiritual life.

The second discipline: A person with an unpurified, evil-commanding carnal self may be forgetful of the most vital matters, which should never be forgotten, and such a person does not even want to recollect them, while pulling up from the heart matters that should never be remembered. Human beings should always think of serving God’s cause, of being earnest in their deeds, of their responsibilities to the people around them, and of death and what lies beyond it. They should uproot from their spirit hatred, jealousy, worldly ambitions, greed, and carnal desires. Only by doing so can human beings keep their innate tendency toward spirituality alive, and hold themselves back from rousing the satanic tendencies within them.

We, travelers on the way to God, should see belief in God and living along the line of His good pleasure as a blessing, and concentrate on how we can please Him with all our thoughts, feelings, and actions. We should also try to lead our lives in His company, and by virtue of this company, we should continually seek new means to be always in close relationship with Him. We should always be aware of what Mawlana reminds us of: “There is a hidden One here; O heart, do not see yourself as alone.” Based on our relationship with Him, we should strive to transcend our limited nature in order to advance toward infinity, developing our drop-like existence into an ocean, and seeking the mysteries of the universal in our particular existence. If we lead such a life, the things that are seen as impossible to do are done and obstacles that seem insurmountable are surmounted. Particulars become reflections of and mirrors to the universal, and what we see as non-existent takes on the color of existence, a dew-drop excels the moon in reflecting the sun, earth becomes as elevated as the heavens, and our particle-like natures expand to the extent of the universe.

Mawlana, the prince of the lovers of God, advises us to transcend the corporeal dimension of our existence and discover the mysterious potentialities of our spirit, saying:

A pitcher which has found the way to the sea: Rivers prostrate themselves before it.

The third discipline: A carnal self that has not yet been able to step on the way to refinement through journeying in itself and the outer world, ascribes to itself whatever good and achievement it is favored with, while imputing evils and failures to either external factors and causes or its incorrect, stunted concept of Destiny. Instead of overflowing with thankfulness for whatever favors it receives, it inwardly collapses because of self-pride, conceit, and arrogance, and extinguishes its feelings of thankfulness to and praise for God. It contaminates its horizon with the filth of such bad morals, and ruins itself. Whereas, if the carnal self is able to attribute to God all the good and achievements and impute all evils, shortcomings and failures to itself, then it would be favored with blessing after blessing, even in the most unfavorable circumstances. What is necessary is that the carnal self should see that its perfection lies in its perception and acknowledgment of its imperfection, and that it should always be humble before and devoted to God. The carnal self should also overflow with thankfulness and zeal by perceiving and acknowledging that its power comes from its helplessness, and its richness lies in its innate poverty.

It is extremely important for us as believers to know that all our merits and accomplishments are from God, while all our imperfections and errors are from our own selves, and that we should keep our system of self-interrogation and self-control alive and active. So long as the travelers to God can do this, they will always yield fruit, even in the most unfavorable circumstances. Whereas, from the moment when aridity arises in the spiritual world of the carnal self, due to certain erosions, then only thorns will grow, even in the most favorable circumstances, and it will hoot like an owl, lamenting its loss.

If human beings were only physical beings, their concerns and worries about corporeality would be meaningful. Seeing a noble being as consisting only of a physical body means reducing it to the level of flesh, which is bound to disintegrate and rot away and be food for microorganisms. This is the most abominable form of despising the noblest and most honorable of all creation. But the actual fact of the matter is that humankind, by virtue of their creation, endowment, and potentials, are more valued and sublime than even the angels. Human beings are much more than being mere body; they are endowed with heart, spirit, and other inward spiritual faculties, with consciousness, intellect, perception, intelligence and other outer and inner senses and feelings. Human beings are an assemblage of values that transcends the physical dimension of their being. Human beings are such precious and well-endowed creatures that they can sometimes fly so high that even the angels desire to catch up with them; sometimes they can reach the peaks which separate the realm of mortal beings from eternity and infinity. Using their mental faculties to the utmost degree, they arrange travel to celestial bodies, and transfer sounds, voices and images from great distances, offering us the most beautiful melodies of time and space shrinking at great speed.

However, despite the extent of their capacity and exceptional nature, humans can fall into a net of hatred, grudges, greed, and lust, becoming the most wretched and abased of all beings. They can be wretched slaves and beggars, despite their nature and capacity to be the masterpieces of creation; they can become nothing more than worms creeping on the earth, despite their potential to be heavenly beings. But if they turn completely to God with all their inner dynamism, overflowing with thankfulness for all the good He has bestowed on them, and impute to themselves all the evils they may commit and shortcomings they may suffer, they can become perfected and be saved from those shortcomings through awareness and wakefulness, and by being cleansed under the taps of self-control and supervision. Then humankind can set up the tent of true humanity on the debris of evil feelings and passions, and express themselves through accomplishments, without ever losing their humility and feelings of nothingness before God. This also means discovering themselves anew at every attempt, being fully aware of themselves in their own depths, and experiencing a new revival at every moment. Mawlana sees this as the feet of the soul being freed from the fetters of corporeality and the spirit starting to become heavenly. A spirit which has become heavenly also attempts to arrange its own, inner world with its whole power of perception and consciousness, makes incessant efforts to repair the defects standing in the way of its perfection. Such a spirit travels sometimes in the realm that stands before the veil over existence and sometimes beyond it, and goes into ecstasies at every seeing of the depths of its heart. Every such seeing arouses in it a new desire to grow into perfection, and every desire a new zeal for self-renewal. It sees its heart as a home of God and utters:

The heart is the home of God; purify it from whatever is there other than Him, So that the All-Merciful may descend into His palace at night.

The truly and fully human beings cleanse the heart of foul concepts and images, adorn their “secret” with knowledge of God, illuminate their “private” with the torch of love and zeal, and make their “more private” utter loyalty. They are always occupied with the Beloved One, and ready to sacrifice themselves for His sake. This is their affliction, which is preferred to all cures; they are exhausted with the excitement of being on the way to Him. However, their affliction is sweeter than all cures, and their exhaustion is preferable to every rest or repose. Their affliction causes them to travel through deserts in quest of greater afflictions, saying:

I used to seek a cure for my inward affliction; They said: “Your cure is the affliction itself.” I used to seek something to sacrifice in the court of the Beloved; They said: “Your soul is the thing you seek to sacrifice.” (M. Lutfi)

The soul also utters, as many have uttered:

I used to seek a cure for my affliction; I have come to know that my affliction itself is my cure. I used to try to find that which is hidden in my origin; I have come to know that my origin is that which is hidden. (Niyazi Misri)

Many have sung melodies of love about Him, and of separation from Him and yearning to meet with Him with all of their being, as if each part of their bodies were a flute.

Concerning this, Mawlana says:

O heart! You and your suffering for Him exist; ah, how nice it is always to be concerned with Him and suffering for Him! That suffering is, in fact, your cure. So, bear with all the afflictions and troubles coming from Him, without making the least complaint. So does He decree. If you have been able to trample your bodily desires, then you have killed the dog of your carnal self, which is the thing that should be killed.

The fourth discipline: The carnal self sees itself as if it were a being which exists independently. It sometimes adopts a manner so refractory and abased that every attitude and act it performs is disobedience and hostility to Him Whom it must unquestionably worship. In reality none other than Him has an independent existence of itself. Every existing being or thing, living or non-living, functions as a mirror to the Names of the Most Exalted Creator with respect to the level of life with which it is favored. Even though the human carnal self has an exceptional nature and capacity particular to itself among other beings, its existence with whatever it has is from Him, and subsists by Him alone. For this reason, with respect to itself, it is a zero in the face of Eternity, a shadow in the face of the Original Being, and is nothing in the face of the Truly Existent One. Its perception of this is the first step to the attainment of true existence, while thinking otherwise is a lethal stumbling. When one sees oneself as an independent being existing and subsisting by oneself, one rolls headlong into the dark abyss of non-existence. Yet, when one functions as a polished mirror to the Truth (having whatever is good and valuable as only a reflection from Him), one is en route to eternity. One smashes the tight frame around one and finds the light of the Existence of the True Being. Concerning this, Muhammad Iqbal[3] says:

In your essence, there is a substance from the Existence of God, and a ray from His manifestation. But for His ocean, I do not know where we would have been able to find this “pearl.”

The following couplet, whose author is not known, relates the matter to the famous saying, “He who knows himself, knows his Lord:”

Know your own self, if you desire to have knowledge of God; Only he who knows his own self, is one who has knowledge of God. Mawlana sums up the matter as follows: So long as a servant is annihilated with respect to his ego and conceit, It is impossible for him to attain true belief in God and His Unity. Unity does not mean union with God; it means freedom from ego. Whoever says otherwise, speaks a lie and cannot make falsehood truth.

To sum up, it is possible to say that, other than the way composed of love, suffering and similar essentials by which one can reach God, there is another way; this is the way of one’s perception and the acknowledgment of one’s own helplessness and poverty before God, and of affection and reflection. This second way is safer and more direct than the former one.

Travelers following such a way in consciousness of their helplessness turn to the One of Infinite Power with all of their being, each saying: “Hold me by the hand, hold because I cannot manage without You.” The more aware they are of their poverty, the more sincerely they take refuge with the Divine Wealth, and attribute to Him whatever in their possession is good and praiseworthy. They are in constant thankfulness and act zealously where others stumble because of their self-pride and utterances that are incompatible with the rules of Shari’a. Those who study deeply and reflect on their inner world and the outer world do not fall into pride (by ascribing any accomplishment and the favors they have received to themselves,) nor do they fall into mental and spiritual confusions by imputing evils to external causes or Destiny. On the contrary, they attribute to God all of their accomplishments and the favors they receive, rely on Him, and enjoy the pleasure of dependence on Him. As for evils, they ascribe them to themselves and turn to God with repentance, penitence and contrition, feeling pangs of separation from Him and pleasures in the expectation of again meeting with Him. Since they regard their existence as a shadow of the light of the Divine Existence, they never consider that they have independent self-existence, nor do they need to be preoccupied with such notions as Unity of Being and Unity of the Witnessed. With the conviction that their existence, with all its attributes and potentials and whatever endowment they have been granted, are all from Him, then they live with the pleasure or the hope of His company, and act in thankfulness for being on the way to Him. They never value or esteem easy behavior or utterances that suggest self-pride and self-complacency.

The basic essentials of this way were once expressed by the present author as follows:

O friends, come and listen, O friends! Our way is the way of zeal; The comrades satisfied with belief, Thorns are roses for us.

Thanks to Him, we have seen the Face of the Truth, And found the very essence of everything; We have adopted His every word as a principle; And His Speech is evidence for us.

All strength by which we are strong is His; We are known for His Name, by Which we act, And travel, going beyond the summits; All difficulties are easy for us to surmount.

We have no wealth but are extremely wealthy; And are noble and honored by relation to Him. Reflection is our way; and everything, wet or dry, Is a source of knowledge of God for us.

Plains, residences, and deserts, All voices mention Him throughout the universe, Roses of all colors that have opened, Each is a message to us from Him.

You know us from serving God with utmost zeal; Our work is always thinking of Him, And what we will always do and declare: His Book is the guide for us.

We have found Him and submitted to Him; And been saved from grief and despair; We were sullied but have been cleaned; His Mercy is the ocean in which we were cleaned.

O Lord, accept my repentance, and clean me of the dirt, answer my prayers, secure my place in religion, guide my heart, make my voice always speak the truth, and root out all kinds of hatred and envy from my heart. And bestow Your blessings and peace on our master and support Muhammad, and his family and Companions altogether.

[1] Bediuzzaman Said Nursi (1877-1960) is the most famous and one of the greatest Muslim thinkers and scholars of the 20th century. He wrote about the truhts and essentials of the Islamic faith, the meaning and importance of worship, morality, and the meaning of existence. He is very original in his approaches. Sozler (“The Words”), Mektubat (“The Letters”), Lem’alar (“The Gleams”), and Sualar (“The Rays”) are among his famous works. (Trans.) [2] Al-Muslim, “Tawba,” 12-13; Al-Tirmidhi, “Qiyama,” 59. [3] Muhammad Iqbal (1877-1938) is one of the most outstanding Muslim thinkers and activists of the 20th-century Muslim world. He studied in England and wrote many books. The Reconstruction of the Islamic Thought is the most well-known among them.

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tawakkull · 11 months

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ISLAM 101: Spirituality in Islam: Part 65

Ashq (Passion or Intense, Ecstatic Love)

‘Ashq means intense love of and fondness for perfection, beauty, or physical charm. Sufis usually call this sort of love figurative or metaphorical love, such as love for the opposite sex. Real love, the love of the Eternal Monarch, is felt for His Grace and Beauty manifested within His Majesty, and for His Majesty manifested within His Grace and Beauty. The real, intense love felt for God is a wing of light granted to us by Him so that people can use it to reach Him. Feeling such love can be described as the spirit being like a moth drawn toward the Light, the essence of existence. This intense love is the most basic and mysterious cause of the universe’s creation. God has created the universe in order to be known and loved, and so that those souls awakened to truth would feel and manifest a deep interest in His Essence, Attributes, and Names.

‘Ashq, which the spirit feels without the intervention of free will, cannot be controlled by the person so affected, for its real source is God, Who loves Himself in a way special to His Sacred Essence and is essentially independent of the created. In addition, it is essentially different from the love felt by the created for the created or the Creator. This sacred, essential love of God for Himself, including His Attributes and Names, is the reason why He created the universe and why He caused humanity to appear in the world. It is also this love that manifests itself in human beings as love of God, as the most essential center of humanity’s relationship with God.

‘Ashq is the final step leading to God, and a lover who has reached it has no further steps to take. God manifested Himself first as this sacred, essential love required by His being God. This love must not be confused with the love a person feels for either the created or the Creator Himself. As there is no other word more appropriate to express it, I feel obliged to use “love.”

Some tend to describe Knowledge as this first manifestation of God, which is regarded as God’s condescension to be known. This condescension is called “Knowledge,” being God’s manifestation of His Knowledge; “Sacred Love,” being God’s loving to observe and to be “observed;” “the Tablet,” comprehending or containing all of existence; and “the Pen,” handling all things in existence in all their details. Jabarut (the highest, immaterial empyrean) and the Truth of Ahmad (the Prophet’s Name mentioned in the original copy of the Gospels and in the heavens) are other titles of this condescension or God’s first manifestation.

Sacred Love is a mystery special to the Divine Essence. Other Attributes of His are appended to or dependent on this love. It is for this reason that those who fly with the wings of ‘ashq reach directly to the Divine Essence and attain to amazement, whereas others have to pass through the intermediate realms of the worlds of things and Names.

* * *

The ways leading to God are almost beyond number. Sufism, the science of truth, contains the food, light, and other necessities travelers need for the journey, and the (spiritual) orders (tariqas) are the ports from which they set out, or the schools in which the principles of the journey are taught.

The ways to the Truth can be divided into two main groups. The first is the way in which the wayfarer is offered or taught such principles as eating less, drinking less, sleeping less, increasing contemplation, and refraining from unnecessary social intercourse. Almost all Sufi orders are based on these practices. The main invocations recited by followers of this way are the Seven Names: There is no god but God, God, He, the Truth, the All-Living, the Self-Subsistent, the All-Overwhelming. By reciting these Names, one seeks to pass through the carnal soul’s seven steps: the Evil-Commanding Soul, the Self-Condemning Soul, the Soul Having Inspiration, the Soul at Rest, the Soul Well-Pleased (with however God treats it), the Soul Pleasing (to God), and the Purified or Innocent Soul. To these seven Names, some add such Names of Majesty as the All-Powerful, the All-Strong, the All-Compelling, the Master, and the All-Loving; others add such Names of Grace as the Unique, the One, the Peerlessly All-Single, and the Eternally Besought-of-All.

The second way is based on strict adherence to the Qur’an and the Sunna, and the encouragement of certain recitations. Those who follow this way strive to comply with the Sunna in whatever they do. Rather than reciting certain Names, they follow the methods used by God’s Messenger to worship, invoke, and pray; meditate on His acts and creatures; and mention Him with all of His Names. Joining these activities with a meticulous following of the commandments of Shari’a, they are firmly attached to their guides or teachers and abandon themselves to the tides of ‘ashq and (spiritual) attraction toward God.

Once they have attained ‘ashq and attraction, existence with its outer dimension vanishes from their sight. They annihilate their selves and begin to feel and observe the absolute Divine Unity. At this point, they immediately come to their senses without being confused and going to extremes in the relationship between the Creator and the created. In such a manner do they complete their journey.

The basic principles of this second way are regular worship, love, spiritual attraction toward God, regular recitation, and the companionship of one’s guide or teacher. In this context recitation, in addition to mentioning God with all of His Names, involves study or attending classes in whatever leads one to God. This is what the Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings, meant when he described those with whom God is pleased: They study together.

At times, a lover finds himself or herself in the stream of joyful zeal and yearning, which can be regarded as another dimension of ‘ashq.

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