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The Aspiration (3/5)

Sheikh Abd Al-Rahman Al-Sa’di

Source: The Exquisite Pearl

Published On: 3/9/2015 A.D. - 19/11/1436 H. Visited: 7058 times

Seeking Nearness To Allah

6 - Seeking nearness to the Sovereign-Master;

By obeying Him and by forsaking disobedience.

Performing these acts of obedience - especially the obligatory ones and leaving the sinful ones - draws one closer to Allah and leads to Him. In a sacred tradition (hadith qudsi) it states: "My servant does not draw closer to Me with anything more beloved to Me, than the obligatory duties that I have enjoined upon him. My servant continues to draw closer to Me by performing optional deeds, until I love him.”[1]

Due to this I said:

Self-Inspection

7 - Doing what is obligatory and optional is their way;

Inspecting their own faults and their deficiencies.

Fulfilling the obligatory duties and increasing in performing optional deeds, along with seeing oneself as being deficient or excessive, is from perfection. So striving to do [good] actions eliminate indolence and laziness from oneself, whereas inspecting one's deficiencies dispels the ego's self-conceit ('ujb) - which corrupts actions and renders them futile.[2]

The Station of Patience

8 - Their souls patiently enduring all that is disdainful;

Desirous of what it entails of divine benevolence.

Patient perseverance (sabr) is restraining the soul from what it finds disdainful, when doing so entails the pleasure of the Most Merciful.[3]

Patient perseverance is of three types: patiently persevering in the obedience of Allah, so that it may be fulfilled; patiently persevering against disobedience, so that it may be abandoned; and patiently persevering with regards to the hardships that Allah decrees, not showing any impertinence towards it. When the soul feels lazy about obeying Allah, one exhorts and enjoins it to do so, as well as encouraging it by reminders of the rewards [entailed]. When the soul is strong in inviting towards disobedience to Allah, one restrains and warns it from doing so, and reminds it about the punishment for disobedience. Patient per severance is needed in all these affairs.[4]

The Station of Contentment

9 - They arrive at the Station of Contentment;

Ultimately reaching the Garden and safety.

The station of contentment (rida) is loftier than that of patience (sabr). For patience is restraining the soul against what it finds disdainful, although an opposing desire still remains within it. Contentment on the' other hand, melts away this opposing desire, causes satisfaction with Allah and brings about tranquility and expanse of the breast. It may even cause delight to be experienced in times of hardships, just as others experience delight in times of ease. When the worshippers reaches this station, his life is remedied and his eye experiences coolness. This is why contentment is called: 'a paradise of this world and a repose for the worshippers: [5]

Whoever is content with Allah, Allah is content with him. Whoever is content with simple provisions from Allah, Allah is content with simple actions from him. The reality behind contentment is: to receive Allah's religious ordinances and His All-Embracing Decree with an open heart and a cheerful soul, without resentment or indignation.[6]

(Continued)

[1] Reported by al-Bukhari (no.6502).

[2] Ibn al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy upon him, said (11395): "I heard Shaykh'lIslam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah sanctify his soul, saying: 'The gnostic sees him self as having no right over anyone, nor deems himself as being more virtuous than anyone. This is why he does not reproach, demand or harm.’"

[3] Ibn al-Qayyim said (21120): "Al-Junayd said: 'The journey from this world to the Hereafter is smooth and easy for the believer, but leaving ordinary life for the sake of Allah is difficult. The journey from the ego (nafs) to Allah is extremely difficult, and patience (sabr) in Allah is even more difficult: He was asked about patience, so he replied: 'It is to swallow bitterness without frowning: Dhu'l-Nun al-Misrl said: 'Patience is to distance yourself from opposing [the truth], to remain calm when engulfed with calamities, and to display sufficiency when poverty occupies your daily life: It has been said: 'Patience is to face affliction with the best conduct: It has been said: 'It is to absorb affliction without displaying complaint.' It is said: 'It is accustoming the soul to the onslaught of adversities.' It is said: 'It is to settle down with adversities in good companionship, in the same manner as one settles down with well-being: And 'Amr ibn 'Uthman said:

'It is standing firm with Allah and meeting tribulations with magnanimity and welcome.'"

[4] As for complaining in times of adversity, Imam Ibn al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy upon him, said in al-Fawa'id (pp.130-131):

"The ignorant one complains about Allah to the people! This is the height of ignorance in complaining and in whom the complaint is about. For if a person was to truly know his Lord, he would never complain of Him? If he truly knew people, he would never complain to them? ... The gnostic complains only to Allah, and the most knowledgeable of the gnostics are those who complain to Allah about them selves, not about others ... So there are three levels: The most contemptible of them is to complain to people about Allah; the loftiest of them is to complain to Allah about oneself; the middle level is to complain to Allah about others:'

[5] Ibn al-Qayyim said (2/132): "This is why contentment is one of the greatest gate-ways to Allah, It is the paradise of the world, a repose for the gnostics, a life for the lovers, a delight for the worshippers and a coolness of the eye to the yearners"

[6] Ibn al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy upon him, said (2/134-135): "Pudayl ibn 'Iyad said to Bishr al-Haft: 'Contentment (rida) is better than worldly renunciation (zuhd), because the one content does not wish for what is above his station: Abu 'Uthman was asked about the Prophet sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam's saying: "I ask You for content after Your Decree:' He said: 'This is because being content before the Decree occurs is [actually] the resolve to be content, whereas contentment after it takes place is [true] contentment.' It has been said: 'It is the disappearance of anxiety, whatever the judgement may be: It is said: 'It is the suspension of preference: It is said: 'It is to face the judgement with joy: It has been said:

'It is the heart's tranquillity in the midst of tribulations: It is said: 'It is the heart looking at Allah's pre-ordained choice for His servant. It is abandoning resentment.' 'Umar wrote to Abu Musa: 'To proceed: Indeed goodness, in its entirety, is encapsulated in contentment; if you are able to be content [then do so], otherwise it is upon you to be patient.' Abu 'All al-Daqqaq said: 'The human being is earthenware, Earthenware does not have enough value that it should oppose the judgement of the Truth, Exalted is He: ... Contentment is of three types: Contentment of the common folk with what Allah has apportioned and granted; contentment of the elite with what He pre-destined and decreed; contentment of the elite of the elite with Him, to the exclusion of all else besides Him:'

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