SECTION 9
Humility
Humility embraces every precious and noble rank and high position. If humility had a language which people understood, it
would speak about the realities which are hidden in the outcomes
of affairs. Humility is whatever is undertaken for Allah (SWT) and in
Allah (SWT), and anything other then that is trickery. Whoever is humble
to Allah (SWT), Allah (SWT) will honour over many of His bondsmen.
The people of humility have recognizable signs. When one of
them was asked about humility, he said, 'It means you are humble to the truth and follow it, even if you hear it from a child.'
Many types of pride keep one from using, accepting and following
knowledge. There are certain verses about this, denouncing the
haughty. The people of humility have signs recognized by the
angels in heaven and the gnostics on earth.
Allah (SWT) said,
On the most elevated places there shall be men
who know all by their marks. (7:46)
and elsewhere,
Whoever from among you turns back from his
faith, then Allah will bring a people whom He
loves and they shall love Him, humble towards
the believers, mighty against the unbelievers. (5:54)
Surely the most honourable of you with Allah is
the one among you with the greatest precaution. (49:13)
and
Do not attribute purity to your souls. (53:32)
The root of humility comes from the majesty, awe, and
immensity of Allah (SWT). Allah (SWT) is not pleased with any act of worship, nor
does
He accept it unless it comes with humility. No one knows what
is the true meaning of humility except those of His bondsmen
who are close and connected with His unity. Allah (SWT) said,
The servants of the Merciful are they who walk
on earth in humbleness, and when the ignorant
address them, they say; Peace. (25:63)
He commanded the mightiest of His creation and the master of
its people, Muhammad, to be humble, saying,
Make yourself gentle to the believers. (15:88)
From humility grow submission, humility, fear and modesty;
it is only from within humility that these qualities appear. True
and perfect nobility is only given to those who are humble in
the essence of Allah (SWT).
Ignorance
Ignorance is a form whose composition is of this world. When
it advances, there is darkness; when it retreats, there is light.
The bondsman vacillates with it as shadows vacillate with the
sun. Have you not looked at man? Sometimes you find that he
is ignorant of his own qualities and praises them, while he recognizes their
faults in others and criticizes them. At other times
you find that a person knows his own nature and criticizes it,
while praising the same in others. He vacillates between protection and
disappointment. If he encounters integrity and protection, he is correct.
If he encounters lack of assistance and desertion, he errs. The key to
ignorance is being satisfied with the
knowledge one possesses, and placing all one's trust in it. The
key to knowledge is the desire to exchange one level of knowledge
for a higher level, together with divine grace and guidance.
The lowest quality of an ignorant man is that he lays claim
to knowledge which he does not deserve; his most common
characteristic is ignorance of his own ignorance, and the most
extreme aspect of his ignorance is to reject knowledge. There is
nothing whose affirmation is the reality of its negation other that
worldly ignorance and greed. All ignorant people are alike.
Eating
A little food is praiseworthy in every case and with all people,
because it is salutory for the outer and the inner being. Eating
is praiseworthy when done out of necessity, as a means and
provision, at a time of plenty, or for nourishment. Eating out of
necessity is for the pure; eating as a means and provision is a
support for the precautious; eating at a time of plenty is for those
who trust; and eating for nourishment is for believers.
There is nothing more harmful to the believer's heart than
having too much food, for it brings about two things; hardness
of heart and arousal of desires. Hunger is a condiment for believers,
nourishment for the spirit, food for the heart, and health for
the body. The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.s.) said, 'The son of Adam fills no worse
vessel than his belly.'
David said, 'Leaving a morsel of food that I need is preferable
to me than staying up for twenty nights.'
The Messenger of Allah (SWT) said, 'The believer eats to fill one
stomach, and the hypocrite seven.' And elsewhere, 'Woe to
people who are swollen in two places!' When he was asked what
they were, he replied, 'The stomach and the genitals.'
Jesus (a.s.) said, 'The heart does not have any worse disease than
hardness, and no soul has been more weakened than by lack of
hunger. They are two halters of banishment and disappointment.'
Evil Whispering
Satan can get control over Allah (SWT)'s servants only by whispering
to them when they have abandoned their remembrance of Allah (SWT),
become disdainful, feel complacent when faced with His prohibition, and forget
that Allah (SWT) sees their secret.
Whispering is what comes from outside the heart by tacit
permission of the intellect, and is sustained by man's own nature;
once it becomes established in the heart, there is error, misguidance, and
disbelief. Allah (SWT) called on His bondsmen with His
subtle call and told them about the enmity of Iblis:
Shaytan is an enemy to you, so take him as an
enemy. (35:6)
Be with him like a man who, standing near the shepherd's
dog, has recourse to the dog's master in order to keep the dog
away from him. It is the same when Satan comes to whisper to
you, to lead you off the true path and make you forget to remember Allah (SWT).
Then seek refuge from him with your Lord and
his Lord. He will defend the truth against falsehood, and help
wronged ones, since He says,
Surely he has no authority over those who believe
and who rely on their Lord. (16:99)
Man will only be able to do this if he knows how he comes, and
can recognize his methods of whispering, by constant watchfulness, sincerity in
the arena of service, awe of the All-Aware, and
increased remembrance of Him.
However, anyone who neglects to spend his time in awareness
must undoubtedly be the prey of Satan. He should draw a lesson
from what Satan does with such a person's self: he leads it
to misguidance, deception and haughtiness by duping the person
into admiring his own actions, his worship, and his insight.
Satan's insolent behaviour towards him causes a curse to descend
on his knowledge, his gnosis and faculty of reasoning for all
eternity; yet he has no power over those who are not negligent.
Therefore hold to the firmest rope of Allah (SWT), which means seeking
refuge with Allah (SWT), and having a sound need of Allah (SWT) at every
breath. Do not be deceived when Satan makes your acts of obedience appear
beautiful in your eye: if he opens ninety-nine doors
of goodness for you, it is only so that he may overcome you by
opening the hundredth. So meet him with opposition, block his
path and reject his charm.
SECTION 10
Pride
The concept of pride embraces all those aspects of vanity found
in those who are proud of their actions, little knowing what their
end will be. Whoever is proud of himself and his actions has
strayed off the path of right guidance and has claimed what is
not his. Anyone who claims something to which he has no right
is a liar, even if he conceals his claim for a long time.
The first thing which happens to the proud man is that he is
stripped of his object of pride, so that he will know that he is
contemptible and incapable, and will testify against himself; and
that will be a firmer proof against him. This was the case with
Iblis.
Pride is a plant whose seed is disbelief, whose earth is
hypocrisy, and whose water is transgression. Its branches are ignorance,
its leaves are misguidance, and its fruit is being cursed to
remain in the Fire forever. Whoever chooses pride has sowed
disbelief and cultivated hypocrisy. It is inevitable that it must
bear its fruit?and he will end up in the Fire.
Generosity
Generosity is part of the nature of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.s.)s, and the
buttress of belief. A person cannot be a believer unless he is also generous;
he must also have certainty and high aspiration (himmah), because
generosity is a ray of the light of certainty. Effort is easy for him
who knows his objective. The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.s.) said, 'The friend of
Allah (SWT)
is but naturally disposed to generosity.'
Generosity is bestowed upon everyone beloved of Allah (SWT) who
has little of this world. One of the signs of generosity is a lack
of concern with the wealth of this world, and with whoever owns
it, believing or unbelieving, obedient or rebellious, noble or low.
The generous man feeds others while he himself is hungry; he
clothes others while he is naked; he gives to others while he
refuses to accept the gifts of others. He is favoured by that, and
does not indebt others by his graciousness. If he were to possess
the entire world, he would see himself merely as an alien in it.
If he spent it all for Allah (SWT) in a single hour, it would not be irksome
for him.
The Messenger of Allah (SWT) said, 'The generous person is near to
Allah (SWT), near to people, near to the Garden and far from the Fire.
The miser, however, is far from Allah (SWT), far from people, far from
the Garden and near to the Fire.' The only person who can be
called generous is the one who expends himself to obey Allah (SWT) and
for the sake of Allah (SWT), even if it is only by a loaf of bread or a drink
of water.
The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.s.) also said, 'The person who is generous is generous
with what he owns, and through it desires the face of Allah (SWT). As
for that person who pretends to be generous and rebels against
Allah (SWT), he is the recipient of Allah (SWT)'s wrath and anger. He is the
most miserly of people towards himself, so how must he be with
other people, when he follows his own passion and opposes the
command of Allah (SWT)?' As Allah (SWT) said,
Most certainly they shall carry their own burdens,
and other burdens along with their own burdens. (29:13)
The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.s.) said, 'The son of Adam
cries out, "My property!
My property! My wealth! My wealth!" O Wretch! Where were
you when there was the Kingdom, and you were not? Is there
anything more than what you eat and consume, or what you
wear and wear out, or what you give in charity and what you
make last?' Either you are shown mercy by it or you are punished
for it; therefore use your intelligence, and understand that you
should not love the property of others more than your own.
The Commander of the Faithful said, 'What you have already
given was destined for those who now own it; what you have
held back is for those who will inherit it, and what you have
now you have no power over, except to become arrogant by it.
How much you strive to seek this world and to make claims! Do
you wish to impoverish yourself and enrich others?'
Self-reckoning
If there were nothing to make a person turn to self-reckoning
(hisab) other than shame at being presented before Allah (SWT) and the
disgrace of having the veil torn away from his secrets, man would
throw himself from the mountaintops and not seek refuge in a
building, nor eat, nor drink, nor sleep, except when necessary
for preserving his life. This is how a person behaves when he
sees the Resurrection, with all its terrors and hardships, with
every breath he takes. In his heart he looks at the time when he
will stand before the Compelling One, and when he takes account
of himself it is as if he were being summoned to that presentation
before Allah (SWT), and is being questioned in his death-throes.
Allah (SWT) said,
Even though there be the weight of a mustard seed,
yet will We bring it and sufficient are We to take
account. (21:47)
One of the Imams (a.s.) said, 'Take reckoning from yourselves before
you are called to reckoning. Weigh your actions with the scale
of your own fear of shame, before they are weighed for you.'
Abu Dharr said, 'The mention of the Garden is death, and so
is the mention of the Fire. What a wonder that a person's self
lives between two deaths!'
It is related that John the Baptist (a.s.) used to reflect for the entire
night on the Garden and the Fire, so that his night was spent
in wakefulness and he did not sleep. Then in the morning he
would say, 'O Allah (SWT); whither can one flee? Where can one stay?
O Allah (SWT), one can only flee to You.'
SECTION 11
Opening the Prayer
When you face the qiblah, you should despair of this world, what
it contains of creation and what others are occupied with. Empty
your heart of every preoccupation which might distract you from
Allah (SWT). See the immensity of Allah (SWT) with your innermost being, and
remember that you will stand before Him. For Allah (SWT) has said,
There shall every soul become acquainted with
what it sent before, and they shall be brought back
to Allah, their true Patron. (10:30)
Stand at the foot of fear and hope. When you recite the takbir,
you should belittle what is between the high heavens and the
moist earth, which are all below His glory, for when Allah (SWT) looks
into the heart of His bondsman while he is saying the takbir, and
sees in his heart something obstructing the truth of his declaring
that Allah (SWT) is great, He says, 'O liar! do you try to deceive Me?
By My might and My majesty, I will deny you the sweetness
of My remembrance, and I will veil you from My nearness and
from joy in My intimate communion.'
Know that Allah (SWT) does not need your service. He is independent
of you, your worship and your supplication. He summons you
by His favour to show you mercy, to put you far from His
punishment, to spread some of the blessings of His kindness over
you, to guide you to the path of His pleasure, and to open to
you the door of His forgiveness. If Allah (SWT) had created what He
created in the universe many times over, forever without end, it
would still be the same to Allah (SWT) whether they all rejected Him
or united with Him. All that He has from the worship of creatures
is the display of His generosity and power. Therefore make modesty your cloak
and incapacity your shawl. Enter under the
throne of the power of Allah (SWT), and you will capture the benefits of
His lordship, seeking help in Him and asking for His succour.
Opening the Prayer
When you face the qiblah, you should despair of this world, what
it contains of creation and what others are occupied with. Empty
your heart of every preoccupation which might distract you from
Allah (SWT). See the immensity of Allah (SWT) with your innermost being, and
remember that you will stand before Him. For Allah (SWT) has said,
There shall every soul become acquainted with
what it sent before, and they shall be brought back
to Allah, their true Patron. (10:30)
Stand at the foot of fear and hope. When you recite the takbir,
you should belittle what is between the high heavens and the
moist earth, which are all below His glory, for when Allah (SWT) looks
into the heart of His bondsman while he is saying the takbir, and
sees in his heart something obstructing the truth of his declaring
that Allah (SWT) is great, He says, 'O liar! do you try to deceive Me?
By My might and My majesty, I will deny you the sweetness
of My remembrance, and I will veil you from My nearness and
from joy in My intimate communion.'
Know that Allah (SWT) does not need your service. He is independent
of you, your worship and your supplication. He summons you
by His favour to show you mercy, to put you far from His
punishment, to spread some of the blessings of His kindness over
you, to guide you to the path of His pleasure, and to open to
you the door of His forgiveness. If Allah (SWT) had created what He
created in the universe many times over, forever without end, it
would still be the same to Allah (SWT) whether they all rejected Him
or united with Him. All that He has from the worship of creatures
is the display of His generosity and power. Therefore make modesty your cloak and
incapacity your shawl. Enter under the
throne of the power of Allah (SWT), and you will capture the benefits of
His lordship, seeking help in Him and asking for His succour.
Bowing in Prayer
The bondsman of Allah (SWT) does not truly bow (in ruku' ) but that
Allah (SWT) adorns him with the light of His radiance, shades him in
the shade of His greatness and clothes him in the garment of
His purity. Bowing is first and prostration (sujud) is second: there
is courtesy in bowing, and in prostration nearness to Allah (SWT). Whoever is not
good in the courtesy is not fit for nearness; therefore
bow with the ruku' of one who is humble to Allah (SWT), abased in his
heart and fearful under His power, submitting his limbs to Allah (SWT)
like one who is fearful and sorrowful for what he might miss of
the benefits of those who bow.
It is related that Rabi' ibn Khuthaym used to stay awake all
night until dawn, in a single raku'. In the morning he would sigh
and say, 'Oh! The sincere have gone ahead, and we are cut off!'
Make your raku' properly by keeping your back straight, coming down from your
aspirations in standing to serve Himwhich comes only with His help. Let your heart flee from the
whisperings, tricks and deceit of Satan. Allah (SWT) will elevate His
bondsmen according to their humility to Him, and will guide
them to the roots of humility, submission and abasement according to how well
their innermost being is acquainted with His
immensity.
Prostration in Prayer
A person who performs true prostration (sujud) does not lose
Allah (SWT) at all, even if it is done only once in his entire life; but the
man who deserts his Lord in that state does not prosper. He is
like someone who deceives himself, neglecting and forgetting the
immediate joy and the ease after this life which Allah (SWT) has prepared
for those who prostrate themselves.
The person who does well in his prostration is never far from
Allah (SWT); while the person who shows ill-courtesy and neglects to
honour Him because his heart is attached to something other
than Allah (SWT) in the state of prostration will never come near to
Him. Therefore prostrate yourself with the prostration of someone abased, who knows
that he is created from the earth on
which people tread, that he is fashioned from sperm which
everyone finds impure, and that he was given being when he did
not exist.
Allah (SWT) made prostration the occasion to draw near to Him in
one's heart, innermost being and spirit. Whoever draws near to
Him is far from all that is other than Him. Do you not see that
in its outward appearance the state of prostrations is not complete
except by disappearing from all things and being veiled from all
that the eyes see? Thus does Allah (SWT) want the inward being to be.
If someone's heart is attached to something other than Allah (SWT) in
prayer, he is near to that thing, and far from the reality of what
Allah (SWT) desires in His prayer. For He has said,
Allah has not made for any man two hearts in his
breast. (33:4)
In the words of the Messenger (s.w.a.s.)of Allah (SWT): 'Almighty Allah (SWT)
said,
When I look on the heart of a bondsman, I know if he has
sincere love and obedience for My sake and seeks My pleasure
in it. Then I take charge of him and draw near to him. Whoever
is occupied with other-than-Me in his prayer is one of those who
mocks himself, and his name is recorded in the register of the
losers.
The Tashahhud
The tashahhud ' is praise of Allah (SWT). Be a slave to Him in your
innermost being, fearful and humble to Him in action as you
are His bondsman by word and claim. Join the truthfulness of
your tongue to the pure truthfulness of your innermost being.
He created you a slave and commanded you to worship Him
with your heart, your tongue and your limbs. Realise your enslavement to Him by
His lordship over you.
Know that the forelocks of creation are all in His hand. Creatures
possess neither breath nor sight except by His power and
will: they are incapable of bringing forth the least thing in His
kingdom, unless it is by His permission and will.
Allah (SWT) said,
Your Lord creates and chooses whom he pleases;
to choose is not theirs. Glory be to Allah (SWT), and exalted
be He above what they associate [with Him]. (28:68)
Therefore be a slave to Allah (SWT), remembering Him by speech and
proclamations, and join the truthfulness of your tongue to the
purity of your innermost being, for He created you. He is too
mighty and majestic for anyone to have will or volition except
by His earlier will and volition. Fulfil the state of enslavement
by being content with His wisdom, and by worshipping in order
to carry out His commands. He commanded you to send blessings
upon His beloved Muhammad, may Allah (SWT) bless him and his
family and grant them peace. Therefore join your prayer to
Muhammad with your prayer to Allah (SWT), obedience to Muhammad
to obedience to Allah (SWT), and your witnessing of Muhammad to your
witnessing of Allah (SWT). Watch out that you do not miss the blessings
of knowledge which are contained in one's respect for his sanctity,
with the result that you are denied the benefits of the prayer on
him. Allah (SWT) commanded him to ask for forgiveness for you, and
to intercede for you when you perform what is obligatory in the
command and prohibition, and in the sunnah and courtesies (adab)
demonstrated to man through the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.s.). You should know
the majesty of his rank with Allah (SWT).
Salam
The meaning of the taslim (greeting of peace) at the end of the
prayer means security, that is, anyone who carries out the command of Allah (SWT) and
the sunnah of His Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.s.) out of
humility to
Him and showing fear, has security from the tribulations of this
world and freedom from the punishment of the next world.
Al-Salam (peace) is one of the names of Allah (SWT), which He entrusted
to His creation so that they would make use of it in their
behaviour, trusts, and contracts; in confirming their companies
and assemblies; and for the soundness of their social relations.
If you want to establish this salam in its proper place, and to
fulfil its meaning, then fear Allah (SWT); and make your faith, your
heart, and your intellect sound. Do not sully them by the injustice
of acts of rebellion. Let your guardians be safe from you; do not
weary, or bore or alienate them through your bad behaviour
towards them, nor with your friend, nor with your enemy. If
those who are close to someone are not safe from him, then those
furthest from him are safest. Anyone who does not establish salam
on the occasions when it should be established has no peace and
no submission: he is a liar in his salam, even if he uses it as a
form of greeting among people.
Know that man's existence lies between trials and afflictions
in this world. Allah (SWT) may test him with blessings, to see his thankfulness,
or with hardship, to see if he will show steadfastness and
nobility by obeying Him, or disgrace in rebelling against Him,
although there is no way to reach His good pleasure and mercy
except through His grace. The only means to obey Him is when
he grants success: none can intercede with Him except with His
permission and mercy.
