ALMISKEENAH

 

A Prophet came while people were wrapped in pride
and in the pitch-black darkness of the night of unbelief,
Whereupon he dispelled this darkness with abundant light,
and in this matter he was helped by each of those who submitted.

 ‘Abdur Rahman ibn `Awf, RadhiAllahu anhu

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 When you were born, a light rose over the earth
until it illuminated the horizon with its radiance.
We are in that illumination, that original light,
those paths of guidance.
And thanks to them we pierce through.

Al-`Abbas ibn `Abd al-Muttalib, RadhiAllahu anhu, the Uncle of the Propeht SallAllahu alaihi wasallam.

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Insha’Allah, may we submit to the “abundant light” and be in “illumination”, steadfastly treading the paths of guidance, as we continue to bring the essence of the birth of our Blessed Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam into our hearts. A daily celebration of the legacy of the Sunnah Rasulullah SallAllahu alaihi wasallam so lovingly sacrificed for us, his constant concern being “Ummmati Ummati”. We need to ask ourselves what is our constant concern?

I found the following to be an inspirational dissertation offering a different perspective on our potential, along with ways to assist our ongoing efforts of self reform to make the Sunnah a reality in our lives in the here and now.

From Necklaces of Gems by Shaikh ‘Abd Al-Qadir Al-Jilani, Rahmatullah alaihi concerning the nature of the human being:

·         How marvelous is the creation of this human being, and how marvelous is the wisdom of the Maker in His work! Blessed and Exalted is He!

·         The human being would be a sovereign ruler, by virtue of his intellect, but for the inclination to follow his passionate desire. He would have a truly gracious character, but for the coarseness of his constitution.

·         The human being is a treasure house, stocked with the wondrous mysteries of the Unseen, along with vast hoards of every kind of fault.

·         The human being is a vessel, filled with light and darkness, in which the veil of the bride of the Spirit has called for the veiling of all forms, to screen them from the eyes of jealous rivals.

·         The human being is the prodigious wonder, whose beauty the Power of the Lord displayed to His servants, the Angels, clad in the fine garments of: And we indeed honoured the Children of Adam (17:70), at a session held in His presence, where He also said: And We have granted them a special favour. (17:70), meaning the faculty of reason, with an indication that it is a favour from the Knower of the Unseen and the Visible.

·         The oysters of the temples carried the pearls of the spirits through the oceans of existence, aboard the ships of knowledge, in order to perfect the radiance of the light of certainty. Driven by the wind of the Spirit, they voyaged to the treasuries of the sacred struggle.

·         Within the human being, the Sultan of reason stood opposite the Sultan of passionate desire, and the two of them clashed and fought in the courtyard of his breast.

·         The lower self was one of the marshalls of the armies of Sultan of passionate desire, and the spirit was one of the generals of the armies of the Sultan of reason.

·         The herald of judgement called out amongst them: O cavalry of Allah, ride forth! O squadrons of the Truth, appear! O troops of passionate desire, advance!”

·         Each of them wished for a victory of his own forces, and each of them tried to conquer his opponent.

·         The voice of enabling grace spoke to the pair of them, in the ancient tongue of the Unseen, saying: “Whomever I support, the flag of victory will be tied to his banners. Whoever I assist, he will be the fortunate one in this world and in the Hereafter. Whomever I am with, I shall not part from him, until I have brought him to the seat of truthfulness.

·         Enabling grace is the approving glance of the Lord of Truth (Glory be to Him), directed toward His protégé [wali] through the eye of His providential care.

·         O young man! You must follow reason, for it will steer your course on the path of the greatest bliss. You must become detached from your lower self and your passionate desire, for then you will see the true marvel.

·         The spirit is heavenly, invisible, while the lower self is terrestrial, earthy.

·         The bird of the graceful flies out of the nest of the course, on the wing of providential care, up into the tree on high. It rests on the bough of nearness to the Lord, warbles with the musical tone of the language of ardent yearning, sings the song of intimate friendship, and gleans the jewels of the realities from between the wings of direct experience.

·         As for the bird of the course, it stays trapped in the cage of the gloom of existence.

·         When the molds become extinct, the inner secrets of the hearts remain intact.

·         If He cats an approving glance into your heart, He will set it on the platform of His Throne, entrust it with the true facts of the sciences, and make it the treasury of the secrets of direct knowledge. Then you will behold, with your rational intellect, the beauty of eternity-without-beginning. You will turn away from everything qualified by the attributes of novelty. The vision of your innermost being will perceive the shapes of the worlds of the Realm of Sovereignty, in the mirror of nearness to your Lord. Displayed to the eye of your secret soul will be the brides of revelation, in the session of the disclosure of the real meanings of the signs, for all traces of the scribbling of the universe will have been erased from the tablet of your aspiration.

·         Hey, you there! When the faculties of reason are unfolded, the stallions are saddled in the shade. Pure thoughts are the signposts of the lords of direct knowledge and predestined providence.

·         When suspicions abound and the will is thereby affected, you must remove the veil of your doubt from the faces of the maidens of certainty. When the signposts become too few and far between, you must cut off the thoughts of falsehood with the hand of Truth.  

 

O Allah, illuminate our hearts with the love of your Habib SallAllahu alaihi wasallam, brighten our sight with the noble vision our Beloved Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam had for us, his Ummah, and bless us with the courage and ability to actualize his Sunnah. Eternal peace and blessings on the best of creation, Al-Mustafa SallAllahu alaihi wasallam, his family, companions and all pious flag bearers of this glorious Deen, who light their hearts from his SallAllahu alaihi wasallam light. Ameen.

All good is from Allah Ta’ala whereas mistakes are from this humble speck. May Allah Ta’ala Bless all readers, bringing you all closer to Him and His Rasul SallAllahu alaihi wasallam.  May He accept our humble efforts and grant us the capacity to be good and do good. Ameen.