'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 Fakhreddin 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].

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What would you do, if you were in my shoes? 3

I left my friend’s house without hearing a satisfying answer for my question. Actually I did not wait to hear an answer, and I asked myself, why? And I was thinking with myself that he, whose education level was only average, came to this conception. Please note the word conception, as his speech was arranged and you do not ask him any question unless he gives you a very satisfying answer, which indicates focusing and comprehension. That means that I will come up with a better conception, since my education level is higher. All I have to do is to focus in my reading. I kept talking to myself; praising my smartness and intelligence in solving the problems that I had to face in the past. I said to myself: if I could solve all the problems that I faced in the past, then I should be able to solve this problem, especially when I have a place in the community and high ranking job. I may only need to search for someone with the same education level to help me find answers.

At that moment I shook myself like a big balloon, as if I found the right answer. I shook myself so hard that I forgot that I already tried to get the help of these very same people, and they did not give me any useful or understandable answer.

Anyways, I came home and entered my office room to bring all the books that talked about the lesions of the tongue. I started reading about the second lesion which was ‘excess-talking’. I laid my head back thinking and repeating the word in my head, and then I explained it to myself “excess-talking only means to talk more than you need. So it is not hard for me to understand and no need to have explanation. I liked what I said and how I could find the right meaning. I fixed my sitting with pride in my mind and amaze of myself. But, myself admiration did not last for long, since I came across one Hadith in one of the pages about the Prophet [PPBUH]; when a man talked too much while sitting with the Prophet [PPBUH] then the Prophet [PPBUH] asked him (how many barriers to your tongue?) the man said “there are my lips and teeth”. The Prophet [PPBUH] said to him (did not you find in any of that what stops your talk).

I immediately felt that I was the least in the room in size and value. However Satin did not leave me to enjoy a moment of truth with myself to blame it. Rather he inserted his gill inside me saying “Do not ever feel guilty for admiring yourself. You are actually intelligent, and your feeling of inferiority is the greatest sign of the clarity and wisdom of your mind. It is the best proof that you understood more than your friend. Yes…believe me! Look how you understood from the first time, when you read with concentration. Can you imagine how many times your friend had to read it to understand? Many times of course. Don’t be afraid! Continue! You are walking down the right path. It is not a mistake to admire yourself and that was only a small misunderstanding, all humans make mistakes. The Lord created minds for us to understand with it. Your mind is great and your understanding is correct”. It seems like I was convinced with those thoughts and it satisfied my ego.

I turned back to finished what I started. Then I sighted a story of prophet Soliman and one of the jinn. I said to myself: this is an anecdote. It starts as:

The prophet sent a jinni on a mission and he sent others to follow him to see what he does. When they returned back to prophet Soliman they told him that while the jinni was passing in the market, he raised his head to the sky, then looked to the people, and shook his head. Prophet Soliman asked him about that. He said “I wondered of how fast the angels on top of people’s heads are writing down everything, and how fast are those beneath them telling them what to write”.

I did not really care about the meaning of this story. I said to myself with shallowness: "So what? This happens every day to everyone". I just kept reading through pages while counting lesion after lesion. At the end of the topic, there was a comment from the writer that says “all of those lesions are destructive and lead to a bad end, and it is in the way of the talker, if he is to stop talking, he will save himself, and if he talks, he will risk it, unless he had a great knowledge, an eloquent tongue, a protective piety, a continuous watching for his Lord, and talks very little, then he would hope to be saved. Talking, in all cases, is a threat. So, if you are not capable of being one of those who talk and win, then be one of those who remain silent to be saved, as safety is one of the two winnings. Then you will know the secret of the Prophet's [PPBUH] saying (Who keeps silence, will be saved)”

After I read his comment, I was very shocked, and those words have brought me back into consciousness and felt that I was so small. After reading nineteen lesions of the tongue, I could not conclude that silence was the only solution. So I have to admit that the few words of my friend were the solution and the key to other solutions.

I said to myself I will go to my friend to confess that I lacked the knowledge and the wisdom of mind. But, I hesitated for a bit, oh, it’s the sound of the damned Satan again in my head saying “where are you going? You are used to carefully consider every step you take. What if he took advantage of this situation? And he knows that you have a higher education and a better job than him. What if he did not accept your confession and apology, you will then look bad in front of everyone”. I froze in my place and could do nothing but to continue thinking about what should I do, and I felt that there were two groups of people in my head and each group is trying to pull me to their side, one is supporting and the other is opposing, and each one has its reasons and proofs…

So what would you do if you were in my shoes?

Written by Ahmed Abbas

Translated by Shayma Bassyouni