Craving For Status (2/5)

From the subtle afflictions caused by love of status is seeking after and aspiring positions of authority – this is something whose reality is hidden and obscure. It is not understood except by those who have knowledge of Allah, those who love Him and who are at enmity with those ignorant one’s from His creation who desire to compete with Him with regard to His Lordship and Divinity and right to worship, despite their despicability and the contemptible position they have before Allah and in the eyes of His chosen servants who have knowledge of Him.

It is just as al-Hasan (al-Basree), rahimahullaah, said about them,

“Even if the hooves of mules clatter for them and riding beasts strut for them, yet still the humiliation of sin rests upon their necks. Allah has refused except that He will humiliate those who are disobedient to Him.”

Know that love of status attained by having one’s orders and prohibitions obeyed and enacted, and by merely the attainment of a position above the people and to have importance over them, and that it be seen that the people are in need of him and seek their needs from him – then the soul of this person is seeking to compete with Allah in His Lordship and His Divinity and right to worship. Some such people may even seek to put the people into such a condition of need that they are compelled to request their needs from them, and to display their poverty before them and their need of them. Then he is inflated with pride and self-importance because of that, whereas this befits none except Allah alone. He, who has no partner. Allah, the Most High, Says,

“Verily, We sent (Messengers) to many nations before you (O Muhammad (sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam)). And We seized them with extreme poverty (or loss in wealth) and loss in health with calamities so that they might believe with humility.” [Surah Al-An`aam (6):42]

It also occurs in some narrations that Allah, the Most High, sends adversity upon His servant in order to hear him call upon him with full humility. There also occurs in the narrations that when the servant whom Allah loves supplicates to Allah, the Most High, then He, the Most High, says, “O Jibreel! Do not hasten to carry out his need, for I love that I should hear him calling with full humility.” [1]

So these matters are worse and more dangerous than mere injustice and are more sinister, and they are a part of shirk – and shirk is the greatest injustice and transgression with Allah. It is reported in the Saheeh from the Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) that he said, “Allah, the Most High, says, ‘Pride is my cloak and majesty is my lower-garment so whoever vies with Me regarding them I will punish him.’”[2]

It also happened that one of the people of the past was a judge and he saw in a dream that someone was saying to him, “You are a judge and Allah is a Judge.” So he awoke in a distressed state and removed himself from the position of a judge and abandoned it. Some of the pious judges used to prevent the people from calling them ‘Judge of judges’ (Qaadiyyul-Qudaat) since this name resembles the name ‘King of kings’ which the Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) censured that one should use as a title, and ‘Judge of judges’ is like that.

Also related to this is the one having status and authority loves that he is praised and commended for his actions and seeks that from the people. Those who do not comply with this suffer as a result. It may even be that his actions are actually more deserving of blame than of praise, or he manifests something that is apparently good – and loves to be praised for it, yet in reality he is intending something evil and is happy that he is able to deceive the people and fool them about it. This falls under the saying of Allah, the Most High:

“Think not that those who rejoice in what they have done (or brought about), and love to be praised for what they have not done, think not that they are rescued from the torment, and for them is a painful torment.” [Surah Aal-‘Imraan (3):188]

Since this Aayah was sent down regarding those who have these attributes, and this attribute (i.e. seeking praise from the creation and loving it and punishing those who do not give it) is not fitting except for Allah, alone, having no partner. This is why the rightly guided leaders used to forbid people to praise them for their actions and any good which if they did, and they would order that rather praise be given to Allah alone, having no partner – since all blessings are from Him.

`Umar ibn Abdul–`Azeez, rahimahullaah, was very particular about this and he once wrote a letter to be read out to the people performing Hajj. It contained an order that they should be treated well and that oppression of them should stop, and in it there occurred, “And do not praise anyone for this except Allah, since if He abandoned me to my own desires I would be just like the others.”

There is also a well-known narration about what occurred with him concerning the woman who requested from him that he should provide an allowance for her orphaned daughters. She had four daughters and he gave an allowance to two of them and she praised Allah. Then he gave an allowance to the third so she thanked him, so he said, “We were giving an allowance to them as long as you were giving praise to the One to whom it is due, but now order this third one to share her allowance with the fourth,” or as he said, radiyAllahu `anhu. He wanted to make it known that the position of leadership is only established so that Allah’s commands are carried out, and so that the servants can be commanded to obey Allah, the Most High, and forbidden from those things which Allah has prohibited, and so that the leader acts with sincerity towards Allah’s servants by calling them to Allah. His intention is that the Deen should in its entirety be for Allah, and that honour be for Allah. Along with this he is fearful that he is himself falling short with regard to the rights of Allah, the Most High. So as for those who love Allah, then the limit of their desire with regard to the creation is that they should also love Allah, obey Him and single Him out with all worship and recognise His Divinity alone. (Then how about one who seeks to vie with Him in this?!) Rather this type of person does not desire any reward or any thanks from the creation, but hopes for reward for his actions from Allah, the Most High:

 “It is not (possible) for any human being to whom Allah has given al-Hukma (knowledge and understanding of the laws of Religion etc.) and Prophethood to say to the people: “Be my worshippers rather than Allah’s.’ On the contrary (he would say): ‘Be you rabbaaniyyoon (learned men of Religion, who practice what they know and also preach to others) because you teach the Book, and you study it.’ Nor would he order you to take angels and Prophets for lords (gods). Would he order you to disbelieve after you have submitted to Allah’s Will?” [Surah Aal-`Imraan (3):79-80]

He (sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “Do not exaggerate in praising me as the Christians praised the Messiah, the son of Maryam. Indeed I am only a slave. So say the slave of Allah and His Messenger.”[3]

Allah’s Messenger (sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) also used to criticise anyone who did not keep to this manner of address with regard to him, just as he (sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “Do not say, ‘Whatever Allah has willed and Muhammad has willed,’ but rather say, ‘Whatever Allah has willed, then what Muhammad has willed.’” [4]

He also replied to a person who said, “Whatever Allah and yourself have willed,” by saying, “Have you made me a rival for Allah! Rather say, ‘Whatever Allah alone has willed.’”[5]

Due to this khulafaa who have succeeded the Prophets, and their followers – the just rulers and their successors, and their judges, never used to call to glorification of themselves but rather to the glorification of Allah alone and that He is to be singled out with worship and divinity. From them were those who did not wish for leadership at all except as an aid to calling to Allah alone. Some of the righteous people who accepted the position of judge said, “Indeed I accepted this in order to use it to help me in ordering the good and forbidding the evil.”

Indeed the Messengers and their followers would persevere in the face of injury and harm which they suffered whilst calling to Allah, and in carrying out Allah’s commands they were put into the severest hardship by the people and yet they bore it with patience. Indeed being pleased with that, since one who has love may find pleasure in any harm he meets whilst seeking to please the one whom he loves. Just as `Abdul-Maalik ibn `Umar ibn `Abdul-Azeez used to say to his father when he was the khaleefah and he had keen desire that the truth and justice be established, “O father I would have loved that we had been forced into boiling cooking pots for the sake of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic.”

Another righteous person said, “I would have loved that my flesh were cut away with scissors if it meant that all the creation would obey Allah, the Mighty and Majestic.” This saying of his was related to a certain wise person, so he said, “If what he was speaking of was sincere concern for the creation, otherwise I do not know.” Then he fainted. The meaning of this is that the one who said this had true and sincere concern for the creation and pity for them, fearing Allah’s punishment for them, so he would have loved that they could have been saved from Allah’s punishment at the expense of his own self. It could also be that he was considering the Majesty and Greatness of Allah and the glorification, honour, obedience and love due to Him, so he wished that the creation would fulfil that even if it meant the most severe harm to himself. This is the state of mind of the distinguished ones who love Allah and have knowledge of Him and keep Him in mind. This is what caused the man to faint.

Allah, the Most High, also described in His Book those who love Him as being those who fight Jihaad in His cause and do not fear the blame of those who seek to blame.[6]

Concerning this someone said:

 “I find that being blamed whilst pursuing what you desire is delightful, For having love for your remembrance let those who wish  to blame me do so.”

 (Continued)