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On the testing of the believer’s faith

Twenty-second Discourse from Futuh al-Ghaib

On the testing of the believer’s faith

 The Shaikh (may Allah be well pleased with him, and grant him contentment) said:

Allah is always testing His believing servant in proportion to his faith. Thus if a person’s faith is very great and steadily increasing, his trial will be great as well. The trial of a Messenger is greater than that of a Prophet, because his faith is greater. The trial of a Prophet is greater than that of a Badal, and the trial of a Badal is greater than that of a Wali. Each is tried according to his faith and certitude, on the basis of this saying of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace): “We, the Community of Prophets, are the people most severely tried, then others according to the perfection of their faith.” Continue reading “On the testing of the believer’s faith”

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On Not Complaining

Eighteenth Discourse from Futuh al-Ghaib

                              On Not Complaining

 

The Shaikh (may Allah be well pleased with him, and grant him contentment) said:

Let me give you a piece of advice: Never complain to anyone about your luck, whether he be friend or foe, and do not accuse the Lord (Almighty and Glorious is He) of treating you badly and making you suffer misfortune. You should rather proclaim your blessings and your gratitude. Better even to tell a lie by expressing gratitude for a benefit you have not received, than to state the plain fact of your situation truthfully but as a complaint. Who is totally without the grace of Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He)? Allah (Exalted is He) has said:

And if you count the favor of Allah, you will never add it up. (16:18)

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On how the contact [wusul] with Allah is attained

Seventeenth Discourse from Futuh al-Ghaib

On how the contact [wusul] with Allah is attained

 The Shaikh (may Allah be well pleased with him, and grant him contentment) said:

When you attain the contact with Allah and get close to Him through His attraction and His helpful guidance–what is meant by attaining the contact with Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He) is that you make your exit from the sphere of creation, from passion and will and desire, and become securely linked to His action, so that no movement of yours affects either you or His creation unless by His decree, at His command and through His action this is the state of annihilation [fana’], which is another term for that contact. But attaining to the contact with Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He) is not like what we ordinarily understand by making contact with one of His creatures.

There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing. (42:11)

The Creator is far above comparison with His creatures or analogy with His artifacts. When someone attains to the contact with Him (Almighty and Glorious is He), that person becomes known, through His introduction, to others who have already experienced the contact. In each case the experience is unique and peculiar to the individual concerned. Continue reading “On how the contact [wusul] with Allah is attained”

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On Trust and its Stages

Sixteenth Discourse from Futuh al-Ghaib

On Trust and its Stages

 The Shaikh (may Allah be well pleased with him, and grant him contentment) said:

Nothing blocks you from direct receiving of Allah’s grace and favor except your reliance upon people and connections, on good turns and handouts. Thus creatures are your obstacle to gaining a proper livelihood, in keeping with the exemplary practice of the Prophet. As long as you continue to depend on fellow creatures, hoping for their gifts and favors, going from door to door with your requests, you are associating His creation with Allah. He will therefore punish [*] you with deprivation of that proper livelihood, namely the lawful earnings of this world.

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On submission to Allah’s command

                       

Thirteenth Discourse from Futuh al-Ghaib

On submission to Allah’s command

 

The Shaikh (may Allah be well pleased with him, and grant him contentment) said:

Do not exert yourself to attract prosperity or to avert misfortune. Prosperity will come to you if it is your lot, whether you seek to acquire it or view it with distaste. Misfortune will likewise overtake you if it is meant for you by destiny’s decree, whether you be averse to it, or pray for it to go away, or confront it with patience and fortitude to please the Lord.

Your only resort is total surrender, allowing the process to work within you. If the experience proves to be a happy one, you must endeavor to show gratitude. Should it be an ordeal, you must exercise patience and perseverance, try to accept it with good grace, or lose yourself in it and become detached by virtue of the spiritual states [halat] you are given to traverse, and the stations [manazil] to which you are made to travel on the path of the Lord, whom you are commanded to obey and befriend, that you may get to meet the Companion Most High. Continue reading “On submission to Allah’s command”

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On the self and its states

Tenth Discourse from Futuh al-Ghaib

On the self and its states

 

 The Shaikh (may Allah be well pleased with him, and grant him contentment) said:

There is Allah, and there is your own self [nafsuka], and you must address the situation. The self is the opponent and enemy of Allah. All things are subordinate to Allah, and the self really belongs to Him as a creature and a possession, but the self entertains presumptions and aspirations bound up with carnal appetite and sensual desire. So if you ally yourself with the divine Truth in opposition and hostility toward the self, you will be for Allah’s sake an adversary to your own self. As Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He) said to David (peace be upon him): “O David, I am your indispensable support, so hold fast to your support. True servitude means being an adversary to your own self.”

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ON DRAWING NEAR TO ALLAH

Knowing God

Eighth Discourse from Futuh al-Ghaib

ON DRAWING NEAR TO ALLAH

 

The Shaikh (may Allah be well pleased with him, and grant him contentment) said:
When you are in a particular condition, do not seek to exchange it for another, whether higher or lower. If you are at the gate of the King’s palace, therefore, do not seek admittance to the palace itself until you are obliged to enter, under compulsion and not of your own accord. By compulsion I mean a stern, insistently repeated command. Do not content yourself with mere permission to enter, since this may be just a trick and deception on the King’s part. You should rather wait patiently until you are compelled to go in, so that your entry into the palace will be through sheer coercion and gracious favor from the King. Then, since the action is the King’s own, He will not chastise you for it. Continue reading “ON DRAWING NEAR TO ALLAH”

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On Removing the Cares of the Heart [Qalb]

Seventh Discourse from Futuh al-Ghaib
On Removing the Cares of the Heart [Qalb]

 

 The Shaikh (may Allah be well pleased with him, and grant him contentment) said:

Step out of your own self and keep your distance from it. Practice detachment from your possessiveness, and surrender everything to Allah. Become His doorman at the door of your heart, obeying His command by admitting those He instructs you to admit, and respecting His prohibition by shutting out those He instructs you to turn away, so that you do not let passion back into your heart once it has been evicted. Continue reading “On Removing the Cares of the Heart [Qalb]”