The Termite’s Beautiful House

My Love you, my grandchildren . Look at this huge mound built by termites. See how tall it is! The termites designed this house very carefully so that it would be a healthy environment for their colony. The house even has a subtle air conditioning system which allows air to enter one side and flow out the other. It also allows the sunlight in, but keeps the rain water out.

The termites think their house will last forever, but sooner or later it is bound to be destroyed. A fire could easily run rampant through the very same air conditioning system that they so cleverly designed. Other insects or animals could crawl into the mound and eat their children. Or a man might decide to farm on that spot and plow down their house, destroying the entire colony. No matter how subtly the termites construct their house, any of this could easily happen. Isn’t that so? We must think about this.

My grandchildren, man also does many great and clever things in his life . He builds huge palaces and thinks they will last forever. But he never has any peace. At least a termite lives happily until its house is destroyed. But even if man were to build a vast palace and rule the entire world, he could not live there peacefully. Destruction would eventually come to him through himself or through others.

So what is the use of building such a grand palace? It will not last forever. It is no more permanent than a termite mound. Man needs to understand this and build a house which can never be destroyed, a house for his soul. With the absolute faith, certitude, and determination of iman, he must lay the foundation of God’s qualities [1] within himself. And upon that foundation he must build an eternal palace of prayer where God, our Father will come and reside.

We have to think about this, my grandchildren. No house built in this world will ever do us any good. Only if we build within ourselves a house of gnanam [2], a house of grace-awakened wisdom, will we attain the ideal state in which  our souls  and lives can never be destroyed. We must build that good house, a house of light(Noor), where we can find peace and tranquillity throughout our lives.

My love you, my grandchildren. With the love of God, with determination, with His qualities, His wisdom, and His help, you must make the effort to build that house of wisdom and light. Please try. It will be good for your life. May God help you. Amin.

M. R. Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (k.s)

Source: Come to the Secret Garden : Sufi Tales of Wisdom , page 303-305.

GLOSSARY

[1] Asma-ul Husna(Beautiful Names of  ALLAH j.j : Please see the link for more details: http://www.muhammedinur.com/En/islam/asmaul-husna-beautiful-names-of-allah-jj.html

[2] Gnanam : ( Tamil) Grace-awakened wisdom; divine wisdom ; the radiant wisdom present in the complete resplendence that is the Nur.

Allah has placed within the body of man the wealth of all the eighteen thousand universes. Thus man holds within his hands: hell and heaven, good and evil(khair and sharr), that which is the secret and the manifestation, the essence and the attributes, and that which is forbidden(haram) and permissible (halal). Allah has placed in him the wealth of the world , of heaven , and of hell; the wealth of satan; the wealth that the base desires yearn for; the treasure that earth desires, that water desires, that fire desires, or that the air and the spirits desire; and the treasures that illusion, or maya, desires.

If man can throw away all these worldly treasures and take within him only the treasure called Allah and His qualities, actions, conduct and behaviour, if he can make Allah the only treasure and completeness for him, that will be the state of gnanam.

What treasure is there other than Allah? All the rest is angnanam and poingnanam. Angnanam (ignorance) is the knowledge about the world. Poignanam (false wisdom) is the knowledge of darkness, the speech that one speaks in the delusion and intoxication caused by darkness. Agnanam is the speech that comes from the intellect. Vingnanam(scientific wisdom) is the explanation given by the subtle intellect. Meingnanam(true divine knowledge), however, comes from the word of Allah; it is to know and understand through that word and thereby eliminate all that is evil. To know that except for the treasure of Allah all else is perishable and destructible and to throw it all away- is meingnanam.

REFERENCES FROM THE QUR’AN:

Al-Hijr [15/82]:

وَكَانُوا يَنْحِتُونَ مِنَ الْجِبَالِ بُيُوتًا آمِنِينَ

Wa Kānū Yanĥitūna Mina Al-Jibāli Buyūtāan ‘Āminīna

Out of the mountains did they hew (their) edifices, (feeling themselves) secure.

Al-Hijr [15/83]:

فَأَخَذَتْهُمُ الصَّيْحَةُ مُصْبِحِينَ

Fa’akhadhat/humu Aş-Şayĥatu Muşbiĥīna

But the (mighty) blast seized them of a morning,

Al-Hijr [15/84]:

فَمَا أَغْنَى عَنْهُم مَّا كَانُوا يَكْسِبُونَ

Famā ‘Aghná `Anhum Mā Kānū Yaksibūna

And that which they were wont to count as gain availed them not.

Al-Yunis [10/87]:

وَأَوْحَيْنَا إِلَى مُوسَى وَأَخِيهِ أَن تَبَوَّءَا لِقَوْمِكُمَا بِمِصْرَ بُيُوتًا وَاجْعَلُوا بُيُوتَكُمْ قِبْلَةً وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلاَةَ وَبَشِّرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ

Wa ‘Awĥaynā ‘Ilá Mūsá Wa ‘Akhīhi ‘An Tabawwa’ā Liqawmikumā Bimişra Buyūtāan Wa Aj`alū Buyūtakum Qiblatan Wa ‘Aqīmū Aş-Şalāata  ۗ  Wa Bashshiri Al-Mu’uminīna

We inspired Moses and his brother with this message: provide dwellings for your people in Egypt, make your dwellings into places of worship, and establish regular Prayers: and give Glad tidings to those who believe!

Al-Nur[24/35]:

اللَّهُ نُورُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ مَثَلُ نُورِهِ كَمِشْكَاةٍ فِيهَا مِصْبَاحٌ الْمِصْبَاحُ فِي زُجَاجَةٍ الزُّجَاجَةُ كَأَنَّهَا كَوْكَبٌ دُرِّيٌّ يُوقَدُ مِن شَجَرَةٍ مُّبَارَكَةٍ زَيْتُونِةٍ لَّا شَرْقِيَّةٍ وَلَا غَرْبِيَّةٍ يَكَادُ زَيْتُهَا يُضِيءُ وَلَوْ لَمْ تَمْسَسْهُ نَارٌ نُّورٌ عَلَى نُورٍ يَهْدِي اللَّهُ لِنُورِهِ مَن يَشَاء وَيَضْرِبُ اللَّهُ الْأَمْثَالَ لِلنَّاسِ وَاللَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ

Al-Lahu Nūru As-Samāwāti Wa Al-’Arđi  ۚ  Mathalu Nūrihi Kamishkāatin Fīhā Mişbāĥun  ۖ  Al-Mişbāĥu Fī Zujājatin  ۖ  Az-Zujājatu Ka’annahā Kawkabun Durrīyun Yūqadu Min Shajaratin Mubārakatin Zaytūniatin Lā Sharqīyatin Wa Lā Gharbīyatin Yakādu Zaytuhā Yuđī‘u Wa Law Lam Tamsas/hu Nārun  ۚ  Nūrun `Alá Nūrin  ۗ  Yahdī Al-Lahu Linūrihi Man Yashā‘u  ۚ  Wa Yađribu Al-Lahu Al-’Amthāla Lilnnāsi Wa  ۗ  Allāhu Bikulli Shay’in `Alīmun

Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The parable of His Light is as if there were a Niche and within it a Lamp: the Lamp enclosed in Glass: the glass as it were a brilliant star: lit from a blessed Tree, an Olive, neither of the East nor of the West, whose Oil is well nigh Luminous, though fire scarce touched it: light upon Light! Allah doth guide whom He will to His Light: Allah doth set forth Parables for men: and Allah doth know all things.

Al-Nur [24/36]:

 
فِي بُيُوتٍ أَذِنَ اللَّهُ أَن تُرْفَعَ وَيُذْكَرَ فِيهَا اسْمُهُ يُسَبِّحُ لَهُ فِيهَا بِالْغُدُوِّ وَالْآصَالِ

Fī Buyūtin ‘Adhina Al-Lahu ‘An Turfa`a Wa Yudhkara Fīhā Asmuhu Yusabbiĥu Lahu Fīhā Bil-Ghudūwi Wa Al-’Āşāli

(Lit is such a Light) in houses, which Allah hath permitted to be raised to honour; for the celebration, in them, of His name: in them is He glorified in the mornings and in the evenings, (again and again),