Concerning Divinely-inspired receivings [mawarid Ilahiyya] and satanic insinuations [tawariq shaitaniyya].
Shaikh 'Abd al-Qadir (may Allah be well pleased with him) was asked to explain the distinctive characteristics of Divinely-inspired receivings [mawarid Ilahiyya] and satanic insinuations [tawariq shaitaniyya]. He replied:
"The Divinely-inspired receiving comes only in response to an appeal [istid'a']. It does not go away because of any intervening cause [sabab]. It does not come in one particular mode [namat], nor at any specific time. As for the satanic insinuation [tariq shaitani], it is contrary to that in all respects."
Concerning love [mahabba].
When asked about love [mahabba], the Shaikh (may Allah be well pleased with him) said: "It is a disturbance [tashwish] that affects the heart. It is inspired by the Beloved [Mahbub], by contrast with Whom this world comes to be like the ring of a seal, or a funeral wake. Love is an intoxication that has no corresponding sobriety. It is total devotion to the Beloved, in every respect, both in private and in public, with a self-effacing predilection. It is a natural impulse, not an affectation.
"Love is blindness to everything other than Beloved, due to solicitude for Him. It is also blindness to the Beloved Himself, due to a profound respect for Him. It is therefore total blindness. Lovers [muhibbun] are too drunk to get sober, except through direct vision of the Beloved. They are too sick to be cured, except by the sight of the One they seek. They are too distressed to be consoled, except by their Master [Mawla]. They can find no refuge, except in the remembrance of Him. They do not respond to anyone, except to His summoner.
"As Majnun [the crazy lover of] Layla put it:
My relatives all blame me for loving Layla:
my brother, my cousins, my aunt...."
(The rest of the verses are well known, so there is no need to spell them out here.)
Concerning the realization of Divine Oneness [tawhid].
When the Shaikh (may Allah be well pleased with him) was asked about the realization of Divine Oneness [tawhid], he said:
"[It is signified by] the indications of the secret of consciences [dama'ir], and of the hidden content of the secret of the innermost beings [sara'ir], at the advent of the Divine Presence [Hadra]. [It is signified by] the passage of the heart beyond the ultimate boundary of thoughts, its elevation to the highest degrees of connection [wisal], its penetration of the veils of glorification, its progress toward nearness on the feet of detachment, its advance toward proximity with the effort of singular devotion, in combination with the annihilation of the two realms of being, the vacating of the two domains [this world and the Hereafter], the removal of the two sandals, the acquisition of the two lights, and the extinction of all the worlds beneath the radiance of the lights of the brilliant flashes of disclosure, without previous intention."
Concerning detachment [tajrid].
In answer to a question concerning detachment [tajrid], the Shaikh (may Allah be well pleased with him) explained:
"It is the detachment of the innermost being [sirr] from the consideration of ways and means [tadabbur], by steadily restraining it from pursuit of the object of desire, by stripping it bare, then clothing its nakedness with the assurance of freedom from restriction, and by returning from the creation [khalq] to the Truth [Haqq], in a state of repentance."
Concerning direct knowledge [ma'rifa].
When the Shaikh (may Allah be well pleased with him) was asked about knowledge acquired by direct experience [ma'rifa], he said:
"It is insight into the meanings of the secrets of the hiding places of the mysteries, and recognition of the visible signs of the Lord of Truth [Haqq] in everything that exists, by viewing every element thereof in the light of the meanings of His Uniqueness [Wahdaniyya]. It is the acquisition of the knowledge of Reality [Haqiqa] in the extinction of every transitory being, when the Everlasting [Baqi] points toward it with the sign of the awe-inspiring dignity of Lordship [Rububiyya]. It is recognition of the trace of perpetuity [baqa'] in what the Everlasting [Baqi] has indicated, in the light of the majesty of Divinity [Ilahiyya], by looking with the eye of the heart."
Concerning spiritual aspiration [himma].
When someone asked him about spiritual aspiration [himma], the Shaikh (may Allah be well pleased with him) explained:
"It means that the aspirant becomes completely naked, in every part of his being. In the case of his lower self [nafs], it is stripped of the love of this world. In the case of his spirit [ruh], it is stripped of attachment to the Hereafter. In the case of his heart [qalb], it is stripped of any will that competes with the Will of the Master [Mawla]. As for his innermost being [sirr], it is detached from paying the slightest attention to the created universe, even with a quick peep or a glance."
Concerning the highest of all the degrees of Divine remembrance [dhikr].
When the Shaikh (may Allah be well pleased with him) was asked about the highest of all the degrees of Divine remembrance [dhikr], he said:
"It is that which impresses the heart, by command of the Lord of Truth (Almighty and Glorious is He) at the moment of His choice, with the perpetuity of everlasting providence ['inaya]. This remembrance [dhikr] is permanent, persistent and enduring. No trace of forgetfulness impairs it, and no heedlessness disturbs it, for the feelings, instincts and thoughts are all involved in the act of remembering. This is the frequent remembrance [dhikr kathir] referred to by the Lord of Truth (Glory be to Him, and Exalted is He) in His revelation.144 The best kind of remembrance is that which is prompted by the signals received from the All-Compelling Sovereign [al-Malik al-Jabbar], in the recesses of our innermost beings [asrar]."
Concerning ardent yearning [shawq].
When someone asked him about ardent yearning [shawq], the Shaikh (may Allah be well pleased with him) explained:
"The best of all ardent yearnings [ashwaq] is that which is stimulated by witnessing [mushahada], for it never wearies of meeting, never tires of telling, never flags because of closeness, and never fades because of intimacy. On the contrary, the more the contact is experienced, the more ardent the yearning becomes.
"Ardent yearning cannot be truly authentic, until it is completely stripped of its deficiencies: namely, the influence of an underlying motive, the pursuit of an ambitious desire, or the protection of a selfish interest. It thus becomes an ardent yearning stripped of all secondary causes [asbab]. The person concerned has no idea what makes him feel the way he feels, because he is always witnessing the object of his yearning, yet he still yearns for the witnessing thereof, however much that witnessing is experienced."
Concerning absolute trust [tawakkul].
When someone asked him about absolute trust [tawakkul], the Shaikh (may Allah be well pleased with him) explained:
"It is the preoccupation of the innermost being [sirr] with Allah (Exalted is He), to the exclusion of any other than Him. When someone puts all his trust in the Lord, he forgets whatever he used to rely on, for His sake, and depends on Him entirely, to the exclusion of all apart from Him. He thereby ascends from the shame of nonentity [fana'] to the state of absolute trust.
"Absolute trust [tawakkul] is the raising of the glance of the eye of direct perception [ma'rifa], by the innermost being [sirr], toward the hidden mystery of things decreed by destiny [maqdurat]. It is the firm belief, based on the reality of certainty [haqiqat al-yaqin], in the concepts grasped by the methods of direct perception, because they are sealed [with the stamp of Truth], and therefore immune to the opposite of certainty."
In answer to another question concerning absolute trust [tawakkul], the Shaikh (may Allah be well pleased with him) explained:
"Absolute trust [tawakkul] is a reality [haqiqa] like the reality of sincere devotion [ikhlas]. The reality of sincere devotion is the transfer of the aspiration [himma] from the rewards [obtained by deeds] to the deeds [themselves]. The same is true of absolute trust, since it is the abandonment of personal power and strength, in favor of reliance on the Lord of lords [Rabb al-arbab] (Glory be to Him, and Exalted is He)."
Then he went on to say (may Allah be well pleased with him):
"O young man! How often you are spoken to, but do not hear! How often you hear, but fail to understand! How often you understand, but do not take action! How often you take action, but do not act sincerely, and do not become immersed in your sincere devotion, with your whole being!"
Concerning contrition [inaba].
When the Shaikh (may Allah be well pleased with him) was asked about contrition [inaba], he said:
"Contrition is the effort to pass beyond the intermediate stations, and to beware of halting on the ascending stages; then to advance to the highest of the hidden levels, and to focus the aspirations on the occurrence of the sessions of the Presence [majalis al-Hadra]; then to return entirely to the Lord of Truth (Glory be to Him, and Exalted is He), after being present in the place of Presence, and witnessing this confrontation [muhadara]. Contrition [inaba] means returning to Him from Him, for safety's sake [hadharan], and returning to Him from everything other than Him, in hopeful anticipation [raghaban], and returning to Him from every attachment, in fearful apprehension [rahaban]."
Concerning repentance [tawba].
When someone asked him about repentance [tawba], the Shaikh (may Allah be well pleased with him) explained:
"Repentance is the process whereby the Lord of Truth (Exalted is He) looks toward His ancient and predestined providence ['inaya] for His servant, directs that providence toward His servant's heart, and tenderly detaches it, by attracting it toward Him and grasping it. When this takes place, the heart is drawn toward Him, away from corrupt ambition. The spirit obediently complies, the heart and the mind follow suit, repentance [tawba] is truly accomplished, and the whole affair becomes proper to Allah (Exalted is He)."
Concerning this world [ad-dunya].
In response to a question concerning this world [ad-dunya], the Shaikh (may Allah be well pleased with him) said:
"Evict it from your heart into your hand, so that it cannot beguile you."
Concerning weeping [buka'].
When the Shaikh (may Allah be well pleased with him) was asked about weeping [buka'], he said:
"Weep for Him, weep because of Him, and weep over Him."
Shaikh 'Abd al-Qadir (may Allah be well pleased with him) was asked to explain the distinctive characteristics of Divinely-inspired receivings [mawarid Ilahiyya] and satanic insinuations [tawariq shaitaniyya]. He replied:
"The Divinely-inspired receiving comes only in response to an appeal [istid'a']. It does not go away because of any intervening cause [sabab]. It does not come in one particular mode [namat], nor at any specific time. As for the satanic insinuation [tariq shaitani], it is contrary to that in all respects."
Concerning love [mahabba].
When asked about love [mahabba], the Shaikh (may Allah be well pleased with him) said: "It is a disturbance [tashwish] that affects the heart. It is inspired by the Beloved [Mahbub], by contrast with Whom this world comes to be like the ring of a seal, or a funeral wake. Love is an intoxication that has no corresponding sobriety. It is total devotion to the Beloved, in every respect, both in private and in public, with a self-effacing predilection. It is a natural impulse, not an affectation.
"Love is blindness to everything other than Beloved, due to solicitude for Him. It is also blindness to the Beloved Himself, due to a profound respect for Him. It is therefore total blindness. Lovers [muhibbun] are too drunk to get sober, except through direct vision of the Beloved. They are too sick to be cured, except by the sight of the One they seek. They are too distressed to be consoled, except by their Master [Mawla]. They can find no refuge, except in the remembrance of Him. They do not respond to anyone, except to His summoner.
"As Majnun [the crazy lover of] Layla put it:
My relatives all blame me for loving Layla:
my brother, my cousins, my aunt...."
(The rest of the verses are well known, so there is no need to spell them out here.)
Concerning the realization of Divine Oneness [tawhid].
When the Shaikh (may Allah be well pleased with him) was asked about the realization of Divine Oneness [tawhid], he said:
"[It is signified by] the indications of the secret of consciences [dama'ir], and of the hidden content of the secret of the innermost beings [sara'ir], at the advent of the Divine Presence [Hadra]. [It is signified by] the passage of the heart beyond the ultimate boundary of thoughts, its elevation to the highest degrees of connection [wisal], its penetration of the veils of glorification, its progress toward nearness on the feet of detachment, its advance toward proximity with the effort of singular devotion, in combination with the annihilation of the two realms of being, the vacating of the two domains [this world and the Hereafter], the removal of the two sandals, the acquisition of the two lights, and the extinction of all the worlds beneath the radiance of the lights of the brilliant flashes of disclosure, without previous intention."
Concerning detachment [tajrid].
In answer to a question concerning detachment [tajrid], the Shaikh (may Allah be well pleased with him) explained:
"It is the detachment of the innermost being [sirr] from the consideration of ways and means [tadabbur], by steadily restraining it from pursuit of the object of desire, by stripping it bare, then clothing its nakedness with the assurance of freedom from restriction, and by returning from the creation [khalq] to the Truth [Haqq], in a state of repentance."
Concerning direct knowledge [ma'rifa].
When the Shaikh (may Allah be well pleased with him) was asked about knowledge acquired by direct experience [ma'rifa], he said:
"It is insight into the meanings of the secrets of the hiding places of the mysteries, and recognition of the visible signs of the Lord of Truth [Haqq] in everything that exists, by viewing every element thereof in the light of the meanings of His Uniqueness [Wahdaniyya]. It is the acquisition of the knowledge of Reality [Haqiqa] in the extinction of every transitory being, when the Everlasting [Baqi] points toward it with the sign of the awe-inspiring dignity of Lordship [Rububiyya]. It is recognition of the trace of perpetuity [baqa'] in what the Everlasting [Baqi] has indicated, in the light of the majesty of Divinity [Ilahiyya], by looking with the eye of the heart."
Concerning spiritual aspiration [himma].
When someone asked him about spiritual aspiration [himma], the Shaikh (may Allah be well pleased with him) explained:
"It means that the aspirant becomes completely naked, in every part of his being. In the case of his lower self [nafs], it is stripped of the love of this world. In the case of his spirit [ruh], it is stripped of attachment to the Hereafter. In the case of his heart [qalb], it is stripped of any will that competes with the Will of the Master [Mawla]. As for his innermost being [sirr], it is detached from paying the slightest attention to the created universe, even with a quick peep or a glance."
Concerning the highest of all the degrees of Divine remembrance [dhikr].
When the Shaikh (may Allah be well pleased with him) was asked about the highest of all the degrees of Divine remembrance [dhikr], he said:
"It is that which impresses the heart, by command of the Lord of Truth (Almighty and Glorious is He) at the moment of His choice, with the perpetuity of everlasting providence ['inaya]. This remembrance [dhikr] is permanent, persistent and enduring. No trace of forgetfulness impairs it, and no heedlessness disturbs it, for the feelings, instincts and thoughts are all involved in the act of remembering. This is the frequent remembrance [dhikr kathir] referred to by the Lord of Truth (Glory be to Him, and Exalted is He) in His revelation.144 The best kind of remembrance is that which is prompted by the signals received from the All-Compelling Sovereign [al-Malik al-Jabbar], in the recesses of our innermost beings [asrar]."
Concerning ardent yearning [shawq].
When someone asked him about ardent yearning [shawq], the Shaikh (may Allah be well pleased with him) explained:
"The best of all ardent yearnings [ashwaq] is that which is stimulated by witnessing [mushahada], for it never wearies of meeting, never tires of telling, never flags because of closeness, and never fades because of intimacy. On the contrary, the more the contact is experienced, the more ardent the yearning becomes.
"Ardent yearning cannot be truly authentic, until it is completely stripped of its deficiencies: namely, the influence of an underlying motive, the pursuit of an ambitious desire, or the protection of a selfish interest. It thus becomes an ardent yearning stripped of all secondary causes [asbab]. The person concerned has no idea what makes him feel the way he feels, because he is always witnessing the object of his yearning, yet he still yearns for the witnessing thereof, however much that witnessing is experienced."
Concerning absolute trust [tawakkul].
When someone asked him about absolute trust [tawakkul], the Shaikh (may Allah be well pleased with him) explained:
"It is the preoccupation of the innermost being [sirr] with Allah (Exalted is He), to the exclusion of any other than Him. When someone puts all his trust in the Lord, he forgets whatever he used to rely on, for His sake, and depends on Him entirely, to the exclusion of all apart from Him. He thereby ascends from the shame of nonentity [fana'] to the state of absolute trust.
"Absolute trust [tawakkul] is the raising of the glance of the eye of direct perception [ma'rifa], by the innermost being [sirr], toward the hidden mystery of things decreed by destiny [maqdurat]. It is the firm belief, based on the reality of certainty [haqiqat al-yaqin], in the concepts grasped by the methods of direct perception, because they are sealed [with the stamp of Truth], and therefore immune to the opposite of certainty."
In answer to another question concerning absolute trust [tawakkul], the Shaikh (may Allah be well pleased with him) explained:
"Absolute trust [tawakkul] is a reality [haqiqa] like the reality of sincere devotion [ikhlas]. The reality of sincere devotion is the transfer of the aspiration [himma] from the rewards [obtained by deeds] to the deeds [themselves]. The same is true of absolute trust, since it is the abandonment of personal power and strength, in favor of reliance on the Lord of lords [Rabb al-arbab] (Glory be to Him, and Exalted is He)."
Then he went on to say (may Allah be well pleased with him):
"O young man! How often you are spoken to, but do not hear! How often you hear, but fail to understand! How often you understand, but do not take action! How often you take action, but do not act sincerely, and do not become immersed in your sincere devotion, with your whole being!"
Concerning contrition [inaba].
When the Shaikh (may Allah be well pleased with him) was asked about contrition [inaba], he said:
"Contrition is the effort to pass beyond the intermediate stations, and to beware of halting on the ascending stages; then to advance to the highest of the hidden levels, and to focus the aspirations on the occurrence of the sessions of the Presence [majalis al-Hadra]; then to return entirely to the Lord of Truth (Glory be to Him, and Exalted is He), after being present in the place of Presence, and witnessing this confrontation [muhadara]. Contrition [inaba] means returning to Him from Him, for safety's sake [hadharan], and returning to Him from everything other than Him, in hopeful anticipation [raghaban], and returning to Him from every attachment, in fearful apprehension [rahaban]."
Concerning repentance [tawba].
When someone asked him about repentance [tawba], the Shaikh (may Allah be well pleased with him) explained:
"Repentance is the process whereby the Lord of Truth (Exalted is He) looks toward His ancient and predestined providence ['inaya] for His servant, directs that providence toward His servant's heart, and tenderly detaches it, by attracting it toward Him and grasping it. When this takes place, the heart is drawn toward Him, away from corrupt ambition. The spirit obediently complies, the heart and the mind follow suit, repentance [tawba] is truly accomplished, and the whole affair becomes proper to Allah (Exalted is He)."
Concerning this world [ad-dunya].
In response to a question concerning this world [ad-dunya], the Shaikh (may Allah be well pleased with him) said:
"Evict it from your heart into your hand, so that it cannot beguile you."
Concerning weeping [buka'].
When the Shaikh (may Allah be well pleased with him) was asked about weeping [buka'], he said:
"Weep for Him, weep because of Him, and weep over Him."
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