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TEN CHARACTERISTICS FOR
SPIRITUAL ADVANCEMENT,
Those engaged in spiritual struggle and introspection and are
determined to attain the spiritual goal must acquire ten traits in
their character, and when by the permission of Allah they have
established themselves in these and have made themselves firm, they
have attained too high position,
THE FIRST CHARACTERISTIC: is
that the servant should not swear by Him, truthfully or falsely
intentionally or accidentally, because when he custivates this
practice and restricts the tongue to refrain from it will enable him
to give up swearing altogether. When he rids himself of swearing,
Allah will open for him a door of His light. He will recognise the
benefit of this in his heart and will find himself enacted in his
rank and strength and receive praise from his brotheren and honour
his neighbors. Ali will pay him respect and fear him.
THE SECOND CHARACTERISTIC; is
that one should avoid speaking untruth seriously or jocularly
because if he practices to avoid this evil and makes his tongue
accustomed to utter no falsehood, Allah will open his heart and will
clarify him with knowledge in a manner that it will appeal to him as
if he never know falsehood. When he hears falsehood from others, he
will regard it as a great blemish and feel ashamed of it in his
ownself.
THE THIRD CHARCTERISTIC: is that
one should be aware that when he promises anything to anyone he
should not break his promise. Lest he should break it, he should not
make any promise at all. For surely, this is a safer course in the
conduct of his affairs and breach of promise belongs to the category
of falsehood. So if one keeps his word or refrains from promising
what he cannot keep the door of modesty will be allotted to him and
love for him will be created in the minds of men of truth and he
will be raised in status in the sight of Allah.
THE FOURTH IS THAT ONE SHOULD
refrain from cursing any thing among creation. He should cause no
harm to any thing, not even to an atom or anything lesser that even
atom, because this quality is among the virtues of the good and the
truthful, on the principle than one gets a good end of life under
the protection of Allah and enjoys elevation to spiritual ranks, by
the blessing of Allah. He is saved from degradation and protected
from harm and is bestowed Allah's mercy.
THE FIFTH IS THAT ONE SHOULD
refrain from praying for any harm to be caused to any person, even
if the latter deserves it. You should not retaliate either by tongue
or by action but bear it patiently for the sake of Allah and seek no
revenge either by word or by action. Surely this trait raises it
possessor to high ranks. When one practices this quality, he attains
a noble position in this world and in the hereafter, and receives
love and affection. His prayers will be accepted and he will derive
exhaltation.
THE SIXTH IS THAT ONE SHOULD not
have any belief whatsoever on polytheism and in the hypocrisy of
those who follow this wrong path. This trait constitutes perfection
in following "Sunna'' (practice of the Prophet) to lead him and
also close to His pleasure and mercy. This it is an honourable and
glorious ingress to Allah the exalted.
THE SEVENTH CHARACTERISTIC IS,
that one should refrain from looking at anything of a sinful nature
both outwordly and inwardly and restrain the organ of the body from
it, because this is an action that accelerates reward to the heart
and the organs, in the immediate worldly life, together with what
Allah has kept in store in the hereafter. We pray to Allah that He
may do all of us the favour of granting the power to act on these
lines and thereby take away worldly desires from our hearts.
THE EIGHT CHARACTERISTIC is,
that one should avoid putting any burden on any one else whether
small or big. On the contrary he should try to lift the burden frem
people whether on request or even asked. Surely this effort
constitutes the highest of honour among the servants of Allah and
emanates from nobility of the men of piety. This also provides
strength to a man to adminish people to do good and shun evil.
Such acts reflect the honour and dignity of Allah's servants and of
pious men enabling them to enjoy good and shun evil. At this stage,
the whole creation would appear to them as in an uniform position.
When man so acts in this stage, Allah transforms his heart into a
state of needlessness and ensures certainty of and reliance on
Allah. Allah does not elevate any one while he is tied up with his
worldly desires.
THE NINTH CHARACTERISTIC is that
one should be free from want or expectations from men and feel not
tempted in his heart to yearn for what is with them. Surely this
state connotes needlessness from others besides Allah and deserves
glorious pride and also indicates and clear reliance on Allah. It
enables one to attain fear of Allah and to rigidly observe his
religious practices. It is a sign of complete and exclusive
attachment to Allah.
THE TENTH CHARACTERISTIC is
humility. This trait elevates the station of the-servant high into
eminance in the sight of Allah (glory be to Him) itiad also of the
people. He derives powers over what he desires from among the
affairs of the world and of the hereafter. This trait is the
starting point to perfection of obedience to Allah. It leads one to
attain the position of righteous people who are pleased with Allah
either if in comfort or even when in difficulties. It is perfection
of piety. Humility among the servants of Allah ceases to see any one
from among the people; but perceives his own superiority over
himself and may be inclined to say "Perhaps this person is
better than myself in the sight of Allah and is higher in
position." The quality of humility acquired will tend the
possessor to refer to the righteous and the learned among men, as
those who have obtained what I have not, and they know what I am
ignorant of, and they act with knowledge.
When referring to an ignorant man he will say 'oThis man offended
Allah in his ignorance whereas I have offended Him in spite of my
knowledge and I do not know what sort of end I shall meet and what
kind of end he would meet." Referring to such a person who may
be an unbeliever, he may say "I do not know whether he will
become a Muslim and achieve a good end. Possibly, I will act as an
unbeliever and end my life with evil deeds. Humility is the door of
affection and Fear and is a trait to be acquired for one to abide
with the true servants of Allah. Thus, when the servant of Allah
acquires perfection in humility Allah will keep him safe from all
calamities and he will attain the position of companionship of
Allah, The Mighty, the Glorious,
Moreouer this state of humility constitutes the-gate of mercy with
the attainment of which, the, door of pride closes, and the rope of
selfconciet is cut asunder. The sense of superiority in his ownself
in all matters, religious or mundane gets discarded, This is the
very essence of servitude and is a sign-of devotion to Allah.
With the attainment of this stage his tongue should restrict
reference to the people of the world and its vanity. He will not
otherwise attain perfection Malice, and conciet, and transgression
will then vanish from his heart at all times. He will be one and the
same person either in secret or in the open,. both in the pursuit of
his purposes in all his expressions.
Such a person will not admonish people making evil reference or by
focussing an illustration of any person or persons. Nor will he like
to hear such reference to any body because this weaknees tends to1
hardship to the devotees and will lead to the ruin of a spiritual
life.
THE BEGIN1NG OF SPIRITUAL LIFE is
to extricate one's self from natural cravings and urges and to
revert to the path of Law, to enter through the door of destiny and
progress onward to return to normal urges but yet retaining the
spiritual height ascended. So, you should control your urges in
matters of food and drink, dress, marital relations, habitation: and
tendencies and habits. You should
Follow Al-Quran and the Hadith of His Prophet (blessing and peace be
upon him); in keeping with what Allah says "And accept what the
Prophet has brought to you and refrain from what he forbids you to
do," and "Say if you love Allah follow me, Allah will love
you.
When you are so conditioned, to purge you of your desires and
disobedience both outwardly and inwardly and to annihilate yourself,
then there will remain nothing in you inside, excepting the unit of
Allah and nothing will exist in you outside excepting obedience and
servitude to Allah in what he has commanded and forbidden. Thus one
so transformed in. his ways and manners, will use them a kind of
garment in all his movements during night and day; when at home or
abroad in comfort or discomfort and when ill or well. Whoever fights
his ownself and overcome it Allah will revitalise it to resist the
temptation of committing sinful acts.
This requirement of man is what the Prophet referred, liken he said
"We have returned from a minor Jihad to a Major Jihad." He
means this to say that the return was to resort to a struggle with
One's ownself to achieve perpetuity and recurrence a struggle
against cravings and the self being engrossed in sinful acts
"And serve your Lord till 'certainty' (death) comes to you.
Allah has commanded His Prophet
To serve Him. This implies opposition to man's ownself because
service is declined by the self, which seeks its opposite. If it be
asked how the self of the Prophet of Allah could decline service in
that he had no fleshly desires, Allah says "He does not speak
from his own desire it is nought but revelation, that is
revealed."
When He addressed His Prophet in these words, it was to affirm the
applicability of this general condition on his followers. But He,
the Mighty, the Glorious, bestowed upon His prophet power over his
ownself so that it could not harm nor oblige him to struggle against
his ownself. This exclusive power distinguishes him from his
followers. So when a believer persists in a spiritual struggle like
this till the imminence of death and meets His Lord with a drawn
sword besmeared with the blood of his self and his desires. He gives
him what He was guaranteed to him in Paradise in keeping with his
words "And as for him who fears to stand befere his Lord and
forbids the soul from low desires, then surely, the Garden is the
abode." He makes it his abode and resting place and place of
return making him secure from any transfer to any other place or any
return to the worldly abode. He provides him from day to day and
from hour to hour all needs of food and drink and dress and
ornaments, that can never exhaust.
But as for the unbeliever, the hypocrite and the sinner who do not
struggle with their ownselvcs and
Desires in this world but follow the devil to become polluted with
the unrepented sins of unbelief and practice of polytheism and so
forth till death overtakes to claim them outside the pale of Islam,
they will enter the fire, prepared for the unbeliever, as is
indicated in His words "Then be on your guard against the fire
of which men and the stones are the fuel; it is prepared for the
unbeliever." So when He has made them enter it and made it
their place of flight, of return and of refuge, it will burn their
skins and their flesh. He will give them fresh skin as often as
their skins are thoroughly burned, and change them for other
skins." He the Mighty, the Glorious, will so punish them
because of their unlimited alliance with their ownselvcs and desires
in this world to commit sins. The inmates of fire will have their
skin and flesh renewed at all times for the chastisement to continue
unabated.
The inmates of the Garden on the other hand will have all needs for
their comfort and pleasure provided infinitely and adequately. This
was Allah's reward awarded for their constant struggle with their
ownselves to such a state as to attire them to accord with the will
of Allah in relation to this world's life. This is what is meant in
the saying of the Prophet (Peace and blessing of Allah be upon him.
"This world is the culture ground for the hereafter.
THE TRAVAIL OF SEEKER you must
either be one or the other of two things. You are, either a seeker
or the object sought for. If you are a seeker or a disciple, you
become the carrier of a burden containing difficult and weighty
matters. A seeker has to toil hard and is dissatisfied until he
attains his object and succeeds in realising his aspired goal.
It would not be beconning of a Seeker to flee from troubles which
befall him in the matter of his life and wealth and that of the
members of his family and children, until he is relieved of his
burden, and the load of his suffering and consequent humiliation are
removed for him to become scoure for all evil and illness and
sufferings and the needs of people thereto. Then only can he claim
to be admitted to the category of people, who are loved by Allah and
nourished by Him lavishly and become consequently His subjects.
But if you on the other hand, become instead the object of search
the things sought for, then it is your own seeking and you cannot
blame Allah should any calamity befall you and you thereby or should
by no means entertain doubt with regard to your portion demoted in
rank with Him, because He may put you in such a state in order to
make yon strive to attain the status of high personages and
thereafter to raise your position to the position of Awliya and
Abdu.
Do you like your position to be lower than theirs or that your robe
of honour and light and the blessing be other than what are theirs?
Even if you feel contented of your inferior status, Allah the
Mighty, and Glorious will not be pleased it, because He says
"And Allah knows and you do not know." He has chosen for
you what is more elevated, brighter, higher and better, but you
decline strive to have it. Then if you say could it be right that
the perfect devotee should have been in a state, which according to
your opinion should have' been provided for the lower as well.
Remember the favourite one of Allah, is the beloved and true
devotee. The Prophet (peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) was
the chief among the beloved but at the same time he was the one who
was most tried and tested. The Prophet has said "I have been
frightened so much on account of Allah that no one else will have
been threatened like me and I have been made to suffer so much on
account of Allah that no one else will have been made to suffer
equally;
and there have come on me thirty days and nights on which I had not
so much of food as could have be hidden under the armpit of
Bilal."
He has further said "Surely we Prophets are most severely
tried; next to us come those of lower grade and so on". "I
am the best in the knowledge of Allah and most afraid of Him among
you all. " Now how can the beloved be tried and feel frightened
when he is the favourite and perfect devotee? This is so only
because the object is to make them attain the ultimate object as
already pointed out, of the higher stations above, and because the
grades of heavenly life arc not raised except through good deeds in
the worldly life.
Worldly life is the cultivation ground of the life hereafter. The
good acts of the Prophet and the Awaliyas, after the performing what
are commanded and refraining form prohibitions reflect achievement
of patience and pleasure and reconcilement as a result of developing
this trait. It is at this stage this trait removes away from them
and they experience the blessings of Allah and His favour and lavish
care till they meet the Lord in eternity.
Be blind to all other avenues and do not open your eyes to anything
in those directions, because if you look that way the direction
wherefrom emanates the favour of Allah, the Mighty and Glorious will
not be made open to you. So shut out vision of all other directions
with your realisation of the unity of Allah and with the effacement
of yourself. Thus, with your fading away and your own effacement and
that of our knowledge, will be opened the penetrating long ranged
eyes of your heart, the abode of Allah, the Mighty, the Great and
you will see Truth with the two eyes of your heart with its dazzling
rays of light brought about by your faith and firm conviction. At
this stage there will appear a light from your inside and manifest
itself on your outside, in the manner of the light of a lamp, inside
a dark house on a dark night streaking its brilliant beams through
its orifices and loopholes to illuminate the outside. The self and
the body will then feel at ease with this gift of Allah, debarring
all gifts of others, besides Him,
YOUR SELF, So have mercy on your
self and do not be unjust to it. Do not throw it in the darkness of
your ignorance and your foolishness, so as to look towards the
direction of created beings and of might, of power, of acquisition
and of means, in order to rely on them. For if you do so all avenues
will be closed against you and the avenue wherefrom the favour of
Allah flows will not be made open to you by the substitution of
chastisement and retribution, merited by your act of polytheism in
turning towards someone for something else besides Him.
So when you have realised his unity and observed His favour and
placed your hopes on Him and none else making yourself blind to the
need of assistance from any, excepting Him, He will make you become
close and near to Himself and will show His mercy to you. He will
nourish you, and provide all for you, nurse you in disease make you
comfortable and bestow gifts on you to become opulent, help you even
to become a ruler. He will even make you to vanish from creation and
from your ownself and also to disappear, so that thereafter, you
will see neither your poverty nor your affluence. |
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