PART ONE
FROM THE BOOK AND IT IS PART ON THE COMMANDMENTS
IMAM AL-SHA'RANI'S LAWAQIH AL-ANWAR AL-QUDSIYYAH FI
BAYAN AL-'UHUD AL-MUHAMMADIYYAH
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COMMANDMENT NO. 1
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MUHAMMADAN
COVENANT
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pp.
10-14
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Sincerity of intention in respect
of knowledge and action
We took the general oath of allegiance from the Messenger of
Allah (ص), that we wish, by the grace of our Rabb loyalty and that
we purify our intention to Allah (ت) in respect of our knowledge and action and
in our entire situation. And we purify our all actions from all blemishes, such
that from the witnessing of sincerity and the presence of our vindication as a
reward over that. And if it had occurred to our mind that the search is a
reward we would have had viewed it from the aspect of (Divine) benevolence and
favor. It is required of one who intends to act according to this Covenant to
tread the path of the qawm (a reference to the sufi community) under the
hand of a truthful shaykh who is well-versed in the shara‘i sciences such that he establishes
(the veracity) of the madhahib of the four a’immah and others, and knows that their
evidences and sources of their opinions and stands (firmly) on the Umm al-Kitab [a reference to the Qur’an] from
which emanates every opinion. Thus he seeks to work on one who desires
sincerity in respect of his actions by remembering Allah (عج) until the veils
of his humanness is thinned out and enters the precinct of perfection (الإحسان - al-ihsan) in which he serves Allah (ت) as though he sees Him. And
there he will witness that action in its entirety is the creation of Allah (ت-عج) and there is no involvement for the servant in it, except he being the
locus for the manifestation (بروز - buruz) of that action and nothing else. This is because actions
are accidents and accidents do not manifest except through body. And there
disappears from the servant (qualities like) showing-off (الرياء - al-riya’), arrogance (الكبر - al-kibr), pride (العجب - ‘ujub),
and the entire bad qualities (الآفات - al-afat), because these afat occur to the servant from
witnessing (the fact that) he being the doer of that action, despite his
heedlessness from witnessing the creator of it. And it is known that it is not
valid on the servant to have any riya’, kibr or ‘ujub from the doing of those other than
him. And what we saw of one who slept till morning and began to show-off, or
prides, or arrogates by the action of his neighbor who always kept vigil the
whole night, then he knew that the one who did not attain towards entering the
precinct of ihsan and witnesses his actions in their entirety are creations
of Allah (ت) both in kashf
(كشف - unveiling) and yaqin (يقين - certitude) and not zann (ظن - speculation) and takhmin (تخميم - conjecture), then he is at risk (معرض - mu‘rid) of falling into riya’,
even if he had memorized two thousand books. Therefore, O, my brother, seek out
for a truthful shaykh if you sought progress (or promotion) towards the
position of ikhlas (الإخلاص - sincerity), and do not feel bored (تسأم - tas’amm) from prolonging your search for him, for he is more
precious (أعز - a‘azz) than the Red Sulfur
(الكبريت الأحمر - al-kibrit al-ahmar). For it is indeed, of the least condition is that he (must
be) al-tawarru‘ (التورع - cautious / hesitant)
in (accepting) the wealth of leaders (الولاة - al-wulat), and that he must not have information (as to the
availability) of (wealth) in the Treasury (bayt
al-mal), nor (any) prerogative (مسموح - al-masmuh) nor a gift from kashf, nor an Arab
shaykh, nor a shaykh from his country, but he will be provided with sustenance
by Allah (ت) from where none can fathom, while he seeks to gain benefit for him
from the legitimacy of spending in between thus making the haram (prohibited) outmoded and the shubhat (الشبهات - ambiguous) abominable, if not the
masters of all the spiritual paths have indeed reached a consensus on that
whosoever ate the haram and the shubhat it is not valid for him to have
sincerity in respect of action, for he certainly is not pure except if he
enters the precinct of ihsan, whereas [none] shall enter the precinct of ihsan
except one who is purified from all the exoteric and esoteric impurities. This
is because the totality of the people of this precinct are the prophets, angels
and the awliya’, of whose condition is that they are preserved and
protected from consuming the haram and the shubhat. Therefore every shaykh who is not successful in
protecting his self then he is incapable of reaching those other than him
towards that precinct. Were it not that the favor bestowed by Allah (ت) on some
of the murids
(spiritual novice) with jadhb
(الجذب - ecstasy) without the suluk (السلوك - deportment) to which one has given allegiance to, then in
that case there is no objection from him, So he knew that it is imperative on
every seeker of knowledge who did not attain the [status of] sincerity to take
for him a shaykh who will teach him
the path of reaching the stage of sincerity, as per the dictum: ما لا يتم الواجب إلا به فهو واجب "that by which
the wajib (obligatory) is not completed except by it is in itself a wajib". He (ت) said:
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And they were
not commanded except to serve Allah, [being] sincere
to Him in religion,
inclining to truth, and to establish salah and to give
zakah. And that is the
correct religion]. [98:5]
That is, they performing salah [free] from deviation (عوج -‘iwaj) like heedlessness from Allah (ت) during its [performance] and they give away zakat meaning without any cause [i.e. without anticipation of any return].
I heard
my master ‘Ali al-Khawwas (رح) saying: Of the lower status of ikhlas is that he
being in respect of his actions, like that of the beast of burden that it is
exhausted from the heaviness of its load, hanging its head without knowing the
preciousness (نفاسة - nafasat) of what its
load is nor its vileness (خسة - khissat),
nor knowing to whom it [i.e.: the load] belongs, nor to where its load will
end, nor does it see for it by [doing] that any merit over other than it of the
beasts of burden, and nor does it seek any reward for its [carrying the] load.
I heard
him saying: if a servant shows off by his knowledge and his action, his action
becomes futile according to the text of the Book and the sunnah. And when his action becomes futile then he is like as
though has not done anything at all. Then how will he present himself to the
people despite his claim after the futility with painful punishment. Therefore,
let the seeker of knowledge be mindful of similar thing.
I said: likewise it is obligatory on the faqir
who withdrew himself in a cave or a zawiyah
(زاوية - hermitage) in order to introspect his self in respect of its claim of
sincerity and devotion exclusively to Allah (t) but if he finds it becoming
estranged in leaving the people’s affection towards it and their heedlessness
from it, then he is a liar in respect of his claim of exclusive devotion to
Allah (تعالى), for the truthful one will be happy if the people neglect him and
forget him and did not miss the opportunity to bestow him with gifts or salam,
but he feels happy if his disciples, all of them, had turned away from him and
convene with another shaykh seeking
guidance, as we have elucidated our discussion on that in the book [entitled] عهود المشايخ - ‘Uhud al-Masha’ikh (the Covenant of the
Spiritual Mentors). Allah knows best.
And of
what the a’immah have narrated in
respect of Ikhlas tracing the chain
of narrators to the [following] sayings of he (s) [are the following]:
[a] من فارق الدنيا على الإخلاص لله وحده لا شريك له ، وأقام الصلاة ، وآتى الزكاة فارقها والله عنه راض
[a] من فارق الدنيا على الإخلاص لله وحده لا شريك له ، وأقام الصلاة ، وآتى الزكاة فارقها والله عنه راض
"Whosoever
leave the world in the state of sincerity towards Allah alone without
associating partners to Him, and established the salat and paid up the zakat
and he left it (i.e. the earth) and Allah will be pleased with him."
Narrated
by Ibn Majah and al-Hakim and he said it is a valid tradition according to the
conditions of the two shaykhs [Bukhari and Muslim].[b] Al-Bayhaqi narrates as a Mursal [an incomplete transmission of a hadith resting on a chain of authority that goes no further back than the 2nd generation after the Prophet:
أن رجلا قال : يا رسول الله ما الإيمان ؟ قال الإخلاص ، قال : فما اليقين ؟ قال الصدق
"That a
man asked: O, the Messenger of Allah what is Iman? He said Sincerity, He (the
man) asked: then what is Yaqin (certitude)? He (the Prophet) replied:
Truthfulness."
[c] Al-Hakim narrated by saying that the chain is valid:
أن معاذ ابن جبل قال : يا رسول الله أوصني ، قال: أخلص نيتك يكفيك العمل القليل
"That
Mu‘adh b. Jabal said: O, Messenger of Allah do advice me, He (the Prophet)
replied: purify your intention, suffice for you is little action".
[d]
Al-Bayhaqi narrated from the Prophet as a Marfu‘:
طوبى للمخلصين ، أولئك مصابيح الهدى تنجلي عنهم كل فتنة عظماء
"Blessed
are the sincere ones, those who are lights of guidance which dispel every
terrible tribulation".
[e]
Al-Bayhaqi and al-Bazzar narrated from the Prophet as a Marfu‘:
إن الله تبارك وتعالى يقول : أنا خير شريك ، فمن عمل عملا أشرك فيه غيرى فهو لشريكي وانا منه باري . ياأيها الناس أخلصوا أعمالكم لله فإن الله لا يقبل من الأعمال إلا ماخلص ولا تقولوا هذا لله ولوجوهكم فإنها لوجهكم وليس لله منها شيء
"Certainly
Allah the self-blessed and the self-elevated says: I am indeed the best
partner. Thus whosoever does an act wherein he took a partner other than me and
he is for my partnership whereas I have disengaged from him. O, You people be
sincere in you actions towards Allah, for Allah does not accept from your
actions except that which is sincere and do not say that this for Allah and for
your countenance, then it will be for your countenance and there is nothing
from it for Allah."
[f] In
a narration attributed to Abu Dawud and others through a good chain as a Marfu‘:
إن الله لا يقبل من العمل إلا ما كان خالصا وابتغي به وجهه
"Certainly
Allah will not accept of an action except that which was sincere and in seeking
His countenance with it".
[g]
Al-Tabarani narrates as a Marfu‘:
الدنيا ملعونة ملعون ما فيها إلا ما ابتغي به وجهه
"The
world is a detestable [place that] it curses that which is in it except that
which seeks by it the countenance of Allah".
[h]
Al-Bayhaqi narrates as a Marfu‘ from ‘Ubadah b. Samit saying:
يجاء بالدنيا يوم القيامة فيقال ميزوا مكان منها لله عز وجل فيمتازوا ويرمى ما عداه في النار
"The
[inhabitants of the] world will be produced before the Day of the Judgement
then it will be said [to them] segregate from it that which belongs to Allah
(عج) then they will separate them and will throw away that which is other than
it in the hell fire."
Hafiz
al-Mundhiri said: It would have been said that like this would not be said from
personal opinion (al-ra’y) and ijtihad, thus its path is the path of marfu‘
(tracing the chain of narration to the Prophet)
[i]
Hafiz Razin al-‘Abdari narrates through an incomplete narration that is traced
to the Prophet:
من أخلص لله تعالى أربعين يوم ظهرت ينابيع الحكمة من قلبه على لسانه
"Whosoever
devotes (himself) to Allah (ت) for forty days the fountain of wisdom will
manifest from his heart to his tongue".
Hafiz
al-Mundhiri said “I am not acquainted with the valid (sahih) nor good (hasan)
chain for this hadith, nor with a(ny) thing mentioning it among the principles
collated by Razin. Allah Knows best.
[j] Imam Ahmad and al-Bayhaqi narrate by way of Marfu‘:
قد أفلح من أخلص قلبه للإيمان ، وجعل قلبه سليما ولسانه صادقا ونفسه مطمئنة وخليقته مستقيمة
وجعل أذنه مستمعة وعينه ناظرة
"The
successful is indeed one who purifies his heart towards iman and made his heart
healthy and his tongue truthful, his self contended, his character upright, and
made his ears hearing and his eyes seeing".
[k] The
two shaykhs and others have narrated by way of Marfu‘:
إنما الأعمال بالنية < وفي رواية >: بالنيات ، و إنما لكل أمريء مانوى ، فمن كانت هجرته إلى الله ورسوله فهجرته إلى الله ورسوله ، ومن كانت هجرته إلى دنيا يصيبها أوامرأة ينكحها فهجرته إلى ما هاجر إليه
“Certainly
actions are judged by intention” whereas in another narration: “by (their)
intentions, and indeed every person gets what he intended. Thus whose migration
was due to Allah and His Messenger, then his migration will be for Allah and
His Messenger, while whose migration is meant for the worldly pursuit or for
marrying a woman, then his migration is for what he migrated to".
[l] Ibn
Majah narrates through a good chain by way of Marfu‘:
إنما يبعث الناس على نياتهم < وفي رواية > إنما يحشر الناس على نياتهم
“Certainly
people will be raised (in the Hereafter) according to their intentions” whereas
in another narration “Certainly people will be resurrected according to their
intentions”.
[m] Muslim narrate by way of Marfu‘:
إن الله تبارك وتعالى لا ينظر إلى أجسامكم ولا إلى صوركم ولكن ينظر إلى قلوبكم
“Certainly
Allah, the Self-Blessed and Self-Elevated, will not look at your bodies nor at
your forms, but he will look at your hearts”.
[n] Al-Tabarani and al-Bayhaqi narrate by way of Marfu‘:
إذا كان آخر الزمان صارت أمتي ثلاث فرق : فرقة يعبدون الله خالصا ، وفرقة يعبدون الله رياء ، وفرقة يعبدون الله تعالى ليستأكيلوا به الناس ، فيقول الله عزوجل للمخلصين اذهبوا بهم إلى الجنة ، ويقول للآخرين أمضوا بهم إلى النار
“If the
end of the time (comes) my ummah will be (divided into) three groups: a group
serving Allah sincerely, a group serving Allah as show off, and a group serving
Allah (ت) thereby seeking to impress (yasta’kilu bi) people by it, then Allah
(عج) says to the sincere one, go with them to the heaven and says to other let
them spend their life in the hell fire.”
[o]
Hafiz Abu Na‘im narrated from (Lady) ‘A’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her,
that she used to say:
من رأى نفسه من المخلصين كان من المرائين ، ومن رأى نفسه من المرائين كان من المخلصين
“Whosoever
considers himself among the sincere ones may perchance be among who are
eyeservicers and those whosoever considers himself among the eyeservicer may
perchance be among the sincere ones”.
The
ahadith in this respect are many and famous. In the beginning of the section on
prohibitions there will be a useful part on riya’ and the lack of sincerity in
respect of action and knowledge. Therefore refer to it. Allah Knows best.
I said: it has become clear to you that whosoever is not sincere in respect of his action and knowledge is among the losers of (good) deeds. The contextual situation mentioned in the hadiths through their contexts also helps in acknowledging that. All of that which came in respect of the merit of knowledge and action are in fact in respect of those who are sincere in that. Therefore, beware, O, my brother, of mistake, for the critics are watching. In this time the people who did not act according to their knowledge have increased, and when a man challenges them in respect of their verbal claim that we are among the people of knowledge they will deduce it according to what came concerning the merit of seeking knowledge absolutely without the the condition of sincerity, and they will ask to these type of people where are the ayat, akhbar and athar mentioning with regard to one who act without his knowledge and without sincerity? Therefore do not commit mistake, O, my brother and claim of sincerity in respect of your knowledge and action without scrutiny, for it is indeed a deception.
I heard
my master ‘Ali al-Khawwas (رح) as saying in respect of the meaning of the
hadith:
إن الله ليؤيد هذا الدين بالرجل الفاجر
"Indeed
Allah (ت) supports this religion through the sinful person".
This
man seeks knowledge for showing off and reputation, and teaches the people
concerning their religion and make them ponder over it and watch over them,
while helping the religion if any of its aspect is weakened, thereafter Allah
will make him enter the hell fire for his lack of sincerity.
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