Vol.1 chapter 106, hadith 3 AL-KAFI; SHAIKH MOHAMMED BIN YAQOOB BIN ISHQ KULAINI
Ali ibn Muhammad has narrated from Salih ibn abu Hammad and a number of our people has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad and others through different chains of narrators.
The Hadith is about the protest of Amir al-Mu’minin (AS) against ‘Asim ibn Ziyad who had confined himself in a gown away from the people.
His brother, al-Rabi‘ ibn Ziyad complained before Amir al-Mu’minin (AS) complained that his ‘Asim’s family had become depressed and his sons had been sadden because of his behavior.
Amir al-Mu’minin (AS) had summoned ‘Asim ibn Ziyad and was brought before him. When Amir al-Mu’minin (AS) saw him he frowned at him and said,
"Why did you not feel ashamed before your wife?
Why did you not show kindness to your sons?
Do you think Allah had made good things lawful to and then He would dislike if you would use them?
You are less significant to Allah than such a thing.
Is it not Allah Who has said,
"He spread out the earth for the people (55:10).
There exists all kinds of fruits, palm-trees with sheathed blossoms, (55:11)
grain with its husk and aromatic herbs (55:12).
Is it not Allah Who has said,
"He has made the two oceans meet each other, (55:19)
but has created a barrier between them so that they will not merge totally (55:20).
(Jinn and mankind) - which of the favors of your Lord do you then deny? (55:21).
From the two oceans comes pearls and coral." (55:22)
I swear by Allah, the use of the bounties of Allah in deeds is more preferred to Him than then using in words. Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most gracious, has said, "...and proclaim the bounties of your Lord." (93:11)
‘Asim said, "O Amir al-Mu’minin (AS), "Why have you confined yourself to tasteless food and harsh garments?"
He said, "How inconsiderate of you! Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most gracious, has made obligatory for the Imams of justice to measure themselves with the people of lowest standard of living so that the poors’ poverty would not plunge him in despair."
‘Asim then abandoned the gown and begun to live an normal life."
Sunday, 26 June 2011
Saturday, 18 June 2011
A narration about Love from a Lover: Maitham
We spent one night with the Commander of the Believers, Ali bin Abi Taleb, and he said:
Every slave of Allah who believes in Him finds our love in his heart, and every slave whom Allah resents (because of their disbelief) hates us. We are happy for those who love us, and we know those who hate us.
The days of those who love us are passing while waiting and expecting the Mercy of Allah. But the days of those who hate us are passing while they are building their houses on the brink of Hell. And it is as if the houses of those who hate us are collapsing into Hell, while the doors of mercy are open to those who love us.
So those of you who love us - enjoy mercy. And those of you who hate us - enjoy Hell.
If a slave does not neglect our love, it is because of the good that Allah has placed in his heart.
If you love those who hate us then you do not love us, because our love and the love for those who hate us cannot be placed in the same heart. Allah says, “Allah has not made for any man two hearts in his breast” (33:4).
Therefore, you do not have two hearts to love: one heart devoted to our love and another heart devoted to the love of our enemies.
We are the nobleones and our children are the children of the prophets. I am the successor of all the successors, and I am the party of Allah and His Messenger. The group of Shaytan are the oppressors.
Those of you who want to know if you love us should test your hearts.
If you find the love of those who incite hatred toward us in your heart, know that Allah, Jibraeel, and Mikaeel are your enemies, and that Allah is the enemy of the disbelievers.
Hadith 94; The Glad Tidings of Mustafa for the Shia of Murtadha
Sunday, 5 June 2011
Witnessing the Siraat
It is written in Mustadrak of Thiqat al-Islam Noori that according to what is mentioned in Anwaar-ul-Maziyyah (by Syed Gayasuddin Najafi, a Shia jurisprudent and a famous scholar among Imamiyah):
In our village situated near Hilla there lived a man named Muhammad bin Abi Azeenah. He was the trustee of a mosque. He used to attend that masjid daily as a routine every day.
One day, when he did not come to mosque, we inquired about him. We came to know that he was ill. We wondered very much because on the very previous day, we had seen him hale and healthy. When we went to see him, we found him burnt from head to feet. He used to faint, them become conscious and again faint.
In one such interval, I asked him what had happened to him? He replied: Last night in my dream I was shown Siraat and then I was ordered to walk over it. So I proceeded; in the beginning the ground under my feet was levelled. Then I found that it has become thin. Initially, it was soft but later on it turned very sharp. I was putting my steps very slowly, balancing myself to escape falling down. Dark flames of fire from beneath were leaping upwards. I was observing that many people were dropping down like leaves in the fall (autumn).
Once I felt that there was nothing except an hair like rope under my feet. Then suddenly the fire dragged me to it and I also fell down in that cave of fire. The more I tried to come up the more I was going down. (Hellfire has the quality of drawing people to it, and that, according to a narration, the depth is equal to the length of a seventy year journey). As soon as I realized that I was about to be finished, I remembered that whenever I was falling or stumbling or falling, I used to exclaim Yaa Ali and saying Yaa Maulaai, Yaa Ameerul Momineen, Aghithni. I felt inspired to look upward.
So when I looked up I found that a saintly person was standing by the side of the Siraat. He extended his hand, caught me and fetched me out. I submitted: O Master! I am burnt down. Please help me. The Hazrat passed his Holy hand over my body from my knee to femur. Suddenly I woke up to find that that particular part of my body had no sign of burning and that it had healed but the rest of my body was burning.
That person remained bedridden for three months, weeping and complaining. Various medicines were given by a number of doctors before he became healthy after three months when fresh flesh appeared on his body. It is also written in this book Mystadrak that whenever that person was describing this even he was getting fever and was trembling.
Doubtlessly there is only one medicine and it is to cling to the Wilayat of the pious Ahle Bayt (a.s.). Imam Reza (a.s.) has promised that he will guide the visitors of his shrine on the bridge of Siraat. Moreover, Hazrat Abu Abdullah-al-Husain (a.s.) is also reported to have given many good tidings to those who cling to the friendship (Wilayat) of Ahle Bayt (a.s.) with regard to Siraat.
The Hereafter - Ma'ad; by Ayatullah Dastghaib Shiraazi
In our village situated near Hilla there lived a man named Muhammad bin Abi Azeenah. He was the trustee of a mosque. He used to attend that masjid daily as a routine every day.
One day, when he did not come to mosque, we inquired about him. We came to know that he was ill. We wondered very much because on the very previous day, we had seen him hale and healthy. When we went to see him, we found him burnt from head to feet. He used to faint, them become conscious and again faint.
In one such interval, I asked him what had happened to him? He replied: Last night in my dream I was shown Siraat and then I was ordered to walk over it. So I proceeded; in the beginning the ground under my feet was levelled. Then I found that it has become thin. Initially, it was soft but later on it turned very sharp. I was putting my steps very slowly, balancing myself to escape falling down. Dark flames of fire from beneath were leaping upwards. I was observing that many people were dropping down like leaves in the fall (autumn).
Once I felt that there was nothing except an hair like rope under my feet. Then suddenly the fire dragged me to it and I also fell down in that cave of fire. The more I tried to come up the more I was going down. (Hellfire has the quality of drawing people to it, and that, according to a narration, the depth is equal to the length of a seventy year journey). As soon as I realized that I was about to be finished, I remembered that whenever I was falling or stumbling or falling, I used to exclaim Yaa Ali and saying Yaa Maulaai, Yaa Ameerul Momineen, Aghithni. I felt inspired to look upward.
So when I looked up I found that a saintly person was standing by the side of the Siraat. He extended his hand, caught me and fetched me out. I submitted: O Master! I am burnt down. Please help me. The Hazrat passed his Holy hand over my body from my knee to femur. Suddenly I woke up to find that that particular part of my body had no sign of burning and that it had healed but the rest of my body was burning.
That person remained bedridden for three months, weeping and complaining. Various medicines were given by a number of doctors before he became healthy after three months when fresh flesh appeared on his body. It is also written in this book Mystadrak that whenever that person was describing this even he was getting fever and was trembling.
Doubtlessly there is only one medicine and it is to cling to the Wilayat of the pious Ahle Bayt (a.s.). Imam Reza (a.s.) has promised that he will guide the visitors of his shrine on the bridge of Siraat. Moreover, Hazrat Abu Abdullah-al-Husain (a.s.) is also reported to have given many good tidings to those who cling to the friendship (Wilayat) of Ahle Bayt (a.s.) with regard to Siraat.
The Hereafter - Ma'ad; by Ayatullah Dastghaib Shiraazi
Saturday, 28 May 2011
Husnu'l Hal - A Unique State of Utter Ecstasy
The contemporary mystic-scholar, Āllāmah Hasan Zadeh Āmolī, may the Almighty Allāh protect his noble presence, in his treatise- Nūrun 'Alā Nūr [section 9, pg. 78], says:
'Try to reach the water, although you are not cut off from water. And when you reach the water, you would have husnu'l hāl and your joy would be inexpressible.'
In one of the narrated supplications we read: O Allāh change our unpleasant state into your Beautiful State. Thus Almighty God Has the State of Husnu'l Hāl. Yes, this State of Joy (Husnu'l Hāl) is that very state that Shaykh (Ibn Sinā) speaks about in chapter eighteen of the section on Joy and Happiness of his monumental work al-Ishārāt:
'The Being that has the greatest joy in a thing is the First (i.e. God) as having joy in His Essence.' [al-Ishārāt wa al-Tanbīhāt, pg. 350 (trans. By Shams Inati, pg. 78 - Translation)]
With regard to Almighty Allāh's sincere servants, the state of Ridā is known to be the state of joy and ecstasy.
Shaykh al-Rā'īs also mentions this in section nine of his monumental al-Ishārāt, as follows:
"The Gnostic ('ārif) is bright faced, friendly and smiling. Due to his modesty he honors the young as he honors the old. He is as pleased with the unclearheaded as he is with the alert. How could he not be bright-faced when he enjoys the Truth (i.e. God) and everything other than the Truth, for he sees the Truth even in everything other than the Truth. Furthermore, how could he not treat all as equal when, to him all are equal! They are objects of mercy preoccupied with falsehoods." [al-Ishārāt wa al-Tanbīhāt, pg. 364 (trans. By Shams Inati, pg. 89 - Translation)]
Avicenna's statement "for he sees the Truth even in everything other than the Truth" reminds us of the Holy Prophet (s), and the Holy Imāms of the Ahlu'l Bayt (as). Imām 'Alī (as) is reported to have said: "I did not see anything save that I saw Allāh before it, after it, and with it."
A similar dictum is reported also from Imām al-Sādiq (as). Some analysts say that the following tradition also alludes to the sublime state of ecstasy and joy of the Leader of martyrs, Imām al-Husayn (as), as he neared his supreme sacrifice, which guaranteed the salvation of Islam forever: Shaykh Sadūq in his Ma'āni al-Akhbār reports Imām al-Sajjād (as) to have said:
"When the situation became tense for Imām al-Husayn (as) those who were with him looked at him and saw that his state was contrary to theirs, for whenever the situation grew tense they changed color and were shaken and experienced fear, whereas the faces of al-Husayn (as) and some of his companions shone, their bodily members were relaxed and their souls were tranquil." [Ma'āni al-Akhbār, pg. 288]
Manifestations of the All-Merciful, Sh Muhammad Khalfan, Section 4
Tuesday, 17 May 2011
A narrative from the oceans of the Gnostic
Absolute Contentment/Submission/inner Satisfaction to the decree of Allah
On the 2 year death remembrance of Marhum Ayatullah Muhammad Taqi Bahjat - died Sunday 17 May 2009
Hujjatul-Islam wal Muslimin Quddas, one of the students of Sheikh Bahjat, says, “One day I went to the house of Sheikh Bahjat a few minutes before the start of the class becaue often the sheikh used to attend the class room when some of his students come (even if it is one single student), and he would narrate a story or a tradition or a moral lesson till all the students attend.
For this reason, I went to the house of the sheikh early, hoping to hear those pursuits. Luckily, when the sheikh heard my voice as I said, ‘Ya Allah!’ as I entered, he came to the room early and said this to me after the greeting and the salutation,
‘In the city of Najaf, a handsome Iranian youth was with us from the people of Hamadan, and he was famous for being neat and physically well formed. One day, this youth became paralyzed to the extent he could not walk except after leaning on a cane. I tried not to meet him because I used to think he would feel embarrassed due to his particular condition; therefore, I used to avoid meeting him so I would not add one more grief to his grieves.
One day, I got out of the alley and saw him standing in the street, so I had no choice except to meet him. Without contemplating, I asked him, ‘How do you feel? (but I was upset with having said so and kept saying this to myself: ‘What empty talk is this?! Do you not see in what condition he is?!).
But contrary to my expectation, when he opened his mouth to answer my question, his speech was like cool water with which he put out what I had felt inside. He kept praising and thanking Allah with a spirit filled with activity and pleasure as if he was drowned in blessings of Allah, the Praised and the most exalted One. I felt relieved and my grief departed from me.’”
Uswat Al-Aarifeen; Chapter 10
On the 2 year death remembrance of Marhum Ayatullah Muhammad Taqi Bahjat - died Sunday 17 May 2009
Hujjatul-Islam wal Muslimin Quddas, one of the students of Sheikh Bahjat, says, “One day I went to the house of Sheikh Bahjat a few minutes before the start of the class becaue often the sheikh used to attend the class room when some of his students come (even if it is one single student), and he would narrate a story or a tradition or a moral lesson till all the students attend.
For this reason, I went to the house of the sheikh early, hoping to hear those pursuits. Luckily, when the sheikh heard my voice as I said, ‘Ya Allah!’ as I entered, he came to the room early and said this to me after the greeting and the salutation, ‘In the city of Najaf, a handsome Iranian youth was with us from the people of Hamadan, and he was famous for being neat and physically well formed. One day, this youth became paralyzed to the extent he could not walk except after leaning on a cane. I tried not to meet him because I used to think he would feel embarrassed due to his particular condition; therefore, I used to avoid meeting him so I would not add one more grief to his grieves.
One day, I got out of the alley and saw him standing in the street, so I had no choice except to meet him. Without contemplating, I asked him, ‘How do you feel? (but I was upset with having said so and kept saying this to myself: ‘What empty talk is this?! Do you not see in what condition he is?!).
But contrary to my expectation, when he opened his mouth to answer my question, his speech was like cool water with which he put out what I had felt inside. He kept praising and thanking Allah with a spirit filled with activity and pleasure as if he was drowned in blessings of Allah, the Praised and the most exalted One. I felt relieved and my grief departed from me.’”
Uswat Al-Aarifeen; Chapter 10
Saturday, 14 May 2011
30 Obligations of every Believer
Jami' al-Sa'adat by Muhammad Mahdi ibn abi Dharr al-NaraqiIn a prophetic tradition, social rights are enumerated in the following manner:
Every believer has thirty obligations over his brother in faith, which he could not be said to have met unless he either performs them or is excused by his brother in faith from performing them. These obligations are:
forgiving his mistakes;
being merciful and kind to him when he is in a strange land;
guarding his secrets;
giving him his hand when he is about to fall;
accepting his apology;
discouraging backbiting about him;
persisting in giving him good advice;
treasuring his friendship;
fulfilling his trust;
visiting him when he is ill;
being with him at the time of his death;
accepting his invitation and his presents;
returning his favours in the same manner;
thanking him for his favours;
being grateful for his assistance;
protecting his honour and property;
helping him meet his needs;
making an effort to solve his problems;
saying to him: `God bless you', when he sneezes;
guiding him to the thing he has lost;
answering his greetings;
taking him at his word (not drawing a bad interpretation of things he says);
accepting his bestowals;
confirming him if he swears to something;
being kind and friendly towards him, not unsympathetic and hostile;
helping him whether he is being unjust or is a victim of injustice [when we speak of helping him when he is being unjust, we mean that he must be kept from being unjust;
when we speak of coming to his aid when he is a victim of injustice, we mean that he should be assisted in securing his rights];
refraining from feeling bored or fed up of him;
not forsaking him in the midst of his troubles.
Whatever good things he likes for himself he should also like for his brother in faith, and whatever he dislikes for himself he should also dislike for his brother.
Jami' al-Sa'adat by Muhammad Mahdi ibn abi Dharr al-Naraqi
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Friday, 6 May 2011
Radiance from the Will of Fatima
On the last day of her life, it is narrated that Al-Zahra said to Imam Ali: "You have not known me to be a liar or a traitor, and have I ever disobeyed you since we were together?" Imam Ali replied: "Allah forbid! You are more knowing of Allah, more devoted, more pious, and more honorable and more fearing of Allah than (to give me a reason) to reprimand you for disobeying me. Surely it is very painful for me to be separated from you and to lose you; but it is an inevitable destination. By Allah, you have renewed the sorrow I have just encountered with the death of Allah's Messenger; surely your death and departure will be a great calamity, but 'to Allah do we belong, and to Him shall we return.' What a painful, bitter and sad calamity. Surely this is a calamity for which there is not consolation, and a disaster for which there is no compensation. Instruct me to do anything you wish; you certainly will find me devoted and I will execute everything that you command me to do."
She then made two particular requests:
1. "I ask you to marry after my death, my niece Umamah; surely she will be good to my children as I was. Besides, men cannot do without women."
2. "I ask you not to let anyone who did injustice to me to witness my funeral, for they certainly are enemies of mine, and the enemy of Allah's Messenger. Also don't give them the chance to pray over me, nor to any of their followers. Bury me at night when eyes are rested and sight is put to sleep."
The Pitfalls of a Marriage
Al-Zahra eloquently summarized in her will the major pitfalls (from a wife's perspective) that can destroy a marriage, by pointing out the three main faults: Lying, betrayal and disobedience. These three faults encompass all other faults and one can be confident that if there was anything missing, she would have mentioned it.
Lying induces a lack of trust and continuous negative speculations in the relationship. Betrayal, whether relating to money, secrets, talking behind each other's backs or in any other form, can lead to the destruction of the social image of the individual and the couple's relationship itself. Disobedience will induce a very tense life in the house and will take away from smooth interaction.
Apart from the immediate and long-term direct effects, these faults are actually against the laws of Allah and will cause the marriage to suffer the indirect negative consequences (both materialistic and non-materialistic). With just a few words, Al-Zahra gave social, behavioral, and theological dimensions to her words.
Marriage of Widowers
We often hear the words, "I will stay true to my deceased wife and never marry again." Al-Zahra declared there is nothing wrong with a man marrying again after his wife passes away; in fact, she encouraged it. Her request for Imam Ali to marry again promotes the notion of marriage, highlighting its importance for both the family and the society. Her words naturally extend to widows re-marrying.
Protecting the Children
Al-Zahra emphasized how important taking care of the children is. Often when someone passes away, people usurp the rights of the helpless children because of the lack of law protection, especially in our man-made law structure. Of course, taking care of the children involves making sure there is someone trustworthy when it comes to taking care of them. Also, if one can manage to secure their financial rights, one should do so.
While Al-Zahra's words extend from her particular special case to any general case, there is one part that stands out – she had asked Imam Ali to do two things after he washes her purified body and finalizes the pre-burial actions: To bury her at night, and hide her grave.
Both requests have immediate implications related to the situation at that time and long-term implications that affect us to this very day. What is it that Lady Fatima wants us to learn and comprehend from these requests?
Studying history and the religion of Islam, one will immediately recognize the status of Lady Fatima as the Prophet's only daughter and the leader of women of all times. In addition to that, the books of history do not hide the fact that Lady Fatima's right to Fadak was usurped, that people burned her house, beat her with a whip and caused a rib of hers to break after being squeezed between the door and the wall, causing the miscarriage of her unborn son.
No matter how much historical facts are twisted to help glorify those who oppressed the daughter of the Prophet, the fact that she did not approve of them attending her funeral is enough for one to discern the truth. The mere knowledge that the daughter of the Prophet refused certain people to attend her funeral makes the academic researcher investigate those personalities. Her secret burial and hidden grave affirms how angry she was with those who oppressed her. It reflects the oppression brought upon her and as long as her grave is hidden, people will and must continue to question the events that took place after her father's death.
Our Duty
For all those who love Fatima, remember her grave is hidden, but she is not far. She attends gatherings held in the name of the Ahlul Bayt. Let us carry her grave in our hearts and fulfill our responsibility of spreading the truth that the daughter of the Prophet of Islam and the leader of the women of the worlds, was, and still remains today, oppressed.
Ali Jamaleddine
Monday, 25 April 2011
The Bedouin's question on the day of a battle
It has been related that on the day of the Battle of the Camel a bedouin came before the Commander of the Faithful and said, "O Commander of the Faithful! Sayest thou that God is one?"
The people attacked him and said, "O bedouin! Do you not see how the Commander of the Faithful's heart is divided (with cares)?"
The Commander of the Faithful said, "Leave him, for surely what the bedouin wishes (i.e. knowledge of God) is what we wish for the people."
Then he said, "O bedouin! To say that God is one (wahid) has four (possible) meanings, two of which are not permissible concerning God, the Mighty and Majestic, and two of which are established concerning Him."
"As for the two which are not permissible concerning Him, (the first is) the saying of him who says 'one' and has in mind the category of numbers. Now this is not permissible, for that which has no second does not enter into the category of numbers. Hast thou not seen that he who says that He is 'the third of three' [This is a reference to the Quranic verse, "They are unbelievers who say, 'God is the Third of Three' " (V, 73).] is of the unbelievers?
And (the second is like) the saying of him who says (concerning a man), 'He is one of mankind', meaning that he is one kind within the species. [The first kind of "unity" that is rejected is numerical unity, or the idea that when we say "He is one God", we mean something similar to what we mean when we say, 'This is one walnut", i.e., that there may also be two Gods, three Gods, etc. The second "unity" refers to similarity in kind or species, as when we say, "this is one cat", meaning that there are also other kinds of cats. In the words of Majlisi, "When it is said in this sense of a Byzantine that he is one of mankind, it is meant that his kind is one of the kinds of men or is a kind among other kinds". This is tashbih because we are comparing God to whatever we say He is one of. Since He is one of that kind, He has to be similar to others of that kind.] This is not permissible because it is a comparison, and our Lord is greater than that and high above it."
"As for the two meanings which are established concerning Him, (the first is) the saying of him who says,
'He is one, there is no likeness (shabah) unto Him among things.'
Such is our Lord.
And (the second is) the saying of him who says,
'Surely He, the Mighty and Majestic, is single in meaning (ahadi al-mana), intending by that that He is not divided by existence, the power of reason, or imagination. Such is our Lord, the Mighty and Majestic." Part I, A Shi'ite Anthology, 'Allamah Sayyid Muhammad Husayn Tabataba'i, Translated with Explanatory Notes by William C. Chittick
The people attacked him and said, "O bedouin! Do you not see how the Commander of the Faithful's heart is divided (with cares)?"
The Commander of the Faithful said, "Leave him, for surely what the bedouin wishes (i.e. knowledge of God) is what we wish for the people."
Then he said, "O bedouin! To say that God is one (wahid) has four (possible) meanings, two of which are not permissible concerning God, the Mighty and Majestic, and two of which are established concerning Him."
"As for the two which are not permissible concerning Him, (the first is) the saying of him who says 'one' and has in mind the category of numbers. Now this is not permissible, for that which has no second does not enter into the category of numbers. Hast thou not seen that he who says that He is 'the third of three' [This is a reference to the Quranic verse, "They are unbelievers who say, 'God is the Third of Three' " (V, 73).] is of the unbelievers?
And (the second is like) the saying of him who says (concerning a man), 'He is one of mankind', meaning that he is one kind within the species. [The first kind of "unity" that is rejected is numerical unity, or the idea that when we say "He is one God", we mean something similar to what we mean when we say, 'This is one walnut", i.e., that there may also be two Gods, three Gods, etc. The second "unity" refers to similarity in kind or species, as when we say, "this is one cat", meaning that there are also other kinds of cats. In the words of Majlisi, "When it is said in this sense of a Byzantine that he is one of mankind, it is meant that his kind is one of the kinds of men or is a kind among other kinds". This is tashbih because we are comparing God to whatever we say He is one of. Since He is one of that kind, He has to be similar to others of that kind.] This is not permissible because it is a comparison, and our Lord is greater than that and high above it."
"As for the two meanings which are established concerning Him, (the first is) the saying of him who says,
'He is one, there is no likeness (shabah) unto Him among things.'
Such is our Lord.
And (the second is) the saying of him who says,
'Surely He, the Mighty and Majestic, is single in meaning (ahadi al-mana), intending by that that He is not divided by existence, the power of reason, or imagination. Such is our Lord, the Mighty and Majestic." Part I, A Shi'ite Anthology, 'Allamah Sayyid Muhammad Husayn Tabataba'i, Translated with Explanatory Notes by William C. Chittick
Monday, 4 April 2011
THE UNITY OF GOD*
Ghazali's enlivening 5-min read worth every second
There are four stages in the belief in the unity of God.
The first is to utter the words: “There is no God but God” without experiencing any impression in the heart. This is the creed of the hypocrites.
The second is to utter the above words and to believe that their meaning is also true. This is the dogma of ordinary Muslims.
The third is to perceive by the inward light of the heart the truth of the above Kalima. Through the multiplicity of causes the mind arrives at the conception of the unity of the final cause. This is the stage of the initiates.
The fourth is to gaze at the vision of an all-comprehensive, all-absorbing One, losing sight even of the duality of one’s own self. This is the highest stage of the true devotee.
It is described by the Sufis as Fanafittauhid (i.e. the effacement of one’s individuality in contemplating the unity of God).1
To use a simile these four stages may be compared with a walnut which is composed of an external hard rind, an internal skin, the kernel, and oil. The hard rind, which is bitter in taste, has no value except that it serves as a covering for some time. When the kernel is extracted the shell is thrown away. Similarly the hypocrite who, uttering the Kalima, is associated with the Muslims and safely enjoys their privileges, but at death is cut off from the faithful and falls headlong into perdition. The internal skin is more useful than the external in as much as it preserves the kernel and may be used, but is in no way equal to the kernel itself. Similarly the dogmatic belief of the ordinary Muslim is better than the lip service of the hypocrite, but lacks that broad clear insight which is described as “He whose heart Allah has opened to Islam walks in his light”.
The kernel is undoubtedly the desired object, but it contains some substance which is removed when oil is being pressed out. Similarly the conception of an efficient final cause is the aim and object of the devotees, but is inferior to the vision of the all-pervading Holy One, because the conception of causality involves duality.
But the objection may be urged: How can we ignore the diversities and multiplicities of the universe? Man has hands and feet, bones and blood, heart and soul,-all distinct-yet he is one individual. When we are thinking of a dear old friend and suddenly he stands before us, we do not think of any multiplicity of his bodily organs, but are delighted to see him. The simile, though not quite appropriate is-suggestive, especially for beginners. When they reach that stage they will themselves see its truth. Words fail to express the beatitude of that highest stage. It can be enjoyed, but not described.2
Let us consider the nature of the third stage. Man finds that God alone is the prime cause of everything. The world, its objects, life, death, happiness, misery,-all have their source in his omnipotence. None is associated with Him in this. When man comes to recognise this, he has no fear of anything, but puts his trust in God alone. But Satan tempts him by misrepresenting the agencies of the inorganic and organic worlds as potent factors independent in the shaping of his destiny.
Think first of the inorganic world. Man thinks that crops depend on rain descending from clouds, and that clouds gather together owing to normal climatic conditions. Similarly his sailing on the sea depends on favourable winds. Without doubt, these are immediate causes, but they are not independent. Man who in the hour of need calls for God’s mysterious help, forgets Him and turns to external causes as soon as he finds himself safe and sound. “So, when they ride in ships, they call upon Allah, being sincerely obedient to Him, but when he brings them safe to land, they associate others with Him. Thus they become ungrateful for what we have given them, so they might enjoy: but they shall soon know”.3
If a culprit, whose death sentence is revoked by the king, looks to the pen as his deliverer, will it not be sheer ignorance and ingratitude? Surely, the sun, the moon, the stars, the clouds, in fact, the whole universe is like a pen in the hand of an omnipotent dictator. When this kind of belief takes hold of the mind, Satan is disappointed in covertly tempting man, and uses subtle means, insinuating thus: “Do you not see that the king has full power either to kill or favour you, and though the pen, in the above simile, is not your deliverer, the writer certainly is”? As this sort of reflection led to the vexed question of free will, we have dealt with it already at some length.
At the outset, let us point out that just as an ant, owing to its limited sight will see the point of the pen blackening a blank sheet of paper and not the fingers and hand of the writer, so the person whose mental sight is not keen will attribute the actions to the immediate doer only. But there are minds, which, with the searchlight of intuition, expose the lurking danger of wrongly attributing power to any except the all-powerful omniscient being. To them every atom in the universe speaks out the truth of this revelation. They find tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, sermons in stones. The worldling will say: Though we have ears, we do not hear them. But asses also having ears do not hear. Verily there are such ears which hear words that have no sound, that are neither Arabic nor any other language, known to man. These words are drops in the boundless unfathomable ocean of divine knowledge: “If the sea were ink for the words of my Lord, the sea would surely be consumed before the words of my Lord are exhausted.”4
[* ]Ihya IV 5.
[1. ]Usually Fana is translated as “annihilation,” but Al Ghazzali here means what is implied in the statement: “To [Editor: illegible word] move, and have our being in Him.”
[2. ]“And thou shalt one day, if found worthy, so defined. See thy God face to face, as thou dost now.”
Byron Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage. CLV.
[3. ]Quran XXIX 65-66.
[4. ]Quran XVIII 109.
There are four stages in the belief in the unity of God.
The first is to utter the words: “There is no God but God” without experiencing any impression in the heart. This is the creed of the hypocrites.
The second is to utter the above words and to believe that their meaning is also true. This is the dogma of ordinary Muslims.
The third is to perceive by the inward light of the heart the truth of the above Kalima. Through the multiplicity of causes the mind arrives at the conception of the unity of the final cause. This is the stage of the initiates.
The fourth is to gaze at the vision of an all-comprehensive, all-absorbing One, losing sight even of the duality of one’s own self. This is the highest stage of the true devotee.
It is described by the Sufis as Fanafittauhid (i.e. the effacement of one’s individuality in contemplating the unity of God).1
To use a simile these four stages may be compared with a walnut which is composed of an external hard rind, an internal skin, the kernel, and oil. The hard rind, which is bitter in taste, has no value except that it serves as a covering for some time. When the kernel is extracted the shell is thrown away. Similarly the hypocrite who, uttering the Kalima, is associated with the Muslims and safely enjoys their privileges, but at death is cut off from the faithful and falls headlong into perdition. The internal skin is more useful than the external in as much as it preserves the kernel and may be used, but is in no way equal to the kernel itself. Similarly the dogmatic belief of the ordinary Muslim is better than the lip service of the hypocrite, but lacks that broad clear insight which is described as “He whose heart Allah has opened to Islam walks in his light”.
The kernel is undoubtedly the desired object, but it contains some substance which is removed when oil is being pressed out. Similarly the conception of an efficient final cause is the aim and object of the devotees, but is inferior to the vision of the all-pervading Holy One, because the conception of causality involves duality.
But the objection may be urged: How can we ignore the diversities and multiplicities of the universe? Man has hands and feet, bones and blood, heart and soul,-all distinct-yet he is one individual. When we are thinking of a dear old friend and suddenly he stands before us, we do not think of any multiplicity of his bodily organs, but are delighted to see him. The simile, though not quite appropriate is-suggestive, especially for beginners. When they reach that stage they will themselves see its truth. Words fail to express the beatitude of that highest stage. It can be enjoyed, but not described.2
Let us consider the nature of the third stage. Man finds that God alone is the prime cause of everything. The world, its objects, life, death, happiness, misery,-all have their source in his omnipotence. None is associated with Him in this. When man comes to recognise this, he has no fear of anything, but puts his trust in God alone. But Satan tempts him by misrepresenting the agencies of the inorganic and organic worlds as potent factors independent in the shaping of his destiny.
Think first of the inorganic world. Man thinks that crops depend on rain descending from clouds, and that clouds gather together owing to normal climatic conditions. Similarly his sailing on the sea depends on favourable winds. Without doubt, these are immediate causes, but they are not independent. Man who in the hour of need calls for God’s mysterious help, forgets Him and turns to external causes as soon as he finds himself safe and sound. “So, when they ride in ships, they call upon Allah, being sincerely obedient to Him, but when he brings them safe to land, they associate others with Him. Thus they become ungrateful for what we have given them, so they might enjoy: but they shall soon know”.3
If a culprit, whose death sentence is revoked by the king, looks to the pen as his deliverer, will it not be sheer ignorance and ingratitude? Surely, the sun, the moon, the stars, the clouds, in fact, the whole universe is like a pen in the hand of an omnipotent dictator. When this kind of belief takes hold of the mind, Satan is disappointed in covertly tempting man, and uses subtle means, insinuating thus: “Do you not see that the king has full power either to kill or favour you, and though the pen, in the above simile, is not your deliverer, the writer certainly is”? As this sort of reflection led to the vexed question of free will, we have dealt with it already at some length.
At the outset, let us point out that just as an ant, owing to its limited sight will see the point of the pen blackening a blank sheet of paper and not the fingers and hand of the writer, so the person whose mental sight is not keen will attribute the actions to the immediate doer only. But there are minds, which, with the searchlight of intuition, expose the lurking danger of wrongly attributing power to any except the all-powerful omniscient being. To them every atom in the universe speaks out the truth of this revelation. They find tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, sermons in stones. The worldling will say: Though we have ears, we do not hear them. But asses also having ears do not hear. Verily there are such ears which hear words that have no sound, that are neither Arabic nor any other language, known to man. These words are drops in the boundless unfathomable ocean of divine knowledge: “If the sea were ink for the words of my Lord, the sea would surely be consumed before the words of my Lord are exhausted.”4
[* ]Ihya IV 5.
[1. ]Usually Fana is translated as “annihilation,” but Al Ghazzali here means what is implied in the statement: “To [Editor: illegible word] move, and have our being in Him.”
[2. ]“And thou shalt one day, if found worthy, so defined. See thy God face to face, as thou dost now.”
Byron Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage. CLV.
[3. ]Quran XXIX 65-66.
[4. ]Quran XVIII 109.
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