'The Barriers from Al-Mohaimen are four' (qasida 5:16)

This is the motto of this section, which is for talking about the barriers that cuts off the Moslems' relations with Allah [Al-Mohaimen which is a name of Allah that means the Dominant who controls everything]. We need to know these barriers in order for us to be able to avoid or rectify them in our path to Allah.

This section started with a question from one of our viewers, which he sent to the Discussion page. We then found out that it is a big issue that needs more extensive discussion. We found a book made out of a research conducted by a group of brothers which took them 2 years to complete. This book discusses this subject extensively from the point of view of sayyidi Fakhraddin because it was made with the help of some of his older companions. The book's title is "al-Morshid al-Wagis" which means [the summarized guide].

You can find all special expressions in the Glossary. We need your comments to develop this site for you.

Love of superiority over fellows

Abo-Hafs al-Niasabory [AAH] said: "Sufism is all about politeness. Each time has politeness. Each state has politeness. Each position has politeness. So whoever gets stuck to politeness, reaches the ranks of men. And whoever is deprived of politeness, is far from where he thinks he is close, and rejected where he thinks accepted". Ranks of Sufism by al-Salamy.

Of the politeness of the seeker with his fellows is: to save their respect if they are present or absent. He should never backbit any of them, nor undermine him. As their meat is poisoned like that of the scholars and the righteous people. He have to accept their excuse if they offer it. He should reconcile them if they have disagreement or dispute. He should defend them if they are hurt or attacked. He should never ask to be superior or advanced over them.

A seeker will also never love to be superior to any of his fellows in the matters of this worldly life. All sheikhs consented that loving of being superior over people is one of the main reason of falling back after being advanced. This is because if we assume that whoever is a sinner of them, is in fact short in rank, then you would be shorter because you are seeing yourself over him, especially if your seeing him short made you proud over him. As if considered yourself in this pride to be superior to him, then you should blame yourself first before any other one.

Sheikh Abo-Madyan [AAH] used to say "the humbleness of the sinner is better than the pride of the obedient". He also used to say "whoever loves to be superior to his fellows, had opened the door to injustice from the rulers of his time, And whoever sees himself over over to the sheikhs of his time, had indeed opened the door to the quacks and wedge drivers in the religion, as quacking is giving the false in a form of true. Just like the big quack would that he give life and death, and do thing that are only done by Allah. He does that out of coning and tricking himself, while Allah is the Knower and the Doer in all that".

Of the politeness of the seeker with his brothers, is advising and teaching whoever is ignorant, guiding whoever is astray, enforcing whoever is weak. But advice has conditions that need to be taken, the least of it for the advisor is that:

You have to make the advice secretly because advising publicly is exposing. You have to make it nicely in order not to repel him. You have to do it without pride because you are not better than him.

As for the advised:

He has to accept the advice even if he knew it out of gratify to his advisor. He has to thank his advisor because its part of thanking Allah and spreads love and cordiality. He also has to follow the advise according to the know prayer "May Allah makes us among those who listen to the saying and follow the best of it".

But you have to know that whoever advises his brothers, is never free of sin unless he sees himself less than the advised. He must advises his brother while believing that his brother is in a better condition than himself, and thinking good about him in spite of giving him advice. He also should not be busy with his brother's faults. If he sees something that he can not advise him about, he should leave it to Allah Almighty. As one must not see defects except in himself, believing in that the defect is obvious but concealed.

So be ware brother of the fake allegations.

Written by Nadia

Translated by Ahmed