'Let it be known that Allah's people always do good deeds' (qasida 62:11)

This is the motto of this section, which is for talking about the the people of Allah who are the people who are constantly preoccupied with Allah

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For an honest Seeker

Some scholars claim that men are veiled by three things: love for money, love for leadership and submission to women. Some holy persons believe that a worshiper is detached from Allah by three other things: lack of honesty in the will, ignorance of the path, and bad scholars speaking subjectively. Some Sufi scholars say:

"If what we want is concealed, the guide is lost, and the differences exist, then, the truth will not be revealed. If the Truth is not revealed, the seeker will be puzzled".

One has to know that a seeker should have seven qualities:

- The first quality is "honesty in the will", which is proved by being prepared.

- The second is "obedience", which is indicated by abandoning bad company.

- The third is "knowledge of oneself (Nafs)" which is revealed by being aware of self defects.

- The fourth is "accompanying a scholar of Allah" which is shown by preferring him to anything else.

- The fifth is "sincere repentance" which enables one to taste the sweetness of obedience as well as staying persistent. Such sincere repentance is enhanced by eliminating the reasons of subjectivity and getting rid of the personal desires.

- The sixth is "eating Halal" that is not resented by Sharia. This should be sought by Halal means and known to be Halal in accordance with Sharia.

- Finally, he should "have a good company" that helps him in all of that. This company should help him in righteousness and piety, but prevent him from sin and transgression. These seven qualities are the fuel essential for the will, without which it can only be weak.

These seven qualities are built upon four fundamental pillars: hunger, staying up late (for worship), silence, and solitude (meditation). These four are the prison and chains of oneself (Nafs). They weaken its bad attributes and enhance its good qualities. Everyone of these pillars has its good effect on the heart:

Hunger, for instance, decreases the heart's blood, so it whitens and lights up. It, moreover, melts the heart's fat giving it tenderness. Tenderness is the key to all goodness because harshness is key to all evil. If the heart's blood decreases, the path of its enemy (Satan) becomes narrow, because he inhabits the heart's blood. When the heart becomes tender, the enemy's control over it decreases, because harshness and cruelty is his utmost power. Philosophers believe that oneself is associated with blood. This belief  is justified by the fact that when one dies, his body loses only his blood and soul. Scholars say that oneself is where the blood is. This agrees with what is mentioned in Torah (Old Testament) where it is written "Moses, don't eat the veins, because they are the home of every self". This also agrees with the Hadith that: (Satan is in man's blood vessels. Therefore, tighten his path with hunger and thirst). Al-Kufa scholars used the 'self' as an expression for 'blood'. They said: "if an insect, which has no liquid self, died in the water, it does not cause impurity (Nagasah)". They meant here beetles, roaches and spiders. Jesus [PBUH] said to his disciples: "You disciples, starve your stomachs, thirst your Livers, and expose your bodies so that your hearts may see Allah". He meant true asceticism and purity of the heart. Hunger is the key of renunciation and the door to the hereafter life. It is, moreover, the humbleness and the weakness of oneself. Such weakness of oneself means the life of the heart and its goodness. The least beefit of hunger is the preference of silence. Silence is safety, and it is the goal of the wise.

Sahl [AAH] said "all goodness is collected in four attributes: starving the stomachs, silence, staying up late (for worship) and solitude (meditation). They are what made al-Abdal (the kind of saints who hold the earth). If one can not stand hunger and harm, Haqiqa (truth) is never attained". Abdel-Wahed ibn Zaid swore that the Truthful saints could not be truthful if it was not for hunger and staying up late which lighten and clean the heart. When the heart lightens, it sees the unseen. When it is clean, it receives the clarity of the truth. Light, cleanness along with purity and tenderness turn the heart into a glittering star in a shining mirror. Seeing the unseen, one renounces the mortal and looks for the immortal. He loses interest in the quick fulfillment of his desires, because he sees the punishment in the hereafter life. He likes supererogatory performance, because he sees the elite ranks in the hereafter.

So, the later becomes sooner, the sooner becomes absent, the absent becomes present, and the present becomes fading. So, if he seeks the present he would not like the fading, but he would want the later and seek it. The deficiency of this life and the hidden secrets will be revealed to him. His latent self-conceit will vanish. At this time, one becomes a real believer and a real slave to Allah. 

In this regard, Haritha al-Ansary said: "Myself renounced the world as if I was watching the throne of Allah appearing, the people of paradise visiting one another, and the people of the hell fighting".

Prophet Mohammad [PPBUH] said (There are four types of hearts: a pure clear heart which has a bright light, that is the heart of the believer…).  Heart becomes purely clear, when one renounces the world and abandons self desires. The bright light is that of the true belief which makes him see the unseen.

Written by A Murid seeking sincerity

Translated by Nahed.

Whoever wants to get more about this, can browse the pages of Sufism in the official site of tariqa Burhaniya.

The Editors Team