Loneliness is just a shell
A wall created for irony
Expressions free but meaningless illusions
People coming, talking and going
With so much things to share
Yet there was silence
No whispers, no connection
No warm, no love
When finally it hits me,
That the Real self is infact missing.
By MK Aslan
Sunday, February 12, 2006
Monday, January 30, 2006
Love Couplets
You talk about loving God while you disobey Him;
I swear by my life that this is something very strange.
If you were truthful in your love, you would obey Him,
For a lover obeys whom he loves.
by Sufi saint Rabi'a al-'Adawiya r.a.*
*Rabi'ah al-Adawiyya, a major spiritual influence in the classical Islamic world, is one of the central figures of the spiritual tradition. She was born around the year 717 C.E. in what is now Iraq
I swear by my life that this is something very strange.
If you were truthful in your love, you would obey Him,
For a lover obeys whom he loves.
by Sufi saint Rabi'a al-'Adawiya r.a.*
*Rabi'ah al-Adawiyya, a major spiritual influence in the classical Islamic world, is one of the central figures of the spiritual tradition. She was born around the year 717 C.E. in what is now Iraq
Saturday, January 28, 2006
Nail In the Fence
There once was a little boy who had a bad temper.
His Father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, he must hammer a nail into the back of the fence.
The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence.
Over the next few weeks, as he learned to control his anger, The number of nails hammered daily gradually dwindled down.
He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence.
Finally the day came when the boy didn't lose his temper at all.
He told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy
Now, pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper.
The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father
That all the nails were gone.
The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence.
He said, "You have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence.
The fence will never be the same.
When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one.
You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. It won't matter how many times you say I'm sorry, the wound is still there.
" A verbal wound is as bad as a physical one.
Family and friends are very rare jewels, indeed.
They make you smile and encourage you to succeed.
They lend an ear, they share words of praise and they always want to open their hearts to us."
Show your family and friends how much you care.
Please forgive me if I have ever left a hole.
(by anonymous)
His Father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, he must hammer a nail into the back of the fence.
The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence.
Over the next few weeks, as he learned to control his anger, The number of nails hammered daily gradually dwindled down.
He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence.
Finally the day came when the boy didn't lose his temper at all.
He told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy
Now, pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper.
The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father
That all the nails were gone.
The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence.
He said, "You have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence.
The fence will never be the same.
When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one.
You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. It won't matter how many times you say I'm sorry, the wound is still there.
" A verbal wound is as bad as a physical one.
Family and friends are very rare jewels, indeed.
They make you smile and encourage you to succeed.
They lend an ear, they share words of praise and they always want to open their hearts to us."
Show your family and friends how much you care.
Please forgive me if I have ever left a hole.
(by anonymous)
Friday, January 13, 2006
Power and Recognition
Power and recognition are conditions conducive to worldliness.
The ego will never neglect such an opportunity to demand its share of the excitement and admiration, and by so doing taint the whole process of spiritual endeavor.
So beware . . .
The ego will never neglect such an opportunity to demand its share of the excitement and admiration, and by so doing taint the whole process of spiritual endeavor.
So beware . . .
Friday, January 06, 2006
The Persian, the Arab, the Turk and the Greek..
Four persons, a Persian, an Arab, a Turk, and a Greek, were travelling together, and received a present of a Durham.
The Persian said he would buy "angur" with it, the Arab said he would buy "inab," while the Turk and the Greek were for buying "uzum" and "astaphil" (staphyle), respectively.
Now all these words mean one and the same thing, viz. "grapes."
But, owing to their ignorance of each other's languages, they fancied they each wanted to buy something different, and accordingly a violent quarrel arose between them.
At last a wise man who knew all their languages came up and explained to them that they were all wishing for one and the same thing.
The Persian said he would buy "angur" with it, the Arab said he would buy "inab," while the Turk and the Greek were for buying "uzum" and "astaphil" (staphyle), respectively.
Now all these words mean one and the same thing, viz. "grapes."
But, owing to their ignorance of each other's languages, they fancied they each wanted to buy something different, and accordingly a violent quarrel arose between them.
At last a wise man who knew all their languages came up and explained to them that they were all wishing for one and the same thing.
Signs of relying on one's deeds...
Extracted in most parts from "Book of Wisdoms: al-Hikam al-'Ata'iyya" by Shaykh Nuh Ha Mim Keller
"Allah created you and that which you do" (Qur’an 37:96).
The method of the spiritual ascent is threefold, consisting of knowledge (‘ilm), practice (‘amal), and the resultant state (hal) bestowed by Allah. Knowledge here means everything conveyed to us by the Holy Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace), which is the content of the Sacred Law or shari‘a.
The practice of this knowledge, inwardly and outwardly, with heart and limbs, is the spiritual path or tariqa.
The resultant state, Allah’s drawing near to the heart that thus draws near to Him, is the dawning of the Divine Presence upon the soul, termed by Sufis "ultimate reality" or haqiqa.
Ibn ‘Ata' Illah, as a spiritual guide, is concerned in this work with the second moment of this ascent, that of way and works, so begins his book by letting the traveller know that the matter of his spiritual progress is in Allah’s hands alone.
Discouragement at the inevitable mistakes one makes in the path is a sign of relying on one’s deeds rather than on Allah.
Works, whether prayer, or the dhikr or "remembrance" of Allah, or fasting, or jihad, do not cause one to reach the end of the path, but are merely proper manners before the majesty of the Divine while on it.
Just as putting one’s net in the sea does not produce fish, though one must keep it there so that if Allah sends fish they can be caught—so too works are a net, and their spiritual outcomes are from Allah.
Abu Hurayra (Allah be well pleased with him) heard the Holy Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) say:
"None of you shall be saved by his works." A man said, "Not even you yourself, O Messenger of Allah?" He said, "Not even me myself, unless Allah envelopes me in mercy from Him. But aim to do right" (Muslim, 4.2169: 2816).
"Allah created you and that which you do" (Qur’an 37:96).
The method of the spiritual ascent is threefold, consisting of knowledge (‘ilm), practice (‘amal), and the resultant state (hal) bestowed by Allah. Knowledge here means everything conveyed to us by the Holy Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace), which is the content of the Sacred Law or shari‘a.
The practice of this knowledge, inwardly and outwardly, with heart and limbs, is the spiritual path or tariqa.
The resultant state, Allah’s drawing near to the heart that thus draws near to Him, is the dawning of the Divine Presence upon the soul, termed by Sufis "ultimate reality" or haqiqa.
Ibn ‘Ata' Illah, as a spiritual guide, is concerned in this work with the second moment of this ascent, that of way and works, so begins his book by letting the traveller know that the matter of his spiritual progress is in Allah’s hands alone.
Discouragement at the inevitable mistakes one makes in the path is a sign of relying on one’s deeds rather than on Allah.
Works, whether prayer, or the dhikr or "remembrance" of Allah, or fasting, or jihad, do not cause one to reach the end of the path, but are merely proper manners before the majesty of the Divine while on it.
Just as putting one’s net in the sea does not produce fish, though one must keep it there so that if Allah sends fish they can be caught—so too works are a net, and their spiritual outcomes are from Allah.
Abu Hurayra (Allah be well pleased with him) heard the Holy Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) say:
"None of you shall be saved by his works." A man said, "Not even you yourself, O Messenger of Allah?" He said, "Not even me myself, unless Allah envelopes me in mercy from Him. But aim to do right" (Muslim, 4.2169: 2816).
The Master was Present..and then, quietly he was Gone!
"It is related about one of the great Sufis of Khorasan: That he worked for long hours as a brickmaker, and when people offered him money in return, he refused it. He also used to have long talks with people, teaching them, encouraging them, and then was not to be seen for a long period of time, sometimes months on end. This confused the people who tried to learn from him.
One day, a man who used to be his student and now has since left him, complained bitterly to him about it and asked for an explanation of his conduct, saying: "If i have failed to understand, tell me, so that i may again be your student." The Sufi said: "I am afraid that i can say nothing to you about all this". This man then talked to others about the Sufi (whom he abandoned as his teacher) and soon, more and more complaints were heard about the Sufi from the other students. Gradually, more students began to lose interest in the Sufi. They instead, now attach themselves to all manner of frivolous and more exciting things of the world.
Eventually, a small group of them found another teacher - a venerable dervish - to whom they later confided their dissapointment of the Sufi, their teacher whom they have abandoned. Their new teacher replied to them the following:
"O you luckless one!
(1) He was working as a brickmaker because to take your money, raw and vulnerable as you were, would have harmed you - and he took on the harm upon himself, preferring to labour, sacrificed his life and sweat in the burning sun for just a small salary;
(2) When he left you on your own, it was sometimes his attention, through your own weaknessess, would have inflated you and made you worse;
(3) At other times, he forsook you because he had to make supplications to ask from Allah that you, should not die before he could help you;
(4) At other times, he left you alone because other people in greater need than you were to be attended to.
You are the kind of people who see all his actions, which are all worthy ones - as faults, because you cannot perceive goodness and reality, and because you think only of your ownselves and that the whole world revolves around your ownselves!"
When the students heard this, they were ashamed, and they said: "O teacher! Give us permission to return to our ex-Master, to make amends to him!"
He answered, "The permission is easy, and you have it; but the performance is impossible. He is now dead, because his earthly life had to stop the moment you deserted him; the moment you stopped listening to him; the moment his hand could not hold your hand to guide you. When he had nobody to attend to him, he had to continue on this journey, on his own - in another world - where he is more useful, and loved."
They cried upon hearing this and regretted deeply, for their great Master was now gone! They asked their teacher : "How did you know all this?"
He said: "I am the solitary remaining disciple of that same Master of yours whom you have all abandoned! Only one in a thousand people really want to learn. We were, at the outset, that one thousand people. As for the rest of your friends who are not here today and like you, have also abandoned the Sufi: they are not dead, but they - like you - have long ago decided that our late Master was insufficient to their needs. The consequence of this added belief, born out of the madness of the world, is that they are all still alive, and now more than proud of themselves, and all of them are flourishing in this world, and all of them are doomed for their attachment of this world - without that guiding hand to guide them out of this labyrinth!"
... by Idries Shah
One day, a man who used to be his student and now has since left him, complained bitterly to him about it and asked for an explanation of his conduct, saying: "If i have failed to understand, tell me, so that i may again be your student." The Sufi said: "I am afraid that i can say nothing to you about all this". This man then talked to others about the Sufi (whom he abandoned as his teacher) and soon, more and more complaints were heard about the Sufi from the other students. Gradually, more students began to lose interest in the Sufi. They instead, now attach themselves to all manner of frivolous and more exciting things of the world.
Eventually, a small group of them found another teacher - a venerable dervish - to whom they later confided their dissapointment of the Sufi, their teacher whom they have abandoned. Their new teacher replied to them the following:
"O you luckless one!
(1) He was working as a brickmaker because to take your money, raw and vulnerable as you were, would have harmed you - and he took on the harm upon himself, preferring to labour, sacrificed his life and sweat in the burning sun for just a small salary;
(2) When he left you on your own, it was sometimes his attention, through your own weaknessess, would have inflated you and made you worse;
(3) At other times, he forsook you because he had to make supplications to ask from Allah that you, should not die before he could help you;
(4) At other times, he left you alone because other people in greater need than you were to be attended to.
You are the kind of people who see all his actions, which are all worthy ones - as faults, because you cannot perceive goodness and reality, and because you think only of your ownselves and that the whole world revolves around your ownselves!"
When the students heard this, they were ashamed, and they said: "O teacher! Give us permission to return to our ex-Master, to make amends to him!"
He answered, "The permission is easy, and you have it; but the performance is impossible. He is now dead, because his earthly life had to stop the moment you deserted him; the moment you stopped listening to him; the moment his hand could not hold your hand to guide you. When he had nobody to attend to him, he had to continue on this journey, on his own - in another world - where he is more useful, and loved."
They cried upon hearing this and regretted deeply, for their great Master was now gone! They asked their teacher : "How did you know all this?"
He said: "I am the solitary remaining disciple of that same Master of yours whom you have all abandoned! Only one in a thousand people really want to learn. We were, at the outset, that one thousand people. As for the rest of your friends who are not here today and like you, have also abandoned the Sufi: they are not dead, but they - like you - have long ago decided that our late Master was insufficient to their needs. The consequence of this added belief, born out of the madness of the world, is that they are all still alive, and now more than proud of themselves, and all of them are flourishing in this world, and all of them are doomed for their attachment of this world - without that guiding hand to guide them out of this labyrinth!"
... by Idries Shah
Thursday, January 05, 2006
Blindness in the way of the wilaya
Extracted from Al-Hikam Al-'ata'iyya : The Book of Wisdom by Sheykh Nuh Ha Min Keller
Desire means change,
1) first by takhliya or "ridding oneself " of the acts, motives, and states unacceptable to Allah; then
2) tahliya or "adorning oneself " with good traits such as sincerity (ikhlas), trust (tawakkul), remembrance of Allah,
and finally
3) ma`rifa or knowledge of the Divine with which Allah remembers the person of dhikr who perseveres in these.
To rely on one's own efforts to bring about what Allah has already decided is "your striving for what is ensured to you," while not to change oneself is the "neglect of what is sought from you."
Both are blindness in the way of wilaya.
Desire means change,
1) first by takhliya or "ridding oneself " of the acts, motives, and states unacceptable to Allah; then
2) tahliya or "adorning oneself " with good traits such as sincerity (ikhlas), trust (tawakkul), remembrance of Allah,
and finally
3) ma`rifa or knowledge of the Divine with which Allah remembers the person of dhikr who perseveres in these.
To rely on one's own efforts to bring about what Allah has already decided is "your striving for what is ensured to you," while not to change oneself is the "neglect of what is sought from you."
Both are blindness in the way of wilaya.
Wednesday, January 04, 2006
Lack of knowledge...
Do not belittle people who seemingly lack of knowledge but instead strive to guide them with love and compassion..
Knowledge by itself is not only useless but may be a mortal trap that leads to Satanic pride. Neither the proud nor the ignorant are excused; yet the loving, sincere, and repentent Sufi who suffers even severe gaps in his knowledge and adab is closer to Allah Most High and to knowledge of Allah than the knowledgeable Sufi who harbors a speck of pride in his heart. May Allah protect you and us!
Ibrahim al-Khawwass said knowledge is not to know much but to obey the Sunna and practice what one knows even if a little. Imam Malik said knowledge is not to know many things but is a light Allah casts in the heart.Imam al-Shafi'i said knowledge is not to know proofs but to know what is beneficial.And when someone said of Ma'ruf al-Karkhi, "He is not very knowledgeable," Imam Ahmad said: " Mah! Allah forgive you! Is anything meant by Knowledge other than what Ma'ruf attained?!"
Much of this was extracted from http://sultanulawliya.blogspot.com/2005/06/glimpse-at-our-beloved-mawlana-shaykh.html
Knowledge by itself is not only useless but may be a mortal trap that leads to Satanic pride. Neither the proud nor the ignorant are excused; yet the loving, sincere, and repentent Sufi who suffers even severe gaps in his knowledge and adab is closer to Allah Most High and to knowledge of Allah than the knowledgeable Sufi who harbors a speck of pride in his heart. May Allah protect you and us!
Ibrahim al-Khawwass said knowledge is not to know much but to obey the Sunna and practice what one knows even if a little. Imam Malik said knowledge is not to know many things but is a light Allah casts in the heart.Imam al-Shafi'i said knowledge is not to know proofs but to know what is beneficial.And when someone said of Ma'ruf al-Karkhi, "He is not very knowledgeable," Imam Ahmad said: " Mah! Allah forgive you! Is anything meant by Knowledge other than what Ma'ruf attained?!"
Much of this was extracted from http://sultanulawliya.blogspot.com/2005/06/glimpse-at-our-beloved-mawlana-shaykh.html
Thursday, December 29, 2005
Allah knows best...
'What seems from outside to be good for you, might 'in actual' be bad for you; and what seems from outside to be bad for you, might 'in actual' be good for you.'
- our beloved Maulana Sheikh Nazim Al Haqqani Al Qubrusi
-------------------
A story is told about a King in Africa who had a close friend that he grew up with.
The friend had a habit of looking at every situation that ever occurred in his life (positive or negative) by remarking, "This is good, Almighty knows best"
One day the King and his friend were out on a hunting expedition.
The friend would load and prepare the guns for the King. The friend had apparently done something wrong in preparing one of the guns, for after taking the gun from his friend, the King fired it and his thumb was blown off.
Examining the situation the friend remarked as usual, "This is good! Almighty knows best."To which the King replied, "No, this is NOT good!" and ordered his soldiers to put his friend into jail.
About a year later, the King was hunting in an area that he should have known to stay clear of.
Cannibals captured the King and took him to their village.
They tied his hands, stacked some wood, set up a stake and bound him to the stake.
As they came near to set fire to the wood, they noticed that the King was missing a thumb. Being superstitious, they never ate anyone who was less than whole.
So after untying the King, they chased him out of the village.
When the King reached his Palace, he was reminded of the event that had taken his thumb and felt remorse for his treatment of his friend.
He went immediately to the jail to speak with his friend."You were right" the King said, "it was good that my thumb was blown off."
And he proceeded to tell the friend all that had just happened.
" I am very sorry for sending you to jail for so long. It was bad for me to do this."
"No," his friend replied, "this is good ... Almighty knows best"
"What do you mean, 'this is good'! How could it be good that I sent my friend to jail for a year?"
The King's friend replied: "Remember that the Almighty knows best and if I had NOT been in jail, I would have been with you(on this hunting trip)."
"He knows what is before them and what is behind them: And to Allah go back all questions (for decision)" Qur'an:Surah Al Hajj 22:76
- our beloved Maulana Sheikh Nazim Al Haqqani Al Qubrusi
-------------------
A story is told about a King in Africa who had a close friend that he grew up with.
The friend had a habit of looking at every situation that ever occurred in his life (positive or negative) by remarking, "This is good, Almighty knows best"
One day the King and his friend were out on a hunting expedition.
The friend would load and prepare the guns for the King. The friend had apparently done something wrong in preparing one of the guns, for after taking the gun from his friend, the King fired it and his thumb was blown off.
Examining the situation the friend remarked as usual, "This is good! Almighty knows best."To which the King replied, "No, this is NOT good!" and ordered his soldiers to put his friend into jail.
About a year later, the King was hunting in an area that he should have known to stay clear of.
Cannibals captured the King and took him to their village.
They tied his hands, stacked some wood, set up a stake and bound him to the stake.
As they came near to set fire to the wood, they noticed that the King was missing a thumb. Being superstitious, they never ate anyone who was less than whole.
So after untying the King, they chased him out of the village.
When the King reached his Palace, he was reminded of the event that had taken his thumb and felt remorse for his treatment of his friend.
He went immediately to the jail to speak with his friend."You were right" the King said, "it was good that my thumb was blown off."
And he proceeded to tell the friend all that had just happened.
" I am very sorry for sending you to jail for so long. It was bad for me to do this."
"No," his friend replied, "this is good ... Almighty knows best"
"What do you mean, 'this is good'! How could it be good that I sent my friend to jail for a year?"
The King's friend replied: "Remember that the Almighty knows best and if I had NOT been in jail, I would have been with you(on this hunting trip)."
"He knows what is before them and what is behind them: And to Allah go back all questions (for decision)" Qur'an:Surah Al Hajj 22:76
Open to the Secret of Secrets
If you could get rid of yourself just once,
The secret of secrets
Would open to you.
The face of the unknown,
Hidden beyond the universe
Would appear on the
Mirror of your perception.
- Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi, may Allah sanctify his soul, & bless his secret
The secret of secrets
Would open to you.
The face of the unknown,
Hidden beyond the universe
Would appear on the
Mirror of your perception.
- Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi, may Allah sanctify his soul, & bless his secret
Becoming an Artisan..
I found this most delightful story on http://anab-whitehouse.blogspot.com
There once lived a person who was sincere skeptic concerning the mystical path.
In other words, although this individual was willing to allow for the possibility of truths and realities beyond the sensory, material realms, nevertheless, there were a lot of things concerning spirituality which didn’t make a whole lot of sense to him, and over which he puzzled.
For example, he questioned why mysticism seemed to be couched in so much secrecy.
Moreover, he didn’t understand why there appeared to be such a hide-and-seek quality to the whole process –- that is, he didn’t understand why the truths of the mystical path just couldn’t be laid out for everyone to see so that those who were interested could obtain what they needed.
In addition, he didn’t really see the need for a teacher, or, stated in an alternative way, he wondered why Divinity just didn’t approach people directly through either their rational and/or their spiritual faculties rather than seeming to channel things through a mystical guide.
This man also had a variety of questions about philosophy, government, and science.
However, the questions to which he kept returning were the ones he had concerning the mystical path, and these sort of questions seemed, for him, at least, more important than the other questions which preoccupied him from time to time.
Life being what it is, such questions often had to be put aside as he went about trying to earn a living and support his family. In fact, although this person was a hard worker, he had been encountering considerable difficulty finding a steady job because of the condition of the economy.This person had a college degree, but he preferred working with his hands.
Over the years, he had become fairly proficient in a wide variety of skills -– from light carpentry, to electrical work, and, as well, he had a smattering of mechanical abilities.
Since he was a resourceful person, he often was able to scramble sufficiently well to earn enough money to pay rent, purchase food, and buy clothes for his family, but not much more. Nonetheless, through a combination of factors -– among which was the lack of a union card -– he always seemed to be engaged in a financial high wire balancing act in which he worked without a net, and, quite frequently, wondered if the would be able to stretch what little money he had to reach the end of the month.
He had learned to be flexible and adaptable with respect to the jobs he took. Furthermore, he always was looking out for new opportunities -– things that either would allow him to develop additional skills or which might open up new career possibilities that offered more permanent job status.
Currently, he was in between jobs and was scouring the Internet, the newspaper classifieds, and job agencies, looking for work.
The only thing which was available involved using his hands -- an apprenticeship position in a pottery shop.
The job was located within a reasonable distance from his house.He called the indicated number, and after several tries, got through to the owner of the shop.
She was an elderly woman who was getting too old for certain aspects of her business and was looking for someone who would help her out.She couldn’t afford to pay much more than minimum wage, but the work would be steady for the foreseeable future, and, as a sort of compensation for the low wages, she was prepared to train the person she hired to become a potter.
She even indicated that if she found the right person, she would consider selling the business.Due, among other things, to an increase in relatively wealthy clientele who, on the one hand, were looking for original works of art, and, who, on the other hand, were searching for certain kinds of pots to use in cooking and baking, the woman’s business was more thriving than it had ever been.
People were looking for products of durability and quality, and they were quite ready to pay good prices for the right sort of pots. The woman specialized in cooking pots. However, she was an expert craftsperson in all manner of pottery.After talking with the woman, the man discussed the situation with his wife.
He went over the pros and cons of the possibility, and, eventually, they both decided that the job seemed to have considerable potential -- both short-term and long-term.He phoned the owner of the shop again and said he would like to apply for the job. They arranged to meet the next afternoon, and by the end of the day, he was hired as the woman’s apprentice.
The woman was very meticulous in her training methods, and there was far more to learn than the man originally had suspected. The woman wanted to impress on her newly hired apprentice that there were significant differences between pots which were mass-produced and those which were done in the traditional way.
And, so, at the end of the first week, after he had been given enough information which would enable him to make a pot that would be similar in quality to the ones which were mass-produced, she had him fashion several baking pots.
The process only took a short time, and when he completed the assignment, she had him set the pots aside, on a storage shelf, as a reminder of his first efforts. The next day she continued on with his apprenticeship program.
After a number of years, he had become quite adept in all facets of making pots, and the owner was quite pleased with his progress.One day she informed her apprentice that she wanted to retire and, with certain reservations, might be willing to turn the whole business over to him.
She knew he was not a wealthy person and said she was prepared to take regular payments for the business until such time as it was completely paid for.However, before she retired, she wanted to make sure the man really had mastered everything he needed to know about the making of pots.
Her shop had developed a considerable reputation, and she didn’t want to see all that hard work go to waste as a result of a decline in the quality of the pots which were sold through the store.
Consequently, she informed him that she wanted to be his first customer, and she commissioned him to make a special cooking pot -– one that was particularly difficult to make because, among other things, it had to impart a certain, precise taste to the foods which were cooked in it. This aspect of taste was very subtle, and if the pot was not made in just the right way, that taste would not be imparted, even though the pot might be perfectly serviceable in every other respect.
The process for producing such a pot was very complicated and time-consuming. Among other things, not just any kind of clay could be used in making the pot. Furthermore, there were certain natural ingredients that had to be prepared in an exacting manner and which had to be added at precisely the right time during the process, and, finally, the pot had to kept in a kiln for an extended period at a carefully regulated temperature.
She had taught him everything he needed to know to accomplish the task. Now, however, she wanted to determine if the appropriate lessons had been learned. If he was able to produce the desired pot, then, whatever reservations the woman had about turning the shop over to him would disappear, and she would be able to retire with a clear conscience.The man set about making the pot, and nearly six week later, the pot was completed.
Now, the quality of the pot had to be tested.The woman prepared some food to put in the pot. Since she had made more food than the pot could hold, she took several more pots down from the shelf, and filled them, as well.
All three pots were covered and placed in the cooking oven.An hour later, the oven was opened, and the woman set about removing the cooked food. Unfortunately, one of the pots had shattered, although the other two were intact.After cleaning up the mess from the shattered container, the woman turned her attention to the other two pots.
She took several wooden spoons and dipped each spoon into a different pot.She tasted from the first spoon, and her nose wrinkled. She shook her head in a disapproving manner.She tasted from the second spoon. A gleam came into her eyes, and her countenance radiated with approval.Then, she invited her apprentice to dip the two spoons into the respective pots and taste the contents of the spoons as she had done.
Upon tasting, the apprentice’s reactions were much as the shop’s owner had been.The shop owner turned to her former apprentice and said: “The pot which shattered was one of the two you had made when you first came here. It was made in haste and, as a result, was not able to withstand the heat of the oven.“The pot which yielded the distasteful food was the other pot you made shortly after you first arrived.
Although it managed to survive the heat intact, nonetheless, it spoiled the taste of the food because of its poor quality. The average person might not have been able to notice the problem, but a true artisan would have detected the defect and its effect upon the food.“The pot which contained the very tasty food was the one you just completed, and, I am happy to say it was made perfectly.
So, you, obviously, have mastered everything which I tried to teach you, and you are no longer an apprentice, but, now you are an artisan.
Furthermore, I see no reason why we can’t go ahead and draw up the papers for transferring the shop to you.”The man was very happy with the outcome of things and thanked her for all her help, knowledge, and patience across the years. He was excited and wanted to call his wife and tell her the good news.
The man was about to make the call when the woman stopped him, and said: “There is something more which I have to say to you.” The man put the phone down and waited for her to speak.She said: “You not only know how to make pots, you also have the answer to some of your questions about the mystical path which you had when you first started working with me.”
The man was rather startled because he had never talked to the woman about such matters. While he was trying to figure out how she knew, she continued on.“Many of the techniques which I have taught you are secret because if they were to fall into the hands of the wrong people who had little, or no, appreciation for the artistry of pot-making, they would exploit such knowledge by trying to cut corners and, in the process, produce pots which either were not able to withstand theheat or which imparted an offensive taste to the food. The same is true in mysticism.“
Secondly, just as it took time for you to learn the intricacies of pottery through combining knowledge and an appropriate set of experiences, so, too, it takes time to learn the intricacies of the mystical path. One needs more than information in order to be able to accomplish this -- one also needs the right set of experiences, and, as well, one needs to work with someone who knows how to utilize those experiences in order to help an apprentice develop a deeper understanding of what is needed to become an artisan.
“And, the former point leads into my final comment. There are many books on pottery which are available in trade stores. You could have read all of those books and still not have understood what you have learned by interacting with me over an extended time. The learning which takes place between an artisan and her or his apprentice is much different than the learning that occurs when someone reads a book. “You could not have made the pot you just did merely by reading books.
There has been a special chemistry between the two of us which has developed over the years, and it is that chemistry which has found its way into this pot you recently made, and it is that chemistry which an artisan passes on to an apprentice and which transforms the apprentice into an artisan.”The woman, paused for a moment, and, then, said: “
The questions you have had about the realm of spirituality were sincere ones, and Divinity responded to that sincerity by sending you to me.
If you are ready and interested, perhaps, I could use my retirement to help you learn about the real purpose of life -– which, by the way, is not to make pots ... even ones of quality. Rather, the making of quality pots merely represents a worthwhile point of departure.”
There once lived a person who was sincere skeptic concerning the mystical path.
In other words, although this individual was willing to allow for the possibility of truths and realities beyond the sensory, material realms, nevertheless, there were a lot of things concerning spirituality which didn’t make a whole lot of sense to him, and over which he puzzled.
For example, he questioned why mysticism seemed to be couched in so much secrecy.
Moreover, he didn’t understand why there appeared to be such a hide-and-seek quality to the whole process –- that is, he didn’t understand why the truths of the mystical path just couldn’t be laid out for everyone to see so that those who were interested could obtain what they needed.
In addition, he didn’t really see the need for a teacher, or, stated in an alternative way, he wondered why Divinity just didn’t approach people directly through either their rational and/or their spiritual faculties rather than seeming to channel things through a mystical guide.
This man also had a variety of questions about philosophy, government, and science.
However, the questions to which he kept returning were the ones he had concerning the mystical path, and these sort of questions seemed, for him, at least, more important than the other questions which preoccupied him from time to time.
Life being what it is, such questions often had to be put aside as he went about trying to earn a living and support his family. In fact, although this person was a hard worker, he had been encountering considerable difficulty finding a steady job because of the condition of the economy.This person had a college degree, but he preferred working with his hands.
Over the years, he had become fairly proficient in a wide variety of skills -– from light carpentry, to electrical work, and, as well, he had a smattering of mechanical abilities.
Since he was a resourceful person, he often was able to scramble sufficiently well to earn enough money to pay rent, purchase food, and buy clothes for his family, but not much more. Nonetheless, through a combination of factors -– among which was the lack of a union card -– he always seemed to be engaged in a financial high wire balancing act in which he worked without a net, and, quite frequently, wondered if the would be able to stretch what little money he had to reach the end of the month.
He had learned to be flexible and adaptable with respect to the jobs he took. Furthermore, he always was looking out for new opportunities -– things that either would allow him to develop additional skills or which might open up new career possibilities that offered more permanent job status.
Currently, he was in between jobs and was scouring the Internet, the newspaper classifieds, and job agencies, looking for work.
The only thing which was available involved using his hands -- an apprenticeship position in a pottery shop.
The job was located within a reasonable distance from his house.He called the indicated number, and after several tries, got through to the owner of the shop.
She was an elderly woman who was getting too old for certain aspects of her business and was looking for someone who would help her out.She couldn’t afford to pay much more than minimum wage, but the work would be steady for the foreseeable future, and, as a sort of compensation for the low wages, she was prepared to train the person she hired to become a potter.
She even indicated that if she found the right person, she would consider selling the business.Due, among other things, to an increase in relatively wealthy clientele who, on the one hand, were looking for original works of art, and, who, on the other hand, were searching for certain kinds of pots to use in cooking and baking, the woman’s business was more thriving than it had ever been.
People were looking for products of durability and quality, and they were quite ready to pay good prices for the right sort of pots. The woman specialized in cooking pots. However, she was an expert craftsperson in all manner of pottery.After talking with the woman, the man discussed the situation with his wife.
He went over the pros and cons of the possibility, and, eventually, they both decided that the job seemed to have considerable potential -- both short-term and long-term.He phoned the owner of the shop again and said he would like to apply for the job. They arranged to meet the next afternoon, and by the end of the day, he was hired as the woman’s apprentice.
The woman was very meticulous in her training methods, and there was far more to learn than the man originally had suspected. The woman wanted to impress on her newly hired apprentice that there were significant differences between pots which were mass-produced and those which were done in the traditional way.
And, so, at the end of the first week, after he had been given enough information which would enable him to make a pot that would be similar in quality to the ones which were mass-produced, she had him fashion several baking pots.
The process only took a short time, and when he completed the assignment, she had him set the pots aside, on a storage shelf, as a reminder of his first efforts. The next day she continued on with his apprenticeship program.
After a number of years, he had become quite adept in all facets of making pots, and the owner was quite pleased with his progress.One day she informed her apprentice that she wanted to retire and, with certain reservations, might be willing to turn the whole business over to him.
She knew he was not a wealthy person and said she was prepared to take regular payments for the business until such time as it was completely paid for.However, before she retired, she wanted to make sure the man really had mastered everything he needed to know about the making of pots.
Her shop had developed a considerable reputation, and she didn’t want to see all that hard work go to waste as a result of a decline in the quality of the pots which were sold through the store.
Consequently, she informed him that she wanted to be his first customer, and she commissioned him to make a special cooking pot -– one that was particularly difficult to make because, among other things, it had to impart a certain, precise taste to the foods which were cooked in it. This aspect of taste was very subtle, and if the pot was not made in just the right way, that taste would not be imparted, even though the pot might be perfectly serviceable in every other respect.
The process for producing such a pot was very complicated and time-consuming. Among other things, not just any kind of clay could be used in making the pot. Furthermore, there were certain natural ingredients that had to be prepared in an exacting manner and which had to be added at precisely the right time during the process, and, finally, the pot had to kept in a kiln for an extended period at a carefully regulated temperature.
She had taught him everything he needed to know to accomplish the task. Now, however, she wanted to determine if the appropriate lessons had been learned. If he was able to produce the desired pot, then, whatever reservations the woman had about turning the shop over to him would disappear, and she would be able to retire with a clear conscience.The man set about making the pot, and nearly six week later, the pot was completed.
Now, the quality of the pot had to be tested.The woman prepared some food to put in the pot. Since she had made more food than the pot could hold, she took several more pots down from the shelf, and filled them, as well.
All three pots were covered and placed in the cooking oven.An hour later, the oven was opened, and the woman set about removing the cooked food. Unfortunately, one of the pots had shattered, although the other two were intact.After cleaning up the mess from the shattered container, the woman turned her attention to the other two pots.
She took several wooden spoons and dipped each spoon into a different pot.She tasted from the first spoon, and her nose wrinkled. She shook her head in a disapproving manner.She tasted from the second spoon. A gleam came into her eyes, and her countenance radiated with approval.Then, she invited her apprentice to dip the two spoons into the respective pots and taste the contents of the spoons as she had done.
Upon tasting, the apprentice’s reactions were much as the shop’s owner had been.The shop owner turned to her former apprentice and said: “The pot which shattered was one of the two you had made when you first came here. It was made in haste and, as a result, was not able to withstand the heat of the oven.“The pot which yielded the distasteful food was the other pot you made shortly after you first arrived.
Although it managed to survive the heat intact, nonetheless, it spoiled the taste of the food because of its poor quality. The average person might not have been able to notice the problem, but a true artisan would have detected the defect and its effect upon the food.“The pot which contained the very tasty food was the one you just completed, and, I am happy to say it was made perfectly.
So, you, obviously, have mastered everything which I tried to teach you, and you are no longer an apprentice, but, now you are an artisan.
Furthermore, I see no reason why we can’t go ahead and draw up the papers for transferring the shop to you.”The man was very happy with the outcome of things and thanked her for all her help, knowledge, and patience across the years. He was excited and wanted to call his wife and tell her the good news.
The man was about to make the call when the woman stopped him, and said: “There is something more which I have to say to you.” The man put the phone down and waited for her to speak.She said: “You not only know how to make pots, you also have the answer to some of your questions about the mystical path which you had when you first started working with me.”
The man was rather startled because he had never talked to the woman about such matters. While he was trying to figure out how she knew, she continued on.“Many of the techniques which I have taught you are secret because if they were to fall into the hands of the wrong people who had little, or no, appreciation for the artistry of pot-making, they would exploit such knowledge by trying to cut corners and, in the process, produce pots which either were not able to withstand theheat or which imparted an offensive taste to the food. The same is true in mysticism.“
Secondly, just as it took time for you to learn the intricacies of pottery through combining knowledge and an appropriate set of experiences, so, too, it takes time to learn the intricacies of the mystical path. One needs more than information in order to be able to accomplish this -- one also needs the right set of experiences, and, as well, one needs to work with someone who knows how to utilize those experiences in order to help an apprentice develop a deeper understanding of what is needed to become an artisan.
“And, the former point leads into my final comment. There are many books on pottery which are available in trade stores. You could have read all of those books and still not have understood what you have learned by interacting with me over an extended time. The learning which takes place between an artisan and her or his apprentice is much different than the learning that occurs when someone reads a book. “You could not have made the pot you just did merely by reading books.
There has been a special chemistry between the two of us which has developed over the years, and it is that chemistry which has found its way into this pot you recently made, and it is that chemistry which an artisan passes on to an apprentice and which transforms the apprentice into an artisan.”The woman, paused for a moment, and, then, said: “
The questions you have had about the realm of spirituality were sincere ones, and Divinity responded to that sincerity by sending you to me.
If you are ready and interested, perhaps, I could use my retirement to help you learn about the real purpose of life -– which, by the way, is not to make pots ... even ones of quality. Rather, the making of quality pots merely represents a worthwhile point of departure.”
Friday, December 16, 2005
Wednesday, August 03, 2005
Secret Lovers
In Love Secretly
In the Twilight of the Nights
Whispering sweet melodies in the wind
Not much caring for any other
But to Whom closest to the heart.
In the Twilight of the Nights
Whispering sweet melodies in the wind
Not much caring for any other
But to Whom closest to the heart.
Monday, June 27, 2005
Make your Intentions for Allah's Sake
Make your Intentions for Allah's Sake
Shaikh Muhammad Nazim Adil al-Haqqani (Naqshbandi-Haqqani Sufi Order)
Sohbat, Tashkent, 4/14/2001
May Allah grant us His Blessings here and hereafter, [amin].
May Allah forgive our sins and change our bad characteristics into good characteristics and take away our sins and instead of our sins change them into good deeds. We hope as we have been gathered here through this life, we hope that we shall meet on the Day of Resurrection under the Holy Flag of Rasulullah (s), liwa'il hamd.
Keep your way. If your heart is in satisfaction, if you can find contentment through yourself that means you are on the right path. If all people say to you, "You are on the wrong way," but your heart is saying to you, "You are on the right way," keep what your heart is saying and try to continue on that way. If your heart is in contentment that contentment will take away doubts and hesitation from you. Real faith prevents something of hesitation or doubt to enter the heart.
Shaikh Muhammad Nazim Adil al-Haqqani (Naqshbandi-Haqqani Sufi Order)
Sohbat, Tashkent, 4/14/2001
May Allah grant us His Blessings here and hereafter, [amin].
May Allah forgive our sins and change our bad characteristics into good characteristics and take away our sins and instead of our sins change them into good deeds. We hope as we have been gathered here through this life, we hope that we shall meet on the Day of Resurrection under the Holy Flag of Rasulullah (s), liwa'il hamd.
Keep your way. If your heart is in satisfaction, if you can find contentment through yourself that means you are on the right path. If all people say to you, "You are on the wrong way," but your heart is saying to you, "You are on the right way," keep what your heart is saying and try to continue on that way. If your heart is in contentment that contentment will take away doubts and hesitation from you. Real faith prevents something of hesitation or doubt to enter the heart.
If you reached the point that you never feel doubt and hesitation through your heart that means you are on the right steps to Allah.
Also you may look after your intention. Because intention it is like the wheel of the car, giving direction to people. If not this wheel on the car, can you use that car? What are you calling this wheel? [steering wheel] hearing? Hearing? You understand what I mean to say?!
If you lost it that car is useless. It is dangerous! You can't use it. You can't reach anywhere. Therefore intention is the most important factor for our actions. And Allah Almighty is looking... more than to your actions, to what is your intention when you are doing something.
A person may do something either for his ego's pleasure or for his Lord's pleasure. There is not a third factor. No! You may act either for Your Lord's pleasure - trying to make your Lord pleased with you; or you are trying to make your ego pleased with you. There is no third factor, no. Either right or left.
You are always in a crossway. You must choose one of two ways: one taking you to the Pleasure of Allah Almighty; and the second taking you to your ego's pleasure, as well as to shaytan's pleasure. Through every action therefore, intention is an obligation for everyone seeking to do something.
When you are going to pray you must say, "I am praying for the pleasure of my Lord as He ordered me. To be His obedient servant." When you are making wudu` you must say or you must intend, "I am washing, I am making ablution for my Lord's pleasure. I am trying to follow His Holy commands as I am a sincere servant for Him."
And [for] everything in such a way you must make an intention. If your intention is correct, Allah Almighty may forgive if there is anything wrong in your acting, He may say, "Doesn't matter, because My servant's intention was to make Me pleased and he was intending to keep My Order."
That gives honor to you, that you are intending to keep His Divine Order. To keep Heavenly Orders. That is important. You must intend for everything you do, because of His Holy Commands. We are sitting here for His Holy Commands. Say to yourself, "I intend this because He is pleased for us to come to jama`at, to pray in jama`at, as well as to hear something from heavenly teachings that are correcting my actions to be good efforts and actions to be suitable or acceptable towards His Divinely Presence."
It is enough. It must be clear for everyone. Not for anyone else's, only for His Pleasure. And the Prophet's (s) pleasure - when you are keeping his (s) sunnah, you are making him (s) pleased, and his (s) pleasure is from His Lord's pleasure.
And also awliya's orders or advice, when you are going to keep their orders and advice that makes awliya happy with you, and it is also for the pleasure of Rasulullah (s), and that is the pleasure of Allah Almighty.
May Allah forgive us.
We were together with you since 12 or 13 or 14 days, about two weeks. And I was addressing our hosts, the Uzbek people, trying to speak to them to give them something of the reality of Sufi orders. Because this place is the most important place for Sufi orders and the most distinguished Naqshbandi Order grew up through this holy land. I was busy with them, because up to today I was only here a short time with them and according to our Grandshaykhs
[Khawajagan Grandshaykhs buried in Uzbekistan] I was speaking to them, and my speech was giving something to their empty hearts - planting through their empty hearts something of Divine Love, something of the Prophet's love - that is the Lord's love, heavenly love. I was occupied for that purpose. Now I found a short time with you [to speak in English] in just the several times you have been with me, though you heard so many times association from me where I am only a translator for the transmission coming from our grandshaykhs.
I only found this short time for addressing you and it is a summary to you [from what I was speaking to our Uzbek hosts]. As long as you can hold to it, you are never going to fail, here or hereafter. Because it is a summary of all holy books.
May Allah forgive me and bless you. Allah Allah...
His Sovereignty is through His Eternity. Try to be His honored servants, not dishonored ones. Try to be only for Him, an honored servant. that is your most high reward, your most high honor.
Bi-hurmatil habib, allahuma zid habibika `izzan wa sharafan wa nuran wa sururan wa ridwanan wa sultanan bi-hurmatil habib, bi-hurmatil fatiha.
Sunday, June 26, 2005
The ways of the Lovers
The Lovers of Allah Walk in One of the Three Paths
by Sheik Taner Ansari (Qadiri Rifai Sufi Order)
Bismillah er Rahman er Rahim
Path of Ahyar (virtuous people):
The wayfarers of this path want to reach Allah by praying a lot, making tasbih, fasting, and going to Hajj. For these people it takes a long time to reach Allah.
Path of Abrar (righteous people):
The ones in this catagory fight against their nafs. They try to convert their bad manners into good manners by dieting. There are more people who reach Allah this way than by Ahyar. The people who follow the path of Abrar want to tame their nafs and rule their souls.
Path of Shattariya (distinct people):
The people in this path neither concentrate on dieting, nor converse much with the awam (general people). They have no business but joy, thankfulness, and zikr. There are more people who reach Allah this way than through Ahyar and Abrar. The wayfarers (salik) of this path are busy with burning their nafs, cleaning their hearts, and polishing their souls (ruh):
Tazkiyay-i-nafs (burning the nafs):
To save nafs from bad habits, e.g., lying, lust, gossip, greed, passion, abusive behavior, etc.
Tasviyay-i-qalb (heart being pure):
Cleaning the heart so that the light of the truth enters there. The person can then see Haqq's wisdom.
Tajliyay-i-ruh (shining of the soul):
Shining of the ruh with the divine light. The people who are on this path don't pay attention to karama (miracles). They have no direction other than "die before you die."
The Qadiri path is the Shattariya path.
It is divided into ten sections.
The Ten Sections of Shattariya
Tawba (repentance):
To leave desires, as in the state of death, because they look to other than Allah and create duality in the heart. The people who are closer to Haqq stay away from bad deeds. When a person wants to repent, he has to remove the intention of sinning from his nafs, and then he must wipe the sin off his heart. The repentance of the innocent is superior to others' repentance, because they don't sin, but at the same time they repent.
Zuhd (highest asceticism):
As it is visualized in the state of death, to distance yourself from the world, the love of the world, the material of the world, and lust.
Tawakkul (trust in Allah, giving oneself over to His care):
As in the state of death, to ignore seemingly worldly causes and reasons, and be with Allah. You mustn't say this was like this and that was like that, but know that all is from Haqq.
Kana'a (contentment):
As in the state of death, to distance yourself from the lust and pleasure of the world, and be happy with your situation, whether you have less or more. Our Prophet (saws) says, "Kana'a is a treasure that cannot be depleted."
Uzlat (devotional seclusion):
As in the state of death, to cut your relation with the created, and living in seclusion, to find wahdet (oneness) in the outpost of kasret (multiplicity). It is contemplating Haqq with your inner, and being with the created with your outer.
Tawajjuh (turning towards):
As in the state of death, to turn your face to Allah, leaving other than Allah behind you. It is to fall in love with Haqq and His messenger, and to be annihilated in Allah. Whoever turns to the Messenger (saws) will be happy in both worlds.
Sabur (patience):
To be patient against the desires and pleasures of nafs. To be as in the state of death. In the state of death, a lot of animals and bugs eat a person's corpse, but he doesn't get up and say, "What are you doing?" He can't even move, because his soul has cut its relation with his corpse. You have to be patient with all adversities and afflictions, as in the state of that corpse. The Prophet Job's (saws) patience is an example for this. Allah tests human beings in this world for patience and endurance. To them, and especially the ones whom He loves, He gives loss of property and children. He puts them into a variety of hardships to see if the servant of Allah will say, "Eyvallah, it's all right, these hardships come from Haqq." If a person is patient in the face of all such adversities, he will attain higher degrees.
Ridza (cheerful acceptance):
To leave your nafs, accept Allah's decrees, to surrender to things that have been decided from the beginning, and not to object to Allah's doings.
Zikr (remembrance of Allah):
To distance yourself from mentioning the maasiwah (other than Allah), and to say "Wana hayti qalbi an maasiwallah" ("O my Lord, take maasiwah out of my heart, may my tongue not make zikr of other than You"). Allah the Most High says, " I am closer to the person who makes zikr of Me much." Making zikr of Allah is like a blacksmith shaping iron with a hammer. The only thing is that you have to do it in the proper way.
Muraqaba (vigilant contemplation):
To leave your supposed power, strength, and what you know behind, to be in the presence of the divine, where there is no trace of you in you, and contemplate Haqq, as you are annihilated in It. The state between the archangelic world and the divine world is the state of Haqqiqa. Whoever reaches to that degree will attain the secret of the universe.
by Sheik Taner Ansari (Qadiri Rifai Sufi Order)
Bismillah er Rahman er Rahim
Path of Ahyar (virtuous people):
The wayfarers of this path want to reach Allah by praying a lot, making tasbih, fasting, and going to Hajj. For these people it takes a long time to reach Allah.
Path of Abrar (righteous people):
The ones in this catagory fight against their nafs. They try to convert their bad manners into good manners by dieting. There are more people who reach Allah this way than by Ahyar. The people who follow the path of Abrar want to tame their nafs and rule their souls.
Path of Shattariya (distinct people):
The people in this path neither concentrate on dieting, nor converse much with the awam (general people). They have no business but joy, thankfulness, and zikr. There are more people who reach Allah this way than through Ahyar and Abrar. The wayfarers (salik) of this path are busy with burning their nafs, cleaning their hearts, and polishing their souls (ruh):
Tazkiyay-i-nafs (burning the nafs):
To save nafs from bad habits, e.g., lying, lust, gossip, greed, passion, abusive behavior, etc.
Tasviyay-i-qalb (heart being pure):
Cleaning the heart so that the light of the truth enters there. The person can then see Haqq's wisdom.
Tajliyay-i-ruh (shining of the soul):
Shining of the ruh with the divine light. The people who are on this path don't pay attention to karama (miracles). They have no direction other than "die before you die."
The Qadiri path is the Shattariya path.
It is divided into ten sections.
The Ten Sections of Shattariya
Tawba (repentance):
To leave desires, as in the state of death, because they look to other than Allah and create duality in the heart. The people who are closer to Haqq stay away from bad deeds. When a person wants to repent, he has to remove the intention of sinning from his nafs, and then he must wipe the sin off his heart. The repentance of the innocent is superior to others' repentance, because they don't sin, but at the same time they repent.
Zuhd (highest asceticism):
As it is visualized in the state of death, to distance yourself from the world, the love of the world, the material of the world, and lust.
Tawakkul (trust in Allah, giving oneself over to His care):
As in the state of death, to ignore seemingly worldly causes and reasons, and be with Allah. You mustn't say this was like this and that was like that, but know that all is from Haqq.
Kana'a (contentment):
As in the state of death, to distance yourself from the lust and pleasure of the world, and be happy with your situation, whether you have less or more. Our Prophet (saws) says, "Kana'a is a treasure that cannot be depleted."
Uzlat (devotional seclusion):
As in the state of death, to cut your relation with the created, and living in seclusion, to find wahdet (oneness) in the outpost of kasret (multiplicity). It is contemplating Haqq with your inner, and being with the created with your outer.
Tawajjuh (turning towards):
As in the state of death, to turn your face to Allah, leaving other than Allah behind you. It is to fall in love with Haqq and His messenger, and to be annihilated in Allah. Whoever turns to the Messenger (saws) will be happy in both worlds.
Sabur (patience):
To be patient against the desires and pleasures of nafs. To be as in the state of death. In the state of death, a lot of animals and bugs eat a person's corpse, but he doesn't get up and say, "What are you doing?" He can't even move, because his soul has cut its relation with his corpse. You have to be patient with all adversities and afflictions, as in the state of that corpse. The Prophet Job's (saws) patience is an example for this. Allah tests human beings in this world for patience and endurance. To them, and especially the ones whom He loves, He gives loss of property and children. He puts them into a variety of hardships to see if the servant of Allah will say, "Eyvallah, it's all right, these hardships come from Haqq." If a person is patient in the face of all such adversities, he will attain higher degrees.
Ridza (cheerful acceptance):
To leave your nafs, accept Allah's decrees, to surrender to things that have been decided from the beginning, and not to object to Allah's doings.
Zikr (remembrance of Allah):
To distance yourself from mentioning the maasiwah (other than Allah), and to say "Wana hayti qalbi an maasiwallah" ("O my Lord, take maasiwah out of my heart, may my tongue not make zikr of other than You"). Allah the Most High says, " I am closer to the person who makes zikr of Me much." Making zikr of Allah is like a blacksmith shaping iron with a hammer. The only thing is that you have to do it in the proper way.
Muraqaba (vigilant contemplation):
To leave your supposed power, strength, and what you know behind, to be in the presence of the divine, where there is no trace of you in you, and contemplate Haqq, as you are annihilated in It. The state between the archangelic world and the divine world is the state of Haqqiqa. Whoever reaches to that degree will attain the secret of the universe.
Monday, June 20, 2005
Reaffirming Intention
Assalamualaikum wr. wb.
This blog serves as a reminder to myself as I tread the path of a seeker. This post serves as a re-affirmation of my intention. A mirror of my journey to discover the hidden treasure within. Many postings here are extracted from wise seekers and murshids to help me documented important lessons in life.
God has loaned us a limited number of breaths for us to choose how best to use it. It is said that the inhabitant of the hereafter regretted not of what they did but of lost opportunities.
God reminds us in the Quran : "I have created Jinns and Men so that they worship Me (alone) " (Sura 51:56)
Our time on Earth is limited by the number of breaths we are assigned to and for these, God reminds us again in Surah Asr :
By Al-'Asr (the time)
Verily! Man is in loss,
Except those who believe and do righteous good deeds,
and recommend one another to the truth, and recommend one another to patience.
Believe + Righteous good deeds + Truth + Patience.
This blog serves as a reminder to myself as I tread the path of a seeker. This post serves as a re-affirmation of my intention. A mirror of my journey to discover the hidden treasure within. Many postings here are extracted from wise seekers and murshids to help me documented important lessons in life.
God has loaned us a limited number of breaths for us to choose how best to use it. It is said that the inhabitant of the hereafter regretted not of what they did but of lost opportunities.
God reminds us in the Quran : "I have created Jinns and Men so that they worship Me (alone) " (Sura 51:56)
Our time on Earth is limited by the number of breaths we are assigned to and for these, God reminds us again in Surah Asr :
By Al-'Asr (the time)
Verily! Man is in loss,
Except those who believe and do righteous good deeds,
and recommend one another to the truth, and recommend one another to patience.
Believe + Righteous good deeds + Truth + Patience.
The Eight Benefits
The below article is taken from a book written by Imam Abu Hamid Al-Ghazali (may Allah have Mercy on his soul).
Here is a good story to meditate and reflect over.
Hatim Al-Asam was among the friends of Shaqiq Al-Balkhi. One day Shaqiq asked Hatim "You have kept my company for thirty years, what have you gained in the course of these years?"
Hatim replied: "I have gained eight benefits. I hope my salvation and safety are embodied in them. Shaqiq asked Hatim to mention them.Hatim Al-Asam said
The first benefit: I observed the creation and saw that everyone had loved one another and passionately desired whom he loved and longed for. Some of the beloved accompany the lover up to the brink of sickness and death and others to the gate of the graveyard. All of them return and leave them alone. No one goes into the coffin with them. I looked into the matter and said to myself: 'The best beloved is that which would enter the tomb with the lover to console him'. I found it to be nothing else then good works, so I took this as my beloved, to illuminate my grave for me and to comfort me in it and not leave me alone.
The second benefit: I saw people were following their lusts and hastening towards the desires of their souls; I meditated on the saying of Allah (God) "But as for whoever has feared the majesty of his Lord and has refrained his soul from lust, truly the Garden shall be his dwelling place". Convinced that the Quran was true and right, I began to deny my soul (its pleasures) and hurried to combat it and refuse it its passionate desires, until it enjoyed real satisfaction in obedience to Allah the Exhalted.
The third benefit: I saw that every human being is trying their best to accumulate as much as they can from this world and then holding onto it strongly. I meditated on the Quranic verse "What is with you must vanish; what is with Allah must endure". So I gave freely my worldly possessions for His sake by distributing them among the poor so that it would be my provision in the future with Him the Exalted.
The fourth benefit: Some people I observed think that their dignity and honour lie with their family and large clans. Others claimed honour and dignity in abundance of wealth and children and they are proud of it. Some believe in honour and power lies by appropriating the wealth of others, doing injustice to them and shedding their blood. Others consider dignity by spending wealth extravagently and in a foolish manner. I meditated on the saying of Allah: "The most honoured of you in the sight of Allah is he who is the most righteous of you". I chose righteousness for myself, convinced that the Quran is right and true and the claims and opinions of those people (at the time) are false and temporary.
The fifth benefit: I found people slandering each other and speaking ill of one another out of envy of fortune, power and knowledge. I meditated on the saying of Allah: "It is We Who divide their livelihood among them in the life of this world". I realised that the dividing of livelihood is entirely in the hands of Allah since the beginning of time. Therefore I never envied anyone and was satisfied with what Allah had given me.
The sixth benefit: I saw people becoming enemies of one another for different reasons. I meditated upon the saying of Allah: "Verily Satan is an enemy to you, so treat him as a enemy". I become aware that enmity with anyone but Satan was not permissible.
The seventh benefit: I saw everyone working hard exhausting themselves in obtaining food and sustenance, tempted by doubts and forbidden things. They degrade themselves in humiliation. I pondered over the saying of Allah: "There is no creature on earth but its sustenance is dependent on Allah". I knew that my livelihood is guaranteed by Allah.
The eigth benefit: I saw everyone relied on a created thing, some on currency, some on wealth and property, some on trade and craft and some on creatures like themselves. I meditated on the saying of Allah: "And whosoever places his reliance on Allah sufficient is Allah for him. Allah will surely accomplish His purpose. Verily for all things has Allah appointed a due proportion. I therefore placed full trust in Allah (We should all try to do the same). He is sufficient for me and He is the best Disposer of affairs.
At this point Shaqiq said: "May Allah bless you and grant you success. I looked into the Old and New Testament, the Zabur (Psalms of David) and the Quran and have found that the four books revolve around these eight benefits. Whoever works according to them is working according to these four books".
Here is a good story to meditate and reflect over.
Hatim Al-Asam was among the friends of Shaqiq Al-Balkhi. One day Shaqiq asked Hatim "You have kept my company for thirty years, what have you gained in the course of these years?"
Hatim replied: "I have gained eight benefits. I hope my salvation and safety are embodied in them. Shaqiq asked Hatim to mention them.Hatim Al-Asam said
The first benefit: I observed the creation and saw that everyone had loved one another and passionately desired whom he loved and longed for. Some of the beloved accompany the lover up to the brink of sickness and death and others to the gate of the graveyard. All of them return and leave them alone. No one goes into the coffin with them. I looked into the matter and said to myself: 'The best beloved is that which would enter the tomb with the lover to console him'. I found it to be nothing else then good works, so I took this as my beloved, to illuminate my grave for me and to comfort me in it and not leave me alone.
The second benefit: I saw people were following their lusts and hastening towards the desires of their souls; I meditated on the saying of Allah (God) "But as for whoever has feared the majesty of his Lord and has refrained his soul from lust, truly the Garden shall be his dwelling place". Convinced that the Quran was true and right, I began to deny my soul (its pleasures) and hurried to combat it and refuse it its passionate desires, until it enjoyed real satisfaction in obedience to Allah the Exhalted.
The third benefit: I saw that every human being is trying their best to accumulate as much as they can from this world and then holding onto it strongly. I meditated on the Quranic verse "What is with you must vanish; what is with Allah must endure". So I gave freely my worldly possessions for His sake by distributing them among the poor so that it would be my provision in the future with Him the Exalted.
The fourth benefit: Some people I observed think that their dignity and honour lie with their family and large clans. Others claimed honour and dignity in abundance of wealth and children and they are proud of it. Some believe in honour and power lies by appropriating the wealth of others, doing injustice to them and shedding their blood. Others consider dignity by spending wealth extravagently and in a foolish manner. I meditated on the saying of Allah: "The most honoured of you in the sight of Allah is he who is the most righteous of you". I chose righteousness for myself, convinced that the Quran is right and true and the claims and opinions of those people (at the time) are false and temporary.
The fifth benefit: I found people slandering each other and speaking ill of one another out of envy of fortune, power and knowledge. I meditated on the saying of Allah: "It is We Who divide their livelihood among them in the life of this world". I realised that the dividing of livelihood is entirely in the hands of Allah since the beginning of time. Therefore I never envied anyone and was satisfied with what Allah had given me.
The sixth benefit: I saw people becoming enemies of one another for different reasons. I meditated upon the saying of Allah: "Verily Satan is an enemy to you, so treat him as a enemy". I become aware that enmity with anyone but Satan was not permissible.
The seventh benefit: I saw everyone working hard exhausting themselves in obtaining food and sustenance, tempted by doubts and forbidden things. They degrade themselves in humiliation. I pondered over the saying of Allah: "There is no creature on earth but its sustenance is dependent on Allah". I knew that my livelihood is guaranteed by Allah.
The eigth benefit: I saw everyone relied on a created thing, some on currency, some on wealth and property, some on trade and craft and some on creatures like themselves. I meditated on the saying of Allah: "And whosoever places his reliance on Allah sufficient is Allah for him. Allah will surely accomplish His purpose. Verily for all things has Allah appointed a due proportion. I therefore placed full trust in Allah (We should all try to do the same). He is sufficient for me and He is the best Disposer of affairs.
At this point Shaqiq said: "May Allah bless you and grant you success. I looked into the Old and New Testament, the Zabur (Psalms of David) and the Quran and have found that the four books revolve around these eight benefits. Whoever works according to them is working according to these four books".
Tuesday, June 07, 2005
A wish is just a foolish illusion unless...
A wish is just a foolish illusion unless accompanied by intention and action
Love Prose
Oh my beloved, how often do I say
I love thee with all my heart
Yet with ease the words play on my lips
But in fact, the song in the heart
plays a different tune.
For alas, the love is but a shadow replaced.
I love thee with all my heart
Yet with ease the words play on my lips
But in fact, the song in the heart
plays a different tune.
For alas, the love is but a shadow replaced.
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