My dear son! The world is sweet in appearance, and yet
venomous in essence. It is quite worthless. A person who is caught in its trap
can never be free again. A person who dies with that poison is a mere carrion.
It is madness to lose one’s heart to it. It is like sequinned filth, or
sweetened poison. A wise person will not fall for such false and deceitful
beauty. He will not set his heart on vicious and harmful pleasures. He will
spend his sojourn in this life trying to find favour in his Owner’s eyes. He
will earn what will be useful for him in the Hereafter. He will do his duties
as a slave of Allâhu ta’âlâ. He will hold fast to the commandments of Allâhu
ta’âlâ. He will abstain from His prohibitions, i.e. harâms. Shame on those who
run after harmful things instead of doing so!
I’m afraid of hurting someone truely dear;
Day and night I am burning with this strong fear!
[The world, (in this context,) means harmful things which Allâhu ta’âlâ dislikes and prohibits. A
person who abstains from the harâms is one who has not fallen for the
temptations of the world. Allâhu ta’âlâ does not prohibit any worldly tastes or pleasures. What He
prohibits is excess and overindulgence in enjoying them. He commands to utilize
them in the useful and decent way which He dictates.]
We were brought to this world so that we should acquire
the ma’rifat of Allâhu ta’âlâ, (i.e. so that we should know Him properly). There are two kinds of
ma’rifat (knowing Allâhu ta’âlâ). One of them is
acquired scientifically, i.e. by way of observation and inference, [thinking].
This kind of ma’rifat is taught by the Islamic scholars. The other kind is
acquired by way of kashf and shuhûd, [which takes place in the heart]. This
(latter) kind of ma’rifat comes from experts of Tasawwuf, [i.e.
from Awliyâ]. The former kind of ma’rifat is scientific and is acquired
mentally. The latter is a spiritual state which exists in the heart. Whereas
the former does not suspend the existence of the ’ârif, (person who has
attained ma’rifat), the latter does; for, this (latter) kind of ma’rifat is to
annihilate one’s self in the ma’rûf, (i.e. the known one, i.e. Allâhu ta’âlâ).
Qurb[1] is not a motion known;
Qurb-i-Haqq is to rid existence!
The former (kind of ma’rifat) is ’ilm-i-husûlî. It
involves detailed mental comprehension. The latter involves simple recognition,
without any contextual details. For, in this kind of ma’rifat Haqq is the only
existence. Man has ceased to exist. In the former, the nafs maintains its
denial. In fact, the nafs exists, and so do all its vicious attributes.
Therefore, its recalcitrant and avid nature has not ceased to exist. Nor has it
rid itself of its characteristic excess and intemperance. Îmân exists only in
appearance, and deeds and religious practices are on a perfunctory level. The
nafs perpetuates its disbelief and animosity against its Mawlâ [Owner, Allâhu
ta’âlâ]. It is declared in a hadîth-i-qudsî: “Know your
nafs as your enemy! For it is inimical towards Me.” This (former) kind of ma’rifat has been termed îmân-i-mejâzî (symbolic belief). Because
man himself has ceased to exist in the latter kind of ma’rifat, the nafs has
become a Believer. This kind of ma’rifat [îmân] is inextinguishable. It is
therefore termed îmân-i-haqîqî (real îmân). The religious practices also are real. The following
invocation is offered in a hadîth-i-sherîf: “Yâ Rabbî (O my Allah)! I ask of Thee an îmân (belief) which will not end in kufr (unbelief, denial).” It is this kind of îmân which is implied in
the hundred and thirty-sixth (136) âyat of Nisâ sûra:
“O ye who believe! Believe in Allâhu
ta’âlâ
and His Messenger! ...” (4-136). Imâm Ahmad ibn Hanbal, with all his ultimate grade in
knowledge and ijtihâd, consulted to Bishr-i-Hafî to join his disciples for the
acquisition of that (latter kind of) ma’rifat. When he was asked why, he said,
“His ’ârif (knowledge) of Allâhu ta’âlâ is better than mine.” Abû Hanîfa Nu’mân Qûfî ‘rahmatullâhi ’aleyh’
desisted from ijtihâd and spent the final two years of his life in seclusion.
Afterwards a dream was reported
---------------------------------
[1] Closeness to Allâhu ta’âlâ.
to contain his following acknowledgement: “Nu’mân would have perished had it not been for the last two years.” His seclusion was intended to attain perfection in the latter kind of ma’rifat and thereby to attain perfection in îmân, which is the natural outcome of that ma’rifat. He did so despite his unattainable grade both in knowledge and in worship. As a matter of fact, no religious practice could equal the grade of ijtihâd, and no other act of worship could make one attain the grade of teaching. Perfection of deeds is dependent on the perfection of îmân. The nûrâniyyat (lightsomeness) in acts of worship is dependent upon the degree of ikhlâs (doing something with the only and pure intention of attaining love and approval of Allâhu ta’âlâ). And the perfection of îmân and the degree of ikhlâs are dependent on ma’rifat. Since this ma’rifat and the real îmân are dependent on fanâ (being nonexistent, dissolution of one’s existence in the existence of Allâhu ta’âlâ), and on the dying of one’s nafs before one’s death; when a person’s fanâ is perfect, his îmân will be perfect as well. For this reason, the îmân of Siddîq ekber weighed heavier than the total îmân of all this Ummat (Muslims). It is stated in a hadîth-i-sherîf: “Were the îmân of Abû Bakr weighed against the îmân of my entire Ummat, Abû Bakr’s îmân would prove heavier.” For he was peerless in fanâ. It is stated in a hadîth-i-sherîf: “If you want to see a corpse walking, see Abû Quhâfa’s son.” Abû Bakr’s having been pointed out as a paragon for fanâ attested to his perfection in fanâ. In fact, all the Sahâba had attained fanâ. How lucky for a person who has attained that ma’rifat! We should run to the place where such a person is seen. Shameful to say, what must be seeked is being forsaken, and things which we are advised to extirpate are being repaired. What explanations and excuses are we going to provide on the Rising Day, and how are we going to face such a shameful situation?
Man’s honour is in his îmân and ma’rifat, not in his property or
position. Try to make your îmân firmer! Make efforts to promote your grade in
ma’rifat! It is stated in a hadîth-i-sherîf: “If a person works for the Hereafter, Allâhu ta’âlâ will make him
attain all his wishes. As for those who always run after worldly concerns; He
will perish them.” If a person has difficulty in making a living, it
is permissible for him to work. It will be good if he earns. If he cannot, then
he should not be persistent about it. Persistence will be futile. In fact, it
will be harmful.