'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].

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

What would you do, if you were in my shoes? 2

It was not long before I went to my office again, to try to find a way out of my confusion that I had after I read about the first lesion of the tongue, and how to treat it with silence. I did not learn my lesson from what happened before, and I forgot the words of the people of experience "One Hand can not clap". I rode up my head without and experience or license for of driving this kind of tough rides. I was banging with my head from a wall to another, until Allah guided me to another book, where I found the goal of my persistent search.

A subject with 16 lines with a title "Silence and its Secrets". I flew up with joy, and said to my self "That is the real stuff, what is short and direct. I will read it and understand it. Rather, I will memorize it by heart, in order to get ride of that damn lesion". I quickly, got hold of myself, as I remembered what happened before. I decided to read the subject carefully and quietly more than one time, to understand what silence is and how to do it. As soon as I started reading, and from the first line, I became silent. Do you know why? Read with me:

"Know, may Allah give you the right guidance, that silence is one of the four pillars that make a man from the Abdal"… Abdal… What is the meaning of Abdal? That was the question that revolved in that vessel above my body which is called head. That was after I read the first line.

I tried all ways to understand. I shock my head right and left, I stood up, and I walked back and forth trying to find something to help my empty head understand. I will not talk to you long about the subject of the Abdal. It is enough for us the Hadith of the Chosen One [PPBUH], which is narrated in the Musnad of Imam Ahmed ibn Hanbal; that sayydi Ali ibn Abi-Talib [AAH] said that he heard the Messenger of Allah [PPBUH] saying (The Abdal are in ash-Sham [Syria]. They are forty men, whenever one of them dies, Allah will replace him with another one. They are the reason for the rain and the victory over the enemies. And torture is turned away from the people of ash-Sham by them). And because you know… of course, and not everything you know you can say. I want to drive your attention to the fact that I will only write some of what was said about the silence. I will not explain a lot, because it is obvious…

"Silence has a state and a rank. The rank of the silence is that no one is to be seen talking except the One who created the talking in His servants, who is the Creator of everything. As a servant is silent in himself and talking contingently. So this rank is bound with an exalted quality, as it is a negative description. And its judgment is in the exterior of the human. But the interior of the human cannot be silent, as it is articulating with Allah's exaltation. So interior silence is impossible".

These obvious words reminded me of a puzzle that my father used to tell us. "A sticker and a stuck which is stuck on everything". An obvious one, isn't it? …

Anyway I said to myself "read all", after I became in that state, "you may understand".

The subject continued:

"The state of the silence is to see that Allah has created the talk in him. As the servant is the talker with the creation of the talk in him, as he is the mover with the creation of the movement in him. And it is not right for him to be silent at all, as he is commanded to recite the Dhikr of Allah, Almighty".

I stopped reading. I felt my head to se if it is still in place. As how can we say that a servant is silent, then we say that it is not right for him, at all, to be silent? I held the book in my hand and I went out to my friend who advised me to go to the scholars of the Truth, saying to myself "Let us see what he would say about these words".

When he met me he was cheerful and laughing, in spite of my nervousness. He pointed at the book, I was carrying and said: What is that? I did not waste time, and I pointed to the written words. He read it and said: What is required from me? I said: understanding… I need to understand. He said:

"First there is confusion between the meaning of "silent" and "shutting up". These are different meanings. Shutting up is about refraining from speech, or stopping the movement or anger. But silence is more general and shutting up is only part of silence.

As sayyduna the Messenger of Allah [PPBUH] said (Whoever becomes silent, will survive). He did not say "shut up"… as if we understand the silence here as shutting up, then the mute will be the best survivor. As for the talk about the rank of silence and that Allah is the only Talker and there is no talker but Him, that is a rank that is only for the Ihsan [goodness] people".

I interrupted him: After hard trying, you explained "water" as "water". He said:

"What are the levels of the religion?" I said: "Islam, Iman [Belief], and Ihsan". And, of course, that is a consensus thing for the people of Shari'a and the people of Truth. As the Hadith about it is very clear, when sayydi Gabriel [PBUH] came and asked the Messenger of Allah [PPBUH] about the Islam, Iman, and Ihsan, and the Beloved Prophet [PPBUH] explained them to us. And the Sahih Hadith in al-Bukhary, Muslim, and others are filled with the narrations of that Hadith. Whoever wants more about that, he should refer to these books. Now back to my friend, when I answered him about the levels of the religion. He said:

"Those who reached the level of Ihsan are the people of Ihsan. This rank is very special. The question is: what did they do to reach that rank? Allah said in the divine Hadith narrated by the Prophet [PPBUH] when he said (Allah said: Whoever became hostile to my saints, then I warn him with my war. And there is nothing more likeable to Me, to get closer to Me than what I made as duty for My servant. And My servant would keep trying to get closer to Me by doing the supererogatory worship, until I love him. And when I love him, I will be his hearing that he hears with, his sight that he sees with, his hands that he hits with, and his legs that he walks with. And if he asks Me something, I would give it to him. And if asks Me protection, I would protect him. And I was not more hesitating about anything as I am about taking the soul of the believer, He hates death, and I hate to hurt him).

Someone with these qualities; hears with hearing of Allah and seeing with the sight of Allah, what do you expect his words to be? Would it not be the words of Allah. This means that the real talker in this servant is Allah. So now do you see how he is silent? And if you want to know about yourself or test it to see if you are a silent one or not, then try to see if you have an action without words, with only your will.

As an example: When you are thirsty and hungry, can you ask for that without speaking or signaling to anyone who serves you at home? If you get what you want, then you are of the silent ones. Because they would find what you asked in their hearing without you saying it. They would think that they heard you telling them what you wanted. They would hurry and do what they heard. And if you do not have this state so do not pretend that you are silent. And the one who shuts up and speaks with signals, he is only troubling himself and the ones with him. He is like the mute who talks with signals.

However, the state of silence, is what you see in the rest of people. They see themselves as the talkers and that the talking is created in them to say what they wanted, true or false. And they have the right to stop talking. However, if they stopped talking they would not stop their body atoms from reciting the exaltation of Allah. So their appearance is different from their interior. As the interior is not right to be silent".

I said to him "This is a good speech and nothing wrong about it. But I still have one question that I can not find an answer for it:

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

Written by Ahmed Abbas

Translated by Sayed